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Gallowstree Lane (Collins and Griffiths #3)
Gallowstree Lane (Collins and Griffiths #3)
Kate London | 2019 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
6
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel is told from multiple perspectives, and it is very hard to identify the main lead in this book. It is a Sarah Collins and Lizzie Griffiths detective novel, both of them are very strong female detectives, but they don’t have much communication between each other throughout the book, so I don’t really see them as a duo. It is a third book in the Metropolitan series, and I haven’t read the previous books. I found It perfectly understandable as a stand-alone, and the author explains a lot of things from previous books, but I think, to understand Sarah and Lizzie properly, it is better to read the previous books before starting this one.

So, a little about the characters, Lizzie is a single mother, who got pregnant after the affair with a fellow detective, who was married. Lizzie is trying her best to do her job like everybody else, but she is struggling. I really liked that the author analyzed childcare issues in this book, and how difficult is to be a mother, who wants to work and take care of her baby by her self. On the other hand, I have very strong negative emotions about her involvement with a married man in the first place, and that is what made her and Kieran (the married detective) my least favourite characters in this book.

Sarah Collins is a very determined detective, who knows how to get the stuff done. I really liked her as a character, it is visible that she loves the job and is very good at it. Kate London chose the characters very well for this novel. They are diverse, believable and very intriguing. I was very curious to read Ryan’s thoughts, he is a fifteen-year-old drug dealer, who’s friend gets stabbed. I am curious, how much actual truth was in Ryan’s thoughts compared to real life youth who act like “wannabe gangsters”. I can see that the author used her experience at the police very well, the procedures, places, the criminal mind looks very realistically portrayed in this book.

I think this book is more character orientated, the plot is intriguing, but the character’s thoughts and their lives are more absorbing than the plot itself. The plot is quite fast-paced and filled with a lot of findings, and I really enjoyed the whole investigation experience. The author analyses very important topics in this book, such as teenage criminals, knife crime, gangs and their war for territory, prostitution, drug addictions, childcare issues for working single mothers etc.

I really liked the writing style of this book, the whole book feels gloomy and intense, but at the same time, it is a very pleasant read. The setting continuously changes, depending on the character. The chapters have a very decent length and didn’t leave me bored. The ending was quite unexpected but rounded up this book quite well. So, to conclude, this is a very realistic and believable novel about teenage criminals and police work, filled with very amusing characters, and twisty plot. I learned a lot of interesting information and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the topics discussed in this novel. I strongly recommend this book to all, but especially to anyone living in London, I hope you will like it as much as I did.
  
Perfect on Paper
Perfect on Paper
Sophie Gonzales | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy, LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A cute teen love story
Darcy Phillips is excellent at doling out relationship advice. So good, in fact, that she secretly runs locker 89 at her high school where her fellow classmates drop off letters asking for help and Darcy answers them (for a $10 fee). But her secret identity is challenged when Alexander Brougham catches her at the locker after school. So Darcy reluctantly agrees to help him get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Winona. At a hourly cost, because Alexander is loaded and Darcy's a rare scholarship student. And after all, if everyone finds out she runs locker 89, not only will her secret be out, her best friend/crush, Brooke, will realize she's done some questionable meddling in Brooke's life via the locker. All she needs to do is help a rich, entitled guy win his former girlfriend back? How hard can it be?

"Why was it so much harder to answer my own relationship questions than everyone else's?"

This is a really cute and fun read. It totally stressed me out in places. I'm not good with lying, and here we have Darcy not only fibbing about "being" locker 89, but then she's using the locker to meddle with her friends' relationships? Ahh! Cue my blood pressure going up.

But I couldn't help but feel fondly for this girl who so meticulously researched her letters, who so desperately wanted to help others, but was afraid to take risks in her own world. She's starry-eyed in love with Brooke, but too scared to say anything. Who hasn't been there?

Gonzales gives us a huge handful of diverse representation--such an excellent set of queer characters. Darcy is part of the Queer and Questioning Club at her school. There's an episode at the club covering bi-phobia that made me cheer out loud and honestly is worth the read alone. I love the trend of all these YA books with such strong, positive queer messages. I could have used this as a teen, for sure. Now if we could normalize bisexuality in literary and contemporary fiction!

There's some melodrama in this one and Darcy's self-centeredness and angst got to me, at times--perhaps this book could have been just a bit shorter. But, it was probably a fair representation of the turmoil teens experience.

Overall, this is an easy read covering both serious and fun (romance! Disneyland!) topics. It offers an excellent cast, lots of cute moments, and some strong insight into bisexuality and other LGBTQIA issues facing teens today.

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
  
Sweep: Volume 1 (Sweep, #1-3)
Sweep: Volume 1 (Sweep, #1-3)
Cate Tiernan | 2010 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Enthralling (5 more)
Great Character development
Easy to relate to (more so for young adults).
Very consistent, you don't see crazy out of character, makes no sense, kind of actions.
Very Emotional, you will be all over the place and love every minute.
Clean, though it has a passionate romance, this is not a steamy book, perfect for YA and people simply not interested in those kinds of things.
There is a side to 'very emotional' that can be a little unsettling for some. I loved it though! (1 more)
Not Steamy - For those who would want it.
Whats not to love?!
*No Spoilers*

I loved this book, though I read the series when I was young, having the 15 novels constrained to a few bigger books instead of a bunch of tiny ones is a huge plus for me!

Years and years after my first read, this book still pulled me in and kept me there. Cate Tiernan really grabbed the bull by the horns by offering us a MC Heroine who is not perfect or a knock out. At 16 she is down to earth, she has her flaws and insecurities which really is what makes her such and intresting character to come and relate to. And the best friend who she can't help but relate herself to. Cate brings the world of teenage angst and adds in magick and danger for a thrilling mix that will pull you right in.

This book takes over the span of roughly a year. With plenty of twists and turns, ups and downs and all arounds. Morgan and Cal have a very interesting journey, along with a group of...we will call them friends. Its such a diverse group of personalities.

Its definitley a book I would recommend to any YA. My little sister has just read it and is also in love! But if you are not YA don't turn it away so quickly, it's a book to be read! I never got to finish the series before and am so excited to follow more of Morgan's story!
  
Climax (2018)
Climax (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Musical
Does it satisfy?
#climax is a highly #depressing character study/a stomach churning look into darker human traits. As a huge #gasparnoe #fan I know his work is often dissmissed for being vulgar, #discusting, explicit, grotesque & pretentious but I actually find him to be a master of portraying human #emotion, relationships, #sex & #violence truthfully, realisticly & passionatly on screen. Climax is no diffrent & a fantastic mash up of #horror & #musical with such raw style/talent its hard not to get lost in its harsh madness. We are introduced to a diverse range or characters all with intricatly woven personalities & surrounded by books/movies that give us as an insite into Noes inspirations as a film maker & a taste of whats to come later. We learn from this that every one has thier own fears/problems, is searching for happines or has pent up anger, #fetishes, predatory traits, innocence, #passion, #lust or desires. They all also seem to use #dance as an escape, a display of emotion/personality, to make a statement or to evolve, #empower or rebell too. What follows is a simple story of what happens when #drugs are added in to this mix. Kind of like a messed up social experiment the #drugs highten personslity traits, magnify social problems & intensify eratic behaviours/emotions sending people spiriling out of cotroll. Just watching this group self distruct is nausiating & gaspar manages to filp from #happy into an atmospheric, unnerving real life horror movie with terrifying situations many of us have actually experienced before. Filmed in long takes & acompanied by such an impressive soundtrack & #beautiful cinimatohraphy the work gone into this film is simply stunning & much like a flawless dance routine itself. Sex plays a big part here too & as the dancers frequently use #sex/#sexually to express themselves we start to see the likening of dance to the act of vilolence as the #sexual tension ramps up with things like #trust, temptation, jelousy, infatuation, #passion, aression, manipulation, betrayal & animalistic urges present in both acts. A stunningly intricate piece of work that left my #heart pounding/my emotions attacked proving again that Gaspar really is an #artist.