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Chloe (778 KP) rated See How They Lie in Books
Apr 22, 2020
Interesting concept (2 more)
Clever
Imaginative
Short, sharp story
Hummingbird Creek is psychiatric hospital where vitamins and forced schedules are key.
A short sharp snappy novel with a fantastic idea and some good characters. The plot twists were interesting if a little obvious for me, although this is below my reading grade.
The teenagers have limited lives and it is quite sad in places. Often perked up by the happier characters in the book.
The book potentially misses a trick by not delving into the problems of the characters very deeply. Could be some learning points for the target audience. I suppose that may stop it from having the quick read feel and it may get darker
A short sharp snappy novel with a fantastic idea and some good characters. The plot twists were interesting if a little obvious for me, although this is below my reading grade.
The teenagers have limited lives and it is quite sad in places. Often perked up by the happier characters in the book.
The book potentially misses a trick by not delving into the problems of the characters very deeply. Could be some learning points for the target audience. I suppose that may stop it from having the quick read feel and it may get darker
Peter Taylor: the Complete Stories 1938-1992
Book
In a career spanning over half a century, Peter Taylor explored the dramas of a Tennessee gentry...
Mel (490 KP) rated Snow, Glass, Apples in Books
Oct 9, 2019
I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan so I'd read the short story 'Snow Glass Apples' previously and enjoyed it. Although I've read most of his graphic novels with some of the recent adaptations of short stories I've not been sure if having a graphic novel version was really adding value. So when I saw there was a new adaptation of this one I had a look through before deciding to buy. All I can say is that the artwork is beautiful, Colleen Doran has done an excellent job bringing this to life, with sensitive handling of the more graphic details. I'd definitely recommend this, it's a lovely addition to any collection.
Not bad, but lacking anything special
I picked this from the library the other day, and I was shocked to see it was a novella. I’d been so looking forward to the latest King novel, and was a little disappointed to see this only stretched to a meagre 132 pages. It’s a shame too that the story itself is also a bit of a disappointment.
King has written some brilliant short stories in his time, so once I realised Elevation was a novella, I’d been expecting another thrilling story. Sadly whilst being a decent quick read, this doesn’t have all of the usual King magic. Characters are King’s speciality and it’s fair to say that the characters in this are fairly likeable and well developed for such a short story. And usual, his writing style is impeccable. The problem is that the story is detailed, just not anywhere near detailed enough and the plot is quite weak. You probably couldn’t stretch this out for a full length novel, but that’s because the plot itself is just a bit dull and lacklustre. It reminds me a lot of a slightly different take on Thinner, which is worrying - is King starting to lose his originality?
This isn’t a terrible novella by any means. You can still see King’s captivating story telling shining through, it’s just a shame it’s a very weak plot that doesn’t live up to his talent.
King has written some brilliant short stories in his time, so once I realised Elevation was a novella, I’d been expecting another thrilling story. Sadly whilst being a decent quick read, this doesn’t have all of the usual King magic. Characters are King’s speciality and it’s fair to say that the characters in this are fairly likeable and well developed for such a short story. And usual, his writing style is impeccable. The problem is that the story is detailed, just not anywhere near detailed enough and the plot is quite weak. You probably couldn’t stretch this out for a full length novel, but that’s because the plot itself is just a bit dull and lacklustre. It reminds me a lot of a slightly different take on Thinner, which is worrying - is King starting to lose his originality?
This isn’t a terrible novella by any means. You can still see King’s captivating story telling shining through, it’s just a shame it’s a very weak plot that doesn’t live up to his talent.
David McK (3364 KP) rated The Olympian Affair (The Cinder Spiers #2) in Books
Aug 26, 2024 (Updated Aug 26, 2024)
Well, that was a long wait.
Approximately 10 years (edit: 8, to be precise) since the publication of the previous full-length entry in this series (The Aeronaut's Windlass).
So it's just as well I went back and read that recently, as well as the recently-published 'interquel' short story of Warriorborn.
I *would* advise reading that short story first, since this picks up almost immediately from the end of said story: Benedict jumps at the end of the latter, AMS Predator catches him at the start of this.
That sentence will make more sense to any who have read it.
Anyway, what we have is another full-blown Steampunk novel, with war brewing between the home Spires/nations of the world in which it is set, and with some heavy hints towards the end that it is set in 'our' world, but in the far far (and largely dystopian) future - I also got a bit of a vibe of that bit in 2005's 'King Kong' film where they are on Skull Island and surrounded by giant man-eating millipedes etc (which is why, in the story, the surface world is so feared).
Let's hope I don't have to wait so long for the next instalment
Or even for a new Harry Dresden (my favourite of Butcher's works) story
(with the author even apologising for the wait for this in his authors note at the end)
Approximately 10 years (edit: 8, to be precise) since the publication of the previous full-length entry in this series (The Aeronaut's Windlass).
So it's just as well I went back and read that recently, as well as the recently-published 'interquel' short story of Warriorborn.
I *would* advise reading that short story first, since this picks up almost immediately from the end of said story: Benedict jumps at the end of the latter, AMS Predator catches him at the start of this.
That sentence will make more sense to any who have read it.
Anyway, what we have is another full-blown Steampunk novel, with war brewing between the home Spires/nations of the world in which it is set, and with some heavy hints towards the end that it is set in 'our' world, but in the far far (and largely dystopian) future - I also got a bit of a vibe of that bit in 2005's 'King Kong' film where they are on Skull Island and surrounded by giant man-eating millipedes etc (which is why, in the story, the surface world is so feared).
Let's hope I don't have to wait so long for the next instalment
Or even for a new Harry Dresden (my favourite of Butcher's works) story
(with the author even apologising for the wait for this in his authors note at the end)
Big World
Book
Fiction. Mary Miller's BIG WORLD is the second book and first work of fiction to come out of Short...
Murder at Sea
10.0
Rate It
Book
Fear naut, the next Destinations Murder collection is here: Murder at Sea. Third in this...
Merissa (11935 KP) rated The Executioner in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated May 26, 2023)
This short story briefly mentions a local myth and legend about The Executioner, but apart from that, the story is mainly a second-chance romance. On a team-building weekend, something goes wrong and they end up with two dead bodies. Maddie needs to keep it together as Team Leader to assist the police, whilst also figuring out if she will forgive her ex, Nick.
This is a fast-paced story that nevertheless manages to tell the complete story and give you a hint of the mysterious too. Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this makes a perfect coffee break book. Recommended.
* 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!
Mar 8, 2016
This is a fast-paced story that nevertheless manages to tell the complete story and give you a hint of the mysterious too. Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this makes a perfect coffee break book. Recommended.
* 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!
Mar 8, 2016
Merissa (11935 KP) rated Cruising in Books
Jan 30, 2018
Cruising by Cate Ashwood
Cruising is a short book, told from dual perspectives, about best friends who are both in love with each, but completely unaware of the other one's feelings. As it is told by both Jake and Dylan, you get the whole picture about why neither of them had made a move before, whilst hoping that they make a move sooner rather than later. Both characters are well rounded, having their own foibles which just makes their cuteness even higher!
This is only a short story, but it is complete in its build up, cruise, and hopefully HEA. The writing was smooth, the pacing perfect, and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is only a short story, but it is complete in its build up, cruise, and hopefully HEA. The writing was smooth, the pacing perfect, and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!