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Hazel (1853 KP) rated My Sister's Keeper in Books
Dec 7, 2018
“If you use one of your children to save the life of another, are you being a good mother or a very bad one?”
<i>My Sister’s Keeper </i>was the first Jodi Picoult novel I read. (I have since read all Picoult’s books to date) I was not expecting much when I first picked it up, especially as I was reading it for a medical ethics module at college. Yet this book rekindled my love of reading and suddenly, after only reading one story, I was asking for Jodi Picoult books for my birthday.
Many people may be familiar with the storyline, even if they have not read the book, as <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> shot to fame when the film version hit the cinemas. Thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald was Rhode Islands first genetically engineered baby, created with the purpose of providing her older sister Kate with the means to survive acute promyelocytic leukemia. However over the next few years Kate relapses resulting in Anna going under numerous procedures, such as bone marrow extraction, in order to save Kate’s life. Now things have got so bad that Kate will die unless Anna gives up one of her kidneys, yet unwilling to do this Anna hires a lawyer, Campbell Alexander, to sue her parents for the rights of her own body.
From reading a synopsis the reader can already see that <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is going to be an emotional story, but what was it that made me love the author so much?
The story was told from six points of view: Anna, Jesse (older brother), Sara (mother), Brian (father), Campbell and Julie (guardian ad litem). Notice that Kate was not one of the narrators, which leads us to speculate from the very start that Anna wins the case and Kate dies. Despite the six main characters there is no antagonist – unless you count cancer – and in all of them the reader can find something relatable.
In one of the chapters, Jesse pronounces that Kate is the martyr, Anna the peacekeeper and himself the lost cause. With Anna we can recognize the struggle to follow the decisions laid down for us by other people – a time when we have no choice of our own. Jesse represents the times when we have been ignored and forgotten because of bigger or more important events, thus resulting in attention seeking behaviour. Brian, the firefighter, the man who wants to save everyone, cannot put out the metaphorical fire that is his family. Sara, whose narrative starts in the past rather than present day, shows us how easy it is to get wrapped up in one problem (or daughter), ignoring everything (or everyone) else.
One thing that is great about all Picoult’s novels is that they are not focused on one storyline. Granted this book is focused on the trial and Kate’s illness, but the inclusion of Campbell and Julia’s voices provide an interesting subplot. Julia is not exactly thrilled to discover that she will be working alongside Campbell, a person she knew from school that she had a difficult past with. Since then Julia has found herself unlucky in love and blames Campbell for this. Campbell on the other hand has been having trouble of his own and now needs a service dog with him at all times. Yet he is self conscious about people knowing the true reason behind this and often comes up with creative lies to stop people from asking questions. “Maybe if God gives you a handicap, he makes sure you’ve got a few extra doses of humor to take the edge off.”
Another reason Picoult’s books are so great is that the reader learns something every time. <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is full of medical and legal jargon, which may go over some people’s heads, but it is also bursting with random bits of knowledge, for example the way a fire should be treated, facts about astronomy and many other interesting details that the characters use as metaphors to describe their experiences.
Without taking into account Picoult’s novels and writing style as a whole, <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is a story that will stay in people’s hearts and minds for a long time. It is never revealed who the narrator of the prologue was, but we immediately assume that it is Anna and that she wants Kate to die. By the end, we are still unsure who the character was but if it was Anna we see it in a completely different light. This is not a book about whether it is ethical for Anna to be Kate’s donor; it is not a story about cancer. Instead it is a message about the right for each person to have choices in regards to their lives.
A warning to potential readers: this book could break your heart, shock you or leave you in tears. <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is full of irony. Some of that makes up part of the story line, for instance Jesse’s experimentation with arson – fires that are then put out by his father. But the biggest sense of irony, the biggest shock is the ending (FYI this is the complete opposite to the film ending). After everything that has been achieved, devastating circumstances result in the same conclusion that it would have had Anna sat back and done nothing. Yet this does not make it a pointless story, despite Anna’s actions almost tearing the family apart, it also wakes them from the stupor that Kate’s illness has put them in and makes them realise how precious everything else in their life is too.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, and if you have not read a Jodi Picoult novel before I strongly suggest you begin with this one. It is suitable for adult and adolescent readers, especially those who like to think about hypothetical, moral questions. <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> definitely gets you questioning your own choices and actions within your own life and may even make you view the world slightly differently.
<i>My Sister’s Keeper </i>was the first Jodi Picoult novel I read. (I have since read all Picoult’s books to date) I was not expecting much when I first picked it up, especially as I was reading it for a medical ethics module at college. Yet this book rekindled my love of reading and suddenly, after only reading one story, I was asking for Jodi Picoult books for my birthday.
Many people may be familiar with the storyline, even if they have not read the book, as <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> shot to fame when the film version hit the cinemas. Thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald was Rhode Islands first genetically engineered baby, created with the purpose of providing her older sister Kate with the means to survive acute promyelocytic leukemia. However over the next few years Kate relapses resulting in Anna going under numerous procedures, such as bone marrow extraction, in order to save Kate’s life. Now things have got so bad that Kate will die unless Anna gives up one of her kidneys, yet unwilling to do this Anna hires a lawyer, Campbell Alexander, to sue her parents for the rights of her own body.
From reading a synopsis the reader can already see that <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is going to be an emotional story, but what was it that made me love the author so much?
The story was told from six points of view: Anna, Jesse (older brother), Sara (mother), Brian (father), Campbell and Julie (guardian ad litem). Notice that Kate was not one of the narrators, which leads us to speculate from the very start that Anna wins the case and Kate dies. Despite the six main characters there is no antagonist – unless you count cancer – and in all of them the reader can find something relatable.
In one of the chapters, Jesse pronounces that Kate is the martyr, Anna the peacekeeper and himself the lost cause. With Anna we can recognize the struggle to follow the decisions laid down for us by other people – a time when we have no choice of our own. Jesse represents the times when we have been ignored and forgotten because of bigger or more important events, thus resulting in attention seeking behaviour. Brian, the firefighter, the man who wants to save everyone, cannot put out the metaphorical fire that is his family. Sara, whose narrative starts in the past rather than present day, shows us how easy it is to get wrapped up in one problem (or daughter), ignoring everything (or everyone) else.
One thing that is great about all Picoult’s novels is that they are not focused on one storyline. Granted this book is focused on the trial and Kate’s illness, but the inclusion of Campbell and Julia’s voices provide an interesting subplot. Julia is not exactly thrilled to discover that she will be working alongside Campbell, a person she knew from school that she had a difficult past with. Since then Julia has found herself unlucky in love and blames Campbell for this. Campbell on the other hand has been having trouble of his own and now needs a service dog with him at all times. Yet he is self conscious about people knowing the true reason behind this and often comes up with creative lies to stop people from asking questions. “Maybe if God gives you a handicap, he makes sure you’ve got a few extra doses of humor to take the edge off.”
Another reason Picoult’s books are so great is that the reader learns something every time. <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is full of medical and legal jargon, which may go over some people’s heads, but it is also bursting with random bits of knowledge, for example the way a fire should be treated, facts about astronomy and many other interesting details that the characters use as metaphors to describe their experiences.
Without taking into account Picoult’s novels and writing style as a whole, <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is a story that will stay in people’s hearts and minds for a long time. It is never revealed who the narrator of the prologue was, but we immediately assume that it is Anna and that she wants Kate to die. By the end, we are still unsure who the character was but if it was Anna we see it in a completely different light. This is not a book about whether it is ethical for Anna to be Kate’s donor; it is not a story about cancer. Instead it is a message about the right for each person to have choices in regards to their lives.
A warning to potential readers: this book could break your heart, shock you or leave you in tears. <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> is full of irony. Some of that makes up part of the story line, for instance Jesse’s experimentation with arson – fires that are then put out by his father. But the biggest sense of irony, the biggest shock is the ending (FYI this is the complete opposite to the film ending). After everything that has been achieved, devastating circumstances result in the same conclusion that it would have had Anna sat back and done nothing. Yet this does not make it a pointless story, despite Anna’s actions almost tearing the family apart, it also wakes them from the stupor that Kate’s illness has put them in and makes them realise how precious everything else in their life is too.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, and if you have not read a Jodi Picoult novel before I strongly suggest you begin with this one. It is suitable for adult and adolescent readers, especially those who like to think about hypothetical, moral questions. <i>My Sister’s Keeper</i> definitely gets you questioning your own choices and actions within your own life and may even make you view the world slightly differently.
Alice (12 KP) rated Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) in Books
Jul 3, 2018
Ink and Bone was probably one of those books where I originally wasn’t 100% sold on reading it when it came out – it wasn’t something I thought I would enjoy not like I enjoyed the Weather Warden and Outcast Season books and although it’s taken me over a year to get round to reading it I have to say I’m certainly glad that I did.
For those of you who have never read Rachel Caine’s other books this is probably as good a place as any to start however if you have read her other stuff but haven’t read this yet? Get in there.
So Ink and Bone is set in a Dystopian universe where the Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed and books are like gold dust (they should be anyway but this a whole new level of obsession) smugglers and Burners abound in this alternate reality and The Library hold all the cards. Real books are taken by the Library for archiving and they’re replicated into a new form called a blank – which is basically a copy of a book in particular.
The story starts with Jess Brightwell doing a run for a customer as per orders from his father – the head of one of the biggest smuggling rings in London – where an original copy of a book is to be delivered to the buyer no questions asked. As a young child Jess is – as expected – pretty impressionable but he also retains his own sense of purpose and sense of right and wrong unlike his twin brother. The “client” who requested the rare book is actually an ink-licker – a book eater – and Jess witnesses the ink-licker devouring this rare one of a kind book and he loses his flagging appreciation for the smuggling trade altogether.
His father makes a good point to Jess by accusing him of having ink in his blood as Jess has a bigger appreciation for the books he’s supposed to be smuggling than the family business. His twin -ok the other hand – is the exact opposite and loves being a smuggler and criminal. The ink-licker ends up dying due to a knife in the back and we find out later on that Brendon (Jess’s twin) potentially did it.
Jess’s father buys him a position into the Library testing to become a Scholar and so begins the story of Jess and the Library.
Jess is out through a series of gruelling tests and to be perfectly honest I think the worst of the lot is putting up with his stuck up roommate Dario but Jess prevails throughout these tests and the trials he and the other postulants go through – including a few near death (and certain death) experiences – Jess is a success even if his tutor is aware of his past and family connections.
I loved the writing style as it’s just so Rachel Caine and her work always keeps me intrigued. I also loved the potential (pretty sure and I ship it) relationship between Scholar Wolfe and Captain Santi, it’s got a very good and very clear backdrop and love is love – adore it.
Some of the other postulants were a little unlikeable at first but they did grow on me and the best postulant besides Jess is Thomas and man is he wicked smart.
I also didn’t like the Artifex Magnus – he just came across as totally slimy and 100% “I’ll do anything to make sure the Library stays in power” attitude and I mean anything.
It was all around a very good book with some good and humourous dialogue but also the very serious side to it in terms of the war between the English and the Welsh and the war between the Library and the Burners. Now Burners are a very interesting concept and I can’t wait to see where the next book Paper and Fire takes the series.
For those of you who have never read Rachel Caine’s other books this is probably as good a place as any to start however if you have read her other stuff but haven’t read this yet? Get in there.
So Ink and Bone is set in a Dystopian universe where the Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed and books are like gold dust (they should be anyway but this a whole new level of obsession) smugglers and Burners abound in this alternate reality and The Library hold all the cards. Real books are taken by the Library for archiving and they’re replicated into a new form called a blank – which is basically a copy of a book in particular.
The story starts with Jess Brightwell doing a run for a customer as per orders from his father – the head of one of the biggest smuggling rings in London – where an original copy of a book is to be delivered to the buyer no questions asked. As a young child Jess is – as expected – pretty impressionable but he also retains his own sense of purpose and sense of right and wrong unlike his twin brother. The “client” who requested the rare book is actually an ink-licker – a book eater – and Jess witnesses the ink-licker devouring this rare one of a kind book and he loses his flagging appreciation for the smuggling trade altogether.
His father makes a good point to Jess by accusing him of having ink in his blood as Jess has a bigger appreciation for the books he’s supposed to be smuggling than the family business. His twin -ok the other hand – is the exact opposite and loves being a smuggler and criminal. The ink-licker ends up dying due to a knife in the back and we find out later on that Brendon (Jess’s twin) potentially did it.
Jess’s father buys him a position into the Library testing to become a Scholar and so begins the story of Jess and the Library.
Jess is out through a series of gruelling tests and to be perfectly honest I think the worst of the lot is putting up with his stuck up roommate Dario but Jess prevails throughout these tests and the trials he and the other postulants go through – including a few near death (and certain death) experiences – Jess is a success even if his tutor is aware of his past and family connections.
I loved the writing style as it’s just so Rachel Caine and her work always keeps me intrigued. I also loved the potential (pretty sure and I ship it) relationship between Scholar Wolfe and Captain Santi, it’s got a very good and very clear backdrop and love is love – adore it.
Some of the other postulants were a little unlikeable at first but they did grow on me and the best postulant besides Jess is Thomas and man is he wicked smart.
I also didn’t like the Artifex Magnus – he just came across as totally slimy and 100% “I’ll do anything to make sure the Library stays in power” attitude and I mean anything.
It was all around a very good book with some good and humourous dialogue but also the very serious side to it in terms of the war between the English and the Welsh and the war between the Library and the Burners. Now Burners are a very interesting concept and I can’t wait to see where the next book Paper and Fire takes the series.
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Naomi Forrest (42 KP) rated City of Ghosts in Books
Dec 31, 2018 (Updated Dec 31, 2018)
I haven't read any Victoria Schwab before though I do have another of her books to read and I know that she is extremely popular, particularly for fans of the young adult genre. This book piqued my interest as a middle grade ghost story so when I found it at a gorgeous second hand book store in Alnwick, Northumberland (you trade your old books in for new ones, it is amazing!), I snapped it up.
Cass is a brilliant protagonist....she's weird, she knows she's weird and she embraces her weird. We live in a world of fashion rules and being told that being different is wrong, even now in 2018. To be the generic carbon copy makes you popular. As Cass says:
'I know you're supposed to want to be one of the popular kids....It just seems like it would be exhausting...Smile, but not too wide. Laugh, but not too loud.'
From this quote alone, you just know that Schwab understands pre-teens and teens. She has been there. Cass is a brilliant character to empower the intended audience and show them it's good to be different. The other big character in the book is Cass's best friend, Jacob, who often has amusing little retorts to Cass and adds humour throughout the book. Oh yes, and he's dead! Apart from this interesting fact and also that he saved Cass's life, the bond between the two is like any other friendship and I get the feeling we will see more of these characters. It is hinted at in the story that Jacob remaining in the world of the living may create problems so it raises a lot of questions about what is coming. I was constantly questioning throughout the book, where did Jacob come from? Did he die saving Cass? Why has he not crossed over? How can he come through the veil? The writing just flows so easily and is told through Cass's eyes. I'm not always the biggest fan of present tense writing in novel's but the use of first person really put me into Cass's world and I had to know about the veil! (I was also a big Ghost Whisperer fan).
This book also has one of my favourite things, a cute little map at the start. However, unlike the often fiction maps that enhance the story, this is Cassidy's map of Edinburgh, which is pretty awesome, especially as I know the places on it, living just an hour's train ride from the city. It shows the main places you would expect, as well as Blackwell's book shop (it is a good Blackwell's too, bigger than Newcastle!). I just love maps in books, I spend ages pouring over them and it really adds to the pictures in your mind.
Of course, being a ghost story, this novel is quite edgy for middle grade but absolutely age appropriate and Schwab is so skillful at pushing the tension right up before diffusing it at just the right point. I get scared even by some young adult ghost stories (no lie) and this one was borderline comfortable for me. The description perfectly set the scene and I truly felt like I was in a foggy graveyard in the dark, or underground in Mary King's Close. I love how Schwab drew on Scottish history and Scotland's love of ghost stories and seamlessly weaves them with the fiction of this ghost hunting American family. I think a lot of children who I come across and potentially across the country may have been to Edinburgh so it makes the story a little bit more accessible while the fantasy creates a boundary from it being too scary. Cass is also a big fan of Harry Potter and the frequent references throughout will really resonate with contemporary children who also love the series.
I loved this book and can't wait for what follows on. It is definitely an exciting addition to a class bookshelf for the ghost story lover but would be a gripping book to share with your class just for pleasure. Brimming with tension, spine tingling atmosphere and completely relevant to the modern day pre-teen, I recommend whole heartedly.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I would like to begin by saying one simple word, WOW. This book left me absolutely speechless to be honest. This book is a masterpiece and I’m absolutely in love with this author. This book begins quite calm, by looking for some properties in London and introducing the characters: then - Simon and Emma and now - Jane. It tells two stories at the same time, the action which happened three years ago and the action which is happening currently. I really enjoyed that there is not story from one person’s perspective but two characters are telling their story at the same time. All the main characters are really disturbed in this book and have their own problems which influenced their personalities. There is this taste of “fifty shades of Gray” in this book; just it doesn’t flatter the book unfortunately. I really liked the way characters where untangled while you flip the pages, the way their personalities unfolded. They were not boring, one thing what I would’ve liked, is more insight into Simon's and Edward's personalities and how do they think, I would’ve liked their perspective in the book. Even though the men in this book seemed like strong and demanding ones, in the end of the day I think the women were the strong ones and the most determined ones in this book.
I found the plot original and I loved all the twists and turns which were going on in the book. Every chapter had something happening and it didn’t leave me bored. The more you go into the book, the more plot thickens, the more twists happen and it really kept me hooked. I think it was really great, that the book talked about really important topics, and the psychological aspects of eating disorders, how parents feel after still birth, parents thought about disabled children or how minimalist sees world. I’m new to minimalism and just briefly checked on it, but after reading this book I’m confused if I really want to know more… I loved that the name “the girl before” had deeper meaning than only finding out Emma’s story, it felt way deeper than it looked. The book itself is easy to read and the writing style was not difficult. The chapters are quite short so it doesn’t drag along. I really loved the ending of the book, which concluded the book really nicely but at the same time left me questioning. So to conclude, even though a lot of reviewers bashed this book, I loved this twisted, fast paced and full of suspense and psychological labyrinths creation and I recommend to try it and decide for yourself.
I found the plot original and I loved all the twists and turns which were going on in the book. Every chapter had something happening and it didn’t leave me bored. The more you go into the book, the more plot thickens, the more twists happen and it really kept me hooked. I think it was really great, that the book talked about really important topics, and the psychological aspects of eating disorders, how parents feel after still birth, parents thought about disabled children or how minimalist sees world. I’m new to minimalism and just briefly checked on it, but after reading this book I’m confused if I really want to know more… I loved that the name “the girl before” had deeper meaning than only finding out Emma’s story, it felt way deeper than it looked. The book itself is easy to read and the writing style was not difficult. The chapters are quite short so it doesn’t drag along. I really loved the ending of the book, which concluded the book really nicely but at the same time left me questioning. So to conclude, even though a lot of reviewers bashed this book, I loved this twisted, fast paced and full of suspense and psychological labyrinths creation and I recommend to try it and decide for yourself.
Merissa (13068 KP) rated Alpha's Fake Wife by Maria Warren in Books
Jun 23, 2022
ALPHA'S FAKE WIFE is the first book in a series that really does show potential but, unfortunately for me, I just didn't feel as though it lived up to that potential as it stands right now.
It is a slow-burn Reverse Harem romance with a mystery/romantic suspense element to it as someone is drugging and assaulting females in Drew's pack.
Our main female, Laura, is brought to a party by her not-so-likeable best friend, Brandon, before he abandons her for other women. After he leaves her, she is handed a drink, drinks it, is immediately drugged, and starts to be led away. She is able to free herself but feels ill - which is how she meets Drew. Lance is Drew's half-brother who acts completely out of character when he throws a party for the pack to celebrate the new Luna - even though he is only tolerated by most of them, and actually prefers to stay out of the limelight. Lance meets Laura the same night and mistakes her for one of Drew's usual floozies. We don't meet Xavier until about halfway through (or so it felt) although he is supposed to be Drew's bodyguard! I am told about these four having a connection - or rather, three having a connection to Laura, and her to the three - but I never see or feel it.
There are situations and circumstances left unexplained in here that, although may be explained in future books, could have done with at least something to be going on with. For example, what is with the intense dislike of cherries? There are some fruits I don't like, but hers is crazy. And seriously, if you've got someone going around assaulting women, stop going out by yourself when you've been asked not to (unless it's for a bloody good reason which none of hers were). And how many times are you going to be on the receiving end of a drugged drink and be able to pass it off as a mistake?
There are a couple of Not-So-Big Bads here that didn't come as a surprise at all, but there are clues given to a Big Bad called The Alchemist who I guess will be the overall story arc going forward.
If this book went through a severe editing process, dropped a few thousand unnecessary words, tightened up the story as a whole, made a connection between the characters, and made said characters more relatable, then I would continue with it, but as it stands, I won't be reading this series any further.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
It is a slow-burn Reverse Harem romance with a mystery/romantic suspense element to it as someone is drugging and assaulting females in Drew's pack.
Our main female, Laura, is brought to a party by her not-so-likeable best friend, Brandon, before he abandons her for other women. After he leaves her, she is handed a drink, drinks it, is immediately drugged, and starts to be led away. She is able to free herself but feels ill - which is how she meets Drew. Lance is Drew's half-brother who acts completely out of character when he throws a party for the pack to celebrate the new Luna - even though he is only tolerated by most of them, and actually prefers to stay out of the limelight. Lance meets Laura the same night and mistakes her for one of Drew's usual floozies. We don't meet Xavier until about halfway through (or so it felt) although he is supposed to be Drew's bodyguard! I am told about these four having a connection - or rather, three having a connection to Laura, and her to the three - but I never see or feel it.
There are situations and circumstances left unexplained in here that, although may be explained in future books, could have done with at least something to be going on with. For example, what is with the intense dislike of cherries? There are some fruits I don't like, but hers is crazy. And seriously, if you've got someone going around assaulting women, stop going out by yourself when you've been asked not to (unless it's for a bloody good reason which none of hers were). And how many times are you going to be on the receiving end of a drugged drink and be able to pass it off as a mistake?
There are a couple of Not-So-Big Bads here that didn't come as a surprise at all, but there are clues given to a Big Bad called The Alchemist who I guess will be the overall story arc going forward.
If this book went through a severe editing process, dropped a few thousand unnecessary words, tightened up the story as a whole, made a connection between the characters, and made said characters more relatable, then I would continue with it, but as it stands, I won't be reading this series any further.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Paris for One and Other Stories in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I don’t remember when the last time I read a collection of short stories, but I had to try this one. I have to tell you, it was quite entertaining and attractive. In the book I received, there were eleven short stories, in other publications there might be only nine. I never tried to write a review for short stories, so don’t really know how to do it. I will begin by trying my best to share a short description of each of them.
Paris for One: When reliable Nell is tricked by her boyfriend, and ends up in Paris by herself she is shocked at the beginning. Strange place with no language knowledge makes her stressed at the beginning, but she finds herself, new love, and new adventures during this weekend stay in Paris.
Between the Tweets: When a person named Becca, accuses a known person of cheating on his wife, on twitter, Frank is hired to find out who Becca is. But he is really surprised when he finds out who this girl is, and it brings even bigger twist in the story.
Love in the Afternoon: When the couple, who is exhausted from daily family life, decide to spend a weekend for two in the hotel, they notice, that they actually forgot how to be alone. So, they need to learn it again.
A Bird in the Hand: When Beth and her husband go to a friend’s party, she suddenly meets a man with whom she had an affair. There has been years since they seen each other, but they find out why they fell apart in the first place. Now, Beth has another difficult decision to make.
Crocodile Shoes: When Sam’s gym bag gets mixed up with a rich lady’s one, all she finds in it is a pair of crocodile leather shoes. She doesn’t have any option but to wear them, and it turns her ordinary life around.
Holdups: The Jewellery shop where Alice was working is being robbed by burglars. If there were three according to the owner, why there were only two according to Alice? Mini detective story with unexpected twist.
Honeymoon in Paris: This story is one of my favourites in this book. There are two stories which are happening in Paris. One happens in 2012 and another one in 1912. Latest story is about a couple on honeymoon, where the groom chooses work over his Mrs. The second story is about a newlywed couple, where wife’s mind gets poisoned by an evil woman. These two stories cross each other and shows, that true love always wins.
Last Year's Coat: Evie desperately needs a new coat, but the one she likes cost fortune, and their family can’t afford it. All you need to do is really wish for something, and in some way it will reach you.
Thirteen Days with John C.: One day Miranda finds a phone. Suddenly she starts getting texts from John. She gets very intrigued, even though she is married; she still decides to meet him. The meeting goes not the way she expected it to go, so in the end she has to take some decisions.
Margot: When Em gets stranded in the airport due to delayed flight, she meets this old lady Margot. They spend some quality time together at the airport, and after that go different ways. Only after a while, Em figures out why Margot lives her life to the fullest.
The Christmas List: While running around London for that perfect Christmas dinner with the in law’s, Chrissie ends up in a black taxi. While talking with the driver, she realises, that pleasing needy in law’s, who doesn’t like her, is not what she wants to do this season. And she takes an impulsive decision instead, which might change her life.
All the stories in this book are really different, but at the same time similar. Some of them are about love, some of them about family, others, about making those hard decisions of who you really are. Most of the stories have an interesting twist at the end, or as I call it “the right thing to do” action. Even if the situation is not the best one, there is still that action to take, to make it right for everybody. I enjoyed the variety of characters used in this book, that doesn’t make it boring and keeps interest going. I tend to believe, that author has great love for Paris, as some of the plots are set in the city of lights. My most favourite were “Paris for one” and “Honeymoon in Paris”, they were the longest ones, and for me, the most interesting ones. It is a very easy read. The writing style used in this book is easy and understandable; the stories are not dragging, so it is lovely one sitting read. I really enjoyed the topics author was discussing in this book, she found those little day to day problems, and showed possible solutions to them. I enjoyed this book, and if you looking for something light and entertaining but with great meaning to read, give it a try.
Paris for One: When reliable Nell is tricked by her boyfriend, and ends up in Paris by herself she is shocked at the beginning. Strange place with no language knowledge makes her stressed at the beginning, but she finds herself, new love, and new adventures during this weekend stay in Paris.
Between the Tweets: When a person named Becca, accuses a known person of cheating on his wife, on twitter, Frank is hired to find out who Becca is. But he is really surprised when he finds out who this girl is, and it brings even bigger twist in the story.
Love in the Afternoon: When the couple, who is exhausted from daily family life, decide to spend a weekend for two in the hotel, they notice, that they actually forgot how to be alone. So, they need to learn it again.
A Bird in the Hand: When Beth and her husband go to a friend’s party, she suddenly meets a man with whom she had an affair. There has been years since they seen each other, but they find out why they fell apart in the first place. Now, Beth has another difficult decision to make.
Crocodile Shoes: When Sam’s gym bag gets mixed up with a rich lady’s one, all she finds in it is a pair of crocodile leather shoes. She doesn’t have any option but to wear them, and it turns her ordinary life around.
Holdups: The Jewellery shop where Alice was working is being robbed by burglars. If there were three according to the owner, why there were only two according to Alice? Mini detective story with unexpected twist.
Honeymoon in Paris: This story is one of my favourites in this book. There are two stories which are happening in Paris. One happens in 2012 and another one in 1912. Latest story is about a couple on honeymoon, where the groom chooses work over his Mrs. The second story is about a newlywed couple, where wife’s mind gets poisoned by an evil woman. These two stories cross each other and shows, that true love always wins.
Last Year's Coat: Evie desperately needs a new coat, but the one she likes cost fortune, and their family can’t afford it. All you need to do is really wish for something, and in some way it will reach you.
Thirteen Days with John C.: One day Miranda finds a phone. Suddenly she starts getting texts from John. She gets very intrigued, even though she is married; she still decides to meet him. The meeting goes not the way she expected it to go, so in the end she has to take some decisions.
Margot: When Em gets stranded in the airport due to delayed flight, she meets this old lady Margot. They spend some quality time together at the airport, and after that go different ways. Only after a while, Em figures out why Margot lives her life to the fullest.
The Christmas List: While running around London for that perfect Christmas dinner with the in law’s, Chrissie ends up in a black taxi. While talking with the driver, she realises, that pleasing needy in law’s, who doesn’t like her, is not what she wants to do this season. And she takes an impulsive decision instead, which might change her life.
All the stories in this book are really different, but at the same time similar. Some of them are about love, some of them about family, others, about making those hard decisions of who you really are. Most of the stories have an interesting twist at the end, or as I call it “the right thing to do” action. Even if the situation is not the best one, there is still that action to take, to make it right for everybody. I enjoyed the variety of characters used in this book, that doesn’t make it boring and keeps interest going. I tend to believe, that author has great love for Paris, as some of the plots are set in the city of lights. My most favourite were “Paris for one” and “Honeymoon in Paris”, they were the longest ones, and for me, the most interesting ones. It is a very easy read. The writing style used in this book is easy and understandable; the stories are not dragging, so it is lovely one sitting read. I really enjoyed the topics author was discussing in this book, she found those little day to day problems, and showed possible solutions to them. I enjoyed this book, and if you looking for something light and entertaining but with great meaning to read, give it a try.
Louise (64 KP) rated The Painted Ocean in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher Corsair in exchange for an honest review*
This is another one of my books that I read for #Beatthebacklist 2017 challenge, most of these books are Netgalley books that I have not managed to get around to reading….sorry Netgalley.
Oh I don’t know where to begin with this book,I was very apprehensive about reading it as the rating on Goodreads is 2.86 which is pretty low and only saw a handful of 5 star reviews. I didn’t read any reviews beforehand as I wanted to go in with an open mind.
This is Gabriel Packards debut novel and is definitely an interesting read but unsure of what genre this would fall under as it’s a story of this Indian girls life and just how awful it is.
‘The Painted Ocean’ is told from the perspective of Shruti, her father has just upped and left, disgracing her mother according to her uncle and the rest of the family. With little money and her mother unable to speak English life becomes difficult for Shruti, especially when her Uncle is arranging for her Mother to return to India to marry. Shruti will not be moving to India with her mother as her existence will ruin her mothers chances of marriage, however when Shruti mentions to the headmistress that her uncle has threatening her she finds herself in the care system and her mother abandons her. Shruti’s life sucks, she is now in the care system and being bullied by other kids at her school as she is the only Indian girl until Meena arrives. Meena is also Indian,but she has this way with words and people and gets everything she wants. Shruti clings to Meena as she has shown her kindness and becomes her friend…but is she really her friend?
The book follows Shruti from eleven years old to when she is an adult but I felt the writing didn’t progress as her age did. There were lots of ‘Like’ and ‘Cos’ in the writing that I felt was overly used and got quite annoying in the end and she would even use this terminology when she was an adult.
All the characters were unlikable, we had her mother that abandoned her though she didn’t leave for India for ages. Her Uncle was horrible and made sure she knew that she was unwanted and then there was Meena who had the gift of the gab but just used Shruti and would only be her friend when it was convenient for her.
I found the plot of this to be really unrealistic especially towards the end, everything just conveniently happened and some parts I thought were too strung out.
The story kept me interested and was easy to read but the writing style was not for me and I just found it to be unrealistic. This is definitely a book that you will love or hate.
I rated this book 2 out of 5 stars.
This is another one of my books that I read for #Beatthebacklist 2017 challenge, most of these books are Netgalley books that I have not managed to get around to reading….sorry Netgalley.
Oh I don’t know where to begin with this book,I was very apprehensive about reading it as the rating on Goodreads is 2.86 which is pretty low and only saw a handful of 5 star reviews. I didn’t read any reviews beforehand as I wanted to go in with an open mind.
This is Gabriel Packards debut novel and is definitely an interesting read but unsure of what genre this would fall under as it’s a story of this Indian girls life and just how awful it is.
‘The Painted Ocean’ is told from the perspective of Shruti, her father has just upped and left, disgracing her mother according to her uncle and the rest of the family. With little money and her mother unable to speak English life becomes difficult for Shruti, especially when her Uncle is arranging for her Mother to return to India to marry. Shruti will not be moving to India with her mother as her existence will ruin her mothers chances of marriage, however when Shruti mentions to the headmistress that her uncle has threatening her she finds herself in the care system and her mother abandons her. Shruti’s life sucks, she is now in the care system and being bullied by other kids at her school as she is the only Indian girl until Meena arrives. Meena is also Indian,but she has this way with words and people and gets everything she wants. Shruti clings to Meena as she has shown her kindness and becomes her friend…but is she really her friend?
The book follows Shruti from eleven years old to when she is an adult but I felt the writing didn’t progress as her age did. There were lots of ‘Like’ and ‘Cos’ in the writing that I felt was overly used and got quite annoying in the end and she would even use this terminology when she was an adult.
All the characters were unlikable, we had her mother that abandoned her though she didn’t leave for India for ages. Her Uncle was horrible and made sure she knew that she was unwanted and then there was Meena who had the gift of the gab but just used Shruti and would only be her friend when it was convenient for her.
I found the plot of this to be really unrealistic especially towards the end, everything just conveniently happened and some parts I thought were too strung out.
The story kept me interested and was easy to read but the writing style was not for me and I just found it to be unrealistic. This is definitely a book that you will love or hate.
I rated this book 2 out of 5 stars.
honingwords (32 KP) rated Alias in Books
Jul 5, 2018
I’ve never read a book by Cari Hunter that I haven't loved and Alias lived up to my high expectations.
I’ve never read a book by Cari Hunter that I haven't loved and Alias lived up to my high expectations. It became available to me soon after I finished the third of her Dark Peaks trilogy so I was able to fangirl-mode right into it.
It is an absolute joy to read Cari Hunter’s books. I’m so thankful I have stumbled across her at the point where there have been a few books to binge on. It is no secret that I think she is one of the finest authors currently, and she has re-awakened my interest in crime thrillers after many years of reading solely romances. It’s a bonus that she is writing novels about regional parts of the UK.
Alias is written in the first person through-out, which is different to her other books and I found this quite refreshing.
The plot starts off with a car crash on a Welsh country road. The woman driver finds herself alive, confused as to who the dead woman beside her is, and then frustrated she doesn’t remember anything about herself, including her name, or why she was driving through Wales.
The opening scene brought tears to my eyes when I realised a great writer was going to be looking after the next few hours of my reading pleasure.
The local Police spend their time trying to work out if she should be prosecuted and she decides to keep tight-lipped about the small pieces of information that start to come back to her through her fugue while she is hospitalised, and then for the short while after she is released.
The rest of the book is about her finding out whether she is a goody or a baddy; whether she should trust Detective Bronwen Pryce, or, in fact, any of the other characters who tell her they are friends and colleagues. Cari makes us wonder about everyone until the very end of the novel.
The details! The details! Cari just loads her pages with perfect details about what is happening to the characters. There is never anything to stutter over. I never have to read a sentence twice because I didn’t understand it, or lose track of the easy-going flow.
I had to note the parts which made me beam during this book so I could re-read them at leisure. That’s it! Cari Hunter makes me beam while reading her books.
Her character’s legs are ‘wobblier than watered-down jelly’, they find ‘novelty of two cooperating lungs’, their ‘fingers poke out’ (from her splint) ‘as fat as unpopped sausages.’
Cari doesn’t simply give her characters goose pimples - they ‘tickle as they rise along her arm.’ They use ‘the painted numbers on the wheelie bins to gauge’ their progress down the street. When they eat they try ‘at first to isolate flavours and then giving up and simply enjoy the mix.’ Their stomach doesn’t just rumble; eating silences their ‘gastric percussion and leaves them with a stitch to walk off.’ The weather isn't cold, it is ‘brittle cold.’
The amnesia aspect had me in tears at points. There are people who possibly may no longer be alive and when she meets her friend for the ‘first time’ I became quite emotional.
As per her other books Cari has humorous moments throughout Alias.
The character is ‘sure that my choice of forget-me-nots wasn’t intended to be ironic.’ And there is a car-buying scene which make me laugh out loud.
There is no CSI Effect in this book. Some blood testing will be ‘four to five weeks at best’ rather than the four to five hours it can sometimes be in fiction.
I’m really sorry to learn there are no plans to take these characters further. Cari writes well-rounded characters with believable back stories and I would have loved to have seen a couple of the ones in this book teased out a little more in at least one sequel.
Don’t be picking this book up if you are looking for bodice-ripping sex. It just isn't there. Part of me cries out for more than Cari usually offers us, the part of me which craves romances. Holy Crap! She can sure write sex when she wants to but, people, this. is. a. crime. novel.
She could have put more sex in, but then it wouldn’t be true to itself, she wouldn’t be true to herself, and the novel would suffer for reader-driven gratuitous sex scenes which aren’t necessary to the plot.
If you would like recommendations for that kind of book let me know and I’ll introduce you to different genres and different authors.
For now, sit back and enjoy good down-to-earth well-written crime fiction.
It is an absolute joy to read Cari Hunter’s books. I’m so thankful I have stumbled across her at the point where there have been a few books to binge on. It is no secret that I think she is one of the finest authors currently, and she has re-awakened my interest in crime thrillers after many years of reading solely romances. It’s a bonus that she is writing novels about regional parts of the UK.
Alias is written in the first person through-out, which is different to her other books and I found this quite refreshing.
The plot starts off with a car crash on a Welsh country road. The woman driver finds herself alive, confused as to who the dead woman beside her is, and then frustrated she doesn’t remember anything about herself, including her name, or why she was driving through Wales.
The opening scene brought tears to my eyes when I realised a great writer was going to be looking after the next few hours of my reading pleasure.
The local Police spend their time trying to work out if she should be prosecuted and she decides to keep tight-lipped about the small pieces of information that start to come back to her through her fugue while she is hospitalised, and then for the short while after she is released.
The rest of the book is about her finding out whether she is a goody or a baddy; whether she should trust Detective Bronwen Pryce, or, in fact, any of the other characters who tell her they are friends and colleagues. Cari makes us wonder about everyone until the very end of the novel.
The details! The details! Cari just loads her pages with perfect details about what is happening to the characters. There is never anything to stutter over. I never have to read a sentence twice because I didn’t understand it, or lose track of the easy-going flow.
I had to note the parts which made me beam during this book so I could re-read them at leisure. That’s it! Cari Hunter makes me beam while reading her books.
Her character’s legs are ‘wobblier than watered-down jelly’, they find ‘novelty of two cooperating lungs’, their ‘fingers poke out’ (from her splint) ‘as fat as unpopped sausages.’
Cari doesn’t simply give her characters goose pimples - they ‘tickle as they rise along her arm.’ They use ‘the painted numbers on the wheelie bins to gauge’ their progress down the street. When they eat they try ‘at first to isolate flavours and then giving up and simply enjoy the mix.’ Their stomach doesn’t just rumble; eating silences their ‘gastric percussion and leaves them with a stitch to walk off.’ The weather isn't cold, it is ‘brittle cold.’
The amnesia aspect had me in tears at points. There are people who possibly may no longer be alive and when she meets her friend for the ‘first time’ I became quite emotional.
As per her other books Cari has humorous moments throughout Alias.
The character is ‘sure that my choice of forget-me-nots wasn’t intended to be ironic.’ And there is a car-buying scene which make me laugh out loud.
There is no CSI Effect in this book. Some blood testing will be ‘four to five weeks at best’ rather than the four to five hours it can sometimes be in fiction.
I’m really sorry to learn there are no plans to take these characters further. Cari writes well-rounded characters with believable back stories and I would have loved to have seen a couple of the ones in this book teased out a little more in at least one sequel.
Don’t be picking this book up if you are looking for bodice-ripping sex. It just isn't there. Part of me cries out for more than Cari usually offers us, the part of me which craves romances. Holy Crap! She can sure write sex when she wants to but, people, this. is. a. crime. novel.
She could have put more sex in, but then it wouldn’t be true to itself, she wouldn’t be true to herself, and the novel would suffer for reader-driven gratuitous sex scenes which aren’t necessary to the plot.
If you would like recommendations for that kind of book let me know and I’ll introduce you to different genres and different authors.
For now, sit back and enjoy good down-to-earth well-written crime fiction.
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