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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Uninvited in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated 17 & Gone in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I first read the premise for this book, I knew I had to read it. It sounded all ghostly, and I love ghostly! This is one of those books that, while I was reading it, I had mixed feelings about. In the end, I did enjoy it, just not as much as I thought I would.
Lauren is a 17 year old girl who starts seeing a bunch of girls who went missing when they were 17. All these girls start appearing to her one by one asking for her help. Lauren abandons everything to help them. She dedicates all her time to finding out what happened to these girls. But not all is as it seems.
The title is straightforward about what the book is going to be about. All the girls in the book (minus the main character) were 17 when they disappeared. I do think it's an interesting title for this book even if it's dealing directly with what the story's about.
I found the cover to be very interesting. The cover is also a scene from one of Lauren's dreams in the book. I love how it is shrouded in mystery. I also love how well the colors work together.
I did enjoy the setting and world building for the most part although I was a tad bit confused. I was under the impression during the whole story that Lauren was already 17 which is why these girls were reaching out to her, yet at the end of the book, it mentions how Lauren had just turned 17. Other then that, I thought it was good, and all the questions left unanswered when it comes to the world building are answered at the end.
The pacing was a bit hit and miss in this book. I couldn't tell if I was really enjoying it or if I was bored. I really don't know how that could happen, but it did. I think there are a few places were the pacing just kind of slows right down like the beginning of the book. Then, there are places where the pacing takes right off. I don't know. I suppose there is too much info dumping in certain parts of the story. However, after about halfway through, I started enjoying the story much more.
I did think the characters were well-written. I love how Lauren was written, especially at the end. I did think she was a bit too accepting of what she was told at the end though. I'd go more into detail, but I don't want to spoil it. I loved how Lauren wanted to help all those girls and risk losing herself in the process. Lauren came across as raw and fearless. I felt that Lauren's mother was also a great character. I could feel her hurt and her love for Lauren. I also enjoyed Fiona and her snarky comments! I did start getting confused when a bunch of the missing girls were mentioned. It was like information overload! I remembered Abbey's and Fiona's story, but all the rest of the girls started becoming a tangled mess for me, and I couldn't remember what happened to which girl. I think the author started out good with dedicating a few chapters to each girl, but at one point, this stops and all the girls' stories are melded into the same chapter.
I enjoyed the dialogue in the book. I loved seeing into Lauren's mind about how she was feeling and what she was thinking. There's not a lot of dialogue between characters as with most books, but it works in this story. As for language, this book is clean when it comes to swear words or sexual references.
Overall, 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma is an enjoyable read but it deals with heavy subject matter. I would've liked to know more about each missing girl individually, and I would've liked the pacing to be consistent but it was still a good read.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who are looking for something different than just an average ghost read.
17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma gets a 3.75 out of 5 from me.
When I first read the premise for this book, I knew I had to read it. It sounded all ghostly, and I love ghostly! This is one of those books that, while I was reading it, I had mixed feelings about. In the end, I did enjoy it, just not as much as I thought I would.
Lauren is a 17 year old girl who starts seeing a bunch of girls who went missing when they were 17. All these girls start appearing to her one by one asking for her help. Lauren abandons everything to help them. She dedicates all her time to finding out what happened to these girls. But not all is as it seems.
The title is straightforward about what the book is going to be about. All the girls in the book (minus the main character) were 17 when they disappeared. I do think it's an interesting title for this book even if it's dealing directly with what the story's about.
I found the cover to be very interesting. The cover is also a scene from one of Lauren's dreams in the book. I love how it is shrouded in mystery. I also love how well the colors work together.
I did enjoy the setting and world building for the most part although I was a tad bit confused. I was under the impression during the whole story that Lauren was already 17 which is why these girls were reaching out to her, yet at the end of the book, it mentions how Lauren had just turned 17. Other then that, I thought it was good, and all the questions left unanswered when it comes to the world building are answered at the end.
The pacing was a bit hit and miss in this book. I couldn't tell if I was really enjoying it or if I was bored. I really don't know how that could happen, but it did. I think there are a few places were the pacing just kind of slows right down like the beginning of the book. Then, there are places where the pacing takes right off. I don't know. I suppose there is too much info dumping in certain parts of the story. However, after about halfway through, I started enjoying the story much more.
I did think the characters were well-written. I love how Lauren was written, especially at the end. I did think she was a bit too accepting of what she was told at the end though. I'd go more into detail, but I don't want to spoil it. I loved how Lauren wanted to help all those girls and risk losing herself in the process. Lauren came across as raw and fearless. I felt that Lauren's mother was also a great character. I could feel her hurt and her love for Lauren. I also enjoyed Fiona and her snarky comments! I did start getting confused when a bunch of the missing girls were mentioned. It was like information overload! I remembered Abbey's and Fiona's story, but all the rest of the girls started becoming a tangled mess for me, and I couldn't remember what happened to which girl. I think the author started out good with dedicating a few chapters to each girl, but at one point, this stops and all the girls' stories are melded into the same chapter.
I enjoyed the dialogue in the book. I loved seeing into Lauren's mind about how she was feeling and what she was thinking. There's not a lot of dialogue between characters as with most books, but it works in this story. As for language, this book is clean when it comes to swear words or sexual references.
Overall, 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma is an enjoyable read but it deals with heavy subject matter. I would've liked to know more about each missing girl individually, and I would've liked the pacing to be consistent but it was still a good read.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who are looking for something different than just an average ghost read.
17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma gets a 3.75 out of 5 from me.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Full Dark No Stars in Books
Apr 14, 2020
Casual Review
Full Dark, No Stars is a collection of four short stories by Stephen King. These stories include 1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension, and A Good Marriage. As Stephen King admits in the Afterword at the back of the book these four stories are disturbing and hard to read at times but they are well worth it. In these four books Stephen King explores the possibility of each person having at least one more person inside them, the person that comes out when we experience something too traumatic for our typical self to handle. What happens when this person we keep hidden deep inside of us gets let out? Can we put this person back and go on to live a normal life or does it change us forever?
1922
This story reminded me largely of Poe's Tell-Tale Heart and I am sure many other bookworms will see the resemblance between these two stories. Wilfred Leland James is a farmer living on 80 acres of land with his wife and his son. When his wife is given 100 acres of adjacent land when her father dies, Wilfred is thrilled until he learns that she plans on selling all of it off to a big company and that there is nothing he can do to stop her. She is determined to sell the land and move to the city, taking their son with her either Wilfred wants to go or not. Their respective stubbornness starts a chain of events that can only end in pain and misery for all involved.
Big Driver
Tess is a mystery writer of the sort that writes simple little mysteries often read by older ladies and their book clubs and who occasionally makes guest appearances to talk about her books. When she takes a shortcut home suggested to her after one such event she finds herself in a world that she doesn't even dare to write about. A stranger stopping to help her ends up having other plans for her and leaves her for dead after raping her multiple times. Tess manages to survive and makes her way home but the damage has been done in more than one way and she sets out to get revenge on all she believes to be involved in what happened. Is it possible though that she doesn't know the full story?
Fair Extension
Dave Streeter has cancer and doesn't have much time left to live, under a year for sure. He is extremely jealous of an old friend of his from school who seems to have it all while Dave and his family are not struggling but they also are not doing as well as what his old friend is. Then one day while heading home and contemplating his life. he sees a man along the extension by the airport with a little stand set up. This man offers Dave an extension on his life but Dave has to offer someone that he hates up to this man in exchange, not to kill him but someone must pay the price.
A Good Marriage
One day while Darcy's husband is away on business and she is looking for batteries she stubbles on a box that her husband has hidden under a table in the garage. When she tries to push the box under the table the rest of the way she pushes the box up against something that she ends up wishing she never investigated. When she looks at what the box hit she ends up discovering that her husband has been harboring a horrible secret from even before they were married but this puts her in a very bad spot. She fears no one would believe that she did not know about what he was doing until now and she also fears the stigma that the discovery will leave on their children. At the same time though she must do something about what she found out.
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1922
This story reminded me largely of Poe's Tell-Tale Heart and I am sure many other bookworms will see the resemblance between these two stories. Wilfred Leland James is a farmer living on 80 acres of land with his wife and his son. When his wife is given 100 acres of adjacent land when her father dies, Wilfred is thrilled until he learns that she plans on selling all of it off to a big company and that there is nothing he can do to stop her. She is determined to sell the land and move to the city, taking their son with her either Wilfred wants to go or not. Their respective stubbornness starts a chain of events that can only end in pain and misery for all involved.
Big Driver
Tess is a mystery writer of the sort that writes simple little mysteries often read by older ladies and their book clubs and who occasionally makes guest appearances to talk about her books. When she takes a shortcut home suggested to her after one such event she finds herself in a world that she doesn't even dare to write about. A stranger stopping to help her ends up having other plans for her and leaves her for dead after raping her multiple times. Tess manages to survive and makes her way home but the damage has been done in more than one way and she sets out to get revenge on all she believes to be involved in what happened. Is it possible though that she doesn't know the full story?
Fair Extension
Dave Streeter has cancer and doesn't have much time left to live, under a year for sure. He is extremely jealous of an old friend of his from school who seems to have it all while Dave and his family are not struggling but they also are not doing as well as what his old friend is. Then one day while heading home and contemplating his life. he sees a man along the extension by the airport with a little stand set up. This man offers Dave an extension on his life but Dave has to offer someone that he hates up to this man in exchange, not to kill him but someone must pay the price.
A Good Marriage
One day while Darcy's husband is away on business and she is looking for batteries she stubbles on a box that her husband has hidden under a table in the garage. When she tries to push the box under the table the rest of the way she pushes the box up against something that she ends up wishing she never investigated. When she looks at what the box hit she ends up discovering that her husband has been harboring a horrible secret from even before they were married but this puts her in a very bad spot. She fears no one would believe that she did not know about what he was doing until now and she also fears the stigma that the discovery will leave on their children. At the same time though she must do something about what she found out.
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Merissa (11953 KP) rated To Touch You (Mates #4) in Books
Dec 7, 2017
To Touch You (Mates #4) by Cardeno C.
To Touch You is the fourth book in the Mates series, and this time it is Yoram and Salvatore's story. Now, this one is a bit different because Yoram first meets Salvatore when he is only 7-years-old. He makes his claim clear to Ethan and Miguel, although he only sees Salvatore as his friend. The years pass and Yoram and Salvatore don't really have many interactions, apart from Salvatore pushing Yoram away. Salvatore is turned by Miguel, but doesn't have much to do with the vampires in Vegas where he lives, so he is mostly clueless when it comes to vampires and shifters - especially true mates.
Yoram has more responsibilities piled onto him than he bargained for, and this means that he is unable to help Salvatore like he has been. Salvatore make the trip to find out what is wrong, and through various interactions with Yoram's family, learns just what exactly Yoram has done for him, and what being a true mate means.
This was a brilliant story. Salvatore is not a very nice character to start with, but you are with him as he realises the error of his ways, and finds out what he has to do to make it right. Yoram is a (HOT) sweetie, and tries to do the right thing no matter what. There is a bit of an overlay between the Yoram/Salvatore story, and that of Samuel and Korban. You don't need to have read the Samuel/Korban story to understand this one, but you will be missing out on a great book if you don't!
There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed to disrupt my reading flow. I found the book to be exceptionally written, with plenty of character development, especially for Salvatore. I loved how their story was spread out over so many years, and loved seeing them both change. A fantastic addition to the Mates series, and highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Yoram has more responsibilities piled onto him than he bargained for, and this means that he is unable to help Salvatore like he has been. Salvatore make the trip to find out what is wrong, and through various interactions with Yoram's family, learns just what exactly Yoram has done for him, and what being a true mate means.
This was a brilliant story. Salvatore is not a very nice character to start with, but you are with him as he realises the error of his ways, and finds out what he has to do to make it right. Yoram is a (HOT) sweetie, and tries to do the right thing no matter what. There is a bit of an overlay between the Yoram/Salvatore story, and that of Samuel and Korban. You don't need to have read the Samuel/Korban story to understand this one, but you will be missing out on a great book if you don't!
There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed to disrupt my reading flow. I found the book to be exceptionally written, with plenty of character development, especially for Salvatore. I loved how their story was spread out over so many years, and loved seeing them both change. A fantastic addition to the Mates series, and highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Etta and Otto and Russell and James in Books
May 28, 2017
Underwhelming
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Emma Hooper's novel Etta and Otto and Russell and James explores both the present and the past of three particular characters. Etta is an elderly woman suffering with Alzheimer's who decides to go for a walk and never come home. She first met her husband Otto in her late teens shortly before he enlisted in the army to fight abroad. Russell lives on the farm next to Etta and Otto and was also a childhood friend of Otto and quite close to Etta whilst Otto was away.
Etta's walk becomes public knowledge as she is observed walking through long grass in the company of a coyote whom she named James. She has very little on her, the most important being a note reading " Etta Gloria Kinnick of Deerdale Farm. 83 years old in August." This is to remind her of who she is in case she ever forgets.
The character's pasts are interesting to read about, in particularly the contrast between Etta's more comfortable upbringing and Otto's life on the farm being the seventh child in an extremely large family. The present day, however, was not as interesting. I never understood the significance of Etta's walk and the latter half of the novel became really confusing. At some points I was uncertain which character was being spoken about. Although the name Otto was used, the scene seemed more appropriate for Etta's situation. Whether this was intentional or a mistake I am unsure.
Another thing that made the story confusing to read was the lack of speech punctuation. Occasionally it was hard to determine who was speaking and who was replying; what was speech and what was not. I have read other books that use this structure and even though it's purpose may have related to the type of story being told, it does make it hard to fully comprehend.
This book gets off to a shaky start but I was always expecting it to improve. Unfortunately I was left disappointed.
Emma Hooper's novel Etta and Otto and Russell and James explores both the present and the past of three particular characters. Etta is an elderly woman suffering with Alzheimer's who decides to go for a walk and never come home. She first met her husband Otto in her late teens shortly before he enlisted in the army to fight abroad. Russell lives on the farm next to Etta and Otto and was also a childhood friend of Otto and quite close to Etta whilst Otto was away.
Etta's walk becomes public knowledge as she is observed walking through long grass in the company of a coyote whom she named James. She has very little on her, the most important being a note reading " Etta Gloria Kinnick of Deerdale Farm. 83 years old in August." This is to remind her of who she is in case she ever forgets.
The character's pasts are interesting to read about, in particularly the contrast between Etta's more comfortable upbringing and Otto's life on the farm being the seventh child in an extremely large family. The present day, however, was not as interesting. I never understood the significance of Etta's walk and the latter half of the novel became really confusing. At some points I was uncertain which character was being spoken about. Although the name Otto was used, the scene seemed more appropriate for Etta's situation. Whether this was intentional or a mistake I am unsure.
Another thing that made the story confusing to read was the lack of speech punctuation. Occasionally it was hard to determine who was speaking and who was replying; what was speech and what was not. I have read other books that use this structure and even though it's purpose may have related to the type of story being told, it does make it hard to fully comprehend.
This book gets off to a shaky start but I was always expecting it to improve. Unfortunately I was left disappointed.
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Pitch Dark in Books
Sep 15, 2017
Pitch Dark by A. M. Wilson and Alex Grayson
Pitch Dark is exactly that... dark! It comes with trigger warnings, and the authors even say to contact them before you read if you have any questions. Don't take this lightly!
Niko was best friends with Aislin, and was the only one who didn't believe she had run away. At only fifteen-years-old though, Niko had a hard time getting anyone to believe him, and so Aislin was never found. He never stopped looking for his North though, and even became a police officer so he could carry on. What happens next is twisted and full of red herrings, guaranteed to keep you guessing until the end.
This book is written from different perspectives - Niko's, Lelu's, and sometimes, the big bad. Trust me when I say that it doesn't matter which perspective it is from, it's got some very grim parts in it. Niko is a bit over the top with his anger issues, although you have to see that to appreciate how he softens towards Doe. There was one particular point when my fingers curled, due to how well written a scene was. It turned my stomach, but it was excellent.
Like I said before, there are twists and turns, plus red herrings all thrown at you. You will think that you know who it is, and then you will doubt yourself. I had it right all along, and yet I was still surprised by the ending. At one point, I even convinced myself that a different character hadn't been shot and killed, and it was him doing it - all because the authors said that he wasn't identified due to him not having a face!
Pitch Dark is excellently written and is seamless between the two authors. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disturbed my reading flow. This story was dark and horrible, but it also had hope, and a glimmer of light. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with o requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Niko was best friends with Aislin, and was the only one who didn't believe she had run away. At only fifteen-years-old though, Niko had a hard time getting anyone to believe him, and so Aislin was never found. He never stopped looking for his North though, and even became a police officer so he could carry on. What happens next is twisted and full of red herrings, guaranteed to keep you guessing until the end.
This book is written from different perspectives - Niko's, Lelu's, and sometimes, the big bad. Trust me when I say that it doesn't matter which perspective it is from, it's got some very grim parts in it. Niko is a bit over the top with his anger issues, although you have to see that to appreciate how he softens towards Doe. There was one particular point when my fingers curled, due to how well written a scene was. It turned my stomach, but it was excellent.
Like I said before, there are twists and turns, plus red herrings all thrown at you. You will think that you know who it is, and then you will doubt yourself. I had it right all along, and yet I was still surprised by the ending. At one point, I even convinced myself that a different character hadn't been shot and killed, and it was him doing it - all because the authors said that he wasn't identified due to him not having a face!
Pitch Dark is excellently written and is seamless between the two authors. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disturbed my reading flow. This story was dark and horrible, but it also had hope, and a glimmer of light. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with o requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Blue Zone in Books
May 10, 2018
From the outside, the Rabb family looks like the perfect family. They live in an amazing house, drive nice cars, their oldest daughter is a research assistant at the local University, their son get great grades, and the youngest is a ranked squash player. Benjamin Rabb is a gold dealer, and for the past twenty years has been doing very well for his family. When Benjamin Rabb is investigated by the FBI for money laundering, fraud, and conspiracy with known drug dealers, his family is placed in the Witness Protection Program. All, except Kate, who is old enough to do her own thing. When Kate makes some interesting discoveries and strange things start to happen, she may find that her perfect family may not be just so.
This is the first solo authored book I have read by Andrew Gross. I am pleased to say that this book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning to the very end. So many different surprises and twists in this book. The book centers around Kate rabb and her life after her father has testified in court against the Mercado Family and her family has been in Witness Protection for more than a year. The thing I really like about this book is that I never knew what was going to happen next or who I could trust. Everytime you turn around, another something falls in your face that makes you yell expletives at the book. Not knowing who to believe and where to turn for help, makes a person feel lost. Kate's determination to find the truth and get her family back together, has her in the fight of her life, in more ways than one.
I listened to the audio of this book and it was read by Ilyana Kadushin. She gave an excellent performance and made me feel as if I was a part of the action. I could see the action as it played out. I can't wait to read other solo authored books by Andrew Gross. Another great author to add to my every growing list of favorites.
This is the first solo authored book I have read by Andrew Gross. I am pleased to say that this book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning to the very end. So many different surprises and twists in this book. The book centers around Kate rabb and her life after her father has testified in court against the Mercado Family and her family has been in Witness Protection for more than a year. The thing I really like about this book is that I never knew what was going to happen next or who I could trust. Everytime you turn around, another something falls in your face that makes you yell expletives at the book. Not knowing who to believe and where to turn for help, makes a person feel lost. Kate's determination to find the truth and get her family back together, has her in the fight of her life, in more ways than one.
I listened to the audio of this book and it was read by Ilyana Kadushin. She gave an excellent performance and made me feel as if I was a part of the action. I could see the action as it played out. I can't wait to read other solo authored books by Andrew Gross. Another great author to add to my every growing list of favorites.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated The Possibility of Everything in Books
May 25, 2018
I wanted to read this book mainly because I have been to Belize - not the touristy cruise ship parts of Belize, but the tiny towns with 100 foot long air strips and as authentic in culture as it gets. And I love to read about anyone's experiences in this beautiful country with such rich culture. I am also well aware and intrigued by the Mayan healing that goes on deep in some of the rainforests there.
Hope writes a lot of Mommy books.. which I unfortunately do not relate to - so there is push and pull of my interests here.. but I find that it just brings my curiosity out when that happens. She writes in this one, a memoir, about a journey, to take her 3-year-old daughter Maya on a “journey of faith” because she is convinced her daughters imaginary friend “Dodo” is evil. Already I’m wanting to know more.
Her and her husband take her to a shaman in Belize who practices Mayan healing arts. Her journey is rich with Belizean culture and I imagine myself back in the beautiful surroundings with nostalgia. The beautiful people, the rich history - it’s all described so colorfully.
Her book is mostly nostalgia as well, as it’s written about 10 years after the fact. “In Belize, there is a greater sense of connection to other people. It was a tremendous relief to be in a culture where people treat the spiritual dimension quite practically. This gave me the clarity I felt lacking in my life.” I love this quote, and the strength behind it. Belize just has that effect on your soul.
I wonder what I would have done in this situation. I don’t know if I would have ever taken it to this extreme, but again, not a mother. And I imagine the family structure can suffer under such circumstances as hers does with Uzi. She’s doing the best she can, but it’s hard to read the of struggles families got though when a child is “ill.”
I’m glad I read this - it was interesting, and colorful, and I found myself enthralled just waiting to find out what would happen, and if Maya would get “better."
Hope writes a lot of Mommy books.. which I unfortunately do not relate to - so there is push and pull of my interests here.. but I find that it just brings my curiosity out when that happens. She writes in this one, a memoir, about a journey, to take her 3-year-old daughter Maya on a “journey of faith” because she is convinced her daughters imaginary friend “Dodo” is evil. Already I’m wanting to know more.
Her and her husband take her to a shaman in Belize who practices Mayan healing arts. Her journey is rich with Belizean culture and I imagine myself back in the beautiful surroundings with nostalgia. The beautiful people, the rich history - it’s all described so colorfully.
Her book is mostly nostalgia as well, as it’s written about 10 years after the fact. “In Belize, there is a greater sense of connection to other people. It was a tremendous relief to be in a culture where people treat the spiritual dimension quite practically. This gave me the clarity I felt lacking in my life.” I love this quote, and the strength behind it. Belize just has that effect on your soul.
I wonder what I would have done in this situation. I don’t know if I would have ever taken it to this extreme, but again, not a mother. And I imagine the family structure can suffer under such circumstances as hers does with Uzi. She’s doing the best she can, but it’s hard to read the of struggles families got though when a child is “ill.”
I’m glad I read this - it was interesting, and colorful, and I found myself enthralled just waiting to find out what would happen, and if Maya would get “better."
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Death's Daughter (Calliope Reaper-Jones, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
As soon as this book became available, I made sure to pick it up from the library. Since I'm a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, of course Amber Benson was a big draw and I was curious about her writing ability. Not to mention this is the type of book I like to read regardless of who wrote it.
Ms. Benson is a capable writer, but she tends to over describe when it's really not necessary. The story matter and the whole world she created was very interesting, but throughout the book, I felt there was something missing. The main character, Callie, is okay - I didn't hate her, but I didn't love her either. I guess I'm just tiring of the same old twenty- and thirty-somethings in chick-lit-esque books that seem to pop up ad nauseum these days. I just don't understand or relate to "women" who are very ditzy, but still manage to save the day and/or end up with the guy, complain all the time, and lust after every cute guy that comes within a 50-foot radius of them. Not to mention, why are these protagonists always surrounded by pretty, perfect people that make them look even more inferior? That's not totally relatable. Maybe I'm getting older or more mature, or maybe it was just how I felt when I read it. Who knows for sure? Of all the characters, Kali was my favorite, she was pretty cool and brought some spice to the story.
Overall, the book was a fairly easy read and I do think I'll check out the second in the series to see how it progresses (and hope it shakes some of the first entry's jitters off and is more solid). I would recommend that if you're interested in reading this to get it at the library first, or else find it used.
Minor quibble: I don't know who picked the cover, but it's not how I picture Callie at all and it's rather sucky. Hopefully, the second book will improve not just in content. ;P
Ms. Benson is a capable writer, but she tends to over describe when it's really not necessary. The story matter and the whole world she created was very interesting, but throughout the book, I felt there was something missing. The main character, Callie, is okay - I didn't hate her, but I didn't love her either. I guess I'm just tiring of the same old twenty- and thirty-somethings in chick-lit-esque books that seem to pop up ad nauseum these days. I just don't understand or relate to "women" who are very ditzy, but still manage to save the day and/or end up with the guy, complain all the time, and lust after every cute guy that comes within a 50-foot radius of them. Not to mention, why are these protagonists always surrounded by pretty, perfect people that make them look even more inferior? That's not totally relatable. Maybe I'm getting older or more mature, or maybe it was just how I felt when I read it. Who knows for sure? Of all the characters, Kali was my favorite, she was pretty cool and brought some spice to the story.
Overall, the book was a fairly easy read and I do think I'll check out the second in the series to see how it progresses (and hope it shakes some of the first entry's jitters off and is more solid). I would recommend that if you're interested in reading this to get it at the library first, or else find it used.
Minor quibble: I don't know who picked the cover, but it's not how I picture Callie at all and it's rather sucky. Hopefully, the second book will improve not just in content. ;P
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Seize the Night (Dark-Hunter, #5) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Another absolutely wonderful addition to the Dark-Hunter series - I loved it! Tabitha was way better than I expected (I was worried she would be too much) and Valerius was as great as I had hoped. What can I say? I love tortured heroes, and he's one of the best. I felt so much for him and hated how horrid the others treated him for no good reason - other than being judgmental @$$es anyway, especially Kyrian. Now I don't remember much about <i>Night Pleasures</i> for some reason, probably because it is my least favorite in the series, but I thought Kyrian was such a you-know-what with how he treated Valerius. I mean, come on, he was just a five-year-old for crying out loud. Jerk. Same goes with Zarek, but I understand that a bit more. But really, couldn't these idiots have gotten over something that happened 2,000 years ago, instead of acting like children? Grow up already and face facts, he was just a kid who didn't do anything to Kyrian, tried to help Zarek, and was born a Roman. Poor guy. He never knew kindness until Tabitha.
Closer to the end there were some real shockers and since Nick was featured in <i>Night Pleasures</i>, I need to get my hands on that book to re-read it, so I can reacquaint myself to him and the story. Maybe then I'd like it better and be able to remember more from it. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who has not read it yet, but this is one well-paced and plotted book! :)
As much as I loved the book, I was rather disappointed with the ending. It was rushed and was a good thirty or more pages shorter than other Dark-Hunter books. I felt that there needed to be more. The truce was rather lame and anti-climatic and so was the soul thing (or whatever it should be called) with Tabitha and Valerius. However, I loved the epilogue, and overall it is one of my faves of the series, I just wish more justice could have been done to the end of Valerius's story.
Closer to the end there were some real shockers and since Nick was featured in <i>Night Pleasures</i>, I need to get my hands on that book to re-read it, so I can reacquaint myself to him and the story. Maybe then I'd like it better and be able to remember more from it. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who has not read it yet, but this is one well-paced and plotted book! :)
As much as I loved the book, I was rather disappointed with the ending. It was rushed and was a good thirty or more pages shorter than other Dark-Hunter books. I felt that there needed to be more. The truce was rather lame and anti-climatic and so was the soul thing (or whatever it should be called) with Tabitha and Valerius. However, I loved the epilogue, and overall it is one of my faves of the series, I just wish more justice could have been done to the end of Valerius's story.