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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated All is Not Forgotten in Books
Feb 13, 2018
One evening, teenage Jenny Kramer heads to a party. She's headed to meet a boy, but when she spots him with another girl, she's devastated. Drunk and embarrassed, Jenny heads into the woods to be alone; instead, she is attacked and viciously raped for over a hour. After the horrific incident, Jenny is given "the treatment," which erases the incident from her memory. But Jenny cannot move on from that awful night. Neither can her father, Tom, who is consumed by thoughts of tracking down the attacker. Meanwhile, Jenny's mother, just wants everything to go back to normal. Jenny is taken to a psychiatrist, Dr. Forrester, who has some experience with the treatment, including another client of his--a war veteran named Sean. Can Dr. Forrester help Sean and Jenny retrieve their memories? Will Jenny track down her rapist before she's consumed by that night's events?
This novel gets you immediately from the beginning (definite trigger warning for violence/rape, though). The entire book is told from the perspective of Dr. Forrester, which gives it a totally unique slant. Is he reliable? He's certainly a weird guy, and hearing the story from his side only makes things more intriguing. I thought the story would be more about both sides of forgetting and "the treatment," but it's really, truly the story of Jenny's rape, tracking down her rapist, and the interconnected story of several people in her town.
Overall, this is a great thriller, with a ton of twists and turns. I always enjoy a novel where I don't actually see every plot piece coming, and this one didn't disappoint. The cast of characters in the novel is varied and intricate. Some of the good doctor's machinations are a little preposterous, but it doesn't detract from the your enjoyment of the book. Even better, the ending kept up with the earlier parts of the novel and actually made me go "wow." A very enjoyable, different, twisty thriller - worth picking up.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 7/12/2016.
<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 novel gets you immediately from the beginning (definite trigger warning for violence/rape, though). The entire book is told from the perspective of Dr. Forrester, which gives it a totally unique slant. Is he reliable? He's certainly a weird guy, and hearing the story from his side only makes things more intriguing. I thought the story would be more about both sides of forgetting and "the treatment," but it's really, truly the story of Jenny's rape, tracking down her rapist, and the interconnected story of several people in her town.
Overall, this is a great thriller, with a ton of twists and turns. I always enjoy a novel where I don't actually see every plot piece coming, and this one didn't disappoint. The cast of characters in the novel is varied and intricate. Some of the good doctor's machinations are a little preposterous, but it doesn't detract from the your enjoyment of the book. Even better, the ending kept up with the earlier parts of the novel and actually made me go "wow." A very enjoyable, different, twisty thriller - worth picking up.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 7/12/2016.
<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>;
ClareR (6241 KP) rated The Women of Troy in Books
Jan 11, 2022
The Women of Troy picks up where The Silence of the Girls finished. Greece has won. The men of Troy are dead, their wealth and women now belong to the Greeks, but due to the fact that the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, the Greeks are going nowhere. Someone must have done something to displease the Gods, but until they come to that conclusion, there’s a lot of eating, drinking, sports competitions and rape. The women, as is usual in any conflict, get the shitty end of the stick. They may not have been killed, but they face a lifetime of slavery and rape.
Briseis is lucky, in that she is now married to Alcimus and is now a respectable, protected woman. But she now feels as though she belongs to neither side. She knows how the female slaves feel: she was one of them once. But they don’t see her as one of them anymore, and she isn’t wholly Greek either. She does manage to see the main female characters from Troy, though. Cassandra makes an appearance - she is still telling everyone what will happen, and on one is believing her. Hecuba is being kept in comfort by Odysseus, but she has seen all but one of her sons killed, and her husband is lying unburied on the beach - she wants to see him sent off to the afterlife before she dies.
We even see Helen and how she’s getting on. Her husband has taken her back, but no one else can see why she hasn’t been killed. After all, she’s to blame for the whole situation, isn’t she?!
Amina is Briseis’ own slave, given to her by Alcimus. It’s clear that she doesn’t like Briseis - after all, Briseis hasn’t tried to convince Agamemnon to have proper funeral rites for Priam. I liked Amina. She stands by her convictions, no matter the consequences (and there are consequences).
In fact, they’re all strong women, trying their best in very difficult circumstances. I always enjoy Greek mythology re-telling, and this book really does it for me. I’d love to see if Pat Barker writes about the times after the Greeks return to their homes. What happens to Cassandra? Helen? And Briseis? Yes, I know I can look it up in any Greek mythology book, but Pat Barkers storytelling is so emotive and really compelling. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed!
Briseis is lucky, in that she is now married to Alcimus and is now a respectable, protected woman. But she now feels as though she belongs to neither side. She knows how the female slaves feel: she was one of them once. But they don’t see her as one of them anymore, and she isn’t wholly Greek either. She does manage to see the main female characters from Troy, though. Cassandra makes an appearance - she is still telling everyone what will happen, and on one is believing her. Hecuba is being kept in comfort by Odysseus, but she has seen all but one of her sons killed, and her husband is lying unburied on the beach - she wants to see him sent off to the afterlife before she dies.
We even see Helen and how she’s getting on. Her husband has taken her back, but no one else can see why she hasn’t been killed. After all, she’s to blame for the whole situation, isn’t she?!
Amina is Briseis’ own slave, given to her by Alcimus. It’s clear that she doesn’t like Briseis - after all, Briseis hasn’t tried to convince Agamemnon to have proper funeral rites for Priam. I liked Amina. She stands by her convictions, no matter the consequences (and there are consequences).
In fact, they’re all strong women, trying their best in very difficult circumstances. I always enjoy Greek mythology re-telling, and this book really does it for me. I’d love to see if Pat Barker writes about the times after the Greeks return to their homes. What happens to Cassandra? Helen? And Briseis? Yes, I know I can look it up in any Greek mythology book, but Pat Barkers storytelling is so emotive and really compelling. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Touch in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Detective Inspector Charlotte Savage is investigating rape cases where the women were drugged and then dumped. When one of those victims, a student, who was supposed to be headed back home, is found dead, the case starts to change. When a second body turns up much like the first, DI Savage is none too happy. Now another girl has been reported as missing. Can Savage find her before it's too late.
I read Touch because the author was doing a Q&A with our group here A Good Thriller. I usually enjoy these types of books, but there was something about this book that just made it not as good as I was expecting. I enjoyed the story line, but there were a lot of characters and that detracted from the story. I think I counted at least eight different detectives or police officers involved, not to mention crime scene investigators and coroners. Then there were the different suspects in the case and the person who did the crime. He gave each of his victims another name. So it was all a little confusing.
I read Touch because the author was doing a Q&A with our group here A Good Thriller. I usually enjoy these types of books, but there was something about this book that just made it not as good as I was expecting. I enjoyed the story line, but there were a lot of characters and that detracted from the story. I think I counted at least eight different detectives or police officers involved, not to mention crime scene investigators and coroners. Then there were the different suspects in the case and the person who did the crime. He gave each of his victims another name. So it was all a little confusing.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2585 KP) rated Say No More (Jane Ryland, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Jane witnesses a hit and run on her way to interview a source, she becomes embroiled in a case much bigger than she thinks she will be. Meanwhile, her story on campus rape is heating up. And her boyfriend, cop Jake Brogan, is working on the case of a suspicious death when an adjunct professor dies in a swimming pool.
And once again we are off on a fantastic ride. We get the story from a total of five points of view, and it is always fun to switch back to other characters and see how they are progressing. While Jane trying to get out of testifying really bothered me (especially trying to hide behind the fact that she’s a reporter), I did like the growth it brought to her character. The new cast is strong, and the arcs for the viewpoint characters are wonderful. The story moves quickly wish so much going on that it is almost impossible to put the book down.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/03/book-review-say-no-more-by-hank.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
And once again we are off on a fantastic ride. We get the story from a total of five points of view, and it is always fun to switch back to other characters and see how they are progressing. While Jane trying to get out of testifying really bothered me (especially trying to hide behind the fact that she’s a reporter), I did like the growth it brought to her character. The new cast is strong, and the arcs for the viewpoint characters are wonderful. The story moves quickly wish so much going on that it is almost impossible to put the book down.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/03/book-review-say-no-more-by-hank.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Lie in Books
Feb 21, 2018
"Wow" - my first thought when I finally put the book down. I didn't re-read the description before starting this book and had forgotten what it was about, so I didn't really know what to expect. I think that was a perfect way to read this story - just to go along and let it drag you across the world and back again, into the past and then back to the present, never knowing when the next turn would be. This was truly a hard to put down thriller. I didn't know what was going on or who to trust, and became so caught up in Jane's story that I totally lost track of time while reading it.
This is not an unreliable narrator book, but if you're a fan of thrillers like Gone Girl or the Girl on the Train, I think you'll love this one.
<u>Warning</u> - I know some readers prefer not to read or be surprised by some topics. This novel contains scenes depicting rape and violence against women.
<I>Note: I was provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. </i>
This is not an unreliable narrator book, but if you're a fan of thrillers like Gone Girl or the Girl on the Train, I think you'll love this one.
<u>Warning</u> - I know some readers prefer not to read or be surprised by some topics. This novel contains scenes depicting rape and violence against women.
<I>Note: I was provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. </i>
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Music of the Heart (Runaway Train, #1) in Books
Jul 12, 2018
This book was an entertaining novel but it really didn۪t speak to me. The fact that Abby was so quick to lose her morals did not impress me. I۪m one for smut, but it felt a little weird to have the heroine give up her moral stance so quickly.
ۏAnd just what do you plan to do? Rape me? ۏNo, I intend on making love with you ے Seriously?!? Agh!
It also seemed that Abby and Jake۪s romance was a little forced. I couldn۪t help but roll my eyes at the plot line and the actions of the characters. This girl is supposed to be angelic yet she gives lap dances to prove someone wrong۟ correct me if I۪m wrong, but that isn۪t very angelic.
While on the subject of angelicness I would like to point out that the religious part of the book also felt forced. The only time her religion came into play was when she was lecturing individuals on being too judgmental.
I liked the concept of the book but for me it felt like a cup of decaf coffee, has a similar taste to coffee but didn۪t give me anything to look forward to.
ۏAnd just what do you plan to do? Rape me? ۏNo, I intend on making love with you ے Seriously?!? Agh!
It also seemed that Abby and Jake۪s romance was a little forced. I couldn۪t help but roll my eyes at the plot line and the actions of the characters. This girl is supposed to be angelic yet she gives lap dances to prove someone wrong۟ correct me if I۪m wrong, but that isn۪t very angelic.
While on the subject of angelicness I would like to point out that the religious part of the book also felt forced. The only time her religion came into play was when she was lecturing individuals on being too judgmental.
I liked the concept of the book but for me it felt like a cup of decaf coffee, has a similar taste to coffee but didn۪t give me anything to look forward to.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Kisscut (Grant County, #2) in Books
Jun 18, 2019
A disturbingly good thriller
The second in the Grant County series this book continues with the high shock value of the crimes involved. Seriously if you are squeamish or don’t want to be reading about rape, genital mutilation, paedophilia, child abuse, and/or suicide then you should probably avoid.
In this outing medical examiner Sara Linton and her on / off partner police chief Jeffery Tolliver investigate a tragic teenage argument that leads to the uncovering of a series of very dark secrets in the town. But with those around the victim closing ranks it’s tough to get to the bottom of who is responsible for some pretty disturbing stuff.
We get to see a bit more of the Sara and Jeffrey relationship dynamic; but more interesting in this book is the ongoing recovery of Detective Lena Adams. The horrendous experiences that were covered in the previous book in the series “Blindsighted” are taking their toll on Lena. I would recommend reading this series in order to fully get the back story to this.
Despite the uncomfortable nature of some of the subject matter this is another well written thriller from Slaughter.
In this outing medical examiner Sara Linton and her on / off partner police chief Jeffery Tolliver investigate a tragic teenage argument that leads to the uncovering of a series of very dark secrets in the town. But with those around the victim closing ranks it’s tough to get to the bottom of who is responsible for some pretty disturbing stuff.
We get to see a bit more of the Sara and Jeffrey relationship dynamic; but more interesting in this book is the ongoing recovery of Detective Lena Adams. The horrendous experiences that were covered in the previous book in the series “Blindsighted” are taking their toll on Lena. I would recommend reading this series in order to fully get the back story to this.
Despite the uncomfortable nature of some of the subject matter this is another well written thriller from Slaughter.
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