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Merissa (12066 KP) rated Boy Banned in Books
Jun 8, 2023
I started reading this book at night, and that was my first mistake!
STOP!!!! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT OPENING THIS BOOK...
... at least, not until you can sit down and read it without interruption because, trust me, you will NOT want to be disturbed until you've finished it! Like I said, I started it at night and read until I couldn't read anymore. I reluctantly put it down, only to dream about the story and the characters all night. I couldn't wait to continue the next day, but life got in the way, making me wait.
Mind you, it was worth it when I could finally dive back in and continue with Corey and Angel's story. Taking place in a UK reality pop show, Angel and Corey, plus the other members of the bank, are actually there as individuals but are placed together by the judges. After a faltering start, they come together, becoming good friends and helping each other out. The fly in the ointment is their 'mentor'. Yeesh, I wasn't sure it was possible to really dislike someone to the extent that I did with her.
All five of these characters are amazing, supportive and friendly to each other whilst dealing with their own foibles. Corey and Angel are the ones who stole my heart, but each of them is in there! The descriptions used to describe Corey and how he is feeling/dealing with things are raw and real! Angel being his safe place made complete sense and that is just one other thing that I loved about this story. It all makes sense!!! Nothing seems forced or out of place. The story flows, with sweet and spicy spots, but overall, it is a love story.
In case you haven't figured it out by now, I absolutely LOVE this story. It is one of the books that I couldn't wait to finish but really didn't want to either. I needed to know if they got their HEA but didn't want their story to end. Totally first-rate, highly recommended and everything that goes with it. Basically, if you like M/M Romance, you should give this book a try!!! (Bearing in mind what I said at the start!) I sincerely hope that for every Corey out there, they find their Angel!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 27, 2016
STOP!!!! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT OPENING THIS BOOK...
... at least, not until you can sit down and read it without interruption because, trust me, you will NOT want to be disturbed until you've finished it! Like I said, I started it at night and read until I couldn't read anymore. I reluctantly put it down, only to dream about the story and the characters all night. I couldn't wait to continue the next day, but life got in the way, making me wait.
Mind you, it was worth it when I could finally dive back in and continue with Corey and Angel's story. Taking place in a UK reality pop show, Angel and Corey, plus the other members of the bank, are actually there as individuals but are placed together by the judges. After a faltering start, they come together, becoming good friends and helping each other out. The fly in the ointment is their 'mentor'. Yeesh, I wasn't sure it was possible to really dislike someone to the extent that I did with her.
All five of these characters are amazing, supportive and friendly to each other whilst dealing with their own foibles. Corey and Angel are the ones who stole my heart, but each of them is in there! The descriptions used to describe Corey and how he is feeling/dealing with things are raw and real! Angel being his safe place made complete sense and that is just one other thing that I loved about this story. It all makes sense!!! Nothing seems forced or out of place. The story flows, with sweet and spicy spots, but overall, it is a love story.
In case you haven't figured it out by now, I absolutely LOVE this story. It is one of the books that I couldn't wait to finish but really didn't want to either. I needed to know if they got their HEA but didn't want their story to end. Totally first-rate, highly recommended and everything that goes with it. Basically, if you like M/M Romance, you should give this book a try!!! (Bearing in mind what I said at the start!) I sincerely hope that for every Corey out there, they find their Angel!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 27, 2016
Hadley (567 KP) rated The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein in Books
Apr 6, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
The most amazing thing about classic horror stories is how they still influence many writers today.
To read 'the Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein,' you don't have to know anything about Mary Shelley's original creation. No, this book seems to take the story of Dr. Frankenstein in a completely different direction than what was known 200 years ago. I, personally, haven't read Shelley's book, but after reading this one, I certainly want to now. Victor Frankenstein is the most interesting character I have read about in a long time.
'The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein' takes us to Victor's childhood, where we observe him becoming the insane doctor that he was in 'Frankenstein' - but this one doesn't pass Victor's 21st birthday, and his creation of a 'creature' is much earlier than in Shelley's version. This book was still very enjoyable,even if it doesn't line up with the classic. But instead of following Victor's descent into darkness, we follow Elizabeth's ascension from darkness through her need to be taken care of for the remainder of her life - 'And if Victor did not seem to respond to my sweetness,I would simply cry. He never could stand it when I cried. It would hurt him. I smiled in anticipation, letting the meanness at my core stretch like ill-used muscles' Another interesting part of this book is seeing how well the author, White, creates a sociopathic lead female character, who has tailored herself to wearing the right faces and acting a certain way to get what she wants.
We enter the book with Elizabeth and her good friend, Justine, on a trip to find Victor, who has stopped writing from school some months before - Victor's mother had died before he left, and now Elizabeth was questioning whether or not his father was going to keep her around. We get flash backs here and there of Elizabeth and Victor as children together. The reader is shown that Elizabeth is the only person who can calm Victor during his 'rages,' and she seems to be the only person he allowed inside his world. We're led to believe that Elizabeth truly cares for Victor,but quickly we are told that she only cares if she has a roof over her head or not. Eventually, Elizabeth finds Victor, but he is in the midst of a fever - an ailment he falls under quite often whenever his studies would keep him from eating, drinking and sleeping - he whispers in a fever state 'Do not tell Elizabeth.' and 'It worked.' The horror quickly takes place when Elizabeth explores his surroundings to find a makeshift lab with body parts,both human and animal.
The book spends a lot of time with Elizabeth waiting on Victor, usually for him to return home to the Frankenstein estate. Although White does an amazing job of bringing back words and writing that was of 200 years ago, sometimes it seems she's too busy concentrating on that rather than paying attention to consistency. The story had me glued to the book from part one, but what really kept me going was the character, Victor. If this entire story had been from his point of view, I would have put this book at the top of my favorite books list. This also should have been titled 'the Dark Descent of Victor Frankenstein,' because it's Victor who seems to slowly descend into madness, not Elizabeth, she seems to know what he is going to become, but because she is so occupied with keeping her place at the Frankenstein household, she does nothing to stop it.
Victor, by today's standards, is a murderer in the making:
"The deer stopped keening. It did not die as Victor tugged the knife through the skin over its stomach. I had imagined it parting like the crust of a loaf of bread,but it was tough, resistant. The sound of tearing made me sick. I turned away as Victor strained to make progress with blood coating his hands and making the knife slippery."
Elizabeth takes great measures to keep Victor out of trouble,even when he nearly severs the arm of his little brother out of curiosity. She focuses on keeping the little brother alive, then placing blame on the nursemaid by planting a pair of scissors from her sewing supplies. Elizabeth was not only a good liar, but she was also an antagonist. When Victor seems to not be able to cope with what he did to his little brother, she quickly tells him what they will say to his father: " ' We know what happened. It was the nursemaid's fault for leaving out her sewing supplies. She is stupid and lazy and still sleeping. She will be punished and relieved of her duties. Ernest will be fine.' I paused to be sure Victor understood that this was our story,no matter what. 'And we are fortunate that she is stupid and lazy and convenient, and nothing like this will happen again. Will it?' " She may have very well been the reason Victor did the things he did.
Victor, of course, ends up making a monster, but White didn't try to retell the Shelley novel, instead she tried to give it a different spin from a different perspective. As a storyteller, White did an impressive job with wording and flashbacks. For die-hard fans of Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' I wouldn't recommend ' the Dark Decent of Elizabeth Frankenstein' unless you are willing to read it with an open mind. I only wish there had been more scenes with Victor - an unforgettable character.
To read 'the Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein,' you don't have to know anything about Mary Shelley's original creation. No, this book seems to take the story of Dr. Frankenstein in a completely different direction than what was known 200 years ago. I, personally, haven't read Shelley's book, but after reading this one, I certainly want to now. Victor Frankenstein is the most interesting character I have read about in a long time.
'The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein' takes us to Victor's childhood, where we observe him becoming the insane doctor that he was in 'Frankenstein' - but this one doesn't pass Victor's 21st birthday, and his creation of a 'creature' is much earlier than in Shelley's version. This book was still very enjoyable,even if it doesn't line up with the classic. But instead of following Victor's descent into darkness, we follow Elizabeth's ascension from darkness through her need to be taken care of for the remainder of her life - 'And if Victor did not seem to respond to my sweetness,I would simply cry. He never could stand it when I cried. It would hurt him. I smiled in anticipation, letting the meanness at my core stretch like ill-used muscles' Another interesting part of this book is seeing how well the author, White, creates a sociopathic lead female character, who has tailored herself to wearing the right faces and acting a certain way to get what she wants.
We enter the book with Elizabeth and her good friend, Justine, on a trip to find Victor, who has stopped writing from school some months before - Victor's mother had died before he left, and now Elizabeth was questioning whether or not his father was going to keep her around. We get flash backs here and there of Elizabeth and Victor as children together. The reader is shown that Elizabeth is the only person who can calm Victor during his 'rages,' and she seems to be the only person he allowed inside his world. We're led to believe that Elizabeth truly cares for Victor,but quickly we are told that she only cares if she has a roof over her head or not. Eventually, Elizabeth finds Victor, but he is in the midst of a fever - an ailment he falls under quite often whenever his studies would keep him from eating, drinking and sleeping - he whispers in a fever state 'Do not tell Elizabeth.' and 'It worked.' The horror quickly takes place when Elizabeth explores his surroundings to find a makeshift lab with body parts,both human and animal.
The book spends a lot of time with Elizabeth waiting on Victor, usually for him to return home to the Frankenstein estate. Although White does an amazing job of bringing back words and writing that was of 200 years ago, sometimes it seems she's too busy concentrating on that rather than paying attention to consistency. The story had me glued to the book from part one, but what really kept me going was the character, Victor. If this entire story had been from his point of view, I would have put this book at the top of my favorite books list. This also should have been titled 'the Dark Descent of Victor Frankenstein,' because it's Victor who seems to slowly descend into madness, not Elizabeth, she seems to know what he is going to become, but because she is so occupied with keeping her place at the Frankenstein household, she does nothing to stop it.
Victor, by today's standards, is a murderer in the making:
"The deer stopped keening. It did not die as Victor tugged the knife through the skin over its stomach. I had imagined it parting like the crust of a loaf of bread,but it was tough, resistant. The sound of tearing made me sick. I turned away as Victor strained to make progress with blood coating his hands and making the knife slippery."
Elizabeth takes great measures to keep Victor out of trouble,even when he nearly severs the arm of his little brother out of curiosity. She focuses on keeping the little brother alive, then placing blame on the nursemaid by planting a pair of scissors from her sewing supplies. Elizabeth was not only a good liar, but she was also an antagonist. When Victor seems to not be able to cope with what he did to his little brother, she quickly tells him what they will say to his father: " ' We know what happened. It was the nursemaid's fault for leaving out her sewing supplies. She is stupid and lazy and still sleeping. She will be punished and relieved of her duties. Ernest will be fine.' I paused to be sure Victor understood that this was our story,no matter what. 'And we are fortunate that she is stupid and lazy and convenient, and nothing like this will happen again. Will it?' " She may have very well been the reason Victor did the things he did.
Victor, of course, ends up making a monster, but White didn't try to retell the Shelley novel, instead she tried to give it a different spin from a different perspective. As a storyteller, White did an impressive job with wording and flashbacks. For die-hard fans of Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' I wouldn't recommend ' the Dark Decent of Elizabeth Frankenstein' unless you are willing to read it with an open mind. I only wish there had been more scenes with Victor - an unforgettable character.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Enola Holmes 2 (2022) in Movies
Nov 14, 2022
Pleasant and Entertaining
Back in September 2020 - in the heart of the pandemic shutdown - Netflix released ENOLA HOLMES which was dubbed “the teen version of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes” - one can decide for themselves if that is a good or a bad thing. For me, this flick was an agreeable way to spend a few hours and I, for one, was looking forward to further adventures of Enola and her more well-known older brother, Sherlock.
And, in ENOLA HOLMES 2, we get exactly that. A very entertaining way to spend a few hours with characters that continue to be a joy to while away the time - and a mystery - with.
Starring Millie Bobby Brown (11 in STRANGER THINGS), Enola Holmes 2 follows the titular character as she has opened her own, competing, Detective Agency. But, as these sorts of things go, her case ends up intertwining with her famous older sibling’s case, so we really get “Holmes and Holmes”.
And that is just fine with me for Brown and Henry Cavill (who plays Sherlock Holmes and who has previously played the MAN OF STEEL) make a winning pair, working off each other with just the right tone of mystery and fun and they look like they are having a good time figuring out the central mystery of this story.
Credit for this must go to Director Harry Bradbeer (Director of the first ENOLA HOLMES film) who came up with this story based on Nancy Springer’s characters (she wrote the ENOLA HOLMES books) and to which Jack Thorne bases his screenplay on. Bradbeer seems to understand these characters and the tone of this film. He makes just the right balance between mystery and fun - keeping the proceedings moving along at a jaunty pace, so the audience can enjoy the ride, but aren’t too jostled around by it.
Brown and Cavill fit right into this tone as does the always wonderful Helena Bonham Carter (she of many films, let’s go with A ROOM WITH A VIEW) as the mother of both of these two Detectives. The sturdy David Thewlis (Professor Lupine in the HARRY POTTER films) brings along his professionalism, comedic timing and mysteriousness as Police Inspector Grail while Louis Partridge returns as the handsome almost-love interest of Enola, Lord Tewkesbury.
Special notice needs to be made of Costumer Consolata Boyle (THE QUEEN) she populates this film with the prerequisite muted colors of 19th Century London (lots of Grey, Black and Dark Blue) but she manages to give Enola just enough of a flair in her costumes. For example, the blue of her skirt is just brighter enough than those around her to punch her up, but it is not so much brighter that it is obviously making her stick out. It is a smart, subtle touch to a very pleasing film to look at.
And that is, really, the bottom line of this movie. It is a very pleasant movie, with a mystery that is interesting enough to keep a person hooked, but not overly complex or dingy as to turn people off.
A good family film - and that is a compliment - the type of film that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 (out of 10) stars
And you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
And, in ENOLA HOLMES 2, we get exactly that. A very entertaining way to spend a few hours with characters that continue to be a joy to while away the time - and a mystery - with.
Starring Millie Bobby Brown (11 in STRANGER THINGS), Enola Holmes 2 follows the titular character as she has opened her own, competing, Detective Agency. But, as these sorts of things go, her case ends up intertwining with her famous older sibling’s case, so we really get “Holmes and Holmes”.
And that is just fine with me for Brown and Henry Cavill (who plays Sherlock Holmes and who has previously played the MAN OF STEEL) make a winning pair, working off each other with just the right tone of mystery and fun and they look like they are having a good time figuring out the central mystery of this story.
Credit for this must go to Director Harry Bradbeer (Director of the first ENOLA HOLMES film) who came up with this story based on Nancy Springer’s characters (she wrote the ENOLA HOLMES books) and to which Jack Thorne bases his screenplay on. Bradbeer seems to understand these characters and the tone of this film. He makes just the right balance between mystery and fun - keeping the proceedings moving along at a jaunty pace, so the audience can enjoy the ride, but aren’t too jostled around by it.
Brown and Cavill fit right into this tone as does the always wonderful Helena Bonham Carter (she of many films, let’s go with A ROOM WITH A VIEW) as the mother of both of these two Detectives. The sturdy David Thewlis (Professor Lupine in the HARRY POTTER films) brings along his professionalism, comedic timing and mysteriousness as Police Inspector Grail while Louis Partridge returns as the handsome almost-love interest of Enola, Lord Tewkesbury.
Special notice needs to be made of Costumer Consolata Boyle (THE QUEEN) she populates this film with the prerequisite muted colors of 19th Century London (lots of Grey, Black and Dark Blue) but she manages to give Enola just enough of a flair in her costumes. For example, the blue of her skirt is just brighter enough than those around her to punch her up, but it is not so much brighter that it is obviously making her stick out. It is a smart, subtle touch to a very pleasing film to look at.
And that is, really, the bottom line of this movie. It is a very pleasant movie, with a mystery that is interesting enough to keep a person hooked, but not overly complex or dingy as to turn people off.
A good family film - and that is a compliment - the type of film that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 (out of 10) stars
And you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
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Coming-of-age novel about two boys who fall in love in a writing class—one from a progressive...
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Averlon (Trident Cove #1) in Books
Sep 11, 2023
AVERLON is the first book in the Trident Cove series and it is a wonderful beginning to the series!
We start off with Faolan in the slave pits. This was a heavy start but really well-written. Faolan gets sold to a pirate captain who is paradoxical in many ways. He has bought a 'pleasure slave' and gets insanely jealous if anyone else touches him, BUT he doesn't want to touch him himself unless he is free of bruises and/or injuries. Being as most of the crew don't like the fact the Captain has a pleasure slave at all - when they have to wait for shore leave - this means Faolan has injuries most of the time, which is good for him!
Averlon is the Mer prince, together with his bodyguard and best friend, Revyn. When he feels the mate bond, he goes in search of his mate. His plan is to be captured by the pirates so he meets the Mer onboard. Of course, it isn't a Mer but Faolan instead.
There were a few examples of behaviour not making much sense - for example when they escaped from the boat. I couldn't understand why Averlon would jump off first, leaving his mate in possible peril, as the biggest danger was behind them (the pirates/captain etc.) not in front of them. I would also have liked Faolan to have had more of a voice at times. I felt he needed more time to understand becoming a Mer, but didn't say anything. I also understand he was in the honeymoon period, but I wish he had spoken up when Averlon went against what Faolan wanted. If there is a good reason it had to be done a certain way - great! Tell Faolan about it so the reader can find out too.
All in all though, this was a great book that made me realise I haven't read a good Mer story in far too long. I look forward to finding out what happened to Karn once they hit the water. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 10, 2023
We start off with Faolan in the slave pits. This was a heavy start but really well-written. Faolan gets sold to a pirate captain who is paradoxical in many ways. He has bought a 'pleasure slave' and gets insanely jealous if anyone else touches him, BUT he doesn't want to touch him himself unless he is free of bruises and/or injuries. Being as most of the crew don't like the fact the Captain has a pleasure slave at all - when they have to wait for shore leave - this means Faolan has injuries most of the time, which is good for him!
Averlon is the Mer prince, together with his bodyguard and best friend, Revyn. When he feels the mate bond, he goes in search of his mate. His plan is to be captured by the pirates so he meets the Mer onboard. Of course, it isn't a Mer but Faolan instead.
There were a few examples of behaviour not making much sense - for example when they escaped from the boat. I couldn't understand why Averlon would jump off first, leaving his mate in possible peril, as the biggest danger was behind them (the pirates/captain etc.) not in front of them. I would also have liked Faolan to have had more of a voice at times. I felt he needed more time to understand becoming a Mer, but didn't say anything. I also understand he was in the honeymoon period, but I wish he had spoken up when Averlon went against what Faolan wanted. If there is a good reason it had to be done a certain way - great! Tell Faolan about it so the reader can find out too.
All in all though, this was a great book that made me realise I haven't read a good Mer story in far too long. I look forward to finding out what happened to Karn once they hit the water. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 10, 2023
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Joint Penetration (Hot Under the Collar #3) in Books
Jun 13, 2024
so freaking good!
I was gifted my copy straight for the author.
Jumping straight in, again!
What this book is, book 3 in the series, is an abso-freaking-lutely brilliantly written, brilliantly told story, of realising what has been in front of you for 15 years, and not questioning, not once, what you really feel for your best friend.
Liam has been in love with Ollie since he was 14. His best friend, his straight MARRIED best friend. He knows he can never have him, but he cannot let go. Ollie announces hi is getting a divorce, and promptly turns to Liam for his shoulder. Not to cry on, though, Ollie just needs Liam close, as always. Making a discovery about Liam that Ollie did not know, sets off a chain reaction, and Ollie sees, really SEES Liam for the first time.
I cannot, and never will be able to, express how much I loved this book of 2 friends falling in love. Of two friends finally seeing what everyone else sees: that they are perfect for each other. I mean, this is another , ANOTHER book that I need to add to myMasterpieces shelf of McIntyre's and she keeps delivering them! I really gotta change my rules for that shelf!
It's steamy, yes, but I loved that Ollie jumped straight in, once he was aware of his feelings and, more importantly, of LIAM'S feelings about them sleeping together. I loved that Ollie didn't really question what he was feeling: he knew, KNEW that Liam was his, and now he would be in all ways, but Ollie questioned WHAT he was feeling when he touched Liam. He never felt anything like this when he touched his ex-wife, so what he was feeling for Liam had to be monumental.
It's super low angst, and it's too freaking cute, and so warm and fuzzies, its off the scale!
I loved that we got to catch up with Liam's group of friends, and the guys from books one and two. We are also introduced to Ollie's brothers, and THEY are the subject of a new series that will feature drop ins from these guys.
I might go on all day, but I'll cut myself short.
READ THE FREAKING BOOK, GUYS! Better yet, read the whole SERIES cos they are all. . .
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Jumping straight in, again!
What this book is, book 3 in the series, is an abso-freaking-lutely brilliantly written, brilliantly told story, of realising what has been in front of you for 15 years, and not questioning, not once, what you really feel for your best friend.
Liam has been in love with Ollie since he was 14. His best friend, his straight MARRIED best friend. He knows he can never have him, but he cannot let go. Ollie announces hi is getting a divorce, and promptly turns to Liam for his shoulder. Not to cry on, though, Ollie just needs Liam close, as always. Making a discovery about Liam that Ollie did not know, sets off a chain reaction, and Ollie sees, really SEES Liam for the first time.
I cannot, and never will be able to, express how much I loved this book of 2 friends falling in love. Of two friends finally seeing what everyone else sees: that they are perfect for each other. I mean, this is another , ANOTHER book that I need to add to myMasterpieces shelf of McIntyre's and she keeps delivering them! I really gotta change my rules for that shelf!
It's steamy, yes, but I loved that Ollie jumped straight in, once he was aware of his feelings and, more importantly, of LIAM'S feelings about them sleeping together. I loved that Ollie didn't really question what he was feeling: he knew, KNEW that Liam was his, and now he would be in all ways, but Ollie questioned WHAT he was feeling when he touched Liam. He never felt anything like this when he touched his ex-wife, so what he was feeling for Liam had to be monumental.
It's super low angst, and it's too freaking cute, and so warm and fuzzies, its off the scale!
I loved that we got to catch up with Liam's group of friends, and the guys from books one and two. We are also introduced to Ollie's brothers, and THEY are the subject of a new series that will feature drop ins from these guys.
I might go on all day, but I'll cut myself short.
READ THE FREAKING BOOK, GUYS! Better yet, read the whole SERIES cos they are all. . .
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Little Girl Gone (An Afton Tangler Thriller #1) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Afton Tangler is halfway up a cold, icy mountain ledge when the call comes in: a three-month old baby, Elizabeth Ann, has vanished, taken from her home in the middle of the night. The little girl's babysitter is in the hospital after being assaulted, and Elizabeth Ann's wealthy parents are frantic. Afton, a family liaison officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, must console the baby's parents, Susan and Richard Darden. Besides her ice climbing hobby, Afton is also an aspiring police officer, so when the lead detective on the case, Max, has her tag along, she does, trying to untangle the weird web of clues that accompanies this sad case. Who was the strange man, pretending to deliver a pizza, who attacked the babysitter? Is he connected to a woman at a doll show that interacted with Susan? Is Richard's recent job switch a factor? Will a ransom call come in? As Afton and Max race to find Elizabeth Ann, the web only thickens, and they become more frantic to find Elizabeth Ann before it's too late.
This was an interesting mystery novel. I won't lie: the writing is wooden and clunky to say the least. It's certainly not the smoothly written thriller of a say a Tana French or Mary Kubica, whose books I've recently read. Further, the plot is really preposterous at times, and it's crazy to watch Afton, who should really be sitting at a desk and chatting with families, out solving crimes, chasing bad guys, and scaling cliffs (seriously). That being said, you can't help develop but an affinity for Ms. Afton Tangler. She's amazingly good at untangling a mystery (a little too good at times), but she's also incredibly plucky and genuine. She's like a Melissa McCarthy character in "Spy" or "Bridesmaids" - she's so herself that you fall for her in spite of yourself.
I also always find it impressive when authors can make a book suspenseful even when we know who "did it" from the beginning. [b:Little Girl Gone|27209410|Little Girl Gone|Gerry Schmitt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1463571368s/27209410.jpg|47250892] is told from the ever-popular multi-character POV, so we hear from Afton, but also Susan, and several characters related to the crime itself. So while we see the crime unfold and know exactly who took the Elizabeth Ann, Schmitt still does a good job of making the book exciting as Afton and Max attempt to find the little girl and reunite her with her parents. Because of that, plus Afton's tenacious character, I will still give this one 3 stars, despite some of the crazy plot holes and the occasional less than stellar writing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you); it is available everywhere as of 07/05/2016.
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
This was an interesting mystery novel. I won't lie: the writing is wooden and clunky to say the least. It's certainly not the smoothly written thriller of a say a Tana French or Mary Kubica, whose books I've recently read. Further, the plot is really preposterous at times, and it's crazy to watch Afton, who should really be sitting at a desk and chatting with families, out solving crimes, chasing bad guys, and scaling cliffs (seriously). That being said, you can't help develop but an affinity for Ms. Afton Tangler. She's amazingly good at untangling a mystery (a little too good at times), but she's also incredibly plucky and genuine. She's like a Melissa McCarthy character in "Spy" or "Bridesmaids" - she's so herself that you fall for her in spite of yourself.
I also always find it impressive when authors can make a book suspenseful even when we know who "did it" from the beginning. [b:Little Girl Gone|27209410|Little Girl Gone|Gerry Schmitt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1463571368s/27209410.jpg|47250892] is told from the ever-popular multi-character POV, so we hear from Afton, but also Susan, and several characters related to the crime itself. So while we see the crime unfold and know exactly who took the Elizabeth Ann, Schmitt still does a good job of making the book exciting as Afton and Max attempt to find the little girl and reunite her with her parents. Because of that, plus Afton's tenacious character, I will still give this one 3 stars, despite some of the crazy plot holes and the occasional less than stellar writing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you); it is available everywhere as of 07/05/2016.
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Nadya R (9 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale in Books
Jul 2, 2018
"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum"
Strange book.
I really wanted to like it and I kinda do.
Its way too biblical for me. With all these references to different Books connected with the Bible - the Bible stories are not really my thing. Yeah, I know that this is the point - the Religious takes over the world. But the author brings it too far than needed.
The story doesn’t have any logical order. It sounds like a diary of somebody who lost their common sense. All this illogical sentences. Like a flashes of memory in between the current situation. Lack of direct speech - there is no distinction between the narrator and the different characters. It’s so senseless in some points that I have to go back and to read the past couple of pages all over again so I can get the line out.
It's is situated in not-so-far future and it’s told by a woman with no name. All women are named after the family who owns them. In this case our narrator is OfFred - owned by a commander Fred’s family. The new government, that had risen, is proclaiming no rights for the women. Their only purpose is to give birth to a healthy babies. They don’t need money, jobs, books, pens or other things that we are taking for granted in our lives. They don’t need them to deliver babies, so they don’t need them at all.
"Tell, rather than write, because I have nothing to write with and writing is in any case forbidden.
But if it's a story, even in my head.
I must be telling it to someone. You don't tell a story only to yourself. There's always someone else.
Even when there is no one."
The Republic of Gilead, as I said, uses religion to control their lives. Every atrocity they do is justified by the Bible. The Bible has all the answers.
The story line is going around OfFred’s inner fights, her struggle to make the right choices, her dreams to be free again and to be with her child and her husband again. Along with her thoughts she shows us what is like to be a Handmaid. Her daily routine, the Rituals and all these small things that distract her from the reality.
"You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself"
Personaly, I don’t like the book that much. It’s senseless and not that easy to read. Not because of the topic, but the way it’s written. The shortage of direct speech took away the movement of the book. I know it should look like a diary, but even in the diaries, the difference between the narrator and others is shown in proper way. Probably I will need a second read to fully understand it. But for now the book left a big mess in my head.
"A man is just a woman's strategy for making other women."
Strange book.
I really wanted to like it and I kinda do.
Its way too biblical for me. With all these references to different Books connected with the Bible - the Bible stories are not really my thing. Yeah, I know that this is the point - the Religious takes over the world. But the author brings it too far than needed.
The story doesn’t have any logical order. It sounds like a diary of somebody who lost their common sense. All this illogical sentences. Like a flashes of memory in between the current situation. Lack of direct speech - there is no distinction between the narrator and the different characters. It’s so senseless in some points that I have to go back and to read the past couple of pages all over again so I can get the line out.
It's is situated in not-so-far future and it’s told by a woman with no name. All women are named after the family who owns them. In this case our narrator is OfFred - owned by a commander Fred’s family. The new government, that had risen, is proclaiming no rights for the women. Their only purpose is to give birth to a healthy babies. They don’t need money, jobs, books, pens or other things that we are taking for granted in our lives. They don’t need them to deliver babies, so they don’t need them at all.
"Tell, rather than write, because I have nothing to write with and writing is in any case forbidden.
But if it's a story, even in my head.
I must be telling it to someone. You don't tell a story only to yourself. There's always someone else.
Even when there is no one."
The Republic of Gilead, as I said, uses religion to control their lives. Every atrocity they do is justified by the Bible. The Bible has all the answers.
The story line is going around OfFred’s inner fights, her struggle to make the right choices, her dreams to be free again and to be with her child and her husband again. Along with her thoughts she shows us what is like to be a Handmaid. Her daily routine, the Rituals and all these small things that distract her from the reality.
"You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself"
Personaly, I don’t like the book that much. It’s senseless and not that easy to read. Not because of the topic, but the way it’s written. The shortage of direct speech took away the movement of the book. I know it should look like a diary, but even in the diaries, the difference between the narrator and others is shown in proper way. Probably I will need a second read to fully understand it. But for now the book left a big mess in my head.
"A man is just a woman's strategy for making other women."
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn in Books
Feb 2, 2021
Thrilling epic fantasy heist
This was a very original take on the fantasy genre (for me at least). The main character, Ardor Benn, is a roguish 'ruse artist', who runs small time cons on everyone from bar patrons (betting he can't hit a shot after numerous drinks) to gangsters. He is approached by a religious, monk-type, man who wants to hire him to run a con on the king of the Greater Chain of islands.
The world Whitesides has built is really wonderful, not totally dissimilar to that in Mistborn. However, here materials aren't ingested and 'burned' by people to get powers, they ignite specifics types of grit. This grit has been processed from materials originally eaten and pooped out and burned by dragons. Different materials before being eaten will give different results when ignited, causing a cloud of dust that bends reality - creating light or explosions, stopping all sounds or light or gravity, making impenetrable bubbles or healing. And the most valuable of all is the Visitant Grit, which will summon an all-powerful paladin to implement the ambitions of the worthy holder. This latter grit is produced by igniting the pooped out remnants of a male dragon's bones. Sadly, all male dragons have died out, meaning these saviours are no longer possible. And that's where Ardor's new job comes in...
The story is a non-stop thriller as the job they plan is so ambitious that it takes on several phases, all of which are massive in themselves. There were a few times during the early parts where I felt the story dragged a little (chapters covering one character learning how to mime an operatic aria), but these weren't too damaging to my motivation. There are a number of times when things don't go to plan, and a re-think is needed. These are also well written pieces, as the characters solve these in creative ways. There were no real deus ex machina moments where they escaped despite all odds. There is one very surprising twist/revelation in the final third which had me nervous that all my enjoyment was about to be swallowed up, pooped out and burned, but that turned out not to be the case. This weird pivot was very well handled and worked well within the story.
The action scenes are well narrated, allowing so much better visualisation than a lot of books I've read recently, and the characters are all fairly well realised and develop nicely together and on their own.
An excellent, thrilling fun book, and wonderfully part 1 of a trilogy.
The world Whitesides has built is really wonderful, not totally dissimilar to that in Mistborn. However, here materials aren't ingested and 'burned' by people to get powers, they ignite specifics types of grit. This grit has been processed from materials originally eaten and pooped out and burned by dragons. Different materials before being eaten will give different results when ignited, causing a cloud of dust that bends reality - creating light or explosions, stopping all sounds or light or gravity, making impenetrable bubbles or healing. And the most valuable of all is the Visitant Grit, which will summon an all-powerful paladin to implement the ambitions of the worthy holder. This latter grit is produced by igniting the pooped out remnants of a male dragon's bones. Sadly, all male dragons have died out, meaning these saviours are no longer possible. And that's where Ardor's new job comes in...
The story is a non-stop thriller as the job they plan is so ambitious that it takes on several phases, all of which are massive in themselves. There were a few times during the early parts where I felt the story dragged a little (chapters covering one character learning how to mime an operatic aria), but these weren't too damaging to my motivation. There are a number of times when things don't go to plan, and a re-think is needed. These are also well written pieces, as the characters solve these in creative ways. There were no real deus ex machina moments where they escaped despite all odds. There is one very surprising twist/revelation in the final third which had me nervous that all my enjoyment was about to be swallowed up, pooped out and burned, but that turned out not to be the case. This weird pivot was very well handled and worked well within the story.
The action scenes are well narrated, allowing so much better visualisation than a lot of books I've read recently, and the characters are all fairly well realised and develop nicely together and on their own.
An excellent, thrilling fun book, and wonderfully part 1 of a trilogy.