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the unbakery

Food & Drink and Health & Fitness

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App

The Unbakery App is over 80 wholefoods, mostly raw, gluten free, vegan recipes created by award...

How It Works?

Education and Games

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App

Allow your children to learn about how our world works and discover its beauty through a fun and...

Stone Age

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Tabletop Game

The "Stone Age" times were hard indeed. In their roles as hunters, collectors, farmers, and tool...

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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Nirvana (Nirvana #1) in Books

Dec 7, 2018

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Imagine a world without any bees. That is the world that J. R. Stewart conjures up in this new dystopian series, Nirvana. Twenty years from now, the bees have become extinct. There are no more trees, flowers, fruits or vegetables; and more animals have become extinct as a result. Young adult, Larissa, is living in a world that seems unimaginable, but not only is she dealing with this new way of life, she is also grieving the loss of her husband, Andrew.

Andrew was a scientist, an occupation that earned himself and Larissa a place in the Barracks where he could continue with his important research. They both believed they were lucky to receive this opportunity, but then Andrew went out on a mission and never came back. No matter how hard people try to convince her, Larissa cannot accept that her husband is dead, especially as she has seen him in Nirvana – a virtual reality world. As she struggles to piece together what is real and what is not, secrets are being uncovered that blur the lines between reality and the cybernetic domain.

Nirvana is an interesting concept. Firstly, the issue with the extinction of the bees is a very real concern for scientists at the moment. If bees were to die out there would be no pollination of the vital plants that humans use daily. Humanity would be faced with a future not unlike Larissa’s. Secondly, with the advance in computer technology, virtual reality has become a popular phenomenon in contemporary society, and with more expansion it is likely that something similar to Nirvana will be produced.

As a story, however, nothing exciting really happened. There was no major build up to the ending. Characters were suspected of hiding the truth from the very beginning and therefore it was no surprise when certain facts came to light later in the novel. Nirvana is also a very short first installment of the series, which does not give the story much chance to develop at an adequate pace, thus it is difficult to get our heads around the virtual reality concept that Stewart writes about.

Despite these misgivings there is the chance that the following novels in this series will become more thrilling as the truth begins to unravel about Andrew’s disappearance or death.

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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Poison Garden in Books

Oct 24, 2019

Elise is heading back to Chinook Island, preparing to celebrate her first wedding anniversary with her husband, Dr. Kieran Lund. They seem to have an ideal, loving marriage, living in Elise's childhood home. Once a pharmacist, she now runs her late mother's herbal boutique. But upon her arrival to the island, Elise makes a shocking discovery, causing her to doubt all she thought about Kieran and their marriage. Soon she finds herself doubting everyone--even her own memories.

"On the ferry ride home, I was not yet planning to kill anyone. I was still full of hope, eager to land on Chinook Island..."

This is one of those thrillers where you have to go in willing to suspend a little disbelief. It's a bit crazy and a little preposterous, sure. But I have to admit, this was a fun one. I was a little hesitant for a while, pretty sure I had it all figured out and it wasn't going to surprise me. But, I'll gladly admit, I was wrong! This turned out to be a very enthralling read, and I consumed the last half breathlessly, quite intrigued to find out what happened with Elise and Keiran.

I was doubtful about this one in the beginning because it relies on the somewhat overused unreliable narrator trope: can we trust Elise? It seems she's been a sleepwalker in the past, and now, stressed once again, has turned back to her old habits. (At least she wasn't an alcoholic.) I didn't really love Elise, but I admire a book that can keep me engaged even when I'm not 100% behind our protagonist.

"Was I going mad? Padding around in the dark, my subconscious alter ego seizing control?

In fact none of our cast of characters is a real winner: Elise's new husband; her ex, who seems a bit stalkery; her flirtatious neighbor... There is a lot of focus on herbs and medicinal plants, which Elise's mom used in her store. You're never really sure where or why some of the details are thrown in.

But... where this book succeeds and what makes it worth reading is its unpredictability. All of those details are, in fact, quite important. By the end, when it all came together, I was quite surprised (a little mad at myself for not putting more together sooner) and impressed. This one kept me guessing and outwitted me. It was a very easy read and a fun, different thriller. 3.75 stars--rounded to 4 here.