Dakota and the American Dream
7.0
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When ten-year-old Dakota becomes bored sitting next to his mother on a park bench, he drifts off and...
His True Queen (Smoke & Mirrors Duology Book 2)
8.0
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The breathtaking conclusion of the Smoke & Mirrors Duology. A beautiful, defiant princess. A...
The Next to Die
8.5
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The New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret returns with a...
Fiction Mystery Thriller Psychological
Deadhouse Landing
Book
Returning readers to the turbulent early history of what would become the Malazan Empire, the second...
Truth (Consequences, #2)
10.0
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From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes the thrilling sequel in the...
Lies that Blind
Book
What would you risk to avoid obscurity? Malaya, 1788 Aspiring journalist Jim Lloyd jeopardises...
Historical Fiction
Merissa (14056 KP) rated Hunter’s Hidden Camera in Books
Apr 14, 2026
This is the first book by this author I have read, so I had no idea about the writing style. I can say that it didn't really work for me. It is first person, present tense, which I usually don't mind, but this was very messy. I don't know if it is actually supposed to be a reflection of Hunter's mind - in which case, it worked very well!
The writing style changed occasionally from being a 'story' to being more like a play. Instead of reading it as paragraphs, it became 'Me:..., Emma:..., Blanca:..., Oscar:...' There was no explanation for the change; it just happened, sometimes with 'normal' sentences in the middle.
There are a lot of characters in here, from Hunter and his girlfriend, to his best friend and his girlfriend, to other friends, his brother, cousins, and forever missing parents. The number of characters helped with the messy feel of the book, too.
While I appreciate the hard work that has gone into writing this book, it isn't one that I particularly enjoyed. It is a fairly short book, though, and the chapters fly by at a fast pace.
** 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!
Apr 10, 2026
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) in Movies
Nov 24, 2021
The visuals go bigger and harder this time around. A longer portion of the movie is spent in the cenobites' hellish dimension, and it's a striking and otherwordly design. Once again, Pinhead and his cronies don't take up too much screentime, ensuring that they're presence is impactful. The narrative does explore the background of these antagonists a little more, but thankfully, doesn't completely destroy the mystery surrounding them, and provides an interesting plot device a bit later on.
The main villain is Dr Channard, a psychiatrist who has a dangerous obsession with the legend of the Lament Configuration. Kenneth Cranham steals the show in the role, and makes for a memorable bad guy, especially during the last half. He also has the best line - "and to think... I hesitated" - definitely a top moment in the history of horror.
Clare Higgins is another highlight, as she is in the first Hellraiser, her character delightfully more sinister than before.
Once again, Hellbound boasts some top class practical effects, contributing to its unique aesthetic, and Christopher Young absolutely smashes it out the park with another incredible music score.
Both Hellraiser and Hellbound are astonishing examples of how excellent, nightmarish, and beautiful this genre can be, and will always be hailed as high points. Great stuff.
Thorn of Secrets (My Darkest Secret #2)
6.0
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In love with the same face that haunts me…. The falling leaves of autumn are like the deceit in...
Young Adult Romance Urban
BUT, when I looked at it on Goodreads, one of the tags was “historical fiction”. Has it come to this now, that 1995 - the year I graduated from Uni - is seen as historical fiction?!
I’m feeling a bit old.
Anyway, I’ll hobble on to the review…
Diana and Aurelle live next door to one another in a wealthy neighbourhood, but have nothing to do with one another until Diana’s brother unexpectedly dies. Diana has had a poor relationship with her brother, but he was clearly their parent’s favourite. Diana is pushed away by her parents, and she ends up next door with Aurelle.
They become close friends, decide to study at the same college, and live together in Aurelle’s family house near the university campus. It’s an idyllic setting. Classrooms in woodland, near a lake. It sounds beautiful.
Aurelle starts to go off the rails, whilst Diana’s art really takes off.
And then it all goes terribly wrong with misunderstandings, envy and obsession.
I didn’t see the latter half of this book coming at all, and it was a real shock!
The whole book was fascinating, though. A prime example of young adults cut loose from the relative stability of their families and left to do whatever they want. And what these girls want to do, especially Aurelle, just isn’t good for them.
So if you like a ‘good’ toxic relationship in a story, then this will be for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it