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Becs (244 KP) rated Siege and Storm in Books
Aug 25, 2019
Nikolai (2 more)
the Darkling
THAT ENDING
has major middle book syndrome (3 more)
main character is still annoying
mal is still a horrible character
there wasn't a lot of the Darkling when the books are supposed to be about him as a villain
Has middle book syndrome B A D but the last half of the book is great!
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: torture, murder, war themes, hallucinations, death, blood, manipulation, violence
Review:
I originally rated this 4 out of 5 stars but I am dropping it down to 3.5 out of 5 stars as I’ve had a lot of time to think about my review and have realized that Siege and Storm has middle book syndrome.
My one problem with Siege and Storm, is that it needed more of the Darkling in it. The Shadow and Bone Trilogy is about the Darkling being the villain and Siege and Storm did not deliver. You’d think there would have been more of a prescense, but there was just not enough of him! Please take Mal away and replace him with the Darkling!! Also, what in the good lordy fucks was that ending Leigh?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US!? I. AM. DEAD.
I still have an ever growing dislike for Mal. He doesn’t have one bit of empathy in his body and it’s so frustrating! Like he’s supposed to be that rock that Alina can fall back onto for support and he’s just being a douche about her having powers. Can we just replace all of Mal’s scenes with more of my BB’s Nikolai and the Darkling plz?! Nikolai had the best character development and was the most relatable in the entire series thus far.
I’ve not really grown to like Alina as much like others do, as she’s still the same annoying girl that I wish wasn’t as special as she is. One thing I do like about her though, is the whole anti hero darkness she has brewing along with the inner turmoil she’s dealing with. With her new found power enhancements, but I just wish her powers weren’t vaguely talked about.
Another thing I wasn’t entirely a fan of was the love triangle *cough cough* love SQUARE *cough cough* trope that took place throughout the novel. Don’t get me wrong, it was extremely well-written and really filled in some (read: a lot of the) boring parts. BUT, this trope is extremely overrated and can really ruin a novel. It was rather annoying that Alina had all of these men to choose from and she couldn’t make up her mind about any of them. Plus, I don’t think she deserves any of them. So… yea.
Okay, onto the story itself. The first half was… such… a… bore… It was so freaking slow and I wanted to give up on it so much. It also kind of put me into a slump on picking up Ruin and Rising. I just didn’t want to be disappointed like I was with Siege and Storm. The second half of the story on the other hand, was packed to the max with intense scenes and action. I honestly thought my wittle heart would crack into a million pieces.
Leigh’s writing style is extremely unique and well-done. She’s able to write scenes that not only grip your attention, but will also pluck each heart string until that breaking point. Then it will rip your heart out of your chest with one swift moment.
Other than a few bumps, Siege and Storm was captivating to a point, but not as much as Shadow and Bone. It’s a soul sucker of a book and I’m enamored with it. The world-building is some of the best I’ve ever seen, especially for a series. The tensions in scenes is extremely palpable – making this a great sequel to an amazing series.
“You know the problem with heroes and saints Nikolai? They always end up dead.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: torture, murder, war themes, hallucinations, death, blood, manipulation, violence
Review:
I originally rated this 4 out of 5 stars but I am dropping it down to 3.5 out of 5 stars as I’ve had a lot of time to think about my review and have realized that Siege and Storm has middle book syndrome.
My one problem with Siege and Storm, is that it needed more of the Darkling in it. The Shadow and Bone Trilogy is about the Darkling being the villain and Siege and Storm did not deliver. You’d think there would have been more of a prescense, but there was just not enough of him! Please take Mal away and replace him with the Darkling!! Also, what in the good lordy fucks was that ending Leigh?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US!? I. AM. DEAD.
I still have an ever growing dislike for Mal. He doesn’t have one bit of empathy in his body and it’s so frustrating! Like he’s supposed to be that rock that Alina can fall back onto for support and he’s just being a douche about her having powers. Can we just replace all of Mal’s scenes with more of my BB’s Nikolai and the Darkling plz?! Nikolai had the best character development and was the most relatable in the entire series thus far.
I’ve not really grown to like Alina as much like others do, as she’s still the same annoying girl that I wish wasn’t as special as she is. One thing I do like about her though, is the whole anti hero darkness she has brewing along with the inner turmoil she’s dealing with. With her new found power enhancements, but I just wish her powers weren’t vaguely talked about.
Another thing I wasn’t entirely a fan of was the love triangle *cough cough* love SQUARE *cough cough* trope that took place throughout the novel. Don’t get me wrong, it was extremely well-written and really filled in some (read: a lot of the) boring parts. BUT, this trope is extremely overrated and can really ruin a novel. It was rather annoying that Alina had all of these men to choose from and she couldn’t make up her mind about any of them. Plus, I don’t think she deserves any of them. So… yea.
Okay, onto the story itself. The first half was… such… a… bore… It was so freaking slow and I wanted to give up on it so much. It also kind of put me into a slump on picking up Ruin and Rising. I just didn’t want to be disappointed like I was with Siege and Storm. The second half of the story on the other hand, was packed to the max with intense scenes and action. I honestly thought my wittle heart would crack into a million pieces.
Leigh’s writing style is extremely unique and well-done. She’s able to write scenes that not only grip your attention, but will also pluck each heart string until that breaking point. Then it will rip your heart out of your chest with one swift moment.
Other than a few bumps, Siege and Storm was captivating to a point, but not as much as Shadow and Bone. It’s a soul sucker of a book and I’m enamored with it. The world-building is some of the best I’ve ever seen, especially for a series. The tensions in scenes is extremely palpable – making this a great sequel to an amazing series.
“You know the problem with heroes and saints Nikolai? They always end up dead.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Golden Couple in Books
Aug 25, 2021
I've read every book that Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have wrote together, so when I got the chance to read their latest book entitled The Golden Couple, I jumped at the chance! I've loved every novel they've written together, and I definitely loved The Golden Couple.
The synopsis for The Golden Couple reeled me in. The plot was solid albeit a little farfetched towards the ending when everything is revealed. Still, the writing was done fantastically, and I was instantly transported to this world Hendricks and Pekkanen had created. With all that was going on, I felt like there was one main storyline and two minor storylines going on. It was fun reading The Golden Couple and trying to figure out who all was guilty. In fact, there were times I thought it may even be Marissa creating problems for herself to make herself look more like the victim. While this book is more predictable and doesn't have as many plot twists as Hendricks' and Pekkanen's previous novels, the plot twists in this novel were interesting to say the least. I kind of suspected the culprit of the story, but then again, everyone was a suspect in my head. The ending is tied up nicely with no loose ends which is always a plus for me.
Hendricks and Pekkanen know how to write some stellar characters! I felt as if every character in The Golden Couple was fleshed out enough to feel realistic instead of just some writing on paper. Marissa showed that she was only human through her mistakes. (Personally, I don't think I would be as forgiving as her husband, Matthew, appeared to be if my spouse cheated on me.) I felt that I would probably be like Marissa if I were in her shoes. She was fairly easy to relate to. I loved how much love she had for her young son, and I liked how willing she was to work on her marriage. I felt sorry for Marissa's husband, Matthew, when Marissa revealed she had cheated on him. I did like how forgiving he was and how much it seemed that he wanted to work on the marriage even though he wasn't the one who cheated. Sometimes I did think he tried to hard though to make Marissa feel loved. Polly, Marissa's assistant, was definitely an interesting character for sure. I didn't know what to make of her or if she could be trusted. She seemed to eager to please Marissa and like she was trying to hard to be Marissa. Still, she was a well written and likeable character. I enjoyed Avery and her very logical mind as well as her very different approach to non-traditional therapy. Her tactics she used were definitely different (and probably illegal), but they always seemed to work. I also admired how dedicated she was to her clients and how much she wanted to help them. Avery came across as very smart and sophisticated.
Trigger warnings for The Golden Couple include infidelity, profanity, alcohol use, some violence, gun violence, death, and murder.
Overall, The Golden Couple is a highly entertaining read that you will not want to put down. It will leave you guessing until the very end. I would definitely recommend The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen to those aged 18+ who are after a fantastic thriller that will stay with them for awhile.
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(A special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC eBook of The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.)
The synopsis for The Golden Couple reeled me in. The plot was solid albeit a little farfetched towards the ending when everything is revealed. Still, the writing was done fantastically, and I was instantly transported to this world Hendricks and Pekkanen had created. With all that was going on, I felt like there was one main storyline and two minor storylines going on. It was fun reading The Golden Couple and trying to figure out who all was guilty. In fact, there were times I thought it may even be Marissa creating problems for herself to make herself look more like the victim. While this book is more predictable and doesn't have as many plot twists as Hendricks' and Pekkanen's previous novels, the plot twists in this novel were interesting to say the least. I kind of suspected the culprit of the story, but then again, everyone was a suspect in my head. The ending is tied up nicely with no loose ends which is always a plus for me.
Hendricks and Pekkanen know how to write some stellar characters! I felt as if every character in The Golden Couple was fleshed out enough to feel realistic instead of just some writing on paper. Marissa showed that she was only human through her mistakes. (Personally, I don't think I would be as forgiving as her husband, Matthew, appeared to be if my spouse cheated on me.) I felt that I would probably be like Marissa if I were in her shoes. She was fairly easy to relate to. I loved how much love she had for her young son, and I liked how willing she was to work on her marriage. I felt sorry for Marissa's husband, Matthew, when Marissa revealed she had cheated on him. I did like how forgiving he was and how much it seemed that he wanted to work on the marriage even though he wasn't the one who cheated. Sometimes I did think he tried to hard though to make Marissa feel loved. Polly, Marissa's assistant, was definitely an interesting character for sure. I didn't know what to make of her or if she could be trusted. She seemed to eager to please Marissa and like she was trying to hard to be Marissa. Still, she was a well written and likeable character. I enjoyed Avery and her very logical mind as well as her very different approach to non-traditional therapy. Her tactics she used were definitely different (and probably illegal), but they always seemed to work. I also admired how dedicated she was to her clients and how much she wanted to help them. Avery came across as very smart and sophisticated.
Trigger warnings for The Golden Couple include infidelity, profanity, alcohol use, some violence, gun violence, death, and murder.
Overall, The Golden Couple is a highly entertaining read that you will not want to put down. It will leave you guessing until the very end. I would definitely recommend The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen to those aged 18+ who are after a fantastic thriller that will stay with them for awhile.
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(A special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC eBook of The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Girls with Sharp Sticks (Girls with Sharp Sticks #1) in Books
Oct 19, 2022
When I read the synopsis of Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young, I was hooked. I love stories about mysterious boarding schools, so I had to read this book! Plus, I had read The Program by Suzanne Young and loved that book. I was not disappointed by this novel.
Philomena aka Mena is one of the beautiful girls. In fact, all the girls at her all girls boarding school are beautiful. They are taught how to behave. They're only allowed salads for food, and their classes focus more on etiquette and how to act in male company. They are all fully obedient until one day something awakens in Mena. She realizes that not all is as it seems at her boarding school. Something sinister is going on, and Mena will do anything to find out to protect her friends.
The plot of Girls with Sharp Sticks has been done before. In fact, much of the plot reminded me so much of the 2018 film Level 16 with a few differences. However, I still really enjoyed the plot. While one of the major plot twists became obvious to me about halfway through the book, there were still a few plot twists that I never would have predicted. Throughout my reading of this book, I felt like I was standing right there in the pages watching everything unfold. Yes, there were some over the top things that happened in the story, but this didn't put me off. I loved that this novel didn't have much romance in it. There is a very light romance though.
I very much enjoyed the creepy boarding school setting with it's very strict teachers (the majority of them male). As this is a series, there is a minor cliff hanger, but I feel like this book can be read without having to read the other books in the series unless you want to know what happens afterwards. You could just read Girls with Sharp Sticks and leave it with the happyish ending though if you really wanted to.
I enjoyed reading about all the characters even the vile ones. Mena certainly was an interesting character with her thought process and how fearless she was. Her curiosity did get her in trouble from time to time, but she persevered to get to the bottom of what was happening at her school in order to protect her friends. Guardian Bose was easy to hate because of how horrible he treated the girls. I just wanted him to go away because he was so mean! I had a love hate relationship with Anton. On one hand, I felt that he cared about the girls in his own way, but I knew he was not to be trusted at all. Jackson had an interesting back story, but after learning his back story, I was left wanting to know more about him. My favorite character throughout the book was Valentine. There was just something about her. In my mind, I had pictured her a a beautiful frail girl, but looks can be deceiving! I was hoping we'd get to read more about her throughout the book than what we did. Valentine was the best part of the book in my opinion.
Trigger warnings for Girls with Sharp Sticks include profanity, blackmail, brainwashing, violence, mentions of sexual assault, and murder.
All in all, Girls with Sharp Sticks is an engrossing read with its interesting character and a plot that will have you cheering on the young women as they try to figure out what's going on at their school. I would definitely recommend Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young to those ages 16+ who are sick of being told what to do by the patriarchy.
Philomena aka Mena is one of the beautiful girls. In fact, all the girls at her all girls boarding school are beautiful. They are taught how to behave. They're only allowed salads for food, and their classes focus more on etiquette and how to act in male company. They are all fully obedient until one day something awakens in Mena. She realizes that not all is as it seems at her boarding school. Something sinister is going on, and Mena will do anything to find out to protect her friends.
The plot of Girls with Sharp Sticks has been done before. In fact, much of the plot reminded me so much of the 2018 film Level 16 with a few differences. However, I still really enjoyed the plot. While one of the major plot twists became obvious to me about halfway through the book, there were still a few plot twists that I never would have predicted. Throughout my reading of this book, I felt like I was standing right there in the pages watching everything unfold. Yes, there were some over the top things that happened in the story, but this didn't put me off. I loved that this novel didn't have much romance in it. There is a very light romance though.
I very much enjoyed the creepy boarding school setting with it's very strict teachers (the majority of them male). As this is a series, there is a minor cliff hanger, but I feel like this book can be read without having to read the other books in the series unless you want to know what happens afterwards. You could just read Girls with Sharp Sticks and leave it with the happyish ending though if you really wanted to.
I enjoyed reading about all the characters even the vile ones. Mena certainly was an interesting character with her thought process and how fearless she was. Her curiosity did get her in trouble from time to time, but she persevered to get to the bottom of what was happening at her school in order to protect her friends. Guardian Bose was easy to hate because of how horrible he treated the girls. I just wanted him to go away because he was so mean! I had a love hate relationship with Anton. On one hand, I felt that he cared about the girls in his own way, but I knew he was not to be trusted at all. Jackson had an interesting back story, but after learning his back story, I was left wanting to know more about him. My favorite character throughout the book was Valentine. There was just something about her. In my mind, I had pictured her a a beautiful frail girl, but looks can be deceiving! I was hoping we'd get to read more about her throughout the book than what we did. Valentine was the best part of the book in my opinion.
Trigger warnings for Girls with Sharp Sticks include profanity, blackmail, brainwashing, violence, mentions of sexual assault, and murder.
All in all, Girls with Sharp Sticks is an engrossing read with its interesting character and a plot that will have you cheering on the young women as they try to figure out what's going on at their school. I would definitely recommend Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young to those ages 16+ who are sick of being told what to do by the patriarchy.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water in Books
Jan 2, 2022
I will admit that I've been in a reading slump for awhile. However, when I read the synopsis for The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels, it sounded just like the book I need to get me out of my slump. Luckily I was right!
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels. It was definitely interesting to see how and why writers put a little bit of truth in their books. I was very interested in trying to find out what was truth and what was fiction in Kendra's life. I wanted to know if the bad thing was really as Kendra remembered it or if it was just something she had stretched the truth about. This book does have a few plot twists, and while I did predict one, I found myself guessing incorrectly at the other twists. The author does a fantastic job at typing up any and all loose ends by the end of the book. I must say that I also very much enjoyed the writing and language Erin Bartels used. Her descriptive prose put me right into the heart of the story. I was drawn in with every word, and once I started reading, it was hard for me to stop. Even though this book does deal with some heavy subjects, Bartels did an excellent job at writing about them with much care and sensitivity. (Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book for a bit more insight into the novel. You won't regret it.)
The characters in The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water were written very well. I found myself really loving the character of Kendra. She seemed like the type of girl I could relate to and that I'd love to be friends with. I enjoyed getting to see a glimpse into her memories (even the horrible ones). Her back story was interesting with what she had been through. I wish we could have read more about Andreas' back story. He was a strong character, don't get me wrong, but I felt like I didn't really know him all too well. He was always shrouded in a bit of mystery. Tyler's back story was the most interesting (and a little heartbreaking). Even though I never really cared for Tyler as a person, he was still a very well written character. I wish he would have gotten in trouble for what he did, but just as in real life, not everything happens as it should. I also loved the character of Cami. Although she seems a bit selfish, what she had been through makes it a bit easier to see why she was the way she was. I'm not excusing her actions by no means, but I can see the reasoning behind it. I also loved Robert as Kendra's mentor. He was such a laid back and loving character.
Trigger warnings for The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water include some slight bullying, sexual harassment, molestation, rape (though not graphic), child prostitution, alcohol, mentions of drug use, death, and suicide.
All in all, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is a beautifully written book showing that even in the fact of tragedy and trauma, we can still rise above our circumstances. I would definitely recommend The Girl Who Could Breath Under Water by Erin Bartels to those ages 16+ who are after a book with great emotional depth.
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(A special thank you to Revell for providing me with a paperback of The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels. It was definitely interesting to see how and why writers put a little bit of truth in their books. I was very interested in trying to find out what was truth and what was fiction in Kendra's life. I wanted to know if the bad thing was really as Kendra remembered it or if it was just something she had stretched the truth about. This book does have a few plot twists, and while I did predict one, I found myself guessing incorrectly at the other twists. The author does a fantastic job at typing up any and all loose ends by the end of the book. I must say that I also very much enjoyed the writing and language Erin Bartels used. Her descriptive prose put me right into the heart of the story. I was drawn in with every word, and once I started reading, it was hard for me to stop. Even though this book does deal with some heavy subjects, Bartels did an excellent job at writing about them with much care and sensitivity. (Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book for a bit more insight into the novel. You won't regret it.)
The characters in The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water were written very well. I found myself really loving the character of Kendra. She seemed like the type of girl I could relate to and that I'd love to be friends with. I enjoyed getting to see a glimpse into her memories (even the horrible ones). Her back story was interesting with what she had been through. I wish we could have read more about Andreas' back story. He was a strong character, don't get me wrong, but I felt like I didn't really know him all too well. He was always shrouded in a bit of mystery. Tyler's back story was the most interesting (and a little heartbreaking). Even though I never really cared for Tyler as a person, he was still a very well written character. I wish he would have gotten in trouble for what he did, but just as in real life, not everything happens as it should. I also loved the character of Cami. Although she seems a bit selfish, what she had been through makes it a bit easier to see why she was the way she was. I'm not excusing her actions by no means, but I can see the reasoning behind it. I also loved Robert as Kendra's mentor. He was such a laid back and loving character.
Trigger warnings for The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water include some slight bullying, sexual harassment, molestation, rape (though not graphic), child prostitution, alcohol, mentions of drug use, death, and suicide.
All in all, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is a beautifully written book showing that even in the fact of tragedy and trauma, we can still rise above our circumstances. I would definitely recommend The Girl Who Could Breath Under Water by Erin Bartels to those ages 16+ who are after a book with great emotional depth.
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(A special thank you to Revell for providing me with a paperback of The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated House of Madness in Books
Mar 1, 2019
Good Pacing (1 more)
Interesting Characters
An Okay Ghost Story
I love love love paranormal thrillers! Ghost stories are my favorite, so when House of Madness by Sara Harris was up for review, I jumped at the chance. However, House of Madness was just an okay story. It wasn't brilliant, but it wasn't bad either.
The plot for House of Madness has been done before, but it was interesting to see how Sara Harris changed it up a bit. Adelaide (Addie), her husband Tim, and their daughter, Michaela, who's on the Autistic spectrum move to a great big house out in West Texas. Addie is an aspiring writer and had suffered a miscarriage previously. This new house, that they bought on the cheap, is their chance for a fresh start. However, it isn't long until weird things start happening and Michaela seems to have made a ghostly friend. The house previously belonged to a couple of doctors, and it also comes with a horrific past. There were times the plot seemed a bit far-fetched, but for the most part, I found the story to be enjoyable and entertaining. There were no cliff hangers in House of Madness, although I was left with one or two questions about the ending which I won't go into because to do so would mean spoilers. There were a couple of plot twists. I was able to easily predict one.
I felt some of the prose was a bit wacky sounding. One sentence in the book that sounded a bit strange was "His voice trailed off and mixed with a hot swirl of West Texas air." Maybe it's just me, but it didn't sound right. Another weird sounding sentence I found was "The closet door fell open with a creak." I imagined the door actually falling. Surely, it would have been better to write "The closet door opened with a creak"? Maybe I'm just being too pedantic. There were times when I felt like I was reading a young adult novel rather than a book aimed at adults. Saying all of that, I still did find the book to be a decent read.
I enjoyed the characters in House of Madness. They all felt realistic. Michaela and Addie seemed to be the main characters, and I enjoyed reading about them. I loved how sweet Michaela came across, and I loved how brave Addie could be. I enjoyed the little ghost girl named Lisette. I was always wondering if she'd turn out to double cross Michaela though. The ghost of Ritchie was definitely an interesting character. He was another one that made me question whether or not he would turn out bad or good. I always trusted Rochelle for some reason. The doctors, Marjorie and Roland Darkland, were also well written although they must have been very fit for an older couple considering they were probably supposed to be in their early 80s at the very least. (For the record, I'm assuming that House of Madness takes place in modern day. It's never actually mentioned what year it is.)
House of Madness is a short read, and the pacing made it feel even shorter. I thought that Sara Harris did an excellent job with the pacing. I found myself not wanting to stop reading at all. I had to know what happened next concerning the ghosts as well as the living characters.
Trigger warnings for House of Madness include violence, murder, attempted murder, mental illnesses, and talk of a miscarriage.
Overall, House of Madness was an alright read. Yes, the writing was a little shaky at times, but it's still worth reading for those who enjoy ghost stories. The characters were great, and the pacing was fantastic. I would recommend House of Madness by Sara Harris to those aged 15+ who like a short ghost story.
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(A special thank you to Silver Dagger Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of House of Madness by Sara Harris in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot for House of Madness has been done before, but it was interesting to see how Sara Harris changed it up a bit. Adelaide (Addie), her husband Tim, and their daughter, Michaela, who's on the Autistic spectrum move to a great big house out in West Texas. Addie is an aspiring writer and had suffered a miscarriage previously. This new house, that they bought on the cheap, is their chance for a fresh start. However, it isn't long until weird things start happening and Michaela seems to have made a ghostly friend. The house previously belonged to a couple of doctors, and it also comes with a horrific past. There were times the plot seemed a bit far-fetched, but for the most part, I found the story to be enjoyable and entertaining. There were no cliff hangers in House of Madness, although I was left with one or two questions about the ending which I won't go into because to do so would mean spoilers. There were a couple of plot twists. I was able to easily predict one.
I felt some of the prose was a bit wacky sounding. One sentence in the book that sounded a bit strange was "His voice trailed off and mixed with a hot swirl of West Texas air." Maybe it's just me, but it didn't sound right. Another weird sounding sentence I found was "The closet door fell open with a creak." I imagined the door actually falling. Surely, it would have been better to write "The closet door opened with a creak"? Maybe I'm just being too pedantic. There were times when I felt like I was reading a young adult novel rather than a book aimed at adults. Saying all of that, I still did find the book to be a decent read.
I enjoyed the characters in House of Madness. They all felt realistic. Michaela and Addie seemed to be the main characters, and I enjoyed reading about them. I loved how sweet Michaela came across, and I loved how brave Addie could be. I enjoyed the little ghost girl named Lisette. I was always wondering if she'd turn out to double cross Michaela though. The ghost of Ritchie was definitely an interesting character. He was another one that made me question whether or not he would turn out bad or good. I always trusted Rochelle for some reason. The doctors, Marjorie and Roland Darkland, were also well written although they must have been very fit for an older couple considering they were probably supposed to be in their early 80s at the very least. (For the record, I'm assuming that House of Madness takes place in modern day. It's never actually mentioned what year it is.)
House of Madness is a short read, and the pacing made it feel even shorter. I thought that Sara Harris did an excellent job with the pacing. I found myself not wanting to stop reading at all. I had to know what happened next concerning the ghosts as well as the living characters.
Trigger warnings for House of Madness include violence, murder, attempted murder, mental illnesses, and talk of a miscarriage.
Overall, House of Madness was an alright read. Yes, the writing was a little shaky at times, but it's still worth reading for those who enjoy ghost stories. The characters were great, and the pacing was fantastic. I would recommend House of Madness by Sara Harris to those aged 15+ who like a short ghost story.
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(A special thank you to Silver Dagger Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of House of Madness by Sara Harris in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Becs (244 KP) rated The Bone Roses in Books
Apr 5, 2019
the writing (4 more)
the protaganists
the antagonists
the plot and background
the development of the story and characters
Fast-paced, page-turner that will leave you wanting more!
You can read more of this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com and Goodreads!
I received a copy to read and review for my honest opinion from The Parliament Press.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, Gore, Oppression, Discrimination
I don't generally like Western stories but this is also considered Young Adult/ Fantasy so I figured I would give it a try, especially after reading the very intriguing synopsis. But be warned, this story is geared more towards a mature audience as there are a lot of scenes that are more NA then YA. This is book one(1) of the Snow Spark Saga.
Set in a post-apocalyptic West, thirty years into the future after Yellowstone erupts, the United States is reformed. A cruel king named Hyperion has taken control of the entire region and has cut multiple of small settlements off from the trade routes due to those settlements not bowing to him. All because they believe in God and Hyperion wants everyone to worship him. The main settlement that takes place within The Bone Roses is Rondo. In order to survive, the settlements have to have outlaws that are known as rustlers. These outlaws risk their own lives to steal from the capital city, Adonis. If caught, the punishment is torture and death. The main character, Rags, is a rustler with an extremely large bounty on her head.
But Rags runs into a problem when on a raid, the Kingdom Corps (K.C. for short) start chasing her. She manages to slip away with her adopted father Tracker and what neither of them realizes, is that they are being followed. This leads to a whole bunch of other problems down the road.
This fast-paced, page-turner will leave you on your toes until the very end.
Characters:
Rags - the protagonist of the story. Rondo's rustler, she is feared and the best at her role. But she does have a realistic sense to her that allows the reader to really get a feel on her.
Tracker - Rags' mentor and "adopted" father. Very mysterious and seems to have a hidden past.
Matthew - Rags' best friend, the preacher's son. I thought he was going to be a love interest, but he was only seen as a brother/friend to Rags.
Jericho - the preacher. He's seen as Rondo's town leader.
Sadie - a mother figure to Rags and soon-to-be-mother. No major role in the story but does seem to be hiding a past.
Frank - husband of Sadie and soon-to-be-father. No major role in the story.
Hyperion - the wicked king that thinks he's the almighty God.
Henny - Hyperion's second in command, he's to seek out all the rustlers and take care of them. One thing I really love about his character is that you hate but like him. Like he's the antagonist that does things that make you question why you ever put him into the antagonist category and then turns around and does the things that make him a bad guy. (if that makes any sense at all lol)
Hunter Lawrence - the sheriff of Rondo and discriminates against Rags because she isn't a true citizen of Rondo.
Colton - a luresman (someone who's good at negotiating with settlements), but he's an overall mysterious guy that leaves you wondering the same thing as Henny. Is he really bad? Is he really good? Can you trust him? Possible love interest to Rags??
Reasons why I rated it 5 stars:
1. Very intriguing from the beginning - the plot was amazing!
2. No grammatical or spelling errors - the writing was phenomenal!
3. There was not only character development but also story development! The only character that lacked any background was Rags, but she doesn't remember much of anything from before her arrival into Rondo.
4. With the development and plot, the overall story came together rather nicely and it left me wanting more.
5. This is a series that I can't wait to read more of!
"Deny all knowledge - but leave no one behind. Never"
I received a copy to read and review for my honest opinion from The Parliament Press.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, Gore, Oppression, Discrimination
I don't generally like Western stories but this is also considered Young Adult/ Fantasy so I figured I would give it a try, especially after reading the very intriguing synopsis. But be warned, this story is geared more towards a mature audience as there are a lot of scenes that are more NA then YA. This is book one(1) of the Snow Spark Saga.
Set in a post-apocalyptic West, thirty years into the future after Yellowstone erupts, the United States is reformed. A cruel king named Hyperion has taken control of the entire region and has cut multiple of small settlements off from the trade routes due to those settlements not bowing to him. All because they believe in God and Hyperion wants everyone to worship him. The main settlement that takes place within The Bone Roses is Rondo. In order to survive, the settlements have to have outlaws that are known as rustlers. These outlaws risk their own lives to steal from the capital city, Adonis. If caught, the punishment is torture and death. The main character, Rags, is a rustler with an extremely large bounty on her head.
But Rags runs into a problem when on a raid, the Kingdom Corps (K.C. for short) start chasing her. She manages to slip away with her adopted father Tracker and what neither of them realizes, is that they are being followed. This leads to a whole bunch of other problems down the road.
This fast-paced, page-turner will leave you on your toes until the very end.
Characters:
Rags - the protagonist of the story. Rondo's rustler, she is feared and the best at her role. But she does have a realistic sense to her that allows the reader to really get a feel on her.
Tracker - Rags' mentor and "adopted" father. Very mysterious and seems to have a hidden past.
Matthew - Rags' best friend, the preacher's son. I thought he was going to be a love interest, but he was only seen as a brother/friend to Rags.
Jericho - the preacher. He's seen as Rondo's town leader.
Sadie - a mother figure to Rags and soon-to-be-mother. No major role in the story but does seem to be hiding a past.
Frank - husband of Sadie and soon-to-be-father. No major role in the story.
Hyperion - the wicked king that thinks he's the almighty God.
Henny - Hyperion's second in command, he's to seek out all the rustlers and take care of them. One thing I really love about his character is that you hate but like him. Like he's the antagonist that does things that make you question why you ever put him into the antagonist category and then turns around and does the things that make him a bad guy. (if that makes any sense at all lol)
Hunter Lawrence - the sheriff of Rondo and discriminates against Rags because she isn't a true citizen of Rondo.
Colton - a luresman (someone who's good at negotiating with settlements), but he's an overall mysterious guy that leaves you wondering the same thing as Henny. Is he really bad? Is he really good? Can you trust him? Possible love interest to Rags??
Reasons why I rated it 5 stars:
1. Very intriguing from the beginning - the plot was amazing!
2. No grammatical or spelling errors - the writing was phenomenal!
3. There was not only character development but also story development! The only character that lacked any background was Rags, but she doesn't remember much of anything from before her arrival into Rondo.
4. With the development and plot, the overall story came together rather nicely and it left me wanting more.
5. This is a series that I can't wait to read more of!
"Deny all knowledge - but leave no one behind. Never"
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated A Nearly Normal Family in Books
May 14, 2019
Legal thrillers usually aren't my thing. In fact, I find them to be more a snooze fest than anything else. However, when I read the synopsis for A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson, I was intrigued. I just want to say that this book blew me away! It was that good!
The plot for A Nearly Normal Family is very intriguing indeed. Eighteen year old Stella becomes involved with an older man named Christopher. She's having the time of her life. When she learns more about her romantic interest, she's having a hard time believing the bad stuff is true. It's not long before Christopher is found murdered, and Stella is the main suspect. Told from the point of view from Stella's father, Stella, and Stella's mother, we learn what really happened that night, what led to all of this drama, and what happens afterwards. We also learn how far people will go to protect the ones they love. I found myself not wanting to guess what happened with this book. I wanted everything to be a complete surprise which it was. There are a few twists and turns throughout this novel which I did enjoy. I loved that this book tied up any loose ends by the end of the book, and nothing was left to speculation. I hate having to guess what happened after the main mystery has been solved, so I was thrilled when I had all my answers. I'm a stickler for closure!
The characters were all very well developed and fleshed out enough that they felt real. We are introduced to Adam, Stella's father, first. We see his relationship with his daughter, his wife, and with God since he's a pastor. He relies heavily on his faith to get him through things. He's an upstanding member of the community and very trustworthy. I found Adam to be the most interesting to read about. It was interesting to read about his response to his daughter being accused of murder. Next, we are introduced to Stella's point of view. Stella is accused of murdering her boyfriend, Christopher. She's eighteen and has a devil may care attitude when it comes to everything. Some points throughout the book, I felt she was innocent of the crime, but there were other times she seemed very guilty. I couldn't figure her out. It was interesting to read about what had happened throughout her young life to get to the predicament she was in. Finally, we learn the perspective from Ulrika, Stella's mother. I didn't think I would be able to connect with Ulrika right at first, but I found myself understanding her quickly. Ulrika is a criminal defense attorney, so it was interesting reading about her perspective on everything. I was happy that Ulrika didn't use legal jargon too often. Although we don't get to read things from her perspective, the character of Amina, Stella's best friend, was also intriguing. I loved reading about the girls' friendship throughout the years and how loyal they were to one another.
The pacing was spot on! Every time the story would change perspectives, I thought I'd get bored with the change of character, but I was sucked in right away same as before. I devoured page after page of A Nearly Normal Family. I couldn't wait to find out more and learn about motives and what would happen.
Trigger warnings include profanity, alcohol use, drug use, violence (not very graphic), rape (not very graphic, mentions of sex (not graphic), and murder.
Overall, A Nearly Normal Family is a very intriguing read that pulls you in from the very first page and doesn't let you go even after it ends. I would definitely recommend A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson to those aged 18+ who like to get lost in well written thrillers!
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(A special thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC paperback of A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot for A Nearly Normal Family is very intriguing indeed. Eighteen year old Stella becomes involved with an older man named Christopher. She's having the time of her life. When she learns more about her romantic interest, she's having a hard time believing the bad stuff is true. It's not long before Christopher is found murdered, and Stella is the main suspect. Told from the point of view from Stella's father, Stella, and Stella's mother, we learn what really happened that night, what led to all of this drama, and what happens afterwards. We also learn how far people will go to protect the ones they love. I found myself not wanting to guess what happened with this book. I wanted everything to be a complete surprise which it was. There are a few twists and turns throughout this novel which I did enjoy. I loved that this book tied up any loose ends by the end of the book, and nothing was left to speculation. I hate having to guess what happened after the main mystery has been solved, so I was thrilled when I had all my answers. I'm a stickler for closure!
The characters were all very well developed and fleshed out enough that they felt real. We are introduced to Adam, Stella's father, first. We see his relationship with his daughter, his wife, and with God since he's a pastor. He relies heavily on his faith to get him through things. He's an upstanding member of the community and very trustworthy. I found Adam to be the most interesting to read about. It was interesting to read about his response to his daughter being accused of murder. Next, we are introduced to Stella's point of view. Stella is accused of murdering her boyfriend, Christopher. She's eighteen and has a devil may care attitude when it comes to everything. Some points throughout the book, I felt she was innocent of the crime, but there were other times she seemed very guilty. I couldn't figure her out. It was interesting to read about what had happened throughout her young life to get to the predicament she was in. Finally, we learn the perspective from Ulrika, Stella's mother. I didn't think I would be able to connect with Ulrika right at first, but I found myself understanding her quickly. Ulrika is a criminal defense attorney, so it was interesting reading about her perspective on everything. I was happy that Ulrika didn't use legal jargon too often. Although we don't get to read things from her perspective, the character of Amina, Stella's best friend, was also intriguing. I loved reading about the girls' friendship throughout the years and how loyal they were to one another.
The pacing was spot on! Every time the story would change perspectives, I thought I'd get bored with the change of character, but I was sucked in right away same as before. I devoured page after page of A Nearly Normal Family. I couldn't wait to find out more and learn about motives and what would happen.
Trigger warnings include profanity, alcohol use, drug use, violence (not very graphic), rape (not very graphic, mentions of sex (not graphic), and murder.
Overall, A Nearly Normal Family is a very intriguing read that pulls you in from the very first page and doesn't let you go even after it ends. I would definitely recommend A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson to those aged 18+ who like to get lost in well written thrillers!
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(A special thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC paperback of A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Mistletoe Miracles (Ransom Canyon #7) in Books
Sep 12, 2018
Lovable Characters (3 more)
Interesting Plot
Great Worldbuilding
Good Pacing
A Clean, Sweet Read
I'm not usually a romance person, but the synopsis for Mistletoe Miracles by Jodi Thomas caught my attention. I'm really glad I read Mistletoe Miracles because I absolutely adored this book. In fact, Mistletoe Miracles may have converted me to be a romance reader. It has definitely made me a Jodi Thomas fan for sure.
The pacing for Mistletoe Miracles was spot on. It wasn't a fast paced book, but it wasn't slow paced either. It moved at a nice relaxing pace, and I found myself loving it.
The plot for Mistletoe Miracles is a sweet one. It was interesting to see each couple's relationship blossom. Mallory is on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. She ends up in a car crash. Her dog is also injured in the crash. Little does Jax know he has her dog, but once he figures it out, it's the start of something sweet. Griffin needs a rich bride in order to save his working ranch that's been in the family for generations. Sunlan, a ranch girl herself, is just the right woman to fill that position. She's also looking for someone to take her away from her overbearing father. Wyatt is a soldier just looking for a place to rest while on leave. With everyone assuming he's Jamie's husband, he is taken to Jamie's house after he falls asleep and has a small crash. Jamie has been out of town, but when she returns, she's gets the biggest surprise of her life. However, she's been telling everyone she's married even though she's not. Wyatt may just be the (pretend) husband she needs. The reader has the pleasure of reading about each immersive relationship and how each one blossoms in its own way. There are no major plot twists, but Mistletoe Miracles is a book that doesn't need plot twists to be enjoyable. All loose ends are also tied up by the end of the book which I was happy about. I also liked that Mistletoe Miracles can be read as a standalone.
I felt that the world building in Mistletoe Miracles was done very well. Jodi Thomas makes it so easy to feel as if you are one of the characters in her book. She puts you right in the midst of everything that is happening, and it is so easy to lose yourself within each page of the story. Mistletoe Miracles takes place in Texas which made me enjoy the book even more! The world building is so realistic in this novel that I would lose track of time whenever I was reading it.
I loved every character in Mistletoe Miracles. I felt each character was fleshed out substantially, and every character felt like they were an actual real person instead of a character in a book. My favorite characters in this book were Sunlan and Griffin. I loved how they started out a bit distant towards each other, but eventually, they warmed up to one another and came out of their shell, especially Sunlan. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other characters too, but it was Sunlan's and Griffin's relationship that I loved the most. I did enjoy reading about all the other character's relationships as well, and I found them to be very interesting. Each character had something to bring to the table to make Mistletoe Miracles the great read it is.
There aren't many trigger warnings for Mistletoe Miracles. I would classify it was a clean romance. There's no swearing and no steamy scenes. There is some violence although it is not graphic. There is some drinking of alcohol as well as kissing. There's also talk about making love but everything is implied and not described in graphic detail.
Overall, Mistletoe Miracles is a very sweet and refreshing read that will warm even the most hardened hearts. It's got very likable and realistic characters characters, an interesting plot, and fantastic world building. I would definitely recommend Mistletoe Miracles by Jodi Thomas to everyone aged 16+ whether they like romance or not. This is one of those books that everyone should read even if romance isn't their preferred genre.
(Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The pacing for Mistletoe Miracles was spot on. It wasn't a fast paced book, but it wasn't slow paced either. It moved at a nice relaxing pace, and I found myself loving it.
The plot for Mistletoe Miracles is a sweet one. It was interesting to see each couple's relationship blossom. Mallory is on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. She ends up in a car crash. Her dog is also injured in the crash. Little does Jax know he has her dog, but once he figures it out, it's the start of something sweet. Griffin needs a rich bride in order to save his working ranch that's been in the family for generations. Sunlan, a ranch girl herself, is just the right woman to fill that position. She's also looking for someone to take her away from her overbearing father. Wyatt is a soldier just looking for a place to rest while on leave. With everyone assuming he's Jamie's husband, he is taken to Jamie's house after he falls asleep and has a small crash. Jamie has been out of town, but when she returns, she's gets the biggest surprise of her life. However, she's been telling everyone she's married even though she's not. Wyatt may just be the (pretend) husband she needs. The reader has the pleasure of reading about each immersive relationship and how each one blossoms in its own way. There are no major plot twists, but Mistletoe Miracles is a book that doesn't need plot twists to be enjoyable. All loose ends are also tied up by the end of the book which I was happy about. I also liked that Mistletoe Miracles can be read as a standalone.
I felt that the world building in Mistletoe Miracles was done very well. Jodi Thomas makes it so easy to feel as if you are one of the characters in her book. She puts you right in the midst of everything that is happening, and it is so easy to lose yourself within each page of the story. Mistletoe Miracles takes place in Texas which made me enjoy the book even more! The world building is so realistic in this novel that I would lose track of time whenever I was reading it.
I loved every character in Mistletoe Miracles. I felt each character was fleshed out substantially, and every character felt like they were an actual real person instead of a character in a book. My favorite characters in this book were Sunlan and Griffin. I loved how they started out a bit distant towards each other, but eventually, they warmed up to one another and came out of their shell, especially Sunlan. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other characters too, but it was Sunlan's and Griffin's relationship that I loved the most. I did enjoy reading about all the other character's relationships as well, and I found them to be very interesting. Each character had something to bring to the table to make Mistletoe Miracles the great read it is.
There aren't many trigger warnings for Mistletoe Miracles. I would classify it was a clean romance. There's no swearing and no steamy scenes. There is some violence although it is not graphic. There is some drinking of alcohol as well as kissing. There's also talk about making love but everything is implied and not described in graphic detail.
Overall, Mistletoe Miracles is a very sweet and refreshing read that will warm even the most hardened hearts. It's got very likable and realistic characters characters, an interesting plot, and fantastic world building. I would definitely recommend Mistletoe Miracles by Jodi Thomas to everyone aged 16+ whether they like romance or not. This is one of those books that everyone should read even if romance isn't their preferred genre.
(Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
"As far as I’m concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain."
"As far as I’m concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain."
A while back, I read an online comic strip by the same author, Heartstopper Volume 1. I found it by chance and I literally flew through it. I adored it and I went ahead and TBR’d some of her other books. I found this one on Scribd and come to find this was her baby. This was her debut novel. The story was pretty good, it is NOT a love story, but I sometimes found myself getting frustrated with the main character. Reasons why are listed below.
The story is told from a teenager named Victoria ‘Tori’ Spring. She has two younger brothers and she is quite…indifferent. She has one best friend, and honestly one friend only, and she’s very much the pessimist. I can’t fully fault her for that, but some things that I just CANNOT tolerate. I found myself gasping and GLARING at the words as I read them.
She hates books. Yes, she said she hates books (-1 point). She knows the name of each book and the author who wrote them, but she won’t actually read them.
Though she loves film so I’ll give the point back to her (0).
"When you watch a film, you’re sort of an outsider looking in. With a book – you’re right there. You are inside. You are the main character."
She thinks Pride and Prejudice is ridiculous and boring…she gets positive points for that (+2) – I’m sorry I’m in the minority. I do not care for Jane Austen and find her so called romance novels dull and boring. Not sorry!
She despises Disney because the movies are total fake and unrealistic. WELL NO SHIT! It’s DISNEY! (-200) – I’m a Disney nerd and while I don’t agree with sugar coating the original fair tales, I still LOVE Disney. You can’t fault me for that!
Anyway…
Tori is highly cynical and while I can appreciate that in her, sometimes she made my favorite cartoon character, Daria, seem like a sweetheart. Two guys come into Tori’s life. One was an old childhood friend, Lucas, and the other is someone she met before, Michael. At the same time, a blog group called ‘Solitaire’ starts making trouble…almost in Tori’s honor.
I won’t go into great detail, mostly because I would definitely give more away than I want to. I breezed through this story quickly, but there are just some things in the story that just didn’t sit well with me.
This guy Lucas was so sketchy that he nearly drove Tori crazy with his change in personality.
Her parents…they literally do not seem to care. Her mother most of all. She is mostly on her computer and seems to kind of be absent, mentally, as a parental figure. That never gets resolved, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing. In the end, it really bothered me at how disinterested her parents really were. I get that perhaps it’s something you do when you’re bringing up teenagers, but damn!!
"I swear to God I’m a freak! I mean it. One day I’m going to forget how to wake up."
You’re probably thinking that this really doesn’t seem like it would be in the mental health genre. It is. Tori goes through an awful lot in this story, not to mention the mental strain with her brother, Charlie. I will say there are some MILD trigger warnings regarding implied self harm.
I was kind of left with mixed emotions with this book. I have great respect for this author and this being her first story. I know it’s near and dear to her heart. I wouldn’t say that this was at the top of my list, but it’s not at the bottom either. I definitely appreciated it NOT BEING a love story. Although it seemed like it would, despite the subtitle of the book, but I’m glad it wasn’t.
A while back, I read an online comic strip by the same author, Heartstopper Volume 1. I found it by chance and I literally flew through it. I adored it and I went ahead and TBR’d some of her other books. I found this one on Scribd and come to find this was her baby. This was her debut novel. The story was pretty good, it is NOT a love story, but I sometimes found myself getting frustrated with the main character. Reasons why are listed below.
The story is told from a teenager named Victoria ‘Tori’ Spring. She has two younger brothers and she is quite…indifferent. She has one best friend, and honestly one friend only, and she’s very much the pessimist. I can’t fully fault her for that, but some things that I just CANNOT tolerate. I found myself gasping and GLARING at the words as I read them.
She hates books. Yes, she said she hates books (-1 point). She knows the name of each book and the author who wrote them, but she won’t actually read them.
Though she loves film so I’ll give the point back to her (0).
"When you watch a film, you’re sort of an outsider looking in. With a book – you’re right there. You are inside. You are the main character."
She thinks Pride and Prejudice is ridiculous and boring…she gets positive points for that (+2) – I’m sorry I’m in the minority. I do not care for Jane Austen and find her so called romance novels dull and boring. Not sorry!
She despises Disney because the movies are total fake and unrealistic. WELL NO SHIT! It’s DISNEY! (-200) – I’m a Disney nerd and while I don’t agree with sugar coating the original fair tales, I still LOVE Disney. You can’t fault me for that!
Anyway…
Tori is highly cynical and while I can appreciate that in her, sometimes she made my favorite cartoon character, Daria, seem like a sweetheart. Two guys come into Tori’s life. One was an old childhood friend, Lucas, and the other is someone she met before, Michael. At the same time, a blog group called ‘Solitaire’ starts making trouble…almost in Tori’s honor.
I won’t go into great detail, mostly because I would definitely give more away than I want to. I breezed through this story quickly, but there are just some things in the story that just didn’t sit well with me.
This guy Lucas was so sketchy that he nearly drove Tori crazy with his change in personality.
Her parents…they literally do not seem to care. Her mother most of all. She is mostly on her computer and seems to kind of be absent, mentally, as a parental figure. That never gets resolved, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing. In the end, it really bothered me at how disinterested her parents really were. I get that perhaps it’s something you do when you’re bringing up teenagers, but damn!!
"I swear to God I’m a freak! I mean it. One day I’m going to forget how to wake up."
You’re probably thinking that this really doesn’t seem like it would be in the mental health genre. It is. Tori goes through an awful lot in this story, not to mention the mental strain with her brother, Charlie. I will say there are some MILD trigger warnings regarding implied self harm.
I was kind of left with mixed emotions with this book. I have great respect for this author and this being her first story. I know it’s near and dear to her heart. I wouldn’t say that this was at the top of my list, but it’s not at the bottom either. I definitely appreciated it NOT BEING a love story. Although it seemed like it would, despite the subtitle of the book, but I’m glad it wasn’t.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Among the Red Stars in Books
Dec 21, 2018
The Plot (2 more)
The History
The Characters
A lot of Russian names make it hard to keep up with who's who (1 more)
Lack of mention of parents
A Great Historical Read!
When I was offered the chance to review Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz, I jumped at the chance. After reading the great reviews, I knew it was going to be a great book. Luckily, I was not disappointed.
I though the plot and world building were excellent! The story for Among the Red Stars is mostly told through letters written by Valka, the main character, and her childhood friend, Pasha. Set in Russia during World War II, Pasha was drafted and had no choice but to join, and Valka voluntarily joined because she had been wanting to be a pilot since she was young. The all female bomber regiment isn't taken seriously at first since they are all young and female, but soon enough, it because apparent that these female pilots are the real deal and just as good as their male counterparts. Among the Red Stars is also based in some fact too which made the book that much more interesting. My emotions were all over the place reading this book. I kept on hoping the outcome of the story would be a good one. Among the Red Stars answered all the questions I had, and I would suggest reading the Author's Note at the end of the book because it will give you more insight into the all female Russian bomber regiment. I found it very interesting. The only thing that bothered me was that Valka's parents weren't really mentioned throughout the book. I would have thought that Valka's parents would have written to their daughter during the war. If they didn't want to, it would have been nice to have an explanation as to why they didn't want to write to their daughter. I just found it a bit strange that Valka's parents weren't mentioned at all during the book except for briefly towards the end.
The characters were written very well in Among the Red Stars. It was interesting to learn that many of the characters mentioned in Among the Red Stars were based on actual people who served in World War II. As I've said before, a lot of the story is based on fact which made this book that much more enjoyable. I loved seeing Pasha and Valka grow throughout their letters. I was always hoping they'd be reunited soon because it was obvious how much they really cared about each other. I also loved the relationship between Valka and her cousin Iskra. It was refreshing to read about the love between them. I admired Galya's and Lilya's spirit throughout the war, and I loved how awesome Vera and Tanya were. All the females in Among the Red Stars were amazing, and I admired each and every one of them. I loved the camaraderie between all the girls. I will admit that sometimes it was hard to keep up with who was who during the book due to the Russian names, but I still thoroughly enjoyed every character. If you read the Author's Note at the end of the book, you can learn more about each character that was actually a real person. I loved that Gwen C. Katz added all that information.
The pacing for Among the Red Stars grabs you by the hand and never lets go! Never once did I grow bored of the story. The story never got too fast paced for me where I was confused with what was happening. The pacing was fantastic!
Trigger warnings for Among the Red Stars include violence, death, injuries, war, and sexism.
All in all, Among the Red Stars was a fantastic, thrilling read. I never wanted to put it down. This book had everything from a great group of characters to a fantastic plot. I would definitely recommend Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz to everyone aged 14+. It's such an interesting book as well as an interesting way to learn about a piece of important history.
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(A special thank you to the author for providing me with a paperback of Among the Red Stars in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
I though the plot and world building were excellent! The story for Among the Red Stars is mostly told through letters written by Valka, the main character, and her childhood friend, Pasha. Set in Russia during World War II, Pasha was drafted and had no choice but to join, and Valka voluntarily joined because she had been wanting to be a pilot since she was young. The all female bomber regiment isn't taken seriously at first since they are all young and female, but soon enough, it because apparent that these female pilots are the real deal and just as good as their male counterparts. Among the Red Stars is also based in some fact too which made the book that much more interesting. My emotions were all over the place reading this book. I kept on hoping the outcome of the story would be a good one. Among the Red Stars answered all the questions I had, and I would suggest reading the Author's Note at the end of the book because it will give you more insight into the all female Russian bomber regiment. I found it very interesting. The only thing that bothered me was that Valka's parents weren't really mentioned throughout the book. I would have thought that Valka's parents would have written to their daughter during the war. If they didn't want to, it would have been nice to have an explanation as to why they didn't want to write to their daughter. I just found it a bit strange that Valka's parents weren't mentioned at all during the book except for briefly towards the end.
The characters were written very well in Among the Red Stars. It was interesting to learn that many of the characters mentioned in Among the Red Stars were based on actual people who served in World War II. As I've said before, a lot of the story is based on fact which made this book that much more enjoyable. I loved seeing Pasha and Valka grow throughout their letters. I was always hoping they'd be reunited soon because it was obvious how much they really cared about each other. I also loved the relationship between Valka and her cousin Iskra. It was refreshing to read about the love between them. I admired Galya's and Lilya's spirit throughout the war, and I loved how awesome Vera and Tanya were. All the females in Among the Red Stars were amazing, and I admired each and every one of them. I loved the camaraderie between all the girls. I will admit that sometimes it was hard to keep up with who was who during the book due to the Russian names, but I still thoroughly enjoyed every character. If you read the Author's Note at the end of the book, you can learn more about each character that was actually a real person. I loved that Gwen C. Katz added all that information.
The pacing for Among the Red Stars grabs you by the hand and never lets go! Never once did I grow bored of the story. The story never got too fast paced for me where I was confused with what was happening. The pacing was fantastic!
Trigger warnings for Among the Red Stars include violence, death, injuries, war, and sexism.
All in all, Among the Red Stars was a fantastic, thrilling read. I never wanted to put it down. This book had everything from a great group of characters to a fantastic plot. I would definitely recommend Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz to everyone aged 14+. It's such an interesting book as well as an interesting way to learn about a piece of important history.
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(A special thank you to the author for providing me with a paperback of Among the Red Stars in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)