Review: Altar of Reality

 Altar of Reality by Mara Valderran

 My Rating: 3 of 5 stars.



 I received a free copy of Altar of Reality from the publisher in return for an honest review.

When Madeline suffers her first grand mal seizure she wakes up to find herself in an alternate reality surrounded by strangers with familiar faces. Madeline has no memory of anything that's happened in this new reality, chaos surrounds her and her life is in danger. Is it a dream? Which reality does she belong to, can she solve what's happening and get home to the where she belongs?

I liked Altar of Reality enough to finish it and it held my attention for the most part,  but I found a few things really started to niggle me. The romance in the book was frustrating. I understand they are just teenagers but I wanted to give Madeline a kick up the backside and have her see some sense. I'm not a fan of love triangles and because of the alternate realities there was kind of two going on in this one.

The characters were OK, I preferred the ones in the alternate reality a lot more as they seemed to have more substance and sense than the originals. The characters in the original world just seemed to irritate me when it came to choices and consequences.

The plot was slightly different from other books because of the way that Madeline switched between realities, but I don't feel it stood out any more than the others I have read. To be honest, it's less than a week since I finished the book and if I didn't have my notes to remind me, I would be struggling to even remember the story in order to type this review.

One thing I really hate is cliffhangers and there's a huge cliffhanger at the end of this one. I get that it's a series but there is no resolution to the end of this book at all, it just leaves you hanging waiting for the next book and that really puts me off when it comes to reading a series.


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Review: The Cat's Maw

  The Cat's Maw by Brooke Burgess

  My Rating: 4 of 5 stars. 




I received a free copy of The Cat's Maw from the publisher in return for an honest review.

"The mountaintop exploded, sending plumes of stone and fire hurtling into the air. The clouds themselves fell, as if wounded by the burst, striking the horizon. They splashed and rolled and swept down the highway in a black, colossal wave."

Billy is accident prone, he's always getting hurt or into trouble. While out playing he follows a stray cat onto the road and is hit by car. Stuck inside after the accident his summer is ruined, till one day the stray cat turns up at his home. But this is no ordinary cat. Billy starts to have strange dreams now the cat has appeared, he learns through dreams that he's cursed and that in order to lift the curse he has to find a key. Who is this large feline in his dreams, and is the cat really here to help him? Can he find the key and lift the curse before all is lost?

Cats! Cats everywhere! Big ones, small ones, fat ones, thin ones, old ones, young ones, every kind of cat you can imagine, you'll find them in this story. The Cat's Maw will take you on an adventure. It's entertaining and full of imagination and vivid detail. The characters are well fleshed out, they're not all perfect, they're human, realistic and have flaws. The story is beautifully written, I found myself wanting to highlight so many wonderfully written passages while reading.

Although it's a childrens book, it's one that all ages will enjoy. It's quite dark in places but it's a lot of fun to read and one that cat lovers will enjoy especially.


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Review: Fifteen

 

  Fifteen by Jen Estes

  My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

I received a free copy of Fifteen from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Each night when 15 year old Ash falls asleep she is thrown 15 years into her future and witnesses her own execution. But one night her dream changes, rather than being a spectator, she finds herself inhabiting the body of her future self. Why is this happening? Who or what are the awful creatures she encounters in the future that have taken over her town and are intent on killing her? How can she prevent it from happening and save the town and herself?

I found this YA read refreshing, there was no angst at all in the story, huge plus for me! There was some nice twists and turns throughout the plot. I particularly liked how the story linked into the legends and helped to unravel what was going on.

I enjoyed the character of Ash, she was strong, sassy and not labelled as the pretty one that all the boys were after. The characters were well rounded and the plot moved at a nice pace. The writing style held my attention from start to finish and I enjoyed the book a great deal. I would have liked to have known more about why Ash was what she was, but perhaps that will come in books to follow. Although this is book one in a series, the book finishes well while still leaving lots of room for more to come story wise. And no cliffhanger, another plus.

I liked how the dreamwalking and time travel worked, it wasn't overly complicated and I liked how Ash's character approached each hurdle and the way each future altered. I'm looking forwards to the next book in the series and seeing where the story goes next.
 
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Review: See You in Hell

    See You in Hell by David Thome

    My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars.





I received a free copy of See You in Hell in return for an honest review.

Lucinda is a hard boss to work for, she's heartless and expects 100% from everyone, 100% of the time. But times are tough and Lucinda's company isn't making the profit she desires, lay-offs are being made and a disgruntled employee turns on Lucinda. Picture if you will, a man with a gun and nothing to lose, a woman who thinks she has complete control, and you have Hell, literally. You've heard I'm sure, that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Lucinda is furious and upon her arrival in Hell, decides that she is going to be the one in control.

See You in Hell is full of satire, punchy one liners, tongue in cheek humour and was a fun read. Lucinda is a bit of a bitch but she grows on you and you have to admire her wit. I enjoyed the way that the author approached the whole religion and heaven and hell aspect of the story. It's a serious subject for most and it was a refreshing take on it. The story is narrated in the voice of Satan and he was a lot of fun. He was witty, smart and charming, I liked him, don't judge me!

The ending was a bit predictable but it was an interesting and fun read, one that I would recommend.

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Review: The Haunted Halls

The Haunted Halls by Glenn Rolfe

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




I received a free copy of The Haunted Halls in return for an honest review.

The Haunted Halls is Glenn Rolfe's debut novel and as his first book it's a pretty decent read. I have read more recent works from this author, and although I enjoyed this one, I have to say that I feel his newer books are better in regards to character building.

There were a few instances throughout the book where the words didn't feel right or the tense was off but it didn't spoil the book at all. I did have a bit of a problem at first with the amount of characters, they didn't stand out as individuals. I couldn't build a picture of them in my mind in order to make them more substantial than just a name on the page and as a result I struggled to remember who was who in the beginning.

The story is told from multiple POVs and it moves along at a really nice pace, there's always something happening. I would have preferred a little more time on each character and their own events before jumping to another POV. But I also think that because there wasn't as much time spent on each before moving on, that it kept me turning the pages to get to the continued story of the characters that I was enjoying the most.

I don't think I'll be visiting The Bruton Inn any time soon. Or ever!

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Review: Advent

Advent by James Treadwell

My rating: 1 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Advent through a First Reads giveaway.

I was really looking forwards to reading Advent but in the end I felt rather disappointed. The story started off well but I quickly lost interest and found myself getting bored. There was an awful lot crammed into the book that honestly I felt would have been better left out.

The pacing is really slow and I found myself skimming a lot as there was nothing happening. The book is beautifully written but it's over written and overly descriptive. There was pages and pages used to describe events and things that really were not important to the story.

It felt like I was always waiting for something to happen and constantly checking my reading progress to see if I was actually getting anywhere with the book.

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Review: Never Smile at Strangers

Never Smile at Strangers by Jennifer Jaynes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Never Smile at Strangers from the publisher in return for an honest review.

19 year old Tiffany is missing, during the investigation into her disappearance other members of the small rural town of Grand Trespass start to go missing too. What happened to them? Are they hurt? Missing? Dead? Or have they just left town? Who is responsible? Who can you trust?

Never Smile at Strangers was a middle of the road read for me. There were things that I liked and things that I found frustrating and annoying. I initially had a hard time following who was who and keeping their stories straight. The characters felt one dimensional, there was no visual picture of them built in my mind to make them stand out from each other. This was made worse by the fact that there was so many characters thrown into the story almost right from the start. I found that I was having to pause and remind myself of who was who each time the story jumped back and forth between them. The dialogue was confusing at times too. For most of the book I struggled with the ages of a lot of the characters due to the fact that their dialogue went from being childish to grown up and back again.

The whole book has a rather dark and depressing vibe. I understand that a lot of that was because of what was happening in the town but every character was depressed, down, dysfunctional or dealing with a death in some way.

Another thing that I noticed, which is not really a big problem but it stood out, was that the characters were either drinking, lighting up a cigarette or both, a lot. I don't normally notice this while reading but it stood out in this book because everyone was doing it all the time.

The story takes place in Louisiana bayou, which I believe is hot and humid, yet there was a lot of mentioning of how dry and dusty things were which felt off. I also found the over use of weather metaphors extremely annoying, it felt like they were popping up all over the place and were used to describe so many different things.

Despite the above, I did want to keep reading. The author held my attention and I enjoyed how the killers story was told throughout the book without them being revealed. I did work out who it was just before half way through the book though.


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Review: Trailer

Trailer by Edward Lorn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




A quick, fun and creepy read. I really liked the cold atmosphere of this one and how you're thrown immediately into the deep end. I'm not a huge fan of short stories but this author hits the mark with his shorts every time.

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Review: Trash: An Innocent Girl. A Shocking Story of Squalor and Neglect.

Trash: An Innocent Girl. A Shocking Story of Squalor and Neglect. by Britney Fuller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Trash from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Trash tells the heartbreaking and graphic tale of how life with a hoarder effects a family. The cramped, disgusting, unhealthy conditions and the emotional and physical repercussions it has on a child both within and without the home.

This is the shocking reality for some. Children and families forced to live in conditions that are awful and out-with their own control. Conditions that they've grow up in, all the while not understanding that it's not normal. Conditions that when they are old enough to realise not everyone lives this way, they find themselves ashamed to admit what's going on. They have no power or stability of their own to improve the situation. Too ashamed to reach out to others and ask for help, like it's somehow their fault.

I can't say I enjoyed reading this, who would? It's shocking. It's heartbreaking and yet I read on. While many of us live happily in our nice houses, with warm clean clothes, and food on our table, the reality is that many don't have what we take for granted each day. It is a fascinating read however, it's well written and allows you to see into a situation that although you know it's reality for some, you truly don't understand how it really affects someone or how they could end up living this way. It gives insight into the thoughts and emotions of those who find themselves living with hoarding and shows how it's not simple or easy to get out or to ask for help.

It's a very personal story to share with the world. The author's voice pulls you into her world and has you immediately caring and sympathising with her, wanting to reach out and help in some way. It's not an easy read, it will have you cringing, angry, sad and probably give you the urge to clean your house, but it will also make you appreciate and be more grateful for what you have in life.


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Review: The Mussorgsky Riddle

The Mussorgsky Riddle by Darin Kennedy

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The Mussorgsky Riddle from the publisher in return for an honest review.

"After five years of psychology studies, not to mention my fair share of extracurricular research, I've read multiple papers detailing what happens if you die in your own dreams. Now, for the first time in thirty-one years, I entertain a different question.

What happens if you die in someone else's?"

Anthony Faircloth hasn't spoken in a month, he sinks deeper into a coma every day. Desperate for help his mother contacts Mira Tejedor, a psychic with unique abilities. On meeting Anthony, Mira discovers his psyche shattered into the various movements of Modest Mussorgsky’s classical music suite Pictures at an Exhibition, his mind a musical labyrinth inhabited by creatures of myth and folklore. Mira must contend with gnomes, troubadours, and witches as she navigates through the labyrinth to try and solve the puzzle of Anthony's coma and bring him home.

I must admit, I was very curious to see how the author could write a story set around classical music in this way. I didn't know what to expect and I wasn't sure if I would be able to relate to the music side of the story. I was hooked almost immediately, I didn't want it to finish. It was unique, imaginative, enchanting and very clever. It was also educational. I found myself looking up the music, the paintings and the myths and lore from the story.

Everything about The Mussorgsky Riddle was so well done. The plot, the characters, the pacing and the dialogue, was perfect. The story is imaginative and written in a way that is so vivid, gripping and colourful, the world and characters just explode out of the pages. I really couldn't find anything negative about it at all. The only thing that I would add, would be a playlist of the musical sections that each chapter is set around, but that's asking a bit much.

I really hope to see more of Mira in future, I would love to read more of her story.

Highly recommended!


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Review: Time

Time by Andrew Lennon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




Time was a decent wee story, apart from the odd little niggle style wise I enjoyed it.

There was two blank pages between the chapters which tricked me into believing it had finished. I initially thought, before realising there was more, that it ended at chapter one and I really liked the ending. Don't get me wrong, I liked it with the extra chapters too, and it was still a good read, but if I was to choose between the shorter version and the longer version, I would choose the shorter one as I feel it could stand on it's own as a really nice strong short.

3.5 rounded up to 4

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Review: Second Life

Second Life by S.J. Watson

My rating: 1 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Second Life from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Having previously read and enjoyed the authors debut novel, Before I Go to Sleep, I was looking forwards to his new one and anticipating another great read. I have to say I was really disappointed.

The story starts off slow and stays that way for around 70% of the book. The whole time I was reading I felt like I was waiting for something to happen. I was honestly getting really fed up of the I'm such a neglected housewife routine and the decisions the character was making.

Julia has a good life, granted she's just lost her sister, but she has a loving and supportive husband, son and friends. I really struggle to see why things took the turn they did. I can't for the life of me understand why she was so easily taken in and made the choices she did.

For all this to have steam-rolled from the loss of her sister and her desire to find out what happened, I'm not buying it. How on earth can it jump from her looking into what happened, to all this needing to feel desired, beautiful and wanted stuff. Sure she was grieving, but given her situation and the love and support she had, I can't see it.

The story does however show the dangers that can be found online. You never really know who you are talking to and shows how easy it is to be drawn into a situation and quickly lose control. At the same time, a lot of the decisions and choices that Julia made in regards to this just didn't seem real or very smart, I found her character to be rather frustrating at times.

The ending, what? How does that even work? Where on earth did that twist even come from? There wasn't enough to that part of the story to justify that result, no suspicion planted, no hints given. There was no how the heck did I miss that moment that comes from not picking up on the clues, there were no clues.

Honestly it would have worked better to have gone with what Julia herself suspected near the end, there was something that happened earlier in the story, between Julia and this person, that makes it all the more impossible for me to believe that all this fell below Julia's radar. It basically blows the whole plot right out of the water.

Add to that the abrupt way the story ended, it felt like the past chapter was missing. I was hoping the last 30% and the ending would save the book for me, it didn't.


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