I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This is also a first time read of this author as well. I am glad that I got to read this one, I found it to be a great psychological thriller.
In this book we have Laura who is new student at Englewood high. She came here it make her own fresh start, but soon Laura notice that everyone is staring at her, but these are not normal, new girl at school stares, these stares are more along the lines of 'she looks just like her...' Laura looks like a girl, Sarah Castro-Tanner, who committed suicide 2 years prior. Laura tries to go on and ignore the rumors that are fly around and then she meets the popular boy in school, Charlie. But Charlie and his friends are acting a little paranoid and soon Laura discovers that it has to do with Sarah.
I really enjoyed this story a lot. I found it so engaging and so easy to read. It is a great psychological thriller with a lot of great mystery. It had me guessing from the very first page all the way to last. It had some great plot twists too that I never expected. However, I hated the way the story ended, it is obvious that there will be a sequel, but it felt more unfinished rather than being a good cliffhanger and I did not like that, I was disappointed with that part of it.
The characters to me were evil, and I did not really like any of them. I found, in my opinion, that there were really no protagonists in this story. They all felt like antagonists to me. I find this both odd and unique at the same time because I have never really came across a book with characters like this. There were a lot of good - bad guys that you can really hate, and I am sure they will all carry over into a sequel. So be prepared to not like anyone.
I recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery or a good psychological thriller. Because of the abrupt ending I could not rate this higher than 4, but it has great potential to be a great series.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Quenched - Mary Ann Mitchell - 1 star
I chose this book for my A-Z challenge and discovered that it was a sequel to the first book of the Marquis de Sade series. I did not feel like it read like sequel and I will not be reading any of the other books in this series.
Synopsis
An evil stalks the clubs and seedy hotels of San Francisco's shadowy underworld. It preys on the unfortunate, the outcasts, the misfits. It is an evil born of the eternal bloodlust of one of the undead, the infamous nobleman known to the ages as...the Marquis de Sade. He and his unholy offspring feed upon those who wont be missed, giving full vent to their dark desires and a thirst for blood that can never be sated. Yet while the Marquis amuses himself with the lives of his victims, with their pain and their torture, other vampires to their new lives of eternal night. And as the Marquis will soon learn, hatred and vengeance can be eternal as well undead can barely imagine.
I had expected this book to be a horror of some form and I really did not find that at all with this story. I found it to have some dark humor with a pretty unrealistic plot line. I have to admit though, some parts did make m laugh. It did however take the glamour out of Vampire stories. I try to figure out though which is the lesser of the two evils, a poorly written vampire story or one that glamorizes vampires but had an actual plot. It definitely did not make me fear vampires in the least. I feel that it had a small feel of the Anita Blake series when it came to sexual escapades. Not enough to it to really make it exciting or enjoyable. I felt that it lacked depth and this story could have been so much more. Maybe had I read the first book it would have amounted to more for me. The ending of this book was not a cliffhanger at all it just left me feeling somewhat frustrated because the story just felt unfinished and incomplete. It was like the Author decided to just stop writing.
I did not like any of the characters in this story at all, and since this is a second book I feel like they should have been much better developed than they were. I really did not find any of them to be believable, leaving them feeling very unrealistic and unrelatable. There was a mix of immortals and mortals both and at times I found it hard to decipher which was which and it also felt like the author just randomly threw in new characters and that led to some confusion trying to keep everyone straight.
I honestly can't recommend this book to anyone. I really don't think anyone I know would enjoy it. I will not be reading any of the other books in this series.
Synopsis
An evil stalks the clubs and seedy hotels of San Francisco's shadowy underworld. It preys on the unfortunate, the outcasts, the misfits. It is an evil born of the eternal bloodlust of one of the undead, the infamous nobleman known to the ages as...the Marquis de Sade. He and his unholy offspring feed upon those who wont be missed, giving full vent to their dark desires and a thirst for blood that can never be sated. Yet while the Marquis amuses himself with the lives of his victims, with their pain and their torture, other vampires to their new lives of eternal night. And as the Marquis will soon learn, hatred and vengeance can be eternal as well undead can barely imagine.
I had expected this book to be a horror of some form and I really did not find that at all with this story. I found it to have some dark humor with a pretty unrealistic plot line. I have to admit though, some parts did make m laugh. It did however take the glamour out of Vampire stories. I try to figure out though which is the lesser of the two evils, a poorly written vampire story or one that glamorizes vampires but had an actual plot. It definitely did not make me fear vampires in the least. I feel that it had a small feel of the Anita Blake series when it came to sexual escapades. Not enough to it to really make it exciting or enjoyable. I felt that it lacked depth and this story could have been so much more. Maybe had I read the first book it would have amounted to more for me. The ending of this book was not a cliffhanger at all it just left me feeling somewhat frustrated because the story just felt unfinished and incomplete. It was like the Author decided to just stop writing.
I did not like any of the characters in this story at all, and since this is a second book I feel like they should have been much better developed than they were. I really did not find any of them to be believable, leaving them feeling very unrealistic and unrelatable. There was a mix of immortals and mortals both and at times I found it hard to decipher which was which and it also felt like the author just randomly threw in new characters and that led to some confusion trying to keep everyone straight.
I honestly can't recommend this book to anyone. I really don't think anyone I know would enjoy it. I will not be reading any of the other books in this series.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Unseen - Karin Slaughter - 5 stars
Wow another great book in the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter. Her writing is always consistent and I have not really been let down yet with her books. I have really enjoyed this whole series and this book is the last to date in the this series. I am unsure on whether or not there will be any other books in this series.
Don't want to give a synopsis on this one since it is further into the series and I feel like it could give away a little of the story. I have to say that I absolutely love the plotline to each one of these books. They are all so well written and thought out. There is always a lot of great mystery and a lot of action as well. I genuinely feel as though I am in the story and experiencing everything that is happening first hand. I find her writing so fluid and engrossing and it keeps me engaged from start to finish.
I also love the Author's ability to create such realistic and relatable characters, from the good guys to the bad guys. They are all written so well. I think that Will Trent has got to be among some of my most favorite characters and it is hard to find characters that add up to his stature. He is completely flawed and very likable I love how Will interacts with others and I love his relationship with Sarah. Everything about them is written beautifully.
Anyone who like a good mystery will love this series or Karin Slaughter's writing in general. She should be experienced by all Mystery fans. I look forward to many more of her books and series in the future.
Don't want to give a synopsis on this one since it is further into the series and I feel like it could give away a little of the story. I have to say that I absolutely love the plotline to each one of these books. They are all so well written and thought out. There is always a lot of great mystery and a lot of action as well. I genuinely feel as though I am in the story and experiencing everything that is happening first hand. I find her writing so fluid and engrossing and it keeps me engaged from start to finish.
I also love the Author's ability to create such realistic and relatable characters, from the good guys to the bad guys. They are all written so well. I think that Will Trent has got to be among some of my most favorite characters and it is hard to find characters that add up to his stature. He is completely flawed and very likable I love how Will interacts with others and I love his relationship with Sarah. Everything about them is written beautifully.
Anyone who like a good mystery will love this series or Karin Slaughter's writing in general. She should be experienced by all Mystery fans. I look forward to many more of her books and series in the future.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Center of Magic - J.S. Fields - 2 stars
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a first time read of this author for me so I was not too sure about it since it is a fantasy book.
Synopsis
Thirty years ago a spell was cast that exploded the magic in those who wielded the power and millions were consumed by fire. Countries and Governments that had grown dependent on wizards for the new arms race were left floundering and confused. Tensions rose and bled into World War III, and the world was broken by the global bombardment. Magic was thought lost forever.
Reese, a young girl of only fifteen, knows the stories and the lore. She has grown comfortable with life in the miles of caverns that make up Mammoth Cave. When Tereo, a wise traveler, arrives to weave a tale of history and fact, the pulse inside her screams out that she is meant for more. Tereo knows that Reese is the only one that can help him perform an unimaginable task. Together, along with her cousin Erik and her friend, Emily, the ragtag team set off to move the Center of Magic – and stop the gathering evil from destroying the final spark.
Dangers, both magical and mundane assault them from all sides. New faces and allies find them while betrayal lurks close. It is a journey of fantastical determination, one that sweeps this group into heights none could dream of before and into the very depths of despair.
Pulling from our own past and myths, this is an alternative history that combines lore, legend, current fiction and popular mythos to create a tale unlike any you’ve read before.
This book was just ok for me, it lacked that wow factor. I think that the plot was interesting but it seemed to lack depth. I think it flowed well and was easy to follow but parts of it seemed pretty unrealistic to me, and maybe that is the intention of the author. I would have liked to see better world building as well. I think the book is worth reading, I just feel like it could have been so much more.
I liked the characters ok. I think they were developed fairly well, but if this is a series I think they could be developed much better in future installments. I would like to have known just a bit more about them to maybe make them a bit more exciting. I do think they are likable characters but for me not very relatable.
Synopsis
Thirty years ago a spell was cast that exploded the magic in those who wielded the power and millions were consumed by fire. Countries and Governments that had grown dependent on wizards for the new arms race were left floundering and confused. Tensions rose and bled into World War III, and the world was broken by the global bombardment. Magic was thought lost forever.
Reese, a young girl of only fifteen, knows the stories and the lore. She has grown comfortable with life in the miles of caverns that make up Mammoth Cave. When Tereo, a wise traveler, arrives to weave a tale of history and fact, the pulse inside her screams out that she is meant for more. Tereo knows that Reese is the only one that can help him perform an unimaginable task. Together, along with her cousin Erik and her friend, Emily, the ragtag team set off to move the Center of Magic – and stop the gathering evil from destroying the final spark.
Dangers, both magical and mundane assault them from all sides. New faces and allies find them while betrayal lurks close. It is a journey of fantastical determination, one that sweeps this group into heights none could dream of before and into the very depths of despair.
Pulling from our own past and myths, this is an alternative history that combines lore, legend, current fiction and popular mythos to create a tale unlike any you’ve read before.
This book was just ok for me, it lacked that wow factor. I think that the plot was interesting but it seemed to lack depth. I think it flowed well and was easy to follow but parts of it seemed pretty unrealistic to me, and maybe that is the intention of the author. I would have liked to see better world building as well. I think the book is worth reading, I just feel like it could have been so much more.
I liked the characters ok. I think they were developed fairly well, but if this is a series I think they could be developed much better in future installments. I would like to have known just a bit more about them to maybe make them a bit more exciting. I do think they are likable characters but for me not very relatable.
Friday, November 13, 2015
UnWholly - Neal Shusterman - 5 stars
I had learned about this series from a couple of friends in the reading community. They talked me into wanting to read this series. I don't really enjoy the Dystopian genre all that much, but I find this series very different, unique and a little creepy as well.
I won't give a synopsis to this book since it is the second one in the series. But I will say that the craziness continues with our familiar cast of characters from the first book with some new, crazy, and dangerous people thrown into the mix for a very exciting continuation.
I LOVED this book, I enjoyed this one more than the first one if that is even possible. I love the spin that the author gave to this Dystopian series, along with a bit of creepiness, giving it a uniqueness that is not easily found in this genre. You find the government more in the backfield rather than the forefront making the story much more enjoyable. It is so very engaging, fast paced, and action packed from the minute you open the book till the moment you finish. I also love the world building and the fact that it is not futuristic but modern day, it gives it a more realistic feel.
I love the characters in this series both the ones you love and the ones you hate. I find all of our protagonists very well developed and very likable as well. I like how the newer characters are slowly introduced so that readers do not get confused as to who is who and that also adds an air of mystery to the story. Conner is definitely one of my favorite characters, I love his leadership, but also his compassion as well. I also enjoy that the antagonists make great bad guys. You have to have those characters that you love to hate. This books gives readers a healthy does of both.
I recommend this book to everyone, even those who don't like dystopian all that much, I think can enjoy this series a lot because I find it so unique. I look forward to reading the rest of this dystology in the near future. If I could rate this higher than a 5 stars, then I would.
I won't give a synopsis to this book since it is the second one in the series. But I will say that the craziness continues with our familiar cast of characters from the first book with some new, crazy, and dangerous people thrown into the mix for a very exciting continuation.
I LOVED this book, I enjoyed this one more than the first one if that is even possible. I love the spin that the author gave to this Dystopian series, along with a bit of creepiness, giving it a uniqueness that is not easily found in this genre. You find the government more in the backfield rather than the forefront making the story much more enjoyable. It is so very engaging, fast paced, and action packed from the minute you open the book till the moment you finish. I also love the world building and the fact that it is not futuristic but modern day, it gives it a more realistic feel.
I love the characters in this series both the ones you love and the ones you hate. I find all of our protagonists very well developed and very likable as well. I like how the newer characters are slowly introduced so that readers do not get confused as to who is who and that also adds an air of mystery to the story. Conner is definitely one of my favorite characters, I love his leadership, but also his compassion as well. I also enjoy that the antagonists make great bad guys. You have to have those characters that you love to hate. This books gives readers a healthy does of both.
I recommend this book to everyone, even those who don't like dystopian all that much, I think can enjoy this series a lot because I find it so unique. I look forward to reading the rest of this dystology in the near future. If I could rate this higher than a 5 stars, then I would.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Zombie Games: Origins - Kristen Middleton - 4 stars
I chose this book to read for my A-Z challenge and I was pleasantly surprised by the story since this was a free download for Kindle on Amazon. I expected this to be some cheesy Zombie story but it really wasn't, I liked the story a lot and it flowed very well.
Synopsis
Seventeen year old Cassandra Wild thought living in the chaos of her mother’s home daycare and dealing with her developing feelings for Bryce, her new Martial Arts’ instructor, was a struggle, until the night her world turned upside down. When an untested vaccine kills more than just a rampant flu virus, Cassie learns how to survive in a world where the dead walk, and the living…run!
I really liked the plot of this story and I liked how well it flowed. I was thoroughly engaged with the story. It read very realistically and it quite believable considering it is about a Zombie apocalypse. I found lots of actions and I enjoyed this author's style of writing. I also think this story will develop well throughout the rest of the series and will be quite interesting.
I really liked our main character Cassie. She is one tough cookie and handles herself well in a crisis, however there is a bad case of 'insta-love' but I can overlook that as long as the plot of the story is. There are some great characters in this story, both to love and hate. I look forward to their development throughout the rest of the series.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a solid zombie story. This is not over the top on blood and gore, as it is a YA so if you like less intense stories then this could work for you too. I look forward to more from his author and the rest of this series.
Synopsis
Seventeen year old Cassandra Wild thought living in the chaos of her mother’s home daycare and dealing with her developing feelings for Bryce, her new Martial Arts’ instructor, was a struggle, until the night her world turned upside down. When an untested vaccine kills more than just a rampant flu virus, Cassie learns how to survive in a world where the dead walk, and the living…run!
I really liked the plot of this story and I liked how well it flowed. I was thoroughly engaged with the story. It read very realistically and it quite believable considering it is about a Zombie apocalypse. I found lots of actions and I enjoyed this author's style of writing. I also think this story will develop well throughout the rest of the series and will be quite interesting.
I really liked our main character Cassie. She is one tough cookie and handles herself well in a crisis, however there is a bad case of 'insta-love' but I can overlook that as long as the plot of the story is. There are some great characters in this story, both to love and hate. I look forward to their development throughout the rest of the series.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a solid zombie story. This is not over the top on blood and gore, as it is a YA so if you like less intense stories then this could work for you too. I look forward to more from his author and the rest of this series.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Never Said - Carol Lynch Williams - 3 stars
I received this book in exchange for an honest review through Book Look Bloggers. This is a first time read for me with this author as well.
In this book we have twins Annie and Sarah. Annie is the popular girl and Sarah is the shy anxious loner. Annie is changing though, she has gained weight, chops off her hair, quits her pageants and Sarah knows something has happened to Annie when they start hanging out with each other again, and even now Annie is still the center of attention only on a different scale.
I enjoyed the plot of this story, I liked the realism of it. I found the story engaging, it flowed well nd was very easy to read. I do think there could have been a bit more depth to the story than there was though to bring up the excitement level a bit. It did have a pretty decent plot twist that I did not expect, so that was good.
The characters could have been developed little better than they were, but it was a short book s that is to be expected. I did like Annie and Sarah and found them to be pretty well grounded even though they were going through their own issues. Mom and Dad, I could have shot them both. Mom was a nagging, demanding and very critical woman and Dad was pretty non-existent most of the time as his work comes first. I could not stand either one of them and do not think they deserved to be parents.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys realism, YA or contemporary novels with relatable characters. Overall it was a pretty good read. I just think it needed a little more depth to it.
In this book we have twins Annie and Sarah. Annie is the popular girl and Sarah is the shy anxious loner. Annie is changing though, she has gained weight, chops off her hair, quits her pageants and Sarah knows something has happened to Annie when they start hanging out with each other again, and even now Annie is still the center of attention only on a different scale.
I enjoyed the plot of this story, I liked the realism of it. I found the story engaging, it flowed well nd was very easy to read. I do think there could have been a bit more depth to the story than there was though to bring up the excitement level a bit. It did have a pretty decent plot twist that I did not expect, so that was good.
The characters could have been developed little better than they were, but it was a short book s that is to be expected. I did like Annie and Sarah and found them to be pretty well grounded even though they were going through their own issues. Mom and Dad, I could have shot them both. Mom was a nagging, demanding and very critical woman and Dad was pretty non-existent most of the time as his work comes first. I could not stand either one of them and do not think they deserved to be parents.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys realism, YA or contemporary novels with relatable characters. Overall it was a pretty good read. I just think it needed a little more depth to it.
Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 4 stars
I am reading this book along with our Outlander series read along group here on Good Reads. I am taking quite a lot of time with each book so as to savor the contents and I have loved every book so far, and I look forward to continuing with Jamie & Clair's saga. It is just a beautifully written series in my opinion.
I wont be giving a synopsis of this book since it is in the middle of the series but I can say that I thought this book started out a little slower than the others did, but I still found it interesting nonetheless. It was well worth the wait once it did pick up and the pacing was much quicker. I think it helps with a large book like this to pace yourself and take your time to absorb everything. I know I get more out of it like that. The book really did become engaging and it flowed really well. Also as with all of these books the author keeps us guessing and keeps us asking many questions.
What can I say about the characters that I have not already said in other reviews. Still very well developed, likable, and realistic. I feel as though I am a part of their lives with each new development. Readers meet new characters in this story along with all of our favorites from previous books. So many characters to both love and hate. I love how we get new perspectives of the characters when we learn new things about them. I think that keeps them exciting. I enjoy Jamie and Claire of course, but we also get to visit again with Lord John Grey as well and I loved that. I think his character is somewhat mysterious and I hope to learn more about him.
I could recommend this series to a ton of people so I am just going to recommend this to everyone. Pick it up, what do you have to lose and maybe you will even like it! I did and I still do and I am looking forward to continuing my journey with Jamie and Claire.
I wont be giving a synopsis of this book since it is in the middle of the series but I can say that I thought this book started out a little slower than the others did, but I still found it interesting nonetheless. It was well worth the wait once it did pick up and the pacing was much quicker. I think it helps with a large book like this to pace yourself and take your time to absorb everything. I know I get more out of it like that. The book really did become engaging and it flowed really well. Also as with all of these books the author keeps us guessing and keeps us asking many questions.
What can I say about the characters that I have not already said in other reviews. Still very well developed, likable, and realistic. I feel as though I am a part of their lives with each new development. Readers meet new characters in this story along with all of our favorites from previous books. So many characters to both love and hate. I love how we get new perspectives of the characters when we learn new things about them. I think that keeps them exciting. I enjoy Jamie and Claire of course, but we also get to visit again with Lord John Grey as well and I loved that. I think his character is somewhat mysterious and I hope to learn more about him.
I could recommend this series to a ton of people so I am just going to recommend this to everyone. Pick it up, what do you have to lose and maybe you will even like it! I did and I still do and I am looking forward to continuing my journey with Jamie and Claire.
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