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TerraBlizzard (18 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
May 24, 2019
The heritage to the orignal (5 more)
Sublime acting from a majority of unknowns in the industry.
"Spices" up and make it's own mark in the Disney world.
The addition and alterations.
One liners.
Disney parks hidden in the film.
True to the orignal but a stand alone.
A must watch for all ages and with that comes a range of open doors and closed comments.
If you have seen the orignal and loved it you might find it hard to get on with. But please if you do anything before watching this addition to the live action roster Disney are working hard on, go in with no expectations as if you thought this was the original.
If you haven't seen this before then prepare for bright colour, songs that make you tap your feet and a story driven hard by characters that develope through the film.
Guy Ritchie has done a great job with keeping the roots of this film in true disney essence with putting modern twist to make it a more enjoyable watch for adults who grew up with disney. Guy has a way of bringing darkness and edge to a film, like his work on Sherlock Holmes (Another must wacth) and with this edge comes gripping depth to the story. So much so I was desperate for a toilet break but could not leave my seat as I was worried I'd miss a key part.
With the addition of 2 relative unknown leads in a well loved story was a marvellous move on the casting department. Mena Mossuod and Naomi Scott play brilliant parts and fit right into characters with the addittion of Will Smith a strong and dependable actor who you know always does a good job makes the trio stand out.
With the addition of songs and changes of genre to songs. Everything works and works well. "Speechless" a welcomed addition to the set list that empowers girls and boys to stand up and speek out agiasnt those that push them down and genre swap of "Friend like me".
For instance my favourite Disney song is "Friend like me" sung by the genie or genie's if you "wish" the hard hitting jazz number that breaks the bollywood theme. In the orignal and west end the song is similar in both. Robbin Williams and Trevor Dion Nicholas make this song their own keeping to what the disney song writter wanted and to what their good at. HOWEVER this song I don't think could ever work for Will Smith as a jazz number but by god he pulled it off as a R&B. Agiasnt popular oppion Nicholas version Is the one I love follower by both Robbins and Smith versions.
If you have ever been to a disney park you know that they believe in the story's their telling, the work and detail of everything from sets, Background details, outfits and even the god dam smells of the sweets they sell or the rides they have and even the streets you walk on. They work hard and they do it well (their not perfect but they give it a heck of a running start to get close) The same goes for their movies.
This movie wasn't a disappointment or better film for me as I don't compare it to the original.
It is a film that is done well and played well and makes you believe in it. As what all good story telling needs to do to those who watch and listen.
If you have seen the orignal and loved it you might find it hard to get on with. But please if you do anything before watching this addition to the live action roster Disney are working hard on, go in with no expectations as if you thought this was the original.
If you haven't seen this before then prepare for bright colour, songs that make you tap your feet and a story driven hard by characters that develope through the film.
Guy Ritchie has done a great job with keeping the roots of this film in true disney essence with putting modern twist to make it a more enjoyable watch for adults who grew up with disney. Guy has a way of bringing darkness and edge to a film, like his work on Sherlock Holmes (Another must wacth) and with this edge comes gripping depth to the story. So much so I was desperate for a toilet break but could not leave my seat as I was worried I'd miss a key part.
With the addition of 2 relative unknown leads in a well loved story was a marvellous move on the casting department. Mena Mossuod and Naomi Scott play brilliant parts and fit right into characters with the addittion of Will Smith a strong and dependable actor who you know always does a good job makes the trio stand out.
With the addition of songs and changes of genre to songs. Everything works and works well. "Speechless" a welcomed addition to the set list that empowers girls and boys to stand up and speek out agiasnt those that push them down and genre swap of "Friend like me".
For instance my favourite Disney song is "Friend like me" sung by the genie or genie's if you "wish" the hard hitting jazz number that breaks the bollywood theme. In the orignal and west end the song is similar in both. Robbin Williams and Trevor Dion Nicholas make this song their own keeping to what the disney song writter wanted and to what their good at. HOWEVER this song I don't think could ever work for Will Smith as a jazz number but by god he pulled it off as a R&B. Agiasnt popular oppion Nicholas version Is the one I love follower by both Robbins and Smith versions.
If you have ever been to a disney park you know that they believe in the story's their telling, the work and detail of everything from sets, Background details, outfits and even the god dam smells of the sweets they sell or the rides they have and even the streets you walk on. They work hard and they do it well (their not perfect but they give it a heck of a running start to get close) The same goes for their movies.
This movie wasn't a disappointment or better film for me as I don't compare it to the original.
It is a film that is done well and played well and makes you believe in it. As what all good story telling needs to do to those who watch and listen.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Of Mice Not Men in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Genre: Science Fiction, Non-Romance
Page Count: 350 pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
After manmade natural disasters wiped out most humans and life around the world, war breaks out among the remaining humans. The faction called the Developers want to take the resources from Earth and leave the dying planet behind to join the stars. The Harmonizers want to stay and restore Earth’s resources. Both factions race to stop the other, using deadly, even sadistic measures. After all, the fate of the planet and the human race lies in the balance.
I had my ups and downs with this book to be sure. Aside from the book badly needing a proofreader, the writing itself is well done, only dipping into preachiness about human’s greed a couple of times. The brain curdling torture scenes were deliciously awful and made me stop reading a couple times to look up pictures of pet pigs until I calmed down enough to continue.
I thought I had a stomach for violence. I read Stephen King books and have watched plenty of horror movies. In middle school I reveled in shocking my classmates with presentations of General Sherman’s March to the Sea and torture practices from the Spanish Inquisition. In high school I was the only one who could watch the video of a shark eating a turtle without looking away ( but I ended up crying about shark fin soup later that year).
The point is, violence in books usually doesn’t bother me. But Canterbury takes it to a whole new level in a few of the torture scenes. It wasn’t just the twisted sadism in the scenes that bothered me, however. It was the fact that both sides are tooth achingly aware of the finite resources left and yet they both spend resources making inefficient weapons. The Developers do it in the name of sadism and the Harmonizers end up with weapons that are less effective than gun powder guns. I guess it shows that humans don’t make sense.
There are a lot of characters in this book, but Jasmine is the main character. I didn’t like her at first. I found her too cold-hearted and hot-headed. Granted, she’s in deeper and darker shit than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, but despite her parents dying, she isn’t a sympathetic character for most of the book. Her relationship with Thomas feels as forced as a cheap jigsaw puzzle. Mostly she is indifferent to him or pushing him away. For awhile the only reason she was still with him was out of fear of being alone. And then suddenly she loves him? I never really bought it. Cynthia’s relationship with an alien artificial intelligence robot feels more real and she thought she was hallucinating it.
But I ended up really liking Jasmine in the end, and even Thomas. The plot was fascinating, even a couple of parts I was skeptical about at first and this book turned out to be entertaining, even though I guessed two of the biggest plot “twists” (if you can even call them that) as soon as the foreshadowing again. But one plot twist I didn’t see coming at all, which was great.
I do wish the sides were not so black and white. The Developers were clearly evil with practically no human sides in any main characters while the Harmonizers were clearly peaceful with no dark streaks to be found. It ended up making what could have been a great story about needless conflict and saving the world sound a little like anti space exploration propaganda. That being said, it is still entertaining.
While Canterbury’s writing skills are rough, he has the potential to be a great science fiction/horror writer.
Page Count: 350 pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
After manmade natural disasters wiped out most humans and life around the world, war breaks out among the remaining humans. The faction called the Developers want to take the resources from Earth and leave the dying planet behind to join the stars. The Harmonizers want to stay and restore Earth’s resources. Both factions race to stop the other, using deadly, even sadistic measures. After all, the fate of the planet and the human race lies in the balance.
I had my ups and downs with this book to be sure. Aside from the book badly needing a proofreader, the writing itself is well done, only dipping into preachiness about human’s greed a couple of times. The brain curdling torture scenes were deliciously awful and made me stop reading a couple times to look up pictures of pet pigs until I calmed down enough to continue.
I thought I had a stomach for violence. I read Stephen King books and have watched plenty of horror movies. In middle school I reveled in shocking my classmates with presentations of General Sherman’s March to the Sea and torture practices from the Spanish Inquisition. In high school I was the only one who could watch the video of a shark eating a turtle without looking away ( but I ended up crying about shark fin soup later that year).
The point is, violence in books usually doesn’t bother me. But Canterbury takes it to a whole new level in a few of the torture scenes. It wasn’t just the twisted sadism in the scenes that bothered me, however. It was the fact that both sides are tooth achingly aware of the finite resources left and yet they both spend resources making inefficient weapons. The Developers do it in the name of sadism and the Harmonizers end up with weapons that are less effective than gun powder guns. I guess it shows that humans don’t make sense.
There are a lot of characters in this book, but Jasmine is the main character. I didn’t like her at first. I found her too cold-hearted and hot-headed. Granted, she’s in deeper and darker shit than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, but despite her parents dying, she isn’t a sympathetic character for most of the book. Her relationship with Thomas feels as forced as a cheap jigsaw puzzle. Mostly she is indifferent to him or pushing him away. For awhile the only reason she was still with him was out of fear of being alone. And then suddenly she loves him? I never really bought it. Cynthia’s relationship with an alien artificial intelligence robot feels more real and she thought she was hallucinating it.
But I ended up really liking Jasmine in the end, and even Thomas. The plot was fascinating, even a couple of parts I was skeptical about at first and this book turned out to be entertaining, even though I guessed two of the biggest plot “twists” (if you can even call them that) as soon as the foreshadowing again. But one plot twist I didn’t see coming at all, which was great.
I do wish the sides were not so black and white. The Developers were clearly evil with practically no human sides in any main characters while the Harmonizers were clearly peaceful with no dark streaks to be found. It ended up making what could have been a great story about needless conflict and saving the world sound a little like anti space exploration propaganda. That being said, it is still entertaining.
While Canterbury’s writing skills are rough, he has the potential to be a great science fiction/horror writer.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Witness in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
A classic ‘game’ from my childhood (seriously, we played it all the time) was Telephone. You know the one – someone whispers something to their neighbor, that person whispers it to their neighbor, and so on until it’s made its way around the group. Hilarity ensues when the final person reveals what they heard – usually a far cry from the original message! So when Travis pulled out Witness, a modern twist on Telephone, I knew that all my years of training would finally amount to something!
Witness is a cooperative game of memory and deduction set in the world of the 1940’s comic “Blake and Mortimer.” You and your compatriots are working together to solve mysteries! But there’s a catch – you each only know certain information, and are limited in how you are allowed to disclose it to each other. If you could just say it outright, there’d be no fun! Each player gets a character book filled with cases and information. Everyone reads their information for the chosen case, and then, like in Telephone, and in a certain order, players whisper their information to the player next to them. Play continues until everyone has heard (through the grapevine, of course) all 4 players’ information. After all information has been relayed, players get a chance to write down any notes from what they remember – but only after everything has been said! Players then open the Questions booklet to their specific case and answer three questions about their specific puzzle. Players receive points for correct answers, and as a team, are attempting to achieve the highest score possible!
I think that Witness is such a neat game. It’s a fun mechanic – you’re trying to remember all of your information to accurately pass it on, only to hear more information to add to what you already need to remember, to then pass it on again! It definitely makes for some funny misheard information! Another aspect of Witness that I like is that it goes beyond a regular game of Telephone in the fact that there’s an end goal – you’re trying to piece together all of the information as you hear it second- or even third-hand to correctly answer some questions. There’s more pressure to communicate accurately because you and your team are striving for a compilation of perfect information to help you score the most endgame points. Witness ups the stakes more than your average game of Telephone, and that’s what makes it interesting and engaging for me.
The major downside of Witness is that it is a game for EXACTLY 4 players. You can’t play with 3. You can’t play with 5. It absolutely 100% must be played with 4 players. And sometimes that’s just not possible. We all know those game nights where maybe only 2 or 3 people are available. Or maybe those times when you invite a large number of people over and they all come. In either scenario, Witness is out, and that is a bummer because it is such a neat game. Since the information is divided between 4 books, there’s unfortunately no way to adapt it for other player counts. So you can either play Witness or you can’t – there’s no ‘maybe.’
Overall, I enjoy playing Witness. I think it’s a unique approach to a simple game. Unfortunately, I believe this game is out of print, but if you can get your hands on a copy, or you see it on a friend’s shelf, give it a play! Whispering to your neighbor and solving little logic puzzles never seemed so fun! Purple Phoenix Games gives Witness a mysterious 11 / 18.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/04/02/witness-review/
Witness is a cooperative game of memory and deduction set in the world of the 1940’s comic “Blake and Mortimer.” You and your compatriots are working together to solve mysteries! But there’s a catch – you each only know certain information, and are limited in how you are allowed to disclose it to each other. If you could just say it outright, there’d be no fun! Each player gets a character book filled with cases and information. Everyone reads their information for the chosen case, and then, like in Telephone, and in a certain order, players whisper their information to the player next to them. Play continues until everyone has heard (through the grapevine, of course) all 4 players’ information. After all information has been relayed, players get a chance to write down any notes from what they remember – but only after everything has been said! Players then open the Questions booklet to their specific case and answer three questions about their specific puzzle. Players receive points for correct answers, and as a team, are attempting to achieve the highest score possible!
I think that Witness is such a neat game. It’s a fun mechanic – you’re trying to remember all of your information to accurately pass it on, only to hear more information to add to what you already need to remember, to then pass it on again! It definitely makes for some funny misheard information! Another aspect of Witness that I like is that it goes beyond a regular game of Telephone in the fact that there’s an end goal – you’re trying to piece together all of the information as you hear it second- or even third-hand to correctly answer some questions. There’s more pressure to communicate accurately because you and your team are striving for a compilation of perfect information to help you score the most endgame points. Witness ups the stakes more than your average game of Telephone, and that’s what makes it interesting and engaging for me.
The major downside of Witness is that it is a game for EXACTLY 4 players. You can’t play with 3. You can’t play with 5. It absolutely 100% must be played with 4 players. And sometimes that’s just not possible. We all know those game nights where maybe only 2 or 3 people are available. Or maybe those times when you invite a large number of people over and they all come. In either scenario, Witness is out, and that is a bummer because it is such a neat game. Since the information is divided between 4 books, there’s unfortunately no way to adapt it for other player counts. So you can either play Witness or you can’t – there’s no ‘maybe.’
Overall, I enjoy playing Witness. I think it’s a unique approach to a simple game. Unfortunately, I believe this game is out of print, but if you can get your hands on a copy, or you see it on a friend’s shelf, give it a play! Whispering to your neighbor and solving little logic puzzles never seemed so fun! Purple Phoenix Games gives Witness a mysterious 11 / 18.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/04/02/witness-review/
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Treatment in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/13527235_f520_zps01bvcnj2.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/13527235_f520_zps01bvcnj2.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo 13527235_f520_zps01bvcnj2.jpg"/></a>
🌟🌟🌟Stars
The Treatment By C.L. Taylor was a decent enough read that I really quite enjoyed.
I also took into account when reading, that this was aimed at a much younger audience than myself, so I have been slightly lenient in my rating as I feel there were things I noticed that would probably go over the heads of this books intended demographic.
I would say this is a read my twelve and thirteen-year-old boys would really enjoy, Myself being a mum in my forties, well let's just say I enjoyed this, while not overtaxing my brain overmuch.
So The Treatment is about sixteen-year-old Drew Finch and her actions when her younger brother Mason gets expelled from yet another school and sent to Norton House, a residential reform academy.
so After being followed by the mysterious Dr Cobey and receiving a strange message about the treatment, her brother is receiving while residing at Norton House. Drew decides to investigate herself by getting herself admitted as a pupil.
So as I said this was an enjoyable read that does what it says on the tin.
There were no great surprises here, This was more, the underdog saves the day type of tale.
Drew herself, well I felt a bit sorry for her bullied by her ex-best friend (which there was no real explanation for)
Does one thing wrong and then gets shipped off to a reform academy, I know she needs to be for the story to work but jeez, her mum, hardly mother of the year actions are they.
Drew herself seems to be quite a resilient girl with a bit of a kick-ass attitude, more so maybe than I would expect from someone who's been bullied so relentlessly.
But anyway she seems a very likeable pragmatic type of girl.
She teams up inside Norton with her roommate Mouse and the two try to coordinate an escape while steering clear of there other roomy Jude.
Jude is every mean girl cliche you can think off, horrid just for the sake of it. Shes even worse when Lacey, Drew's arch nemesis turns up like a bad penny and the two join forces to torment Drew.
I did find both Jude and Lacey to be slightly one dimensional in their behaviour.
So anyway to cut a long story short Drew strives to save the day, while rescuing her friends and brother along the way.
This is done in true kick-butt style with only the one extra unsurprising twist along the way.
So the wrap up of "The Treatment" I felt was a little bit rushed, I would have liked to have seen things eked out and explored in a little more depth.
But besides that, this is a great addition to the Young Adult/teen genre-leaning more heavily towards the Teen age group.
So I would definitely recommend this to the younger generation, It is a fun action packed clean read, that is well written and is sure to catch imaginations.
thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an Arc of "The Treatment" By C.L. Taylor this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/cb2989776ebd90b183a9e563b27fb6a9--funny-reading-quotes-funny-book-quotes_zpse5d7bszz.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/cb2989776ebd90b183a9e563b27fb6a9--funny-reading-quotes-funny-book-quotes_zpse5d7bszz.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo cb2989776ebd90b183a9e563b27fb6a9--funny-reading-quotes-funny-book-quotes_zpse5d7bszz.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/13527235_f520_zps01bvcnj2.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/13527235_f520_zps01bvcnj2.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo 13527235_f520_zps01bvcnj2.jpg"/></a>
🌟🌟🌟Stars
The Treatment By C.L. Taylor was a decent enough read that I really quite enjoyed.
I also took into account when reading, that this was aimed at a much younger audience than myself, so I have been slightly lenient in my rating as I feel there were things I noticed that would probably go over the heads of this books intended demographic.
I would say this is a read my twelve and thirteen-year-old boys would really enjoy, Myself being a mum in my forties, well let's just say I enjoyed this, while not overtaxing my brain overmuch.
So The Treatment is about sixteen-year-old Drew Finch and her actions when her younger brother Mason gets expelled from yet another school and sent to Norton House, a residential reform academy.
so After being followed by the mysterious Dr Cobey and receiving a strange message about the treatment, her brother is receiving while residing at Norton House. Drew decides to investigate herself by getting herself admitted as a pupil.
So as I said this was an enjoyable read that does what it says on the tin.
There were no great surprises here, This was more, the underdog saves the day type of tale.
Drew herself, well I felt a bit sorry for her bullied by her ex-best friend (which there was no real explanation for)
Does one thing wrong and then gets shipped off to a reform academy, I know she needs to be for the story to work but jeez, her mum, hardly mother of the year actions are they.
Drew herself seems to be quite a resilient girl with a bit of a kick-ass attitude, more so maybe than I would expect from someone who's been bullied so relentlessly.
But anyway she seems a very likeable pragmatic type of girl.
She teams up inside Norton with her roommate Mouse and the two try to coordinate an escape while steering clear of there other roomy Jude.
Jude is every mean girl cliche you can think off, horrid just for the sake of it. Shes even worse when Lacey, Drew's arch nemesis turns up like a bad penny and the two join forces to torment Drew.
I did find both Jude and Lacey to be slightly one dimensional in their behaviour.
So anyway to cut a long story short Drew strives to save the day, while rescuing her friends and brother along the way.
This is done in true kick-butt style with only the one extra unsurprising twist along the way.
So the wrap up of "The Treatment" I felt was a little bit rushed, I would have liked to have seen things eked out and explored in a little more depth.
But besides that, this is a great addition to the Young Adult/teen genre-leaning more heavily towards the Teen age group.
So I would definitely recommend this to the younger generation, It is a fun action packed clean read, that is well written and is sure to catch imaginations.
thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an Arc of "The Treatment" By C.L. Taylor this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/cb2989776ebd90b183a9e563b27fb6a9--funny-reading-quotes-funny-book-quotes_zpse5d7bszz.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/cb2989776ebd90b183a9e563b27fb6a9--funny-reading-quotes-funny-book-quotes_zpse5d7bszz.jpg~original"; border="0" alt=" photo cb2989776ebd90b183a9e563b27fb6a9--funny-reading-quotes-funny-book-quotes_zpse5d7bszz.jpg"/></a>
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Perfect Stranger in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Leah Stevens needs to get away from Boston. Due to an article she published, her job as a journalist is over thanks to fears of a lawsuit coupled with an in-place restraining order. So when she comes across her old friend Emmy in a bar, the timing seems perfect. Emmy is coming out a bad relationship and she suggests the pair--once former roommates--move to rural Pennsylvania and start over. Leah gets a teaching position at the nearby school, and Emmy picks up a series of odd jobs. But their fresh start is jeopardized when a local woman, with a startling likeness to Leah, is attacked. Then Emmy vanishes, and Leah really starts to worry. Leah works with the local police, but quickly fears she may be under suspicion as well, as it rapidly becomes clear that Leah didn't know Emmy well at all. In fact, Leah is starting to wonder: did Emmy even exist?
This is Miranda's follow-on to [b:All the Missing Girls|23212667|All the Missing Girls|Megan Miranda|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1452098621s/23212667.jpg|42755300], and I actually found myself liking THE PERFECT STRANGER even more. While GIRLS hooked you with its backward narrative shtick, STRANGER pulls you immediately with the strength of its story, and it never lets go. Everything in the novel is complicated and interrelated, it seems, and you're constantly digesting details and facts and trying to put these intricately interwoven pieces together, just as Leah is. Because she has a past as a reporter, she's great at digging through facts, but you also can't trust her as a narrator, and it puts you--the reader--in quite a bind. What is true? Who is real? It was a frustrating (in a good way) dilemma, and I loved it.
The novel gets progressively creepier as it unfolds: to the point that I found myself checking the curtains when I was up late at night (frantically reading the book, of course!). I kept wondering what on earth was going on and how everything could possibly fit together. At one point, there was a great plot twist that I totally didn't see coming. I love when that happens! The book kept me puzzling right up until the end. It's really quite spellbinding.
It reminded me a bit of a [a:Mary Kubica|7392948|Mary Kubica|http://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1447464986p2/7392948.jpg] novel; you really do start to doubt if Emmy exists. As mentioned, Leah is a very unreliable narrator in many ways. She brings her reporter instincts to this small town (despite trying to escape that part of her past), and it's truly fascinating watching her try to unravel the story. Her searches become really exciting, even if you don't completely trust her or know if you can believe her.
Everything ties together really well. The only downside for me was that the ending was a bit anticlimactic, but the "aha" moments when everything fits together are amazing. It's a really intricate and well-plotted novel. I stayed up late to finish it because I could not go to bed without knowing what had happened. I was more excited about finishing this book than Duke's defeat in the NCAA tournament - that should say a lot. :)
Overall, a very exciting and interesting (and often spooky!) thriller. Definitely recommend.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 04/11/2017.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
This is Miranda's follow-on to [b:All the Missing Girls|23212667|All the Missing Girls|Megan Miranda|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1452098621s/23212667.jpg|42755300], and I actually found myself liking THE PERFECT STRANGER even more. While GIRLS hooked you with its backward narrative shtick, STRANGER pulls you immediately with the strength of its story, and it never lets go. Everything in the novel is complicated and interrelated, it seems, and you're constantly digesting details and facts and trying to put these intricately interwoven pieces together, just as Leah is. Because she has a past as a reporter, she's great at digging through facts, but you also can't trust her as a narrator, and it puts you--the reader--in quite a bind. What is true? Who is real? It was a frustrating (in a good way) dilemma, and I loved it.
The novel gets progressively creepier as it unfolds: to the point that I found myself checking the curtains when I was up late at night (frantically reading the book, of course!). I kept wondering what on earth was going on and how everything could possibly fit together. At one point, there was a great plot twist that I totally didn't see coming. I love when that happens! The book kept me puzzling right up until the end. It's really quite spellbinding.
It reminded me a bit of a [a:Mary Kubica|7392948|Mary Kubica|http://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1447464986p2/7392948.jpg] novel; you really do start to doubt if Emmy exists. As mentioned, Leah is a very unreliable narrator in many ways. She brings her reporter instincts to this small town (despite trying to escape that part of her past), and it's truly fascinating watching her try to unravel the story. Her searches become really exciting, even if you don't completely trust her or know if you can believe her.
Everything ties together really well. The only downside for me was that the ending was a bit anticlimactic, but the "aha" moments when everything fits together are amazing. It's a really intricate and well-plotted novel. I stayed up late to finish it because I could not go to bed without knowing what had happened. I was more excited about finishing this book than Duke's defeat in the NCAA tournament - that should say a lot. :)
Overall, a very exciting and interesting (and often spooky!) thriller. Definitely recommend.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 04/11/2017.
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Let Me Lie in Books
Mar 14, 2018
Slow-building shocking thriller
Anna Johnson is still reeling from the suicide of her father, Tom, when her mother, Caroline, dies as well, in a suicide that copies that of Tom's. A year later, Anna is grief-stricken, parenting a young baby, and trying to put together the pieces of her life. She lives in her parents' old home, surrounded by memories of their life together. On the anniversary of her mother's death, Anna receives a suspicious note that prompts her to dig into her parents' past and their deaths. She quickly discovers that nothing is as it seems--not their suicides, nor the happy childhood memories she holds so dear.
I really love Clare Mackintosh; her first novel, I Let You Go, is one of my favorites, and she's one of those authors I follow on Twitter and find very relatable. So I was very excited to finally get a chance to read this one. I'm still in awe of Mackintosh--who spent twelve years in the police force--and her writing talent. She has such a talent for creating some of her characters. And boy, can she really shock you with a plot twist.
I must first preface that if you have issues or triggers with suicide, this might be one to skip. Having lost a loved one to suicide, I can tell you that this can be a little hard to read. But Mackintosh treats the subject very delicately; she also presents us with a character with BPD, and I thought her treatment of mental illness was very well-done.
The novel is told mainly from Anna's point of view and that of a former police detective, Murray, who gets involved with her case. We do get snippets from someone else--we are left to imagine to try to figure out who it is, when they are speaking, and what has happened to them. Once Anna receives the note questioning her mother's suicide, she takes it to the police, where Murray--an investigator/detective now relegated to desk duty post-retirement--starts looking into it, which is a bit against the rules. This doesn't matter to us, because unless you have no heart, you'll immediately love Murray. He was the star of the story, to me, and I immediately adored him. He's also a great detective and a wonderful force in the book. (Can we have another story with Murray, please, Ms. Mackintosh?)
The book is ominous, creepy, and and tense, as the story slowly builds to its conclusion. It's not a fast-paced thriller, per se, but I was definitely fascinated in what had happened to Anna's parents. I was kept guessing for good chunks of the book, which I certainly appreciated. There are a bunch of twists and turns, several of which had me quite surprised. I just love how Mackintosh can throw you off track and then shock you quite convincingly.
For me, part of this book was a little far-fetched, and I thought Anna acted a little odd at times -- though in her defense, the poor girl is put through a lot. The book is best if you roll with the surprises and just enjoy them. Even better, you have Murray, who offers a touching character (his interactions with his wife are beyond lovely and show a deftness in writing that is quite impressive) as well as superbly-written detective. The book was compelling; nearing the end, I kept going "what? what did he find? who?!" so I know it was effective in creating suspense. It's also creepy at times and surprising until the end. Well-done. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review. More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
I really love Clare Mackintosh; her first novel, I Let You Go, is one of my favorites, and she's one of those authors I follow on Twitter and find very relatable. So I was very excited to finally get a chance to read this one. I'm still in awe of Mackintosh--who spent twelve years in the police force--and her writing talent. She has such a talent for creating some of her characters. And boy, can she really shock you with a plot twist.
I must first preface that if you have issues or triggers with suicide, this might be one to skip. Having lost a loved one to suicide, I can tell you that this can be a little hard to read. But Mackintosh treats the subject very delicately; she also presents us with a character with BPD, and I thought her treatment of mental illness was very well-done.
The novel is told mainly from Anna's point of view and that of a former police detective, Murray, who gets involved with her case. We do get snippets from someone else--we are left to imagine to try to figure out who it is, when they are speaking, and what has happened to them. Once Anna receives the note questioning her mother's suicide, she takes it to the police, where Murray--an investigator/detective now relegated to desk duty post-retirement--starts looking into it, which is a bit against the rules. This doesn't matter to us, because unless you have no heart, you'll immediately love Murray. He was the star of the story, to me, and I immediately adored him. He's also a great detective and a wonderful force in the book. (Can we have another story with Murray, please, Ms. Mackintosh?)
The book is ominous, creepy, and and tense, as the story slowly builds to its conclusion. It's not a fast-paced thriller, per se, but I was definitely fascinated in what had happened to Anna's parents. I was kept guessing for good chunks of the book, which I certainly appreciated. There are a bunch of twists and turns, several of which had me quite surprised. I just love how Mackintosh can throw you off track and then shock you quite convincingly.
For me, part of this book was a little far-fetched, and I thought Anna acted a little odd at times -- though in her defense, the poor girl is put through a lot. The book is best if you roll with the surprises and just enjoy them. Even better, you have Murray, who offers a touching character (his interactions with his wife are beyond lovely and show a deftness in writing that is quite impressive) as well as superbly-written detective. The book was compelling; nearing the end, I kept going "what? what did he find? who?!" so I know it was effective in creating suspense. It's also creepy at times and surprising until the end. Well-done. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review. More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Liv, Forever in Books
Jun 7, 2018
This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
A book with a setting of a boarding school and involving ghosts? Yes please! This was one of those books I really had to have. Luckily, it was a great read!
I like the title. It's very cute, and it's mentioned in the book and is the total opposite of what actually happens to Liv.
I'm not really a fan of the cover at all. I don't like the outfit the girl is wearing, and it really irks me for some reason.
The world building is fantastically written! There were a few times I was confused, but later on in the book, it would be explained. I did feel that Live and Malcolm fell in love a little too suddenly, but I do know that when I was a teenager, the word "love" came so easily to everyone. I really loved the setting of a boarding school. Books that involve boarding schools always make me want to read them for some reason.
The pacing was done really well. In fact, I finished the book in one setting. It was just that good, and I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. The chapters flowed very well into one another.
I loved, loved, loved the plot! Okay, so it's kind of been done before, but it didn't make this story any less interesting. The boarding school side of it was pretty typical - rich elitists, token mean girl, the less privileged kids there on scholarship or some other reason, and the boy/girl who strays from his/her rich friends. However, I loved the secret society part of it and the whole mystery of this secret society as well as the ghosts that were stuck at Wickham Hall. I loved reading about each ghostly girl's story of their demise, and I loved how Hilton explained why the ghosts did what they did. I think there's supposed to be a plot twist towards the end about who murdered Liv, but it was really easy to figure out even before I'd gotten half way through the book.
I loved the character of Liv. I felt she was easy to relate to and very down to Earth. I loved her persistence and her determination. She had a very good head on her shoulders. I also liked Malcolm and how he was disregarded his social status for Liv. I liked how he didn't really care what anyone thought of him. I liked Gabe, but I wanted to know more about him. I felt like he was a little bit of an underdeveloped character. I would've liked a bit more back story on him.
I enjoyed the dialogue and felt that it flowed smoothly. The dialogue does suit a young adult book although there were a few times when the teenagers used vocabulary that even I didn't know the meaning of. I put this down to their privileged upbringing though. There is violence in this book although it's not really too gruesome and there are a few swear words but nothing over the top. As for anything sexual, the only thing is when a girl runs out of her school naked and it talks about her being fondled by a few boys, but it's nothing really graphic.
Overall, I found Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington to be a really fast and enjoyable read. It has a fantastic plot and a great main character. I'd love to see this book be made into a movie at some point.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who like books that aren't really scary but still interesting as well as those that are fans of paranormal mysteries.
(I received a free paperback ARC of this title through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for a fair and honest review).
A book with a setting of a boarding school and involving ghosts? Yes please! This was one of those books I really had to have. Luckily, it was a great read!
I like the title. It's very cute, and it's mentioned in the book and is the total opposite of what actually happens to Liv.
I'm not really a fan of the cover at all. I don't like the outfit the girl is wearing, and it really irks me for some reason.
The world building is fantastically written! There were a few times I was confused, but later on in the book, it would be explained. I did feel that Live and Malcolm fell in love a little too suddenly, but I do know that when I was a teenager, the word "love" came so easily to everyone. I really loved the setting of a boarding school. Books that involve boarding schools always make me want to read them for some reason.
The pacing was done really well. In fact, I finished the book in one setting. It was just that good, and I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. The chapters flowed very well into one another.
I loved, loved, loved the plot! Okay, so it's kind of been done before, but it didn't make this story any less interesting. The boarding school side of it was pretty typical - rich elitists, token mean girl, the less privileged kids there on scholarship or some other reason, and the boy/girl who strays from his/her rich friends. However, I loved the secret society part of it and the whole mystery of this secret society as well as the ghosts that were stuck at Wickham Hall. I loved reading about each ghostly girl's story of their demise, and I loved how Hilton explained why the ghosts did what they did. I think there's supposed to be a plot twist towards the end about who murdered Liv, but it was really easy to figure out even before I'd gotten half way through the book.
I loved the character of Liv. I felt she was easy to relate to and very down to Earth. I loved her persistence and her determination. She had a very good head on her shoulders. I also liked Malcolm and how he was disregarded his social status for Liv. I liked how he didn't really care what anyone thought of him. I liked Gabe, but I wanted to know more about him. I felt like he was a little bit of an underdeveloped character. I would've liked a bit more back story on him.
I enjoyed the dialogue and felt that it flowed smoothly. The dialogue does suit a young adult book although there were a few times when the teenagers used vocabulary that even I didn't know the meaning of. I put this down to their privileged upbringing though. There is violence in this book although it's not really too gruesome and there are a few swear words but nothing over the top. As for anything sexual, the only thing is when a girl runs out of her school naked and it talks about her being fondled by a few boys, but it's nothing really graphic.
Overall, I found Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington to be a really fast and enjoyable read. It has a fantastic plot and a great main character. I'd love to see this book be made into a movie at some point.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who like books that aren't really scary but still interesting as well as those that are fans of paranormal mysteries.
(I received a free paperback ARC of this title through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Second Verse in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I first saw this book on Goodreads, and I knew I had to have it when I read the word "haunted" in the book synopsis. I'm so happy I had a chance to read this book because it was awesome!
I think the blurb is fantastically written! It definitely made me want to read the book, and I like how it doesn't even mention the tiniest spoiler which I love.
I'm not a big fan of the title simply because it make me think of a book about someone's struggle with music. It doesn't really give off the whole ghostly mystery book vibe.
I also don't really care for the cover simply because based on just the cover, it never made me want to pick up the book to read it. I would've liked to have had a creepier looking cover for this book even if the cover photo is, what I think, supposed to be the picture Lange drew.
I did enjoy the world building very much. I felt that the world of Second Verse definitely had solid building. I was experiencing everything that Lange was, or at least, it felt that way. As for the setting, I was a bit confused at the very beginning about the type of school they were in. It was mentioned they had a creative period and there was talk about music, but it never really talked about them being in a music school. Perhaps it was implied, and I just couldn't work it out at the beginning or maybe I just read about it and forgot.
The pacing was only slow for about the first 5 or so pages. After that, the pacing picks up and holds your attention for the rest of the book only letting you go once the book comes to an end. I was super enthralled throughout the entire book (with the exception of the first few pages).
I really enjoyed the plot! There is a major element in this plot that I won't talk about due to spoilers, but it wasn't mentioned in the book's blurb. I would've never guessed it was a book on that theme. Trust me, I'd elaborate if I could, but I don't want to spoil it for those that may wish to read this book. There is a plot twist that I never saw coming, and the ending was just wow! I will say that the ending does leave this book open for a sequel.
The characters felt very real. I enjoyed the character of Lange. It was interesting to see how she reacted to everything around her. I felt as if I probably would've made the same choices if I was in her shoes. Vaughn is also a likable character, and I loved how he was always trying to make Lange feel safe. They were such a cute couple! Even though Ginny wasn't an actual character, it was still interesting to read about her and her love for her beau.
The dialogue flowed very smoothly, and the character interactions felt real. The language used works for this book and its genre.
Overall, Second Verse is a fantastic read that incorporates a bit of mystery, paranormal, and romance. It definitely held my attention, and I was sad when I had come to the end of the book because I didn't want it to end.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who enjoy paranormal, mystery, and romance books and those who love great plot twists.
<b>I'd give Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup a 4.5 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free paperback copy of this book from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
I first saw this book on Goodreads, and I knew I had to have it when I read the word "haunted" in the book synopsis. I'm so happy I had a chance to read this book because it was awesome!
I think the blurb is fantastically written! It definitely made me want to read the book, and I like how it doesn't even mention the tiniest spoiler which I love.
I'm not a big fan of the title simply because it make me think of a book about someone's struggle with music. It doesn't really give off the whole ghostly mystery book vibe.
I also don't really care for the cover simply because based on just the cover, it never made me want to pick up the book to read it. I would've liked to have had a creepier looking cover for this book even if the cover photo is, what I think, supposed to be the picture Lange drew.
I did enjoy the world building very much. I felt that the world of Second Verse definitely had solid building. I was experiencing everything that Lange was, or at least, it felt that way. As for the setting, I was a bit confused at the very beginning about the type of school they were in. It was mentioned they had a creative period and there was talk about music, but it never really talked about them being in a music school. Perhaps it was implied, and I just couldn't work it out at the beginning or maybe I just read about it and forgot.
The pacing was only slow for about the first 5 or so pages. After that, the pacing picks up and holds your attention for the rest of the book only letting you go once the book comes to an end. I was super enthralled throughout the entire book (with the exception of the first few pages).
I really enjoyed the plot! There is a major element in this plot that I won't talk about due to spoilers, but it wasn't mentioned in the book's blurb. I would've never guessed it was a book on that theme. Trust me, I'd elaborate if I could, but I don't want to spoil it for those that may wish to read this book. There is a plot twist that I never saw coming, and the ending was just wow! I will say that the ending does leave this book open for a sequel.
The characters felt very real. I enjoyed the character of Lange. It was interesting to see how she reacted to everything around her. I felt as if I probably would've made the same choices if I was in her shoes. Vaughn is also a likable character, and I loved how he was always trying to make Lange feel safe. They were such a cute couple! Even though Ginny wasn't an actual character, it was still interesting to read about her and her love for her beau.
The dialogue flowed very smoothly, and the character interactions felt real. The language used works for this book and its genre.
Overall, Second Verse is a fantastic read that incorporates a bit of mystery, paranormal, and romance. It definitely held my attention, and I was sad when I had come to the end of the book because I didn't want it to end.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who enjoy paranormal, mystery, and romance books and those who love great plot twists.
<b>I'd give Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup a 4.5 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free paperback copy of this book from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Catastrophic History of You and Me in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review will be available on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Soemthing Year Old Girl</a> from the middle of August).
I'd been wanting to read The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg for awhile now. I had found it cheap on Amazon and decided to buy it. Although it was a kind of good book, I wish I had seen if my library had it to borrow.
I don't really need to explain the synopsis in my words because the official one seems to describe what the book is about quite well. If I explain it, I'd just be saying the same thing, but not as good.
The title is a mouthful, but I like it. It's one of the first things that made me want to pick up this book. I do believe that the title fits this book perfectly!
The cover is what caught my eye the most! It is absolutely gorgeous! It's also a scene that appears in the book a few times.
The world building was done quite well, and I loved the setting! I love how when Brie dies, she's transported by bus to a pizza place she frequented quite a bit. There's something about that that I just found funny! There's only one time that I felt confused, but I don't want to say anything due to spoilers. Oh, and one more thing. Brie says her family called her by cheese nicknames due to her name. However, Patrick as well as other people she sees in the afterlife due that as well. However, I just don't think everyone would associate her name with cheese, nor would they be so blatant to tease her about it. Other then that, the world building is easy to imagine.
For about half of the book, the pacing seemed a bit slow to me. In fact, I was thinking about giving up on the book altogether. However, the second half picks up the pacing, and it becomes quite an enjoyable read from there on out..
I've always been interested in plots where someone dies and gets to look at their friends and family. Brie wants to get back at Jacob in the afterlife for breaking her heart. She sees the consequences, and we are left to wonder what Brie will do. We also find out Jacob's big secret which I didn't see coming. I also didn't see the other plot twist. I love being surprised!!
I started off liking Brie. She seemed like a really insecure but nice girl. However, I soon found her to be annoying and mean. I understand wanting revenge on someone who has hurt you, but what she did was really uncalled for. I also found her thought pattern to be really vicious and spiteful. I didn't like how she treated Patrick either. She tries to make amends, but it's just too little, too late for me. I did like Patrick and found him to be a rather sweet and friendly guy. The way he spoke sometimes annoyed me, but overall, he was very likable.
The dialogue was very easy to understand and flowed very well. Like I said, there were times I didn't like the way Patrick spoke, but that wasn't very often. I found it interesting to see how Brie's family and friends carried on without her. There's also some swearing in this book.
Overall, The Catastrophic History of You and Me started out a bit boring, but it got better. It turns out to be a sweet story with a moral to it, I believe.
I'd recommend this book to those age 14+ who are looking for a sweet read with a great message attached to it.
I'd give The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg a 3.5 out of 5.
I'd been wanting to read The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg for awhile now. I had found it cheap on Amazon and decided to buy it. Although it was a kind of good book, I wish I had seen if my library had it to borrow.
I don't really need to explain the synopsis in my words because the official one seems to describe what the book is about quite well. If I explain it, I'd just be saying the same thing, but not as good.
The title is a mouthful, but I like it. It's one of the first things that made me want to pick up this book. I do believe that the title fits this book perfectly!
The cover is what caught my eye the most! It is absolutely gorgeous! It's also a scene that appears in the book a few times.
The world building was done quite well, and I loved the setting! I love how when Brie dies, she's transported by bus to a pizza place she frequented quite a bit. There's something about that that I just found funny! There's only one time that I felt confused, but I don't want to say anything due to spoilers. Oh, and one more thing. Brie says her family called her by cheese nicknames due to her name. However, Patrick as well as other people she sees in the afterlife due that as well. However, I just don't think everyone would associate her name with cheese, nor would they be so blatant to tease her about it. Other then that, the world building is easy to imagine.
For about half of the book, the pacing seemed a bit slow to me. In fact, I was thinking about giving up on the book altogether. However, the second half picks up the pacing, and it becomes quite an enjoyable read from there on out..
I've always been interested in plots where someone dies and gets to look at their friends and family. Brie wants to get back at Jacob in the afterlife for breaking her heart. She sees the consequences, and we are left to wonder what Brie will do. We also find out Jacob's big secret which I didn't see coming. I also didn't see the other plot twist. I love being surprised!!
I started off liking Brie. She seemed like a really insecure but nice girl. However, I soon found her to be annoying and mean. I understand wanting revenge on someone who has hurt you, but what she did was really uncalled for. I also found her thought pattern to be really vicious and spiteful. I didn't like how she treated Patrick either. She tries to make amends, but it's just too little, too late for me. I did like Patrick and found him to be a rather sweet and friendly guy. The way he spoke sometimes annoyed me, but overall, he was very likable.
The dialogue was very easy to understand and flowed very well. Like I said, there were times I didn't like the way Patrick spoke, but that wasn't very often. I found it interesting to see how Brie's family and friends carried on without her. There's also some swearing in this book.
Overall, The Catastrophic History of You and Me started out a bit boring, but it got better. It turns out to be a sweet story with a moral to it, I believe.
I'd recommend this book to those age 14+ who are looking for a sweet read with a great message attached to it.
I'd give The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg a 3.5 out of 5.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Passionaries (The Blessed, #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I loved the first book in this series! Precious Blood was a fantastic read. However, Passionaries was a bit mediocre in my opinion.
I like the title, and I believe it is quite fitting for the book. A minor character in the book defines what passionaries are. They are some kind of books related to the Catholic religion. I don't know if that's fictitious or not (I did try searching for it and found nothing).
The cover is very gorgeous as are all of the covers of Tonya Hurley's books. The cover fits the book especially with the guitars and the sword.
The world building was a bit hit and miss. There were times when it seemed like something like this could happen. I mean, who says we can't have modern day saints? However, there were also times when it seemed a bit too unreal such as when people were getting murdered. For example, in one scene, the girls get attacked so they end up killing their attackers. They don't get arrested because there's no evidence. Surely they would've caught them on CCTV or someone would've seen the girls with blood all over them. Plus, there'd be so much forensic evidence. I also felt that sometimes there was sometimes some fight scenes just for the sake of having a fight scene.
The pacing started off slow but eventually find a decent pace. The pacing isn't as good as the first book in the series, but it still held my attention.
As for the plot, I don't really know what's going on. At least in the first book, it was the girls finding out they were saints. However, after reading this book, I don't know what's going on! I realize the girls are saints and there are some people that don't want the world to know that, but what I don't know is the why. Why do these people not want the world to know these girls are saints? I felt that the answer is just not very clear. Passionaries did have a plot twist that I never saw coming. There's also a big cliff hanger at the end of the story as to make way for the third book in the series.
The characters were all fabulously written. The girls are stronger in this book, and their saintly personalities show through. Saying that, Cecelia is more hardcore in this book then in the first one. At least I thought so. Dr. Frey is still very cunning as ever in Passionaries. One thing that did irk me was that Hurley brought in the character of Finn. To me, Finn is a totally pointless character. I really didn't see the relevance in bringing him into the story.
There were times when the dialogue did seem a bit awkward although this was mostly in the beginning of the book. I felt that the meeting between Dr. Frey and some of his associates at the beginning of the book had painful dialogue. It just didn't seem to flow naturally. Luckily, the problem is quickly solved. There is some swearing in Passionaries as well as graphic violence.
All in all, Passionaries fell short of my expectations. It was a little bit too confusing, and the world building just didn't seem all that realistic. I do want to read the next book in the series because I've invested so much time in this series. However, the expected publication is some time in 2015, so I may give it a miss since I tend to forget things that happened in books after so long.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who want to know more about Lucy, Cecelia, and Agnes.
I loved the first book in this series! Precious Blood was a fantastic read. However, Passionaries was a bit mediocre in my opinion.
I like the title, and I believe it is quite fitting for the book. A minor character in the book defines what passionaries are. They are some kind of books related to the Catholic religion. I don't know if that's fictitious or not (I did try searching for it and found nothing).
The cover is very gorgeous as are all of the covers of Tonya Hurley's books. The cover fits the book especially with the guitars and the sword.
The world building was a bit hit and miss. There were times when it seemed like something like this could happen. I mean, who says we can't have modern day saints? However, there were also times when it seemed a bit too unreal such as when people were getting murdered. For example, in one scene, the girls get attacked so they end up killing their attackers. They don't get arrested because there's no evidence. Surely they would've caught them on CCTV or someone would've seen the girls with blood all over them. Plus, there'd be so much forensic evidence. I also felt that sometimes there was sometimes some fight scenes just for the sake of having a fight scene.
The pacing started off slow but eventually find a decent pace. The pacing isn't as good as the first book in the series, but it still held my attention.
As for the plot, I don't really know what's going on. At least in the first book, it was the girls finding out they were saints. However, after reading this book, I don't know what's going on! I realize the girls are saints and there are some people that don't want the world to know that, but what I don't know is the why. Why do these people not want the world to know these girls are saints? I felt that the answer is just not very clear. Passionaries did have a plot twist that I never saw coming. There's also a big cliff hanger at the end of the story as to make way for the third book in the series.
The characters were all fabulously written. The girls are stronger in this book, and their saintly personalities show through. Saying that, Cecelia is more hardcore in this book then in the first one. At least I thought so. Dr. Frey is still very cunning as ever in Passionaries. One thing that did irk me was that Hurley brought in the character of Finn. To me, Finn is a totally pointless character. I really didn't see the relevance in bringing him into the story.
There were times when the dialogue did seem a bit awkward although this was mostly in the beginning of the book. I felt that the meeting between Dr. Frey and some of his associates at the beginning of the book had painful dialogue. It just didn't seem to flow naturally. Luckily, the problem is quickly solved. There is some swearing in Passionaries as well as graphic violence.
All in all, Passionaries fell short of my expectations. It was a little bit too confusing, and the world building just didn't seem all that realistic. I do want to read the next book in the series because I've invested so much time in this series. However, the expected publication is some time in 2015, so I may give it a miss since I tend to forget things that happened in books after so long.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who want to know more about Lucy, Cecelia, and Agnes.