Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (2854)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated D.O.G.S (S.T.A.G.S, #2) in Books

Mar 25, 2021  
D.O.G.S (S.T.A.G.S, #2)
D.O.G.S (S.T.A.G.S, #2)
M.A. Bennett | 2019 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This did not disappoint as a sequel and I was just as engrossed with it as I was with STAGS. I didn’t want to put it down at all once I started reading it.
It goes back to where we left off with the first book, as the narrator says “...because it annoys the shit out of me when stories are supposed to be sequels and it’s like: THREE YEARS LATER. I mean what the hell is that?” Which I wholeheartedly agree with! I love that it picked up right where we left off with our three characters Greer, Shafeen and Nel. We get to find out what happened with Greer and Shafeen, how that impacted their relationship with Nel and what the three of them becoming Medievals meant for the school.
We then have more de Warlencourts appear at the school, which obviously puts Greer on edge as to why they’re there and if they’re going to be anything like their cousin.
The main bulk of the book is taken up by Greer being gifted a play called The Isle of Dogs which has had no known surviving copies for 400 years. She is gifted the first act in the dead of night whilst trying to decide on a play to use as part of her drama exam to help get her into Oxford. She reads the play and decides that this is the one that she wants to use and speaks to her headmaster/drama teacher about it, who agrees, as no one has put on the play since it’s opening night 400 years previously. Thinking it’s the only surviving part of the play, Greer throws herself into casting a directing the act as well as having sets designed and music composed by other students taking their exams.
What follows is more mystery around the play as Greer is gifted the entire play in parts, and it leads her to going back to the place she vowed to never return to - Longcross.
This book had the same twists and turns as STAGS, and didn’t disappoint with the mystery and wanting to find out what was happening at each stage. It had the same movie references throughout that made me love the first book, and the writing style was so easy to follow that it really did make this book one that I couldn’t put down.
  
40x40

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Imperfect Women in Books

Sep 17, 2020  
Imperfect Women
Imperfect Women
Araminta Hall | 2020 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An engaging and suspenseful look into the power of secrets
Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary have been best friends since they met at Oxford. But then Nancy is murdered, leaving behind an adoring husband and a daughter. Her life, from the outside, was seemingly perfect. But Eleanor knows that the night Nancy died, she was going to meet her lover, hoping to break it off. And as the investigation into Nancy's death continues, both Eleanor and Mary struggle with their grief, the memories they have of their friend, and what her death means for those left behind.

"Eleanor felt a jolt of terror pass through her as she realized that everything about Nancy's death was worse than any other death anywhere. They would all suffer, and nothing would ever be the same again."

This was a truly fascinating book: it's part character-driven mystery and part insightful look at the role of women in society. It's told from the point of view of the three friends, but not the usual quick back and forth: we get large chunks of the story told from one woman at a time. Truths unfold slowly, as we learn bits and pieces about Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary--from themselves and each other.

The focal point of the story is Nancy's rather gruesome murder, but Hall fills her tale with thoughts and ruminations on women and how they are seen in society--and how they feel they are perceived. In some ways, it felt like a bunch broad generalizations applied to women, yet as I read, I found that most of them really rang true. I was furiously highlighting passages, nodding my head yes!

At times, it was hard to see where this book was going. Murder? Deep thoughts? It certainly straddled the line on both. In terms of Nancy's murder, I had a good chunk figured out early on, but the story certainly kept me engaged, reading and wondering if I was right. All three flawed (imperfect, indeed) women were interesting in their own way, and I liked each woman's section. I found this to be a very well-written book, but it's not a snappy thriller.

If you want a fast whodunit, this isn't for you. But if you want a well-done and thoughtful read, I recommend Hall's latest. It's a suspenseful and insightful look at love, marriage, and friendship. 4 stars.