Search

Search only in certain items:

The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner
James Dashner | 2011 | Children
7
8.0 (55 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pros:
▪ Lots of action
▪ Suspense from page 1
▪ Fast paced (once past the slowish start)
Cons:
▪ More questions than answers at the end
*deep breath* ok here we go. So, this took me slightly longer to finish than I'd hope. I watched the films only days before starting this, I don't think that helped. I should've learnt my lesson by now, read the book before watching the films! My issue was, the film was almost entirely different from the book, if it weren't for the same character names and wording than you could easily mistake the film for not even being connected to the book, it's that bad. Ok, not that drastic but seriously though it's pretty bad.
The first half of the book was a little slow but still had plenty of suspensful moments and action. The second half is when it really began to pick up and from here is when it got interesting for me because it had no similarity to the film so it was like I was reading a story I had no idea how it was going to end. The ending really smashed it and made it for me but it did leave me with too many questions than answers, which is what the author usually aims for but perhaps TOO many questions is not that great.
Overall this is a really fun book to read, the characters are all really well described and you quickly gain strong connections with them, I really like the strong use of descriptive writing when it comes to the smell of things.
I do have the rest of the series which I plan on reading but for now I feel I need a break between each book but I'll definitely be picking up book 2 soon!
  
The King of Bones and Ashes (Witches of New Orleans #1)
The King of Bones and Ashes (Witches of New Orleans #1)
J.D. Horn | 2020 | Horror, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
From the bestselling author of the Witching Savannah series comes the first book in a fascinating trilogy following the quest of a young witch to uncover her family’s terrifying secret history…

Magic is seeping out of the world, leaving the witches who’ve relied on it for countless centuries increasingly hopeless. While some see an inevitable end of their era, others are courting madness—willing to sacrifice former allies, friends, and family to retain the power they covet. While the other witches watch their reality unravel, young Alice Marin is using magic’s waning days to delve into the mystery of numerous disappearances in the occult circles of New Orleans. Alice disappeared once, too—caged in an asylum by blood relatives. Recently freed, she fears her family may be more involved with the growing crisis than she ever dared imagine.

Yet the more she seeks the truth about her family’s troubled history, the more she realizes her already-fragile psyche may be at risk. Discovering the cause of the vanishings, though, could be the only way to escape her mother’s reach while determining the future of all witches.

A decent book and a brilliant take on different magical communities in New Orleans. I really enjoyed the 1st book in the Savannah series so thought I'd try this one to. I enjoyed the book although sometimes I found myself a little lost in so much information,but overall I quite enjoyed it! Would recommend especially to those witch loving readers.
  
Union Jacked
Union Jacked
Diane Vallere | 2019 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Retirement Parties, Strikes, and Murder
A British investment firm has bought out Travada, the local department store were Samantha Kidd works as a buyer. She’s struggling to match what she thinks the store should be selling with her new directives. Meanwhile, many of the employees are on strike, and Samantha is planning a retirement party for Detective Loncar. When Detective Loncar stops by the store on day, he’s on sight when someone shoots a gun. He and the leader of the strike are both shot. Who was the target? Can Samantha figure out what is going on?

Parts of the premise of this book stretch credibility a bit, but I was quickly caught up in the story and didn’t care. With everything happening, the story was fast paced and kept me engaged right up to the ending. The ending took a bit of thinking on my end, but it does make sense. What doesn’t make the sense is the timelines. It’s not anything that impacts the story, but Samantha can’t keep the days of the story straight or when some of her last adventures happened in relation to each other. On the other hand, I still enjoyed my time in the characters, new and old, and appreciated the growth we saw in Samantha. The humor is still sharp as well; I was grinning when I wasn’t laughing. Fans of the series will enjoy this adventure for sure.