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Merissa (12066 KP) rated Twell and the Army of Powers (Como Chronicles #1) in Books
Jun 21, 2017
Twell and the Army of Powers (Como Chronicles #1) by Kate O'Leary
Twell and the Army of Powers is the first book in the Como Chronicles. It gives us an in-depth view into the lives of those who live there, how their lives are regulated, what is forbidden, and what isn't. Twell is the main character, and the story is told from her perspective, and yet is still rounded out enough that you don't feel like you are missing out on anything.
Twell is a bit of a brat at the start of the book, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Her character grows in ways unforeseen, by her own actions and by the 'gentle' advice from her friends. All of the characters have grit though, whether you like them or not. There is not a weak character amongst them, and they all grow and change throughout the book.
There is so much I want to say about this book, but won't in case of spoilers. Things happened that I never saw coming; my heart was broken on more than one occasion; it jumped into my mouth as I desperately held onto hope (even knowing that the author wouldn't make it so easy). The story is concise and gripping, thrilling and action-packed, ending on a cliffhanger that had me shouting out "NO!" even though I had already suspected the outcome!
This is a fantastic Young Adult Dystopian story with a dash of romance, that is guaranteed to enthral the reader. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Twell is a bit of a brat at the start of the book, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Her character grows in ways unforeseen, by her own actions and by the 'gentle' advice from her friends. All of the characters have grit though, whether you like them or not. There is not a weak character amongst them, and they all grow and change throughout the book.
There is so much I want to say about this book, but won't in case of spoilers. Things happened that I never saw coming; my heart was broken on more than one occasion; it jumped into my mouth as I desperately held onto hope (even knowing that the author wouldn't make it so easy). The story is concise and gripping, thrilling and action-packed, ending on a cliffhanger that had me shouting out "NO!" even though I had already suspected the outcome!
This is a fantastic Young Adult Dystopian story with a dash of romance, that is guaranteed to enthral the reader. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Prophet in Books
Apr 27, 2018
It's been a long time since I've been so excited about a book. The Prophet was thrilling in every sense of the word, and combined everything good about a novel: excitement, tension, good writing, complex plot, and twists. I'm not going to tell you a lot about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away: I didn't know a lot going in, and I'm glad, because I may not have picked it up. In fact I almost stopped listening after the first chapter because it felt a little distant… but I'm so glad now that I stuck with it. By the third track I was hooked, and it was all I could think about for days! This is an audiobook I will definitely recommend to people, and absolutely re-listen to.
I loved the ending. I loved the tension. I loved how it all transpired. Even though the ending wasn't perfect, it was right, and it made me do a little happy dance at the end. On top of that, the reader was great. Listening to The Prophet was an all around excellent experience.
Here's the one thing I think might deter people from really getting into The Prophet: There's a lot of football talk. I am not a football fan. Not at all. I don't care for it, I don't understand it, it doesn't matter to me. Suffice to say by the end of the book, not only did I understand a little more (though not all) of what was being said about the games, but I was excited by it. It wasn't written so you had NO clue what was going on, just not a HUGE clue what was going on.
Rating: 5
Content/Recommendation: Some language, violence, graphic imagery. Sexual reference but no erotic scenes. Ages 18+
I loved the ending. I loved the tension. I loved how it all transpired. Even though the ending wasn't perfect, it was right, and it made me do a little happy dance at the end. On top of that, the reader was great. Listening to The Prophet was an all around excellent experience.
Here's the one thing I think might deter people from really getting into The Prophet: There's a lot of football talk. I am not a football fan. Not at all. I don't care for it, I don't understand it, it doesn't matter to me. Suffice to say by the end of the book, not only did I understand a little more (though not all) of what was being said about the games, but I was excited by it. It wasn't written so you had NO clue what was going on, just not a HUGE clue what was going on.
Rating: 5
Content/Recommendation: Some language, violence, graphic imagery. Sexual reference but no erotic scenes. Ages 18+
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Lie to Me in Books
May 10, 2018
On the outside, Ethan and Sutton Montclair seem like the perfect couple. They are both writers and are crazy about each other. But they have secrets in their past that will soon surface. Sutton has disappeared and told her husband she didn't want to be found. Her friends are convinced, that Ethan has done something to hurt her, but the police are not convinced. When bodies turn up and secrets are revealed, will Ethan be able to maintain his innocence?
I gave this book 4.5 stars(why won't GR let us to halves). This was quite a thrilling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. But I figured out early on who the culprit was although I didn't see all the twists and turns that were coming along with it.
Ethan Montclair was the more famous of the two, but Sutton didn't mind that at all. They had agreed when they got married, that their lives were too busy and complicated for a child so they wouldn't have them, but when Ethan switches out her birth control pills and Sutton gets pregnant anyway, at first she hates him, but when their son is born, all of that changes. Not too long after though, he dies and their whole world comes crashing down. Ethan can no longer write and he spends his time bothering Sutton while she tries to. They have a few altercations and then Sutton decides she can't take it anymore and leaves. Or does she? Has she really just picked up and left without a trace? Not taking any of her belongings with her? Or has Ethan done something to her as her friends suspect? You have to read the book to find out.
I gave this book 4.5 stars(why won't GR let us to halves). This was quite a thrilling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. But I figured out early on who the culprit was although I didn't see all the twists and turns that were coming along with it.
Ethan Montclair was the more famous of the two, but Sutton didn't mind that at all. They had agreed when they got married, that their lives were too busy and complicated for a child so they wouldn't have them, but when Ethan switches out her birth control pills and Sutton gets pregnant anyway, at first she hates him, but when their son is born, all of that changes. Not too long after though, he dies and their whole world comes crashing down. Ethan can no longer write and he spends his time bothering Sutton while she tries to. They have a few altercations and then Sutton decides she can't take it anymore and leaves. Or does she? Has she really just picked up and left without a trace? Not taking any of her belongings with her? Or has Ethan done something to her as her friends suspect? You have to read the book to find out.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated So Cold the River in Books
Feb 15, 2019
This book has taken me a long time to read and I never totally got into the story past the first part, which was intriguing. It's not that it was poorly written or the plot itself wasn't an interesting idea, but my attention strayed a lot, most likely due the length (about 500 pages) and how slowly the story moved. And while I believe that some slowness was necessary to build the tension, it just crawled through it towards the finish line, and I was bored more times than not. I can't say Eric or most of the characters were interesting, so I didn't care too much what happened to them. Although I did like Kellen and Anne and it's too bad they weren't in the book a bit more. Possibly some things could have been pared down for a better flow to the story, such as Eric's separation from his wife, which was overdone with more background information than was needed. Also, there could have been a little less time spent with Josiah, who was a loathsome character. Even if he was supposed to be a nasty individual, and essential to the plot, not everything from his point of view added to the book. The ending was okay, but didn't really fit where the book had been going beforehand. That's not to say there isn't something good here, for instance the atmosphere was well done and the bit of history thrown in about Pluto Water, the springs, West Baden, French Lick, and the hotels added to that. Maybe a couple more rewrites and this could have been a scary or thrilling horror story. As it stands, it just wasn't for me, so I'll stick with The Shining, which I couldn't help thinking about while reading So Cold the River.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Elixir in Books
Apr 3, 2019
What is 5+2? How about 5x2? Those are easy right? What about 456328x22? Not so easy without a pen and paper or a calculator. For Sean Malone, these answers come to him very easily. At age 11 he was a Jeopardy champion. Now at age 14 he's a sophomore at Southern California Technical University and working on a project that no one has been able to figure out. The problem of the traveling salesman. When Sean does solve the problem, not only is his professor impressed. So are the head of the NSA, Secretary of Defense and the FBI. Sean didn't know that by solving this simple problem he also found a way into everything.
This debut novel from Ted Galdi is an exciting look into the mind of geniuses. Sometimes being the smartest one in the room isn't always the greatest thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I couldn't wait to pick it up everyday and find out what was going to happen next. There are a few thrilling moments in the book where you are on the edge of your seat. You are always rooting for Sean though throughout it's entirety. This book spans Sean's life from age 14 on with glimpses into his life before. You meet his friends and family and he becomes someone you want to know. Are there people like Sean in the world today who can come up with fascinating ideas that can change the world?
I'm afraid if I speak on this book too much I will give away the whole thing. All I can say is that you have to pick it up and give it a try for yourself.
This debut novel from Ted Galdi is an exciting look into the mind of geniuses. Sometimes being the smartest one in the room isn't always the greatest thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I couldn't wait to pick it up everyday and find out what was going to happen next. There are a few thrilling moments in the book where you are on the edge of your seat. You are always rooting for Sean though throughout it's entirety. This book spans Sean's life from age 14 on with glimpses into his life before. You meet his friends and family and he becomes someone you want to know. Are there people like Sean in the world today who can come up with fascinating ideas that can change the world?
I'm afraid if I speak on this book too much I will give away the whole thing. All I can say is that you have to pick it up and give it a try for yourself.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Never Game in Books
May 22, 2019
A student kidnapped from the park.
Nineteen-year-old Sophie disappears one summer afternoon. She wakes up to find herself locked inside a derelict warehouse, surrounded by five objects. If she uses them wisely, she will escape her prison. Otherwise she will die.
An investigator running out of time.
Sophies distraught father calls in the one man who can help find his daughter: unique investigator Colter Shaw. Raised in the wilderness by survivalist parents, he is an expert tracker with a forensic mind trained to solve the most challenging cases. But this will be a test even for him.
A killer playing a dangerous game.
Soon a blogger called Henry is abducted left to die in the dark heart of a remote forest and the whole case gets turned on its head. Because this killer isn't following the rules; hes changing them. One murder at a time
The Never Game is the first book in Jefferry Deaver's new series. There is a prequel novella that introduces our new lead Colter Shaw; the novella is called "Captivated".
I have to say this is just as good as the Lincoln Rhyme books.
Colter Shaw is someone who earns reward money for a living. In this story her is tracing a missing girl for her father.
We do get a bit of back story in this one about our new lead man which is good.
The story is a great thrilling suspenseful plot. Fast paced and keeps you gripped throughout.
Loving the new characters and can't wait to see their development in further novels.
Really enjoyed this and would give more than 5* if I could.
Highly recommend.
My thanks to publisher Harper Collins for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest voluntary review.
Nineteen-year-old Sophie disappears one summer afternoon. She wakes up to find herself locked inside a derelict warehouse, surrounded by five objects. If she uses them wisely, she will escape her prison. Otherwise she will die.
An investigator running out of time.
Sophies distraught father calls in the one man who can help find his daughter: unique investigator Colter Shaw. Raised in the wilderness by survivalist parents, he is an expert tracker with a forensic mind trained to solve the most challenging cases. But this will be a test even for him.
A killer playing a dangerous game.
Soon a blogger called Henry is abducted left to die in the dark heart of a remote forest and the whole case gets turned on its head. Because this killer isn't following the rules; hes changing them. One murder at a time
The Never Game is the first book in Jefferry Deaver's new series. There is a prequel novella that introduces our new lead Colter Shaw; the novella is called "Captivated".
I have to say this is just as good as the Lincoln Rhyme books.
Colter Shaw is someone who earns reward money for a living. In this story her is tracing a missing girl for her father.
We do get a bit of back story in this one about our new lead man which is good.
The story is a great thrilling suspenseful plot. Fast paced and keeps you gripped throughout.
Loving the new characters and can't wait to see their development in further novels.
Really enjoyed this and would give more than 5* if I could.
Highly recommend.
My thanks to publisher Harper Collins for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest voluntary review.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Botanist in Books
May 22, 2019
In the heat of the desert, Detective Cody Oliver inadvertently stumbles upon a strange garden adorned with exotic flowers. Upon closer inspection, he finds the garden is but a cover for the scores of bodies buried below. Soon, the small town of Mt. Dessicate plunges into chaos as journalists, reporters, and cameramen from across the nation descend upon the tiny, desert town to get a piece of the murder mystery.
Along with the media, a mysterious woman appears. She may be the only person who has come face to face with the killer, dubbed the Botanist, and lived to tell the tale. If Cody can't piece together a timeline of the land the crime scene is located on, decipher how the woman's mysterious past is connected to the killer, and bring the Botanist to justice, he may finding himself standing alone in the midst of a desolate, desert graveyard...
Wow. This is an excellent read! Very creepy, and interesting, and with a buildup to the finale that was riveting.
The suspense and action was thrilling. The story line is good, it is well written and well plotted.
This is more than just a crime fiction book; it has mystery and thriller thrown in the mix too. The creepiness from the beginning doesnt let up and continues throughout the entire book.
Characters really well developed.
The main characters, Cody & Alex, were realistic & sympathetic. The ending was brilliant.
This is a crime novel. It's detailed and not for the faint of heart. I leave hoping this detective will continue on into a few more books solving crimes; in other words please let there be more!!!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Along with the media, a mysterious woman appears. She may be the only person who has come face to face with the killer, dubbed the Botanist, and lived to tell the tale. If Cody can't piece together a timeline of the land the crime scene is located on, decipher how the woman's mysterious past is connected to the killer, and bring the Botanist to justice, he may finding himself standing alone in the midst of a desolate, desert graveyard...
Wow. This is an excellent read! Very creepy, and interesting, and with a buildup to the finale that was riveting.
The suspense and action was thrilling. The story line is good, it is well written and well plotted.
This is more than just a crime fiction book; it has mystery and thriller thrown in the mix too. The creepiness from the beginning doesnt let up and continues throughout the entire book.
Characters really well developed.
The main characters, Cody & Alex, were realistic & sympathetic. The ending was brilliant.
This is a crime novel. It's detailed and not for the faint of heart. I leave hoping this detective will continue on into a few more books solving crimes; in other words please let there be more!!!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Big Heat (1953) in Movies
Jan 16, 2018
Fun Classic
I can imagine that some of the cool scenes that happened in The Big Heat were well ahead of their time. One scene in particular was a car explosion created with strong sound, camera rumblings, and a bright flash of light outside of a window. Seems simple and subtle, but its impact was jarring at that point in the movie.
The film missed a few steps, wasn't perfect by any means. In fact, one can argue that there was one glaring plothole throughout just staring at you the entire time. I didn't realize it until there was about half an hour left, but it made me stop and say, "Wait...what? But why didn't they just...ok. Whatevs." Call me old, but I'm learning to let things go. Good doesn't mean perfect. The Big Heat falls well of perfection but it gets the job done.
There is a lot to digest throughout the film so make sure to keep up. This isn't a film you watch while browsing Google or folding clothes. I had to rely on protagonist Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) to keep me on track. His screen time has a way of captivating you as you quickly come to love this character. In a town full of "yellow-bellied ninnies", Bannion wasn't afraid to stand up to the mob and what he knew to be true. Dude was so tough he gave others the courage to stand up as well. Props.
The film did lose me in spots and lost a few points as a result. At its core, though, is a movie that ultimately gets it right. In Bannion's efforts to get to the bottom of a cop committing suicide, the audience is taken on a thrilling journey that I hope to revisit at some point down the road. I give The Big Heat an 81.
The film missed a few steps, wasn't perfect by any means. In fact, one can argue that there was one glaring plothole throughout just staring at you the entire time. I didn't realize it until there was about half an hour left, but it made me stop and say, "Wait...what? But why didn't they just...ok. Whatevs." Call me old, but I'm learning to let things go. Good doesn't mean perfect. The Big Heat falls well of perfection but it gets the job done.
There is a lot to digest throughout the film so make sure to keep up. This isn't a film you watch while browsing Google or folding clothes. I had to rely on protagonist Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) to keep me on track. His screen time has a way of captivating you as you quickly come to love this character. In a town full of "yellow-bellied ninnies", Bannion wasn't afraid to stand up to the mob and what he knew to be true. Dude was so tough he gave others the courage to stand up as well. Props.
The film did lose me in spots and lost a few points as a result. At its core, though, is a movie that ultimately gets it right. In Bannion's efforts to get to the bottom of a cop committing suicide, the audience is taken on a thrilling journey that I hope to revisit at some point down the road. I give The Big Heat an 81.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated No One Knows in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Josh and Aubrey Hamilton had a great marriage and a seemingly wonderful life, until her husband disappeared five years ago. Josh vanishes into thin air - as the couple head into a bachelor/bachelorette party - and is never seen or heard from ago. When Josh's mom finally has him declared dead, Aubrey is devastated. How will she move on without Josh? Then there's the matter of the $5M life insurance policy he put into place shortly before his death. His mom plans to fight her for it, but Aubrey doesn't care. She just wants Josh back. So much she imagines she sees him around the places they loved so much. Or is she just imagining this?
This was an interesting and well-written thriller. I was hooked from the beginning. You rarely read a book where the husband disappears, but you hear the story from the wife's perspective, so that was a nice change of pace. The story flips back and forth in time, so we can unravel bits and pieces of it ourselves, but we mainly hear from Aubrey's perspective, which is sort of nice.
The novel is suspenseful and keeps you guessing. Aubrey is a complicated character (as is Josh, really) and Ellison does a good job explaining their childhoods and how they became the people they are. There's a supporting cast of characters who are also pretty well-developed. To me, the ending was a little sudden, but still well-done. Even better, it pretty much surprised me, which isn't always easy to do.
I vacillated on this a bit, but overall 4 stars - it's a thrilling and enjoyable novel. (Even if I did constantly think of the baseball player every time I read the name Josh Hamilton!)
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
This was an interesting and well-written thriller. I was hooked from the beginning. You rarely read a book where the husband disappears, but you hear the story from the wife's perspective, so that was a nice change of pace. The story flips back and forth in time, so we can unravel bits and pieces of it ourselves, but we mainly hear from Aubrey's perspective, which is sort of nice.
The novel is suspenseful and keeps you guessing. Aubrey is a complicated character (as is Josh, really) and Ellison does a good job explaining their childhoods and how they became the people they are. There's a supporting cast of characters who are also pretty well-developed. To me, the ending was a little sudden, but still well-done. Even better, it pretty much surprised me, which isn't always easy to do.
I vacillated on this a bit, but overall 4 stars - it's a thrilling and enjoyable novel. (Even if I did constantly think of the baseball player every time I read the name Josh Hamilton!)
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Watcher in Books
Mar 15, 2018
My author Q&A is now live on my blog! Go check it out: http://bookbum.weebly.com/author-qas/qa-with-ross-armstrong-author-of-the-watcher
<i><b>...some lies, even errors and guesses, do turn out to be true.</i></b>
Stay clear of <b>most</b> the reviews on this book so far because I accidentally skimmed over them and got some stuff ruined! Ugh! I <i>promise</i> I won’t spoil anything in my review!
I really like Armstrong’s style of writing, this is <i>a fantastic debut.</i> It’s fast paced, witty and thrilling!
The plot was so intriguing and entertaining, which is why I don’t get why people found this so average on Goodreads! Yeah, maybe the plot has been done before, but that made this no less interesting or fun to read. There were certain aspects of the story that were easily predictable, but reading them unfold made up for the fact you could guess them beforehand.
Lily was a great character! She was really sweet but also incredibly funny! I found myself chuckling at the situations she got herself into and the little anecdotes she’d often share. It was really nice to have this down-to-earth character, who was pretty barmy, troubled and weird, but also happy and friendly to the reader and fictitious neighbours.
This was a really fun book to get carried away with, totally unputdownable! I’m certainly going to keep my eyes peeled for more of Armstrong’s writing in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
<i>p.s. I have an interview with Armstrong coming out on the 29th (the same day this is published), so please check that out on my blog! I'll link it when it's up :-)
<i><b>...some lies, even errors and guesses, do turn out to be true.</i></b>
Stay clear of <b>most</b> the reviews on this book so far because I accidentally skimmed over them and got some stuff ruined! Ugh! I <i>promise</i> I won’t spoil anything in my review!
I really like Armstrong’s style of writing, this is <i>a fantastic debut.</i> It’s fast paced, witty and thrilling!
The plot was so intriguing and entertaining, which is why I don’t get why people found this so average on Goodreads! Yeah, maybe the plot has been done before, but that made this no less interesting or fun to read. There were certain aspects of the story that were easily predictable, but reading them unfold made up for the fact you could guess them beforehand.
Lily was a great character! She was really sweet but also incredibly funny! I found myself chuckling at the situations she got herself into and the little anecdotes she’d often share. It was really nice to have this down-to-earth character, who was pretty barmy, troubled and weird, but also happy and friendly to the reader and fictitious neighbours.
This was a really fun book to get carried away with, totally unputdownable! I’m certainly going to keep my eyes peeled for more of Armstrong’s writing in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
<i>p.s. I have an interview with Armstrong coming out on the 29th (the same day this is published), so please check that out on my blog! I'll link it when it's up :-)