I found myself engrossed by the writing and story in the beginning. I needed to know what happened to these girls called “butterflies.” I needed to knI found myself engrossed by the writing and story in the beginning. I needed to know what happened to these girls called “butterflies.” I needed to know how they finally got away. I needed to know how they came to be in the garden. I’m a sucker for an excellent thriller. This one had the makings of one filled with originality and horror. The creepiness finds its way deep under your skin tearing through to your soul. Unfortunately it didn’t stay quite as exciting as I hoped through the middle and had the most disappointing ending I’ve read in some time. That shouldn’t take away from the author’s ability to craft an original idea that immediately captivates....until it just doesn't anymore.
The story starts with the FBI trying to piece together what happened in what is know as the Garden to the girls knows as “butterflies.” They were held captive by a man they called the Gardener. Sick and twisted things were done to these girls including permanently marking them with giant wings. I don’t want to give away all the details, but there is rape and a psycho son. The Butterfly Garden is a disturbing display of love for the Gardener.
We alternate between present day with the perspective of an FBI agent as the FBI attempts interviewing Maya and Maya’s perspective as she tells her story to the agents. I really enjoyed this format. It helped to add suspense, intrigue, and kept just enough mystery until each twist was revealed. It allowed me to question Maya as a narrator, never quite knowing whether to believe every word she was saying.
The problem is I didn’t exactly care about everything Maya had to say. Sometimes she went on these tangents about the most random things or people and I just couldn’t bring myself to care. She wasn’t saying anything substantial. In a way I get how this is where a lot of the excellent characterization came from, but honestly I just wanted her to shut up. I was bored and in need of Maya moving the f on. Oh..but the ending is what bothered me more than anything. I thought it lacked the explosiveness a story like this deserved. The twist that is supposed to shock and awe only had me thinking how much it made zero sense.
The Butterfly Garden hits on stockholm syndrome in a way I’ve never seen before. It wasn’t exactly enough.....more
“Monsters murder entire groups of people without blinking, but get upset when they have to wash human ash from their garden strawberries. Monsters
“Monsters murder entire groups of people without blinking, but get upset when they have to wash human ash from their garden strawberries. Monsters are the ones who watch other people do these things and do nothing to stop it. You and I are not monsters. If anything, we’re miracles.”
Maybe my hopes were a little high with Blood for Blood because Wolf by Wolf was SO good. It was unique, fresh, and beyond exhilarating. The premise was everything. It was filled with action and strong characters. The problem with the sequel is: in 481 pages, not a whole lot happens. It drags like crazy. I was bored a good portion of the time. And honestly, when did the romance become a bigger focus of the series? I lived for Yael in the first book. She was a strong, intelligent young woman with a yearning for vengeance. I lost the respect I had for her because all of a sudden these boys matter more than her mission and she trusts them completely. I guess you can say I was disappointed.
I had a hard time rating this because usually after finishing a series, I start to think of it as a whole. I needed to keep the books separate by rating because honestly if you stop after the first you'll be left with your heart racing and a need to get your hands on the second. Withhold and you'll be fine. This one I could have done without.
The pacing is completely off. And is only thrown off more by the interludes that were essentially flashbacks. Unnecessary flashbacks at that. What was the point to them? Besides replacing the poignant wolf flashbacks from Wolf by Wolf. Maybe it was to show how drastically different each of their lives are from their individual perspectives at different points in history. Still, these flashbacks don’t add anything to the plot and only make the book drag more.
I can't get into the plot because of series spoilers. I will say that it was nice having multiple perspectives to really get the whole story. Maybe it would have been beneficial to shorten the book by at least 25%. Overall, this sequel was a pretty big disappointment....more
Mark and Steph recently went through a trauma and now they just need to get away. With a low budget, there’s little the couple can afford making the pMark and Steph recently went through a trauma and now they just need to get away. With a low budget, there’s little the couple can afford making the possible vacation seem unlikely when a friend suggests house-swapping. It worked out great for their friend. There seems to be unlimited destinations. Paris sounds nice. Why not? It appears to be the opportunity of a lifetime. So when Steph posts looking for inquiries and hears back from a nice Parisian couple interested in the swap, it’s too sweet to resist! When they arrive and things aren’t quite as advertised, it becomes clear that this is not the getaway they were hoping for.
The story alternates between Mark and Steph’s POV making for an interesting reading experience as you never quite know all that is going on or if you can fully trust either as a narrator. There are numerous odd, creepy things that occur throughout. I kept waiting for something big to happen - something explosive where all those creepy moments that occurred throughout finally amount to something..anything really. The ending felt like it came out of left field and didn’t match up with the plot. That’s fine, I guess. Only I thought I was getting a horror version of the movie The Holiday and was ultimately let down.
This is one of those books where the premise is everything, yet the execution fails to measure up.....more
A few months after I found the video of Robin and me, it was taken down, apparently due to copyright infringement. I had to laugh. Most people have
A few months after I found the video of Robin and me, it was taken down, apparently due to copyright infringement. I had to laugh. Most people have embarrassing videos of themselves as children. Few have theirs copyrighted by Twentieth Century Fox.
Mara Wilson: the really cute little girl from Mrs. Doubtfire, star of Matilda, and of the Miracle on 34th Street remake. This book was almost called K for Kid because of her role on the hit 90s TV show Melrose Place where she was the only kid on a very adult set. Wherever it is you know Mara Wilson from, you probably know she hasn't been in the public eye in quite some time. What you don't know is: where is she now?
Mara has had a blog for close to five years where she shares essays on a variety of topics. She follows that same essay format for her memoir writing an incredibly relatable book with those big Hollywood movies as a child being that one big difference. We explore Mara inside and out with her raw honesty on everything from anxiety, sexuality, OCD, the death of her mother as a young girl, her struggle with the "cute" word, mean girls, puberty, her breakup with Hollywood, insecurities, sibling relationships, finding ones path in life, and everything in between.
When a person is gone, all that’s left is a narrative. At some point, that narrative becomes myth. If there’s one thing I regret, it’s letting our mother’s death overshadow her life.
I felt Mara on such a deep level when she spoke of her mother going through cancer and her passing. Then I felt it again when she went into the discovery of her extreme anxiety and OCD and how she learned to cope with it. She wants to help people the same way Kissing Doorknobs helped her when she knew she was different and that her mind worked differently often thinking something was wrong with her because of all the worrying, the patterns, the anxiety. She wants people to take mental health care as seriously as they take care of their physical health (as they should). And she wants to help get the information out there for those who need it because you never know when it's the information someone needs to completely change their life around - the way it did for Mara. I couldn't help thinking how much I want to lend this to my little sister who I know will find it comforting with the things they have in common. Not to mention the chapter about her relationship with her younger sister.
It was rarely the hellhounds who said anything mean to me; they expressed no real malice toward me other than the occasional eye-roll. They were at the top and had nothing to gain by pushing me around. The ones who scared me, who still scare me, are the girls who see all other girls as competition, who see themselves as the persecuted ones, the ones the pretty and popular girls hate. When you believe you’re persecuted, you will believe anything you do is justified.
Such an enlightening view on mean girls. Mara digs into her female friendships from middle school to high school when they auditioned for show choir (the really big one Powerhouse that actually inspired Ryan Murphy to create Glee) and ultimately didn't all make the same choir, so it tore them apart. She managed to fit in with a group of friends for a year until they pulled the mean girl move on Mara as well. If you've ever been bullied or tried to fit in, you'll cringe at how relatable it is.
And as we all wanted and I'm sure you're dying to know, there is a sweet letter to the character Matilda that goes into Mara's experience with the character from the moment she read the book, through casting and filming, and even including tidbits from the reunion for the blu-ray release. Some of my favorite things included moments with director Danny DeVito and with the real-life actors from the movie. The character meant the world to both Mara and her mother who passed away during postproduction, so a love letter is a perfect way to explore her experience with the character.
She also has a chapter devoted to Robin Williams, a portrait of the man he was as she knew him, and how his death affected her. This reiterates her feelings on mental health being of utmost importance.
To be this truthful and honest is to be powerful. Mara Wilson should be proud....more
I know I'm in the minority with this one. I gave a full star simply for the writing. Other than that...the book lost me. It was hard to stay interesteI know I'm in the minority with this one. I gave a full star simply for the writing. Other than that...the book lost me. It was hard to stay interested. Gorgeous writing is not enough to make up for what it's lacking in plot and characters.
I admit it. I saw all the hype surrounding The Star-Touched Queen..all those 5 star reviews. And I needed to read it. A retelling of Hades and Persephone. Fairy-tale like story. A girl cursed by the stars. What could go wrong? Unfortunately...me and this story weren’t friends.
This book is filled to the brim with lush, flowery prose. Metaphors galore, over-descriptions, lyrical writing. If this doesn’t interest you, I’d already suggest reading something else. I mean...the writing. I get it, I can appreciate it. But it got to a point where it was just way too much. If we took the book and cut out all the overly-descriptive sentences and metaphors, it would be less than half the size and that’s being generous.
There was so much lacking when it came to plot. Not a lot happens. And when something does, it doesn’t even make sense. Nor does it flow well. The plot is hard to follow. I found myself so completely lost at times. Other times, I found myself bored. I really had to push myself to keep reading.
Where was Maya’s characterization? Where did we establish who she is? I don’t feel like we knew her. I don’t feel like we knew any of the characters really. Which brings me to the romance at the center of it all...The insta-love is real. OH BOY is it real! Although I understand the purpose within the plot of this particular book, it was still nauseating and overall just annoying. It’s hard to care about any relationship when it begins like this.
Again I’ll mention that while I can appreciate the beauty of the writing, it wasn’t enough for me. Luckily I still haven’t read some of The Star-Touched Queen's closely compared novels such as Cruel Beauty, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and A Wrath and the Dawn - all of which which I’ve heard are similar, but seem a little more my thing. I think I’ll just read those and pretend this didn’t happened....more
Meh. I enjoyed Ruth Ware's debut a lot more than this one. I found I was expected to suspend my disbelief even more in The Woman in Cabin 10 and I waMeh. I enjoyed Ruth Ware's debut a lot more than this one. I found I was expected to suspend my disbelief even more in The Woman in Cabin 10 and I wasn't having any of it. It also felt like a not as good carbon copy of The Girl on the Train. Usually even with all the similarities of thrillers these days, I can find enough originality in the story to feel the author didn't *try* to follow the same formula. That didn't exactly happen here. It felt like the author just replaced a few facts with similar enough things..changed the train into a luxury cruise liner. Changed a few details here and there. And boom...here's a new book. I guess I'll delve into the plot a tiny bit to get my point across while still avoiding spoilers.
Laura Blacklock (she goes by Lo) suffers from extreme anxiety to the point of needing medicine to keep it under control. When a break-in occurs in her apartment with her present, it brings her fear and anxiety to a whole new high. Lo's sleep is suffering a great deal. She got in a huge fight with her boyfriend. But she still has to go on this week long luxury cruise assignment for work since her boss is on maternity leave. This could be her way of finally getting that promotion if Lo can just keep it together enough to network among important people and help put their small travel magazine, Velocity, on the map.
The Aurora is a brand new super-luxury cruise liner that will travel around the Norwegian fjords for it's maiden voyage. It's rather small with only 10 cabins, a maximum of 20 passengers, and a handpicked staff on board. Lo is roomed in cabin 9. It isn't far into the trip when Lo is woken by a scream from the cabin next door followed by a loud splash. She goes out onto the veranda to see blood on the neighboring balcony. She calls security to report what happened, but there's nothing in cabin 10. The guest who was supposed to be in that room didn't make the cruise. Which is odd because Lo swears she borrowed mascara from a girl in cabin 10 before dinner. There aren't any passengers missing, staff unaccounted for, nothing amiss other than Lo's report of what she witnessed. Is her anxiety-ridden mind mixed with the lack of sleep and abundance of alcohol playing tricks on her? Lo insists something happened. Nobody believes her.
So I felt like we took Lo and made her unlikable and unreliable in the same way that was done in The Girl on the Train. Replace the alcoholism with intense anxiety giving others reason to question her reliability as a witness. It's another protagonist witnesses murder and no one believes her story. Add in the means of transportation...boat in place of train. It feels really similar. The twist isn't the same, though. But that's where my next problem resides. Was that even really much of a twist?! Yeah..the first part of it was good, but when it came to the actual end..I was left thinking it was unbelievably dumb because it was obvious. And I don't understand for the life of me how Lo didn't put that together. Is she stupid? Well maybe because a lot of what she did through the book did not make sense. I couldn't see the logic in her head even with all that she had going on.
Plus her ex-boyfriend happens to be one of the other reporters on board adding a dose of drama. Because who else would Lo be able to get to believe her if anyone? I hated the way these two interacted. It made Lo appear even more weak. I couldn't stand it. This was probably on purpose no matter how aggravating it made Lo. It's annoying because the set up for the story was so great - a possible murder on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. It was a locked-room mystery a la Agatha Christie, who might have done this better. This is something I've noticed in both Ruth Ware's books - her inspirations from the classic author. I do hope to see more of this. I only wish this one had worked better. It was too similar to The Girl on the Train and had too many implausible moments for me....more
It's only logical: BY's can't kill everyone who shops there. If they did, they'd go out of business.
This is such a strange, odd book. Tru3.5 stars
It's only logical: BY's can't kill everyone who shops there. If they did, they'd go out of business.
This is such a strange, odd book. Truly..there were so many elements that made me think "wtf?" But it's all really awesome in the most unique way. I had no prior knowledge of the fairy tale it is based on, Vasilisa the Beautiful, though I think that made me enjoy it even more. I lived for how bizarre certain elements were and I'm not sure it all would have seemed quite as bizarre if I'd seen it before in the original fairy tale even. I was enchanted from the start by the fantastical components and that perfect blend of darkness and humor. It ended up being so much fun! I think my only faults here would be when the story began to drag somewhere along the line not furthering along the plot. And then the ending was very rushed, frustratingly leaving certain questions unanswered. The journey to get there was still worth it.
It’s a destination and everyone piles up and congratulates themselves on having made it all the way here from some wherever or other. To them this is practically an enchanted kingdom. A whole lot of Brooklyn is like that now, but not the part where I live.
We have so many weird things in this story. There's a chain of dancing convenience stores that dance on chicken legs. They behead shoplifters, so be dubious of that ring of rotting heads just outside. There's a wooden doll who can walk and talk named Erg. She's mainly known for her huge appetite and bad habit of stealing. Oh and only Vassa knows about her. There's walking hands..I was picturing Thing a la The Addams Family. There's a witch...who happens to run the convenience store. There's bleeding swans. Nights that seemingly never end and can last insane amounts of time. And a whole lot more. Like I said...it is so beyond strange.
Sometimes I get sick of how demanding she is. Sometimes I’ve even toyed with the idea of letting her go hungry for a few days, or even not feeding her again. She’d complain at first but eventually, I’m pretty sure, she’d just go back to being inanimate.
Erg is the only thing Vassa has from her mother. One night (remember....you don't know if night will be over in a few hours or days...) Vassa needs lightbulbs. The only store open is BY's. It's a risk that she takes only to get accused of shoplifting. Despite the insistence of her innocence Babs, the witch owner, sentences Vassa to 3 nights of work.
“Vassa? Remember how you said that no one sees past the obvious stuff? If I go by what’s obvious, then I’d have to assume that you’re a raving, pathological liar.”
There is plenty of magic as this is a magical realism story. And it's beyond atmospheric and creepy. I don't think I would have liked it quite as much if it didn't feel so unique and out there to me. It really made for a fun book. I'll have to check out the original fairytale now....more
Of Fire and Stars had the potential to be good as a YA fantasy with a lesbian romance, but it all fell pretty flat. Unfortunately, the execution didn Of Fire and Stars had the potential to be good as a YA fantasy with a lesbian romance, but it all fell pretty flat. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t hold up. There’s a huge lack of world-building and character development. And the biggest problem for me was how a lot of it just didn’t make sense. The plot doesn’t add up. Plus, the adult characters are all very stupid for some odd reason.
Dennaleia, known as Denna, has been promised to the prince of Mynaria where magic is forbidden. But Denna has a secret she must keep or risk being killed. She has an affinity for fire and it seems to be harder to control since arriving in Mynaria. This should be problem enough until she forms a friendship with the prince’s sister Mare that soon grows into more.
There are political situations among the kingdoms we’re thrown into where they all differ on their views of magic causing tension. There are groups unhappy about the alliance formed by Denna’s marriage. The issue here is there is no reason given for why Mynaria hates magic. So there isn’t any ground for these plot lines to stand on. There are times when the book feels really juvenile with very little logic to it. Scenes felt forced. The characters lacked depth. Denna and Mare’s relationship was confusing how it went from complete dislike, to friendship, to oh we’re definitely only friends. Other than the prince, I just don’t understand why in a world where homosexuality is openly accepted you would try to pass something off as friendship for so long.
Alas, the execution could have been better....more
“You’d better hope nine hundred fifty million hindus are wrong.” “Why?” “Because karma can be a bitch.”
The things I enjoy most about this series all
“You’d better hope nine hundred fifty million hindus are wrong.” “Why?” “Because karma can be a bitch.”
The things I enjoy most about this series all involve the protagonist. She is Indian, bi-sexual, and has anxiety and OCD. These are all genuinely a part of who she is. I appreciate the way her disorders were portrayed and feel they were handled well.
They say time heals all wounds, but the truth is it isn’t time, it’s that the memories dull so they can’t cut you anymore.
After the way the first book ended, you just know you are in for a game of deception if Kalah is ever going to prove what really happened. (Here is where I assume you’ve at least read the first book because the synopsis of this book gives the ending away). Kalah is stuck pretending to be Brit’s best friend in order to prove Beth’s death wasn’t an accident, all the while trying to grieve her friend. It’s the only hope she has to catch Brit in her web of lies. Unfortunately, it won’t be easy. Brit always seems to be a few steps ahead.
Sometimes you had to risk yourself because what you were trying to do was worth that risk, that damage. It’s like chemotherapy: sometimes you need to make yourself sicker to have chance of getting better.
I enjoyed the twists the story took in Avenged. By route, it became a bit more of a thriller than a mystery. I guess you could say I enjoyed this one more than Vanished. The writing was stronger. And the deeper exploration of Brit’s character was intriguing. Overall, the series was fun and fast-paced. Fans of Pretty Little Liars would enjoy it....more
I tried to hear, in that one word, if she sounded like Sarah, and then realized, with an awful jolt, that I no longer remembered what Sarah sounded
I tried to hear, in that one word, if she sounded like Sarah, and then realized, with an awful jolt, that I no longer remembered what Sarah sounded like. What she had sounded like. Before.
The Stranger Game is the story of a girl whose older sister went missing four years ago. Her family was deeply affected. Nico truly believed her sister to be dead after so many false leads and no new hope found. When the Morris family receive a phone call from Florida, everything changes. A girl saying her name is Sarah Morris is at a shelter. She doesn’t remember much of anything besides her name - retrograde amnesia. She wants to come home. Where has she been for the last four years? Why would she leave? Was she taken?
What were their lives like, lives without the giant gaping hole that is left when someone in your family goes missing.
When Sarah went missing, things changed for Nico. She had to live up to being nothing like her sister for her parents sake. Even though the two look alike, they’re nothing alike. Nico is the good girl; straight A student, captain of tennis team, volunteer at Teen Hotline. She always follows the rules constantly feeling pressure to be perfect and never make her parents worry the way Sarah did. Sarah was the bad girl; a few years older, head cheerleader, rule-breaker, older boyfriend, history of running away. When Sarah went missing, it wouldn’t take a rocket science to figure out why Nico feels like she has to be so perfect.
What wasn’t said, the dark undercurrent of her compliment: you’re not like her. I was that age now, the age she was when the trouble really started. When she ran away the first time. But I was so different, a good girl.
The person Sarah was is no longer the person she is. Something happened and it changed Nico’s sister. Maybe that could explain all the extreme differences in Sarah’s personality. Her sister used to be so unbelievably mean, while now she’s actually nice? The book alternates perspectives between Nico and Sarah adding a great deal of suspense to the story. This is where you start dying to know exactly what happened to Sarah. I was practically craving Sarah’s chapters.
The story was well-crafted with excellent twists along the way. I especially liked the way Cylin Busby chose to end the novel. There is absolutely zero romance throughout. If you’re looking for a quick suspenseful read, this could be for you!...more
It didn’t bother me quite as much in Hunter, but this series is certainly skewing on the younger side of young adult (if even that - maybe older middIt didn’t bother me quite as much in Hunter, but this series is certainly skewing on the younger side of young adult (if even that - maybe older middle grade readers). If I was the demographic, I’d probably have been a lot less bored. That being said..I still trekked my way through!
This one doesn’t have have too much recapping of what went on in the first book. I actually struggled to remember a lot until certain plot lines were brought back up however many pages in..then I had several “wait...what happened with ___ again?” moments. I could blame it on my memory, though it’s usually not this bad. It starts with Joy on a good ol’ fashioned hunt - only she’s being used as bait to catch a Drakken. It’s nice being thrown back in seeing how things have changed for Joy being Elite.
This time around Joy’s uncle gives her a job he feels only she can be trusted with. She is to patrol the storm sewers underneath the city. They’ve gotten worse - much too dangerous for the usual police units who patrol. Joy’s large pack of hounds make her a clear contender as someone who can handle the patrol solo. Only Joy isn’t quite ready for what’s down there. New creatures no one has seen before and a mysterious dead Psimon body... This is only the beginning.
It seems there is more than meets the eye with PsiCorp. They’re working a little too hard to keep Joy quiet. That’s a mystery Joy is struggling to crack in addition to worrying about the whole Ace situation. Word is he still gets to hunt under watchful eye. And the appearance of an old friend might be hinting at something else going on...
In true sequel form we got new characters, new creatures, and an expanding world. It didn’t quite world-build enough to warrant for a sequel. It just felt like it was expanded the slightest bit. You’ll see what I mean. Because other than the few creatures introduced here, there wasn’t much growth. There were a few moments of excitement, but far and few between. The development and growth I was hoping for didn’t exist. I am curious where the PsiCorp storyline is heading..so I may still check out the sequel. I really think this should’ve been aimed more for the older middle grade reader, though....more
When Kelly Lund was seventeen years old she shot and killed director John McFadden. She went to prison and served thirty years. Where our story picks When Kelly Lund was seventeen years old she shot and killed director John McFadden. She went to prison and served thirty years. Where our story picks up, she has been out for five years and lives with her husband Shane. When Kelly’s father-in-law gets murdered in the exact same way John McFadden did, she immediately becomes a suspect. Her father-in-law also happens to be famous movie legend Sterling Marshall. Would Kelly really have done this? Or is she getting framed?
The story alternates between dual timelines. One is set in 1980, when Kelly Lund is seventeen years old before John McFadden is murdered. The other is set in 2010, thirty years later. We get numerous perspectives throughout, but mainly we follow Kelly in both timelines. There’s Shane, a detective on the case, and a couple others added throughout as well. In 1980, our story picks up about 4-5 months before the murder. We see Kelly’s life leading up to it, which starts with her just wanted to blend in and come out of high school unscathed. She slowly makes friends with the cool, rich daughter of a famous actor, succumbs to peer pressure and starts doing drugs, skipping school, doing things she never would have done before. And her life changes forever.
Sporadically, there are articles, news/TMZ reports, excerpts from a book, etc. This helps add insight as to how the public views the murder cases and Kelly Lund. I enjoyed the format of this story and found it made the book more of a page turner. Both timelines constantly left me wanting more making it hard to put down.
I’m not particularly happy with the Gillian Flynn comparisons even though she is one of my favorite authors. I see where they come from with the murder mystery. Other than that, I found it to be entirely entertaining, just not in particularly the same way if that makes sense. Flynn’s are a lot less Hollywood.
This is a full blown Hollywood murder case that made me feel like I was watching one of those E! True Hollywood Story murder episodes. Yes, I spent my teenage years well. Seriously, though! It covered that whole guilty pleasure side of me, while also really pulling me deep into the mystery. I constantly found myself flipping back to reread passages I’d already read seeing how things matched up. I was pretty hell-bent on solving this mystery. I admit..even though I had my suspicions, I did not solve it. There were plenty of twists and red herrings. Good luck :)
If two murders playing out next to each other in glamorous Hollywood appeals to you, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this up....more
According to the stories, when the führer first announced his vision of an occupied Africa and Europe to his generals, some of them had laughed. “I
According to the stories, when the führer first announced his vision of an occupied Africa and Europe to his generals, some of them had laughed. “Impossible,” they’d said. “It can’t be done.” But the word impossible held no sway over a man like Hitler.
What if World War II had gone differently? What if the Axis powers had actually won? And what if that awful human experimentation done at concentration camps had actually amounted to the creation of something?
Set in an alternate history our story is with Yael, a seventeen year old with the remarkable ability to change her appearance. As a child at Auschwitz she was experimented on in an attempt to alter her genes transforming her into the ideal Aryan race. It doesn't exactly go as planned instead leaving Yael with the capability of changing her appearance at will. She can now skinshift; the only things she cannot alter are gender, wounds, and tattoo ink leaving everything from weight, hair color, race, sound of voice, height, etc. all up to Yael.
Yael had many faces. Many names. Many sets of papers. Because the chemicals the Angel of Death had crammed into Yael’s veins had changed her.
Ten years after her great escape Yael is planning to use her ability to end Hitler’s reign of terror. He rarely makes appearances in public anymore after so many assassination attempts. Teamed up with the resistance, a plan has been concocted.
Every year since the end of the war, there has been a motorcycle race across continents through the land both Hitler and Hirohito claim called the Axis Tour. Twenty contestants race to win glory for their country’s leader. The riders are a mix of German and Japanese. Yael’s mission? To become Adele Wolfe in order to ride. Win the Axis Tour in order to earn invitation to Victor’s Ball. While there..kill Hitler.
The premise is so fantastic, I cannot rave enough. And THIS BOOK does the deed. I could not get enough of the pages I was reading. Yael is such a strong character with determination and intelligence. I respected her. And enjoyed seeing her transform from that frightened young girl into the young woman she was becoming. I really love how the past was told through Yael’s wolves. It helped us to understand who she is and where that desire to avenge comes from. Her heartbreaking backstory is mixed well with the present day keeping up with the book’s fast-pace.
There are so many excellent, well-developed, complex characters within this story. I look forward to seeing several of them again. There is a small bit of romance that doesn’t overwhelm. The writing style manages to be poetic without overdoing it in the way that The Star-Touched Queen did. The plot remains exciting the entire book leaving us with a cliffhanger that shocks. Overall, I’d say this is one of those books everyone will end up loving whether you’re interested in historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, or just plain young adult. Ryan Graudin manages to blend some of these genres within this alternate history world.
To take it home, the author provides an author’s note clarifying the book’s theme of identity and just what makes us who we are. And that we should never forget the history our world once faced. Scary to think about, yet beyond true....more
This is one of those stories where the world has a great deal to do with the plot. In the land of Renthia, there are five countries, each ruled by a dThis is one of those stories where the world has a great deal to do with the plot. In the land of Renthia, there are five countries, each ruled by a different queen with the power to keep the spirits (fire, ice, water, air, earth, wood) under control. The spirits roam free and are responsible for creation and destruction. It is in their instincts to kill humans, but the queen won’t let them. It is her duty to keep her country safe.
The Queen of Blood is set in the forests of Aratay where the villages and cities are in the trees. We’re with our main protagonist, Daleina, as she discovers she has an affinity to control spirits amidst a childhood tragedy and grows up to develop her ability while attending Northeast Academy in attempt to get the most out of her talents. She may not be the best student. She’s barely scraping by, but she’s determined, works hard, and she’s doing it all for the right reasons. Daleina’s heart is truly in the right place.
The story also follows Ven, the disgraced champion. Champions are responsible for selecting a candidate (out of those with an affinity for spirits) to train in hope of them becoming an heir, one who’s capable of becoming a future queen when the queen dies. We get a couple other different POVs as well. It never gets confusing.
The academy is filled with all these great female characters resulting in plenty of strong female friendships. It’s so beautiful within an environment where competition is so common. Daleina fights against the typical female stereotypes filled with jealousy and hatred. These girls support and help one another really shining a positive light on female friendship. Plus, some of these secondary characters were so excellent. There is a bit of romance that doesn’t overtake the plot. And occasionally, the story goes darker than expected. That’s the fun, though. Because Durst really isn’t afraid to go there.
I am really looking forward to the sequel. With how things are looking, a character I’m very intrigued by will be popping up again and I need to know what becomes of Renthia as the books go on. This is an excellent fantasy with extreme crossover appeal. Bravo Sarah Beth Durst!...more
Monsters, they call us. Demons. Sometimes, on sleepless nights, we wonder if they’re right.
I love what Lauren Oliver set out to do in Replica. She writes two books that can essentially be read on their own, but they ultimately enhance the experience if read them together as you’ll get more to the story. This format is perfect in this particular story as it focuses on the themes of individuality and identity in a world where there are clones, or human replicas (unbeknownst to the rest of the world).
Both stories promise to bring surprising revelations critically important to the other story meaning the way you choose to read this book could affect your reading experience. i.e. if you choose to read Lyra’s story in it’s entirety first and then read Gemma’s after. Certain revelations would remain unknown throughout the first story you read. OR if you opt to alternate chapters. Read one Lyra, then one Gemma. As secrets get revealed, you’ll experience a different kind of suspense because you’ll learn details in one that inevitably affect the other unbeknownst to them. OR you could only choose to read Lyra’s story or Gemma’s giving you a different experience as you didn’t read the other perspective given. Anyway, whichever route you choose to go I’m sure will be fine. I chose to alternate chapters.
I truly loved how Lauren Oliver wrote scenes in both stories where there were minor differences because everybody has different perspectives and experiences. No two people experience the same thing. When two reiterate something that just occurred, it’ll have minor variations. ….That idea is displayed in these pages. And only brings home that theme of individuality just a little bit more.
“Those girls are clones, Gemma. They lack brains.”
The replicas are kept at the Haven Institute, found on a highly guarded private island off the coast of Florida. They keep it locked and sealed up tight with armed guards. Haven is a top-secret research facility where thousands of replicas are born, raised, and observed. This is a mystery to the rest of the world leading to plenty of conspiracy theorists wanting to know what is kept on that military-guarded island.
Lyra is an experimental subject at Haven, also known as 24. She’s a very curious, inquisitive young lady since she’s been stuck in the walls of Haven. The institute is all she knows only learning what those inside the walls allow her to learn. Until an explosion on the island gives her and a boy known only as 72 a chance to escape.
Gemma has been in and out of hospitals all her life. She’s very sheltered thanks to her parents and is from a wealthy family. Gemma doesn’t understand why her father treats her the way he does leading to questions she only becomes more desperate to answer as she learns of a mysterious connection to Haven. Can you say secret road trip?
The stories become intertwined somewhere along the way, which only raises more questions for both Lyra and Gemma about the mysteries of Haven.
I’m undecided on whose perspective I actually enjoyed more. Lyra’s is fun with how innocent she is discovering the world for the first time. But in a way, Gemma’s is more relatable being from the typical world. The format is ambitious, but somehow leaves this feeling of disconnection. It is interesting how the repetition of certain scenes truly displayed the idea of individual perspectives, but this was a flaw at the same time for how it impacted the pacing of the story never really adding anything additional to it. In other words, it made the book slower and boring at times. I did find the format fascinating and intriguing, but I also wonder if the joke is on the rest of us and really she only wrote a dual-POV novel and then separated them. I'll have this thought when going into the sequel. There are a few big twists and secrets, as well as a satisfying ending that doesn't leave you hanging too bad. One side comment....if you've seen the movie The Island, wasn't this basically a YA version of that film? You could tell me it's the Haven institute in that movie and I wouldn't argue a bit.
Anyway, good book. I'm still trying to figure out if I would have found it as thought-provoking if it had been written in the more typical dual-POV format....more
Let me start by saying I don’t give out 5 stars easily. It has to be a book I find nothing wrong with, absolutely love, and plan on reading again and Let me start by saying I don’t give out 5 stars easily. It has to be a book I find nothing wrong with, absolutely love, and plan on reading again and again. Rebel of the Sands does all of that. About halfway through I was freaking out because I wanted a sequel so badly. I knew I would need way more of this world and the characters. I seriously cannot recommend this book enough.
The story starts with a shooting competition. Amani is disguised as a boy and needs to win in order to finally have enough money to escape Dustwalk and travel all the way to Izman, the place her mother always told stories about. It was said to be a place where a girl could be free and make her own choices. Her mother died almost a year ago leaving Amani to live with her aunt and uncle. They are awful. Her uncle wants to marry her off so he no longer has to take care of her, but is debating marrying her himself. Dustwalk is clearly a dead-end town for a girl. It make sense that she would rather die trying to escape the town. Amani meets a mysterious foreigner who appears to bring the perfect opportunity for her to finally leave. She has no clue her world is about to be changed forever.
Amani is a very tough, feisty badass chick. She has attitude and a smart mouth, but is determined, strong, and compassionate. She is also incredible with a gun - quite the sharp shooter. She’s actually my favorite heroine in a ya book in quite some time.
Every single chapter ended with something that kept me needing to read. If I could have, I wouldn’t have ever put the book down. The writing is completely engaging, while the world-building is original and exciting. The desert nation of Miraji has stories that read like folktales with all this mythology seeped in. This is where the fantasy genre comes into play. There is magic and immortal creatures like skinwalkers and nightmares that roam the desert. There is also a rebellion with a rebel prince plotting to take back his rightful throne.
There is a whole lot going on, but it all flows together nicely. I enjoyed meeting all of the characters within the story. There aren’t too many to remember, but you definitely meet plenty throughout. I am excited to see where the story goes in the second book. I felt like Rebel of the Sands ended nicely without any crazy cliffhangers, but still left you wanting to read more. There was a nice slow-burning romance that actually felt real the way it developed. The chemistry at one point had me swooning. That just doesn’t happen with me, so consider me hooked. I cannot wait to see where it all goes.
This western twist on an arabic-inspired setting works perfectly....more
The writing and premise were both excellent, while the execution fell short.
When I really thought about it..where could the story really go? We have The writing and premise were both excellent, while the execution fell short.
When I really thought about it..where could the story really go? We have Bo who thinks he can travel through time and believes he attends a school for kids with superpowers. The truth? He attends Berkshire Academy for Children with Exceptional Needs. It’s a school for troubled kids. Bo experiences delusions. Things only get worse when Sofía, the girl he fell in love with, commits suicide. Bo truly believes she isn’t dead, that he actually left her in the past three hundred years ago, and he’s desperate to go back & get her.
That all sounds interesting and maybe if Bo didn’t have a mental illness we know about from the beginning, I might have believed he really had superpowers and felt the slight twist when I found out he suffered from a mental illness. But we know this from the beginning definitively. To make it even more clear, we are given an addition POV from Bo’s younger sister Phoebe. Her chapters are merely there to have some context set in reality. To show the juxtaposition of the two realities. I get it. Other than that, you just don’t care about Phoebe because nothing is happening with her in regard to the plot.
So again I ask...where could the story really go when all this we know from the beginning? I admit there was finally a moment that shocked me toward the end, got me on the edge of my seat, but it was over as soon as it began. And the book went back to being mediocre as if that scene never happened.
I got fed up with the string, thread nonsense. This is how Bo does his time traveling..calling up the timestream he views as a series of strings. It felt so repetitive. He goes into depth about the threads and strings and his attempt to grab hold of Sofía’s, but oops can’t reach it. It got to the point where I needed to skim these parts because every time he “traveled” let’s talk about the strings. I just didn’t care anymore about the stupid strings. GAH!
I can appreciate the writing and what Beth Revis attempted to do here, but it just didn’t measure up....more
The thing that intrigued me most was the impossibility of the situation. One of our main characters would have to die in the end due to the rules of tThe thing that intrigued me most was the impossibility of the situation. One of our main characters would have to die in the end due to the rules of the Crown’s Game. From the start I was fighting to decide who I wanted to root for. And that was before all the additional drama laced in.
The Crown’s Game is the opportunity of a lifetime. It is a competition between enchanters where you demonstrate your magical abilities in an attempt at being chosen as Imperial Enchanter. The Tsar selects the winner who also becomes his most respected advisor, while the loser gets sentenced to death. Like I said…rough situation. Kill or be killed.
Vika is sixteen, lives with her loving father, and believes she is the only enchanter in the empire. (There is usually only one due to lack of magic left). She is under the impression that she is just waiting until she turns 18 to go serve the Tsar. In the meantime, training so that she’s the best Imperial Enchanter she can be.
Nikolai is an eighteen year old orphan who was taken in at a young age by cruel Countess Galina in order to train him to use his magic for the future Crown’s Game. Unlike Vika, he’s always been aware he would have an opponent for the Imperial Enchanter title.
Pasha is prince, future heir to the throne, and also happens to be Nikolai’s best friend. He cares way more about hanging with his friends than becoming Tsar. He is doesn’t know about Nikolai’s abilities. (or magic in general). And finds himself falling for the new arrival in town, a peculiar girl with seemingly magical abilities.
The story is atmospheric with deep world-building and strong characters. I actually can’t rave enough about Evelyn Skye’s world-building. Set in 1825 in Russia, it is clear that she did her research, while also taking an imaginative approach. The setting is detailed and written so beautifully. The characters charmed their way into my heart. There are multiple POVs, even with additional secondary characters that I also couldn’t get enough of. I hope there’s more of them in the second book.
The love triangle thing was meh. It was annoying by merely existing, but less of an issue than I thought it would be. However, the insta-love kind of threw me off where that came into play. Dumb. I was hoping for a darker competition or at least one that was more deadly..less “let’s paint the city” more of this:
And it was the first time it truly sank in that the things she could do were not only fascinating, but also possibly deadly. She shivered at her own potential; if she were honest, a small part of her thrilled at it, too.
Other than that, The Crown’s Game was engaging and unpredictable. I enjoyed the thrilling nature of the story. Can’t wait to see what happens in book 2!...more
But here’s the thing I’ve learned about leaving - you can’t really go back. I don’t know what to do with Cooley Ridge anymore and Cooley Ridge doesn’tBut here’s the thing I’ve learned about leaving - you can’t really go back. I don’t know what to do with Cooley Ridge anymore and Cooley Ridge doesn’t know what to do with me, either. The distance only increases with the years.
Anyone who has left that small town behind knows what it’s like going back those rare times you’re still obligated. That out of place feeling. I understood what Nic was going through and where her mind was at. I guess the difference here is I didn’t leave behind a mystery of a missing best friend in a town covered in secrets.
A polaroid fading from the edges in, the colors bled out; the outline of a ghost town full of ghosts.
Nic Farrell (short for Nicolette) is heading home to small town Cooley Ridge, North Carolina located in the middle of nowhere ten years after Corinne Prescott went missing. Little does she know another girl, Annaleise Carter, is about to go missing - one with a peculiar connection to Nic and her former group of friends. Annaleise was the one who corroborated the group’s alibi the night Corinne went missing.
It’s ten years later and Nic’s former group of friends including her older brother Daniel, former boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson are all still living in town. Nic’s first night back in town Annaleise goes missing after a date with Tyler. The book then jumps forward two weeks and proceeds to tell the story backwards day by day. It is pretty unique (and daring) to tell a story in reverse and Megan Miranda pulls it off flawlessly. What could have gone miserably wrong helped to build the narrative in an unputdownable way. The suspense continued to build up making for an addicting read.
There are even flashbacks to the group ten years ago that also consist of a dangerously intense teenage female friendship.
I really enjoyed the characters and the way their stories slowly unraveled within the reverse narrative. Excellent characterization. These characters may fall a bit more on the unlikable side for some people, but I enjoy my thrillers with flawed individuals. I like having reasons to question every character’s motives and the possibility that they might not be so reliable. In a way it adds to the mystery helping to create additional red herrings. Though Megan Miranda didn’t need that help because there are several set up within the story.
This may have been my first from the author, it won’t be my last. The writing was very good. I love that there are two mysteries playing out and I was guessing all the way through. It was filled with twists and tension while maintaining that haunted small town feel. I highly recommend if you are a lover of mysteries or thrillers....more
Loading...
