Book Review: Sharp Objects

Book Review: Sharp Objects

By: Gillian Flynn

Goodreads Score: 3.87

My Score: 4.2

Highlights: Compelling, twisted, gritty

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart 
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg 
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle 
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

(From Goodreads) 

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Gillian Flynn. What can I say? Reading her books makes me uncomfortable, anxious, and disturbed. And yet: I read them. It’s nearly impossible not to. I started with Gone Girl, which was more mild than both Sharp Objects and Dark Places, in terms of sex and violence. Gone Girl was also my favorite of the three. Dark Places was my least, although I really appreciated the ending. Sharp Objects falls somewhere in-between the two.

As always, the main character is a bit screwed up (okay, a bit is an understatement). After her sister, Marian, died, Camille started carving words into her flesh, and having copious amounts of sex. Her relationship with her cold, infuriating mother is, as you can imagine, strained, with Camille still secretly pining for her mother’s love even though she knows that she’ll never truly have it. The result of all these things have caused her to bitterly resent her home town, and residing in her mind is a great way to gain that cynical mindset you’ve always been looking for, and which I happened to enjoy. Camille is vulnerable and tough at the same time. She is childish, and dangerous, and always teetering on the edge. She’s tenacious and protective. She is a girl falling even as she puts up her arms to block the pain.

As for the other characters…nearly all the important ones are impossible to like. And it’s supposed to be that way. On Gillian Flynn’s website, she writes that “there are no good women in Sharp Objects.”* One could argue that Camille isn’t necessarily bad, but then, she’s no paradigm of perfection, either. The other characters, however, are all just nasty.

Her mother, Adora, is not someone that anyone would Adore-a (get it?!).

Her half-sister, Amma, is infuriating at parts, strangely vulnerable in other parts, and manipulative and creepy through it all.

Her stepfather, Alan, is a mindless drone.

And all the other little townspeople are petty, gossip-eager, whiny, dramatic little caricatures of themselves. If any of the aspects of this book annoyed me, it was the monochromatic townspeople. Nearly all of Camille’s friends, and all of Camille’s mother’s friends, read the same. I had trouble differentiating who was who, and how (if at all) they were different from the next person. And sure, yes, I get that this was probably to highlight the horrible sameness of the town, and yes, it was through the biased filter of Camille’s eyes, but after a while, it was just repetitive.

But let’s get off the subject of characters, and move onto the plot itself. Like all of Flynn’s novels, Sharp Objects keeps you engaged in multiple ways. While the underlying question is always ‘who is killing these little girls?’, uncovering the messed-up relationship of Camille and her mother can be an even more absorbing plot point. Not to mention, finding out more about Camille’s dark past.  I think the latter was what gripped me the most–what, exactly, made Camille turn her body into a human message board? And what does her past have to do with the present? I had to take all my snacks with me onto my bed, because I knew that I wasn’t going to leave my room until I finished the book, and I needed sustenance to keep me going. That’s how much I wanted answers to the above questions.

Fascinating and gripping, Sharp Objects is a book that is dark and unflinching. It is, at times, uncomfortable. It is bold and invasive.

It is a really, really good book.

Have you read any of Gillian Flynn’s books? What do you think of them? Read any other good/bad books lately? Tell me about them in the comments below! 

*To see the fascinating article from which this was taken in, go to: http://gillian-flynn.com/for-readers/

She’s Baaaaaaack (And With a New Book Review, Too!)

Hello, again! Gosh, I know that it’s only been a couple of weeks that I’ve been gone from the blog-o-sphere, but it feels like far longer than that. Probably because I’ve been pretty busy! I’m all moved into my new flat in London, but what with orientation, and the start of classes, and meeting flatmates I haven’t had much time to myself. But, as promised, I am back, and with a few new reviews lined up, too!

The first is a novel that I bought at Waterstones Piccadilly, which happens to be the largest bookstore in Europe. It is fairly humongous, and I know that I’m going to be going back there an awful lot over the next few months. Anyways, I saw The Rosie Project on display, and because I’ve heard it mentioned a few times before, I decided ‘why not?’ (The answer to the why not question, as it turns out, is there is no reason not to).

Book Review: The Rosie Project

By: Graeme Simsion

Goodreads Score: 4.02

My Score: 4.1

Highlights: Funny, the Main Character (Don), Just the Overall Feeling

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don’s Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

(From Goodreads)

I really liked this book. Wait, I take that book. I really, really liked this book. I don’t meant to sound surprised or anything, but I am kind of impressed with how funny I found The Rosie Project, which I thought would be more dramatic and dry than it ended up being. Love stories can be hit or miss with me, but then, this wasn’t really a love story; it had less stereotypical romance in it than it did quirks, humorous situations, and soul-searching.

Don, the main character, was a favorite of mine from the beginning. He has Asperger’s syndrome, and as a result is much more logical, and much less emotional, than other people. This means that his thoughts sometimes shock with their bluntness, and after you’re done being shocked, than the laughs come. And if a book can make me laugh throughout, then odds are I’m going to like that book.

But beside it being quite hilarious, the Rosie Project was also engaging and touching. Two main plot lines are explored throughout the book, both of which involve searching. Don is searching for the ideal wife through use of an elaborate questionnaire, which he deems The Wife Project. Rosie, on the other hand, is searching for her real father. At first, I was really interested in the details of Don’s ‘Wife Project’. But as time went by, I became more and more focused on trying to find out who Rosie’s father might be. I had two main guesses, one of which became increasingly validated as time went by, although I won’t go into that here. I did like that the book left multiple possibilities that would make sense, leaving room (and plenty of doubts) for the reader to be either right or wrong.

I did feel that there was a tiny period around the middle where the plot started to drag on for me, probably because the beginning was so great, and then the latter half was really good, and in comparison the middle bit seemed weak. But, overall, there wasn’t much to critique about the Rosie Project. It wasn’t really my usual genre, but even so, I loved it! And I can’t wait to read Simsion’s sequel to the Rosie Project: The Rosie Effect.

Have you read The Rosie Project? If so, let me know what you thought of it! Have you read any good books lately? Have any recommendations? Again, let me know in the comments below! 

 

Book Review: Carnival of Souls

Book Review: Carnival of Souls

By: Melissa Marr

Goodreads Score: 3.7

My Score: 3.7 (right on, Goodreads)

Highlights: Interesting Plot, Good Action to Romance ratio, Aya

Points of Interest: Told from multiple perspectives (mainly from Aya, Mallory, and Kaleb’s viewpoints, but with snippets of Belias, as well)

Once every generation, a brutal, bloodthirsty competition is held in the City, a land where daimons live, and witches are condemned. The competition takes place in the center of the city, at a location named the carnival, and pits daimons of all castes against each other, with one winner gaining the opportunity to rule in the City’s government, and be raised from whatever life they were living before. Kaleb, Aya, and Belias all enter the competition, but for vastly different reasons. One for a chance at a better life, one to hide a deadly secret, and one to do anything to protect the daimon he loves.

Meanwhile, in the Human world, Mallory lives under constant vigilance. Born in the City, her mother gave everything she had to put Mallory under the protection of the powerful witch, Adam. Adam has spent the last seventeen years guarding Mallory and making sure that the past she fled from in the City doesn’t catch up to her. However, as Mallory’s eighteenth birthday grows closer, even the Human world cannot sever itself from the City, and there are forces there that are willing to do anything to bring her back…

Told from multiple perspectives, Carnival of Souls weaves the different plot lines that occur in the City and the Human world into one, making sure that the decadence and danger that is the carnival leaves no one untouched.

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Usually my opinion differs at least a little bit from the Goodreads score, but surprisingly, this time I seem to be an average of everyone else. There were a lot of things I liked about this book, paired with a few things that I didn’t, as well as the general feeling that although I enjoyed reading it, I wouldn’t hunt down the sequel.

The concept of the book is cool. The idea of the carnival, where pleasure and murder can be bought with enough coin, is creepy and compelling, although these things weren’t center stage in the story. Carnival of Souls is told in multiple perspectives, and I can say confidently that my least favorite persepctive was Mallory’s. I felt like the gist of every single chapter of hers could have been condensed into ten, maybe fifteen pages, and on the whole she was just boring to me. And her fighting skills annoyed me.  Here is a girl that has trained her whole life learning to fight, and who is faster and stronger than the average human…but I would not be surprised at all if a kid with two lessons of martial arts tucked under his belt could kick her ass. I mean, seriously–she didn’t come out tops in a single confrontation.

Luckily, Aya’s viewpoint was a reprieve from the dullness that took place in the human world. She was a tough, relentless heroine who’s both ruthless and experienced, and who could probably crush Mallory with her scowl alone. At first I was a little taken aback by the lengths that Aya would go to win the competition, especially when it came to betraying her one love. I didn’t think I could get behind the forcefulness of her motives, although I was prepared to enjoy her side of the story. That’s why it was a surprising journey to find myself liking her and understanding her more and more as the book went on. Her storyline was the one that I liked the most, and if I were to read the sequel, my request would be to just focus on Aya ninety percent of the time and have a shout-out from Mallory at the very end.

The third main character, Kaleb, gave me mixed reactions. I liked reading his viewpoints, but it was less because I liked him and more because the things that were going on were interesting. Daimons are kind of like a cross between really strong humans and shape shifters (I think, in any case…), and living in the City the lowest castes of daimons are treated horribly and forced to either kill or whore themselves out for money. Kaleb is one of those low-caste daimons, and he’ll do anything to protect his pack mate Zevi, who despite being quite strong and fast and generally an awesome character, is treated by Kaleb as incredibly fragile. Kaleb has been assigned to watch over (and possibly kill) Mallory, but of course he ends up falling in love with her.

The love between Kaleb and Mallory was possibly my least favorite aspect of the book. Similar to the way Kaleb feels tied to Zevi, his pack mate, Kaleb feels connected to Mallory. It was Insta-Love to the max, and it irritated me because that’s all it was. It just felt shallow, rushed, and forced. And towards the end of the book Kaleb does what could go down in history as the worst decision ever, showing yet again that Kaleb may care about many people, but he sure doesn’t give a damn regarding their feelings and opinions.

All in all, though, I would recommend Carnival of Souls, especially for those looking for a book that’s a bit darker than a lot of fantasy worlds out there. I thought the world Marr constructed could have been further explored–many subjects were just touched on again and again, making them wide but not very deep–but I wasn’t disappointed with what I got. I tried one other book–Wicked Lovely–by Melissa Marr and I felt basically the same way. I think her ideas are always interesting, and I never regret reading her books, but would I go out of my way for another of hers? Well, meh.

What have you guys been reading lately? Have you checked out Carnival of Souls? Let me know in the comments below! 

 

Book Review: Summer Demons

So, I haven’t reviewed a book on here in a little, long while. That’s not to say I haven’t been reading, because I have. No, really. I swear. I have! A lot. But by a lot I mean I’m one hundred pages into about a dozen different books, and re-reading a couple too. Boo on me; I should learn to commit. Luckily, Summer Demons is only a little longer than a hundred pages, and so I’ve finally managed to actually finish a book to review. And watch out for the upcoming weeks, because as I actually start to finish all the books I’ve started there might just be a book blitz¹.

Anyways, onto the book review…

Summer Demons 

By: Mia Hoddell 

I was provided with a free ARC of Summer Demons by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Goodreads Score: 4.33 

My Score (Official): 3.0

Highlights: Easy, breezy read. A romance that’s sweet and fluffy. 

Lowlights: Ending felt rushed. Multiple perspectives were confusing. 

Points of Interest: Summer Demons is a novella. 

Jenna Shaw ran away to escape her past. In fact, she jumped on a plane and flew to Portugal to try and forget it. However, it turns out leaving everything behind isn’t as easy as it sounds. 

She thought she could move on and break free of her fears–that if she had some space the pain would stop. But as memories resurface due to an ill-timed joke, the past crashes into her present once more and she didn’t see it coming. 

Jenna’s plans for normality are derailed by the charismatic Ethan Brooks. She sees him as an annoyance; he sees her as a challenge. But as he tries every trick known to him to impress her, they only serve to push her further away. He’s never faced this problem before and Ethan has to work harder than he ever has if he wants to win over and help his mysterious girl. 

A young adult romance, this novella would be a great book for teenagers or as a feel-good summer read.

(From Goodreads) 

I’m not usually one for the whole cotton candy-esque beach read. I do like romance, but with a few exceptions, I like it swirled with humor or combined with other genres, such as fantasy. That said, when I saw Summer Demons on NetGalley, I was intrigued. Here was a book that had the description: “A feel-good summer read” but with a cover that gave off the feeling that there would be actual demons crawling their way up from the pits of hell this summer. The summary of the book let me know that this was not true, but at 160 pages, I still wanted to know how this book was going to unfold.

I ended up with mixed reactions.

The beginning reads a little like an early R.L. Stine book. All the Fear Street readers out there will know what I’m talking about. Picture: our heroine Jenna, lounging innocently in the pool when–what’s that she sees? Red? It couldn’t be…blood! Jenna’s memories are plagued by her past. Since we don’t get to know the details of said past in the description, I thought it would be kept secret for a good portion of the novella, but although Jenna’s awful memories play a part throughout most of the story, we find out the exact details of the death early on, in a conversation between Jenna and her friend Amy, who are in Portugal on vacation.

Jenna’s scarred past is the main obstacle that is in place between her and the male protagonist, Ethan, who is likable in an arrogant, bordering-on-obnoxious-at-times way. He first meets Jenna by pulling her into a pool, bringing traumatic memories to the surface and putting him in a position to have to reverse the damage before he can gain Jenna’s affections. The regaining her affections part is done in a series of ‘chance’ encounters that made me wonder if Ethan wasn’t secretly stalking Jenna, although he swears he’s not. But, seriously, if this novella were to be made into a movie, it would not surprise me at all to catch Ethan crouching behind a parked car in one of the scenes, wearing a fake mustache and a sombrero, just waiting for the perfect moment to ‘run into’ Jenna again.

Ethan is basically the type of character seen in many romances. He’s arrogant, is intrigued by the challenge the girl presents, and doesn’t give up after a couple of ‘no’s. Still, since I happen to kind of secretly sometimes just maybe like the arrogant type, this didn’t bother me. Jenna’s character was reserved at times, and feisty and teasing at others. She is hesitant to let her true self shine in front of Ethan, but after a pivotal moment in the novella this all changes, and the change in her personality feels abrupt. I like Jenna’s best friend, Amy, as a character, though. Hoddell could have easily overdosed on the superficial, self-centered, party girl cliche…but Amy seems genuinely concerned with Jenna’s well-being, and the protectiveness that she shows for her friend balances her out nicely.

One thing that mildly irked me throughout the book was the way the perspectives were done. I think third person perspective that shifts from character to character can be awesome. Cassandra Clare pulls it off amazing, after all. Sadly, Summer Demons was just confusing. The switches were too abrupt and too hazy, and although I could usually sort out quite quickly who was doing the thinking opposed to who was being described by another character, it annoyed me. Another problem I had was that the grammar needed one last run through Word’s spell check. Sentences such as “…although a part of him thought it would be wise to forget her, like her friend ordered, a bigger part of him was intrigue by her,” weren’t too common, but I spotted a couple of them that could have easily been fixed.

Despite my gripes, Summer Demons was a light, easily swallowed (can you tell that I’m hungry right now?) novella that will appeal to people who want to plow through a romance while lounging in the sun, snacking on a bowl of grapes. I don’t know if I’d go out of my way to check out another one of Hoddell’s stories, but if I ever came across one, I don’t think I’d be opposed to giving it a try.

What books are you guys reading and loving/hating/being completely neutral over? What are your perfect beach reads? Let me know! 

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¹Oh look, I’ve learned how to use footnotes on WordPress! …wait, should this be a separate footnote? Oh, I’m too lazy how to figure out a double footnote. I’ll just get to the point by saying that actually, this statement may be false, as in two weeks I’ll be moving out, and so will probably still sluggishly cranking out a couple posts a week, and then guility-ly watching Netflix…

Book Review: Since You’ve Been Gone

Since You’ve Been Gone

By: Mary Jennifer Payne

(I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.) 

Goodreads Score: N/A (ARC) 

My Score (Official): 1.7

My Score (Unofficial): 1000 million similes out of 9000 million similes 

Highlights: Quick and short read, cover is nice 

Lowlights: I very much dislike the main character, many parts were so cliché 

 

“Is it possible to outrun your past? Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney, have been trying to do just that for five years. Now, things have gone from bad to worse. Not only has Edie had to move to another new school she’s in a different country.

Sydney promises her that this is their chance at a fresh start, and Edie does her best to adjust to life in London, England, despite being targeted by the school bully. But when Sydney goes out to work the night shift and doesn’t come home, Edie is terrified that the past has finally caught up with them.
Alone in a strange country, Edie is afraid to call the police for fear that she ll be sent back to her abusive father. Determined to find her mother, but with no idea where to start, she must now face the most difficult decision of her life.”

(Taken from Goodreads)

Okay, so let me start this off by saying I am not an unduly harsh critic. Usually, my reviews tend to fall somewhere in the 2 star to 4 1/2 star range. If I give a book a five, then it’s because it’s a new favorite of mine. Usually, though, I can find a couple of faults that knock it down to the four range. And likewise, when I find a book that is horrible, there are usually a couple redeeming things to push it into the two star range.

Such is not the case with this book.

Ugh. This book bothered me so much because it truly had the chance to be something beautiful and insightful. And it irritates me because it was an opportunity wasted. The synopsis from Goodreads is pretty accurate, and the summary is what drew me in. I’ve been on a YA contemporary kick lately, and so I eagerly requested this ARC, expecting nothing but good things. Oh, how wrong I was. Let’s start with the characters, shall we?

Edie Fraser, the protagonist, is so unlikable. Really. One of the most unlikable main characters I’ve met this year. I get that she’s a teenager, and that she has a sucky life, and all that, but really, she makes it so hard to care about her. First off, she’s shallow. Like so shallow, not even small insects could drown in the puddle she’s got going on.

On her first day at school, a “freaky-looking girl” tries to be nice to her, and this is a verbatim thought that goes through Edie’s mind: “What a freak. She actually wants me to shake her hand?” 

And then, later in the book, when she and her love interest, Jermaine, are venturing into London to look for her mom, the main thing Edie seems to be worried about are her looks. Seriously. Edie complains about not being able to get enough sleep because she needs to wake up 2 hours early so that she looks decent for Jermaine. 2 hours. 2 hours. What girl cares so much about impressing a guy (and a guy, by the way, who Edie suspects killed his own brother) that she needs two hours to prepare herself…when her mother just went missing? Save that kind of the thing for an actual date, Edie, and let’s focus, please! 

Edie is also oblivious to the problems of those that surround her. I know that she has a full plate herself, but she continually lashes out against those that have their own things going on. Of course, she always feel regret for her harsh words like, literally two seconds later, a pace that just seems so unnatural. There are, of course, other characters worth talking about in this book, but if I do, I feel that I’ll end up spending way too much time ranting. Suffice it to say that you’ll know the full personality of most of these characters within pages of meeting them. From the stereotypically horrible popular girl who hates Edie immediately, and then the teacher who seems to want nothing more than to make her life miserable, I’ve seen these characters too many times before. I do think that Mary Payne did a good job with Savitri and Keisha, two of Edie’s friends. They felt more real than any of the other characters. They was nice enough, but they was also sort of snobby and elitist–a cool combination. I wanted to see more of them.

But the characters alone aren’t the reason I rated this book so low. The writing just didn’t cut it for me, either. It improved a lot toward the second half, but I debated giving up many times during the first half. Part of it was because Edie was narrating, and I can’t stand her thoughts, but another part had to do with the writing and I, which just kept clashing. And for some reason, the similes leapt out at me in an awful way. I mean, I’m all for a few good similes, but for some reason, the ones that the author chose had me noticing each and every one, something that never happens in other books. After the first few, they just became more and more jarring, to the point where I was dreading running into another one, and each addition jolted me that much more away from the story. I mean, similes are good in moderation and all, but there comes a point of no return, and this book crossed that point.

I know I haven’t said many good things in this review, so let me end on a positive note. The plot did follow the synopsis, and I was interested the whole time in seeing whether Edie finds her mother, and what ends up happening to her. If this book had been a lot longer than it was, I wouldn’t have cared enough to finish, but it was a short book and so it was of my own free will that I did decide to see it through.

I know that I was harsh in this review. It makes me so uncomfortable to have to be this harsh, but to be honest there were more flaws than the ones I discussed here. Still, with more work and experience, I think that Mary Payne could end up one to watch out for! What do you think? Have you been reading and good books lately? Any awful ones? Tell me about them in the comments below! 

Book Review: Grasping at Eternity

Grasping at Eternity

By: Karen Amanda Hooper

(I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Goodreads Score: 4.12

My Score (Official): 4.00

My Score (Unofficial): 320 peacocks out of 400.

Highlights: Fantasy (my favorite! :D), Soulmates, Nice writing style

Lowlights: Some childish interactions, April, Awful nickname for main character (Ma-Ma for Maryah. Ack!)

Things to Note: Told from two main character’s point of views, both in first person.

Maryah and Nathan have spent countless lives together, loving each other as soul mates do, with their super powers and their kindrily (eternal family) at their sides. And then Maryah makes the ultimate mistake. On the brink of another reincarnation, she chooses to erase her memories. Nobody, including herself, knows why. Now, Maryah has lost the sparkle of memories in her eyes, she remembers nothing of Nathan, and her superpowers are nonexistent. She is born to a new family, many miles away from where her kindrily waits. But while Nathan watches from afar, heart broken, and her kindrily mourns both her lost and her decision, Maryah has no recollection of any of her previous lives, and grows up with her new, loving family.

Until.

One brutal night, Maryah’s whole family is killed, leaving her as the only survivor. Maryah moves to Sedona, Arizona where her godmother and her godmother’s family waits…where everyone seems to know her, and the amount of strange occurrences grows more frequent with every passing day. She has no idea that  she has been reunited with her kindrily, just as she has no idea that the man who had her family killed is still out there, still looking for her. Now, as Maryah copes with her conflicted feelings for Nathan, and as Nathan races to track down Maryah’s would-be-murderer, Maryah must learn to believe in the fantastical things happening around her, just as Nathan must learn to believe there’s still hope left for his lost love.

My Thoughts:

So, it doesn’t take long for the plot of this novel to get going. Page 5 and all of the main character’s family are already dead. From there, the plot slows down, and it takes a while for the secrets and the truth to be revealed, which is frustrating for the reader, but necessary to build the misunderstandings that fuel the romantic tension. And speaking of romance…

The concept of soul mates speaks to the hidden romantic in everybody, and so I was intrigued from the start. However, Nathan and Maryah’s interactions just never had me wowed. I like Nathan himself (and his deep resounding love for Maryah), but whenever they spend time together, I get uncomfortable. I get that Nathan is devastated because Maryah chose to erase her memories and he’s technically lost his soulmate and all that, but the resulting character annoyed me with his hopelessness, and his sudden mood swings from detached to clinging. (Not to mention that one part with the hot air balloon! But I’ll leave that alone, as it’s a bit far into the book.) That said, I obviously liked this book, because I gave it a four star rating. And that’s because, despite my not loving Nathan and Maryah together, I just loved the way the book was written. It moved along at a nice pace, and was written really well, and there were lots of characters that I did love. Faith reminded me a little of Alice from Twilight, but unlike a lot of people, I liked Alice, and I like Faith with her upbeat bubbliness. I also liked River, boyfriend of Maryah’s friend, April, and potential friend/wants to hook up with Maryah person. He’s arrogant and he’s teasing and he’s dangerous, but I like him. April, his girlfriend, on the other hand…

Okay, no. Let me put it a different way. It’s not April herself I dislike (but I actually do dislike her, as well…) it’s her friendship with Maryah that confuses, bewilders, and irks me. At the very beginning April is pretty much the most cheerful person in the world. And it’s sincere. It’s sickening, because nobody acts like that. Nobody. Or, at least, nobody that would later get in a typically cliche fight with Maryah over River. The whole friendship was full of cliche and melodrama and make-ups and break-ups and was, without a doubt, the worst part of the book.

The best part, for me, was learning more about the reincarnation rules and how erasing works and what everybody’s powers was. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and this book didn’t disappoint. I will be reading the next book!

Prediction for Sequel: Maryah will learn things but wait two hundred pages to tell anyone about them. Nathan will look into her eyes and feel angsty. 

What do you think? Do you like the concept of soul mates? Have you read any great fantasy books lately? Had any good tacos? Tell me in the comments! As always, thanks for reading. 

 

Book Review: Horoscope (The Astrology Murders)

Horoscope

By: Georgia Frontiere

*I was provided with a free advance readers copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Therefore, I shall be honest.*

Goodreads Score: N/A

My Score (Official): 3.75.

My Score (Unofficial): 1200 astrology consultations out of 1457

The Highlights: Astrology adds a unique twist to a murder mystery, Keeps you reading, Intriguing

The Lowlights: Epilogue was too cheesy for my taste, Chris Palmer.

Need to Read Urgency Level: On the high side of medium. Next time you’re at the bookstore and you’re looking for a thriller or a mystery, consider this one.

So this is my second review in less than a day (odd for me), but I just finished this book from NetGalley, and I wanted to get it up before I forgot any of the finer points. Today is, though, Friday, and that’s when I usually do my Friday Fight Days. If you like them, then don’t fear! One will be up later today, unless something drastic happens, like a particularly horrendous turtle attack. In fact, I’ll even give you a sneak peek. The Friday Fight Day Topic today will be: Attack of the Animals (famous dogs and cats of literature fight it out to see who makes the better literary sidekick). Anyways, I’ll stop talking about that until the actual post comes out. For now, the summary of Horoscope!

There is a dangerous murderer on the loose. As meticulous as he is calculating, he baffles the local police by sneaking into his victims’ houses without so much as breaking a window frame. Once there, he rapes and murders his helpless prey before carving their astrological sign into their thigh. Meanwhile, an Intuitive Astrologer, Kelly York, is on the verge of a breakdown. All her signs point to danger, and she’s developed an acute case of agoraphobia that confines her to her house. And that’s all before the mysterious, threatening phone calls begin. Now, Kelly must delve far into her past to find the connection the killer has to her. The stars are on her side, but will it be enough to survive?

My Thoughts:

Two years ago, I had read only one or two murder mystery books. Now, though, I’m really getting into the genres of mysteries and thrillers. They make me a lot more paranoid of the world we live in, yes, but they’re also so delightful in that creepy, shuddery way. I really enjoyed Horoscope because not only did it have solid red herrings, and great plot twists, but it had the addition of astrology and horoscopes, which has always intrigued me. (What can I say? We Pisces are very into that stuff ;D) The main character, Kelly, wasn’t overtly memorable. She wasn’t annoying or anything (most of the time, anyways) but she just didn’t seem to have much of a personality besides her work and her love for friends and family. There were several other minor characters throughout the story, such as Kelly’s friends and employees Emma and Sarah. Those two were similar in character types–both very caring, kind, protective, etc. Chris Palmer, as I noted in the dislike section, was one of my least favorite characters. I didn’t see what Kelly sees in him, and he was irrational, moody, and annoying. I wanted to skip their whole date scene. But besides a few character flaws, Horoscope was a good read. I was up late reading, and the sections told from the murderer’s point of view were appropriately chilling, disturbing, and awful. All in all, a solid murder mystery with an aura of thriller.

Prediction for the Sequel: Kelly and Emma and Sarah will host a game night where they sit around asking each other if everything in their life is going okay. There will be another murderer on the loose. The cops will suspect the wrong man. Kelly’s life will be in danger.

Publication Date: October 31st, 2014

 So, as always, thanks for reading! I’ll have the Friday Fight Day Post up later today. Have you read any great mysteries lately? If so, tell me about them! I’m always looking to expand my reading list. Thanks! 

 

Book Review: Holly(Woods) by Naomi Laeuchli

Holly(Woods)

By: Naomi Laeuchli

*I was provided with a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review, and an honest review it shall be.*

Quick Stats:

Goodreads Score: 3.67

My Score (Official): 3.65

My Score (Unofficial): 352 Misunderstandings out of 589

The Highlights: Quick and light, good for a beach-y read.

The Lowlights: No characters that I really connected with.

Things to Note: Follows two separate plot lines that rarely converge.

Need to Read Urgency Level: Depends. If you like books that take place in Hollywood, or fluffy chick-lit books you’ll want to get this one.

*Little note: So the review is going to be in two separate paragraphs, because this book has two main story lines, and they don’t connect in such a way that combining them into one story arc would be wise, or even viable. (More on this later).*

Young, innocent, and sheltered, budding actress Holly Woods is determined to make it in a world of glitz, glamour, and very tasty guys. When she lands a bit part as a regular extra, Holly is just happy to be working on a real set of a real TV show. She never expects her part to grow beyond a few one worded replies, just as she never expects to find true love in a world where everything that is done is done for the cameras. But when Alan Ryder, the show’s star, takes a growing interest with her, she feels her own heart responding. Alan is sweet, thoughtful, and caring. He takes her to cozy restaurants, helps advance her career, and truly cares for her. But he also puts Holly in the wrong kind of spotlight, making her the target of the paparazzi. The paparazzi, who are always desperate for a new story…and when Holly is seen around town with Hollywood reject, Peter, the story expands. Because, although Peter wasn’t convicted, everyone who’s anyone believes him to have killed his previous wife. And now that the ex-starlet has his sights set on Holly, the cycle may just be repeating itself…

That’s my take on the plot that centers around Holly Woods. The next review centers on a completely different story arc with completely different characters .

Nikki has never been America’s darlingest sweetheart. But lately, it’s becoming even more obvious. She drinks, she parties, and she doesn’t give a damn about what the paparazzi thinks about her. Her music has been selling less with every album, and her life is on a downward spiral. Until–the tipping point comes. After a particularly boozy evening, Nikki is found sprawled out in the men’s restroom by Clint, a prominent member of the paparazzi. Clint is faced with a choice: take a priceless picture of the self-destructive starlet, or take pity on the vulnerable girl. Still guilty over the last time he took advantage of a celebrity, he decides to take Nikki back to her Hollywood home, where she ends up paying him to become her manager and fix her ruined appearance. Clint seems to have the perfect plan: stop the partying the drinking and the blatant disregard for her fans, shy away from her tarnished reputation, and finally, find the ultimate song that will speak to a whole new generation of fans. But can Nikki trust Clint–a member of the paparazzi she so despises? And even if she does, is his plan and her reformation enough to fix an image as ruined as hers?

My Thoughts:

So, like I said, Holly(Woods) follows two different story arcs that really don’t connect. There’s a couple of brief mentions to the other plot line, but nothing that significantly affected the other. You could probably pick one character’s point of view to read, skip the other character’s view point entirely, and still get a rounded story. But then, where’s the fun in that? Personally, I liked the Nikki-Clint chapters much more than I liked the Holly chapters. There was a problem to solve from the beginning, and so the action got started faster. When I was on the Holly chapters, I found myself itching to get back into Nikki’s thoughts. Not that the Holly chapters were bad. On the contrary, that was where most of the story was, and most of the characters. That said, I enjoyed Peter’s character the most. I enjoyed guessing about his backstory, and he seemed one of the more dynamic characters of the bunch. Holly, on the other hand, wasn’t my favorite. I feel bad saying it, but she was just so nice. So innocent. So sweet. So oblivious. And she was blindsided by so many things that I started to wonder about her intelligence. However, I guess she kind of had to be for the plot to work. And the plot was, if slow to start, quick to finish. There was a couple of nice plot twists that will definitely make you want to read the next book, and the overall feel of this book was sweet and fluffy and airy. Kind of like cotton candy. You might not be able to subsist on it, but it tastes good, and is just the thing for a fun day outside. If you like books set in or around Hollywood, then you will definitely want to read this.

So, thanks for reading! This was the first book I got in exchange for a review, so I was pretty excited. Woo-hoo! Free books! 😀 What do you think? Is this book you’d be interested in reading? What are some books on your to-read list at the moment? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

Book Review: Kissed by an Angel

Kissed by an Angel

By: Elizabeth Chandler

Quick Stats:

Goodreads Score: 3.83

My Score (Official): 2.23 stars out of 5.

My Score (Unofficial): 12 celery sticks out of 48.

The Highlights: Gabriel. Beth’s chock full of cheese romance. It’s quick and very, very easy.

The Lowlights: No plot to be seen, flat characters, build-up, build-up, build-up and then…nada. It’s very, very easy.

Need to Read Urgency Level: Pass.

This book is like a roller coaster ride. More accurately, it is like a broken roller coaster ride.

The build-up starts. You tick up inch by inch, slowly, so slowly, tense because you’re waiting for that inevitable drop to come. You’re waiting for that wild moment when the plot actually starts. Tick-tick-tick this roller coaster goes. And then…you reach the top. You’re finally there. This is where the fun begins. This is the reason you came to the amusement park. For this moment. And then–

–nothing happens.

“Hold it right there,” a worker shouts. “We’re having technical difficulties. Roller coaster’s broken. The ride’s gonna her delayed for an hour until we can get it functional again.”

The Summary

THERE. That is my feelings on book 1 of Kissed by an Angel. The first book is roughly 230 pages. It takes about 150 of that for the first major plot point to even happen, and then the mystery and thriller part is held off until book 2. UGH. So much anger. So much disappointment. I kept reading, thinking ‘oh here comes the plot’, ‘oh yes, the plot is sure to be coming soon, oh maybe we’ll have some action now…oh wait, is that plot twist I see coming?! Oh, no just a blur in the text, hmm maybe next chapter…’ but it never happened. In fact, the book ended with one of the main characters, Tristan, realizing in a great act of self accomplishment something that I thought the reader was supposed to know from the flash-forward on page 1. But more ragging to come later. First, the summary.

When Tristan, the golden boy swimmer, first sees the beautiful, head-in-the-clouds Ivy, he knows that he’s falling for her. Unfortunately, Ivy doesn’t date Jocks. However, after several chance (or maybe not so much) run-ins with Tristan, she begins to see past the guy she thinks he is, and to the smart, kind soul that he really has. Ivy begins to fall as much in love with him, as he to her, relying on his company more and more during the stressful times of her mother’s remarriage. And then one horrifying night everything changes. Tristan dies. Ivy’s whole life is turned around. Everything in her shatters. Her happiness, her hope, and even her belief in angels. But the thing is, angels do exist. And Tristan is now hers. But will he ever find a way to let Ivy know?

My Feelings:

So not even that great of a summary. I had the three book omnibus edition, and so the summary I read was very different from the one I wrote. The summary that led me to read this talked about Tristan finding his killer before he strikes out at Ivy, which I thought was intriguing. Not intriguing enough to be in the first book of the series, however. But enough about plot–or the lack of it. Let’s talk about something else. Like Ivy. Dear, dear Ivy. Ivy, who I can’t understand why Tristan would ever like in the first place. Sure, she’s pretty. Sure, she has hair like a halo. But in terms of personality? The girl is as bland as wheat bread. She’s a boring host. And she’s cold. Although Tristan seems like a nice guy who anyone would get along with, Ivy seems to be extremely irritated by his crush on her. She constantly asks everyone if he has said anything about her, is disappointed if they don’t, but claims not to be interested in him. Also, in the beginning of the novel, she dismisses him as a viable option because jocks don’t have brains. While she cares about her brother, and even her may-end-up-being-evil brother, Gregory, she is quick to judge others, although I think she’s supposed to have one of those nice girl personalities. Tristan himself is not bad, but not someone I go crazy for. He’s nice and he’s a gentleman that I’m sure many people would love to have, but I’ve always been one for guys with an edge. He’s a cardboard cut-out, just like many of the characters in this story. For example, Ivy’s two “best” friends, Suzanne and Beth, only become friends with each other in their (strangely obsessive) quest to get her to date Tristan. WHY DO THEY CARE SO MUCH? WHY? SOMEONE TELL ME WHY. The only remotely interesting characters was Gregory, but no offense Gregory, you’re not enough to hold up an entire novel.

Anyways, in summary, the plot of Kissed by an Angel didn’t end up happening, the characters were like drawings of characters (this character is not a character), and the questions I sought to answer through this book were answered by more questions.

To be fair, this book was only book one in an omnibus trilogy, and so (I think) the questions I wanted answers will eventually be answered, and according to Goodreads it get’s a lot better. I probably won’t find out, though, because in all reality: I’ve lost all caring.

Prediction for Sequel: Ivy mourns Tristan’s lost some more. Tristan talks about how much he loves Ivy. All the characters will sit around the pizza parlor and say things like “Hi. I’m Ivy’s best friend. I’m provided for comedic relief.” “Hello. I’m Eric. I’m the trouble maker.” “We may be archetypes, but we are all different.” Everybody nods.

So, what do you think? Am I being too harsh? Or do you agree with me? What are some books that you felt had absolutely no plot or ridiculously flat characters? 

Book Review: The Murder Complex

The Murder Complex

By: Lindsay Cummings 

Quick Stats:

Goodreads Score: 3.79 stars out of 5.

My Score (Official): 3.8 stars out of 5.

My Score (Unofficial): 66 stars out of 72.

The Highlights: “She’s trained to survive. He’s programmed to kill.”

The Lowlights: A few predictable plot twists.

Points of Interest: Told from two points of views: one boy, one girl. Also, lots of violence. Decipher that as you will.

Need to Read Urgency Level: If you’re in a two mile radius of Barnes and Noble, go now. If not, you can afford to wait until you’re in the area.

Guys, I have a condition. Or, rather, an obsession. Maybe both. It’s this thing where once I start a TV series, I get super-obsessed for the next five to seven days, so that by the end of that period, I’ve either finished the season, or I’m just so sick of it that I stopped watching. That’s why I usually don’t start series. I’ve been watching the same ones for the past year, and I’m perfectly content inching along with those.

But recently, I made the grand discovery that is America’s Next Top Model. And I’m having a hard time concentrating until I make it to the end of the cycle. That’s why it’s pretty impressive that I finished the Murder Complex in the middle of this TV craze.

I actually got to attend a book signing by the author, Lindsay Cummings. This is her debut book, and the signing was her first stop, so it was very cool to able to attend. There was a large crowd of eager fans, myself included, who had seen the premise of the book and couldn’t wait to read it. There were  stamps (the people in the book all have bar codes to identify themselves). And there was cupcakes. Go cupcakes! While Lindsay seemed a bit nervous at first, she soon gained her footing, and by the end of the interview session, I found her a very down-to-earth woman just a tad bit obsessed with killing people.

The book was also a tad bit obsessed with killing people. It’s another dystopian novel, interesting (to me, in any case) mainly because of the two characters at the core of the dysfunctional world.

Meadow has been trained her whole life to survive. Her father will stop at nothing to teach his children how to fight and defend themselves, so that they won’t end up like their mother.

An orphan, Zephyr has been trained his whole life to kill. Although he doesn’t know it, he’s an assassin for the Murder Complex, the organization that rules the lives of those left over from the Plague.

When Meadow and Zephyr meet in a chance occasion, they set forth a chain of events that will shake the rocky foundations of both their worlds. Together, they will either help each other discover the dangerous secrets their lurk in their pasts, or, they will destroy one another. Either way, nothing will ever be the same. For Meadow, for Zephyr, and for the whole of the Murder Complex.

My Feelings:

I am not an unduly violent person. Torture scenes make me skip paragraphs, and blood makes me close my eyes. That said, I somehow still enjoyed the Murder Complex. Because even though there was violence–and there was violence. A lot of it. A lot a lot. Like, if you were playing a drinking game based on every time someone died, you would get alcohol poisoning halfway through–there was also plot. I continually wanted to know what happened next, a curiosity that I cherish when reading.

I loved the whole concept of survivor vs. killer, and that alone carried a lot of my interest. Besides that, though, some of the other plot points reminded me vaguely of every other dystopian out there. Not a crippling thing, when does with a spin, and done well, though, so I was able to forgive the things I foresaw. As for the characters themselves: I liked the side characters more than the mains. Zephyr was bland, and Meadow was almost a carbon copy of our good friend Katniss Everdeen for the first half (tough, badass girl with one parent missing and a rocky relationship with the remaining parent who will do anything to protect her little sister. Which one do you think I’m talking about, here?). Sketch, Orion, and Koi were all more interesting characters who I wished I could have spent more time with.

But despite the above flaws, I thought the writing was done well, which was enough to redeem Ms. Katniss in the Meadows. The author’s voice was as edgy and straight forward as her subject matter, and I was both able and compelled to get through the 400 page book in just over a day.

So, all in all, if you like dystopian novels, then you will probably like this book. If you like violence and bloodshed, you will probably like this book. And if you like books with no love triangles (as of yet) then you will also like this book. So, if you’re in one of the three above categories, what are you waiting for? Read this book, and then get your butt back here and tell me what you thought of it.

Sorry if that sounded too demanding. This book has me in a hard-core kind of mood. 😉

The Book Summed Up in 1 Quote:  

“Are you afraid?” she asks me. I have to look deep inside of myself for the truth. And I realize that for the first time, I’m not. If I die, I die. At least I’ll know I died fighting for something right, and the girl I love will be beside me. “No,” I whisper. “I’m ready.”

“Good,” Meadow says, as she closes her eyes to sleep. “Because tomorrow we kill them all.”

Last Book Reviewed: Hyperbole and a Half

Next Book to be Reviewed: Will be a fantasy.