I was so addicted reading this that I smashed through most of it in two days, and yet the ending has me feeling unsatisfied. I have nWhat a wild ride!
I was so addicted reading this that I smashed through most of it in two days, and yet the ending has me feeling unsatisfied. I have no idea what just happened. And I was following along so well!
The premise revolves around a secret, worldwide game known as Rabbits. Not much is known about it, except that it involves recognising patterns and connections in seemingly random things, and that it's so secret that people talking about it usually end up dead.
I was expecting this to move into sci-fi territory but it was relatively easy to follow. There's a lot, definitely, but it's mercifully 'dumbed down' a tad so that you can understand the message under all the science. I also really enjoyed following all the clues, even though a lot of the time there was, 'so this clue led me to find another random clue which led me to this random clue ...' without much explanation of the how. Who cares. I was happy to suspend all disbelief and just follow along on the journey.
I'm sure there are plenty of sciency plot holes here but I'm smart enough to know I'm not smart enough to find them. So once I was happy to settle in for whatever was thrown my way I really enjoyed it. It rockets ahead at an intense pace and there are plenty of dramatic scenes to keep things real. The science starts off light and mysterious and gradually seeps in so you never feel overwhelmed.
The characters are all quite interesting, and typical hacker types. K was a fascinating lead, though I always wanted to know more. There are also a lot of pop culture references which I immensely enjoyed.
I was hoping that, following things as I was, the ending would blow me away. There were some twists I enjoyed but the ending was a little too confusing for me to fully appreciate what had happened. I still have a lot of questions, and I'll be hoping for a sequel that might clear some of these things up, though I think that's blind wishful thinking on my part.
Overall, this was a fast-paced thriller with a lot of love for games in all forms. Highly recommend for those looking for an addictive mystery with a little sci-fi in the mix....more
This was a solid read, but a little too plain for my tastes.
The story is told by our protagonist, Fleetwood Shuttleworth, who is pregnant once again aThis was a solid read, but a little too plain for my tastes.
The story is told by our protagonist, Fleetwood Shuttleworth, who is pregnant once again after multiple failed pregnancies. Her fear of this one killing her leads her to hire Alice Gray as a midwife, but Alice has trouble of her own - she's about to be caught up in the witch trials.
The story is built well, with strong main characters and a clear beginning, middle and end. There's purpose and resolution.
For my part, I found it a little dull. I was entertained throughout but just kept waiting for more to happen and it never did. The witch trial was a mess of names and baseless accusations from a distance, so I never felt the tension that should have been associated with that. And Fleetwood's illnesses and her various frolicks didn't make me feel much at all.
I did feel a lot of sympathy for her in regard to her naivety and how she's treated by others, and while she had some strong character growth there still wasn't a resolution that I was happy with.
To clarify, spoilers here: (view spoiler)[ Her staying with her cheating husband really bothered me, and same with her just exchanging a few words and being okay with her mother. These relationships were crafted into the story so that these two became more and more sinister, and yet they were all friends again so quickly at the end. It left me feeling disappointed. (hide spoiler)]
Supporting characters never stood out, and it seemed to me that Fleetwood's story was in such clear focus that it blurred everything else around the edges. It served the story well but deprived it of a rich fullness.
So a strong main arc with not too much more. I enjoyed reading Fleetwood's story but ultimately I doubt it will stay in my mind for too long....more
This is the most disappointing King book I've read so far. The first 100-odd pages had me entertained, but then it juDisappointingly dull, I'm afraid.
This is the most disappointing King book I've read so far. The first 100-odd pages had me entertained, but then it just drifted into dull and I couldn't finish it fast enough. There was so very little to invest in.
The story is Jamie Morton's, and begins when he's six years old and meets Charles Jacobs for the first time. The two have intertwined destinies, and none of it is too pretty. Jacobs is obsessed with electricity, Jamie is a muso nomad, and I am already bored.
There was so little point to this story. Jacobs goes on the carny circuit with his electrical experimentation, and Jamie gets hooked on drugs. Even the experiments just did nothing for me. There are some troubling visions and after effects, but for the most part there was very little horror to this story. (view spoiler)[(Giant ants? REALLY???) (hide spoiler)]
King writes well, so the pace travels well enough and you do get to know the characters quite well. But because this is a book called Revival, it naturally is balanced by a LOT of deaths. People around Jamie are just ridiculously unlucky for some plot-convenient reason. Hmm. This book really just reeks of, 'my publishers needed another book from me and this is the best I could do with the time they gave me.'
There was just nothing about this story that I really cared for. It raises some interesting questions about death and the like but nothing new that hasn't been raised before. Plus, King just loves to sh*t all over religion, and while I'm not religious myself I'm honestly finding it a bit old.
Definitely not his best work, and a bit of a chore to get through by the end. Pet Sematary did it better....more
A sweet novel that I really enjoyed, despite the mysterious contents of Jane's letters being rather underwhelming.
The story follows Cassy, sister to JA sweet novel that I really enjoyed, despite the mysterious contents of Jane's letters being rather underwhelming.
The story follows Cassy, sister to Jane Austen - yes, THAT Jane Austen. It's a couple decades after Jane's death, and Cassy is on the hunt for letters written by her sister. We get a glimpse at some of these, which takes us back into the past and allows us a look at the lives of the sisters.
Firstly, I wasn't actually aware of 'the great mystery' of Cassandra burning a bunch of Jane's letters. But this novel talks about Cassy's fear of the letters causing a scandal and besmirching Jane's name, so I was very keen to hear more.
Present day Cassy is a bit of an old fuddy-duddy, to be honest. She's still obsessed with honour and good name and doesn't like dogs (!!!) so I actually didn't like her all that much. But I really enjoyed seeing her soften as the novel progressed, and I really felt for her as I learned about her past. Was also severely frustrated.
Jane is such a delightful character, and so very much like Lizzy Bennet (of Pride and Prejudice fame). She fights convention and resists all things men and marriage to the point that I suspect she was perhaps in the closet at a time when being out of the closet no doubt would have caused all kinds of drama. But that's pure speculation on my part. On the whole, I just loved her rebellious spirit and I'm even more curious about the REAL contents of the letters.
I suppose there wasn't a huge driver for the action, which is where it lost stars for me. So much is built up about how scandalous the letters are but there's really not all that much in them to get excited about. I enjoyed the way the letters led the way into scenes from the past but the past wasn't all that dramatic.
On the whole, though, it was still a really enjoyable read. Nothing too demanding, and the setting feels very realistic and well done for the era. I loved sinking back into this 'English Countryside' vibe that Austen's novels have. I thought it was done really well.
Plus, bonus marks for the gorgeous cover art!
A lovely, low-key story that will warm the heart of anyone who has enjoyed Jane Austen's work. Don't look to solve any grand mystery, but instead soak up the atmosphere and enjoy your time with it....more
This was okay to start with, then really interesting, then kinda slow ... and by the end of it I was just eager for it to be over! It dragged on Look.
This was okay to start with, then really interesting, then kinda slow ... and by the end of it I was just eager for it to be over! It dragged on for SO LONG!
It's a YA horror story about strange occult rituals, paranormal occurrences and sadistic murder. It's set in the 1920s and is obnoxious with this detail. And the lead protagonist, Evie, is ANNOYING AF.
I had to Google what a 'flapper' was, to be honest. That should be telling of how little I care about the 1920s.
The short version: the horror aspect was cool but the pacing was off, Evie was a frustrating protagonist and the 1920s references drove me up the wall.
Evie, Evie, Evie.
She's a drama queen, essentially. Selfish and spoiled, and very #notlikeothergirls because she wants to party and be famous. She's rebellious and inserts herself into everyone's lives because she's convinced she's the only one that can handle anything. I got frustrated with her quickly and that sense of annoyance continued throughout the entire book. She has some suggestion of character growth but the reality is, by the end of the story she hasn't really changed.
I didn't understand the point of Sam, but I did really like Memphis and Theta. In fact, their stories were more interesting to me than the main plot, I think.
I realise now that so much of this book was setting up for sequels, and I think that's why it began to drag so much. There was so much extra detail that wasn't necessary and I couldn't really see the point to it. I don't see myself reading a sequel so it was mostly wasted on me.
The murder/occult storyline was premium, but again there was too much extra running around to help it flow cohesively. I was really fascinated by it but had to wade through all the extra drama to get to the good stuff until finally I just wanted it to all be over. The finale was pretty predictable and then afterwards we're given MORE to help set up the next book. ENOUGH ALREADY.
So yep the last 200-odd pages were a frustrating drag.
Now, the setting.
Controversial, but I hated it. I thought it was brilliantly done, sure. The writing did a great job of transporting you to that time. The language, the behaviours, the outdated concepts ... it was all very on trend for the '20s. But sweet cheeses did that lingo do my head in. The discrimination was awful, too. Predictable, again, in how people would be treated. I was just really not feeling it. But again, this time period just does not interest me. So this is more a me complaint than any actual criticism of the book itself. Those with an interest in 1920s USA should actually get a kick out of it.
It wasn't a bad read at all, and I was actually quite captivated at one stage, but once that wore off the book just seemed to take forever to finish. It was all over the place. I liked it, but I won't be looking for the sequel any time soon....more
Maybe taking some time off from crime was a really good call, because the last two crime novels I've reAnother crime novel that was surprisingly good!
Maybe taking some time off from crime was a really good call, because the last two crime novels I've read have been excellent.
This story follows a serial killer that's somehow connected to online dating. Rookie Ellie is partnered up with a quirky detective to bring the killer to justice.
I actually really appreciated how many threads there were to this story. It kept me guessing and this story did a great job of pointing the finger in all kinds of directions. I had no idea how this was all going to go down.
Ellie is a great lead character - she's not perfect but she's not a pariah, either. She's just trying to get the job done. This felt like a really good sample of who she is, and I can see this being a strong foundation for further character building as the series goes on.
The writing was fantastic - you never got a breath to figure things out for yourself because there was something new happening at every turn. Every time you think you might be on the right track, something else happens to put you on another track entirely. It was an addictive read because there's no place you can comfortably put it down without needing to know what comes next.
The story was multi-layered so I really enjoyed delving into this one. Another read that lingered on my shelf longer than it should have.
This book looks at many missing persons cases - in most instances, unsolved assumed homicides. Men and women wA little too journalistic for my tastes.
This book looks at many missing persons cases - in most instances, unsolved assumed homicides. Men and women who mysteriously disappeared in varying circumstances. I love a good true crime mystery but this just didn't grab me at all.
The book is already short at just under 300 pages, and yet it still feels mostly like filler. The author goes to great lengths to speculate and give her own opinions, and there is a strong media-friendly vibe whereas the cops are mostly written as incompetent. There is more about the media involvement and the 'feelings' of the lead detective than the actual case in almost all instances. I honestly got bored.
I like true crime stories to present all the facts with no bias, and this was nothing BUT bias. Some of the cases seem fairly obvious and yet they still remain unsolved, usually due to how much time passed before someone thought to check something that should have been checked at the time. Obviously forensics have come a long way but these cases just seemed to highlight bad police work more than the plight of the loved ones of the missing. It rubbed me the wrong way.
Not a lot of detail is given in these cases. They only cover about ten pages or so each, and it still feels like the author had to flesh them out with speculation because there just wasn't enough of a case. Because of that, the focus drifts from the victims. As much as the author pads these stories out with trite words like 'we see you', it never feels like genuine concern. I actually hated that. It seemed more disrespectful to me than complete emotionless facts.
You can tell immediately that this book was written by a journalist as there seems more interest in selling the value of the media than actually treating these cases with compassion. It's also written in such a way that the stories are muddled by speculation and guess-work. The side profiles didn't really help, because again there seems more interest in talking about the professionals involved than the victims.
I thought I would really get sucked in but unfortunately this one left a bad taste in my mouth. All are still unsolved cases and this book brings us no closer to answers. Hopefully one day the families and loved ones of those Missing will get some closure.
I enjoyed this, though it's not my usual fare. I do prefer things a little faster and more involved, but this still managed to keep me interested.
The I enjoyed this, though it's not my usual fare. I do prefer things a little faster and more involved, but this still managed to keep me interested.
The story is relatively simple: told in dual timelines, we learn of Lori in 2016, who is informed the brother she hasn't spoken to for 20 years has just been in a bad accident. Back in 1993, we visit their mother Pam, and witness the fallout of the event that tore the siblings apart.
A slower burn, this story takes great pains to immerse us in the lives of our two protagonists, Lori and Pam. I was particularly drawn to mother, Pam, and felt for her as the mother trying to save face and keep peace amongst all while dealing with something so horrible. She is a strong woman dealing with tragedy and I had a lot of compassion for her and was glad she had support.
Lori frustrated me; she is stubborn and self-absorbed and her lies seemed so pointless to me. Still, I could understand her a little from the way things played out and it was interesting to me how my opinion of her developed throughout the novel.
This is very much a character-driven story, but there's an element of mystery that does give it a bit of an addictive feel. I can appreciate the story for what it is and how it was written, but for the most part it's just not the kind of book that gets me raving.
It's also such an Aussie story, and I do cringe a little when the yobbo is so strong. Here's an example of what I consider 'over-Australianising':
"Des parked the car one street back from the cul-de-sac and got out. He leaned on the bonnet and lit up a cigarette. Standing in the tepid sunshine with the eucalypt-scented breeze wafting down on him, he thought, not for the first time, that he really needed to give up the fags."
Other people will love this level of atmosphere immersion but I myself hate how often Australian stereotypes are reinforced. It suits the country-town setting, but doesn't suit my personal tastes.
That being said, I do very much enjoy stories set in places I personally recognise, so all the mentions of Melbourne and surrounding towns were a lot of fun for me.
Overall, it was a well-written story and a good read. It lost stars for me mostly because it's not my favourite kind of genre, but those who enjoy general Australian fiction with a shadow of mystery should be impressed by this one.
Full disclosure: This is just not my kind of book. The humour is the blunt, obvious kind and I prefer more subtle. Absurd English Humour is one of my Full disclosure: This is just not my kind of book. The humour is the blunt, obvious kind and I prefer more subtle. Absurd English Humour is one of my least fave genres, and Today Me would never have bought this but 2018 Me thought this was a bargain at Salvos for $3 so it's been sitting around on my shelf waiting to be read.
Anyway.
This is a middle grade read for fans of authors like Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams. It's an absurd tale of failing magic and the death of the last dragon. Expect the unexpected and, if you're familiar with absurd British humour, expect all the same kind of jokes you've heard before.
I just don't find it laugh-out-loud funny like some people. This book has amusing moments and I loved some of the characters (particularly the Quarkbeast) but in general it just didn't do much for me. It wasn't bad, it's just not my kind of laughs.
The story runs at a nice fast pace and doesn't get bogged down with details. The magic is creatively bland with a few moments of delight thrown in, seemingly just to keep people happy. The characters are, for the most part, fantastic. The names are typically silly, but I didn't mind that so much.
*sigh*
Look, it's a bit hard to rate because I can see that a lot of people will have great fun with this one. Particularly kids. But it just wasn't really my cup of tea. That's more my taste preferences than any fault of the book.
So I'd recommend this for young ones easily, and for older fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and books with a similar immature streak in which the imagination knows no bounds....more
Definitely not as painful as Uprooted but still a really tedious read.
I have so many complaints I don't even know wherVery glad to be done with this!
Definitely not as painful as Uprooted but still a really tedious read.
I have so many complaints I don't even know where to start.
The story is inspired by the Rumpelstiltskin legend, but instead turns Miryem into a moneylender who attracts the notice of an ice king. There's also a duke's daughter and a peasant family thrown into the mix.
Complaint #1: Multiple viewpoints Normally this is a plus for me, but there was no clear identifier for who was actually telling the story. You had to infer it from the story as it unravelled and sometimes this was just not easy to do. Particularly as new viewpoints were introduced as the story went on. I got very confused. It also didn't help that the three main characters are young women of the same age who all seemed the same in the way they told the story.
Complaint #2: The writing These were some of the most convoluted sentences I've ever read in my life. Double, triple negatives; long, meandering sentences that use 20 or so words where three would have sufficed. Not even classic literature is this confusing. It dragged the story out so much and often had me scratching my head trying to work out what had just been said.
Complaint #3: The pacing This story could easily have been squashed into less that 400 pages. The first 100 or so drag out the whole Moneylender side of things when this could easily have been summarised in a single chapter. Then finally we get into the story and we're given yet another character who wants to tell us their story, and so the thing expands again. When things seem like they're going to wrap up soon, instead it's drawn out for another 200-odd pages. Add to this awful pacing the inclusion of those long sentences I mentioned and this became such a tedious read. It was so much effort to drag the story out of it.
Complaint #4: The complete lack of world-building I love magic. I love fantasy. I love imagination. I love worlds created from nothing. But I still require some kind of explanation. This story just throws random pieces of magic at you with zero explanation and it's confusing. So much of the world is just thrust at you to accept instead of built logically. The concept of the Staryk is barely explored and yet we're soon to find ourselves heavily invested in them. How are we supposed to care when we can't fully grasp who they are, how many there are, how they live, where they live, etc? We're given bare bones enough to witness this one story but that's it. Nothing is ever really explained. Miryem's relationship with the King fascinated me but I just wanted to know more. What was the scale of the world compared to them and their story? I really needed more world-building. Obviously there's a heavy Russian influence, but are we to just assume that this fantasy story is set in Russia? I really struggled to grasp the extent of this world.
I think that's my major complaints. The story itself wasn't actually that bad, but it was drawn out way too long and told in such a dull way. It was better than I expected after the disaster that was Uprooted but it still wasn't great....more
The writing is AWFUL. Trying so hard to be clever that it's confusing, and still somehow childish.
AdDNF @ pg 181 (49%)
I'm bored, and life's too short.
The writing is AWFUL. Trying so hard to be clever that it's confusing, and still somehow childish.
Added to that, I'm SO SICK of reading about oppressed women. I get it, I feel it, but I'm just so bored of reading about it. It makes me heartsore.
This is the same brand of absurd British humour that always manages to annoy me more than entertain. Others will love the quirkiness, but it just does my head in.
I'm thinking this is going to hit for fans of Gaiman, Prachett and Adams that might be looking for something a little magical with a feminist twist.
I liked it, but it was a little pointless so it dragged a bit.
The story takes us into Peru, with Merrick and his buddy Markham on the hunt for the rarI liked it, but it was a little pointless so it dragged a bit.
The story takes us into Peru, with Merrick and his buddy Markham on the hunt for the rare quinine so they can smuggle it out. It's 1860, and this rare ingredient is vital to the treatment of malaria, so a lot of people want it. That's pretty much the plot.
After 100 pages or so of meandering to the start point, finally the story makes its way and we're acquainted with Raphael, a local priest who is to be their guide. Enter strange dynamics and a weird religious twist involving clockwork statues.
I think part of why I feel so ambivalent towards this novel is because it's hard to pinpoint what genre its going for. It seems like historical fiction with a sense of whimsy, but then there's that strange clockwork element and random fantasy-like moments that really mess with the vibe. I wasn't ever really sure how much I was supposed to suspend disbelief. Doesn't help that it's set against a very real historical backdrop.
The writing is good, and it does suck you in with the lyrical detail. I found myself bored with the story at times but never really bored with the writing. I do really enjoy Pulley's storytelling, I just think the stories she creates are a bit too bizarre for my tastes. Or not bizarre enough? Somehow, they don't seem to sit right for me.
The characters here are interesting enough, though at times their words didn't seem to suit the time period. There's also a guest appearance from a character those who've read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street will recognise. A sweet inclusion, but ultimately just another weird moment for me. I cannot pin down what this story was trying for.
The whole pointlessness of the plot did bother me, as there seemed to be no real goal. There was obstacles as they appeared, but no real drive behind the story to hold the interest.
Perhaps this will sit better with lovers of literary fiction, but it was just a little too random for my tastes. I really wanted to have more fun and adventure than I did. I enjoyed the reading of it, but nothing about it truly captivated me....more
There's no denying the author can write lyrical prose, but the content is awful.
I'd talk about the plot, but it doesn't involve much more than a patheThere's no denying the author can write lyrical prose, but the content is awful.
I'd talk about the plot, but it doesn't involve much more than a pathetic white man with a Lolita complex.
Obviously, I hated him. He's a loathsome protagonist who sees himself doing no wrong because he's led by the ghost of a lost love. He sinks into depravity very quickly and it's nauseating reading his justifications.
Honestly, he's just a terrible human being which made this story awful to read. There's an obsession with sex and fetishising any young female that appears, and there's zero talk of his lack of morality. Any other plot was easily overshadowed by his single-minded focus on getting his rocks off.
This book is a major ICK and will leave you desperate for a hot, cleansing shower.
So happy to be done with this series. Call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer my crime without the generous serving of porn thank you.
The only reasonSo happy to be done with this series. Call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer my crime without the generous serving of porn thank you.
The only reason I read this 4th installment is because I got them free. I have some weird affliction that means I can't donate books until I've read them.
So, here we go again with the Porn Star Detective stripper-turned-private-eye. Simone is still reeling from events of the past few books (details which I've happily forgotten) but somehow still finds herself instantly entangled with the accused murderer of a writer. Chaos (and kinky sexual encounters) ensues.
Can you tell that I have no time for this drama queen? There is such an obsession on how she used to be a stripper, she's so good looking she gets bugged constantly, she loves wild sex and loves to talk about how she's out of the stripping game but gosh she REALLY misses it. If only an occasion would arise in which she could put her sexual talents to good use. (Can you hear my eyes rolling)
Meanwhile there's an actual crime of an incredibly brutal nature that's taken place but she's upset because her mum is mad at her??
But the actual mystery was still interesting enough for me to not give up completely. There is a murder, and lots of dramatic scenes between writers, and mostly I just wanted to know what the eff was going on.
There's actually so much going on in this one that it was hard to keep track of. Like, one minute she's investigating all this stuff and the next she's taking a few hours to go shopping? I could not get a grasp on the emotion of this story because it bounced between 'I'm so frightened I might pee myself' and 'weee partying and drinking and sexy sex'. My god. What a mess. I couldn't bring all the threads together and part of my putting up with everything was to get the nice cohesive storyline from the big conclusion.
As additional fuel to my ire, there's an excess of information on what everyone is wearing at all times and I could not give one single crap.
But then, the Melbourne setting is cool because I know these places.
Overall, another disaster which just didn't make a lot of sense to me and is packed with cringey moments. If you're a 'PUSSY POWER!!' kinda feminist you'll probably eat it up (excuse the pun) but this is just not my kinda thing at all. Very happy to be done with this series....more
The truth is, I just don't care. I've actually been reading this on and off since December and it has no holdGonna go ahead and DNF @ Pg 123 (30%)
The truth is, I just don't care. I've actually been reading this on and off since December and it has no hold over me at all. It's about a woman who inadvertently fakes her own death so she can live wild, researching anthropology, while her children back home have to learn to go on without her. Her daughter is obsessed with discovering the truth of the past, so there's also a bunch of stuff about her mysterious grandfather? But it's so, 'oooh but maybe that part is a lie?!' that there's kind of no point to any of it? Except for maybe the whole point of the story being that everyone lies all the time. YAWN.
It's told in a rather confusing manner, and I think that's a big reason why this just wasn't working for me. It's clearly a translated novel so maybe it's a 'lost in translation' issue but there are so many words and just not enough substance. Timelines dance all over the place, so one minute you think you're reading about the present and the next you're reliving something from the past or someone else's story entirely. Bit of a headache in that.
There is something of an interesting story here and I'm assuming there'll be a twist later on but there's too much effort required. I'm getting harsher with what I spend my time reading these days and after 100-odd pages and some random skimming of the rest I feel like this just isn't worth the effort.
Maybe one for the literature lovers but too convoluted for me. Pass....more
Not nearly as good as the Divergent series and a little long, but I didn't hate it.
The sci-fi aspect of this was a surprise to me, and mostly confusinNot nearly as good as the Divergent series and a little long, but I didn't hate it.
The sci-fi aspect of this was a surprise to me, and mostly confusing. There's talk of different planets and travelling through space to get to different worlds but otherwise this was firmly fantasy. So it was just a bit of a weird mix and for me it just made the world too big. Hard to include excellent world building when you're biting off too many worlds. Anyhoo.
The space setting led to me being kind of confused about the different races and the scope of their homes. The setting is shared between two races at war but it sounded like there was just a meadow between them? Like I said, I was very confused. I can't even explain it properly because I just didn't quite grasp the scope.
The characters were okay, but nothing particularly new. I've seen this pairing multiple times in YA fiction and these two didn't do anything too unpredictable. I enjoyed their relationship to one another, but at the same time I'm definitely getting bored of YA romance tropes.
As far as the story goes, it seemed simple enough to me that this could have been a self-contained book. But where's the money in that, right? So towards the end it just felt like it was being drawn out and added to purely so that there was the potential for more books in the series. I'm curious, but I don't think I'm invested enough to follow through with a sequel.
I did enjoy the concept of the Fated; how those fates can be ambiguous and whether going against them was an option. Plus the writing was easy enough and the story had enough action that I never got bored with it. So it was still decent enough.
I enjoyed it, but it just wasn't anything new enough to be outstanding. It's only fresh angle was the space setting and as mentioned it was just too much for me to properly get a grasp on it.
Not likely to look for a sequel, but this was still an entertaining read with low expectations. Not quite the redeeming story we were looking for, but still not a bad offering....more
Another completely pointless, bland book. Literary fiction will never stop being a mysterious puzzle to me.
Here's a book that goes into minute detail Another completely pointless, bland book. Literary fiction will never stop being a mysterious puzzle to me.
Here's a book that goes into minute detail about EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER'S. APPEARANCE. Learn about freckles, stretchmarks, tans, scars, shapes, sizes, sags, clothing, adornments, ETC. Wow. Sheer literary brilliance obviously. Forgive me for being the dullard that spent most of this book thinking, 'but what is the point??!'
There's also something about two kids, in a hospital for polio patients, who fall in love. Apparently. Considering how much detail went into describing how people look, there was very sparse detail of anything else, including any kind of meaningful story.
The kid, Frank, considers himself a poet (and of course at 13/14 everything he thinks, feels and believes is absolutely true and shall remain so even as he grows, because no one ever develops and grows from who they were as a child) so there are a few random lines thrown in here and there, but nothing ever really amounts from it? It's important to him, but it still doesn't seem like a particularly strong part of the story?
Also a strange not-affair with Frank's father which somehow relates to his feelings towards Australia, and his wife.
I think this book must be so steeped in metaphor that it completely forgets to tell an actual story. There's really just no reason to read it. There's a little insight into polio in the early 50s but even that is kind of limited.
Also, I'm still mad that the author inserted a throwaway line about boys reading Spider-Man comics when Spidey didn't hit the scene til a decade later. The devil is in the details, my friends.
So I guess if you like seeing all the characters vividly but having to untangle what they're actually doing, this will be a winner for you. There are some feels here about immigration, and isolation, and weird, twisted love, but it's too 'literary' for my tastes, I'm afraid.
I'd rather rot my braincells with things that are actually fun....more
It took me like, five attempts to read this book. How did I end up so hooked?!
The premise: Claudia has a baby on the way, and is reliOkay, you got me.
It took me like, five attempts to read this book. How did I end up so hooked?!
The premise: Claudia has a baby on the way, and is relieved to have new nanny Zoe there to help her out. Only, there's something ... strange ... about Zoe. Why is she snooping around Claudia's home, and why does she stare so longingly at Claudia's pregnant belly?
This is another book I bought years ago but never got around to. I do like a good thriller but this one being so baby-centric kinda put me off. I'm not really entertained reading all about motherhood, so I wasn't quite sure how much I was going to enjoy this.
I think it shows the strength of this book, though, to admit I was extra-critical while reading and yet still found myself hooked and almost unable to stop from about the halfway mark. I was still a little uninterested in the detective's home life but the secret tension between Claudia and Zoe had me hooked. I knew everything wasn't what it seemed, but I didn't see the big hits coming at all.
This really took me by surprise. The twists were unpredictable and I was so satisfied at being completely oblivious to the truth of things. The final confrontation was fantastic, and this was one of those rare books that had an ending that lived up to the suspense of the book.
This is a truly excellent thriller. Once again, I put a book off for longer than it deserved.
Highly recommend for lovers of crime and thrillers, even if you're not into the motherhood side of things. This was a fantastic, addictive read....more
A sweet novel, though with a disturbing amount of misbehaving and cliches.
We start in the late 70s with Grace's daughter, Trixie, falling in love for A sweet novel, though with a disturbing amount of misbehaving and cliches.
We start in the late 70s with Grace's daughter, Trixie, falling in love for the first time. It allows Grace to reminisce about her first love, in 1938. The two timelines work together well to reveal Grace's past slowly and keep it relevant to the present.
It was a lovely story about love, family and relationships, but it's also a bit of a tired cliche to put the poor worker with the rich aristocrat and moan about duty and class. I enjoyed the interactions between Grace and Rufus, but I wanted more depth.
It's a little concerning to be persuaded to root for infidelity - it didn't quite sit right with me and its a big reason I couldn't give more stars. I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but there were some really questionable choices made, and I think maybe there just wasn't enough depth to justify it all.
With mention of the war about two thirds of the way through I was a bit concerned, but thankfully the setting of the story stayed blissfully detached so I was grateful for that.
Overall, an okay story with a sweet take on love. Some questionable, cliche moments, but a nice light-hearted read to kill a bit of time....more
My favourite part of this book is how it skips the boring bits and goes straight into the action. Sometimes it skips importanOoooh good yes very good!
My favourite part of this book is how it skips the boring bits and goes straight into the action. Sometimes it skips important scenes in favour of talking about the aftermath and I appreciated that, too. I guess I just really love what the author chose to keep and chose to evict.
We have three main protagonists, but the main chunk of the story follows Arlen. Only 11 at the beginning of the story, he shows us the plague of demons that haunt this world and how wards are the only defence against them. The people are ruled by fear, and Arlen learns very quickly that he's not really a fan of that.
There's also Leesha and, later, Rojar. Each has their own story to tell.
I found the story quite fascinating. At first I thought I would be bored if it was just the same kinda thing again and again but somehow it kept my interest and I became so invested. I felt a lot of feelings, and I really loved the characters. Arlen has some real growth and I enjoyed reading about it.
I wanted a little more wilderness adventure, I think, but I can see that wouldn't have really fit the story. I wanted a bigger world, I suppose, but this small one was excellently done so I can't complain about that.
I'm super curious to know more about the demons, and learn more about this world in general. I want epic-ness to start creeping in, I think. Like, this was a fantastic origin story but I'm ready for things to take off and the stakes to get higher. BRING IT ON.
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