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You Will Know Me
You Will Know Me
Megan Abbott | 2016 | Crime, Thriller
6
6.4 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Katie Knox's life basically revolves around her teenage daughter, Devon, an extremely talented gymnast who is on a path to the Olympics. Katie and her husband, Eric, have given up their lives, their time, and their money for Devon's dream. But when a sudden death hits their close gymnastic community a few weeks before an important competition, this dream suddenly seems in jeopardy. Devon's fellow gymnasts and their families are awash in gossip as their beloved coach and his family deal with an unexpected loss. Katie wants only to focus on healing and moving on, but she finds her family drawn into the swirl, as each day reveals more surprises about her daughter and husband.

This novel was a very realistic look at the gymnastics world. You could easily picture Devon's gym and the cutthroat parents who populated it, forcing the weight of the world on Devon's shoulders, as they believed the gym's success rides on her shoulders. She captured their gossip and competition quite well. It also did an excellent job of portraying the lengths parents will go to support and protect their children. I guessed the outcome of this one fairly early on, but still found it fairly tense and suspenseful. In fact, this novel is almost too tense at times to be enjoyable, even though it's rather well-written and quite compelling. It's a trainwreck; you can't walk away, even though you know how it will end.

The book is intriguing in that it's written from Katie's perspective, despite the fact that it's basically all about Devon. This adds to the suspense -- how reliable is Katie, and how much does she truly know about Devon, her husband, and her younger son? There are times when you'd really love to key in on what Devon is thinking (and what she knows), which just adds to the tantalizingly frustrating element of this novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this one, though it wasn't one of my all-time favorite thrillers. Still, it's a quick, compelling read. 3.5 stars.
  
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Jamie (131 KP) rated The Darkest Lies in Books

Jul 26, 2017  
The Darkest Lies
The Darkest Lies
Barbara Copperthwaite | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Believable plot regarding child abduction (1 more)
The mystery is compelling
Frustrating protagonist, (2 more)
Extremely predictable
Good case for why civilians shouldn’t go rogue and get in the way of police work
A frustrating abduction mystery
You know that age in every teenager’s life where they start to become a little bit rebellious? Telling little white lies, sneaking out, hanging out with crowds they know the family wouldn’t approve of? It can be a scary time for parents, who knows who’s out there? The Darkest Lies is every parent’s worst nightmare and follows a mother who finds her world shattered when her daughter goes missing.

I’m going to come right out and say that this book was frustrating for me. The synopsis really caught my eye and the idea for the plot is intriguing. Unfortunately, issues with the protagonist as well as a shaky and highly predictable plot made for a mediocre experience.

The narration in this book was a little bit weird and I had a hard time getting used to it. It is primarily told using first person point of view though switches regularly to second person as Melanie speaks directly to Beth in her inner monologue. It was just uncomfortable to read.

What’s so bad about first person point of view? See the issue for me with first person narration is that it’s easy to end up alienating readers if it’s difficult to relate to the narrator, and boy did I dislike Melanie. To be blunt, she was really annoying. She was self-centered, mean-spirited, often blinded by her own hubris, and near the end has a bit of a messiah complex going which I found completely ridiculous. She was constantly complaining about the police’s incompetence, throwing herself in the way of the investigation despite being asked multiple times to back off before she could destroy their leads. “I couldn’t go home. I was too furious, too desperate to prove I was right and the police were wrong.”

I get it, she’s consumed with guilt and grief over what happened to her daughter, over not being able to protect her. Desperate people tend to lash out and do stupid things, but I just couldn’t believe anyone would be so foolish. Melanie’s antics do lead up to something important in the plot, but honestly she didn’t need any help making a fool of herself. Before all the crazy came out she was constantly breaking down every female character she encountered, often focusing in on their looks and finding ways to insult them. Neighbors, police officers working on the case, teenagers, it didn’t matter. There are numerous examples of Melanie exhibiting this jealous personality throughout the course of the book.

She spends more time going on drunken rampages pointing fingers at everyone in town, harassing the police, treating her husband like garbage while emotionally cheating with a friend, and avoiding actually seeing and being there for her daughter. While her awful actions over the course of the book is an important aspect of the plot, I just couldn’t justify it because she never learns and remains stubborn even after being told off multiple times. Add on top how stereotypically reckless she acts at the end instead of seeking help from the police because of course she doesn’t need them and I just couldn’t dig the story.

I liked the central idea around the dangers of teens sneaking out and trusting strangers, but the story meandered so much it kind of gets lost in Melanie’s mental collapse and crazed search for the culprit. The plot attempts to use some misdirection to keep the reader guessing but the construction was just sloppy, and the actual culprit isn’t even the character that Melanie cares about the most. Every “bad” character is so blatantly obvious that the advertised twist is really easy to see. I kept on reading because I wanted to know the how and the why. I think there was potential here, and if the author wanted to stick to the narrative that Mel is actually really nice and is just being manipulated then why does she remain every bit as petty and controlling? She is still unable to see past her own emotions and unable to learn from her mistakes. I wished that this could’ve ended with more character growth for the main character.
  
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


I participated in a book blitz for The Life & Death of Jorja Graham a week or so ago. After reading the blurb and seeing a teaser, I really wanted to read this book. While is wasn't a fantastic read, it was still an alright read.

The title sounds very ominous which is another thing that made me want to read the book. It's very straight forward, and I think that suits the book just fine.

The girl on the cover, who I assume is Jorja Graham, looks a bit spooky which I love! I do sort of like the cover, but I would've liked to see the mansion which is mentioned a lot throughout the book on the cover too.

The world building was good, I thought. I found it to be believable for the most part. Towards the end, it gets a little big confusing though. I'd elaborate, but I want this to be a spoiler free review.

The pacing was a bit slow to begin with. I was starting to think I had made a mistake in buying this book. Luckily, the pacing starts picking up about thirty percent in.

The plot was alright. For about the first sixty percent or so, the book reads like a contemporary romance for the most part. However, it's like it becomes a different book for the rest of the way because it turns into more of a paranormal book. Again, I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let's just say there was a plot twist I was totally not expecting! There is a slight cliff hanger at the end of the book, and I do believe there will be another book in the series, but don't quote me on that.

I thought the character of Jorja was written really well. I instantly liked her and her charming nature. Corbin comes off as a bit of a stalker to begin with, but I eventually warmed to him and his passionate nature as well. The other minor characters were written a bit lukewarm, I felt. For example, Jorja's best friend Cat could've been written as a stronger character, but I felt that she was just a bit too bland. I would've liked to know more about her and more about hers and Jorja's friendship.

I did enjoy the dialogue, and I felt it flowed very well. I felt that maybe if this book was a bit longer and a had a bit more detail, it could've been better. There is some swearing and some violence.

All in all, The Life & Death of Jorja Graham is a decent read. The lead character is likable and the dialogue is fantastic!

I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who are big fans of paranormal romance.

<b>I'd give The Life & Death of Jorja Graham by Brynn Myers a 3.5 out of 5.</b>


(I bought this ebook with my own money from Amazon. I was not required to write a review).
  
We All Fall Down
We All Fall Down
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
...**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**...
IT STARTS WITH ONE PATIENT
A woman is dying in an Italian hospital, coughing up blood, convulsing and barely conscious.
BEFORE IT SPREADS TO THE TOWN
Dr Alana Vaughn, an expert from NATO, confirms everyone’s worst fears: the woman has the highly infectious disease that swept through Europe eight hundred years ago. The Black Death.
AND TAKES THE CITY
The sickness is spreading so quickly that soon the outbreak becomes a global pandemic. Markets crash and governments fall as quickly as the citizens they govern.
THEN THE COUNTRY
As panic takes hold and the death toll climbs, the consequences become horrifically clear – Alana must discover a way to stop the disease or it will be the end of us all.
THEN THE WORLD - AND WE ALL FALL DOWN.

The book is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Alana, Nico, Byron and company were going to be able to get to the bottom of who unleashed the plague and when or if they could get it under control.
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters.
I really liked the medical aspect of the book and how the scientists and doctors react to a dormant disease suddenly becoming active all over again and with them struggling to cope with the lack of vaccines available and also the consideration of the disease used as a bio-weapon was really interesting.
This is scary to think, could biological terrorism really happen, how fast can viruses spread and how safe are we?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Highly Recommend reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed this so much that I intend to seek out the other books written by this author.
  
Obscura Burning
Obscura Burning
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars.

I love the cover of this. It's very sci-fi-y and drew my attention straight away before I even read the synopsis.

So I found this to be a bit confusing with the continuous switching between realities and it took me a while to get used to it, especially keeping up with how all the other characters interacted with Kyle between the two realities he was living. In one people are alive who should have been dead, in the other he was friends with a girl who treated him like crap in the former. Another strange fact is that while he's in one alternate universe, he continues to function in the other, so he zips back and forth and can be in the middle of doing something that he then doesn't remember starting.

The girl I just mentioned above, Mya, tries to help Kyle figure out what's happening by taking him to a scientist/professor who did a paper on multiverses. In the "Danny's dead" world, I really like her, she's friendly and fun, while in "Shira's dead" world, well, she's not. (I think I got that right...)

As for Danny and Shira, I don't think I was a fan of them from the start. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because we never really saw enough of them, or the them before the fire that injured/killed them. But by the end, I definitely didn't like them.

The writing style was easy to get into and I kinda devoured the book when I finally just sat back and let myself read it without any distractions.

Don't be put off with it having a gay relationship in it, there's nothing overtly graphic between Danny and Kyle, just references, it doesn't go into great detail. It doesn't go into detail with Kyle's female relationships either.

This was probably a little too sci-fi for me; alternate universes? Erm...not really my thing but I did enjoy it. If you like sci-fi and mystery then you'll probably like this.
  
U(
Unborn (Unborn, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was incredibly and pleasantly (surprised) autopsied by this novel. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of things that leave the reader wanting more (and not in a good way), but overall it was well thought out.

There is a prevalent element of mythology in this novel. Aspects of Greek mythology like the Underworld, Hades, Ares, and other (demi-)godly players are rampant throughout the story. But, it's combined with the (fallen) angels and heaven of religious mythology and stories. It's a strange combination that doesn't lend itself to logical commingling, although it worked relatively well here. Perhaps I'm just biased because I adore the mythology in all cultures.

My highest praise for this novel is the writing quality, not the characters, world, or plot - just the simple allure of a book that's written in proper, intelligent English. A surprising rarity in Y.A. books. The author has a wonderful command of the English language and uses vocabulary that make a reader wonder, "What does that mean?" I love books that will chose to use words strode or sauntered, rather than another banal alternative when expressing how someone made their way down the street. You want them to reference a thesaurus to make their lexicon as diverse as possible. No one wants to hear, he said, she said, they said over and over. Perhaps they shouted, or she bit back her words? Anything to give the story real depth and reality.

The shortcomings? Character development and world building. Don't get me wrong, it was certainly there but not as well thought out as it should have been. Relationships were crafted much more quickly than reasonably could be expected and it created a sense of falseness. If more attention had been given to those two aspects, it would have been a strong 4-star rating (rather than my 3/4 rating.)

Another trait of a good story, be it in a book, movie, tv show, or something else is lack of predictability. If you can guess what it going to happen in the story from just the first 50 pages, than it seems less appealing to continue. On this account, the author both confirmed my suspicions and utterly surprised me. Not long into my reading, I was jotting down notes and thoughts as I felt a situation professing. I wanted to have quotes, events, and feelings to reference later - especially if my expectations were fufilled. The end of the book on the other hand - completely unexpected.
  
Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1)
Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1)
Garth Nix | 1995 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was an interesting read for me. I would not say it was my favorite high fantasy novel in the world. That't mainly because this is one of my favorite genres to read, so I have read quite a few as of late.

This book took me a while to get into. There was a lot going on in the beginning, and it being a relatively short beginning of a story, it was hard to follow along. I am not saying I didn't like it, not by a long shot. Overall, it was a generally interesting and fun read. It just took a little longer than I had hoped to get into.

This book has been on my to be read list for over two years now, ever since a classmate of mine told me about it after our French class one day. I thought I would finally give it a read.

I do like Sabriel. She is pretty cool. I think I started liking her more in the second half of the book because she was growing into her role of the Abhorsen. She didn't shy away from her duties or try and get rid of them as she had more in the first half of the book. I like that she started taking charge of the situation.

Touchstone is interesting because I don't know how I feel about him. Honestly, I have no opinion of him at all, which is weird. We spend almost three hundred pages with him, and I can't find a connection with him. I do love the cat though. He's a demon, in cat form. So, a cat. (Don't get me wrong, cats are one of my favorite animals.) I am just not sure about Touchstone.

I still don't quite know what happened at the end of the book. It felt like it was wrapped up really fast and I didn't have time to process it.

I hope that if I get the next book, I will have a better understanding of how I feel about the characters and the story than I do right now.