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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Greenwater in Books

Oct 20, 2018  
Greenwater
Greenwater
K.R. Griffiths | 2018 | Horror, Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am a massive fan of K R Griffiths having read several of his other books so when I heard Greenwater was being released, I didn't hesitate to pre-order it and eagerly awaited its release. I was even sent an advance copy by the author, for which I am grateful, so now I have 2 copies ☺️

Mr Griffiths knows how to write a story and this one is no exception with the added bonus of an unexpected ending. I do have a little gripe in that there is quite a lot of introspection by the characters which, although gave insight into their thought processes and circumstances, I found there was a bit too much which took me away from the action at times. Having said that, Mr Griffiths has a knack of creating characters that get in your head whether you are either rooting for them or you are hoping for their demise to be quick and painful and there are both types in this book although I have to admit that there were more of the latter!

There is rather a lot of gratuitous violence, blood and gore so if you don't like that sort of thing, I wouldn't recommend you read it.

Overall, a pretty good read but not as good as some of Mr Griffiths' other works so I highly recommend you look at his back catalogue and give them a go.
  
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.5 (277 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, here is what I thought. This was a very entertaining story. I think that the romance was too contrived. It is a young adult fiction, so I sort of expect that, but it doesn't mean that I should expect that. Collins could have done a better job on that. Also, I was hoping for a bit more development in certain areas, and a more "in your face" to the Capitol ending, but there are two more books, so I'm sure that will come later. The writing could have been more polished as well. Other than that, I really enjoyed it. It has themes of redemption, loyalty, and forgiveness, and being set in a culture of death, I think that this book is very relevant to today's society.
  
Final Girls
Final Girls
Riley Sager | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.0 (26 Ratings)
Book Rating
Good world building (0 more)
Forgettable Book (1 more)
Overdone Plot
Just Okay
Final Girls by Riley Sager came highly recommended to. I was looking for a good horror book to read. While Final Girls wasn't a great read, it wasn't bad. Final Girls was just an okay read and nothing more.

The pacing is okay in Final Girls. It's not fast paced, but it's not slow either. I didn't hurry to finish this book at all. Every now and then the pacing would get better, but most times it was just okay.

The plot was alright. It's like every other slasher survival type books. Final Girls did have a few plot twists. Most were pretty predictable such as the one with Sam. I just felt like I had read and seen this plot line so many times before. Nothing really stood out with the plot of Final Girls.

The world building was done well. It was easy for me to be transported to the world of Final Girls. Even the attacks on the girls seemed realistic.

I liked the characters enough and felt that they were fairly well written. I did feel that Quincy was a little too gullible and trusting. There were times I had to shake my head at her. For example, I felt like she was too trusting of Samantha. It's like she just took her at her word all the time. Saying all that, I did love Quincy though. She did have a fighting spirit about her, and I loved her determination. Sam annoyed me. She was written well, but she annoyed me with how she said "babe" almost all the time. She was always so shady, and I never trusted her. Even though Jeff and Coop weren't major characters, I still liked them a lot. They just seemed like really nice guys.

There are some themes in this book such as violence, smoking, prescription drug abuse, alcohol, sex, and swearing. Nothing is too over the top, and it fits in with the book perfectly.

All in all, I feel as if Final Girls by Riley Sager is a forgettable book. Nothing really stands out plot wise or character wise. It's just an okay read, but it's been done before.
  
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


I've been wanting to read this book for awhile. I love books with ghosts in them. I had high hopes for this book, but it just turned out to be an mediocre read.

Right away, the title of this book suggests that it's not going to be a scary book or one that takes itself too seriously. I do like the title, and I found it very interesting.

I like the cover. I think it suits a young adult book, and the cover fits with the setting of the book.

The world building was alright. I just felt that the ghosts were able to do too many things such as they were able to manipulate objects in the living world. They could move things, open doors, log on to Facebook, etc. It was the logging on to Facebook that really got to me. The ghosts even had their own Facebook pages! They could even write on others' Facebook profiles. I just think that because the ghosts were able to do too much, they would've been discovered in a real world setting.

The pacing was just alright. It wasn't too fast, and it wasn't too slow. It was just kind of there. I found myself not really in a rush to find out what would happen next.

I did enjoy the idea of the plot. I like how Kendra is able to see her dead best friend and then realizes she can actually see ghosts. I like how there was a mystery incorporated in the book. There was also romance going on with all the characters. However, I just felt as if there was too much going on with the plot. Perhaps this book would've been better without the romance especially the romance between Loic and Amber. I also felt as if the mystery about how Loic died wasn't that big of a mystery at all. I had correctly predicted the mystery surrounding Loic's death from the very beginning. There is a small plot twist towards the end, but it's not a major one. The author does leave the ending of this book open for the next book in the series, but I think this book could work well as a stand alone.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but I did enjoy them. My favorite character was Amber. To me, she felt the most realistic. It was good to see the wide range of emotions she was feeling throughout the book. I enjoyed her zest for life (even if she was dead). I also liked Pierrot. He seemed like a sweet boy, and it was clear how much he loved his brother. As for Kendra, I didn't like the way she treated her mother. I found her to be a bit disrespectful and a bit spoiled. I also didn't really care for Loic. To me, he came across as very whiny and a little bit selfish. I get that he just died and wanted answers, but it's like he just wanted everything to happen all at once. He was a very impatient boy.

I felt that the dialogue fit in more with a middle grade book rather then a young adult book. The way the characters thought and spoke made them seem like they were around thirteen or fourteen as opposed to being around seventeen years old. I also felt the dialogue didn't fit in with a modern day story. I can understand Amber using words that people don't really say anymore being as she died in the 1980s (although she's been a ghost, so surely she would've picked up the modern day lingo), but even Kendra used odd words such as the word "crimmers" (or something to that effect) when she was shocked about something. There's not really any violence, but there is some swearing. There's also no sexual references besides kissing.

Overall, Getting a Life, Even If You're Dead by Beth Watson is just an alright read. It's not great, but it's definitely not a bad read by any means. I believe that if the ghosts were a bit more believable and the book was written in more of a young adult tone, it could've been much better. I probably will read the next book in the series simply because it will focus on Amber.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 13+ who are like the mystery genre but also like their books with a little bit of romance.


(I received a free paperback of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
  
A2
Apartment 255
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Firstly I’d like to thank Netgalley and Momentum Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. The story of the disturbed Ginny playing out her sick fantasies and aiming to ruin her “best friends” life is a great plot for a great psychological thriller but something with this book was amiss.

I think, for me, the reason this book didn’t fulfil my original expectations was purely down to the characters. Ginny was the only interesting character to read about, yet there wasn’t much description when it came to her and instead the story focused on the couple whose lives were being destroyed. I found Sarah too annoying to like, even when she wasn’t being manipulated and tortured by Ginny’s actions. For me, she was too happy and lovey dovey. Yes, she had just got engaged and I expect anyone to be happy after that, but the way she described Tom and their life together was such a picture perfect, cookie cutter life that it made everything seem like she was living out her own fantasy of this perfect life she had. Tom was more interesting as a character than Sarah, but ultimately still a bit of a drip. It just seemed like he couldn’t live without his precious ‘Sare Bear’ and seemed incapable of doing anything but think of her, whether with love or with anger. It may sound like I’m being cynical but I found it all too sickly sweet. Thel and Hal’s story didn’t interest me either, it felt like part of a story that didn’t need to be there and easily could have been replaced with more about Ginny or at least cut down.

The plot for this was amazing and although it felt a bit slow to begin with, it does become fast paced and exciting for the reader nearer the end, though hearing more from Ginny’s side would have been more interesting than always hearing about how angry Sarah felt right at that moment or how confused Tom was that Sarah was being the way she was.

The ending was certainly a twist of events that I hadn’t seen coming. The reason for Ginny being so twisted and evil certainly came as a shock for me and the last couple of sentences in the book were chilling.

Overall I did enjoy this book but it wasn’t something I was reaching for every night, instead I used it to pass the time while on the train to and from work. I can see this becoming a popular book and I’m certain I know people who would love this, but I hate sickly sweet and there was definitely too much of that in this book for me.
  
WP
When Patty Went Away
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can be found on my blog <a href=http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.


The blurb intrigued me a lot. This was a book I really wanted to read. However, I was a bit disappointed when I finally got a chance to read it.

The title definitely fits the book for at least the second half. (I'll go into more detail about that later). The title reminds me of someone who checks out of reality though.

I like the serene look of the cover. I don't really know how it ties into the book though. The cover made me think more of a holiday romance type.

I can't really fault the world building. I thought it was done rather well and very believable. From a historic viewpoint, the facts and events were all correct. It was interesting that Ms. Burt chose to narrate through the point of view of a man. She did a great job of making it work though. There was one or two times I felt a bit confused, but I put it down to just a personal thing like maybe I wasn't paying as much attention as I should've been. The only thing that bothered me was when the narrator of the book would suddenly start talking about a memory. It was too sudden, and I didn't know if it was happening in present time or if it was indeed a memory. I felt as if a memory could've had a better introduction so the audience was aware that it happened at another time in the book.

I felt that the pacing was too slow for about the first two-thirds of the book. It seemed to drone on and on about a topic I wasn't that interested in (farming). I realize that Ms. Burt was setting up a back story, but there was too much focus on the whole farming aspect of the book and not about Patty disappearing as the title and the blurb would suggest. Once the main character goes to Montreal, the pacing picks up decently, and it becomes a book that I had a hard time putting down.

The whole story line was a bit weak, I felt. First off, it reads like two books. The first two-thirds of the book is about a family who has lost their farm due to a bad storm. The reader then takes a journey into finding out how this family struggles to survive without their means of income. I found it a bit tedious because I don't really care about farming, and this book used a lot of farming terminology. The last third of the book is when Jack goes to Montreal to look for Patty. This explores the seedy side of Montreal (which could be just about anywhere) and prostitution involving runaways. I thought the story line was strong during this bit.

I felt that Jack was a well developed character and very likable. It was easy to feel what he was feeling and to feel sorry for him with all that he was going through. Molly is a strict God fearing woman. However, I felt that there was too much focus on her being overweight which was uncalled for. I didn't really like how Christianity was portrayed when it came to Molly. I'm sure there are people in the world like her, but there were times when I just felt a bit offended. I would've loved to know more about Patty and Edie as individuals. I just felt like they didn't get enough time throughout the book, Patty especially. I found it a bit hard to care about Edie and Patty especially as I felt like I didn't have enough information on them to care.

The dialogue fit this book very well. However, I think a lot of people will struggle with the farming terminology and have a hard time relating to the whole farm scenario. As I've said before, this book reads like two books in one. To further prove my point, even the dialogue is different. During the whole family losing their farm scenario, the language isn't vulgar nor is there any swearing (that I could remember). Once Jack gets to Montreal, the language turns a bit vulgar, and there is some swearing.

Overall, When Patty Went Away is just an alright read. The plot could've been better and the merging of ideas could've been smoother. Saying that, the main character is very likable and the world building was good.

I'd recommend this book to those 18+ who know something about farming or those who want a book that will last awhile.

<b>I'd give When Patty Went Away by Jeannie Burt a 2.5 out of 5.</b>


(I received a free paperback of this book from LibraryThing for free in exchange for a fair and honest review).
  
TP
The Program (The Program, #1)
Suzanne Young | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
9.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
While this book had some certain tropes in it (hello love triangle) - and it definitely would have some trigger warnings, a few times I was shocked at what I read, not necessarily in a bad way - but some people may actually have issues with this book if they're super sensitive.

the whole suicide epidemic was quite an interesting story to read (granted that right there should trigger people - hey don't read this book) - the whole lobotomy after getting into the program was intense too - though wickedly fun to read about.

i'm very very curious to see where this series goes.....luckily I checked them all out from the library!
  
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Cate Le Bon recommended Hunky Dory by David Bowie in Music (curated)

 
Hunky Dory by David Bowie
Hunky Dory by David Bowie
1971 | Folk, Rock, Singer-Songwriter
8.6 (19 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"The next one is a little-known obscure album called Hunky Dory! I grew up listening to David Bowie's songs in the background. I knew he existed and knew his hits and whatnot. I had the same thing with The Beatles. When I was 17 I saw that my dad had Hunky Dory and I realised that I had never really actually listened properly to David Bowie. I thought of him as a pop star – which he is – but he's obviously a lot more than that. I remember putting it on and listening to it in the lounge and actually thinking it was almost too much – it was a collection of songs that were all so good that it was too much to digest. It absolutely blew my mind at how mercurial he was on one record. He wasn't writing songs just about love, but about all these crazy, bizarre ideas. It contained really weirdly strange anthems that weren't like anything I'd heard. I remember really trying to piece together who David Bowie was in his entirety, as opposed to him just being that guy who dresses up like a woman sometimes and was a pop star, and beginning to understand the gravity of how talented he was. I remember listening to the song 'Andy Warhol' over and over and over again and thinking it was the best song I had ever heard in my life and then trying to learn it on guitar. So, it was the moment of realising, ""Oh my god, David Bowie!"" but there is no real point in me explaining why it is such a good album. It's obvious."

Source
  
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Dana (24 KP) rated Red Queen in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
Red Queen
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
10
8.0 (64 Ratings)
Book Rating
HOLY CRAP!!! THAT TWIST THOUGH!!!!

I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel. The way that Victoria Aveyard crafted the story made it very easy to get into the world. The rules of the world were set up really early on and there weren't too many of the usual YA tropes in it. I loved reading the character interactions in this story. They just felt really organic and lively. Mare was very well written. She was created with care and not condescended to in the writing. I felt like she, along with the other characters, were taken care of with the highest respect. That being said, it was really easy to start hating characters that I had previously loved. Thanks, Victoria. Like I didn't need my heart broken. I actually wasn't supposed to start reading this until after I finished my finals, but that is not what happened. It was too enticing and then I didn't want to put it down. The only reason I did was because I noticed that I actually had important assignments that I had to do.

I really recommend this novel to anyone who likes Fantasy and Dystopian novels. It is a perfect blend of the two and a really fun read. You will not want to stop until you finish!
  
The Cat Who Caught a Killer
The Cat Who Caught a Killer
L T Shearer | 2022 | Crime, Mystery
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I love cats and I love reading about murder (strange I know!) so even though this book is quite different to what I normally read, I thought I'd give it a go and, overall, it was pretty good.

This is definitely what is called a 'cosy mystery'; it is not offensive or violent. Emily's mother in law dies suddenly and unexpectedly and whilst her death is put down to natural causes, Emily, an ex Police Officer, is not convinced and so sets off to get to the truth along with a talking cat that has adopted her.

I thought I would struggle with the talking cat angle but whilst it was a little absurd at the beginning, it worked really well and, I think, it symbolised Emily's inner voice.

With great characters and a good story line, this is an easy to read mystery. There are twists and turns but, unfortunately, they weren't too much of a surprise so this let it down a little and although the pace was steady, there was a little bit too much description at times which slowed the story down somewhat.

Overall though, I would recommend to those who enjoy a simple, easy to read and inoffensive mystery and my thanks must go to PanMacmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Cat Who Caught a Killer.