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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Bring Me Home in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
To tell the truth, despite knowing that Alan Titchmarsh is a celebrity gardener and TV presenter, I was unaware that he was also a novelist; so I honestly had no idea what to expect. <i>Bring Me Home</i>, Titchmarsh’s latest piece of fiction, is located in the Scottish Highlands and tells the life story of Charlie Stuart who lives in Castle Sodhail.
The opening chapter is set in the year 2000 at the end of a summer party hosted by Charlie in the castle grounds. We find out that Charlie needs to tell his children about something he has done and he is worried about their reactions. I immediately assumed this would be something along the lines of financial difficulties: someone who owns a castle must be in need of a vast amount of money. This assumption, however, was way off the mark.
The subsequent chapters tell of Charlie’s past, beginning in 1960, when he was ten years old, and progressing chronologically until 2000 where we, once again, meet with the familiar opening scene. Throughout these sections we read of Egglestone Academy in Inverness, which he attended with his friend, Gordon Mackenzie; we learn of his mother’s death and how he copes with his new, typically not very nice, stepmother. He marries a childhood friend, Eleanor – this happened a bit too suddenly in my view – and this is where things begin to transpire; events which could be what Charlie wants to speak to his children about.
To be frank, I sometimes found the narrative a little boring, particularly throughout the first half in which, I felt, nothing particularly significant occurred. The latter half was better with more events taking place, which made me wonder how things would be resolved. There was one part of the storyline which, although keeps Gordon in the book as an important character, felt rather pointless particularly as it had nothing to do with the final few chapters.
One thing I did like about this book was that Titchmarsh and included relevant quotes from various sources at the beginning of each chapter. These always related in some way to what that particular chapter was about. As I have not read any other books by the author, I do not know if this was a one off idea or whether he always does this, but it reminded me of the character Gordon Mackenzie who has a literary quote for every occasion.
Overall I did not think much of this novel but it was not terrible. The writing style was easy to read and understand but I personally thought the storyline needed to be stronger.
To tell the truth, despite knowing that Alan Titchmarsh is a celebrity gardener and TV presenter, I was unaware that he was also a novelist; so I honestly had no idea what to expect. <i>Bring Me Home</i>, Titchmarsh’s latest piece of fiction, is located in the Scottish Highlands and tells the life story of Charlie Stuart who lives in Castle Sodhail.
The opening chapter is set in the year 2000 at the end of a summer party hosted by Charlie in the castle grounds. We find out that Charlie needs to tell his children about something he has done and he is worried about their reactions. I immediately assumed this would be something along the lines of financial difficulties: someone who owns a castle must be in need of a vast amount of money. This assumption, however, was way off the mark.
The subsequent chapters tell of Charlie’s past, beginning in 1960, when he was ten years old, and progressing chronologically until 2000 where we, once again, meet with the familiar opening scene. Throughout these sections we read of Egglestone Academy in Inverness, which he attended with his friend, Gordon Mackenzie; we learn of his mother’s death and how he copes with his new, typically not very nice, stepmother. He marries a childhood friend, Eleanor – this happened a bit too suddenly in my view – and this is where things begin to transpire; events which could be what Charlie wants to speak to his children about.
To be frank, I sometimes found the narrative a little boring, particularly throughout the first half in which, I felt, nothing particularly significant occurred. The latter half was better with more events taking place, which made me wonder how things would be resolved. There was one part of the storyline which, although keeps Gordon in the book as an important character, felt rather pointless particularly as it had nothing to do with the final few chapters.
One thing I did like about this book was that Titchmarsh and included relevant quotes from various sources at the beginning of each chapter. These always related in some way to what that particular chapter was about. As I have not read any other books by the author, I do not know if this was a one off idea or whether he always does this, but it reminded me of the character Gordon Mackenzie who has a literary quote for every occasion.
Overall I did not think much of this novel but it was not terrible. The writing style was easy to read and understand but I personally thought the storyline needed to be stronger.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Flame Never Dies (The Stars Never Rise, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Rachel Vincent’s first novel<i> The Stars Never Rise</i> introduced Young Adult readers to a whole new dystopian concept. The world as we know it has been invaded by demons who can possess the human body. After discovering she has the power of exorcism, seventeen-year-old Nina joins other teenage exorcists, including the disembodied Finn, who aim to rid their town of the parasitic creatures. However the totalitarian Unified Church, the rulers of what was once the USA, have been secretly taken over by demons and will stop at nothing to get rid of Nina and her friends.
<i>The Flame Never Dies</i> continues five months after the Anathema (the name the demons gave to the group of exorcists) escaped from the clutches of the Church. Whilst exorcising all the demons they come across, Nina and company are desperately seeking food and supplies to sustain themselves as well as nourish Nina’s heavily pregnant sister.
The story is fast paced and contains a multitude of climaxes and plot twists. Vincent omits all the mundane details resulting in a tale that appears to take place over a few days rather than weeks and months. With bombshell following bombshell it is impossible to get bored of reading or predict the final conclusion. The ending, however, is the only part of the novel that is a little disappointing. After such a build up, the speed and ease that the final burst of action takes leads to a slightly unsatisfying finale.
The key characters from the first book are all involved in <i>The Flame Never Dies</i> as well as a welcome selection of new and splendid faces. Vincent emphasises the importance of teamwork, the effects of love and the notion of hope through religious belief. Although unique, the beliefs expressed by some of the characters are not much different from the monotheistic faiths of today. As a result there is something in this book that almost everyone will be able to relate to.
<i>The Flame Never Dies</i>, in my opinion, is much more exciting and engaging than its predecessor, so if you loved <i>The Stars Never Rise</i> you can guarantee you will enjoy this too. Sadly the ending does not do the story justice, readers are left with no knowledge of how the characters survive the future, and, as this is a duology, no one will ever know. Yet despite all this, Rachel Vincent has created a fantastic piece of fiction that will no doubt be as popular as other books in its genre.
Rachel Vincent’s first novel<i> The Stars Never Rise</i> introduced Young Adult readers to a whole new dystopian concept. The world as we know it has been invaded by demons who can possess the human body. After discovering she has the power of exorcism, seventeen-year-old Nina joins other teenage exorcists, including the disembodied Finn, who aim to rid their town of the parasitic creatures. However the totalitarian Unified Church, the rulers of what was once the USA, have been secretly taken over by demons and will stop at nothing to get rid of Nina and her friends.
<i>The Flame Never Dies</i> continues five months after the Anathema (the name the demons gave to the group of exorcists) escaped from the clutches of the Church. Whilst exorcising all the demons they come across, Nina and company are desperately seeking food and supplies to sustain themselves as well as nourish Nina’s heavily pregnant sister.
The story is fast paced and contains a multitude of climaxes and plot twists. Vincent omits all the mundane details resulting in a tale that appears to take place over a few days rather than weeks and months. With bombshell following bombshell it is impossible to get bored of reading or predict the final conclusion. The ending, however, is the only part of the novel that is a little disappointing. After such a build up, the speed and ease that the final burst of action takes leads to a slightly unsatisfying finale.
The key characters from the first book are all involved in <i>The Flame Never Dies</i> as well as a welcome selection of new and splendid faces. Vincent emphasises the importance of teamwork, the effects of love and the notion of hope through religious belief. Although unique, the beliefs expressed by some of the characters are not much different from the monotheistic faiths of today. As a result there is something in this book that almost everyone will be able to relate to.
<i>The Flame Never Dies</i>, in my opinion, is much more exciting and engaging than its predecessor, so if you loved <i>The Stars Never Rise</i> you can guarantee you will enjoy this too. Sadly the ending does not do the story justice, readers are left with no knowledge of how the characters survive the future, and, as this is a duology, no one will ever know. Yet despite all this, Rachel Vincent has created a fantastic piece of fiction that will no doubt be as popular as other books in its genre.
Natacha (374 KP) rated Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) in Books
Oct 26, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Original review : https://wp.me/pbesru-7z
Another book that I picked because of booktuber Holly Hearts Books and once again a book that I really enjoyed.
At its base, the main story is a very basic and simple one: a young prince betrayed by his own family and now sicks revenge. We've seen that many times, by what makes it different is the execution.
Things I liked:
- The characters. We have a group of six characters all very interesting, intriguing, well rounded, they all have their own voice and their own motivations. I love watching them bound and go from hating each other to be willing to die for each other.
- Yarvi's growth. Yarvi gowns a lot throughout the story. He goes from peaceful minister to-be, to an insecure king, to hopeless slave and much more. And with every step, we can see the changes to his personality, from a sweet little boy to a man that walks the line of becoming something he hates and much more.
- Nothing. And when a say Nothing I mean the character Nothing. That's right there is a character call like this. And he was one very mysterious and twisted character.
- But most off all what really makes this book amazing for me was the ending. There were a couple of passages where I could easily predict what was going to happen, but boy I didn't see the two plot twist at the end! And especially the first one was so good!!!
-<spoiler> You don't get the ending that you would expect. When you have a revenge story you usually expect at the end the main character to get what he wanted. But not here. It came close but it didn't quite end up like someone would assume.</spoiler>
Things I didn't like:
There wasn't much I didn't like so I'll have to be picky for the section
- There were mentions of old magic and elves in the past and I would have like to see a little more about that.
- I was told that Joe Abercrombie is a go-to for grimdark fantasy so I won't lie, although I knew that this book it not as grimdark as The First Law, I was still expecting a more "dark" ending. I know I said I like the ending because it was not what you would expect but... it could have being barker.
- Dear fantasy authors. I know you like creating whole new worlds and come up with some amazing names for your characters and places but, could you please, please think or your dyslexic and non-native English readers before naming a characters Grom-gil-Gorm and Shadikshirram. I spent the entire book without being able to pronounce those names.
Another book that I picked because of booktuber Holly Hearts Books and once again a book that I really enjoyed.
At its base, the main story is a very basic and simple one: a young prince betrayed by his own family and now sicks revenge. We've seen that many times, by what makes it different is the execution.
Things I liked:
- The characters. We have a group of six characters all very interesting, intriguing, well rounded, they all have their own voice and their own motivations. I love watching them bound and go from hating each other to be willing to die for each other.
- Yarvi's growth. Yarvi gowns a lot throughout the story. He goes from peaceful minister to-be, to an insecure king, to hopeless slave and much more. And with every step, we can see the changes to his personality, from a sweet little boy to a man that walks the line of becoming something he hates and much more.
- Nothing. And when a say Nothing I mean the character Nothing. That's right there is a character call like this. And he was one very mysterious and twisted character.
- But most off all what really makes this book amazing for me was the ending. There were a couple of passages where I could easily predict what was going to happen, but boy I didn't see the two plot twist at the end! And especially the first one was so good!!!
-<spoiler> You don't get the ending that you would expect. When you have a revenge story you usually expect at the end the main character to get what he wanted. But not here. It came close but it didn't quite end up like someone would assume.</spoiler>
Things I didn't like:
There wasn't much I didn't like so I'll have to be picky for the section
- There were mentions of old magic and elves in the past and I would have like to see a little more about that.
- I was told that Joe Abercrombie is a go-to for grimdark fantasy so I won't lie, although I knew that this book it not as grimdark as The First Law, I was still expecting a more "dark" ending. I know I said I like the ending because it was not what you would expect but... it could have being barker.
- Dear fantasy authors. I know you like creating whole new worlds and come up with some amazing names for your characters and places but, could you please, please think or your dyslexic and non-native English readers before naming a characters Grom-gil-Gorm and Shadikshirram. I spent the entire book without being able to pronounce those names.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Gambit (The Prodigy Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<i>Gambit </i>is one of those books that are slow, but the slow feel of the book fits with the plot decently. Willow Kent, the main character, lives in a world where people with extraordinary powers live good lives in the Core (analogize it to the Capitol in the Hunger Games, if you will) and those without live in poverty. She doesn't really know much about her childhood aside from the fact she got left with a family and adopted by them at a really young age, and it remains that way until a Core officer discovers she is really a lost heiress and strives to bring her back to her original family.
Nearly half the book is located in a small village where Willow grows up in trading items is a thing, messengers traveling from the Core and back exist, and it's basically back to the old fashioned world where wearing a swimming suit is bad for ladies (because <em>perverts</em>). The characters in the villages have the <em>weirdest</em> character names I've ever seen, like Patchie and Temsik Temsik doesn't bother me as much as Patchie does. As for the Core... I'm not too sure about that one yet.
Every once in a while a name I've heard of actually pops up, like Willow, for instance. Willow has a fire in her that I like for some reason she's fierce, stubborn, and there's definitely some humor in her snark, especially towards Commander Reece (she's like a ball trying to bounce at the wall that won't budge).
The other half of the book is dedicated to a small portion of the Core where Willow was <em>supposed</em> to have grown up in. Although it's only one particular area and then some more, Denault gives enough information that gives a good idea on what the rest of the Core is really like. Blinds don't exist and it's the coolest technology ever. I personally think Willow will do perfectly fine harnessing the reins of the Core from the way she negotiates.
The first of the Prodigy Chronicles is a slow first book as Willow transitions from village life to Core life, but Denault is fantastic at not boring the readers with her writing <i>Gambit </i>has a lightheartedness to it that I really enjoyed and it seems to promise of better things and more action further in the sequels.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-gambit-by-cl-denault/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<i>Gambit </i>is one of those books that are slow, but the slow feel of the book fits with the plot decently. Willow Kent, the main character, lives in a world where people with extraordinary powers live good lives in the Core (analogize it to the Capitol in the Hunger Games, if you will) and those without live in poverty. She doesn't really know much about her childhood aside from the fact she got left with a family and adopted by them at a really young age, and it remains that way until a Core officer discovers she is really a lost heiress and strives to bring her back to her original family.
Nearly half the book is located in a small village where Willow grows up in trading items is a thing, messengers traveling from the Core and back exist, and it's basically back to the old fashioned world where wearing a swimming suit is bad for ladies (because <em>perverts</em>). The characters in the villages have the <em>weirdest</em> character names I've ever seen, like Patchie and Temsik Temsik doesn't bother me as much as Patchie does. As for the Core... I'm not too sure about that one yet.
Every once in a while a name I've heard of actually pops up, like Willow, for instance. Willow has a fire in her that I like for some reason she's fierce, stubborn, and there's definitely some humor in her snark, especially towards Commander Reece (she's like a ball trying to bounce at the wall that won't budge).
The other half of the book is dedicated to a small portion of the Core where Willow was <em>supposed</em> to have grown up in. Although it's only one particular area and then some more, Denault gives enough information that gives a good idea on what the rest of the Core is really like. Blinds don't exist and it's the coolest technology ever. I personally think Willow will do perfectly fine harnessing the reins of the Core from the way she negotiates.
The first of the Prodigy Chronicles is a slow first book as Willow transitions from village life to Core life, but Denault is fantastic at not boring the readers with her writing <i>Gambit </i>has a lightheartedness to it that I really enjoyed and it seems to promise of better things and more action further in the sequels.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-gambit-by-cl-denault/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Vanishing Season in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Ellery Hathaway is the only female police officer in Woodbury, Massachusetts. She's also the only one on the force who believes Woodbury has a serial killer--one who is picking off people every July. Ellery was once Abby Hathaway, who was kidnapped at fourteen in a very famous case: she was the seventeenth victim of serial killer Francis Coben. And the only one who lived. Now Ellery is convinced these people in Woodbury--who are going missing around her birthday--are tied to her own incident. So she calls the only person she can think of: Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her from the Coben's closet all those years ago. But Reed is battling his own issues. While Ellery's case--and the subsequent book he wrote--made him famous, he's on forced leave after messing up an investigation, and his wife has kicked him out. His most famous moment revolves around Ellery, but did he truly save her? And now they both are about to be sucked back into the case.
Wow, what an excellent start to a series! I loved this book and was drawn immediately to Ellery ("Ellie") and Reed! They are a dynamic duo, with a truly complicated history, and this was a compelling page-turner from the beginning. Schaffhausen has an easy writing style that brings Ellie and Reed to life (along with Ellie's awesome hound dog "Bump"), and I sped through the book in a couple of hours.
"Ellie knew 'touched' could mean gifted or insane. Maybe she was both. But she wasn't wrong, and if anyone out there was ever going to believe her, it was Reed Markham. Because he'd been touched once too."
The story is a dynamic one, tying back to Ellie's original kidnapping, but working in present-day disappearances in the town where she's escaped. Ellie is desperately trying to start over: no one on her police force knows about her old life. (This is the one thing that seems a little crazy--how did that background check fly? And how does she get so far along in these new cases without spilling the beans?)
Still, I'm willing to overlook it, because this is a captivating dark read that keeps you guessing. I figured out a few things here and there, but it in no way diminished my interest. The dynamics between Ellie and Reed are sizzling, and the twists and turns exciting. I love a good mystery/police procedural, and this one did not disappoint. It's deep and creepy, with a powerful lead female character, and I cannot wait to read the next two books! (I finished this book three days ago, and I'm already in the middle of the third book, just to illustrate how much I enjoy this series!) 4 stars.
Wow, what an excellent start to a series! I loved this book and was drawn immediately to Ellery ("Ellie") and Reed! They are a dynamic duo, with a truly complicated history, and this was a compelling page-turner from the beginning. Schaffhausen has an easy writing style that brings Ellie and Reed to life (along with Ellie's awesome hound dog "Bump"), and I sped through the book in a couple of hours.
"Ellie knew 'touched' could mean gifted or insane. Maybe she was both. But she wasn't wrong, and if anyone out there was ever going to believe her, it was Reed Markham. Because he'd been touched once too."
The story is a dynamic one, tying back to Ellie's original kidnapping, but working in present-day disappearances in the town where she's escaped. Ellie is desperately trying to start over: no one on her police force knows about her old life. (This is the one thing that seems a little crazy--how did that background check fly? And how does she get so far along in these new cases without spilling the beans?)
Still, I'm willing to overlook it, because this is a captivating dark read that keeps you guessing. I figured out a few things here and there, but it in no way diminished my interest. The dynamics between Ellie and Reed are sizzling, and the twists and turns exciting. I love a good mystery/police procedural, and this one did not disappoint. It's deep and creepy, with a powerful lead female character, and I cannot wait to read the next two books! (I finished this book three days ago, and I'm already in the middle of the third book, just to illustrate how much I enjoy this series!) 4 stars.
Kaz (232 KP) rated Pet Sematary (2019) in Movies
Jul 31, 2019 (Updated Jul 31, 2019)
A film which I can't figure out.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I read the novel 'Pet Semetary' last year and, although there are some questionable elements to the story, I thought that generally, it was a good, creepy read.
Having just watched the 2019 remake, (I must point out that I haven't watched the original film) I'm not sure what to make of it.
For me, the novel 'Pet Semetary' is really dark and creepy. What this film version does, is add to that atmosphere and made it even more sinister, which I really liked.
Another good thing about this adaptation, was that it stayed pretty close to the original text, for the most part. Usually I don't like changes when a book is being made into a film, but actually, thinking about it, some of the changes in 'Pet Semetary' were wise, due to practicalities,
For example, in the novel, Gage is the one that dies and not Ellie. I would imagine the producers of this film, might have thought that it would either be too extreme to show a 2-3 year old running around with a knife and also it would be difficult to direct a child in this type of scene. So I understand why this was changed.
I thought that the acting was ok, but nothing special. I think John Lithgow was underused as Judd and actually, I thought his character was much less likable, than Judd in the book. I would give a special mention to the child actor who plays Ellie, as I thought she played her role well.
Now, let's talk about the ending. Whilst I thought the ending of the book was rather questionable, I could understand the thinking behind it. This book's general theme is grief and so Louis' decision to resurrect his wife, illustrates that his grief was so powerful, that he would do almost anything to bring his loved on,e back from the dead.
The ending to the film version though, was very disappointing. For me, Stephen King, not only writes books which satisfy a reader's enjoyment for being scared, but also has other themes and messages running through them too. So, by changing the ending to this film, it kind of took away that sad, powerful message of grief and replaced it with a conventional, 'horror film' ending. This was really disappointing for me, because by putting in that ending, it kind of demeaned everything that the book was trying to do.
This film was ok and had some positive points, but I don't think it does the original book, sufficient justice.
Having just watched the 2019 remake, (I must point out that I haven't watched the original film) I'm not sure what to make of it.
For me, the novel 'Pet Semetary' is really dark and creepy. What this film version does, is add to that atmosphere and made it even more sinister, which I really liked.
Another good thing about this adaptation, was that it stayed pretty close to the original text, for the most part. Usually I don't like changes when a book is being made into a film, but actually, thinking about it, some of the changes in 'Pet Semetary' were wise, due to practicalities,
For example, in the novel, Gage is the one that dies and not Ellie. I would imagine the producers of this film, might have thought that it would either be too extreme to show a 2-3 year old running around with a knife and also it would be difficult to direct a child in this type of scene. So I understand why this was changed.
I thought that the acting was ok, but nothing special. I think John Lithgow was underused as Judd and actually, I thought his character was much less likable, than Judd in the book. I would give a special mention to the child actor who plays Ellie, as I thought she played her role well.
Now, let's talk about the ending. Whilst I thought the ending of the book was rather questionable, I could understand the thinking behind it. This book's general theme is grief and so Louis' decision to resurrect his wife, illustrates that his grief was so powerful, that he would do almost anything to bring his loved on,e back from the dead.
The ending to the film version though, was very disappointing. For me, Stephen King, not only writes books which satisfy a reader's enjoyment for being scared, but also has other themes and messages running through them too. So, by changing the ending to this film, it kind of took away that sad, powerful message of grief and replaced it with a conventional, 'horror film' ending. This was really disappointing for me, because by putting in that ending, it kind of demeaned everything that the book was trying to do.
This film was ok and had some positive points, but I don't think it does the original book, sufficient justice.
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Girl from Widow Hills in Books
Jun 18, 2020
Arden Mayor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Then she became the miracle of her small town of Widow Hills, Kentucky when she was found clinging for life to a storm drain. Her mother, Laurel, wrote a book. The family received money, fan letters, and, yes, stalkers. Soon it became too much and when she was old enough, Arden changed her name. She became Olivia. Now, as the twentieth anniversary of the incident nears, she has her own life. No one in her new world knows about her past. But when she receives word via phone call about her mother's death, something jolts loose in Olivia. She starts sleepwalking again, waking outside her house. And then one night she awakens, outside yet again, the body of a corpse at her feet. Even worse, the man is someone she knew from her previous life as Arden. Suddenly, Olivia's right back where she started: under scrutiny and media attention. And this time, she isn't the media darling, but a murder suspect.
"I was the girl who survived. The girl who held on. The girl you prayed for, or at least pretended to pray for--thankful most of all that it wasn't your own child down there, in the dark. And after: I was the miracle. The sensation. The story."
I don't have a lot of notes from reading this, but I think it's because I was too caught up in the story. This was a twisty thriller, and I simply wanted to know what happens. You can't ask for much more in a good mystery, can you? I've read a few books lately that cast a strong shadow of doubt on the protagonist (Heather Gudenkauf's This Is How I Lied being a great example)--and Miranda does great work of it here. Olivia sleepwalks, and we have a hard time fully trusting her throughout the novel. Heck, she has a hard time trusting herself.
Of course, there are plenty of other suspects and lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I enjoyed the story of a girl escaping her past, only to find it catching up with her, no matter how hard she tried. We see how the media and attention can unravel even the happiest of tales, how Olivia's mother couldn't handle the pressure, how Olivia had to become a different person to survive. Why, we wonder, does society have to take a happy thing and ruin it.
"The case made all of us, and then it unmade us."
Overall, this was a fast-paced and intriguing read. Olivia is an interesting character, oddly sympathetic despite her possibility of being a murderess. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
"I was the girl who survived. The girl who held on. The girl you prayed for, or at least pretended to pray for--thankful most of all that it wasn't your own child down there, in the dark. And after: I was the miracle. The sensation. The story."
I don't have a lot of notes from reading this, but I think it's because I was too caught up in the story. This was a twisty thriller, and I simply wanted to know what happens. You can't ask for much more in a good mystery, can you? I've read a few books lately that cast a strong shadow of doubt on the protagonist (Heather Gudenkauf's This Is How I Lied being a great example)--and Miranda does great work of it here. Olivia sleepwalks, and we have a hard time fully trusting her throughout the novel. Heck, she has a hard time trusting herself.
Of course, there are plenty of other suspects and lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I enjoyed the story of a girl escaping her past, only to find it catching up with her, no matter how hard she tried. We see how the media and attention can unravel even the happiest of tales, how Olivia's mother couldn't handle the pressure, how Olivia had to become a different person to survive. Why, we wonder, does society have to take a happy thing and ruin it.
"The case made all of us, and then it unmade us."
Overall, this was a fast-paced and intriguing read. Olivia is an interesting character, oddly sympathetic despite her possibility of being a murderess. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.