Review: Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

My Rating:


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

The concept of Hex really appealed to me but I found the book to be rather disappointing. I was expecting it to be a lot scarier and creepier than it was. Don't get me wrong, it had it's creepy moments but over all there was something lacking.

The main characters were well written and the pacing was consistent and held my attention. The writing style created a nice dark atmosphere, especially the forest scenes which were extremely visual and atmospheric. For a huge chunk of the book I was thoroughly enjoying it but as it got closer to the conclusion I found myself drawn out of the story and questioning the characters actions.

I'm still not exactly clear on the circumstances surrounding the witch herself. I feel like there wasn't enough background given, no in depth scene for me to look back on that would explain why she kept retracing the steps that she was taking. I know what happened to her but I couldn't visualise it or relate to her experience in any way and link it to her current actions. There was no narrative or inner thoughts or experiences from her perspective and this created a feeling of disconnect.

For the most part I did enjoy the book but in my opinion it went a bit off the rails at the end. There was the potential there for it to be brilliant, and at times it was, but the conclusion was disappointing after such a suspenseful read.




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Review: The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull

The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull

My Rating:


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

I find myself conflicted on whether to rate The Hawkweed Prophecy with 3 stars or with 4.

The writing style was good, the storyline and pacing consistent and the characters appealing but the introduction of Leo is where I felt the book went awry.

Bringing the character Leo into the mix really wasn't necessary, I don't feel that he added anything positive to the story. The relationship between Poppy and Ember was unique enough to work on it's own and in my opinion their storyline suffered at the expense of Leo's character. I found the connection between the two girls to be lacking and would have much preferred that the time spent introducing Leo to the story was instead invested in expanding and exploring the growing relationship between Poppy and Ember and creating a more in depth and emotional bond between their characters. My enjoyment of the book would have improved significantly had this been the case.

Aside from the above, the plot was interesting and the writing style was enjoyable and a pleasure to read. The whole coven and witchcraft aspect was done well and was in large what stood out the most for me.




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Review: The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

My Rating:

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

The plight of the characters in The Bone Sparrow is one that we all should be aware of as it's currently happening in refugee camps right now. It's a shocking, heartbreaking and sad story, made all the more frightening because it's a reality for far too many people.

The Bone Sparrow draws you into the lives of two young characters and their families, one living outside the fence of the refugee camp and one inside, who find each other and strike up a friendship. As the story progresses the violent and inhumane treatment of refugees is at the forefront and it's disturbing reading. But, as disturbing as the storyline is, it's also beautiful. The friendship between the two characters offers hope and an escape from reality for them both.

As the author points out in the afterword, this is really happening. These poor people are suffering and being treated worse than animals. It's not right. We need to step up. More needs to be done to help these poor souls.

There but for the grace of God, go I.




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Review: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

My Rating:


I received a free copy of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel from the publisher in return for an honest review.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things was an uncomfortable read. I want to say it was uncomfortable in a good way but because of the controversial story line it feels wrong to even say that. It's also a very hard book to write a review for without ruining a lot of the storyline for those who haven't yet read it.

The story brought out all sorts of conflicting emotions and at times I found myself thinking that it was wrong of me to be getting so much enjoyment from it. The relationship between Wavy and Kellen is sad, compelling and disturbing. If you were to stumble upon this happening in real life you would be outraged. It's wrong on so many levels. But, experiencing their story, seeing their relationship through their eyes, you begin to view it differently. All of sudden it doesn't feel so outrageous and then you realise that you feel this way and have a WTF moment and find yourself feeling disgusted and uncomfortable with where your thoughts and feelings have taken you.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is a book that not everyone is going to be comfortable reading. It's a book that had me questioning myself, my feelings and my emotions. On finishing it I wasn't sure how I felt. I enjoyed it but at the same time my mind was all over the place trying to analyse what I was feeling and why it left me feeling so conflicted. It's controversial, it's uncomfortable, it's shocking, it's raw and it's a very powerful and emotional read that will take you out of your comfort zone but it's because of this that I enjoyed it so much. Not many books can create this kind of reaction.

Highly recommended!



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Review: Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan

Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan

My Rating:


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

I found Dear Amy to be lacking in many ways. While the concept really appealed to me it failed to hold my attention. I kept finding myself drawn out of the story as certain reactions and situations just seemed too far fetched and implausible and I was unable to suspend belief enough to enjoy the book completely.

There wasn't the mystery, suspense or thrills I would have expected, if anything I found the twists to be rather predictable and I knew pretty much right away where the story was going from the get go.

Everything revolves around Margot, which is understandable she's the main character, but other characters suffered because of this. A girl is missing but  it feels like everything is Margot this and Margot that. All the events surrounding Margot felt superficial compared to the plight of the young girl being held against her will. There was a huge missed opportunity to really ramp up the tension, more focus was needed on the missing girl to really push the fear of her situation to the reader. It felt like she was forgotten for most of the book.

Despite the fact that I found it to be lacking I did enjoy the writing style and it was an OK read but not one I would recommend. It started out well but it failed to reach my expectations.



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Review: Resthaven by Erik Therme

Resthaven by Erik Therme

My Rating:

I received a free copy of Resthaven from the author in return for an honest review.

Resthaven was a little slow to begin with but once the pace picked up it improved greatly. There was always something happening or something right around the corner ready to jump out. The suspense and tension built up nicely throughout the story and is largely what made this an enjoyable read. The setting gave off a really creepy atmosphere and created a feeling of foreboding and apprehension that you just knew wasn't going to end well for everyone involved.

Where I feel the story lacked was with the characters and the conclusion. There wasn't much about the characters that appealed to me, they all felt too similar to each other. Each characters background was more or less the same and I think the whole my parents are dead thing was over used. The conclusion felt a little rushed. After the tension and the big final event, where things are being put back together, it didn't feel complete. I would have liked to have had a little more detail to round the whole story off a bit better.

All in all Resthaven was a pretty decent read but in my opinion it came across a little too juvenile for todays standard of young adult reads.




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Review: The Shadow Of All Things by Allen Houston

The Shadow Of All Things by Allen Houston


 My Rating:


I received a free copy of The Shadow Of All Things from the author in return for an honest review.

Having previously read The Nightfall Gardens trilogy by Allen Houston and enjoyed them immensely, I was really keen to read his new release. The Nightfall trilogy, being dark fantasy, fit nicely into the fantasy genre but this new one is a bit different. The Shadow Of All Things is a mix of fantasy, urban fantasy and sci fi but at the same time is set in the real world as we know it.

The opening chapter drew me in right away. You won't find that slow drawn out character introduction and world building that you come across all too often in fantasy here. Instead the reader is thrown right into the action from the very start and it's consistent throughout the whole book. There's always something happening and the characters on both sides, good and evil, are well written.

The characters cross into multiple parallel universes that really capture the imagination. The characters in these universes feel very Alice in wonderland: strangely dressed, quirky, creepy but also larger than life in terms of appearance. Although these characters were predominantly on the evil side, and as a reader we hate to like the bad guys, I have to say that these characters really appealed to me. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions and the visuals the writing created in my mind.

I have to say though that I much preferred The Nightfall trilogy over this one but that's more of a personal preference thing as dark fantasy is something I enjoy more than urban fantasy. It was still a 4 star read though and definitely one I would recommend. It was unique and fun and I'm looking forwards to the next instalment.




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