Review: The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter


My Rating:


I would like to thank HarperCollins UK for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

I have yet to pick up one of Karin Slaughter's books and be disappointed. The Good Daughter had me completely engrossed from start to end. There are so many fascinating layers to the plot, there's always something going on and the pages couldn't turn fast enough. Every time I thought I had all the information, another layer was revealed and it got better and better with every page turn.

The characters were complex and well developed, they were living, breathing, real people and I was right there with them throughout. I shared their pain, their fear, their anger, and their sadness. I can honestly say that I loved everything about this one.

Definitely one I would recommend.


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Review: Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

My Rating:


I've been a fan of Kathy Reichs for years and have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Temperance Brennan series so I was looking forward to Two Nights. Even more so when I learned that it was a stand alone, but I have to say, I was a bit disappointed.

I didn't particularly enjoy it, it held my attention enough that I finished it but I couldn't connect with the main character, or any of the other characters. They didn't feel real, they were just names on the page and not very likeable at all. The only thing that kept me reading was the plot. I wanted to know how it played out, but even then it was more out of curiosity than need.

Not one I would recommend.



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Review: A Life Removed by Jason Parent

A Life Removed by Jason Parent

My Rating:

Detectives Bruce Marklin and Jocelyn Beaudette have put plenty of criminals behind bars. But a new terror is stalking their city. The killer’s violent crimes are ritualistic but seemingly indiscriminate. As the death toll rises, the detectives must track a murderer without motive. The next kill could be anyone… maybe even one of their own.

Officer Aaron Pimental sees no hope for himself or humanity. His girlfriend is pulling away, and his best friend has found religion. When Aaron is thrust into the heart of the investigation, he must choose who he will become, the hero or the villain.

If Aaron doesn’t decide soon, the choice will be made for him.

Yet another excellent book from Jason Parent. This was a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was engrossed from start to finish and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The characters are well written and fully fleshed out and there are plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. The descriptions were vivid and at times had me cringing but I couldn't look away from the page.

A Life Removed has a wee bit of everything that I enjoy: crime, thriller, police procedural, action, and horror, and there is plenty of each to please every reader. It never ceases to amaze me how well Jason Parent can meld different genres together and produce something that is a lot of fun to read rather than a hot mess.

The only mistake was mine... I picked it up late at night and ended up awake into the wee small hours because I kept having to read just one more page...

Definitely one I would recommend.




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Review: People of the Sun by Jason Parent

People of the Sun by Jason Parent

My Rating:


People of the Sun has everything I love to find in a book. It's a mix of horror, sci-fi, thriller, and dark fantasy, and it ticked all the boxes for me - I'm especially fussy when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy too, so they are not boxes that are easily ticked! It really has something for every reader within its pages. Seriously, is there anything this guy can't put his pen to?

I was totally captivated by the characters, completely immersed in their world, their experiences and their emotions. The world around me ceased to exist while I had the book in my hands. I enjoyed watching the characters grow and change throughout the story. Seeing them become more human and relatable, both for the better and for the worse.

People of the Sun explores what it is to be human, it delves into the good, and the bad, and the effect they have on those around us. It's a sad poignant tale, but at the same time it's tension filled and has plenty of action. I was sad to see the story come to an end. I tried to draw it out. I didn't want to say goodbye. I wanted to savour it and stay with the characters longer, but I failed miserably and ended up reading it in one sitting. I really hope there is more to this story in the future especially after that ending, it killed me.

Highly recommended!



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People of the Sun, Synopsis

• Print Length: 327 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Sinister Grin Press (March 15, 2017)
• Publication Date: March 15, 2017

All life comes from the sun. Sometimes, death comes with it.

Filled with hope and driven by fear, four would-be heroes are driven from their home planet in a desperate bid to save their civilisation from extinction. But survival takes on a whole new meaning when a malfunction sends their ship plummeting toward Earth.

Surviving the crash is only the first obstacle on their path to salvation. The marooned aliens soon discover that Earth’s beautiful exterior masks an ugly foundation, a place inhabited by a warrior race that’s on a path toward self-destruction.

Brimming with action and intrigue, People of the Sun is sure to entice fans of dark fantasy and sci-fi thrillers such as Watchmen and I Am Number Four. 

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Jason Parent, Biography

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. Formerly from the Southeastern Massachusetts region, he recently moved to Rhode Island to be near his work. 

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it's harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he's back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that's another story.

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 Praise for People of the Sun

"Jason Parent has penned a thought-provoking, gripping sci-fi thriller. This isn't your grandma's alien invasion. My own world stopped the moment I stepped into People of the Sun. Lovers of science fiction, horror and even super heroes will revel in this roller-coaster of a tale. A true must-read!" -Hunter Shea, author of We Are Always Watching and The Jersey Devil

“With his own indelible blend of tension and dark humour, Jason Parent’s latest page-turner reminds me of what you’d get if you crossed Isaac Asimov with Kurt Vonnegut. In addition to being fast-paced and wildly entertaining, Parent’s novel also offers the occasional flash of insight into the human (and not-so-human) condition, and displays Parent’s talent for turning a given genre on its head.” -Michael Meyerhofer, author of The Dragonkin Trilogy

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Media, information and review copy provided as part of the Hook of a Book blog tour by Erin Al-Mehairi from Hook of a Book Media & Publicity.

If you’re a book blogger or media site and would like to feature Jason Parent or review People of the Sun, contact Erin Al-Mehairi, publicist, at hookofabook@hotmail.com. 

Follow along the tour with these hashtags: 

 #PeopleoftheSun #SciFi #DarkFantasy #aliens
#SinisterGrinPress

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Review: The Doll Funeral by Kate Hamer

The Doll Funeral by Kate Hamer


My Rating:


I would like to thank Faber & Faber for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

The Doll Funeral is a DNF for me. I tried to stick with it, but even at 45% I'm still not getting into it. I'm reading for reading sake and I find myself hesitant to pick it up. When I do pick it up I realise that I have forgotten much of what I've previously read.

I had a feeling right from the start that this wasn't going to be the book for me. The opening scene, where the parents reveal to the MC that she's adopted, immediately put me off. It was absurd. It was insensitive and rushed, there was no feeling, no loving conversation, no understanding. They just throw it at her over the kitchen table, before she's even completely in the room, before she's even sat down, totally out of the blue and using the most ridiculous and unnatural dialogue. I was tempted to put the book down right there and then.

The writing style felt choppy and confusing at times, and too flowery at others. The dialogue wasn't natural, there was no flow to the conversation and it was unbelievable. The characters didn't come across as realistic. The younger characters within the storyline read much younger than they were. The main character is 13 but her voice was that of a much younger child.

I hate to leave a review for a book without finding something positive within its pages, but I'm really struggling to think of any as I have forgotten most of what I have read. Thank goodness I kept notes but I only kept notes of the problems I had with the book. It's a shame, the premise really intrigued me but the way it was executed just wasn't for me.

Not one I would recommend.


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Review: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins

The Blood Gospel by James Rollins
 
My Rating:

As part of the TBR Canine Jar Challenge, The Blood Gospel was chosen by Mae. I have to say, she did pretty well with this choice. Much better than her previous choice.

 For the most part, I enjoyed The Blood Gospel and flew through in no time. Sure it wasn't completely original, but it was different enough that I read it in two sittings. It's pretty fast paced, the whole story takes place over a few days and a lot happens in those few days.

The one thing that ruined it for me was the romance. It didn't need the romance and it certainly didn't need a love triangle. I do wonder sometimes why romance is thrown into books like this. I purposely look for books without romance. Why ruin a perfectly decent thriller? Is it to appeal to female readers? You do realise not every female likes to read romance right? This female found it completely unappealing, unbelievable, and out of place. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but in a situation like the characters found themselves in, the last thing that would be on my mind and the last thing I want to read about is constant inner thoughts about how a man's lips look, how their hair glints in the sunlight, how blue their eyes are, how the heat radiates off their skin, the list could go on and on... They were fighting their attraction at every step while evading the enemy, surrounded by chaos, wounded, in pain, and exhausted. It's ridiculous. It was extremely cringy and unbelievable and it certainly lowers my rating quite a bit.

That being said, I do plan on reading the next in the series because, aside from the romance, the main plot was enjoyable and I want to know what's to come. I just hope the romance is a lot less eye roll and gag worthy in the next instalment.



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Review: Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

My Rating:


I would like to thank Penguin UK for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

I enjoyed Good Me, Bad Me at the time of reading, but I was left feeling a bit let down on finishing it. The premise was interesting enough to hold my attention at the time, but I guessed almost right from the start where the story was heading and found it rather predictable as a result.

I couldn't connect to the characters, they didn't have enough depth to make them feel real and there were too many different elements to the storyline. I think it would have enjoyed it more had they been narrowed down and more depth and detail invested in the few rather than skimming the surface of many. I wasn't able to get into the headspace of the main character because there was so much going on around her, her character lacked the complexity and detail needed to portray her situation.

That being said, it wasn't a bad read. The premise was a good one and it was an easy, quick read, but it was lacking the suspense, thrills and tension that I love to experience in a good psychological thriller, and was too predictable.

Not one I would recommend.




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Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

You by Caroline Kepnes

Review:

I'm rather late to the party with this one. I've been putting off reading it for a long time because of all the hype surrounding it. I try to avoid books that everyone raves about as I find that the bar gets set so high that I usually end up rather disappointed in the end, but I have finally bitten the bullet and decided it was time to give it a read.

Was I disappointed? I would have to say yes, and no. I'm honestly not sure how to describe my feelings for this one. The writing style really drew me into the story. The way the author pulled me into the complex and twisted mind of Joe, who was obviously off his trolley, but still managed to make him relatable, and dare I say it likeable, was extremely well done. Being inside Joe's head was disturbing and creepy, yet I found myself liking him despite his actions.

I found Joe to be a very believable character for the most part, however I struggled with the reality of his actions at times. I can understand how many of the smaller things didn't draw attention or suspicion, but the way he managed to get away with some of the more serious events without setting off any alarm bells just didn't sit right with me. I would have liked to have seen him questioned in regards to some of the more serious events that he carried out. Not necessarily changing the storyline, but just to add another layer of interest and tension. It would have been really interesting to see how he would cope with the suspicion and how he would continue without drawing more attention to himself, but at the same time have the story continue along the same path that it did.

I did enjoy it and I would recommend it, but I do feel that it was drawn out and slow paced in places.


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