While the premise of the book is interesting (though not very original), I didn't particularly enjoy the delivery of the story. It was fast-paced1.5/5
While the premise of the book is interesting (though not very original), I didn't particularly enjoy the delivery of the story. It was fast-paced (which I liked), but lacked worldbuilding and character development.
The Final Contagion is set in the fictional country of Menaguay where a mysterious plague wiped out a large population in a matter of minutes. Tasked with reporting the incident, American news reporter Piers Shatner visits the scene and starts digging deeper in an effort to uncover the terrible truth behind the sudden outbreak.
This book is set in a fictional country (Menaguay) with fictional all-powerful political entities (the Council) and confusing terms like "Industrial Nations" and "Industrializing World." The lack of worldbuilding and thorough explanation of these terms made it really hard for me to suspend disbelief.
Furthermore, the main character was unlikeable and emotionless. There is a lot of emphasis on the protagonist's ability to stay calm and emotionally disconnected from the job but some more character development and a bit more emotion would have been nice.... I also did not like the way women (or woman since there was really only one female character) was portrayed in this novel.
This would have been a much better book if it wasn't set in a fictional setting (or if worldbuilding was improved). Otherwise, I suppose it wasn't too terrible...
eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
While the premise of the book is interesting (though not very original), I didn't particularly enjoy the delivery of the story. It was fast-paced (which I liked), but lacked worldbuilding and character development.
The Final Contagion is set in the fictional country of Menaguay where a mysterious plague wiped out a large population in a matter of minutes. Tasked with reporting the incident, American news reporter Piers Shatner visits the scene and starts digging deeper in an effort to uncover the terrible truth behind the sudden outbreak.
This book is set in a fictional country (Menaguay) with fictional all-powerful political entities (the Council) and confusing terms like "Industrial Nations" and "Industrializing World." The lack of worldbuilding and thorough explanation of these terms made it really hard for me to suspend disbelief.
Furthermore, the main character was unlikeable and emotionless. There is a lot of emphasis on the protagonist's ability to stay calm and emotionally disconnected from the job but some more character development and a bit more emotion would have been nice.... I also did not like the way women (or woman since there was really only one female character) was portrayed in this novel.
This would have been a much better book if it wasn't set in a fictional setting (or if worldbuilding was improved). Otherwise, I suppose it wasn't too terrible...
eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When scientists decide to “de-extinct” prehistoric creatures…
What could possibly go wrong? [image]
In many ways, this book follows a similar premise aWhen scientists decide to “de-extinct” prehistoric creatures…
What could possibly go wrong? [image]
In many ways, this book follows a similar premise as Jurassic Park, in which scientists have brought prehistoric beings back to life and have subsequently built a resort where the wealthy can see these creatures up close. Although I haven’t read Jurassic Park (yet), I loved the movie franchise. So naturally, I was curious about this book.
"Let me assure you that this is no Jurassic Park."
And it’s not. Not quite. First of all, there’s no dinosaurs. Instead, Erebus (the resort and scientific lab) consists primarily of woolly mammoths and similarly giant creatures. [image]
Secondly, the animals have all had their genes altered and their aggressive instincts removed. Therefore, they’re harmless and supposedly perfect for tourism.
Finally, the story involves an investigation into a missing couple (presumed brutally murdered, based on the amount of blood found in their last known whereabouts). What happened? Where are the bodies? What's the motive? Agent Frances Cash from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the county sheriff James Colcord team up to investigate the case only to realize that there are numerous secrets to uncover.
This book was so fun, suspenseful and twisty. The worldbuilding, characters and mystery were very well fleshed out and interesting. I was fully engaged the entire time I was listening to the audiobook and just couldn't get enough.
Audiobook comments I listened to the audiobook at x1.25 speed. The narration was great and I hated having to press the pause button because the story was so fast-paced and exciting!...more
This was a fun, lighthearted and quirky clean sapphic romance set in a futuristic, interstellar, 1920's-esque high society with Jewish representation.This was a fun, lighthearted and quirky clean sapphic romance set in a futuristic, interstellar, 1920's-esque high society with Jewish representation.
The story, told in first person, follows a con artist Ruth Johnson who arrives in the high society of New Monte while pretending to be an eligible debutante, Evelyn Ojukwu - a princess from a faraway planet. She immediately captures the attention of Esteban Mendez-Yuki, one of the wealthiest heirs in New Monte, with the intent of making him fall in love with her, marry her, break his heart, and steal his fortune as revenge for breaking her sister's heart. Things don't go as plan when Esteban's charming and brilliant sister, Sol, appears to be suspicious of her and seems to have her figured out.
I found the worldbuilding, particularly the technology aspect, to be a bit flimsy (the technology seems high-tech... but also not? Also, when do they use breathers - is it just an optional fashion choice to be carried around for emergencies?) but the high-society and futuristic parties and social engagements were pretty interesting.
I'll also note that the con also didn't seem well thought out (if I were Ruth's sister, I'd be LIVID that my sister ran off to marry my ex, even if it's just to scam his of his money).
The romance and banter was fun (even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Ruth's personality and voice), and the story was fast-paced (although maybe a bit too rushed at times).
Overall, a decent book for those looking for a light-hearted sci-fi story.
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
This was a great ending to the Themis Files trilogy.
First of all, as with the previous books, the audiobook was incredible. The full-cast narration aThis was a great ending to the Themis Files trilogy.
First of all, as with the previous books, the audiobook was incredible. The full-cast narration and the audiobook production were top-notch. I'm of the opinion that this book should only be consumed in audiobook format. I'm fully convinced that this is the best audiobook series of all time.
With that being said, I didn't love the story of this volume as much as the previous one. Only Human takes place 10 years after Waking Gods, and a lot has changed in that 10 years (view spoiler)[Vincent, Rose, and Eva end up living in another planet and learning about alien culture and politics! Meanwhile, the Earth has turned into a warzone (hide spoiler)]. It's quite interesting to see how everyone coped with the aftermath of what happened in Waking Gods.
The title of this book is apt - this book explores what it means to be human and leaves readers with a lot to think about. This volume has even more philosophical ponderings and social commentary than the previous books. It was still fun and fast-paced but also less action-packed which left me slightly disappointed.
_____________________________ My average rating for this series: 4.33/5 Check out my reviews for this series: Book 1: Sleeping Giants (4/5) Book 2: Waking Gods (5/5) Book 3: Only Human (4/5) _________________________________ If you like the following, then you may also like this series, and vice-versa:
[image]
[image]
[image]
...more
I'm not familiar with Sophocle's Antigone so I did read quick wiki summary before reading this book.
Since I can't compare this to the original work (I'm not familiar with Sophocle's Antigone so I did read quick wiki summary before reading this book.
Since I can't compare this to the original work (seeing as I haven't read it), it's hard for me to judge how this fared as a retelling.
As for the story itself, I quite enjoyed this tragedy. It takes place in a world that's dying and where the human race is dwindling - as such, people store their ichor (genes) at the Archive in the hopes of being reincarnated (via artificial insemination).
It didn't matter if a person wanted a child or not. It didn't matter if they changed the rest of their body, if they embraced a new name - if they were viable, the state considered them a woman, and they were required to carry a child, even though only half of them would survive it. Our species would die without this law...
The story also deals with various themes including that of bodily autonomy told from multiple POVs (mainly Antigone's POV, but we also get Polyneikes', Eurydice's, Ismene's, Kreon's, and Haemon's POVs) although I wish the worldbuilding was expanded upon further.
DNF 20% or 1 hour and 38 minutes into the audiobook
I just couldn't get into this audiobook. The narration felt disjointed and I couldn't connect with DNF 20% or 1 hour and 38 minutes into the audiobook
I just couldn't get into this audiobook. The narration felt disjointed and I couldn't connect with the character/narrator (first person POV). I also had a hard time focusing and maintaining interest in what was happening. ...more
This was as believable as Riverdale (which is to say, not believable at all) but it was just as addicting.
I love psychological thrillers and this This was as believable as Riverdale (which is to say, not believable at all) but it was just as addicting.
I love psychological thrillers and this is probably the first YA psychological thriller that I've read and I devoured it.
It's probably best if you go into this book blind but at a high-level, it's a book about a dark secret that the town has been keeping and that Blythe and her group of tight-knit friends are keen on uncovering in order to help their friend. For slightly more in-depth synopsis: (view spoiler)[the story starts with Blythe's friend, Gabrielle, having a mental breakdown and being sent to the principal's office. When Blythe stays behind after school to check on Gabrielle, she finds Gabrielle standing over their principal's dead body, covered in blood. The next day, no one seems to remember the incident and life seems to go on as if nothing happened - except for the fact that Blythe keeps getting random memory flashes of the murder. Is she hallucinating, going crazy, or is something else going on? (hide spoiler)]
I really liked the characters, particularly Blythe and Turner and their unlikely friendship and unflappable loyalty towards one another. [image]
I will say that I've previously read Armstrong's Darkness Rising trilogy and I found that a lot of parallels can be drawn between that trilogy - such as the characters' personalities, relationship dynamics, and the parents' involvement in keeping (pretty crazy) secrets from their children.
_____________________ If you like the following, then you'll likely enjoy Someone is Always Watching or vice-versa:
[image]
[image]
...more
I didn’t realize this was a sequel (I haven’t read the first book). Even so, the dialogue and pacing wasn’t great,DNF at 12% or page 36 of this ebook
I didn’t realize this was a sequel (I haven’t read the first book). Even so, the dialogue and pacing wasn’t great, and the jump from 10 years ago to present day left me confused....more
I really enjoyed this cozy time-travel romance audiobook.
Clementine, a book publicist, recently inherited her late aunt's apartment. This was no4.5/5
I really enjoyed this cozy time-travel romance audiobook.
Clementine, a book publicist, recently inherited her late aunt's apartment. This was no ordinary apartment though... growing up, she'd heard plenty of her aunt's stories about the apartment's wonderful ability to blend time, either seven years forward or backward. She never really believed those stories until one day, upon arriving home to her late aunt's apartment, she found a random man in her kitchen and all of her aunt's old furniture still in the apartment. She was transported to 7 years in the past when this handsome and charming aspiring chef was subletting her aunt's apartment. As she falls in love (because how can she not?) she can't help but remember her aunt's warning - that you should never fall in love in this apartment because a relationship with a seven-year slip can only end in heartbreak.
This book had everything that I love in a good story: ✓ Time travel via a magical apartment ✓ A book about books (the publishing industry) ✓ Art (van gogh and painting!) ✓ Food (and a hot chef!!!) ✓ Great chemistry between Clementine and Iwan ✓ Fantastic exploration of the topics of change and grief
Though the story itself was rather predictable, I loved the slow-burn relationship and development between Clementine and Iwan. The story also revolves around Clementine's grief of losing her aunt - many of these moments where she reflected on her time with her aunt nearly moved me to tears and, if I'm being honest, I kind of wanted to learn more about her aunt's story.
__________________________ If you like the following books, then you might enjoy The Seven Year Slip and vice versa:
[image]
[image]
[image]
...more
June lives in a world where you can be cured of all negative emotions through a medical procedure where your heart is removed and placed in a numbing June lives in a world where you can be cured of all negative emotions through a medical procedure where your heart is removed and placed in a numbing solution. The only problem is, you can't remove negative emotions without removing the positive ones as well. And so, before she knew it, June was the only one left who had opted to keep her heart and was surrounded by emotionless friends and family who no longer seemed to care about her or her artwork.
I quite enjoyed the artwork and story in this comic - the primarily grayscale artwork with only hints of color really worked with the story. A great debut story on the importance of learning to live with various emotions.
(view spoiler)[Personally, I think the author should have made the characters into plant-like beings rather than human-like characters, since it would make the 'science' behind the removal of hearts more believable. (hide spoiler)]...more
This was such a fun audiobook! (Which I listened to at x1.15 speed).
I loveGroundhog Day-themed stories and I also love reading books with neuro4.5/5
This was such a fun audiobook! (Which I listened to at x1.15 speed).
I loveGroundhog Day-themed stories and I also love reading books with neurodiverse characters. This book definitely fit the bill!
The book starts off with Cassandra's worst day ever - she gets dumped, her flatmates are trying to kick her out, she gets fired, and gets a panic attack at the subway. Somehow, the combination of all these events awakens a power in her - she can now travel back in time and redo everything. So she does. Again, and again, with the determination to redo the past few months as many times as needed to save her relationships and job.
What you need to know about Cassandra is that she is on the spectrum and most social interactions don't come easy for her. So her powers come in really handy, allowing her to avoid awkward social situations (ngl, I would've done the same!)
I loved Cassandra. She's not only on the spectrum, but she also has synesthesia which was quite interesting to read about. There were, however, definitely moments when I was annoyed with her, but there was a lot of growth and character development as well, which I appreciated. Cassandra also had so many relatable moments and character traits. I too wish I could turn back time to avoid awkward and unpleasant interactions with people, to turn back time and fix small mistakes so that people around me think I'm perfect, and to also turn back time and live in the comfort of predictability.
The time traveling was also a lot of fun. I didn't find it overly repetitive at all (of course, some repetition is required for the Groundhog Day effect), but I did feel that the first half of the book dragged a bit. It picks up near the end though, which leaves me to my next point:
I absolutely loved the ending. It was a bit unexpected but ended on a perfect and heartwarming note.
---------------------------------------------- If you like the following books/characters, then you might enjoy Cassandra in Reverse or vice versa:
[image]
[image]
[image]
[image]
...more
Beautifully written, this novella explores human grief told from three perspectives: 1. Nyokabi ("Kabi"), whoThis short novella really packed a punch.
Beautifully written, this novella explores human grief told from three perspectives: 1. Nyokabi ("Kabi"), who grieves for her brother, Baraka, and comes to terms with his suicide; 2. Baraka; and 3. Time.
Fourteen years old you liked a boy, but you never said it out loud, you never even thought it in public. Fifteen years old, boy moved away. Sixteen years old you prayed to be different and you prayed and you cried and you realized you were a problem. Seventeen years old you couldn't sleep and you smiled in public and you hurt in private and you asked God to make it all stop, this farce. Memory is fiction but you stayed alive. You did stay, you stayed alive you did, stay alive you stayed.
Until you couldn't anymore.
When Baraka took his own life, he left Nyokabi in shambles. As the responsible and oldest daughter of the family, it was her responsibility to protect and help him. When she comes across a potion that allows her to go back (briefly) in time to when Baraka was still alive, she becomes obsessed with going back in time and trying to keep him alive.
This was an incredibly heartbreaking and moving novel. I'm still reeling from how this tiny book was able to tell such a vivid and raw emotional tale.
Except instead of a wooden/artificial boy living in a This was such a creative re-imagining of Pinocchio meets A.I. Artificial Intelligence [image]
Except instead of a wooden/artificial boy living in a world amongst humans, we have a human boy (well, young adult I guess) living in a world of robots and androids.
Victor Lawson is a human raised by his android father, Giovanni Lawson. His friends consists of his sociopathic robot nanny, Nurse Ratched and lovable vacuum, Rambo. When Victor and his friends found a broken android, HAP, in the Scrap Yards, they secretly repair it only to discover a terrible and dark secret that links Hap to Gio and puts them all in danger.
If I learned anything about T.J. Klune after reading The House in the Cerulean Sea (which I've reviewed here) is that Klune is able to create some of the cutest and most lovable characters ever. The characters from In the Lives of Puppets were no exception - Rambo was the cutest little robot ever and Nurse Ratched was so much fun to read about.
I kind of picture Rambo as a roomba version of Wall-e [image] and I imagine Nurse Ratched would be similar to a tentacled version of Rosie from The Jetsons. [image]
While I loved Rambo and Nurse Ratched, all the other characters were kind of bland in comparison...
Also, the book was beautifully written but there were too many sexual innuendos that detracted from the cute and whimsical moments.
tl;dr - Overall, I didn't like this book nearly as much as I thought I would, especially after reading Klune's previous book. But there's no denying that there were some really loveable characters and memorable moments that made me really enjoy this retelling.
I enjoyed the first two books tremendously and don't know why it's taken me so long to finally read the third book because Before the Devil Break4.5/5
I enjoyed the first two books tremendously and don't know why it's taken me so long to finally read the third book because Before the Devil Breaks You was fantastic!
This book wonderfully balanced creepy atmospheric vibes with fun 1920's banter. It also tackled social/political issues from that era, racism, mental health, and abusive relationships while further developing the characters and the storyline.
A lot happened in this book but the overarching story is about the Diviners (a group of people with special abilities) who band together to train and strengthen their power as darkness looms in the horizon. The city is experiencing more ghost sightings than usual and the ominous King of Crows is gaining more power. It's up to the Diviners to help save the city and where better to start than with tackling the ghost infestation at a mental hospital? [image]
All the scenes at the hospital were ominous and creepy, and at times, downright horrifying. If I were one of the Diviners (or one of the patients or staff), I'd have nightmares and PTSD for life.
Meanwhile, I really enjoyed all the side stories that were going on for each character:
Evie O'Neill - Evie's radio show isn't doing very well (especially not against Sarah Snow), so she decides to expand her business to include ghostbusting. She even has the wonderful idea of visiting a haunted mental asylum because what could possibly go wrong? [image]
Sam Lloyd - Just because Sam and Evie's fake relationship is over, doesn't mean that Sam is over Evie. Poor Sam pines for Evie while Evie and Jericho gets together. He knows that Uncle Will and Sister Walker are hiding information about Project Buffalo and what happened to his mom and he is keen on uncovering those secrets.
Theta Knight - Theta continues to hide her powers and past from most of her friends. That is, until Theta's mysterious past catches up with her and her abusive and dangerous husband Roy finds her and threatens everything that she's built in the past two years.
Memphis Campbell - Memphis helps Papa Charles heal a rival gang member to help keep the peace... but how much longer can Papa Charles use Memphis without endangering him? The more Memphis uses his power, the more he becomes a target (from other gangs, and the Shadow Men).
Isaiah Campbell - We discover the reason behind Isaiah's epilepsy!
Jericho Jones - Jericho accepts Jake Marlowe's invitation to live with him and continue with experiments to make turn him into an Ubermensch. Jericho uses this opportunity to snoop around Marlowe's estate to find out more information about Project Buffalo and uncovers Marlowe's plans.
Also, the experiments conducted on Jericho reminds me of Bane from Batman [image]
Mabel Rose - Mabel becomes involved with the Secret Six, a group of revolutionaries who are intent on helping the families working at Jake Marlowe's uranium mines by turning to drastic measures. Mabel also falls in love with the leader of the Secret Six, Arthur Brown, who may not be the best influence.
Uncle Will Fitzgerald and Sister Walker - they are intent on training the Diviners and preparing them for what's to come but they are both hiding a bunch of secrets about Project Buffalo, including the truth about Diviners and James disappearance (Evie's brother).
Blind Bill Johnson - we learn about Blind Bill's past and he gets a redemption arc!
Ling Chan - she's queer and ace! Also, her powers seem on the fritz, as the dead have been refusing to speak to her.
Henry DuBois IV - honestly, Henry doesn't get enough credit for being such a great friend to Theta and Ling. He must be protected at all costs!
In the previous book, I complained that there were too many new characters being introduced (I don't typically like reading books with an overwhelming number of characters) and while two main new side characters were introduced in this book (Conor Flynn and Arthur Brown) I didn't mind it too much this time around as it really helped flesh out some of the character development of the main characters and really added to the story.
Also, there were a lot of deaths in this book that I did not see coming ...more
This book was classified as general fiction at my library, when I think it would be better suited under the thriller or sci-fi category.
Regardle1.5/5
This book was classified as general fiction at my library, when I think it would be better suited under the thriller or sci-fi category.
Regardless of the genre, The House at the End of the World was so slow. This was not a fast-paced thriller. Instead, the first 50% of the book was about Katie living alone in a private island called Jacob's Ladder, wallowing in her past trauma while also being super paranoid about the strange things that seem to be happening in the nearby government-owned scientific facility on the isolated island of Ringrock.
This is a book steeped in government conspiracy theories where anyone who works for a government agency are depicted as being inherently evil and where a lone woman living in the middle of nowhere still needs to have an armory full of weapons to protect herself from the government in case they ever come knocking.
I debated on whether or not to DNF this book. But my curiosity got the better of me and I continued reading because I really wanted to find out what was going on at Ringrock. I should have just DNF'ed the book because the plot reveal was pretty crazy but only took up ~20% of the book and led towards a long, dragged out, weak and unsatisfactory ending.
tl;dr - The pacing was all over the place. The book couldn't decide whether it was a political thriller or sci-fi/horror, or a sappy story about a found-family. The ending was weak with no clear resolution for the plot.
February 22, 2024 Update: I loved this book so much, I made pop-up card versions of it! You can see more on my Instagram @melharareads [image]
JanFebruary 22, 2024 Update: I loved this book so much, I made pop-up card versions of it! You can see more on my Instagram @melharareads [image]
January 14, 2024 Review
What a fantastic continuation to the Shades of Magic series! The continued expansion to the worldbuilding and magic was top-notch, not to mention the amazing page-turning action!
Although this is technically a new series set in the same world as the SoM, it's still very much a continuation of SoM as we follow the journey of beloved characters like Kell, Lila, Alucard, and Rhy. Taking place 7 years after A Conjuring of Light, the story now highlights the aftermath of the battle against Osaron. In Red London, discontent is mounting as rumours spread that King Rhy Maresh is the reason that magic is dying. The rebellion, known as The Hand is set on assassinating the King so when it is discovered that The Hand has acquired a very dangerous object, it's up to Lila and Kell to stop them. Except the object falls into the hands of Tes, who then finds her world turned upside down.
As much as I loved being reunited with all my favourite characters from SoM, I also loved all the new characters that were introduced in this book including:
Kosika, and her friends Nasi and Lark - the newest queen of White London, and an Antari to boot. She's the hope of her people as magic appears to be growing and coming back to White London.
Queen Nadiya - a quirky inventor who's rather anti-social and single-minded at times but her heart's in the right place, I think.
Ren - the cutest little princess! (if you haven't seen it yet, this artwork by @_saintdri of Alucard and Rhy's family, including Nadiya and Ren, that's included in the Illumicrate edition of the book is AMAZING and this scene melted my heart)
Tes - I love Tes. Move aside Alucard and Lila, I think I found my new favourite character! Tes is a smart 15-year-old with the coolest power ever and an incredible ability for fixing and improving things.
Nero - We don't see much of Nero but his character has a lot of potential so I hope we see him again in the next volume!
The ending of this volume hit me harder than I thought it would.
Three years have passed since the events of Volume 9 and Hazel and her companions havThe ending of this volume hit me harder than I thought it would.
Three years have passed since the events of Volume 9 and Hazel and her companions have met some new faces along the way including: - Bombazine, a seemingly friendly dude with a mysterious past - Skipper and his merry band of pirates
This volume wasn't as fast-paced as the previous volumes as it appears to be setting the tone for some really crazy shit to befall Hazel's friends and family. [image]
Also, Alana is giving me major Nancy vibes (from the show Weeds). [image]...more
In this volume, Hazel, Marko, Alana, Izabel, IV, and Petrichor land in Phang to refuel and befri4.5/5
This was another great, but heartbreaking volume.
In this volume, Hazel, Marko, Alana, Izabel, IV, and Petrichor land in Phang to refuel and befriends Kurti and his family - an adorable group of meerkats.
Phang isn't safe though (for a number of reasons), and Hazel's family is still being hunted. This time, a new freelancer, The March, is on their tail. [image] (^The March and Kurti)
At this time, I'm not really sure where the storyline is heading for The Will, Gwendolyn, Sophie, and Lying Cat. The Will is spiraling and is now a full-on schizophrenic. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn, Sophie, and Lying Cat seem to be leading a decent life. I'm more worried about Ghüs - when will we see him again?!...more
Loading...
