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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Switch House in Books
Jan 31, 2019
Wow! Talk about a fast-paced, no bull read! Tim Meyer really jumps right into the middle of a huge mess with his novella, The Switch House. Angela and Terry have had an unfortunate tragedy take place in their lives: the disappearance of a child. Aided by Angela’s sudden onslaught of strange visions and nightmares, a rift forms between husband and wife and Angela is left to figure things out for herself.
Because this book is short, I can’t go too far into detail without letting loose a spoiler or two, so I’ll keep this review pretty vague. What I can say is this: if you’re a fan of vividly gory scenes, this is a must-read. If you’re a fan of the occult and ritualistic scenes, this book is for you. If you like your horror with a bit of a psychological twist, please DO grab The Switch House.
Seriously, Meyer doesn’t disappoint. Brimming with non-stop action, The Switch House is an excellently crafted novella of terror. Easily completable in one sitting, I cannot recommend this book enough. From fully developed characters to a twisting plot that you’ll never see coming, Meyer is an ace and an author to look out for. I can’t wait to read more of his work.
The Switch House was received free of charge. All opinions expressed are purely my own and without bias.
Because this book is short, I can’t go too far into detail without letting loose a spoiler or two, so I’ll keep this review pretty vague. What I can say is this: if you’re a fan of vividly gory scenes, this is a must-read. If you’re a fan of the occult and ritualistic scenes, this book is for you. If you like your horror with a bit of a psychological twist, please DO grab The Switch House.
Seriously, Meyer doesn’t disappoint. Brimming with non-stop action, The Switch House is an excellently crafted novella of terror. Easily completable in one sitting, I cannot recommend this book enough. From fully developed characters to a twisting plot that you’ll never see coming, Meyer is an ace and an author to look out for. I can’t wait to read more of his work.
The Switch House was received free of charge. All opinions expressed are purely my own and without bias.
Lovely little short book that left me wanting more! I haven’t read A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, but I got the feeling from this prequel that it was the murder mystery dinner that ignited the passion in Pip to try and solve the murder that happened in her little town 5 years previously.
The murder mystery dinner was written so well that I felt like I was there and solving the “murder” with the characters. There was also the suspense of the environment around the dinner party with the weird noises and lights going out, which really made me wonder whether there was something sinister going on around them or if everything had a genuine explanation. I think it added to the suspense of the murder mystery part and made you more aware of little things, which I guess is why people like murder mystery parties!
I loved the writing style and how the notes were included as though you were reading them off the slip of paper that had been found, which doesn’t very often happen in books. I thought it was a nice addition and really gave you the feel of being a part of the dinner party. <br/>This has definitely made me want to read on and read the next instalment from Holly Jackson.
The murder mystery dinner was written so well that I felt like I was there and solving the “murder” with the characters. There was also the suspense of the environment around the dinner party with the weird noises and lights going out, which really made me wonder whether there was something sinister going on around them or if everything had a genuine explanation. I think it added to the suspense of the murder mystery part and made you more aware of little things, which I guess is why people like murder mystery parties!
I loved the writing style and how the notes were included as though you were reading them off the slip of paper that had been found, which doesn’t very often happen in books. I thought it was a nice addition and really gave you the feel of being a part of the dinner party. <br/>This has definitely made me want to read on and read the next instalment from Holly Jackson.
David McK (3540 KP) rated Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) in Books
Nov 14, 2021
<2021 update>
Still good!
<original 2011 review>
I'd read the first 11 or so Dresden Files in a (relatively) short space of time, before taking a break and reading some other novelists, interspersed with his Codex Alera series.
Right from the first sentence of this novel, however, it's obvious that this one has been particulary aptly named, and why I found this particular series to be better than his other. It's all happening here: this novel hits the ground running (a weakness I found with the Codex Alera, in that they took a lot longer to get up to speed) and barely pauses for breath right throughout it's 500+ pages! By the end, it's obvious that nothing will be the same again ...
I remember reading somewhere that Jim Butcher had the series planned out to be 20 books: if that's so, we're just slightly over the 1/2 way mark by now, and you can see some of the plot threads introduced in earlier novels begining to move towards their denouement, with one (in particular) tied up in this novel. For that reeason, I probably wouldn't recommend this to be a first read - while technically possible to read them out of sequence, I feel that you would be doing yourself a great dis-service in doing so, especially with the recurring characters, references and themes that continually pop up.
Still good!
<original 2011 review>
I'd read the first 11 or so Dresden Files in a (relatively) short space of time, before taking a break and reading some other novelists, interspersed with his Codex Alera series.
Right from the first sentence of this novel, however, it's obvious that this one has been particulary aptly named, and why I found this particular series to be better than his other. It's all happening here: this novel hits the ground running (a weakness I found with the Codex Alera, in that they took a lot longer to get up to speed) and barely pauses for breath right throughout it's 500+ pages! By the end, it's obvious that nothing will be the same again ...
I remember reading somewhere that Jim Butcher had the series planned out to be 20 books: if that's so, we're just slightly over the 1/2 way mark by now, and you can see some of the plot threads introduced in earlier novels begining to move towards their denouement, with one (in particular) tied up in this novel. For that reeason, I probably wouldn't recommend this to be a first read - while technically possible to read them out of sequence, I feel that you would be doing yourself a great dis-service in doing so, especially with the recurring characters, references and themes that continually pop up.
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder in Books
Apr 29, 2022
I had only read the short prequel, Kill Joy, to this book which I sat and read in one go and this one didn’t disappoint me.
Following Pip trying to prove that Sal Singh didn’t murder his girlfriend Andie Bell five years earlier was thrilling and had me guessing the whole way through. Every time I settled on a suspect, Pip did the same and then I was somehow talked back out of it with fresh evidence and clues that Pip had found. It definitely had my brain working!
I loved the way that it wasn’t just Pip’s story that had all of the focus, I loved that mingled in with the story, we had Pip’s logs, diagrams, messages and emails that gave more and more evidence and also made it exactly like we were having a sneak peek into her project for school.
Holly Jackson’s writing was so easy to read and I love that she didn’t make it obvious who the real killer was and that even towards the end of the book there were a couple of twists that shocked and surprised me. It was a very entertaining book and it didn’t seem like it was a debut novel at all.
I will definitely be continuing on with the series as I can’t wait to find out what happens to Pip!
Following Pip trying to prove that Sal Singh didn’t murder his girlfriend Andie Bell five years earlier was thrilling and had me guessing the whole way through. Every time I settled on a suspect, Pip did the same and then I was somehow talked back out of it with fresh evidence and clues that Pip had found. It definitely had my brain working!
I loved the way that it wasn’t just Pip’s story that had all of the focus, I loved that mingled in with the story, we had Pip’s logs, diagrams, messages and emails that gave more and more evidence and also made it exactly like we were having a sneak peek into her project for school.
Holly Jackson’s writing was so easy to read and I love that she didn’t make it obvious who the real killer was and that even towards the end of the book there were a couple of twists that shocked and surprised me. It was a very entertaining book and it didn’t seem like it was a debut novel at all.
I will definitely be continuing on with the series as I can’t wait to find out what happens to Pip!
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class in Books
Oct 1, 2017
Detailed at times, but loses thread in the end
This is an important read in terms of understanding how the current generation of the working class has continued to be victimised especially after the rule of Margaret Thatcher.
From the miners' strikes and Hillsborough, to the modern day label of Chav, the working class have been vilified in order to divide, rule and exploit. Owen Jones explains the ideology fairly well but falls short in providing detailed figures.
And while I agree with most of what he says, including the working class should all stick together, there were some elements that he defends including racists such as Jade Goody, that I could not get on board with. Good, but slightly disappointing.
From the miners' strikes and Hillsborough, to the modern day label of Chav, the working class have been vilified in order to divide, rule and exploit. Owen Jones explains the ideology fairly well but falls short in providing detailed figures.
And while I agree with most of what he says, including the working class should all stick together, there were some elements that he defends including racists such as Jade Goody, that I could not get on board with. Good, but slightly disappointing.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated His Bloody Project in Books
Jul 25, 2017
Well written, realistic penny dreadful
The author has done quite a spectacular job of researching this piece of historical fiction, bringing to life a gruesome episode in 1800s Scotland. Expect to read a documentary type book and not a particularly suspenseful thriller. It took a long time to get into this book, mostly because the performance was quite dry and dull, hence I struggled to concentrate. During the crux of the story, in which Roddy is in court, the story picks up slightly, sounding more like a courtroom drama. He attempts to explore the idea of moral insanity, but falls short mostly because of the lack of understanding they would have at the time the book is set.
Well written and researched but a bit bland.
Well written and researched but a bit bland.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Down at the End of the River: Stories in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[Down at the End of the River] by [Angus Woodward] is a compilation of short stories, which usually are not the type of thing I like to read. I did enjoy these and if I did not know they were the same author I would have thought they were penned by many different people.
[Woodward] does an excellent job in creating characters and using those characters to drive the story. More than a few even caused me to feel the nervousness or anxiety of the characters.
I was disappointed that the setting of Louisiana was not highlighted more that it was just a passing reference. I believe the south has a character all it's own and could have added even more to the stories.
[Woodward] does an excellent job in creating characters and using those characters to drive the story. More than a few even caused me to feel the nervousness or anxiety of the characters.
I was disappointed that the setting of Louisiana was not highlighted more that it was just a passing reference. I believe the south has a character all it's own and could have added even more to the stories.
Samantha (67 KP) rated Another Day in the Death of America in Books
Jul 10, 2017
How many more days before things change?
This book is incredibly valuable. Whilst focusing on the lives of ten young individuals whose lives were tragically cut short Younge also focuses on the history of gun violence in those communities as well as research on this dilemma. Together, these elements create a compelling novel which open the eyes of the reader to the injustices that occur due to gun violence, whilst also ensuring that common assumptions and misconceptions are brought into the limelight. Due to the nature of this novel it is my belief that it should be read a chapter at a time to allow for contemplation and reflection on the disastrous events contained within its pages.
ClareR (5841 KP) rated Love Bites in Books
Apr 6, 2018
This is a collection of short stories that follow various people who are not where they started out. They are immigrants, eccentrics and those who really don't want to be where they are. Themes include loss, isolation/ loneliness and difference.
Stories that particularly stood out for me, were the story about a girl who loses her leg, the elderly woman trying to escaper her old people's home if only she could remember what she's supposed to be doing, and the woman who goes to see a 'Sheikh' for family relationship advice.
All of the stories made me stop and think - mainly about what I would have done in their circumstances. Very thought provoking.
This was another book read on 'The Pigeonhole' social reading platform.
Stories that particularly stood out for me, were the story about a girl who loses her leg, the elderly woman trying to escaper her old people's home if only she could remember what she's supposed to be doing, and the woman who goes to see a 'Sheikh' for family relationship advice.
All of the stories made me stop and think - mainly about what I would have done in their circumstances. Very thought provoking.
This was another book read on 'The Pigeonhole' social reading platform.
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated The Lost Sisters in Books
Mar 11, 2019
This is a short story that shows Taryn's POV of the events that took place during The Cruel Prince. This should be read after The Cruel Prince, but before The Wicked King.
I didn't like Taryn during the first book and honestly I hate her character even more after reading this. I was also disappointed that no new information was included. Instead the story just gives the reader a few more details about things that had already been established. It still a good story, but at $3 its a little pricey for what you get. Something like this should really only be $1. I like Holly Black so I don't want to call this a cash grab, but I was definitely left a little disappointed.
I didn't like Taryn during the first book and honestly I hate her character even more after reading this. I was also disappointed that no new information was included. Instead the story just gives the reader a few more details about things that had already been established. It still a good story, but at $3 its a little pricey for what you get. Something like this should really only be $1. I like Holly Black so I don't want to call this a cash grab, but I was definitely left a little disappointed.