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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Midnight Spells ( Witches of Hollow Cove 2) in Books
Sep 20, 2023
132 of 235
Kindle
Midnight Spells ( Witches of Hollow Cove 2)
By Kim Richardson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Get ready for this heart-pounding and laugh out loud magical adventure! Just when I thought I’d finally gotten my life back on track, the unexpected happens. It’s the annual Night Festival in Hollow Cove, a paranormal festival extravaganza that lasts for five nights and features a multitude of powerful faces in our paranormal circles. There’s only one little problem. Someone ends up dead. And I’m the one accused of murder. As my life spirals down the crapper once again, things between me and Marcus are even more confusing than ever before—hot—but ridiculously confusing. And to add to my wondrous good fortune—something or someone is trying to kill me. So, what is a witch do to? Find the culprit and clear my name, that’s what. If you like fast-paced urban fantasy adventure with a kick-butt heroine and plenty of action, suspense, and humor, you’ll love Midnight Spells.
This is becoming one of my favourite witch series I love the characters and stories. These books are so easy to fall into and read. Ronin makes me laugh so much he is definitely one of my favs! These books would definitely lift any reading slump esteem if you like a something a little quirky. It’s still the only Gorilla shifter I’ve ever come across too!
Kindle
Midnight Spells ( Witches of Hollow Cove 2)
By Kim Richardson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Get ready for this heart-pounding and laugh out loud magical adventure! Just when I thought I’d finally gotten my life back on track, the unexpected happens. It’s the annual Night Festival in Hollow Cove, a paranormal festival extravaganza that lasts for five nights and features a multitude of powerful faces in our paranormal circles. There’s only one little problem. Someone ends up dead. And I’m the one accused of murder. As my life spirals down the crapper once again, things between me and Marcus are even more confusing than ever before—hot—but ridiculously confusing. And to add to my wondrous good fortune—something or someone is trying to kill me. So, what is a witch do to? Find the culprit and clear my name, that’s what. If you like fast-paced urban fantasy adventure with a kick-butt heroine and plenty of action, suspense, and humor, you’ll love Midnight Spells.
This is becoming one of my favourite witch series I love the characters and stories. These books are so easy to fall into and read. Ronin makes me laugh so much he is definitely one of my favs! These books would definitely lift any reading slump esteem if you like a something a little quirky. It’s still the only Gorilla shifter I’ve ever come across too!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Plotters in Books
Oct 16, 2023
154 of 235
Book
The Plotters
By Un-su Kim
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind--a plotter--working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Just who are the plotters? And more important, what do they want?
Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library," Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. And when he uncovers an extraordinary scheme set into motion by an eccentric trio of young women--a convenience store clerk, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed librarian--Reseng will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.
Crackling with action and filled with unforgettable characters, The Plotters is a deeply entertaining thriller that soars with the soul, wit, and lyricism of real literary craft.
I really enjoyed this book it was dark, twisty and violent. A look into the dark world of an assassin life one that doesn’t like doing what he does. Knowing he has only one way out. I wasn’t expecting to like it at all it was a mystery book I had in a subscription box. It was really well translated too.
Book
The Plotters
By Un-su Kim
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind--a plotter--working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Just who are the plotters? And more important, what do they want?
Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library," Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. And when he uncovers an extraordinary scheme set into motion by an eccentric trio of young women--a convenience store clerk, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed librarian--Reseng will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.
Crackling with action and filled with unforgettable characters, The Plotters is a deeply entertaining thriller that soars with the soul, wit, and lyricism of real literary craft.
I really enjoyed this book it was dark, twisty and violent. A look into the dark world of an assassin life one that doesn’t like doing what he does. Knowing he has only one way out. I wasn’t expecting to like it at all it was a mystery book I had in a subscription box. It was really well translated too.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated A Missing, Presumed in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/missing-presumed-by-susie-steiner
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
There aren’t really any more avenues for detective novel writers to go down, each story follows a very similar storyline to the last but still we pick them up. Why? Because some are shite and others are amazing but it’s so hard to tell by just reading the synopsis. This one? Well it’s certainly similar to other novels <i>but</i> it’s refreshingly lighthearted, still managing to tackle dark subjects but in an easy-to-read way.
My one problem with the book that I noticed straight away was <b>too many narrators.</b> Luckily, as the novel went on, it got easier to remember who was who so it wasn’t as annoying as in the beginning but it was a little confusing at the start.
Other than my hatred for having to focus so much on whose chapter it was, I actually liked all of the characters in this book! It was so nice to have a police based book where none of them were arseholes and they all managed to get along, like most colleagues do in the real world! Even the SIO was normal! Though, I will admit, I found reading about Miriam a bit dull, I could have done without most of her stuff.
Manon was such a realistic person, she really reminds me of an actual human being rather than that fuddy duddy police machine type robot you find in so many of the these types of books. I loved that she had a life outside of work that we got to see, that wasn’t only depressing. Granted it was a little sad that she was so lonely but her internet dates were so funny and that made everything a lot nicer to read. Also, her whole spiel on hobbies was hilarious!
<b><i>”I’ve decided to get hobbied up.”
“And how is that going?” asks Davy, with hopefulness that would imply he’d never met Manon.
“Awful. I hate it. I mean, what’s the point of doing something just for the sake of it, when it isn’t your job?”</b></i>
Davy was by far my favourite character in the book. It was so refreshing to find an officer who thoroughly enjoyed their job and time with their colleagues. He was a total sweetheart, I loved him! I also loved the mystery that was Kim, she was a funny ol’ character to have as an extra, just brightening up a scene every now and then with her strangeness.
I felt the plot for this novel was more of a character building plot, rather than a fast paced mystery thriller, but that was something I didn’t mind when it came to this book because all of the characters were worth getting to know.
The resolution of the novel kind of disappointed me. It wasn’t how I would have pictured the missing person's case to have ended up, but I was happy with how the ending chapters gave us an insight into how everyone on the force was doing and how their personal lives ended up.
I’m glad to hear that Manon will be featured in other novels by the author because she was a great character and I will definitely be reading more novels with her in!
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
There aren’t really any more avenues for detective novel writers to go down, each story follows a very similar storyline to the last but still we pick them up. Why? Because some are shite and others are amazing but it’s so hard to tell by just reading the synopsis. This one? Well it’s certainly similar to other novels <i>but</i> it’s refreshingly lighthearted, still managing to tackle dark subjects but in an easy-to-read way.
My one problem with the book that I noticed straight away was <b>too many narrators.</b> Luckily, as the novel went on, it got easier to remember who was who so it wasn’t as annoying as in the beginning but it was a little confusing at the start.
Other than my hatred for having to focus so much on whose chapter it was, I actually liked all of the characters in this book! It was so nice to have a police based book where none of them were arseholes and they all managed to get along, like most colleagues do in the real world! Even the SIO was normal! Though, I will admit, I found reading about Miriam a bit dull, I could have done without most of her stuff.
Manon was such a realistic person, she really reminds me of an actual human being rather than that fuddy duddy police machine type robot you find in so many of the these types of books. I loved that she had a life outside of work that we got to see, that wasn’t only depressing. Granted it was a little sad that she was so lonely but her internet dates were so funny and that made everything a lot nicer to read. Also, her whole spiel on hobbies was hilarious!
<b><i>”I’ve decided to get hobbied up.”
“And how is that going?” asks Davy, with hopefulness that would imply he’d never met Manon.
“Awful. I hate it. I mean, what’s the point of doing something just for the sake of it, when it isn’t your job?”</b></i>
Davy was by far my favourite character in the book. It was so refreshing to find an officer who thoroughly enjoyed their job and time with their colleagues. He was a total sweetheart, I loved him! I also loved the mystery that was Kim, she was a funny ol’ character to have as an extra, just brightening up a scene every now and then with her strangeness.
I felt the plot for this novel was more of a character building plot, rather than a fast paced mystery thriller, but that was something I didn’t mind when it came to this book because all of the characters were worth getting to know.
The resolution of the novel kind of disappointed me. It wasn’t how I would have pictured the missing person's case to have ended up, but I was happy with how the ending chapters gave us an insight into how everyone on the force was doing and how their personal lives ended up.
I’m glad to hear that Manon will be featured in other novels by the author because she was a great character and I will definitely be reading more novels with her in!
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear
Book
"Part memoir, part history, part documentary, part impassioned manifesto...it might be the most...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(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>, in September).
I read Exposure (Twisted Lit #2) first (review up in a couple of days), and while I enjoyed that one better, Tempestuous is still a good read. I can't comment on how much alike it is to The Tempest by Shakespeare because I've never read that play by Shakespeare.
Miranda Prospero used to be a popular girl, but after one of her ideas gets people in trouble, she becomes a social pariah. One night, while working at the hot dog stand in the mall, there's a horrible snowstorm, and everyoen is locked in the mall overnight including Miranda and her former friends and ex-boyfriend. As she plots revenge against them, there's also a series of break-ins going on at the mall. It doesn't take long for Miranda to realize that the thief is also locked in the mall. Miranda must learn what's important or else she may be in more trouble.
I love the cover! I love how plain it is, yet how artistic it is at the same time. The colors go together really well, and I love the little soda cup on the cover.
The title is fantastic because not only is this a retelling of The Tempest by Shakespeare, but it also describes the weather in the book as well as Miranda's life at the moment.
I thought the world building was alright and the setting fantastic. I've always wondered what it would be like to be stuck in a mall. I'd probably hate it, but I'd like to imagine it'd be like what Miranda's night was like. I just kind of found it hard to believe that people would just go into any closed shop willy nilly for supplies and loot. I also found it kind of hard to believe that key holders would just open their shops for people. I would've loved to have more back story on Miranda's fall from grace. I would've liked the book to open up with her being part of the popular crowd, and then read about her incident that lead her to be a social outcast, followed by the story I just read. Yes, it would make a longer book, but I think I would've found that super interesting.
The pacing is alright in this book. I didn't devour this book so to speak. I wasn't bored with it, and the pacing is by no means slow, I just didn't get as interested in it as I have with other books.
I like the whole plot about being stuck in a mall and wondering what's going to happen that night. There are many subplots like how Miranda reacts to her former friends and ex-boyfriend, her love life, her friendships and other decisions. I like how there was also the subplot involving a thief locked inside the mall with everyone. I must admit that I was trying to find out who the thief was (and getting it wrong) throughout the book. I only realized who the thief was when Miranda did.
I felt that the characters were written well. I could totally understand about Miranda wanting revenge on those who shamed her and bullied her. I'm not condoning revenge by no means, but I could relate to that feeling. I loved how down to Earth Miranda seemed and how much she cared for people. Caleb came across as being a little bit of a dork, but that's what I loved about him! His dorkiness was actually kind of cute! I also loved how Chad was athletic, but the authors didn't make him out to be some brainless jock. Chad was actually a very sweet and caring guy, and I loved him. My favorite character was Ariel though. I loved her naivety and innocence. I loved how she seemed to find beauty in everything. I just wanted to hug Ariel a lot throughout the book.
I enjoyed the dialogue. None of it felt forced which was good. Everything flowed smoothly, and I found myself even laughing at some of the dialogue (because it was meant to be funny, not because it was bad or anything). There are a few swear words in the book, but nothing major.
Overall, Tempestuous is a fun story that lets you live a night being stuck in a mall with it's likable characters, great dialogue and interesting plot.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who want to read something with characters that they can relate to.
I'd give Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1) by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes a 3.75 out of 5.
(I received this book for free from the authors for a giveaway. I was not required to write a review).
I read Exposure (Twisted Lit #2) first (review up in a couple of days), and while I enjoyed that one better, Tempestuous is still a good read. I can't comment on how much alike it is to The Tempest by Shakespeare because I've never read that play by Shakespeare.
Miranda Prospero used to be a popular girl, but after one of her ideas gets people in trouble, she becomes a social pariah. One night, while working at the hot dog stand in the mall, there's a horrible snowstorm, and everyoen is locked in the mall overnight including Miranda and her former friends and ex-boyfriend. As she plots revenge against them, there's also a series of break-ins going on at the mall. It doesn't take long for Miranda to realize that the thief is also locked in the mall. Miranda must learn what's important or else she may be in more trouble.
I love the cover! I love how plain it is, yet how artistic it is at the same time. The colors go together really well, and I love the little soda cup on the cover.
The title is fantastic because not only is this a retelling of The Tempest by Shakespeare, but it also describes the weather in the book as well as Miranda's life at the moment.
I thought the world building was alright and the setting fantastic. I've always wondered what it would be like to be stuck in a mall. I'd probably hate it, but I'd like to imagine it'd be like what Miranda's night was like. I just kind of found it hard to believe that people would just go into any closed shop willy nilly for supplies and loot. I also found it kind of hard to believe that key holders would just open their shops for people. I would've loved to have more back story on Miranda's fall from grace. I would've liked the book to open up with her being part of the popular crowd, and then read about her incident that lead her to be a social outcast, followed by the story I just read. Yes, it would make a longer book, but I think I would've found that super interesting.
The pacing is alright in this book. I didn't devour this book so to speak. I wasn't bored with it, and the pacing is by no means slow, I just didn't get as interested in it as I have with other books.
I like the whole plot about being stuck in a mall and wondering what's going to happen that night. There are many subplots like how Miranda reacts to her former friends and ex-boyfriend, her love life, her friendships and other decisions. I like how there was also the subplot involving a thief locked inside the mall with everyone. I must admit that I was trying to find out who the thief was (and getting it wrong) throughout the book. I only realized who the thief was when Miranda did.
I felt that the characters were written well. I could totally understand about Miranda wanting revenge on those who shamed her and bullied her. I'm not condoning revenge by no means, but I could relate to that feeling. I loved how down to Earth Miranda seemed and how much she cared for people. Caleb came across as being a little bit of a dork, but that's what I loved about him! His dorkiness was actually kind of cute! I also loved how Chad was athletic, but the authors didn't make him out to be some brainless jock. Chad was actually a very sweet and caring guy, and I loved him. My favorite character was Ariel though. I loved her naivety and innocence. I loved how she seemed to find beauty in everything. I just wanted to hug Ariel a lot throughout the book.
I enjoyed the dialogue. None of it felt forced which was good. Everything flowed smoothly, and I found myself even laughing at some of the dialogue (because it was meant to be funny, not because it was bad or anything). There are a few swear words in the book, but nothing major.
Overall, Tempestuous is a fun story that lets you live a night being stuck in a mall with it's likable characters, great dialogue and interesting plot.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who want to read something with characters that they can relate to.
I'd give Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1) by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes a 3.75 out of 5.
(I received this book for free from the authors for a giveaway. I was not required to write a review).
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Gone Girl (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Let me start by saying that the novel Gone Girl is a fantastic piece of literature. Author Gillian Flynn writes a wickedly deceptive story through the use of characterization and voice that is not only a rousing read, but also a gripping one that allows the reader to understand just exactly who the players are in this thrilling story.
With this in mind, I was concerned that there was no way this film could capture the dark side of the characters and the story being told. I am glad to say that I was wrong. While the typical statement of “the book is better” does apply here, director David Fincher crafts a film that audiences will be able to understand and fill in the blanks of the devious motivations of the characters based on what is seen on screen. This is a refreshing theater experience as I feel that most novel adaptations often lead to lazy filmmaking that assumes the audience is familiar with the source material. Perhaps Fincher is helped by the fact that Gillian Flynn herself wrote the screen adaptation of her novel, keeping the most important elements in play.
Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, an introspective “nice” guy who finds himself the primary suspect in the missing persons/murder investigation of his wife Amy, played by Rosamund Pike. The two shine in their performances. They each took their characters from the pages of the book, breathed life into them and embodied Nick and Amy on screen. Combine them with a strong supporting cast of Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry, who gave performances that were neither lost nor forgettable. This is important as each are needed to provide contrast to the main characters and propel the story forward.
Though this film is not perfect, if there is any one gripe I have about this movie, it’s that a simple line of missed dialogue may cause the theater patron to miss something important to the story, such as the significance of the woodshed. However this is a small gripe as I feel that the pacing of the film and the constant advancement of the story will keep most patrons’ attention and keep them interested in the destiny of the characters.
If you are a reader, I would recommend reading the book first to get into the minds of the characters and truly feel the thrill of this story. However, if you haven’t the time or just don’t like to read, you won’t be disappointed with this strong film adaptation.
With this in mind, I was concerned that there was no way this film could capture the dark side of the characters and the story being told. I am glad to say that I was wrong. While the typical statement of “the book is better” does apply here, director David Fincher crafts a film that audiences will be able to understand and fill in the blanks of the devious motivations of the characters based on what is seen on screen. This is a refreshing theater experience as I feel that most novel adaptations often lead to lazy filmmaking that assumes the audience is familiar with the source material. Perhaps Fincher is helped by the fact that Gillian Flynn herself wrote the screen adaptation of her novel, keeping the most important elements in play.
Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, an introspective “nice” guy who finds himself the primary suspect in the missing persons/murder investigation of his wife Amy, played by Rosamund Pike. The two shine in their performances. They each took their characters from the pages of the book, breathed life into them and embodied Nick and Amy on screen. Combine them with a strong supporting cast of Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry, who gave performances that were neither lost nor forgettable. This is important as each are needed to provide contrast to the main characters and propel the story forward.
Though this film is not perfect, if there is any one gripe I have about this movie, it’s that a simple line of missed dialogue may cause the theater patron to miss something important to the story, such as the significance of the woodshed. However this is a small gripe as I feel that the pacing of the film and the constant advancement of the story will keep most patrons’ attention and keep them interested in the destiny of the characters.
If you are a reader, I would recommend reading the book first to get into the minds of the characters and truly feel the thrill of this story. However, if you haven’t the time or just don’t like to read, you won’t be disappointed with this strong film adaptation.
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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Once Dead, Twice Shy (Madison Avery, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Madison Avery doesn't believe in fate—until a combination of fate and free will brings her to live with her dad (which her mom thinks is a good thing for her since she can't stay out of trouble at home), gets her a pity-date ("you got your boss to get his son to ask me out? what?"), and kills her (at her junior prom. On her seventeenth birthday. of all the luck.). Now, after having claimed the amulet of the timekeeper who killed her (which is the only thing that keeps her looking like she's alive), she has to learn how to live with death. If that's even possible.
But the dark timekeeper who killed her isn't happy, because she's got his amulet, and she's not all the way dead (just sort of dead). Teaming up with Barnabas—who may or may not be a fallen angel—and the light time keeper, Chronos (or Ron for short), a guardian angel (who she forces to guard someone else) and enlisting the human help of her ex-prom date Josh (who she didn't realize she had a crush on), she has to attempt to save her soul.
All in a day's work for a dead high-schooler… right?
This was the second time I've read Once Dead, Twice Shy. I still can't figure out what the title means. Whatever it means, it was a pretty exciting book. There wasn't a second of "down-time." Madison was always up to something, learning something, running to—or from—something, or saving someone. Every chapter had little pieces of the puzzle, and the way it all fit together at the end, was priceless, hilarious, and promising.
I will say that I don't like where the story picks up. I think Harrison should have actually included the beginning of the story, where she gets killed. I read it before I read this book and I would have been rather lost without it. It was a short story included in Prom Nights from Hell. I don't care if this is technically a "book 1" in the series. It should have been book 2, or at least had the beginning of the story included in it.
I really liked Madison. I liked her character (though not some of her choices—but hey, if I was a dead seventeen year old trying to keep her dad from knowing that she could bend time, I probably would have made those same choices) and I liked her interior monologue. She was serious enough to be nerve-wracking and exciting, but sarcastic enough to give everything a touch of comic relief. I really didn't like Josh in the short prequel to this book, but as his character began to be more clear, I really started to like him. I hope things turn out well between him and Madison. I would have liked a little more romantic tension between them, but what was there was clean and innocent—a little too innocent for Madison Avery.
I don't particularly like Kim Harrison's writing style. It's very casual, it has those dreaded fragments, and it's nothing out of the ordinary. However, her way of describing both physical images and emotional feelings was very good, and I could see everything, hear everything, and feel everything her characters were experiencing. As I mentioned above, I liked the comic relief. I also liked her lack of language through the story. Madison had her own set of "words" and phrases that she used that weren't offensive in any way, and it made the story much more enjoyable. However, the only word I can think of to describe her writing is mediocre, and that and the lack of tension between Madison and Josh are the only reasons I don't give this book five stars.
Content: clean of language, violence, and sexuality of any kind. Thank you Harrison, for writing clean YA fiction!
Recommendation: Ages 12+ to lovers of sci-fi, fantasy, and general YA fiction.
This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Night Owl Reviews.
But the dark timekeeper who killed her isn't happy, because she's got his amulet, and she's not all the way dead (just sort of dead). Teaming up with Barnabas—who may or may not be a fallen angel—and the light time keeper, Chronos (or Ron for short), a guardian angel (who she forces to guard someone else) and enlisting the human help of her ex-prom date Josh (who she didn't realize she had a crush on), she has to attempt to save her soul.
All in a day's work for a dead high-schooler… right?
This was the second time I've read Once Dead, Twice Shy. I still can't figure out what the title means. Whatever it means, it was a pretty exciting book. There wasn't a second of "down-time." Madison was always up to something, learning something, running to—or from—something, or saving someone. Every chapter had little pieces of the puzzle, and the way it all fit together at the end, was priceless, hilarious, and promising.
I will say that I don't like where the story picks up. I think Harrison should have actually included the beginning of the story, where she gets killed. I read it before I read this book and I would have been rather lost without it. It was a short story included in Prom Nights from Hell. I don't care if this is technically a "book 1" in the series. It should have been book 2, or at least had the beginning of the story included in it.
I really liked Madison. I liked her character (though not some of her choices—but hey, if I was a dead seventeen year old trying to keep her dad from knowing that she could bend time, I probably would have made those same choices) and I liked her interior monologue. She was serious enough to be nerve-wracking and exciting, but sarcastic enough to give everything a touch of comic relief. I really didn't like Josh in the short prequel to this book, but as his character began to be more clear, I really started to like him. I hope things turn out well between him and Madison. I would have liked a little more romantic tension between them, but what was there was clean and innocent—a little too innocent for Madison Avery.
I don't particularly like Kim Harrison's writing style. It's very casual, it has those dreaded fragments, and it's nothing out of the ordinary. However, her way of describing both physical images and emotional feelings was very good, and I could see everything, hear everything, and feel everything her characters were experiencing. As I mentioned above, I liked the comic relief. I also liked her lack of language through the story. Madison had her own set of "words" and phrases that she used that weren't offensive in any way, and it made the story much more enjoyable. However, the only word I can think of to describe her writing is mediocre, and that and the lack of tension between Madison and Josh are the only reasons I don't give this book five stars.
Content: clean of language, violence, and sexuality of any kind. Thank you Harrison, for writing clean YA fiction!
Recommendation: Ages 12+ to lovers of sci-fi, fantasy, and general YA fiction.
This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Night Owl Reviews.
I've been picking up books on Autism since we realized my husband was on the spectrum, in hopes of finding tools to help us manage daily life. He's too busy with school and work to do much reading these days, so I've been doing the research and bringing it to him to discuss. It's led to some enlightening conversations and we've both learned a lot about each other. Cynthia Kim's blog was one I pored over and read parts of to him, and I finally got her book from my library.
One of the things I noticed most was she details social rules in ways I never would have thought to do - she has a list of seven very specific rules for eye contact, for example. As an allistic person, most of those rules are things I do instinctively, without even really knowing the reason for them. Like, in conversation, looking up or to the side means you're thinking, looking down means you're done talking. I read that to my husband and he jumped in, surprised, with "so THAT'S why I get interrupted so much!" I never would have thought to codify that into words, but it's something I naturally do.
She talks about meltdowns vs shutdowns, which are things we've already learned the difference between with my husband, but we're both eager for strategies to avoid, mitigate, and recover from them. She gave some strategies as places to start, but that's hard to give general advice on as every autistic is so very different in that regard.
The chapter on alexithymia was really interesting. Alexithymia being an impairment in identifying and describing emotions. It leads to a lot of "Hey, are you okay?" "I don't know." "Well, how do you feel?" "I DON'T KNOW!" We'd already been introduced to this concept through her blog, but she expands on it in the book.
Another interesting (and applicable!) chapter was the one on executive dysfunction. (We joke that I am my husband's personal assistant - I keep his calendar and remind him of important dates/events/homework due dates, and sometimes nudge him to do things if it seems he's having trouble getting started.)
Kim uses the term Asperger's in her writing (as well as autism), but Asperger's has been rolled into the greater Autism Spectrum Disorder since 2013. Very recently there's been some debate about the Asperger name, as it's been revealed that Hans Asperger at least cooperated with the Nazis, and possibly was one himself. It's still used commonly, though, and there is a large community built around being Aspies. Personally, I think using the Asperger term is a little too divisive - it's basically the same as "high-functioning." But. I'm allistic and my opinion on the matter isn't the important one, so. We use autistic for my husband. (His choice, and when I asked his thoughts, he also thinks the Asperger term is divisive and not useful.) There's a number of Twitter threads and articles on the subject of using or not using the Asperger term, and what it means to the community.
Overall, this was a really great book for learning about how autism affects day-to-day life, and gave us lots of talking points and words for things we didn't have the vocabulary for. I'm looking forward to tackling the rest of my Autism Reading List.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
One of the things I noticed most was she details social rules in ways I never would have thought to do - she has a list of seven very specific rules for eye contact, for example. As an allistic person, most of those rules are things I do instinctively, without even really knowing the reason for them. Like, in conversation, looking up or to the side means you're thinking, looking down means you're done talking. I read that to my husband and he jumped in, surprised, with "so THAT'S why I get interrupted so much!" I never would have thought to codify that into words, but it's something I naturally do.
She talks about meltdowns vs shutdowns, which are things we've already learned the difference between with my husband, but we're both eager for strategies to avoid, mitigate, and recover from them. She gave some strategies as places to start, but that's hard to give general advice on as every autistic is so very different in that regard.
The chapter on alexithymia was really interesting. Alexithymia being an impairment in identifying and describing emotions. It leads to a lot of "Hey, are you okay?" "I don't know." "Well, how do you feel?" "I DON'T KNOW!" We'd already been introduced to this concept through her blog, but she expands on it in the book.
Another interesting (and applicable!) chapter was the one on executive dysfunction. (We joke that I am my husband's personal assistant - I keep his calendar and remind him of important dates/events/homework due dates, and sometimes nudge him to do things if it seems he's having trouble getting started.)
Kim uses the term Asperger's in her writing (as well as autism), but Asperger's has been rolled into the greater Autism Spectrum Disorder since 2013. Very recently there's been some debate about the Asperger name, as it's been revealed that Hans Asperger at least cooperated with the Nazis, and possibly was one himself. It's still used commonly, though, and there is a large community built around being Aspies. Personally, I think using the Asperger term is a little too divisive - it's basically the same as "high-functioning." But. I'm allistic and my opinion on the matter isn't the important one, so. We use autistic for my husband. (His choice, and when I asked his thoughts, he also thinks the Asperger term is divisive and not useful.) There's a number of Twitter threads and articles on the subject of using or not using the Asperger term, and what it means to the community.
Overall, this was a really great book for learning about how autism affects day-to-day life, and gave us lots of talking points and words for things we didn't have the vocabulary for. I'm looking forward to tackling the rest of my Autism Reading List.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com