Search
Search results
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated An Anonymous Girl in Books
Mar 20, 2019
Fun, twisty thriller
Jessica Farris, age twenty-eight, is a makeup artist for Beauty Buzz. She lugs her giant makeup kit all around New York City doing makeup for other people who are living their dreams. As for Jess, she's heavily focused on money, as her parents are stressed trying to provide all the medical support they can for her disabled sister, Becky. Even worse, her Dad is about to lose his job. So when she sees one of her clients get a text where she could enroll in a psychology study, answer a few questions, and make some quick bucks, it sounds ideal. But the questions rapidly grow more intense and soon Jess is asked back for further questions and extra sessions. She then meets the doctor behind the study, Dr. Shields, and becomes caught her manipulative web of experimentation--and obsession.
So I liked THE WIFE BETWEEN US but didn't *love* it like so many people did, and hence I wasn't entirely sure about reading this one. I definitely enjoyed AN ANONYMOUS GIRL more. This author duo is certainly adept at writing very readable, very wild books that are hard to put down. I found myself stealing away during the chaos of Christmas Eve to finish this book.
The chapters alternate between Jess and Dr. Shields. Overall, Jess is just your average likeable gal who gets in over her head. I didn't adore her or anything; sometimes she irritated me a bit, but she was fine. My biggest pet peeve with this entire book was the fact that Dr. Shields chapters were written almost entirely in passive voice. This was obviously done as a literary device and part of her character, but ugh! After a while, I could barely take it. I felt like I was at work, reading all of my colleague's proposal sections, and I felt as if I was mentally correcting each sentence as I read it. Not fun.
But, I digress. It quickly becomes apparent that we cannot really trust anything that's happening in this one, which is fun. You know there has to be more to everyone's stories, and the book constantly had me guessing. There are a lot of nice twists thrown in, and unlike the authors' previous book, I didn't guess the main one right away, so I really enjoyed reading the story. It did stress me out a bit, though - sheesh! It's very crazy, very unbelievable (but in a good way), often quite creepy, but an enjoyable ride.
Overall, this is a fun, twisty thriller that lets you just suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. It's different, a bit spooky, and interesting.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
So I liked THE WIFE BETWEEN US but didn't *love* it like so many people did, and hence I wasn't entirely sure about reading this one. I definitely enjoyed AN ANONYMOUS GIRL more. This author duo is certainly adept at writing very readable, very wild books that are hard to put down. I found myself stealing away during the chaos of Christmas Eve to finish this book.
The chapters alternate between Jess and Dr. Shields. Overall, Jess is just your average likeable gal who gets in over her head. I didn't adore her or anything; sometimes she irritated me a bit, but she was fine. My biggest pet peeve with this entire book was the fact that Dr. Shields chapters were written almost entirely in passive voice. This was obviously done as a literary device and part of her character, but ugh! After a while, I could barely take it. I felt like I was at work, reading all of my colleague's proposal sections, and I felt as if I was mentally correcting each sentence as I read it. Not fun.
But, I digress. It quickly becomes apparent that we cannot really trust anything that's happening in this one, which is fun. You know there has to be more to everyone's stories, and the book constantly had me guessing. There are a lot of nice twists thrown in, and unlike the authors' previous book, I didn't guess the main one right away, so I really enjoyed reading the story. It did stress me out a bit, though - sheesh! It's very crazy, very unbelievable (but in a good way), often quite creepy, but an enjoyable ride.
Overall, this is a fun, twisty thriller that lets you just suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. It's different, a bit spooky, and interesting.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Love, Hate, and Other Filters in Books
Jun 18, 2018
This book made a big splash when it came out in January, and rightly so, as I've finally discovered for myself! Written by an Indian-American, Love, Hate, and Other Filters follows Maya Aziz, a seventeen-year-old born in America to Indian immigrant parents. She's the only Muslim girl at her school, and while she feels like she sticks out, she doesn't feel discriminated against until a terrorist attack happens in her state. She had -just- gotten most of her issues worked out before the attack, but in the aftermath of the attack, and the community's response to it, her parents clamp down on her freedom, and she struggles to get her life back.
I really loved Maya in this book; I can understand her parents' fears, but also her rebellion when they take away the freedom she values. I think my favorite character, though, was the side character Kareem. I kind of hope Ahmed writes another book and tells us his story. He was just so NICE.
I loved the writing and the characters overall, but there were a few sentences that made me pause and repeat them in my head because they were just outstanding.
"The vows are simple, the same kind of pledges I've heard at weddings of every faith. Except at the end, there is no kiss. I close in for the money shot anyway, hoping for a moment of rebellion from Ayesha and Saleem. But no. No public kissing allowed. Full stop. The no kissing is anticlimactic, but some taboos cross oceans, packed tightly into the corners of immigrant baggage, tucked away with packets of masala and memories of home."
And also, about arranged marriages and being a good Indian daughter:
"And the Muslim? The Indian? That girl, she doesn't even get the dream of the football captain. She gets a lifetime of being stopped by the FAA for random bag searches every time she flies. She gets the nice boy, the sensible boy, the one her parents approve of and who she will grow to love over years and children and necessity."
Maya is a whip-smart young girl who wants to be a film maker, and she spends most of her time behind a camera, observing. Her observations are really what make this book shine, and her snark had me laughing throughout the book.
I really loved this book, if you couldn't tell! I love minority-driven YA, and this one reminds me quite a lot of Saints and Misfits. Given how much I loved both of these, I really need to read When Dimple Met Rishi!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
I really loved Maya in this book; I can understand her parents' fears, but also her rebellion when they take away the freedom she values. I think my favorite character, though, was the side character Kareem. I kind of hope Ahmed writes another book and tells us his story. He was just so NICE.
I loved the writing and the characters overall, but there were a few sentences that made me pause and repeat them in my head because they were just outstanding.
"The vows are simple, the same kind of pledges I've heard at weddings of every faith. Except at the end, there is no kiss. I close in for the money shot anyway, hoping for a moment of rebellion from Ayesha and Saleem. But no. No public kissing allowed. Full stop. The no kissing is anticlimactic, but some taboos cross oceans, packed tightly into the corners of immigrant baggage, tucked away with packets of masala and memories of home."
And also, about arranged marriages and being a good Indian daughter:
"And the Muslim? The Indian? That girl, she doesn't even get the dream of the football captain. She gets a lifetime of being stopped by the FAA for random bag searches every time she flies. She gets the nice boy, the sensible boy, the one her parents approve of and who she will grow to love over years and children and necessity."
Maya is a whip-smart young girl who wants to be a film maker, and she spends most of her time behind a camera, observing. Her observations are really what make this book shine, and her snark had me laughing throughout the book.
I really loved this book, if you couldn't tell! I love minority-driven YA, and this one reminds me quite a lot of Saints and Misfits. Given how much I loved both of these, I really need to read When Dimple Met Rishi!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Salt (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Angelina Jolie, as Agent Evelyn Salt, plays the sexy spy role well, but the charm she displayed in Mr. and Mrs Smith isn’t present here at all. This is unfortunate because her emotional ties to the rest of the cast are integral to the plot. As seen in the trailers, Salt is a CIA agent who is accused by a defector of being a Russian spy. Salt is forced to run and uses her training and skills to evade capture while trying to prove her innocence.
Her years of experience as a covert operative are supposed to make viewers believe that this slight woman can take down ayone, but some of her fight scenes expected too much benefit of the doubt from the audience, and didn’t feel real. It wasn’t very convincing having such a thin woman carry on in a full fight scene with heavier built men. Despite harsh sound effects and fast camera edits, it honestly didn’t look like she was hitting the baddies hard enough to hurt, let alone knock them out.
Salt has some great twists and turns that kept me entertained and guessing, but that wasn’t enough to keep the whole movie afloat. Before long, these twists began to feel forced, and because I was snapped out of the movie several times after realizing how confused I was, it began to be aggravating to wait for the film to give the audience its bearings again. Phillip Noyce, who also directed the 1997 Val Kilmer spy film The Saint could have imbued the movie with subtle foreshadowing, or at least some foreshadowing as it was nonexistent.
Liev Schreiber, playing Salt’s trusted colleague, did a great job. His imposing yet friendly and sly demeanor fit his part very well. Chiwetel Ejiofor did a good job as well, but his role as another fellow agent was too small. It needed to be bigger for him to really shine. After watching him in Talk to Me, I believe him to be a headline star who needs more screen time to show what he’s capable of. In this smaller role, he does the job effectively, but left me wanting to see more of him.
The special effects were effective and not distracting except for one particular “walk away from the camera during an explosion” moment. It’s not that it was cliche, it’s that any explosion (at that distance, in that environment) would knock someone unconscious. There’s pushing the boundaries of realism for artistic effect, and then there’s that step that’s one step too far.
Overall, the film was enjoyable, but I had higher hopes for this movie. If you’re looking for action with twists, this movie has them in spades.
Her years of experience as a covert operative are supposed to make viewers believe that this slight woman can take down ayone, but some of her fight scenes expected too much benefit of the doubt from the audience, and didn’t feel real. It wasn’t very convincing having such a thin woman carry on in a full fight scene with heavier built men. Despite harsh sound effects and fast camera edits, it honestly didn’t look like she was hitting the baddies hard enough to hurt, let alone knock them out.
Salt has some great twists and turns that kept me entertained and guessing, but that wasn’t enough to keep the whole movie afloat. Before long, these twists began to feel forced, and because I was snapped out of the movie several times after realizing how confused I was, it began to be aggravating to wait for the film to give the audience its bearings again. Phillip Noyce, who also directed the 1997 Val Kilmer spy film The Saint could have imbued the movie with subtle foreshadowing, or at least some foreshadowing as it was nonexistent.
Liev Schreiber, playing Salt’s trusted colleague, did a great job. His imposing yet friendly and sly demeanor fit his part very well. Chiwetel Ejiofor did a good job as well, but his role as another fellow agent was too small. It needed to be bigger for him to really shine. After watching him in Talk to Me, I believe him to be a headline star who needs more screen time to show what he’s capable of. In this smaller role, he does the job effectively, but left me wanting to see more of him.
The special effects were effective and not distracting except for one particular “walk away from the camera during an explosion” moment. It’s not that it was cliche, it’s that any explosion (at that distance, in that environment) would knock someone unconscious. There’s pushing the boundaries of realism for artistic effect, and then there’s that step that’s one step too far.
Overall, the film was enjoyable, but I had higher hopes for this movie. If you’re looking for action with twists, this movie has them in spades.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Parallel Mothers (2021) in Movies
Mar 21, 2022
Cruz is terrific, the "B" plot is better
I have stated before that I find that Penelope Cruz is a very good (not great) actress when working in English. But…she has been a revelation to me as a GREAT Actress when I catch her work in her native language, Spanish, and she is especially good when she is working in a piece by the man that calls her his “muse”, Writer/Director Pedro Almodovar.
Such is the case with their latest collaboration - PARALLEL MOTHERS - an interesting and engaging film with a quality performance at the center of it by Cruz, a performance that has her, rightfully, nominated for the 4th time for an Oscar (she won in 2008 for her Supporting Role in VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA).
In this film, Cruz stars as one of 2 “parallel mothers”, who’s character, Janis, goes into labor at the same time as Milena Smit’s character, Ana. What happens to these two is that their lives will be intertwined in such a way that these “parallel mothers” will have a connection for the rest of their lives.
But, this is just the “A” story of this film and (as has been his custom), Almodovar gives us a “B” story that focuses on Spain’s attempt to continue to heal from the Spanish Civil War - and it is this part of the film that is the part that has lingered with me.
Cruz, of course, is a beautiful, wonderful choice as Janis. She holds the screen in every scene she is in (and that is almost every one) and her and Almodovar know what kind of movie they are making and head strongly in that direction. The surprise for me was Milena Smit’s performance as Ana as she holds her own in her scenes with Cruz.
The “A” story of this film is good (but not great) and it does fall, a bit, into “Soap Opera” territory, but Almodovar, Cruz et al know how to elevate it above that with realistic dialogue and emotions that grounds this portion of the film. It is the “B” plot that Almodovar seems to be more interested in and this, in turn, makes that part of the story the more interesting one. To be fair to Cruz, it does involve her character as well, but her relationship with Ana is put in the background, thus negating that relationship to the importance of the story.
The “B” plot was better and I almost wish that this was the main part of the story, it might have made it an overall better - maybe even excellent - film, but, instead, PARALLEL MOTHERS falls to “just” VERY GOOD.
Letter Grade: A- (for Cruz’ and Smit’s performances and the “B” plot)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Such is the case with their latest collaboration - PARALLEL MOTHERS - an interesting and engaging film with a quality performance at the center of it by Cruz, a performance that has her, rightfully, nominated for the 4th time for an Oscar (she won in 2008 for her Supporting Role in VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA).
In this film, Cruz stars as one of 2 “parallel mothers”, who’s character, Janis, goes into labor at the same time as Milena Smit’s character, Ana. What happens to these two is that their lives will be intertwined in such a way that these “parallel mothers” will have a connection for the rest of their lives.
But, this is just the “A” story of this film and (as has been his custom), Almodovar gives us a “B” story that focuses on Spain’s attempt to continue to heal from the Spanish Civil War - and it is this part of the film that is the part that has lingered with me.
Cruz, of course, is a beautiful, wonderful choice as Janis. She holds the screen in every scene she is in (and that is almost every one) and her and Almodovar know what kind of movie they are making and head strongly in that direction. The surprise for me was Milena Smit’s performance as Ana as she holds her own in her scenes with Cruz.
The “A” story of this film is good (but not great) and it does fall, a bit, into “Soap Opera” territory, but Almodovar, Cruz et al know how to elevate it above that with realistic dialogue and emotions that grounds this portion of the film. It is the “B” plot that Almodovar seems to be more interested in and this, in turn, makes that part of the story the more interesting one. To be fair to Cruz, it does involve her character as well, but her relationship with Ana is put in the background, thus negating that relationship to the importance of the story.
The “B” plot was better and I almost wish that this was the main part of the story, it might have made it an overall better - maybe even excellent - film, but, instead, PARALLEL MOTHERS falls to “just” VERY GOOD.
Letter Grade: A- (for Cruz’ and Smit’s performances and the “B” plot)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Merissa (13414 KP) rated Voices (Irish Knights Hockey #1) in Books
Apr 17, 2025
VOICES is the debut novel by Joey Parker and the first book in the Irish Knights Hockey series. This is a dark story with plenty of Trigger Warnings, so consider yourself warned. Please take note of them!
Charlie is struggling majorly with his mental health, and with good reason. It doesn't all come out at once, but you do find the reasons why, and there are plenty of them. Let's just say that family doesn't mean much to Charlie after how they've treated him. To be honest, I don't fully understand why. I mean, I know some people are just ar$eholes, plain and simple, and it seems that way for most of the characters in here that make Charlie's life such a misery.
Shane is the opposite in pretty much every way. He has a good family, is doing well at school, and has friends as well as teammates. That all fades away once he meets Charlie, and he is determined to be there for the man who takes up so much space in his mind.
I loved how Shane was with Charlie. It was hot and spicy in places, but mostly it was warm and loving. Shane looked after Charlie without being overbearing or condescending. And Charlie blossomed under Shane's care. Unfortunately, the ick factors are still in Charlie's life, so healing isn't yet possible, although he did amazingly well during their Christmas trip. That is not only down to Shane but also his family, who got Charlie some amazing gifts that made my eyes leak. The ending is full-on and is horrible before it gets better. I could feel my breath catch at one point, and I was nearly shouting at Shane to ditch the party and go with Charlie!
There is a lot of pain in this book, with little snippets of happiness sprinkled throughout. I would have liked a smidgeon more happiness, but in a way that wouldn't detract from the horror Charlie has to live through. And, yes, I realise just how difficult it is to deliver what I'm asking for.
The book is long but the ending is a little abrupt. I'm really hoping to read more of these guys and get my HEA for Charlie and Shane. I can't wait to read Asher's story! All in all, this was an amazing debut that had me gripped and I need to read more by this author. Definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 17, 2025
Charlie is struggling majorly with his mental health, and with good reason. It doesn't all come out at once, but you do find the reasons why, and there are plenty of them. Let's just say that family doesn't mean much to Charlie after how they've treated him. To be honest, I don't fully understand why. I mean, I know some people are just ar$eholes, plain and simple, and it seems that way for most of the characters in here that make Charlie's life such a misery.
Shane is the opposite in pretty much every way. He has a good family, is doing well at school, and has friends as well as teammates. That all fades away once he meets Charlie, and he is determined to be there for the man who takes up so much space in his mind.
I loved how Shane was with Charlie. It was hot and spicy in places, but mostly it was warm and loving. Shane looked after Charlie without being overbearing or condescending. And Charlie blossomed under Shane's care. Unfortunately, the ick factors are still in Charlie's life, so healing isn't yet possible, although he did amazingly well during their Christmas trip. That is not only down to Shane but also his family, who got Charlie some amazing gifts that made my eyes leak. The ending is full-on and is horrible before it gets better. I could feel my breath catch at one point, and I was nearly shouting at Shane to ditch the party and go with Charlie!
There is a lot of pain in this book, with little snippets of happiness sprinkled throughout. I would have liked a smidgeon more happiness, but in a way that wouldn't detract from the horror Charlie has to live through. And, yes, I realise just how difficult it is to deliver what I'm asking for.
The book is long but the ending is a little abrupt. I'm really hoping to read more of these guys and get my HEA for Charlie and Shane. I can't wait to read Asher's story! All in all, this was an amazing debut that had me gripped and I need to read more by this author. Definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 17, 2025
Rest by Charlotte Gainsbourg
7.0
Rate It
Album Watch
Sometimes it takes a personal tragedy to catalyse an artist’s practise, a crack in everything, to...
Pop
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Chroma Crossing Chronicles: Blood Moon in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2719945256">Blood Moon Part 1</a> - ★★★
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/new-blog-banner-20.png"/>;
<b><i>A beautiful writing, but a confusing adventure, mixed with Out-Of-Earth creatures that don’t really appear until the end of the book, a very disturbing plot, however, a very promising ending as well. I can’t say I enjoyed this book, but it did leave me curious to read the next one.</i></b>
It is hard to put this book in a certain genre, as it’s quite diverse and quite specific in places. If this is the first time you encounter the book, please don’t read the synopsis. It is not accurate, and nothing that is placed there actually happens in this book.
It is important to mention straight ahead, that this book contains sexual abuse, assault, anxiety, panic attacks, various fears and paranoia and explicit contents.
We have Candy Cane, a woman with a weird name, who keeps telling us her name is weird. I found her slightly annoying, to be honest. She is one of those people that want to not be known about certain thing (in this case, she doesn’t want people to notice her name), but at the same time she keeps talking about it, and telling us how much she hates her name. After a couple times, it gets unbearable.
Nevertheless, her father passes away, leaves her an apartment, but he also leaves the house to his young new wife (now widow) and her extremely thick son.
<b>We spend about half of the book reading about their daily ongoings, and only a few things happen worth noticing, but not really quite related to the story. But even still, the writing is beautiful and witty, and kept me going, even though it was slow-paced at times. Even though nothing really happened for a while, I still enjoyed reading it. </b>
While Candy Cane and her step-mother Cherry Ann (I am not kidding, her name is Cherry Ann) don’t quite get along, but don’t argue either, they both go through a phase of grief and self-assessment in their lives. Candy Cane is an aspiring artist, but she has suffered a traumatic experience in the past and tries to cope with this on a daily basis.
On the other hand, we have Cherry Ann, who doesn’t really have a phase of grief. She wants men, and she does meet one, who doesn’t seem to be who she appears to be. He is willing to take her to an unpleasant journey and she is not even aware for it.
The very same man, seems to be out of this world, and keeps trying to find a missing object that belongs to him from a long time ago. He asks Candy Cane to do a portrait for him, while he dates Cherry Ann, but he wants to harm Candy as soon as he gets the chance.
Before we see any really meaningful action happening, the book is about to end. Very confusing and slow paced, with unnecessary characters and points of view – I have to mention that there were a few chapters where the house cat has her own point of view. I still don’t know how I feel about that, but I think I am slowly coping…
<b><i>The ending though, was quite promising and left me wanting to read the next book, which I have on my shelves already. I will be reading it soon, and I really hope it is better than this one. I am a bit sad that I didn’t enjoy this one, but hopeful for the second book.</i></b>
A huge thank you to the publisher, Book Publicity Services, who sent me a paperback copy of Blood Moon Part 1 by S. Yurvati in exchange for an honest review.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2719945256">Blood Moon Part 1</a> - ★★★
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/new-blog-banner-20.png"/>;
<b><i>A beautiful writing, but a confusing adventure, mixed with Out-Of-Earth creatures that don’t really appear until the end of the book, a very disturbing plot, however, a very promising ending as well. I can’t say I enjoyed this book, but it did leave me curious to read the next one.</i></b>
It is hard to put this book in a certain genre, as it’s quite diverse and quite specific in places. If this is the first time you encounter the book, please don’t read the synopsis. It is not accurate, and nothing that is placed there actually happens in this book.
It is important to mention straight ahead, that this book contains sexual abuse, assault, anxiety, panic attacks, various fears and paranoia and explicit contents.
We have Candy Cane, a woman with a weird name, who keeps telling us her name is weird. I found her slightly annoying, to be honest. She is one of those people that want to not be known about certain thing (in this case, she doesn’t want people to notice her name), but at the same time she keeps talking about it, and telling us how much she hates her name. After a couple times, it gets unbearable.
Nevertheless, her father passes away, leaves her an apartment, but he also leaves the house to his young new wife (now widow) and her extremely thick son.
<b>We spend about half of the book reading about their daily ongoings, and only a few things happen worth noticing, but not really quite related to the story. But even still, the writing is beautiful and witty, and kept me going, even though it was slow-paced at times. Even though nothing really happened for a while, I still enjoyed reading it. </b>
While Candy Cane and her step-mother Cherry Ann (I am not kidding, her name is Cherry Ann) don’t quite get along, but don’t argue either, they both go through a phase of grief and self-assessment in their lives. Candy Cane is an aspiring artist, but she has suffered a traumatic experience in the past and tries to cope with this on a daily basis.
On the other hand, we have Cherry Ann, who doesn’t really have a phase of grief. She wants men, and she does meet one, who doesn’t seem to be who she appears to be. He is willing to take her to an unpleasant journey and she is not even aware for it.
The very same man, seems to be out of this world, and keeps trying to find a missing object that belongs to him from a long time ago. He asks Candy Cane to do a portrait for him, while he dates Cherry Ann, but he wants to harm Candy as soon as he gets the chance.
Before we see any really meaningful action happening, the book is about to end. Very confusing and slow paced, with unnecessary characters and points of view – I have to mention that there were a few chapters where the house cat has her own point of view. I still don’t know how I feel about that, but I think I am slowly coping…
<b><i>The ending though, was quite promising and left me wanting to read the next book, which I have on my shelves already. I will be reading it soon, and I really hope it is better than this one. I am a bit sad that I didn’t enjoy this one, but hopeful for the second book.</i></b>
A huge thank you to the publisher, Book Publicity Services, who sent me a paperback copy of Blood Moon Part 1 by S. Yurvati in exchange for an honest review.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Becoming Darkness in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Never have I ever read a book in which Hitler won World War II and succeeded in taking over the world.
Until now. I admit I'm a little fond of this one because of the whole alternative history thing going on right there, but I'm a little disturbed here, Lindsay Francis Brambles. You're as bad as Agatha Christie and came very close to killing everyone. Although technically, you did kill most of the characters that I grew fond of. Not cool. I don't think I can ever forgive you for this transgression of Trigger Happy Book. (More like Explosion Happy Book.)
But in the very long run, I only liked <i>Becoming Darkness</i> for a few things.
Sadistic as it may be, I did like how Brambles made Hitler won the second world war and unleashed a virus that made a lot of people turn into vampires all of that is told within the first few pages. Although the origins of Gemorrah (le virus) is revealed throughout the story and integrated in the plot, I still don't understand how the creators came up with that name in the first place. Does it mean something in German, or is it something they thought sounded sinister and cool and decided to go with it? In my humble opinion, it does not sound cool or sinister. It sounds like a Mary Poppins word.
I also really liked how Brambles didn't go completely off course from history there are some references to the war, there might be another significant historical figure who makes a cameo appearance (under a different name, but don't quote me), etc. Basically, there's not much that's thrown in completely off kilter aside from maybe the virus I still feel fishy about that.
Sophie Harkness does not take BS when there are boys hitting on her in the stupidest, cheesiest ways. Namely: "We're meant for one another because you're a girl, I'm a guy, and we have the parts to create phenomenal offspring." Sorry for the disturbing image, but that was very much implied by the character. Unfortunately for her, she sort of believes in love at first sight when she first met Val back when she was fourteen.
Sophie is also not a judgmental character she's very open-minded and believes vampires aren't exactly sinister blood sucking creatures. Every other Immune, those who can't get Gemorrah, are so judgmental and narrow-minded, it just peeves me greatly. It IS understandable, though, considering the year Brambles sets the book in.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like the whole flashbacks. For awhile in the beginning, it's a little confusing and I had to backtrack to make sure it was a flashback and not actually set in the present day. There's a "sort-of" warning and then we're in flashback mode that feels like it's set in the present but is really Sophie telling a story. On the bright side, all those flashbacks (and the journal entries written by Sophie's mom) all play a relevant role in the overall plot.
I also didn't really like Valentine. Though I eventually warmed up to him over the course of the book, something about him was really disturbing. He's not an annoying "stalker type" of character, but it IS a little weird he still tried to keep his connections to Sophie's family from grandma to mom to Sophie in the hopes of falling in love again. But considering the fact he's doesn't throw out stupidly cheesy lines at Sophie, I like him a little.
Have I mentioned I'm sick and tired of seeing the name Valentine over and over again in literature? We just can't get any more original than St. Valentine, can we?
I would totally summarize <i>Becoming Darkness</i> in a few words if only I didn't end up giving major spoilers. But in a nutshell, the book quite literally tells me all of us should be downright grateful the Third Reich didn't succeed. It also told me I'm royally screwed if the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I think I've established that in sixth grade with the whole Ramen Noodle Stove catastrophe.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-becoming-darkness-by-lindsay-francis-brambles/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Never have I ever read a book in which Hitler won World War II and succeeded in taking over the world.
Until now. I admit I'm a little fond of this one because of the whole alternative history thing going on right there, but I'm a little disturbed here, Lindsay Francis Brambles. You're as bad as Agatha Christie and came very close to killing everyone. Although technically, you did kill most of the characters that I grew fond of. Not cool. I don't think I can ever forgive you for this transgression of Trigger Happy Book. (More like Explosion Happy Book.)
But in the very long run, I only liked <i>Becoming Darkness</i> for a few things.
Sadistic as it may be, I did like how Brambles made Hitler won the second world war and unleashed a virus that made a lot of people turn into vampires all of that is told within the first few pages. Although the origins of Gemorrah (le virus) is revealed throughout the story and integrated in the plot, I still don't understand how the creators came up with that name in the first place. Does it mean something in German, or is it something they thought sounded sinister and cool and decided to go with it? In my humble opinion, it does not sound cool or sinister. It sounds like a Mary Poppins word.
I also really liked how Brambles didn't go completely off course from history there are some references to the war, there might be another significant historical figure who makes a cameo appearance (under a different name, but don't quote me), etc. Basically, there's not much that's thrown in completely off kilter aside from maybe the virus I still feel fishy about that.
Sophie Harkness does not take BS when there are boys hitting on her in the stupidest, cheesiest ways. Namely: "We're meant for one another because you're a girl, I'm a guy, and we have the parts to create phenomenal offspring." Sorry for the disturbing image, but that was very much implied by the character. Unfortunately for her, she sort of believes in love at first sight when she first met Val back when she was fourteen.
Sophie is also not a judgmental character she's very open-minded and believes vampires aren't exactly sinister blood sucking creatures. Every other Immune, those who can't get Gemorrah, are so judgmental and narrow-minded, it just peeves me greatly. It IS understandable, though, considering the year Brambles sets the book in.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like the whole flashbacks. For awhile in the beginning, it's a little confusing and I had to backtrack to make sure it was a flashback and not actually set in the present day. There's a "sort-of" warning and then we're in flashback mode that feels like it's set in the present but is really Sophie telling a story. On the bright side, all those flashbacks (and the journal entries written by Sophie's mom) all play a relevant role in the overall plot.
I also didn't really like Valentine. Though I eventually warmed up to him over the course of the book, something about him was really disturbing. He's not an annoying "stalker type" of character, but it IS a little weird he still tried to keep his connections to Sophie's family from grandma to mom to Sophie in the hopes of falling in love again. But considering the fact he's doesn't throw out stupidly cheesy lines at Sophie, I like him a little.
Have I mentioned I'm sick and tired of seeing the name Valentine over and over again in literature? We just can't get any more original than St. Valentine, can we?
I would totally summarize <i>Becoming Darkness</i> in a few words if only I didn't end up giving major spoilers. But in a nutshell, the book quite literally tells me all of us should be downright grateful the Third Reich didn't succeed. It also told me I'm royally screwed if the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I think I've established that in sixth grade with the whole Ramen Noodle Stove catastrophe.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-becoming-darkness-by-lindsay-francis-brambles/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
The Book of Life is the third book in the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It is time to finish the war that had begun; only this time our characters find that the amount of people backing them is more than expected. As Diana and Mathew continue trying to take down the existing laws and all they stand for, they gain a huge occasion to celebrate, two new infants, who prove that everything that was once known was wrong and begins to put everyone else into questioning mindsets. With their new information and better understandings about each other and themselves from their previous adventures, Diana and Mathew begin the tedious task of going against century old laws in a very direct way that has their family and friends concerned and willing to fight alongside them, especially when the darkest secret has to be faced once and for all.
Like its predecessors before it, The Book of Life is a well-written book that causes emotions to rise to the surface. Harkness is able to cause the feeling of urgency making the reader want to read faster because it could save a life or change a policy that is in place and needs to be changed. I find this to be surprising and often a bit anxiety ridden because I had grown attached to the characters and hated to feel like danger was around the corner and nothing was going to stop it. And though the book was fast paced and kept me turning pages, I find that I wish a little more time would have been given to some characters in the Congregation. I feel it would have helped the story out a bit, though it would have probably added more pages to the already 500+ page book.
I really enjoyed how the character grew and thought that it did finish the story up with a nice red bow. I could see smaller novels or other adventures the main characters could embark on, but even without it I don’t mind. It was very entertaining. It brought up some major questions into view on survival of creature of all kinds and even answered questions on how vampires, witches and daemons are connected in this storyline. The ideas that The Book of Life present to the reader, helps them appreciate life as it is and really begin to gain some prespective of that of what we question more often than not. Even though it is fiction and these creatures don’t exist, you once again wonder if maybe it could happen. And if it did happen and was happening around us now, would it be like what this delicious story had us to see, or would it be something else.
Though the book kept me thinking and exploring ideas that stemmed off its vision, I find that I am questioning a few smaller details of the characters, even though it had revealed some of those answers, I felt like it could’ve been elaborated on to give the reader a better idea on how the main characters came up with this solution or explanation. Even with the few critiques I have mention, I still rather enjoyed the book and found that only after putting a ton of deep thought into it did I find any issues to begin with.
I would recommend The Book of Life to anyone who has read the first two books in the trilogy. It would create a ton of confusion if you just picked this book up and started reading it without the prior knowledge from the first two books in the All Souls Trilogy. I would rate this book 3 stars out of 4 stars.
Like its predecessors before it, The Book of Life is a well-written book that causes emotions to rise to the surface. Harkness is able to cause the feeling of urgency making the reader want to read faster because it could save a life or change a policy that is in place and needs to be changed. I find this to be surprising and often a bit anxiety ridden because I had grown attached to the characters and hated to feel like danger was around the corner and nothing was going to stop it. And though the book was fast paced and kept me turning pages, I find that I wish a little more time would have been given to some characters in the Congregation. I feel it would have helped the story out a bit, though it would have probably added more pages to the already 500+ page book.
I really enjoyed how the character grew and thought that it did finish the story up with a nice red bow. I could see smaller novels or other adventures the main characters could embark on, but even without it I don’t mind. It was very entertaining. It brought up some major questions into view on survival of creature of all kinds and even answered questions on how vampires, witches and daemons are connected in this storyline. The ideas that The Book of Life present to the reader, helps them appreciate life as it is and really begin to gain some prespective of that of what we question more often than not. Even though it is fiction and these creatures don’t exist, you once again wonder if maybe it could happen. And if it did happen and was happening around us now, would it be like what this delicious story had us to see, or would it be something else.
Though the book kept me thinking and exploring ideas that stemmed off its vision, I find that I am questioning a few smaller details of the characters, even though it had revealed some of those answers, I felt like it could’ve been elaborated on to give the reader a better idea on how the main characters came up with this solution or explanation. Even with the few critiques I have mention, I still rather enjoyed the book and found that only after putting a ton of deep thought into it did I find any issues to begin with.
I would recommend The Book of Life to anyone who has read the first two books in the trilogy. It would create a ton of confusion if you just picked this book up and started reading it without the prior knowledge from the first two books in the All Souls Trilogy. I would rate this book 3 stars out of 4 stars.