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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Body in the Woods (Point Last Seen, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I think I'm reading books too fast for the following reasons:
~ It was spring break. I probably got cabin fever. 101°F most likely
~ It was short, compared to a lot of other books I typically really, which are usually 350+
~ It really was action-packed and suspenseful
The last part is a fact, and to my embarrassment, I didn't realize April Henry was the exact same author who wrote Girl, Stolen which I actually loved (I forgot if it was Book Battle, Truman Readers Award Nominee, or both). Or maybe I just forgot who the author was. Whoops.
The Body in the Woods follows multiple perspectives Alexis, Nick, Ruby, and why yes, the murderer on the occasional basis of creepiness. e_e *ominous music* Alexis' is someone who doesn't let others become close to her (sounds like me) and has a delusional mother who hates her medication, Nick had no father figure for most of his life and tries getting attention just to fit in, and Ruby has interests no one else seems to understand. But while all of that is true, there seems to be one thing in common between the three: they're odd and simply want to fit in with the world.
All three are part of Portland's Search and Rescue, which is actually mainly made up of teen volunteers who search for missing people. While on the search for a missing man in Forest Park no, not the one in Missouri where the Muny is at they end up finding a girl... dead.
The multiple POVs actually had a handy advantage: it pretty much kept me at the edge of my seat. A chapter ends at a suspenseful part, I turn the page in hopes of finding out what happens and I end up with a different person entirely. Unfortunately though... there were these random POVs from other people that just seem to pop out of nowhere and proved to be a bit of a distraction from the main 4.
Well written and page turning, The Body in the Woods reminded me of CSI from a witnesses' and murderer's point of view instead of law enforcement. Not bad for April Henry's latest novel, even if I only read one other book. It'll be great for mystery peeps though!
-----------------
ARC copy provided by publisher
Original review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-the-body-in-the-woods-by-april-henry.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
~ It was spring break. I probably got cabin fever. 101°F most likely
~ It was short, compared to a lot of other books I typically really, which are usually 350+
~ It really was action-packed and suspenseful
The last part is a fact, and to my embarrassment, I didn't realize April Henry was the exact same author who wrote Girl, Stolen which I actually loved (I forgot if it was Book Battle, Truman Readers Award Nominee, or both). Or maybe I just forgot who the author was. Whoops.
The Body in the Woods follows multiple perspectives Alexis, Nick, Ruby, and why yes, the murderer on the occasional basis of creepiness. e_e *ominous music* Alexis' is someone who doesn't let others become close to her (sounds like me) and has a delusional mother who hates her medication, Nick had no father figure for most of his life and tries getting attention just to fit in, and Ruby has interests no one else seems to understand. But while all of that is true, there seems to be one thing in common between the three: they're odd and simply want to fit in with the world.
All three are part of Portland's Search and Rescue, which is actually mainly made up of teen volunteers who search for missing people. While on the search for a missing man in Forest Park no, not the one in Missouri where the Muny is at they end up finding a girl... dead.
The multiple POVs actually had a handy advantage: it pretty much kept me at the edge of my seat. A chapter ends at a suspenseful part, I turn the page in hopes of finding out what happens and I end up with a different person entirely. Unfortunately though... there were these random POVs from other people that just seem to pop out of nowhere and proved to be a bit of a distraction from the main 4.
Well written and page turning, The Body in the Woods reminded me of CSI from a witnesses' and murderer's point of view instead of law enforcement. Not bad for April Henry's latest novel, even if I only read one other book. It'll be great for mystery peeps though!
-----------------
ARC copy provided by publisher
Original review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-the-body-in-the-woods-by-april-henry.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; /></a>
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated I'm Lost I'm Lost in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Im Lost Im Lost by Ruth Passmore is a little bit on the misleading side. The cover of this book depicts animals and a train. Potential readers should be aware that although the front cover depicts a train the book has absolutely nothing to do with them (a big disappointment to my two-year-old who loves trains). I know you should never judge a book by its cover by a childrens book may not be the best idea to practice that idea. At the same time, this is a counting book and aside from the numbers on the train cars, the front cover does not hint at this at all, although the back of the book dose.
Baby animals are lost and trying to find their way home in this short counting book. Readers start with a classical animal issue, a cat stuck in a tree. With the aid of very simple illustrations, readers are introduced to nine other animal species, ending with ten baby kangaroos.
What I liked best it that the idea behind this book is great. Counting is a fundamental skill that all children must learn and this book does so in a fun way. Children frequently have a fascination with animals and this book mixes animals with learning in a way children would not notice. The repetitive pattern is also nice for children. What I did not like is that some of the choices in animal types are questionable as they could be difficult for young children to read such as tortoises, hedgehogs, and kangaroos. Also on six out of ten pages, a specific number of animals is given but technically it is wrong. For example page, one says there is one cat stuck and a friend (witch according to the picture is also a cat) helps it, the same issue arises on multiple pages (page three has four fish on it not just the three that are lost). This is very confusing to young children.
Toddlers and their parents are the target readers for this book. Parents will enjoy reading this counting book to their young children. Young readers will enjoy the repetitive pattern of the story. The names of some animals may prove difficult to some young readers and they may need help if reading it on their own. I give this book a 1 out of 2 rating. Although a cute book, I would not necessarily recommend it as an educational book. While there is nothing wrong with the text, the illustrations could be confusing when it comes to counting.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
Baby animals are lost and trying to find their way home in this short counting book. Readers start with a classical animal issue, a cat stuck in a tree. With the aid of very simple illustrations, readers are introduced to nine other animal species, ending with ten baby kangaroos.
What I liked best it that the idea behind this book is great. Counting is a fundamental skill that all children must learn and this book does so in a fun way. Children frequently have a fascination with animals and this book mixes animals with learning in a way children would not notice. The repetitive pattern is also nice for children. What I did not like is that some of the choices in animal types are questionable as they could be difficult for young children to read such as tortoises, hedgehogs, and kangaroos. Also on six out of ten pages, a specific number of animals is given but technically it is wrong. For example page, one says there is one cat stuck and a friend (witch according to the picture is also a cat) helps it, the same issue arises on multiple pages (page three has four fish on it not just the three that are lost). This is very confusing to young children.
Toddlers and their parents are the target readers for this book. Parents will enjoy reading this counting book to their young children. Young readers will enjoy the repetitive pattern of the story. The names of some animals may prove difficult to some young readers and they may need help if reading it on their own. I give this book a 1 out of 2 rating. Although a cute book, I would not necessarily recommend it as an educational book. While there is nothing wrong with the text, the illustrations could be confusing when it comes to counting.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Penpal in Books
May 12, 2021
I love books that keep you guessing throughout the story. When I heard about Penpal by Dathan Auerbach through a Facebook group I'm in, it sounded right up my alley. However, I was left with so many questions after finishing the book.
The premise for the plot of Penpal is an interesting one. I liked how Auerbach uses the narrator's memories to lead us up to big reveal of what the horrible thing is. However, the execution of this is where it falls short. The memories are out of chronological order which makes things confusing. There were times where I had to really think about what I was reading and try to place it before or after another memory I had read about. Putting the memories in chronological order would have really benefitted this book much better. I will say the pacing was great for Penpal though. I did find myself wanting to know what would happen. The suspense throughout was fantastic! However, I felt the ending was a bit anti-climatic considering all that had happened. By the ending, I was left feeling so confused! I can't really say too much, but there were some things that just didn't make sense. Some of my questions were answered by scouring the internet for answers, but many of my questions about the book went unanswered. I also noticed many had the same questions I had. On the plus side, there were no cliff hangers.
While the narrator and his best friend felt fairly fleshed out, I felt that the author missed their voice when they were children. I just felt that that when they were kids, they would not be talking or acting the way they did. I also felt that the parents needed to keep an eye on their children better! The narrator is never named which I think helps with the suspense of this book. I did like the characters and empathized with the narrator, but as I've stated previously, the author really needed to work on the voice of his characters as children to give them a more realistic feel.
Trigger warnings for Penpal include death, attempted murder, some profanity, implied pedophilia, violence, and kidnapping.
Overall, Penpal is a confusing book, but I did enjoy the writing style. With some rewriting, this book could be really good and even have the potential to be a great idea for a film. I'd recommend Penpal by Dathan Auerbach to those 16+ who like to figure things out on their own, but be prepared to be left with many questions after you've finished reading it.
The premise for the plot of Penpal is an interesting one. I liked how Auerbach uses the narrator's memories to lead us up to big reveal of what the horrible thing is. However, the execution of this is where it falls short. The memories are out of chronological order which makes things confusing. There were times where I had to really think about what I was reading and try to place it before or after another memory I had read about. Putting the memories in chronological order would have really benefitted this book much better. I will say the pacing was great for Penpal though. I did find myself wanting to know what would happen. The suspense throughout was fantastic! However, I felt the ending was a bit anti-climatic considering all that had happened. By the ending, I was left feeling so confused! I can't really say too much, but there were some things that just didn't make sense. Some of my questions were answered by scouring the internet for answers, but many of my questions about the book went unanswered. I also noticed many had the same questions I had. On the plus side, there were no cliff hangers.
While the narrator and his best friend felt fairly fleshed out, I felt that the author missed their voice when they were children. I just felt that that when they were kids, they would not be talking or acting the way they did. I also felt that the parents needed to keep an eye on their children better! The narrator is never named which I think helps with the suspense of this book. I did like the characters and empathized with the narrator, but as I've stated previously, the author really needed to work on the voice of his characters as children to give them a more realistic feel.
Trigger warnings for Penpal include death, attempted murder, some profanity, implied pedophilia, violence, and kidnapping.
Overall, Penpal is a confusing book, but I did enjoy the writing style. With some rewriting, this book could be really good and even have the potential to be a great idea for a film. I'd recommend Penpal by Dathan Auerbach to those 16+ who like to figure things out on their own, but be prepared to be left with many questions after you've finished reading it.
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated Star Saga in Tabletop Games
Feb 22, 2021
Dozens of miniatures (3 more)
Great detail
Great looking system
Customisable and adaptable
A couple of miniatures are slightly too flexible (minor damage) (1 more)
Limited replayability without going "alone"
Initial impressions and first play
I managed to pick up a copy of Star Saga by Mantic, initially because I wanted the accessories more than the game.
I opened the box and was blown away by the quality and quantity of the miniatures as well as the accessories. We are talking dozens of characters with great sculpts, as well as the doors and consoles etc which look fantastic (and to get these alone is a significant cost). Additionally, you get a couple of dozen deck tiles, which are perfect for many sci fi miniatures games, and can be used separately to the in-box missions, if you wanted to go it alone/freestyle for other players.
I watched one of the Play Through videos on YouTube, and decided to try it myself. The rules are pretty clear and easy to follow, and it does help that the first 2-3 suggested moves are spelled out in the rulebook.
The first mission is a 1-2 player mission; you can literally play the game on your own, and there is enough flex in the Nexus (read- GM) cards to give an unknown quality to the game. Controlling one Character only, it is fully meant to get you used to the game.
First time I played, I rolled poorly (with 4 dice, usually failing to hit, or having my hits blocked by armour/scenery) and eventually got swamped by lesser minions. The second time I tried it, I managed to get through to the objective and complete it; having said that, the first loss was still useful as it meant I could see what impact damage and wounds had on the character.
The second mission is a larger mission, controlling several characters with different rules, with locked doors and more enemies - the rulebook also suggest if you have 2 copies of the game, to play the 1st and 2nd missions at the same time - although I actually think there is enough pieces to play the 2 together from the one box with minimal adjustment (maybe a slightly shorter corridor, for example).
In short, although it doesn't have the same "freeflow" as something like the old gem Warhammer Quest, it is close, and is a great sci fi dungeon crawler. There are also lots of expansions, but I need to defeat these bad guys first...
I opened the box and was blown away by the quality and quantity of the miniatures as well as the accessories. We are talking dozens of characters with great sculpts, as well as the doors and consoles etc which look fantastic (and to get these alone is a significant cost). Additionally, you get a couple of dozen deck tiles, which are perfect for many sci fi miniatures games, and can be used separately to the in-box missions, if you wanted to go it alone/freestyle for other players.
I watched one of the Play Through videos on YouTube, and decided to try it myself. The rules are pretty clear and easy to follow, and it does help that the first 2-3 suggested moves are spelled out in the rulebook.
The first mission is a 1-2 player mission; you can literally play the game on your own, and there is enough flex in the Nexus (read- GM) cards to give an unknown quality to the game. Controlling one Character only, it is fully meant to get you used to the game.
First time I played, I rolled poorly (with 4 dice, usually failing to hit, or having my hits blocked by armour/scenery) and eventually got swamped by lesser minions. The second time I tried it, I managed to get through to the objective and complete it; having said that, the first loss was still useful as it meant I could see what impact damage and wounds had on the character.
The second mission is a larger mission, controlling several characters with different rules, with locked doors and more enemies - the rulebook also suggest if you have 2 copies of the game, to play the 1st and 2nd missions at the same time - although I actually think there is enough pieces to play the 2 together from the one box with minimal adjustment (maybe a slightly shorter corridor, for example).
In short, although it doesn't have the same "freeflow" as something like the old gem Warhammer Quest, it is close, and is a great sci fi dungeon crawler. There are also lots of expansions, but I need to defeat these bad guys first...
Debbiereadsbook (1554 KP) rated When Darkness Turns to Light (Dark River Stone Collective #2) in Books
Jun 18, 2021
I'm not ready for you to leave. . . .me!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Dark River Stone Collective series, and I STRONGLY urge you to read book one, The Light Beneath The Dark, before this one. There is much referenced in this book that refers to that book, and not all is fully recapped.
I enjoyed book one, I gave it 4 stars, but THIS book far surpasses that one! A single line broke me.
“I’m not ready for you to leave....me” Sid says to Toad. At this point in the book, this is the closest Sid comes to admitting his feelings out loud and that man, oh that man!
Neither of these guys had a stellar upbringing, they are bad in very different ways. But you don’t get it all in one go, it comes out in snippets and little comments dropped here and there, and putting it all together takes time. During this time, Toad’s past comes back to haunt him and Sid? Well, let face it, Sid was all in from Toad right from the start, he just needed his head to catch up with his heart.
What I loved about these two is the fight they put up! The fight against how they feel, how they think they should act and the fight against that past of Toad’s.
The MC activities are more front and centre here, than in book one. Linc is still trying to bring things around but some things need dealing with in the old manner. Mason helps with some of it, doing things all legal . .ish. . .but some things won’t be sorted that way.
It’s heavy on the emotions, these guys don’t think they deserve to be happy, or loved. It’s heavy on the steam! Oh yes ma’am! Heat wave outside ain’t a touch on these two when they get going! There is violence, but dealing with kidnappers, torture and blackmail is not ever gonna be a picnic in the park, now is it? But I think here, that violence is totally needed to get the point across.
Loved what Toad does at the end! That was so cool!
I’m NOT a rereader, but I am fairly certain at some point I WILL be reading this again. I loved these guys! I know this review is short, but if I go on too much, I’ll start to give it all away, and I don’t want to spoil Toad and Sid for you!
5 stars, but more if I could!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 2 in the Dark River Stone Collective series, and I STRONGLY urge you to read book one, The Light Beneath The Dark, before this one. There is much referenced in this book that refers to that book, and not all is fully recapped.
I enjoyed book one, I gave it 4 stars, but THIS book far surpasses that one! A single line broke me.
“I’m not ready for you to leave....me” Sid says to Toad. At this point in the book, this is the closest Sid comes to admitting his feelings out loud and that man, oh that man!
Neither of these guys had a stellar upbringing, they are bad in very different ways. But you don’t get it all in one go, it comes out in snippets and little comments dropped here and there, and putting it all together takes time. During this time, Toad’s past comes back to haunt him and Sid? Well, let face it, Sid was all in from Toad right from the start, he just needed his head to catch up with his heart.
What I loved about these two is the fight they put up! The fight against how they feel, how they think they should act and the fight against that past of Toad’s.
The MC activities are more front and centre here, than in book one. Linc is still trying to bring things around but some things need dealing with in the old manner. Mason helps with some of it, doing things all legal . .ish. . .but some things won’t be sorted that way.
It’s heavy on the emotions, these guys don’t think they deserve to be happy, or loved. It’s heavy on the steam! Oh yes ma’am! Heat wave outside ain’t a touch on these two when they get going! There is violence, but dealing with kidnappers, torture and blackmail is not ever gonna be a picnic in the park, now is it? But I think here, that violence is totally needed to get the point across.
Loved what Toad does at the end! That was so cool!
I’m NOT a rereader, but I am fairly certain at some point I WILL be reading this again. I loved these guys! I know this review is short, but if I go on too much, I’ll start to give it all away, and I don’t want to spoil Toad and Sid for you!
5 stars, but more if I could!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Snow Angel in Books
Sep 24, 2020
It tells a story of 11-year-old girl Makena, who lives in Nairobi, Kenya. Her parents died because of a cruel disease, leaving Makena an orphan. Due to some events, she ends up in the slum, where she meets her one true friend Snow.
I really enjoyed this book and its complex characters. The protagonist in this novel is Makena. She is a very smart person for an eleven-year-old. Her thoughts about life, survival and friendship were so inspiring to me, that’s why, I think, this book is superb for young readers. Makena teaches so many great values and shows great appreciation for things that matter in life. I really loved that the author chose such unique and original characters. They all had very intriguing personalities and their input in the story was irreplaceable. The story was mostly told from Makena’s perspective, and it was fully sufficient for me.
The narrative was absolutely gorgeous. It has a lot to offer to the reader, it is serious, educational but at the same time playful and magical. I think the author has done a great research for this book, and her personal experience was very well utilized in this novel. There is plenty of surprises in this story, which kept me glued to this book. I really loved the topics which the author was discussing, such as Ebola and its effects on the families they left behind, poverty and fight for survival, charity workers and their lives, and many more. The setting and atmosphere always change in this book, from Mount Kenya to slums, to the Scottish Highlands, so, your imagination will not be bored and will be taking you to various places…
I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel, I think it was very well crafted and I found it easy, and pleasant to read. The chapters are not very short, but for me, they just flew by because I was absorbed by the story itself. It has absolutely stunning illustrations by Catherine Hyde, and it makes the whole reading experience even more pleasant. I did enjoy the ending of this book, I think it rounded the story very nicely and gave the closure which left me very satisfied.
So, to conclude, this is a very beautiful story, filled with inspiring and motivating characters, who made me smile and cry on multiple occasions, and I do strongly recommend this book not only to children but to adults as well. There are plenty of things to learn from little Makena.
I really enjoyed this book and its complex characters. The protagonist in this novel is Makena. She is a very smart person for an eleven-year-old. Her thoughts about life, survival and friendship were so inspiring to me, that’s why, I think, this book is superb for young readers. Makena teaches so many great values and shows great appreciation for things that matter in life. I really loved that the author chose such unique and original characters. They all had very intriguing personalities and their input in the story was irreplaceable. The story was mostly told from Makena’s perspective, and it was fully sufficient for me.
The narrative was absolutely gorgeous. It has a lot to offer to the reader, it is serious, educational but at the same time playful and magical. I think the author has done a great research for this book, and her personal experience was very well utilized in this novel. There is plenty of surprises in this story, which kept me glued to this book. I really loved the topics which the author was discussing, such as Ebola and its effects on the families they left behind, poverty and fight for survival, charity workers and their lives, and many more. The setting and atmosphere always change in this book, from Mount Kenya to slums, to the Scottish Highlands, so, your imagination will not be bored and will be taking you to various places…
I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel, I think it was very well crafted and I found it easy, and pleasant to read. The chapters are not very short, but for me, they just flew by because I was absorbed by the story itself. It has absolutely stunning illustrations by Catherine Hyde, and it makes the whole reading experience even more pleasant. I did enjoy the ending of this book, I think it rounded the story very nicely and gave the closure which left me very satisfied.
So, to conclude, this is a very beautiful story, filled with inspiring and motivating characters, who made me smile and cry on multiple occasions, and I do strongly recommend this book not only to children but to adults as well. There are plenty of things to learn from little Makena.