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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Hook in Books

Nov 11, 2019  
Hook
Hook
Gina L. Maxwell | 2019 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Characters (1 more)
Action Packed
Heartbreaking & beautiful.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Child Abuse, Murder, Abuse, Angst, Drug Use

As many of you know, I've been waiting anxiously for Hook to come out! I was one of the lucky bloggers that Gina gave a copy to in exchange for an honest review. I read Pan earlier this year and fell completely head over heels for Gina's writing, and I've been shoving Pan down everyone's throats because it is that amazing! Now, full disclosure, I have only read one other M/M romance, so I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew was that I couldn't wait to fly into Neverland again.

I built Hook up in my head so much that at times I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype. Luckily, Hook was everything I wanted and more. This book follows Hook & John's story. The chemistry between them was out of this world. It was fun to see the anger, the angst, and the fire between the two of them. The characters as always were well written and thoroughly entertaining. I laughed, I cried, and I had to put my book down a few times, so I didn't throw my kindle.

The plotline was one of the shining stars of this book. It was action-packed, intense, and extremely engaging. I never wanted to put the book down, yet I enjoyed it so much I never wanted it to end. I loved the undercover aspect of the book, and it makes me want to reread some of my favorite romantic suspense. I was always on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to see how everything unfolded.

All in all, I LOVED this book. It lived up to the hype that I had in my head, and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series when it comes out. If you enjoy angst-filled bad boys with a heart of gold, this is the book for you. Gina truly knows how to write angst in a way that everyone can enjoy.
  
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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Deity in Books

Jul 1, 2021  
Deity
Deity
Matt Wesolowski | 2021 | Crime
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The host of this book is Scott King, an online journalist that loves raking up old graves. 😀 He chooses a case and interviews six people, that tell the reader different perspectives of the same case. This time he investigates a very controversial celebrity, that died in the fire and was accused of many things, such as abuse against young girls. I love Scott King’s style, he does not judge, he shares the stories, allowing the reader to decide what they want to believe in. All the characters are pretty unexpected and very intriguing, I just love to see the story unravelling.

The narrative of this book is extremely addictive. Every perspective brings something different and new to the overall view of the case, that is why I simply could not put down this book. There are plenty of twists and turns and the whole story is shrouded in mystery and ghosts. For me, the story had some similarities to real celebrities and some of the allegations I have read in the past. The whole story sounds so realistic, that I actually wanted to google Zach Crystal in case he was real. 😀 The topics discussed in this book are child abuse, mental illness, wish to control, mystical creatures, fanaticism, religion, the life of rich and famous, family relations, and many more.

I loved the atmosphere of this novel, it is creepy and very intriguing. The writing style is impeccable as always. The chapters are pretty long, but they are so absorbing, that the pages just fly by. The ending of this novel was phenomenal, but I still have unanswered questions about the whole story… Even though this book is fifth in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I can not wait for the next book, because this case was a really sensitive one, and I am very excited to see what Scott King will investigate next.

So, to conclude, this book has brilliant characters and a plot that always kept me guessing. I think this book was amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone. I hope you will like it as well. 🙂
  
Firekeeper's Daughter
Firekeeper's Daughter
Angeline Boulley | 2021 | LGBTQ+, Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
An expansive and lovely #OwnVoices tale
Daunis Fontaine feels torn between two worlds--growing up worrying about her Mom and dreaming of becoming a doctor and then being an unenrolled member of the Ojibwe tribe. Her late father was a member and so is her half-brother, Levi. When Daunis' uncle dies and she decides to stay home and attend local community college to take care of her mom, she feels trapped. But the arrival of Jamie, a new member of Levi's hockey team, is a bright spot. The two become fast friends. However, everything changes when Daunis witnesses a horrible murder, and she becomes an informant for the FBI. Suddenly, everything she knows about her hometown and the tribe changes.

"I learned there were times when I was expected to be a Fontaine and other times when it was safe to be a Firekeeper."

This is an excellent book--more mystery than I thought it would be. It covers a lot of topics--sometimes more than seems necessary. Racism, tribal issues, sexual assault, depression, drug abuse, FBI informants, romance, murder... there's a lot packed into this book. However, it does a great job looking into how meth and drug abuse affect the Native American community (as well as sexual assault). It's heartbreaking at times, but also compelling and educational.

"My mother's superpower is turning my ordinary worries into monsters so huge and pervasive that her distress and heartache become almost debilitating. I can protect her from that hurt."

Daunis is a very sympathetic and likeable character. She's dedicated to her family, to her tribe, and her community. She takes on a lot for a kid her age. Sometimes it felt like the informant plot was a little much, a little contrived, but overall, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. It was wonderful to read an #OwnVoices book of such quality and scope, and I look forward to what Boulley does next.

I read this book as part of my new reading project--choosing books off my shelves based on their Goodreads rankings. This is my fourth book of the project, forcing me out of my comfort zone and to try books in genres I don't usually read!
  
American Pastoral (2016)
American Pastoral (2016)
2016 | Drama
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Ewan McGregor is brilliant (2 more)
Incredibly sad
Not bad adaptation of Philip Roth's book
There was something missing (0 more)
Harrowing, tragic and moving
Philip Roth's tragic drama about the perfect high school couple and the disintegration of a family has finally made it on to the big screen. Set in the 1960's during massive political upheaval in America, it follows the story of a daughter who disappears after allegedly bombing a store, killing a clerk as part of a 'revolutionary' movement. Her father, played by Ewan McGregor, believes that she has been manipulated and that she is truly innocent throughout, even in the face of all opposing evidence. It's horrific seeing the mother and father's complete breakdown and it seems apparent the daughter Merry is suffering from a mental illness. There's hints of sexual abuse thought to have triggered her stutter, but it is extremely subtle.

It's really quite a sombre watch, especially given that the film begins with the father's funeral. Beautiful acting, but the daughter's character was extremely irritating.
  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
2016 | Fantasy
Special effects (2 more)
The creatures
Main casting
Johnny Depp (1 more)
Tina's character
I love the Harry Potter universe, but Fantastic Beasts failed to get my attention or fill with me with excitement. I'm not entirely sure why, but I didn't think I was going to enjoy it and unlike the other films in this universe, didn't go to the cinema upon it's release.
Boy was I wrong and gave myself a kick for not going to see it on the big screen!

I very quickly found myself not only falling in love with Newt, Queenie and Jacob, but the animals brought to life on screen. The story was engaging and I appreciated that it seemed to be more so for adults, the abuse being somewhat darker and my heart broke for Credence.

On the other side of things, I disliked Tina's character and wasn't impressed by the casting of Johnny Depp.

Despite my personal issues with the above, however, I still love this magical film and am greatly looking forward to the future installments.
  
Love Lies Beneath
Love Lies Beneath
Ellen Hopkins | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was one of those strange books that I didn't really enjoy, yet I couldn't stop reading. It takes a very long time to build up to its description--and I'd argue that it never really delivers on what it promised. Yes, there's a lot of simmering, ominous things that occur in the background (threats, texts), but I was expecting more outright terror and abuse. Honestly, not much really happens, you know? The big twist comes on literally the last two pages. Now, it's a good twist, and it's probably enough that I'll eventually track down and read the second book, but sheesh. I would have liked a little more excitement during the rest of the book, instead of it all jammed into the last few pages.

Still, the book was interesting enough that I felt drawn to Tara. The book revolves very much around her and her perspective. The background events keep you confused and wondering if more is going to occur (it doesn't, really). I'll be intrigued to see what happens in book #2. 2.5 stars.
  
Making A Murderer - Season 1
Making A Murderer - Season 1
2015 | Crime, Documentary
So gripping and compulsive (0 more)
Possibly heavily one-sided (0 more)
Not normally a true-crime or documentary fan, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about (but safely after all the buzz has died down). I absolutely loved the documentary. To see how the American justice system, trial by camera, trust in authority figures, all fits together and just how open to abuse it is is incredible.
I mean, obviously the documentary is edited in such a way as to make you believe his innocence, but even just weighing up all the oddities with the evidence and all the different pathways that lead to the same two questionable police officers would lead any sane person to believe he was framed.
The fact that the series covers the case over the span of 10 episodes, without losing traction at any point is incredible.
I have become somewhat obsessed with the case and am currently reading through 220 pages of Avery's latest appeal, and spent far too long watching videos showing the crime scene photos were photo-shopped.
  
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Gail (4 KP) rated Brant (Secrets #2) in Books

Jun 4, 2018  
B(
Brant (Secrets #2)
D.B. James | 2018
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Brant by D.B James

Four Stars

Yes!!! This book was sooo good. I need my own personal Brant. Tessa was just perfect her personality was similar to a lot of my friends and even myself. She had it bad at the beginning of her adult life but she came out of it stronger but still afraid. Once we lose our fear that’s when we stop sensing the trouble. I hate the thought of women and sometimes men too going through abuse. Feeling like its your fault. Never really trusting another person again. Brant was just fabulous he treated Tessa like we all want to be treated. He sent thoughtful gifts and put his heart on the line without expecting her to do the same. The danger throughout the story wasn’t really big so it didn’t really effect how I viewed the story. The plot twist was funny even though it was meant to be serious. I am excited to se what else this author has to offer. The writing style was smooth and the chapters flowed together perfectly.
  
Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies
Liane Moriarty | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.6 (97 Ratings)
Book Rating
It took me a while before i finally picked this book up but i am so glad that i did. The story can be a little slow at times but not so much that you want to give up on it. You cant help but love all the main characters and hate the ones who deserve to be hated. You know right from the beginning that someone dies and you spend the entire book guessing who and hoping it's not certain characters. The book covers the topics of bullying and domestic abuse so it can be a little touchy for some but not so intense that its too hard to read. I have been known to figure out the ending of some books but i can definitely say that i did not see this one coming. The surprise ending was most certainly that. My mouth was literally hanging open when it all came together. I love the way the author writes and i can not wait to read the rest of her books.