Karol
Oh man... Were to begin...
So this was a fun read. Twisty and fast paced. All the while though, since you see everything from the MC head, you're just thinking... Girl.. For real?? I mean half of what happens in this book is a product of her sheer stupidity and we get to follow that thought process...i mean man... Her inner monologue as she gets to one dumb conclusion after the other... You're screaming at her NOOO! I mean she asks you, right? And you're like nope, absolutely not. I mean, how she has survived this long... Still, the crazy plot works because of her musings... So yea, fun ride, twisty turny scream at the MC sort of fun.
I wanted to really like this, as a quick read, romance and a bit of intrigue, but I was sort of disappointed.
The premise in its own right, was a bit of a stretch. I don't see how she would be a reliable witness whether or not people told her things, she still experienced memory loss and that can be fought in court.
The character of Brie. Well. Didn't love her. It's the sort of MC in which the world revolves and yet she lets life happen around her, her decisions were not the sharpests nor were her reactions to a very difficult situation for everyone, not just her, and she seemed unable to understand others point of view sometimes.
The character of Spencer, well, he was slightly better. The book did pick up from his POV, save for the fact that he seemed obsessed with how much she loves Brie, couldn't breathe without her to a point where it got a little intense.
The friends were the best part of the book. Brie did not deserve them really.
The ending... Well... It depended on Brie being silly, the intrigue being predictable and easily resolved, and an epilogue that streched a bit much.
I enjoyed the love story from Spencer's perspective for the most part and the friendships, so overall 3/5.
This was a great ride! Sci-fi that felt very real and frightingly plausible. The science (at least for a nerd) kept me impressed, in a way the martian's had me bored. The character of ryland was very relatable and likeable, and the audible narration was fantastic.
This was surprisingly sweet, with a friendship that was beyond touching. The plot was vert engaging, with the flashbacks providing fascinating details and character development.
The ending, although wrapped things up, was slightly mixed for me, on one hand, the emotional aspect and character growth was fulfilled, however the resolution of the plot wasn't as satisfactory for me as was the journey.
I recommend this book for those who like a relatable, likeable character, a lot of science and a plot that seems extremely plausible, and a tender story of how it's never too late to do the right thing.
4.5 stars
2.5 rounded up
Not the space opera I was hoping for. I went into this book because it was recommended as if you liked Dead Space.
You have an astronaut who was going to mars but had to turn back and sort of sacrifice a crew member because equipment failure. And that's fine, she was damaged after that and nasa sort of went off grid.
Now, there's an issue, discovered by a guy from an elon musk-like company, that nasa undertakes. And this Nasa guy decides that the astronaut who wanted to go to mars is the girl for the job. Well, nevermind her issues, or that the rest of the crew consists of the company guy, a biologist, and a militaty guy. What is this threat? Should we go and explore it?
That has a lot of potential for space shenanigans, people with poor training, great curiosity, issues and bad decisions. However, the issue with this book is that for the most part, nothing happens!
I had to skim through the second half just trying to get to a plot. And ok, you expect in a horror sci fi that characters make bad decisions, otherwise there would be little conflict (if they see danger and decide to turn back, end of the book). But this fellas man... This astronaut in particular... I can't even. And even with her doing nothing but putting herself and others in harms way, for a good chunk nothing even happens.
TW for body horror, but other than that, the story moves slowly and the resolution is way too convenient. Also, i don't want to spoil it, but i thought it left most of the problem potentially unresolved.
Overall, interesting premise, tough execution. I recommend it for people who like slow burn space operas, with a bit of body horror, lots of cuestionable choices and not a lot of science. And maybe if you connect with the characters a bit better, it would make for an easier read.
This was lovely!
This story was clearly written by someone with love for the source material. The characters are given a lot of care and are very reminiscent of their original counterparts.
It was a joy to be back in the company of these characters and the author takes their traits and exposes them to a murder investigation, during that time, with the limitations that entails.
We follow the Darcys, the Brandons, the Berthrams, the Wentworths, the knightlys. And juliett and jonathan darcy. And those two are magic!
It was refreshing, cozy, fun and nostalgic.
Now as far as mysteries go, the ending might not work for everyone, but to me, it was in tone with the rest of the book and it helped the wholesome feeling you get overall. Some of the ways in which the author unites these worlds and the connection to Mr Wickham was a bit off, especially in the Brandons i think. Still, these are small things. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone! But certainly to fans of the originals and for anyone who wants a big smile on their faces :).
Also the audiobook is fantastic!
3 1/2 stars
The good:
- creepy atmosphere
- the main character (although the typical everything is always my fault) tries to rationalize situations and follow certain logic (even if she makes bad choices)
- her growth
- not a terrible ending
The bad
- it's all my fault MC (mind you, at times it really is)
- ran a bit long
- side characters didn't get enough development
- the world building, supernatural, space aspects didn't get enough room to expand on.
Overall, this was a good space horror, one of those that convinces you we're probably better earthbound. There were the classic politics troupes, a touch of supernatural, a touch of OMG space can kill you in a thousand ways so why even go. A lot of oh whyyy would you do that, and yet, fun to watch it unfold. The ending wasn't awful, and really, it was a difficult story to satisfyingly end, so i won't blame them.
If you like space horror, event horizon sort of vibes, and don't mind a bit of pacing issues and underdevelopment, it should work for you. The main character is really traumatized, but knows it and although she makes stupid choices, does try to ammend them and by the end of it, she comes to accept herself and grows. I do think event horizon was better, but this does read like a movie.
Fascinating!
(rounded up from 4.5 stars)
This was a fascinating read. I heard the audio version and was really engaging. The documentary format is quite effective in audio format, with all the different voices describing their account of what happened.
To make an idea of what really may have happened by piecing together the different versions people describe of a single event is part of the journey. It was interesting to see the decay of the situation (even if the reasons why it happens are still a stretch), some characters we root for, some we don't, but they mostly feel very human. It had a few fun twists that came from some characters ideas to survive the situation, and a lot of maybe unnecessary but unnerving escalations for the same reason.
I take half a star because towards the end, the format changes when they interview the big bad, and i don't think it worked, felt the story drag from that. Also to choose the last interview to be the person they did took some momentum from the whole story. Still, it wasn't what I expected from a book that was free with the audible subscription. It was a really fun read overall!
I agree that this is a whydunit, albeit a slow and sort of murky one. The premise was interesting, but it wrapped the mistery about 30 percent into the book, mostly. The details remaining came from an unreliable narrator, in a disorderly and at times claustrophobic setting. I pushed through to find out the resolution of it all, and i have to say, without spoilers, it kinda disappointed. Made sense, but i wanted a different ending I guess. So overall not a bad thriller, the premise being interesting, the pacing i found difficult to follow, the atmosphere was good, the ending i didn't love.
It had potential. The past of both MCs was intriguing. But the plot... Well... Not so much.
We follow Bree, and she was a nice girl, who was instantly obsessed by Archer (enter hot misterious awkward guy). Her initial connection, with her father being mute is understandable, but she instantly took it to a 100. Her fixation was too much too fast.
Now Archer was interesting. He was like a child, and Bree kept mothering him and the interaction got weird that way. And also, kinda toxic in the sense of him not being able to breathe without her.
The townspeople were good supporting characters but we found out very little about them. Travis was a character I wanted to know more about but sadly didn't.
And, like I said, the plot. Huge chapter cliffhanger followed by swift resolution every time.
Overall, I liked that Archer was sweet and really tried to better himself in the end, that made the book enjoyable enough.
I received this ARC for an honest opinion
This was a fun ride! The setting is interesting, the pacing is good. However, the standout is the love story! This friends-to-lovers was intense, very slow burn, believable, very touching! I loved every minute of their relationship and it really carried the book. The last third actually, was a little more political intrigue and the resolution was a bit rushed. But overall, just to follow in their journey was fantastic. Would definitely recommend!
Fairytalesque...
I've hears this book called whimsycal, and I guess to a point it is, it certainly reads like a fairytale.
We follow Shiori, a kind of selfish and spoiled girl, sheltered by her six brothers, but overall good-natured. Through circumstances and her stepmother she and her brothers get cursed, she with a bowl on her face and unable to speak and they turn into cranes that die if she speaks.
There's a love interest that's über nice and can do no wrong, so not very layered, but ok. The twists and turns, and the character of the stepmother are interesting enough to keep yoi engaged. Unfortunately, we follow the story through Shiori's perspective and man if she's a debby downer. I mean I get it, the situation's pretty bad, but i listened to the audiobook and it was awful to follow this narrator and her the sky is falling musings. If you pick up this book, skip the audio version.
Story ** 1/2Narration *Characters **Romance **
Overall **
A little young adult, but highly entertaining!
So this was a sort of villanesque but I don't wanna be a villain though I am sort of story. Her musings were fun, her decisions sort of dumb and the whole ride really entertaining. Our MC is super naive, and often times is pushed to decisions by reacting instead of thinking. Still, she was easy to root for. Our love interest on the other hand... I'm in the fence about. I don't like the trope I want you and it's your fault and Violet suffered a great deal due to his ping ponging and nonsense. Still, he sort of got his comeuppance? So I guess it depends on how the story continues.
The magic system is not really explained yet, the politics are rather murky and the players are not yet fully established. Still, I think it has some promise overall. The main character makes this story fun and engaging and I will continue the series to see where it all lands.
I really wanted to like this.
As a christian, i haven't read a lot of christian literature and i really wanted to explore it, especially a romance. So i gave this book every chance.
However, my expectations might've been off. I expected a sweet romance, this was not! I could not in any way discernable find a reason for these two to be into each other, no chemistry, very very wooden heroine and suddenly the hero loved her?... They say they love each other in the middle of this mess they're in, and frankly, they spend two minutes together overall.
So to me, a romance book lives and dies on its romance and nope, i just didn't buy it.
Then we have the christian aspect, prayer, psalms. It felt superficial at best, i didn't feel the spiritual struggle that they were meaning to convey.
And then the plot. Predictable, which i didn't mind, but really, the mistery wasn't a mistery at all, the mustache turning bad guy's motivations were certainly over the top. The character of the cousin... Nevermind her mindset... Anyway, the plot didn't sell it for me either.
I don't think it was all bad. The psalms were nice to hear, and i guess it's nice to see a happy ending, it just doesn't feel very earned, nor do we get the character development i wanted, to really grasp why lucy meant so much to emilia and how graham fell for her at all. To me the best character was william.
If you like a bit of predictable mistery, a bit of forced romance and a good enough wrap up, then this is for you. The writting is good, I might still try the sequel, since it follows william.
This was a pleasant surprise for me! Got me out of a reading slump, this story, although the pacing could've been faster, and the magic system better developed, in truth was really engaging.
We follow three sisters (we're supposed to think they're really close, but when apart, being so different, is really hard to grasp) who were trained by her mother from birth to marry into kingdoms and destabilize them.
From there, we see them struggle with their training almost instantly, navigating their missions completely differently than what was planned, and al in all, the presence of the mother looming in everything they do, and their obvious need for her approval. The three perspectives were interesting, and although i expected the story not to turn to where it ended, it definitely left me waiting for the sequel.
Premise 5Pacing 3
Character development 3 to 3 1/2World building 2 1/2 *Romance 3
Ending 2 1/2 *
Beautiful story, beautiful writting and great characters!
We follow Brishen a kai prince. The kai are an ancient race of warriors, very different in appearance and culture to humans. And Ildiko, a gaury woman, human, niece of the gaury king.
Even though both races find the other unappealing, and they can't produce heirs, the kingdoms of the kai and gaury arrange for them to marry. And so begins a beautiful friends-to-lovers story.
Not a lot happens in the book, other than the characters getting to know each other and their cultures, but their friendship is precious. I really loved this book and would highly recommend!
This was a fun ride!
We follow Alessandra, the second daughter of a vicount, i think. So she's determined to make her own way by seducing and killing the king. As these things go, it's not smooth sailing.
We follow her very slithering perspective and it's really entertaining finding out how she tackles every obstacle.
The romance is great, because it's not your typical dark and brooding character seduces a pure and do-gooder. Nope, these two are slitherings through and through.
Overall a fun and easy read with cool story, fun characters and a romance to weirdly root for.
He seemed to be trying to find reasons/excuses for his struggle in circumstances, very matter of factly, almost self-pitying.
Friendship?
Well, this is not your typical coming of age story. Not your typical best friend got me out of my shell story. Not your typical something strange is affecting the town. It's mostly all of these things. It's not easy to root for any of these characters really.
We have or MC, we don't know too much about him, just that he's quiet and bullied.
In comes Eli. We find out quickly what he is and how he survives, thanks to the introduction of our other sort of main character/tragic villain/monster of sorts. As to how he became that, we find out in a crazy disturbing fever dream. (check out TW). He is selfish, and survivalist, but affects profoundly our MC and is probably his first friend, same for him i guess.
We have other side characters in the townspeople and they ground the story away from the coming of age friendship/love story, showing the reality of what it takes to live in Eli's world.
Overall way better than the movies, certainly better than the latest one, that really changes Eli's background. The pacing is what you'd expect of this author: slow, episodic and fever dreams inserted here and there.
3.75 rounded to 4 stars
This is 3 stars for me, but amy harmon 3 stars which is still pretty good. The characters, well, if you read the author's note she took great care in making them historically accurate while also giving them the resolution an author may decide fits.
So the characters were good. Well crafted, and real for their time. Dani was good, a little too obsessed with putting things to right, but sure of herself and who she was. Malone was... More pessimistic than he should, and self sabotaging. Their love story was slow burn/insta love combined... Hard to explain, but i stand by it.
The mystery was a little slow for me, not too thrilling, although the character of eliot was very layered. The rest of the side characters felt a bit one note.
The resolution was good, hopeful, satisfying.
Overall? Not my favorite Amy Harmon, but then the bar is set very high there. 3 stars for me.
3.5 rounded up
So, people suck in the apocalypse. This, i think, is my first CJ Tudor book. I have to say the writting trully kept you going. Every chapter ends in a cliffhanger of sorts, sometimes a cheesy one, but no less effective.
We follow 3 MCs in 3 different situations related to the retreat, a place to stay safe/also be experimented on/isolated on/undisclosed others, in the middle of society colapse due to a virus (that's not super explained but can spread through absolutely anything).
The atmosphere is trully the MC here. This world, and while we don't get the full story, only what the characters let slip, is very interesting. And the weather. The weather is the worse, i mean this constant snow storms, it makes the tension neverending. Now the story, or stories interconnected were a bit predictable, and early on you can sort of see a bit of the reveals. Still, you can't seem to stop reading.
So, since it's a thriller of sorts, the ending matters right? Well not so much. It was fine. But i found the journey to be much more compelling.
This was a fast paced horror, with interesting moments and two timelines, I definitely found the past more interesting. Both leads make very questionable decisions but then you wouldn't have much of a story otherwise. Overall fun and easy read.
This is a second book in a series, so anyone reading this is familiar with sjm's writting and tropes. I'm usually completely against love triangles, especially having the main character switch sides. And yet.
This story picks up after the events of under the mountain and Feyre is dealing with some serious ptsd. And her relationship with Tamlin is tested. In this we can test the ‘happily ever after', the depth of their relationship and the testing goes poorly, to say the least. I've seen many criticize sjm's treatment of Tamlin's character but really, she just enhanced (to the max) the few traits we knew about him, and we really didn't know much aside from him being ‘a protector'. And Feyre, well, she's not all that perfect herself.
Then we have Rhys, who we get to know this book and his side of things since before under the mountain and there the book really got me. I ended up loving him in this book and even his relationship with Feyre and his side of this world.
So if you can put aside the sjm-isms, the drastic changes from the first book, and keep an open mind, you might enjoy this one more then acotar.