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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Dead Woman Walking in Books
Nov 5, 2020 (Updated Nov 8, 2020)
Jessica Lane treats her sister, Isabel (known to most as Sister Mary Magdalena, as her sister has been serving in a convent for many years) to a hot air balloon ride for her 40th birthday. But things go awry when Jessica--from the balloon--sees a man murder a young woman. From the ground, he spots her face clearly. Then the balloon crashes, and there is only one survivor. The man knows she can identify him, and he won't stop until the threat to his safety is eliminated. So Jessica runs, unsure of who she can trust, or where she can go, all the while knowing that her beloved sister is dead.
Wow, what a book. I don't want to say more about the plot for risk of spoilers or ruining any of the awesome "whoa" moments you encounter while reading this one. The story flashes back and forth in time as Jessica tells us about the day of the accident and then various pieces of the past. It's a combination of suspenseful, confusing, and spellbinding that will grip you from the very beginning. You're immediately roped in as the balloon crashes and then left wondering about the sisters' past, which is only unveiled in small nuggets.
I found this book to be extremely tense. As in, my body was actually tight while reading. I was rigidly turning pages, wondering what was going to happen next and if Jessica was going to get to safety. Bolton made me suspicious of everything and everyone--I felt like our protagonist: I could trust no one.
One of the best parts of this novel is that in addition to our "Fugitive"-esque plot, we have a fascinating police case weaved in. This really keeps the book moving as the plot continues to thicken. Not only is Jessica being pursued, but we're learning more and more about the case she was researching in the years and months before the crash. In addition, the final layer is the snippets about the sisters and their tangled family past. Somehow, Bolton twists them all together nearly effortlessly. You have to be able to keep track of when everything occurs (the chapters are just marked as "XX amount of time before" the crash), but you get used to it.
I totally guessed one of the big shocking aspects of the novel early on, but I was still second guessing myself the whole time, and it didn't diminish my enjoyment of it whatsoever, plus there was still so much that completely surprised me. To the extent that I wish I had time to go back and read it again and figure out how I missed so many things! Seriously. This book made me go "wow!" multiple times. It captivated me the entire time I was reading it. There was one final twist too many for complete plausibility at the end to get 10 stars, but I still highly recommend this one. A wonderful, spellbinding thriller that cements for me how much I love Bolton's work.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
Wow, what a book. I don't want to say more about the plot for risk of spoilers or ruining any of the awesome "whoa" moments you encounter while reading this one. The story flashes back and forth in time as Jessica tells us about the day of the accident and then various pieces of the past. It's a combination of suspenseful, confusing, and spellbinding that will grip you from the very beginning. You're immediately roped in as the balloon crashes and then left wondering about the sisters' past, which is only unveiled in small nuggets.
I found this book to be extremely tense. As in, my body was actually tight while reading. I was rigidly turning pages, wondering what was going to happen next and if Jessica was going to get to safety. Bolton made me suspicious of everything and everyone--I felt like our protagonist: I could trust no one.
One of the best parts of this novel is that in addition to our "Fugitive"-esque plot, we have a fascinating police case weaved in. This really keeps the book moving as the plot continues to thicken. Not only is Jessica being pursued, but we're learning more and more about the case she was researching in the years and months before the crash. In addition, the final layer is the snippets about the sisters and their tangled family past. Somehow, Bolton twists them all together nearly effortlessly. You have to be able to keep track of when everything occurs (the chapters are just marked as "XX amount of time before" the crash), but you get used to it.
I totally guessed one of the big shocking aspects of the novel early on, but I was still second guessing myself the whole time, and it didn't diminish my enjoyment of it whatsoever, plus there was still so much that completely surprised me. To the extent that I wish I had time to go back and read it again and figure out how I missed so many things! Seriously. This book made me go "wow!" multiple times. It captivated me the entire time I was reading it. There was one final twist too many for complete plausibility at the end to get 10 stars, but I still highly recommend this one. A wonderful, spellbinding thriller that cements for me how much I love Bolton's work.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Exile in Books
Nov 24, 2020
Surprise its the first book in a series.
Exile by Sophie Breeze is a great book. It is the first book in a series of unknown length as the second has yet to be released. The cover however says nothing about it being part of a series. Please keep in mind as well that Sophie was only nine years old when she started writing Exile, no small feat.
A group of five kids live on the planet Mellania but are not accepted there. Mellania only accepts those without human DNA and unfortunately these kids are all half human. The kids live with Lucia, a demon whom they believe to be their friend until she takes them to Earth. Upon arrival they are almost immediately attacked and discover Lucia’s true intentions. Now on the run from an evil demon on a planet they are unfamiliar with the kids don’t know who to trust and the stress creates a rift in the group.
Two of the kids go one way and the other three go another, wondering if they will ever see each other again. Soon it is clear that even apart they are not safe as both groups are attacked and tracked down by the SSC. Sadly even once they are with the SSC the kids don’t know who to trust and secrets start revealing themselves. Will they ever be able to feel safe again? Who is really their friends and who is just trying to use them for their own benefit?
The style of this book is rather unique to me as it doesn't seem to hold to any one genre. It starts out as a science fiction heavy in politics and with an assassination. Then as the story moves on it seems to take a more fantasy element with question. While the politics remain through out they do not overpower the rest of the story. The only thing that I really did not like was the surprise factor of learning this is the first in a series. I found myself becoming increasingly confused as I came towards the end and things were no where close to a conclusion.
This book is probably best for young adults with an interest isn’t science fiction/fantasy. They dynamics of the relationships between the hybrids themselves might be a little difficult for young readers to understand. Those who have enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series should enjoy this book as well since they share many elements. I rate this book 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5. I enjoyed this book very much and the twists actually surprised me. The only twist I did not like was how the book turned out to be the beginning of a series. While I have nothing against series I plan when I start a new one carefully and I imagine so do may others, because of this the book lost a point.
A group of five kids live on the planet Mellania but are not accepted there. Mellania only accepts those without human DNA and unfortunately these kids are all half human. The kids live with Lucia, a demon whom they believe to be their friend until she takes them to Earth. Upon arrival they are almost immediately attacked and discover Lucia’s true intentions. Now on the run from an evil demon on a planet they are unfamiliar with the kids don’t know who to trust and the stress creates a rift in the group.
Two of the kids go one way and the other three go another, wondering if they will ever see each other again. Soon it is clear that even apart they are not safe as both groups are attacked and tracked down by the SSC. Sadly even once they are with the SSC the kids don’t know who to trust and secrets start revealing themselves. Will they ever be able to feel safe again? Who is really their friends and who is just trying to use them for their own benefit?
The style of this book is rather unique to me as it doesn't seem to hold to any one genre. It starts out as a science fiction heavy in politics and with an assassination. Then as the story moves on it seems to take a more fantasy element with question. While the politics remain through out they do not overpower the rest of the story. The only thing that I really did not like was the surprise factor of learning this is the first in a series. I found myself becoming increasingly confused as I came towards the end and things were no where close to a conclusion.
This book is probably best for young adults with an interest isn’t science fiction/fantasy. They dynamics of the relationships between the hybrids themselves might be a little difficult for young readers to understand. Those who have enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series should enjoy this book as well since they share many elements. I rate this book 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5. I enjoyed this book very much and the twists actually surprised me. The only twist I did not like was how the book turned out to be the beginning of a series. While I have nothing against series I plan when I start a new one carefully and I imagine so do may others, because of this the book lost a point.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) in Movies
Oct 2, 2019
Characters – Lisbeth Salander is the famous hacker that will stand up against any man that is causing a woman abuse, she will leave her brand on them. She is called for difficult hacking jobs, which sees her take something from the Americans, this makes her a wanted suspect in Sweden and her on the run looking for answers to clear her name. Mikael Blomkvist is still the only person that Lisbeth will trust, he tries to operate from a distant and investigates the trust behind what is happening. Ed Needham is the American that has his system hacked, a government man, he heads to Sweden to get it back and finds nothing but barriers from the Swedish government. Camilla Salander is the long lost sister of Lisbeth, she thought to be dead, but now she is involved in a criminal gang known as The Spiders, targeting Lisbeth for what she wants.
Performances – Claire Foy does feel mis-cast in this role, she doesn’t seem to have a tough enough look to make this character effect as the two previous stars. Sverrir Gudnason had large shoes to fill and he doesn’t do a strong enough job in the Mikael role, while Sylvia Hoeks does what she can with her role without being anything overly special, while LaKeith Stanfield doesn’t seem to feel like the character he is meant to be playing.
Story – The story here is the fourth story in the Dragon Tattoo world, the second in English and is the first not written by the original author. We follow Lisbeth who once again finds herself needing to take on secret organisation that what something that could put the world in danger and this time it becomes more personal, with her sister being the enemy. This story does feel like it has borrowed from many other films and while it still puts Lisbeth is an anti-hero role, we only seem to find ourselves in one direction where Lisbeth is always one step ahead of everything happening, despite the fact we get to see just how twisted the Spiders are, it paints one image of them only to leave us facing a different softer enemy.
Action/Crime – The action was pretty much all given away in the trailer, we have the motorbike chase across the ice, the car chases and shoot outs, each feels very similar and doesn’t have the suspense required in a thriller.
Settings – The film does try to bring everything back to Lisbeth’s backstory with the settings showing the off the grid life she current lives compared to the one she could have lived, the snowy roads add a little to the chases, but not that much overall.
Scene of the Movie – Ice lake escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The Spider’s not hinting at wanting to do to what they did to the guy without a nose, to the new Lisbeth group.
Final Thoughts – This does feel like a cash grab on a franchise that has never taken off on the American side of things, we get everything scaled back leaving us feeling disappointed by the end of the film.
Overall: No thrills to be seen here.
Performances – Claire Foy does feel mis-cast in this role, she doesn’t seem to have a tough enough look to make this character effect as the two previous stars. Sverrir Gudnason had large shoes to fill and he doesn’t do a strong enough job in the Mikael role, while Sylvia Hoeks does what she can with her role without being anything overly special, while LaKeith Stanfield doesn’t seem to feel like the character he is meant to be playing.
Story – The story here is the fourth story in the Dragon Tattoo world, the second in English and is the first not written by the original author. We follow Lisbeth who once again finds herself needing to take on secret organisation that what something that could put the world in danger and this time it becomes more personal, with her sister being the enemy. This story does feel like it has borrowed from many other films and while it still puts Lisbeth is an anti-hero role, we only seem to find ourselves in one direction where Lisbeth is always one step ahead of everything happening, despite the fact we get to see just how twisted the Spiders are, it paints one image of them only to leave us facing a different softer enemy.
Action/Crime – The action was pretty much all given away in the trailer, we have the motorbike chase across the ice, the car chases and shoot outs, each feels very similar and doesn’t have the suspense required in a thriller.
Settings – The film does try to bring everything back to Lisbeth’s backstory with the settings showing the off the grid life she current lives compared to the one she could have lived, the snowy roads add a little to the chases, but not that much overall.
Scene of the Movie – Ice lake escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The Spider’s not hinting at wanting to do to what they did to the guy without a nose, to the new Lisbeth group.
Final Thoughts – This does feel like a cash grab on a franchise that has never taken off on the American side of things, we get everything scaled back leaving us feeling disappointed by the end of the film.
Overall: No thrills to be seen here.
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Rolando Jesus Feliciano (3 KP) rated Undertale in Video Games
Apr 26, 2018
Sound quality (2 more)
Retro feel
One man project
Even after three years
Three years ago, Toby "Radiation" Fox stopped making rom hacks. Kinda sad, yet we did benefit. He released a one man project called Undertale on the pc market and the inter webs, as a whole, lost their mind. The game is your basic jrpg fare, traverse a world, do a thing, try not to die and don't trust flowers. Honestly, of all the games I played I rank this in my 10 favorites, not number one however. The truth of the matter is Toby was a rom breaker first and he would hack many games with the Nintendo rpg Earthbound being his playground. In essence it was Earthbound that inspired Undertale as many themes can be found. Honestly I felt as if I was playing another Earthbound game and yet it felt new, different. As Jon Jafari said with Earthbound, I could say it with this game, As an experience, this game goes beyond limitations. If you haven't played it, play it, but don't go in expecting amazing game play and mechanics. Go in expecting nothing and watch your expectations get overwhelmed. In fact as you play keep that determination thing in mind. It becomes so prominent that you begin to feel it. In fact the themes Undertale portray have in themselves become the driving force for my blog. Anyways, give the game a shot. No watching it online, you won't feel the emotions this game tries to portray. Get it, personalize it, experience it.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Inside Out (Insider, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Having not read many dystopian or post-apocalyptic books, I went into this book with fresh eyes. Although the plot and setting are both very interesting, they could have been more clearly described; yet they still are good enough to set the stage for the characters and events. Trella, the main character, is the type who always interests me; she's a loner, doesn't trust easily, is independent, and is "street" smart, so to speak. Yes, she can be slightly abrasive, but only to others in the book, and I found her sympathetic and understandable; even when she was being difficult in one aspect or the other. The book moves at a nice and swift pace, which made it easy to read since I was eager to find out what happens at the end. Even though the book isn't very surprising overall, it's a pretty light-weight book, it's entertaining and well-thought-out; I truly had fun reading INSIDE OUT. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think the book could have benefited from having an extra fifty pages to fill it out more. The ending is a little too pat, but not terrible by any means, and it sets the stage for the sequel. I'm anxious to read what that might include, who's involved, and what or who the main antagonist will be the next go-'round. I heartily recommend this if you like sci-fi, dystopian societies, or just a darn good read that's on the lighter side.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The View from Rainshadow Bay (Lavender Tides, #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
It's been a little while since I read a Colleen Coble novel, and I was glad I took a chance on this one by her. First of all, that cover. Can we say 'cover love'? It's absolutely gorgeous and eye catching, and that alone would have me wanting to read the book. Second, she did a magnificent job on creating a story that will pull the reader straight to the center.
Zach and Shauna are two beautifully chiseled, heart capturing characters. They both come to life among the pages of this novel. Their stories are heart wrenching, and bittersweet. Both suffered a loss, both need each other, even if Shauna doesn't want to trust Zach. When things take a twistful turn, it's edge of your seat and late night reading, trying to see what Ms. Coble has in store for her characters.
Ms. Coble has created a story that is romantic, suspenseful, and inspirational. All things of which make a fantabulous read! Her style is unique, her words wrap you up and keep you hooked until the last page is turned, and the gentle messages from God are entwined with the stories of Zach and Shauna.
This is definitely a book that I will be recommending to all with 4 star praises. It's beautifully moving, and a wonderful start to what's sure to be a hit among her fans! Well done, Ms. Coble!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Zach and Shauna are two beautifully chiseled, heart capturing characters. They both come to life among the pages of this novel. Their stories are heart wrenching, and bittersweet. Both suffered a loss, both need each other, even if Shauna doesn't want to trust Zach. When things take a twistful turn, it's edge of your seat and late night reading, trying to see what Ms. Coble has in store for her characters.
Ms. Coble has created a story that is romantic, suspenseful, and inspirational. All things of which make a fantabulous read! Her style is unique, her words wrap you up and keep you hooked until the last page is turned, and the gentle messages from God are entwined with the stories of Zach and Shauna.
This is definitely a book that I will be recommending to all with 4 star praises. It's beautifully moving, and a wonderful start to what's sure to be a hit among her fans! Well done, Ms. Coble!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Dark Path in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Merry, Sam and their baby, Connor. A perfect little family in the perfect little setting.
Sam who has the perfect little wife, Merry bakes blueberry pies, cooks well, cleans and sees to the garden.
The Mother who loves and adores her baby. Sam who wanted nothing else but to have a homely wife and a child of his own in the most idyllic of settings.
They have it all.
But is Merry all that she appears to be?
Then along comes Frank, she is a long standing friend of Merry's from her past. They used to be like sisters.
This was previously published under the name You Were Made for This.
This is a wonderful dark and twisted tale told from several different POV's.
This a dark and disturbing story which i very addictive. It digs into the relationship of the 3 main characters and all the emotions that come with this.
I found the pace to be just right for this novel and love the way the story is brought out to us.
This is a psychological domestic thriller which reminds us all that all is not what it appears to be and who can you really trust?
This maybe too dark for some to read but I think you should give this one a chance as I was totally hooked and gripped with the story.
A haunting ending to a superb well written story.
**********Many many thank to NetGalley and the publisher as well for making the ARC of this book available online.******
Sam who has the perfect little wife, Merry bakes blueberry pies, cooks well, cleans and sees to the garden.
The Mother who loves and adores her baby. Sam who wanted nothing else but to have a homely wife and a child of his own in the most idyllic of settings.
They have it all.
But is Merry all that she appears to be?
Then along comes Frank, she is a long standing friend of Merry's from her past. They used to be like sisters.
This was previously published under the name You Were Made for This.
This is a wonderful dark and twisted tale told from several different POV's.
This a dark and disturbing story which i very addictive. It digs into the relationship of the 3 main characters and all the emotions that come with this.
I found the pace to be just right for this novel and love the way the story is brought out to us.
This is a psychological domestic thriller which reminds us all that all is not what it appears to be and who can you really trust?
This maybe too dark for some to read but I think you should give this one a chance as I was totally hooked and gripped with the story.
A haunting ending to a superb well written story.
**********Many many thank to NetGalley and the publisher as well for making the ARC of this book available online.******
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Bone Music in Books
Jun 6, 2019
Bone Music’s story by Christopher Rice is not a classical melody, but more like hard rock. The scenes are riveting and realistic enough that there is an element of believability, alternating between a thriller and the fringes of science fiction.
This consuming read has the heroine trying to overcome her tragic past by rebuilding her life and overcoming her trust issues. The intensity begins from page one when a husband and wife team of serial killers abducts a nine-month-old baby after brutally killing its mother. They raised Trina, hoping to include her in their viciousness, grooming her to follow in their footsteps. Luckily for her, at the age of seven, the FBI raided their hideout.
Yet, throughout her life Trina had to be under the suspicion of some who felt that she was complicit in the murders, labelled as “The Burning Girl.” She attempts to bury her past by changing her name to Charlotte Rowe, and baring her soul to psychologist, Dylan “Cole,” who was pretending to help, but actually had his own agenda. He gives her a supposed calming pill, which is actually an experimental drug. It transforms her adrenaline when triggered by a sense of fear, allowing her to have super strength. Now able to gain back her confidence with a life ruled less by fear, she decides to use her extraordinary ability to fight evil, a serial killer known as the Mask Maker, with the help of the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug.
This consuming read has the heroine trying to overcome her tragic past by rebuilding her life and overcoming her trust issues. The intensity begins from page one when a husband and wife team of serial killers abducts a nine-month-old baby after brutally killing its mother. They raised Trina, hoping to include her in their viciousness, grooming her to follow in their footsteps. Luckily for her, at the age of seven, the FBI raided their hideout.
Yet, throughout her life Trina had to be under the suspicion of some who felt that she was complicit in the murders, labelled as “The Burning Girl.” She attempts to bury her past by changing her name to Charlotte Rowe, and baring her soul to psychologist, Dylan “Cole,” who was pretending to help, but actually had his own agenda. He gives her a supposed calming pill, which is actually an experimental drug. It transforms her adrenaline when triggered by a sense of fear, allowing her to have super strength. Now able to gain back her confidence with a life ruled less by fear, she decides to use her extraordinary ability to fight evil, a serial killer known as the Mask Maker, with the help of the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug.