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Zero K
Book
Jeffrey Lockhart's father, Ross, is a billionaire in his sixties, with a younger wife, Artis...
Bright, Precious Days
Book
Russell and Corrine Calloway have spent half their lives in the bright lights of New York. Theirs is...
Cecil Dreeme
Christopher Looby and Theodore Winthrop
Book
"Heterosexuality, this novel forthrightly claims, is a poor substitute for passionate love between...
ClareR (5726 KP) rated Girl in the Walls in Books
Mar 21, 2021
This book really captured my imagination, and I was constantly questioning whether what I was reading was supposed to be real or paranormal. To me, it read like a ghost story for pretty much the entire book. This is a good thing, by the way.
A young girl has the ability to disappear into the walls of a house and live alongside the people who live there without their knowledge. Now if that doesn’t sound like a ghost story, then what is she? I think that the girl wanted to be like a ghost - themes such as grief and belonging are prominent in this novel. The only attachment the girl has, is to the house itself - she seems to have no family or friends.
There is such an eerie feeling to this book that really unsettled me, and as the boys who live in the house start to realise that someone else is living there with them and look for outside help, the anxiety is tangible. Frankly, there were some breathtaking moments of the “Oh no!” variety.
I honestly can’t believe that this is the authors debut novel - it’s really that good.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to A. J. Gnuse for reading along with us.
A young girl has the ability to disappear into the walls of a house and live alongside the people who live there without their knowledge. Now if that doesn’t sound like a ghost story, then what is she? I think that the girl wanted to be like a ghost - themes such as grief and belonging are prominent in this novel. The only attachment the girl has, is to the house itself - she seems to have no family or friends.
There is such an eerie feeling to this book that really unsettled me, and as the boys who live in the house start to realise that someone else is living there with them and look for outside help, the anxiety is tangible. Frankly, there were some breathtaking moments of the “Oh no!” variety.
I honestly can’t believe that this is the authors debut novel - it’s really that good.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to A. J. Gnuse for reading along with us.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Somewhere Close to Happy in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this book is Lizzie, a young woman who is dealing with mental health issues every single day. Her life changes, after she receives a letter from her childhood friend/sweetheart Roman. He was her best friend/boyfriend during her teenage years, who helped her to go through many difficult situations. But one day, he just disappeared. Now Lizzie, with the help of her best friend, trying to find Roman to find out, why he left her when she needed him the most.
This novel has very complex characters, and I really liked the way the author developed them throughout the pages. I liked Lizzie a lot, she is very strong, even though she doesn’t realise it sometimes. She is willing to go out of her comfort zones on multiple occasions, in order to find Roman. I really enjoyed the multiple timelines in this novel as well, we not only follow the search but also have an amazing insight into Lizzie’s past.
The author played with the narrative very smartly and creatively. The narrative is always changing, and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. That made this book a true page-turner. All I wanted was for Lizzie to find Roman, and all the “near misses” were driving me insane!
This novel has very complex characters, and I really liked the way the author developed them throughout the pages. I liked Lizzie a lot, she is very strong, even though she doesn’t realise it sometimes. She is willing to go out of her comfort zones on multiple occasions, in order to find Roman. I really enjoyed the multiple timelines in this novel as well, we not only follow the search but also have an amazing insight into Lizzie’s past.
The author played with the narrative very smartly and creatively. The narrative is always changing, and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. That made this book a true page-turner. All I wanted was for Lizzie to find Roman, and all the “near misses” were driving me insane!
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Kraken Wakes in Books
Sep 5, 2019 (Updated Sep 13, 2019)
Wyndham's second catastrophe novel isn't up to the same standard as Day of the Triffids, but is still a solidly crafted and (perhaps) eerily prophetic read. Aliens colonise the Earth and begin trying to displace the human inhabitants - but the twist is that they live somewhere almost totally inaccessible to human beings (at the bottom of oceanic trenches) which makes them rather difficult to strike back at.
Despite Wyndham's very reserved style, it's difficult to read The Kraken Wakes now and not interpret it as a novel about climate change: there is the predictable inability to agree on what to do about the crisis to begin with (many key players refuse to admit there is even a problem) and when the invaders make their final move (they melt the icecaps, causing rises in sea level and widespread flooding) the response of world governments leaves a lot to be desired. Many vivid sequences; the tone feels peculiarly light in parts, but the final third of the book is very powerful (though let down a bit by a somewhat bungled conclusion - the original, considerably more accomplished but much darker ending was changed at a late stage). Not one of Wyndham's strongest novels, but still one many authors would have been proud to write.
Despite Wyndham's very reserved style, it's difficult to read The Kraken Wakes now and not interpret it as a novel about climate change: there is the predictable inability to agree on what to do about the crisis to begin with (many key players refuse to admit there is even a problem) and when the invaders make their final move (they melt the icecaps, causing rises in sea level and widespread flooding) the response of world governments leaves a lot to be desired. Many vivid sequences; the tone feels peculiarly light in parts, but the final third of the book is very powerful (though let down a bit by a somewhat bungled conclusion - the original, considerably more accomplished but much darker ending was changed at a late stage). Not one of Wyndham's strongest novels, but still one many authors would have been proud to write.
David McK (3425 KP) rated Treason (Star Wars: Thrawn #3) in Books
Oct 7, 2019
The third Thrawn book written in the 'new' Star Wars canon (i.e. after Disney's buyout of the Star Wars brand), this is different than the previous (Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances) in that it is set entirely within one timeframe (early days of the Empire, round about the time of the fourth season of the Star Wars: Rebels cartoon), and that it does not skip character about per chapter.
Like the previous novel, however, it does take efforts to portray threat of the Gryssk, even (at one point) going so far as to insinuate that they are behind the Rebellion, with Thrawn himself becoming embroiled in a dispute between Director Krennic (see Rogue One) and Grand Moff Tarkin and with the future of his own TIE Defender programme on the line.
While Star Wars: Rebels may have shown his more ruthless side, these novels take great pains to show his loyalty to his crew and, in return, their loyalty back to him. The Treason of the title may be slightly (purposefully?) misleading, with Thrawn himself also uncovering a conspiracy as his own loyalty - and that of his protégé from the first 'new' novel, who is now seconded to work with the Chiss - is called into question.
Like the previous novel, however, it does take efforts to portray threat of the Gryssk, even (at one point) going so far as to insinuate that they are behind the Rebellion, with Thrawn himself becoming embroiled in a dispute between Director Krennic (see Rogue One) and Grand Moff Tarkin and with the future of his own TIE Defender programme on the line.
While Star Wars: Rebels may have shown his more ruthless side, these novels take great pains to show his loyalty to his crew and, in return, their loyalty back to him. The Treason of the title may be slightly (purposefully?) misleading, with Thrawn himself also uncovering a conspiracy as his own loyalty - and that of his protégé from the first 'new' novel, who is now seconded to work with the Chiss - is called into question.
From an Antagonistic to a Synergistic Predator Prey Perspective: Bifurcations in Marine Ecosystem
Book
From an Antagonistic to a Synergistic Predator Prey Perspective: Bifurcations in Marine Ecosystems...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Catherine House in Books
May 21, 2020
This book totally stressed me out. I usually love a good boarding school novel (though technically these students are in their college years), but this was mostly just a bunch of kids drinking and occasionally attending weird classes. Why are there never normal people at these schools who just do their work and don't drink?
Anyway, besides that pet peeve, this book was incredibly slow and nothing ever happened. This was mostly a story about a lot of frivolous kids at school with some weird scientific plasma stuff thrown in. It was incredibly difficult to care about Ines for most of the book--or any of the other characters--and truly, most of the plot. I thought about abandoning the book, but wanted to see if anything interesting ever happened with the scientific aspect. (No, not really.) The book sells itself as a mysterious ride, but it's more a character-driven novel. About lackluster, annoying characters.
Now the last third was fairly enjoyable and somehow an irritating book with eh characters had a satisfying ending, but getting there was just painful. Thomas is a good writer and this is no doubt one of those smart books where not much happens that book critics will worship, but it didn't really work for me. 2.5 stars.
Anyway, besides that pet peeve, this book was incredibly slow and nothing ever happened. This was mostly a story about a lot of frivolous kids at school with some weird scientific plasma stuff thrown in. It was incredibly difficult to care about Ines for most of the book--or any of the other characters--and truly, most of the plot. I thought about abandoning the book, but wanted to see if anything interesting ever happened with the scientific aspect. (No, not really.) The book sells itself as a mysterious ride, but it's more a character-driven novel. About lackluster, annoying characters.
Now the last third was fairly enjoyable and somehow an irritating book with eh characters had a satisfying ending, but getting there was just painful. Thomas is a good writer and this is no doubt one of those smart books where not much happens that book critics will worship, but it didn't really work for me. 2.5 stars.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Apartment in Books
May 22, 2020
The Apartment by K.L. Slater is a creepy novel that shows if something is too good to be true then it is.
I am a fan of K.L. Slater. If you have not read any of Kim's work, start with her most well-known work, Blink. All of her novels average between 3.69 and 4.00 on Goodreads.
While I did enjoy this fast-reading story, it was not an original one. However, that does not make it inferior to those that have come before. Many reviewers compared this to Riley Sager's Lock Every Door. They both are mysteries involving an apartment building where people have been known to disappear. If Sager's novel had not been released so close to this book, I do not think as many people would make the comparison.
Slater's The Apartment is a slow burn. Many reviewers want instant gratification, instant suspense, instant terrors, etc. Not all books are going slam you in the face. Not all books should.
It is those differences that make this book, and any book, worth reading. You can take the view of Mark Hunter in Pump Up the Volume or you can embrace both the similarities and differences in an author's work.
I am a fan of K.L. Slater. If you have not read any of Kim's work, start with her most well-known work, Blink. All of her novels average between 3.69 and 4.00 on Goodreads.
While I did enjoy this fast-reading story, it was not an original one. However, that does not make it inferior to those that have come before. Many reviewers compared this to Riley Sager's Lock Every Door. They both are mysteries involving an apartment building where people have been known to disappear. If Sager's novel had not been released so close to this book, I do not think as many people would make the comparison.
Slater's The Apartment is a slow burn. Many reviewers want instant gratification, instant suspense, instant terrors, etc. Not all books are going slam you in the face. Not all books should.
It is those differences that make this book, and any book, worth reading. You can take the view of Mark Hunter in Pump Up the Volume or you can embrace both the similarities and differences in an author's work.