Search
Search results
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Wishful Thinking in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Jennifer is a busy single mom, struggling to keep up at work while still spending enough time with her two young boys. One day her lost smartphone shows up on her doorstep and Jennifer discovers a new app has been installed. This app, she soon comes to realize, allows her to time travel -- to basically be in two places at the same time. Suddenly Jennifer is able to keep the long hours her boss is demanding, while still picking her boys up from school and getting in quality time Mom/kid time. She is the superwoman she's always dreamed of being. But is it too good to be true?
I'll confess that a good portion of this book made me cringe. Not because it's bad. In fact, it's the opposite. It's a smartly written, captivating novel with a harried heroine who captures your heart pretty quickly. For me, the book was stressful because it hit home! A busy working mother who has demands at the office, but who also wants to spend time with her kids? That certainly describes a lot of us. Much like when I'm watching an action or horror movie for a first time, I felt myself tensing, anxiously wondering what was going to happen to Jennifer. Was she going to get caught using the app? Was the Jennifer at the office going to somehow show up with her kids? Would her co-workers find out? Her kids? Would the app make her sick? This couldn't go on forever, right?
And that's basically the premise behind Wicoff's clever novel. Of course, being in two (and over time, as Jennifer becomes dependent on the app, three places) places isn't all it's cracked up to be. Jennifer is tired, experiencing some strange sensations, potentially losing friendships, and wait, is she aging rapidly when she's living two days in the span of what should only be one?
Wicoff does a great job of showing the pressures many working parents feel. It's true - sometimes you do feel like you have to be a superwoman! Her book is also populated with fun characters -- in particular, Dr. Sexton, Jennifer's kooky neighbor, who also happens to be a genius scientist and inventor of said app.
If it all sounds a little improbable, it is, and you'll have to be prepared to suspend disbelief a bit, but Wicoff does such a great job, that it isn't really that hard. The book veers off a bit in its final quarter, turning more from the harried working mom scene, to a bit of an almost mystery/avenger plot, which is also completely improbable, and a very strange twist, but it's fun, too. You can't help but rooting for Jennifer (and Dr. Sexton, too). Overall, a crazy 3.5 star rating.
(Note, I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.)
I'll confess that a good portion of this book made me cringe. Not because it's bad. In fact, it's the opposite. It's a smartly written, captivating novel with a harried heroine who captures your heart pretty quickly. For me, the book was stressful because it hit home! A busy working mother who has demands at the office, but who also wants to spend time with her kids? That certainly describes a lot of us. Much like when I'm watching an action or horror movie for a first time, I felt myself tensing, anxiously wondering what was going to happen to Jennifer. Was she going to get caught using the app? Was the Jennifer at the office going to somehow show up with her kids? Would her co-workers find out? Her kids? Would the app make her sick? This couldn't go on forever, right?
And that's basically the premise behind Wicoff's clever novel. Of course, being in two (and over time, as Jennifer becomes dependent on the app, three places) places isn't all it's cracked up to be. Jennifer is tired, experiencing some strange sensations, potentially losing friendships, and wait, is she aging rapidly when she's living two days in the span of what should only be one?
Wicoff does a great job of showing the pressures many working parents feel. It's true - sometimes you do feel like you have to be a superwoman! Her book is also populated with fun characters -- in particular, Dr. Sexton, Jennifer's kooky neighbor, who also happens to be a genius scientist and inventor of said app.
If it all sounds a little improbable, it is, and you'll have to be prepared to suspend disbelief a bit, but Wicoff does such a great job, that it isn't really that hard. The book veers off a bit in its final quarter, turning more from the harried working mom scene, to a bit of an almost mystery/avenger plot, which is also completely improbable, and a very strange twist, but it's fun, too. You can't help but rooting for Jennifer (and Dr. Sexton, too). Overall, a crazy 3.5 star rating.
(Note, I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.)
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Dark Net in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I really think that the synopsis for this book is not up to scratch! Although, yes, the synopsis is what initially drew me to this book, after reading it I can say that the book is <i><b>WAY</b></i> better than the synopsis would make you believe!
This book tackles the subject of good and evil, with references to demons and black magic which I didnt get at all from the synopsis! I was expecting this to have a much deeper involvement with the dark net, whats on it and how its used. While yes, there is that to the book, its not necessarily its main focus.
To begin with, this lack of talk about the dark net actually made me hesitant about the book. I was expecting something so much different to what I was reading, I felt really disappointed. But, that feeling didnt last for long. This is so unlike anything Ive ever read before and that made everything about this book really exciting. Not to mention, this is a super clever book! It uses real life scenarios that we can all relate to, or at least know about, and explains it with a black magic twist.
For example, when talking about demon possession, it explains how small demons can take over and that causes a man to plow a lorry through a busy crowd, or a school shooting a one off awful occasion in history. But when a big, strong demon comes along, it can posses not only a person, but a nation. It uses examples of the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, which I thought was really smart!
Characters in this book were excellent, but there were quite a lot of them that we needed to get to know. Juniper was by far my favourite of the bunch, Sarin coming in at a close second. I loved that there was a strong, bad-ass female character who wasnt irritating (Lela, Im looking at you!).
As for the story, I will say that it feels a bit all over the place at times. Its not difficult to wrap your head around but there are a lot of things pulled in to the story at different times and this sometimes got a bit manic. This is classed as a horror novel, and for me, there definitely were some creepy bits. The hounds especially made my skin crawl.
Overall, I ended up really loving this novel. It was short and sweet (although it almost took me a whole 7 days to read), and it was exciting, creepy and fast-paced! A great novel for anyone who likes a darker thriller. Lots of gruesome deaths and bad-ass characters.
<i>Thanks to BookBridgr and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>
This book tackles the subject of good and evil, with references to demons and black magic which I didnt get at all from the synopsis! I was expecting this to have a much deeper involvement with the dark net, whats on it and how its used. While yes, there is that to the book, its not necessarily its main focus.
To begin with, this lack of talk about the dark net actually made me hesitant about the book. I was expecting something so much different to what I was reading, I felt really disappointed. But, that feeling didnt last for long. This is so unlike anything Ive ever read before and that made everything about this book really exciting. Not to mention, this is a super clever book! It uses real life scenarios that we can all relate to, or at least know about, and explains it with a black magic twist.
For example, when talking about demon possession, it explains how small demons can take over and that causes a man to plow a lorry through a busy crowd, or a school shooting a one off awful occasion in history. But when a big, strong demon comes along, it can posses not only a person, but a nation. It uses examples of the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, which I thought was really smart!
Characters in this book were excellent, but there were quite a lot of them that we needed to get to know. Juniper was by far my favourite of the bunch, Sarin coming in at a close second. I loved that there was a strong, bad-ass female character who wasnt irritating (Lela, Im looking at you!).
As for the story, I will say that it feels a bit all over the place at times. Its not difficult to wrap your head around but there are a lot of things pulled in to the story at different times and this sometimes got a bit manic. This is classed as a horror novel, and for me, there definitely were some creepy bits. The hounds especially made my skin crawl.
Overall, I ended up really loving this novel. It was short and sweet (although it almost took me a whole 7 days to read), and it was exciting, creepy and fast-paced! A great novel for anyone who likes a darker thriller. Lots of gruesome deaths and bad-ass characters.
<i>Thanks to BookBridgr and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Apartment 255 in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Firstly Id like to thank Netgalley and Momentum Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I really wanted to like this more than I did. The story of the disturbed Ginny playing out her sick fantasies and aiming to ruin her best friends life is a great plot for a great psychological thriller but something with this book was amiss.
I think, for me, the reason this book didnt fulfil my original expectations was purely down to the characters. Ginny was the only interesting character to read about, yet there wasnt much description when it came to her and instead the story focused on the couple whose lives were being destroyed. I found Sarah too annoying to like, even when she wasnt being manipulated and tortured by Ginnys actions. For me, she was too happy and lovey dovey. Yes, she had just got engaged and I expect anyone to be happy after that, but the way she described Tom and their life together was such a picture perfect, cookie cutter life that it made everything seem like she was living out her own fantasy of this perfect life she had. Tom was more interesting as a character than Sarah, but ultimately still a bit of a drip. It just seemed like he couldnt live without his precious Sare Bear and seemed incapable of doing anything but think of her, whether with love or with anger. It may sound like Im being cynical but I found it all too sickly sweet. Thel and Hals story didnt interest me either, it felt like part of a story that didnt need to be there and easily could have been replaced with more about Ginny or at least cut down.
The plot for this was amazing and although it felt a bit slow to begin with, it does become fast paced and exciting for the reader nearer the end, though hearing more from Ginnys side would have been more interesting than always hearing about how angry Sarah felt right at that moment or how confused Tom was that Sarah was being the way she was.
The ending was certainly a twist of events that I hadnt seen coming. The reason for Ginny being so twisted and evil certainly came as a shock for me and the last couple of sentences in the book were chilling.
Overall I did enjoy this book but it wasnt something I was reaching for every night, instead I used it to pass the time while on the train to and from work. I can see this becoming a popular book and Im certain I know people who would love this, but I hate sickly sweet and there was definitely too much of that in this book for me.
I really wanted to like this more than I did. The story of the disturbed Ginny playing out her sick fantasies and aiming to ruin her best friends life is a great plot for a great psychological thriller but something with this book was amiss.
I think, for me, the reason this book didnt fulfil my original expectations was purely down to the characters. Ginny was the only interesting character to read about, yet there wasnt much description when it came to her and instead the story focused on the couple whose lives were being destroyed. I found Sarah too annoying to like, even when she wasnt being manipulated and tortured by Ginnys actions. For me, she was too happy and lovey dovey. Yes, she had just got engaged and I expect anyone to be happy after that, but the way she described Tom and their life together was such a picture perfect, cookie cutter life that it made everything seem like she was living out her own fantasy of this perfect life she had. Tom was more interesting as a character than Sarah, but ultimately still a bit of a drip. It just seemed like he couldnt live without his precious Sare Bear and seemed incapable of doing anything but think of her, whether with love or with anger. It may sound like Im being cynical but I found it all too sickly sweet. Thel and Hals story didnt interest me either, it felt like part of a story that didnt need to be there and easily could have been replaced with more about Ginny or at least cut down.
The plot for this was amazing and although it felt a bit slow to begin with, it does become fast paced and exciting for the reader nearer the end, though hearing more from Ginnys side would have been more interesting than always hearing about how angry Sarah felt right at that moment or how confused Tom was that Sarah was being the way she was.
The ending was certainly a twist of events that I hadnt seen coming. The reason for Ginny being so twisted and evil certainly came as a shock for me and the last couple of sentences in the book were chilling.
Overall I did enjoy this book but it wasnt something I was reaching for every night, instead I used it to pass the time while on the train to and from work. I can see this becoming a popular book and Im certain I know people who would love this, but I hate sickly sweet and there was definitely too much of that in this book for me.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated More Holmes for the Holidays in Books
Mar 1, 2018
[a:Martin H. Greenberg|6436872|Martin H. Greenberg|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg] and company have provided a fine collection of Sherlockian holiday stories that fit in quite well with the traditional set.
"The Christmas Gift" by Anne Perry is a nice little piece about a stolen Stradivarius and a couple who want to marry against the wishes of the young lady's father. There is an excellent red herring, one of the few in this anthology.
In "The Four Wise Men" by Peter Lovesey, Watson must answer a call to duty from his former commanding officer in the Army, in order to help guard a medieval treasure in a Christmas pageant. The game is soon afoot, and Sherlock's powers of observation are as keen as ever.
Barbara Paul's "Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson" gives Holmes a jewel theft and a kidnapping to solve, which he does in his inimitable way. One clue seemed slightly too obvious to me, but it may not to other readers.
In "The Adventure of the Greatest Gift" by Loren D. Estleman, Holmes receives a wax cylinder containing a recording of a song popular in America. He takes it as a warning of a crime which could lead to war between Britain and France, and of course he leaps into action. This is Mycroft Holmes' only appearance in the volume.
There's plenty of misdirection in "The Case of the Rajah's Emerald" by Carolyn Wheat. Somehow, though, I suspected one of the great revelations in this one from the beginning, but I couldn't tell you exactly why. It didn't ruin the story for me, and there was still a surprise at the end.
On the other hand, Edward D. Hoch's "The Christmas Conspiracy" managed to take me completely unawares. I couldn't fathom why the crime would be committed or by whom, despite having a major clue dropped by one character. Very well done!
"The Music of Christmas" by L.B. Greenwood telegraphed the identity of the criminal from the start, but was well worth reading. One of the characters also tugged at the heartstrings.
Bill Crider's "The Adventure of the Christmas Bear" is largely memorable because of the appearance of Oscar Wilde as a character.
"The Adventure of the Naturalist's Stock Pin" by Jon L. Breen gives us Charles Darwin as Holmes' client. The mystery is less Sherlockian than some of the others, but I didn't mind reading it.
Daniel Stashower's "The Adventure of the Second Violet" was an interesting twist on a well-known Christmas story. I cannot say more without spoiling it, but he has a nice touch.
"The Human Mystery" by Tanith Lee is as dark as I expect from her, and was a depressing ending to the collection. It was, however, very well-written.
The anthology left me hungry for more Holmes, and wishing that I weren't between seasons of BBC's Sherlock or that I had another collection of stories on hand. That's the sign of a success, I think.
"The Christmas Gift" by Anne Perry is a nice little piece about a stolen Stradivarius and a couple who want to marry against the wishes of the young lady's father. There is an excellent red herring, one of the few in this anthology.
In "The Four Wise Men" by Peter Lovesey, Watson must answer a call to duty from his former commanding officer in the Army, in order to help guard a medieval treasure in a Christmas pageant. The game is soon afoot, and Sherlock's powers of observation are as keen as ever.
Barbara Paul's "Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson" gives Holmes a jewel theft and a kidnapping to solve, which he does in his inimitable way. One clue seemed slightly too obvious to me, but it may not to other readers.
In "The Adventure of the Greatest Gift" by Loren D. Estleman, Holmes receives a wax cylinder containing a recording of a song popular in America. He takes it as a warning of a crime which could lead to war between Britain and France, and of course he leaps into action. This is Mycroft Holmes' only appearance in the volume.
There's plenty of misdirection in "The Case of the Rajah's Emerald" by Carolyn Wheat. Somehow, though, I suspected one of the great revelations in this one from the beginning, but I couldn't tell you exactly why. It didn't ruin the story for me, and there was still a surprise at the end.
On the other hand, Edward D. Hoch's "The Christmas Conspiracy" managed to take me completely unawares. I couldn't fathom why the crime would be committed or by whom, despite having a major clue dropped by one character. Very well done!
"The Music of Christmas" by L.B. Greenwood telegraphed the identity of the criminal from the start, but was well worth reading. One of the characters also tugged at the heartstrings.
Bill Crider's "The Adventure of the Christmas Bear" is largely memorable because of the appearance of Oscar Wilde as a character.
"The Adventure of the Naturalist's Stock Pin" by Jon L. Breen gives us Charles Darwin as Holmes' client. The mystery is less Sherlockian than some of the others, but I didn't mind reading it.
Daniel Stashower's "The Adventure of the Second Violet" was an interesting twist on a well-known Christmas story. I cannot say more without spoiling it, but he has a nice touch.
"The Human Mystery" by Tanith Lee is as dark as I expect from her, and was a depressing ending to the collection. It was, however, very well-written.
The anthology left me hungry for more Holmes, and wishing that I weren't between seasons of BBC's Sherlock or that I had another collection of stories on hand. That's the sign of a success, I think.
Louise (64 KP) rated He Said/She Said in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I was lucky enough to win an unfinished copy of this book on a Goodreads giveaway.
The year is 1999, Kit and Laura are down in Cornwall at a festival held for eclipse chasers, this will be their first one together and the start of many more to come. Kit has all the future eclipses planned out, he has been doing this his whole life and wants to share it with the woman he loves and future children. With it being cloudy the odds of a total eclipse is minimal, to try and get a better viewing angle the couple move out to the edges of the festival, but what they do witness changes their lives forever. Kit and Laura are embroiled in a rape case, Jamie Balcombe was witnessed attacking Beth Taylor – Will Laura’s testimony be enough for a conviction?
He Said/She Said is told from alternating point of views from Kit and Laura. They are also told from past and present, so will get a chapter from Kit in 2015 and 1999 and the same from Laura. This allows the stories to be interwoven and tells what happened and how it has affected them now. This is another slow paced book that feeds you small amounts of information at a time and when you think you know what has happened it takes an unexpected turn.
Laura in present day is an unreliable narrator, she suffers with anxiety and is extremely paranoid. We don’t find out for a long time how she has become this way all we do know that it’s related to ‘Beth’. In 1999, Laura has her whole life ahead of her, she has just met Kit and has this outgoing nature to her. As the story progresses you begin understand why she is so paranoid and why she is so anxious.
Kit seemed like a super relaxed guy that takes everything in his stride, Laura is his soulmate and have been together for 15 years and will protect her to no end. At points he could be very meticulous and other points very sloppy regarding their change of identity. I must admit that Laura is the stronger character of the two and her POV was much more enjoyable.
I felt this book especially the first half was very slow even when there were parts that really appealed to me. The story line was good not something I have read about before and I didn’t think it was predictable but when the twist happened it wasn’t anything majorly startling for me.My actual reaction was ‘oh’! but the second half was much better than the first and had more action to it.
There is a trigger warning of Rape, so if this is something you are uncomfortable reading about then this might not be the book for you.
I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars
The year is 1999, Kit and Laura are down in Cornwall at a festival held for eclipse chasers, this will be their first one together and the start of many more to come. Kit has all the future eclipses planned out, he has been doing this his whole life and wants to share it with the woman he loves and future children. With it being cloudy the odds of a total eclipse is minimal, to try and get a better viewing angle the couple move out to the edges of the festival, but what they do witness changes their lives forever. Kit and Laura are embroiled in a rape case, Jamie Balcombe was witnessed attacking Beth Taylor – Will Laura’s testimony be enough for a conviction?
He Said/She Said is told from alternating point of views from Kit and Laura. They are also told from past and present, so will get a chapter from Kit in 2015 and 1999 and the same from Laura. This allows the stories to be interwoven and tells what happened and how it has affected them now. This is another slow paced book that feeds you small amounts of information at a time and when you think you know what has happened it takes an unexpected turn.
Laura in present day is an unreliable narrator, she suffers with anxiety and is extremely paranoid. We don’t find out for a long time how she has become this way all we do know that it’s related to ‘Beth’. In 1999, Laura has her whole life ahead of her, she has just met Kit and has this outgoing nature to her. As the story progresses you begin understand why she is so paranoid and why she is so anxious.
Kit seemed like a super relaxed guy that takes everything in his stride, Laura is his soulmate and have been together for 15 years and will protect her to no end. At points he could be very meticulous and other points very sloppy regarding their change of identity. I must admit that Laura is the stronger character of the two and her POV was much more enjoyable.
I felt this book especially the first half was very slow even when there were parts that really appealed to me. The story line was good not something I have read about before and I didn’t think it was predictable but when the twist happened it wasn’t anything majorly startling for me.My actual reaction was ‘oh’! but the second half was much better than the first and had more action to it.
There is a trigger warning of Rape, so if this is something you are uncomfortable reading about then this might not be the book for you.
I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars
Debbie (52 KP) rated Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground in Books
Aug 24, 2018
Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground By: T.R. Simon
Children's Fiction Middle Grade 272 Pages Release Date September 11, 2018 Publisher: Candlewick Press
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
#ZoraAndMe#NetGalley
Okay now that I got all the information that Net Galley wants me to put onto each of my reviews I can now review this book.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I gave it 4.5 stars.
This book is about two girls named Zora and Me(Carrie Brown). They learn a lot about their little towns history in this story. The town is called Eatonville, Florida. This town is a color town meaning only color people live here. The town was established in around 1887.
This story takes place in the summer of 1903
Carrie is staying with Zora and her family while her mom is off working with a sick baby. One night it is raining and the neighbors horses get loose. This is unusual so the girls go to check on the neighbor, Mr. Polk who is a mute. They find him beaten up and go to find the healer who people claim to be a witch. They soon discover that Mr. Polk is able to talk but in a foreign language and not very often. The healer is Old Lady Bronson.
Here is the reason why I only gave the book 4.5 stars it went into a flash back and I it took me almost half way through the book to figure out why.
The story turns to the year 1855 and talks about a little girl called Lucia. This little girl is friends with a white girl named Prisca. Prisca Dad brings them both to Florida to marry a lady Miss Caroline. Lucia is made into a slave and having to learn about a new of way life. The book keeps flashing back every now and then to keep you informed about what happened.
I could tell you about the book but then you want to read it and I highly recommend that you do. Ms. Simon does a wonderful job telling the way the country was back in that time that needs to be told.
You will enjoy the twist and turns this story tells. You will not want to put the book down.
Zora loves adventures and can get into a lot of scrapes. They see a ghost or two and that is unnerving to them. One quote that I liked is when Zora says "I know you go anyway, even though you're scared and you're right it doesn't make you a scaredy-cat. It makes you brave."
You must read this book to your children and help them learn about our history because the schools are slowly fading out this part of history.
Children's Fiction Middle Grade 272 Pages Release Date September 11, 2018 Publisher: Candlewick Press
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
#ZoraAndMe#NetGalley
Okay now that I got all the information that Net Galley wants me to put onto each of my reviews I can now review this book.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I gave it 4.5 stars.
This book is about two girls named Zora and Me(Carrie Brown). They learn a lot about their little towns history in this story. The town is called Eatonville, Florida. This town is a color town meaning only color people live here. The town was established in around 1887.
This story takes place in the summer of 1903
Carrie is staying with Zora and her family while her mom is off working with a sick baby. One night it is raining and the neighbors horses get loose. This is unusual so the girls go to check on the neighbor, Mr. Polk who is a mute. They find him beaten up and go to find the healer who people claim to be a witch. They soon discover that Mr. Polk is able to talk but in a foreign language and not very often. The healer is Old Lady Bronson.
Here is the reason why I only gave the book 4.5 stars it went into a flash back and I it took me almost half way through the book to figure out why.
The story turns to the year 1855 and talks about a little girl called Lucia. This little girl is friends with a white girl named Prisca. Prisca Dad brings them both to Florida to marry a lady Miss Caroline. Lucia is made into a slave and having to learn about a new of way life. The book keeps flashing back every now and then to keep you informed about what happened.
I could tell you about the book but then you want to read it and I highly recommend that you do. Ms. Simon does a wonderful job telling the way the country was back in that time that needs to be told.
You will enjoy the twist and turns this story tells. You will not want to put the book down.
Zora loves adventures and can get into a lot of scrapes. They see a ghost or two and that is unnerving to them. One quote that I liked is when Zora says "I know you go anyway, even though you're scared and you're right it doesn't make you a scaredy-cat. It makes you brave."
You must read this book to your children and help them learn about our history because the schools are slowly fading out this part of history.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated One of us is Lying in Books
Sep 6, 2018
The Pacings (2 more)
The Plot
The Characters
A Great Read!
I forgot how I came across One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, but I'm really glad I did. This story pulled me in right from the start and never let go!
The pacing for One of Us Is Lying is fantastic. I was fully immersed in the story as soon as I read the first sentence. Never did the pacing falter. It was quick and enjoyable. This was one of those books where I wished real life could have left me alone so I could have finished it in one sitting.
I found the plot for One of Us Is Lying to be very interesting. I enjoyed how it kind of felt like The Breakfast Club movie, but it was much much more interesting. It was good to see a group of kids from different backgrounds coming together instead of blaming each other for once. Usually in young adult novels, there's so much bickering. That wasn't the case in One of Us Is Lying. There are a few plot twists. I did figure out who the murderer was very early in the book. I felt like it was kind of obvious. However, there was one major plot twist I didn't predict. I feel like this book does tie up all loose ends.
The world building was done very well. I thought the author, Karen M. McManus, did a great job in writing about a high school setting as well as a criminal setting. Everything felt very real. I felt like I was one of the teens being accused of murder. Everything felt personal to me which is definitely a good thing. I've never been interrogated by the police, but McManus made me feel like I was in the interrogation room each time was of the teens was questioned. I can't fault the world building one bit. It is solid.
I loved the characters in One of Us is Lying. I also loved how diverse a lot of the characters were. I think my favorite character, overall, was Cooper. Maybe it's because we're both southern, but I just loved him. He seemed so caring and sweet. I also enjoyed the other characters of Nate, Bronwyn, and Addy as well. It was nice to see the homecoming princess as not just a one dimensional person. All of the characters were thoroughly fleshed out. Character development was spot on.
Trigger warnings include death, drugs, some violence, and swearing.
All in all, One of Us Is Lying was such a fantastic read. I enjoyed it more than I thought I was going to. It's got a great cast of characters, an interesting plot, and the world building is fantastic. I would definitely recommend One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus to everyone aged 14+.
The pacing for One of Us Is Lying is fantastic. I was fully immersed in the story as soon as I read the first sentence. Never did the pacing falter. It was quick and enjoyable. This was one of those books where I wished real life could have left me alone so I could have finished it in one sitting.
I found the plot for One of Us Is Lying to be very interesting. I enjoyed how it kind of felt like The Breakfast Club movie, but it was much much more interesting. It was good to see a group of kids from different backgrounds coming together instead of blaming each other for once. Usually in young adult novels, there's so much bickering. That wasn't the case in One of Us Is Lying. There are a few plot twists. I did figure out who the murderer was very early in the book. I felt like it was kind of obvious. However, there was one major plot twist I didn't predict. I feel like this book does tie up all loose ends.
The world building was done very well. I thought the author, Karen M. McManus, did a great job in writing about a high school setting as well as a criminal setting. Everything felt very real. I felt like I was one of the teens being accused of murder. Everything felt personal to me which is definitely a good thing. I've never been interrogated by the police, but McManus made me feel like I was in the interrogation room each time was of the teens was questioned. I can't fault the world building one bit. It is solid.
I loved the characters in One of Us is Lying. I also loved how diverse a lot of the characters were. I think my favorite character, overall, was Cooper. Maybe it's because we're both southern, but I just loved him. He seemed so caring and sweet. I also enjoyed the other characters of Nate, Bronwyn, and Addy as well. It was nice to see the homecoming princess as not just a one dimensional person. All of the characters were thoroughly fleshed out. Character development was spot on.
Trigger warnings include death, drugs, some violence, and swearing.
All in all, One of Us Is Lying was such a fantastic read. I enjoyed it more than I thought I was going to. It's got a great cast of characters, an interesting plot, and the world building is fantastic. I would definitely recommend One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus to everyone aged 14+.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Lies We Told in Books
Nov 26, 2018
Fantastic Plot Twists (1 more)
Interesting Characters
Plot Twists Abound!
I believe I first heard about The Lies We Told by Camilla Way on Goodreads. When I read the book synopsis, I knew it was a book I had to read. I'm so glad I did because I loved this book.
The pacing in The Lies We Told was brilliant. It is such a fast paced psychological suspense novel! I found myself having a hard time putting this book down. Never once did it slow down to the point of being boring, and it never went too too quickly where I had no clue what was going on.
I really did enjoy the plot and the world building. For the most part, The Lies We Told is written fabulously. The plot is interesting., and I loved how it changed from us reading about Clara to hearing from Beth's point of view throughout the story. Clara's boyfriend Luke goes missing. She knows he had a stalker, but he never took it seriously. Clara becomes even more worried when she finds some worrying emails sent to Luke. As she starts to learn more and more about Luke's past, she puts herself in danger, and she's worried that Luke may be in even more danger. There were so many plot twists and turns in The Lies We Told. I loved it! This book had me guessing, and I was never right! There's even a plot twist towards the very end. All but one of my questions were answered. I won't go too much into it because it would spoil almost all of the book, but I will just say that I was left wondering why the police didn't do one thing once the truth had been revealed. I would have thought it would have been protocol if someone suggests it. Sorry for leaving you hanging, but I can't go into much detail.
The characters in The Lies We Told were so well written and fleshed out. I could relate to Clara a lot. I loved how far she was willing to go to find out about Luke. Hannah was another great character to read about. I found her to be the most interesting character of the story if I'm honest. I also enjoyed reading about Mac. He seemed like a great friend. Luke's parents also seemed very sweet, and I would sympathize with Beth when she would talk about Hannah. However, keep in mind that with this book, some of the characters aren't who and what they seem which was great!
Trigger warnings for The Lies We Told include profanity, cheating, blackmail, lying, kidnapping, mentions of sex, alcohol and some drug use, mental illness, death, murder, and violence.
Overall, The Lies We Told is such a brilliant book. It's got a fascinating plot, very interesting characters, and fantastic plot twists that will leave you scratching your head! I would definitely recommend The Lies We Told by Camilla Way to everyone aged 17+. I really enjoyed it.
The pacing in The Lies We Told was brilliant. It is such a fast paced psychological suspense novel! I found myself having a hard time putting this book down. Never once did it slow down to the point of being boring, and it never went too too quickly where I had no clue what was going on.
I really did enjoy the plot and the world building. For the most part, The Lies We Told is written fabulously. The plot is interesting., and I loved how it changed from us reading about Clara to hearing from Beth's point of view throughout the story. Clara's boyfriend Luke goes missing. She knows he had a stalker, but he never took it seriously. Clara becomes even more worried when she finds some worrying emails sent to Luke. As she starts to learn more and more about Luke's past, she puts herself in danger, and she's worried that Luke may be in even more danger. There were so many plot twists and turns in The Lies We Told. I loved it! This book had me guessing, and I was never right! There's even a plot twist towards the very end. All but one of my questions were answered. I won't go too much into it because it would spoil almost all of the book, but I will just say that I was left wondering why the police didn't do one thing once the truth had been revealed. I would have thought it would have been protocol if someone suggests it. Sorry for leaving you hanging, but I can't go into much detail.
The characters in The Lies We Told were so well written and fleshed out. I could relate to Clara a lot. I loved how far she was willing to go to find out about Luke. Hannah was another great character to read about. I found her to be the most interesting character of the story if I'm honest. I also enjoyed reading about Mac. He seemed like a great friend. Luke's parents also seemed very sweet, and I would sympathize with Beth when she would talk about Hannah. However, keep in mind that with this book, some of the characters aren't who and what they seem which was great!
Trigger warnings for The Lies We Told include profanity, cheating, blackmail, lying, kidnapping, mentions of sex, alcohol and some drug use, mental illness, death, murder, and violence.
Overall, The Lies We Told is such a brilliant book. It's got a fascinating plot, very interesting characters, and fantastic plot twists that will leave you scratching your head! I would definitely recommend The Lies We Told by Camilla Way to everyone aged 17+. I really enjoyed it.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Second Twin (Legend of Rhyme, #4) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
With the twins, Ariana and Asher, lost in the past, and Teagan suddenly thrust into the magical realm of Coraira, the <i>Legend of Rhyme</i> series becomes even more dangerous and exciting. <i>Second Twin</i> is the fourth book of Jaime Lee Mann’s fantasy series for middle grade children (i.e. 8-13 year olds). Containing most of the key characters that readers are already familiar with, a new, sinister individual is introduced to shake the story up even more.
<i>Second Twin</i> is made up of two or three storylines that twist around each other to result in one explosive conclusion. Teagan discovers immediately that she is destined to become a mermaid and an apprentice to Starla, the ruler of the sea. Without giving Teagan a chance to get used to her new tail, Starla involves her in trying to help locate and return the twins to their correct timeline. The twins, however, are in even more peril than being in the wrong time zone. Tricked by the new, malicious character, something evil happens to Asher, leaving him once again separated from his sister Ariana. Whilst all this is going on, the reader is given insight to Elora’s – a previous antagonist – past, learning how she came to be so evil; in contrast Teagan is also learning something new; the truth about her parentage.
There is not as much detail about Teagan as some readers may be hoping for. She was the title character of the previous novel, however in this book she becomes more of a secondary character. Teagan’s transition from young girl to mermaid happens far to quickly to be appreciated. An entire book could have been devoted to this event, instead it happens in a handful of paragraphs. Nevertheless, Second Twin is filled with so many exhilarating twists and turns that it hardly matters when some aspects are not described at length.
Throughout this book the theme of twins crops up again and again. The unique relationship between twins is emphasized as a special bond, but also as a way to wield evil power. Readers will not be able to trust their preconceived judgments about the good and wickedness of key characters, causing all to question everything they believe.
<i>Second Twin</i> is the most action packed book of the series so far. With no need for introductions to characters and settings, there is more opportunity to develop the plot and fill in gaps in the history of the story, until concluding on yet another cliffhanger. Fans of the series will not be disappointed with the latest developments, although you may not be pleased to know you are in for a wait for the fifth book, Blood and Stars, to find out what happens next.
With the twins, Ariana and Asher, lost in the past, and Teagan suddenly thrust into the magical realm of Coraira, the <i>Legend of Rhyme</i> series becomes even more dangerous and exciting. <i>Second Twin</i> is the fourth book of Jaime Lee Mann’s fantasy series for middle grade children (i.e. 8-13 year olds). Containing most of the key characters that readers are already familiar with, a new, sinister individual is introduced to shake the story up even more.
<i>Second Twin</i> is made up of two or three storylines that twist around each other to result in one explosive conclusion. Teagan discovers immediately that she is destined to become a mermaid and an apprentice to Starla, the ruler of the sea. Without giving Teagan a chance to get used to her new tail, Starla involves her in trying to help locate and return the twins to their correct timeline. The twins, however, are in even more peril than being in the wrong time zone. Tricked by the new, malicious character, something evil happens to Asher, leaving him once again separated from his sister Ariana. Whilst all this is going on, the reader is given insight to Elora’s – a previous antagonist – past, learning how she came to be so evil; in contrast Teagan is also learning something new; the truth about her parentage.
There is not as much detail about Teagan as some readers may be hoping for. She was the title character of the previous novel, however in this book she becomes more of a secondary character. Teagan’s transition from young girl to mermaid happens far to quickly to be appreciated. An entire book could have been devoted to this event, instead it happens in a handful of paragraphs. Nevertheless, Second Twin is filled with so many exhilarating twists and turns that it hardly matters when some aspects are not described at length.
Throughout this book the theme of twins crops up again and again. The unique relationship between twins is emphasized as a special bond, but also as a way to wield evil power. Readers will not be able to trust their preconceived judgments about the good and wickedness of key characters, causing all to question everything they believe.
<i>Second Twin</i> is the most action packed book of the series so far. With no need for introductions to characters and settings, there is more opportunity to develop the plot and fill in gaps in the history of the story, until concluding on yet another cliffhanger. Fans of the series will not be disappointed with the latest developments, although you may not be pleased to know you are in for a wait for the fifth book, Blood and Stars, to find out what happens next.
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
Everyone is constantly reminded to never judge a book by its cover. The book jacket designer of Steven Camden’s contemporary novel <i>Tape</i> has done an excellent job using colour and hand-rendered images to capture people’s attention; the story, however, remained rather dull in comparison.
The novel is split into two time periods, twenty years apart. In 2013, Ameliah is struggling to cope with the sudden loss of her mother, and shortly after her father, whilst she moves in with her Nan. In the spare bedroom lies a mammoth job of boxes to sort out containing all of her parents’ belongings. Ameliah first discovers an ancient boom box along with a large collection of music tapes. Amongst these is an unlabeled one, and when she plays it she can hear a young boy talking to her – he also says her mother’s name, “Eve”.
Twenty years earlier it is 1993 and thirteen-year-old Ryan is keeping a verbal diary as he records himself talking to his mother who has unfortunately passed away. His father has remarried and Ryan also has to struggle to live with stepbrother Nathan who seems to be determined to create a scene at every given opportunity. On a day out with his best friend Liam, he meets an Irish girl named Eve who he instantly falls in love with, but is devastated to learn that she will be returning home to Ireland soon.
It is clear from the beginning that Ryan and the voice on Ameliah’s tape are one and the same person; but the question is how are they connected? The connection is emphasized by the similarities in the lives of these two youngsters. Ryan meets a girl… Ameliah meets a boy… They both have to learn to deal with certain people being in their lives. For Ryan that is Nathan but for Ameliah that is a stranger who turns up one day claiming that he was a friend of her father.
After a while the storyline becomes predictable, and despite suspecting a plot twist, there is not one. The characters come across as a bit childish and annoying, which makes them difficult to relate to - although that may not be an issue with younger readers. Twelve and thirteen are far too young to be thinking about romantic relationships, especially for a boy in the early nineties: a flaw in the storyline.
Camden has done well to reduce the potential confusion of changing from one character and decade to another by using two different typefaces, so there is no issue there. But, overall it was rather disappointing. It was a great idea for a narrative with so much potential, however it fell flat and dreary through the writing.
Everyone is constantly reminded to never judge a book by its cover. The book jacket designer of Steven Camden’s contemporary novel <i>Tape</i> has done an excellent job using colour and hand-rendered images to capture people’s attention; the story, however, remained rather dull in comparison.
The novel is split into two time periods, twenty years apart. In 2013, Ameliah is struggling to cope with the sudden loss of her mother, and shortly after her father, whilst she moves in with her Nan. In the spare bedroom lies a mammoth job of boxes to sort out containing all of her parents’ belongings. Ameliah first discovers an ancient boom box along with a large collection of music tapes. Amongst these is an unlabeled one, and when she plays it she can hear a young boy talking to her – he also says her mother’s name, “Eve”.
Twenty years earlier it is 1993 and thirteen-year-old Ryan is keeping a verbal diary as he records himself talking to his mother who has unfortunately passed away. His father has remarried and Ryan also has to struggle to live with stepbrother Nathan who seems to be determined to create a scene at every given opportunity. On a day out with his best friend Liam, he meets an Irish girl named Eve who he instantly falls in love with, but is devastated to learn that she will be returning home to Ireland soon.
It is clear from the beginning that Ryan and the voice on Ameliah’s tape are one and the same person; but the question is how are they connected? The connection is emphasized by the similarities in the lives of these two youngsters. Ryan meets a girl… Ameliah meets a boy… They both have to learn to deal with certain people being in their lives. For Ryan that is Nathan but for Ameliah that is a stranger who turns up one day claiming that he was a friend of her father.
After a while the storyline becomes predictable, and despite suspecting a plot twist, there is not one. The characters come across as a bit childish and annoying, which makes them difficult to relate to - although that may not be an issue with younger readers. Twelve and thirteen are far too young to be thinking about romantic relationships, especially for a boy in the early nineties: a flaw in the storyline.
Camden has done well to reduce the potential confusion of changing from one character and decade to another by using two different typefaces, so there is no issue there. But, overall it was rather disappointing. It was a great idea for a narrative with so much potential, however it fell flat and dreary through the writing.