Tag: fiction review

Monday (Mini #BookReview) Madness

This week I read:

This was definitely a #BlameItOnLitsy choice. Despite being published almost 20 years ago, it’s been getting a lot of attention – and good reviews – lately. So much so that when it showed up as a Kindle daily deal, I had to snatch it up. It was definitely suspenseful and interesting, but, to me, it felt like the author took the long way around. Heavy on the court drama and the did she/didn’t she. The twist at the ending did blindside me, but I felt a bit underwhelmed. If you like legal mysteries, this one’s for you.

This book was described as “an homage to 1980’s slashers and mall culture,” How could I resist? The short answer is that I couldn’t. It was a quick, fast paced, fun read. That said, it was rough in some areas and seemed almost as much of a social commentary on consumerism as a teen slasher. It took an odd, unexpected turn that I felt detracted from what was promised. Definitely campy, but that’s the point. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and the Author for an advanced copy for review.

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ARC Review: We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu

50228263From Goodreads:

Last summer, Link Miller drowned on dry land in the woods, miles from the nearest body of water. His death was ruled a weird accident, but Noemi Amato knows the truth: Link was killed. He told her so himself, because he’s been texting her from beyond the grave, warning her to keep away from the forest.

Amberlyn, Link’s sister, can’t shake the feeling that Noemi is hiding something, and Jonas, Noemi’s new housemate, can’t get past the walls that she has constructed around herself. Because Noemi has a dangerous secret even bigger than Link’s ghost…

Link drowned in an impossible lake that only she can find.

Now, if the three don’t work together to unravel the truth about what is happening in the woods, someone else may wind up dead. Set over the course of one heartbreaking, mystifying, and ultimately hopeful year, this remarkable debut heralds the arrival of an incredible new voice in young adult literature.

My Review: Usually anything even bordering on fantasy or paranormal is not my thing, but after reading the blurb – a boy drowns on dry land in the woods – I had a feeling that I had to read this book, and I’m so glad I did. The ‘otherworldly’ element is hard to explain – it’s almost like a character in itself, but is mild enough to not deter readers who normally shy away from the genre.

The writing is good, at times beautiful, and there was something about the web that Nagamatsu spun that caught me up and wouldn’t let me go. Although I have to admit that at times I caught myself wondering what the theme was for this strange tale, the lyrical prose lulled me happily along to an ending that left me wondering.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Monday (Mini Book Review) Madness

This week I read:

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Very simplistic in its style, and a little bumpy in places, but it’s a CLUE pastiche! CLUE!!! After a childhood (and adulthood) spent defending my undefeated CLUE championship title, I feel like there was no way that I couldn’t have loved this book – and I did! Looking forward to the next book in the series! 

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I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as The Sundown Motel, but still a solid, suspenseful ghost story. Plenty of atmosphere and mystery made this a hard book to put down!

I just started:

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Monday (Mini Book Review) Madness

This week I read:

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This was sweet, and cute, and everything good. I didn’t like it as much as Simon, but it checked all the boxes you look for in a feel good YA story. Quick and easy and fun (and funny!), well developed characters and a plot that makes you care.

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I almost DNFed this multiple times. There were too many POV characters, and Hawkins didn’t develop them well enough in the beginning for me to keep them straight and know who was who, which I found frustrating. It finally picked up about 60% in. Yikes! It ended up a decent story, but I doubt I’ll read one of her books again.

I just started:

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Monday (Mini Book Review) Madness

This week I read:

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This was a page turner – plenty of suspects, lots of suspense, and danger round every corner. That said, I wasn’t feeling any of the characters, which kept me from being as vested in the outcome as I would have liked, but still a stellar read. Recommended for readers who want to be kept on their toes. Not recommended for those who want to scoop the mystery.

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I’ve had a hard time with non-fiction lately, but I enjoyed reading about the naturalist aspects of this book – the plants, animals and science. It took a while for the author to approach the purpose of the book – the story of how his son went missing while hiking in Costa Rica, and what he had to do to find him. Recommended for those who like a slow burning true mystery. Not recommended for those looking for light entertainment.

I just started:

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Monday (Mini Book Review) Madness

This week I read:

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I did not care for this book – not the writing or the characters or the plot. I almost put it down a dozen times, but one of the blurbs on the cover is by an author who I enjoy, and I trusted his opinion and figured there’d be a payoff at the end. There was a twist, and some people might enjoy this one, but for me it was a disappointment. 

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This book had an interesting premise, and the author certainly upped the ante with some of the storylines within the book. There was plenty of tension and suspense and some good twists woven into the plot. My only complaint for this one is that there were quite a few main characters, and it took a while for me to keep them straight, but otherwise this was a fun and engaging thriller.

I just started:

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Monday (Mini Book Review) Madness

This week I read:

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This book was EVERYTHING! I laughed, I cried, and still I want more! Irreverently funny, obscene, and yet at times poignantly deep. Totally not the type of book I typically read, but so worth the departure from my norm. The zombie apocalypse told from the perspective of animals, mainly a crow, as they try to rescue the pets locked in their homes and survive the zombies and changing world. 5 blinding stars! Recommended for everyone, because this is the first book I’ve read this year that makes me feel that way.

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I really enjoyed this one, despite being a bit disappointed by the direction it went. It was quick paced, tensely plotted, and kept my mind racing with thoughts about what must really be going on. Recommended for readers looking for a twisty thriller. Not recommended for readers who want a completely believable tale.

I just started:

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Click the links to friend me on Litsy or Goodreads and unite our bookish communities!

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Monday (Mini Book Review) Madness

This week I read:

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This one had suspense and intrigue, but I didn’t feel vested in the characters. There were several subplots and plenty of red herrings, but ultimately lacked that little something that would have elevated it from a good mystery thriller to a great one. Recommended for those looking for an easy beach read. Not recommend for those looking for a procedural mystery.

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This one seemed to be almost as much about outgrowing old friendships as it was about the murder mystery. There were lots of directions this one could have gone in, and I liked the way the author kept you guessing about who it was who had been murdered for the first half of the book, but the foreshadowing was a little heavy handed and once I knew who the body belonged to, I knew what had happened except for a subplot that came as a surprise. Recommended for those looking for a mystery set in an interesting locale. Not recommended for readers who want likeable characters.

I just started:

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Monday Book Madness

It was a really good week reading wise. I lucked out and found two awesome books that held my attention!

This week I read:

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Now that it’s over, it seems strange to me how much I loved this book, but I really, really did! I’m usually not a fan of sci-fi or fantasy, and this book had a touch of both, but I didn’t care. I was emotionally invested in the main character and her plight for survival. The suspense and stakes kept me riveted to the page, and the tension kept me reading well into the night. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author!

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Usually books surrounded by a lot of hype are disappointing, but not this one! I kept seeing rave reviews for this on Litsy, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon – and I’m so glad I did! Suspenseful and well written, this mystery interwoven with a ghost story had all the creeps and chills! A fun escape full of tension and atmosphere!

I just started:

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To join me in bookish fun, click the links to friend me on Litsy or Goodreads

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Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris ~ Fiction Book Review

26050845This book was suspenseful. It kept my attention, my eyes racing over the pages so quickly that at times I thought I smelled smoke. I enjoyed the story very much, but there was something off, something lacking.

I can’t quite pinpoint what kept this book from being 5 stars for me. There was a lot of telling versus showing, which most writers will agree is one of those criticisms that make your eyes roll completely out of your head and onto the floor, but there’s merit in the comment. If left unbalanced, the rhythm of the text morphs into something that reads like a grocery list. It lacks sophistication, creating an, “and then, and then, and then,” feeling.

The plot was good, and I’m not one of those readers that has problems suspending belief, but there were some things that rubbed me the wrong way, like a tag abrading the back of my neck. It felt uncomfortable and wrong and I just couldn’t buy the characters’ actions. All that said, I really did enjoy the book. Parts of it were chillingly fresh and horrific! Had I read it another week, a different day, perhaps I would have rated it 5 stars instead of 4.45. A quick read and worth the time you’ll spend with it.

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