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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea in Books
Jul 8, 2021
A beautiful story about love and loss
Hazel Bly lived a great life with her Mum and Mama until a kayaking accident. Then her Mum died, leaving Hazel with a scar on her face and terrible anxiety. She wants nothing more than to keep her little sister Peach safe. The Blys move around a lot now. Two years after the accident, they are in Maine. It turns out that one of their new neighbors is her Mama's old childhood friend, Claire. The introduction of Claire into Hazel's world--along with her chatty daughter Lemon--makes Hazel feel unsettled. Plus Lemon is fixated on a local legend, the Rose Maid, a mermaid often seen in the waters. Hazel notes a resemblance between herself and Rose and soon she finds herself as fascinated by the mermaid as Lemon. Because sometimes everyone needs to believe in a little magic, especially when their world is crumbling around them.
"Now it's two and one, with me as the odd one out."
Oh this book is excellent-- an absolutely stunning read, which captures grief and loss so viscerally. I truly felt traumatized at times on Hazel's behalf. With the death of her Mum, she is so afraid something will happen to Peach, or even her Mama, and this fear comes through the pages so strongly. It's heartbreaking. Her fear of being happy again. You just want to wrap this sweet kid in your arms and hug her until everything is okay. Blake writes Hazel so well, and her grief, passion, and emotions come across so well.
Everything in this book is amazing--the magical and whimsical myth of the Rose Maid; the diversity of the characters; and the total acceptance of Hazel's parents being gay and bi. It's not a big deal in this book for parents to be queer or friends to be nonbinary. How wonderful for a YA story.
This is an exceptional tale about family, love, loss, healing, and magic. It made me cry, but it left me hopeful too. It's touching and heartfelt. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
"Now it's two and one, with me as the odd one out."
Oh this book is excellent-- an absolutely stunning read, which captures grief and loss so viscerally. I truly felt traumatized at times on Hazel's behalf. With the death of her Mum, she is so afraid something will happen to Peach, or even her Mama, and this fear comes through the pages so strongly. It's heartbreaking. Her fear of being happy again. You just want to wrap this sweet kid in your arms and hug her until everything is okay. Blake writes Hazel so well, and her grief, passion, and emotions come across so well.
Everything in this book is amazing--the magical and whimsical myth of the Rose Maid; the diversity of the characters; and the total acceptance of Hazel's parents being gay and bi. It's not a big deal in this book for parents to be queer or friends to be nonbinary. How wonderful for a YA story.
This is an exceptional tale about family, love, loss, healing, and magic. It made me cry, but it left me hopeful too. It's touching and heartfelt. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
The Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra
Album
Manchester Orchestra’s sixth album The Million Masks of God, showcases the strength and...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Survivor's Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke #8) in Books
Sep 26, 2021
Having just finished Time is Running Out, the 7th in this series, and being absolutely blown away by it, I couldn't wait to get my grubby little mitts on this, the 8th in the brilliant Matilda Darke series and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. What I will say is that I think it would be preferable to have read the 7th book before reading this one as this one picks the story up 9 months later and will provide an explanation as to why Matilda and other characters are acting as they are.
This book follows 3 themes; the aftermath of the massacre that occurred in the previous book, the murder of prostitutes in Sheffield and the long-running theme of the kidnapping of Carl Meagan.
Once again, Michael writes a gripping story that moves at pace. There is violence and edge-of-the-seat moments; I took at sharp intake of breath when the murderer was revealed - I am usually quite good at figuring out who it is but this one absolutely blind-sided me and I actually gasped and said a few choice words that are not repeatable here as I try to avoid profanity in my reviews!
There is also compassion and tenderness and an authentic-feeling description of how grief and tragedy can affect people differently; it can bring you together or completely tear you apart and destroy you and those around you. Everyone is struggling to manage their grief but can they work together to catch the killer or are they too broken?
The characters are just brilliant and I particularly liked how Michael portrayed the prostitutes as "people" rather than the usual stereotypes which made a nice change; I absolutely loved Bev and Sarah. Matilda is, I admit, a difficult person to like in this book but given what she has endured, she is forgiven ... just this once!
Full of tension, suspense and emotion, this book and the series, is one that shouldn't be missed ... roll on number 9!
I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
This book follows 3 themes; the aftermath of the massacre that occurred in the previous book, the murder of prostitutes in Sheffield and the long-running theme of the kidnapping of Carl Meagan.
Once again, Michael writes a gripping story that moves at pace. There is violence and edge-of-the-seat moments; I took at sharp intake of breath when the murderer was revealed - I am usually quite good at figuring out who it is but this one absolutely blind-sided me and I actually gasped and said a few choice words that are not repeatable here as I try to avoid profanity in my reviews!
There is also compassion and tenderness and an authentic-feeling description of how grief and tragedy can affect people differently; it can bring you together or completely tear you apart and destroy you and those around you. Everyone is struggling to manage their grief but can they work together to catch the killer or are they too broken?
The characters are just brilliant and I particularly liked how Michael portrayed the prostitutes as "people" rather than the usual stereotypes which made a nice change; I absolutely loved Bev and Sarah. Matilda is, I admit, a difficult person to like in this book but given what she has endured, she is forgiven ... just this once!
Full of tension, suspense and emotion, this book and the series, is one that shouldn't be missed ... roll on number 9!
I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated The Bird Eater in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I honestly wasn't looking to pick up another horror novel so soon after the last one, but seeing the glowing write-up on Amazon I couldn't resist. I have to agree with their editor and say it was pretty damn scary. The novel uses many familiar horror tropes in a story about a man returning to his possibly haunted childhood home after having had a rather traumatic experience. Is he seeing ghosts or is his grief making him insane? Not exactly a new idea, but it is executed very well, with engaging characters and frequently suspenseful scenarios. What sells the whole thing the most for me is the genuinely frightening "ghost". I can honestly say that for 2 consecutive nights, when I got out of bed to use the restroom, I was suddenly filled with trepidation about venturing into the dark hallway for fear it might be lurking in the shadows. And if that's not the sign of a successful horror story, then I don't know what is.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Dead Lands in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
The Dead Lands is at its core a story of survival in the face of apparently insurmountable obstacles - survival not just of a few individuals, but of humanity itself.
The story starts out in Sanctuary, and then hops back and forth between there and the group of escapees who have set off in the hopes of discovering something better. Each member of the scouting party has his or her own personal reason for fleeing Sanctuary. For some, the struggle with their decision to leave causes them almost as much grief as the monsters, inhospitable climates, and other people they meet along the way.
This book had both the horror-road-trip feel of The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and the find-other-survivors-and-keep-the-human-race-going vibe of The Passage, by Justin Cronin. (Both of which I highly recommend if you have not already read them!) It was a suspenseful, thought-provoking tale and I really enjoyed it.
The Dead Lands is at its core a story of survival in the face of apparently insurmountable obstacles - survival not just of a few individuals, but of humanity itself.
The story starts out in Sanctuary, and then hops back and forth between there and the group of escapees who have set off in the hopes of discovering something better. Each member of the scouting party has his or her own personal reason for fleeing Sanctuary. For some, the struggle with their decision to leave causes them almost as much grief as the monsters, inhospitable climates, and other people they meet along the way.
This book had both the horror-road-trip feel of The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and the find-other-survivors-and-keep-the-human-race-going vibe of The Passage, by Justin Cronin. (Both of which I highly recommend if you have not already read them!) It was a suspenseful, thought-provoking tale and I really enjoyed it.
ashezbookz (32 KP) rated History Is All You Left Me in Books
Jul 5, 2018
Alright - second book of Silvera, first book I read was actually they both die at the end - which perhaps if I read them from first book to current I would have been more inclined to appreciate this one.
I did like it - it was alright, middle of the road goodness - it was both heartbreaking and sweet all at once.
The beginning started off great (as much as the book was about anyway) and the beginning kind of waned for me, I get that he was grieving but there was a lot of poor me going on with him and I felt that was a bit much.
The end was great though, I was happy it ended the way it did - I felt like he kind of went through the stages of grief almost throughout the course of the book which was interesting to read, his emotions and actions corresponding to each of them and why he acted how he did during each event past/present.
Good read, not the best read though (for me.....)
I did like it - it was alright, middle of the road goodness - it was both heartbreaking and sweet all at once.
The beginning started off great (as much as the book was about anyway) and the beginning kind of waned for me, I get that he was grieving but there was a lot of poor me going on with him and I felt that was a bit much.
The end was great though, I was happy it ended the way it did - I felt like he kind of went through the stages of grief almost throughout the course of the book which was interesting to read, his emotions and actions corresponding to each of them and why he acted how he did during each event past/present.
Good read, not the best read though (for me.....)
The Marquess of Queensberry: Wilde's Nemesis
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The Marquess of Queensberry is as famous for his role in the downfall of one of our greatest...
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories
8.0
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Marina Keegan's star was on the rise when she graduated from Yale in May 2012. She had a play that...
The Rules of Inheritance
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In this astonishing debut, Claire Bidwell Smith, an only child, is just fourteen years old when both...
William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country: A Life
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General Sherman's 1864 burning of Atlanta solidified his legacy as a ruthless leader. Yet Sherman...