Book Review | Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. It was a real honour.

I'm going to preface this review by saying that Angela Marsons is one of my two favourite ever thriller authors. I love her writing style and find her plots to be both thrilling and engaging. So I may be a little bit biased in regards to this review, but I'm trying to be as objective as I can be ;)

The truth is, I thought this to be the weakest of her three Kim Stone novels. It took a different format to her other books, where we follow both the detective's perspective and the criminal's perspective, and I just don't gel with that sort of style really. That's purely personal preference. I love the "whodunnit" aspect of crime thrillers, and with that taken away I just didn't find it as thrilling as her other books. Regardless, this was still a solid novel and a good third in the series.

The plot was interesting and unique, and I really wanted to see the conclusion to it. I was interested in all of the family secrets, although some of them are really obvious. I wanted to see how they'd catch the bad guys, although it was a slower novel with less tension that her other novels because you could see both sides etc. There was less action, but it's nice to read a slower paced thriller novel for a change.

As usual, Marsons writes beautifully. Her sentences just flow together, and every single line has a point to it. There's nothing overly wordy and nothing is a "filler" sentence, every single word aids either the plot or the character development. She has a way with words that totally captivates you and makes it such an easy read. Even in this slower paced novel, I flew through it because of her writing style. Such an easy read.

Character development is, as usual, fantastic. Although in this novel there isn't as much as the previous two, and I believe that's because half of the book was taken up by the criminal's perspectives so there wasn't as much of the book to focus on the pivotal characters. However, it was nice to see a softer and more vulnerable side to Kim Stone. Stone is such a likeable character and you really do grow to feel for her, especially after the second book (which I won't spoil, but ohmigawdfeels). So it was lovely to be back with her and her team. I just wish we saw more of them.

Overall, although I didn't like the format and believed this to be her weakest novel to date, it was still strong and enjoyable and I look forward to the next one. 4/5 stars.

This item comes out on November the 6th.

* This book was sent to me for free through the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review | Broken Dolls by James Carol

"Jefferson Winters is the son of one of the most renowned serial killers in the US. This meant that he could have swung one of two ways; he could either have followed his father into the murderous game, or he could spend his life fighting everything his father stood for. He chose the latter. A retired FBI profiler, Winter is now a freelance investigator for anyone with interesting enough cases, and this is how he ends up in London attempting to solve a case where multiple women are being abducted, lobotomised and released."

The premise of this book is amazing. I think it's unique and well thought out, and is a real "keep you on the edge of your seat" book. And yet it managed to incorporate humour to some degree as well, which is rare in a book of the thriller genre. I appreciated that. Everything ties up neatly and the characters are developed well throughout. Overall the entire premise is fantastic and well executed.

However, I only rated it 3 stars. I found the protagonist to be far too irritatingly perfect with no flaws whatsoever besides who his father was, and there were some continuity issues (one particularly irritating case where the protagonist is listening to music on his laptop and within three lines is then digging it out of his bag) that really bugged me. This combined with some glaringly obvious spelling and grammatical issues dampened the story line for me, which was actually a very well thought out plot.

Would have been 4 were it not for those niggling little grammatical issues. Five stars would have been given if his protagonist were likeable and not a hero straight out of a Disney Classic film.

Book Review | Dark The Night Descending (The Dreamers Shadow #1) by Jennifer Bresnick

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Arran Swinn knows a thing or two about nightmares. After all, they killed his father. When the sun goes down, the Siheldi come out, and surviving the onslaught until daybreak can be little more than a gamble without the right protection.
Thanks to a dash of luck, a little daring, and an heirloom from his father, Arran can provide protection these days – for the right fee. Guiding seagoing merchants along the haunted trade routes is easy money…right up until he takes on a secretive passenger who proves to be almost as bad as the Siheldi themselves.

With the daylight fading and the ocean rising, Arran finds himself saddled with an illegal cargo, a bargain for his soul that he can’t hope to keep, and the unwelcome scrutiny of Megrithe Prinsthorpe, a tenacious trade inspector intent on seeing him hang for his misdeeds.

After uncovering a plot that could replace the Siheldi with something much worse, Arran must decide just how much he’s willing to sacrifice to the spirits that have had him marked out since the night his father’s death changed his life forever."

Wow what a fabulous book. I am so glad I was approved for this, and honestly I think it's been one of the highlights of my year, and I am SO excited to purchase and read the second one. You really have no idea how excited I am haha.

The writing in this is absolutely fantastic. I flew through this book in a day of solid reading, and I think that's partly down to the writing being so fluid and smooth. I believe this is a young adult novel, so it's always going to be a quicker read really, but the writing definitely helped. There's something about the way Bresnick structures her novel that makes it difficult for me to assess whether it truly is a young adult novel or not. Yes, there is no real adult content, but it's written with such maturity and delicacy that I almost place it under adult fantasy. Not sure where I'd place it, unlike novels like the clunky Cassandra Clare series. Beautiful writing.

The characters were well developed and I found myself truly sad in parts for the outcome of Arran. He just can't catch a break, bless him, and it makes my heart hurt. I liked that this book focuses on a small group of characters that are very well developed rather than a large group of people, much like fantasy tends to do, as that can often lead to a group of lesser developed characters. I loved the sarcastic dialogue between a few of them. Had me giggling in parts. Arran Swinn, the main character, is written so realistically with flaws that we all have. He is a confident person, but in some situations his confidence wavers and is replaced with fear. And that is so real to me, and makes him all the more likeable as a person.

The plot. Oh wow, the plot. An entirely unique concept with absolutely fabulous world and species building. One of the islands in this book... man I want to live there. It's been built so wonderfully. But seriously, I could not stop reading this. I was desperate to see what happened next and what everything was about. As soon as I finished this first in the series, I went to look for the next one because I just can't wait to find out what happens next. I haven't done that about a book for a long time, now. The plot is fun, scary, adventurous, funny, action-packed, and just all round epic. It's literally everything you could ever want from a plot.

Overall I give this a massive 5/5 stars. It was both a joy and an honour to read.
* This book was sent to me for free through the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review | Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive."

There really isn't anything much I can say about this book without spoiling the surprises inside it, but WOW! What a book! I have had it for years and honestly don't understand why I haven't read it sooner. I picked it up off my shelf for the month of October because I thought it'd fit the sort of October theme, and now I can't help but order the others instantly. It is absolutely incredible and I am so sad the series is over. After I read the next two, that's it for this particular series. Boo hoo.

The writing is beautiful. It is witty, humorous, in some parts beautiful. It's a very fast read thanks to the short chapters and almost juvenile writing (but what else can be expected from a middle-grade novel). It's not what I'd call a soft book. The writing is blunt and straight to the point, but the world described is wonderful. The landscape is built perfectly and that creates such a clear picture in my mind. The inclusion of photographs aids this, and adds a really eerie and spooky vibe.

I grew to really love the characters within the book. Even those who aren't the most likeable, I grew to love and feel concerned about if something happened to them. They're written well although there wasn't much character development within the book. I put that down to it being relatively short and figured they'd include more character development in the next two books. The main character is a little irritating, but he's still young so I guess that's what comes from being a teenage lad these days haha.

The plot is fun and engaging. I absolutely loved the story line and couldn't wait to see what happened next. There was a lot of world building for the first 3/4 of the book and then all the drama happened at once, and I grew more and more concerned as I neared the end of the book and the dilemma was still unresolved as I was scared I'd be left on a cliffhanger or something. But it ended well and I was content with what happened. Overall the plot is just really fun, if a little creepy. I want to be taken to their world.

I give this book an easy 5/5 starts and cannot wait to read the next two in the series!

Book Review | City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

What to say about this book... I'm so mixed on whether I enjoyed it or not that I don't even know where to begin. On one hand, I really couldn't put this book down. I was interested about the world and what was going to happen next, even though the plot and the twist were entirely too predictable. I finished this 500 page book in one day, then put it down and thought... "why"...

First thing's first, this is not one fantastic piece of literature that's going to last for generations to come. It's poorly written with similies and clichés aplenty, and with such lines as "it tasted green", I have to wonder why it's as popular as it is. Seriously, what sort of person without a sensory condition can taste the colour green?! Very poorly written. Commas were in places they shouldn't be, and missing from places they should be. You can clearly tell this is a rehashing of a badly written fan fiction from back in the day, unfortunately. The writing style is what I'd consider juvenile and childish, lacking substance and depth. Clare is also a "tell and not show" author. Instead of showing us the character's personalities, she decides to tell us through character dialogue what they're like which baffles me. I'd much rather learn what the character is about through their actions than be told the ins and outs of their personality. This is very much the same throughout all aspects of the novel.

There is not one single original character in this entire novel. Every single one has been taken from an already published book, for example Jace is clearly just a rehashing of Draco Malfoy. Clary is very Bella Swan like, in her "plain jane" attitude where she thinks she's boring and ugly. Hodge is clearly a Dumbledore or Gandalf figure who is wise and helpful etc. It's honestly all been done before. The plot is also like this. There are scenes from Star Wars, Harry Potter, and a load of teenage romance movies as well. I'm not going to go into what they are because honestly I am not one for spoilers, but there was not a single original thing in this entire book.

And yet... I had to keep turning the page. I couldn't put it down and I have absolutely no idea why. Despite the plot being predictable, I had to know what happened next. And I've already downloaded the next book in the series because I want to get to the end of it. I honestly do not understand why I feel this way. Absolutely nothing about the novel is engaging and I don't care about any of the characters or what happens to them... so why have I downloaded the next one? The world they live in sounds alright, but nothing special. And yet I long to be transported there. I don't know. I really don't. So that's why, despite being absolute drivel, I gave it three stars.

Overall, despite being very poorly written and predictable (and pretty much just a mish mash of already published stories), I can't wait to read the next one. I'm going mad, I swear.

3/5 stars.

Book Review | Fractured by Karin Slaughter

A woman comes home to find a man with a knife hunched over what she believes to be the dead body of her teenage daughter. She did what she felt she had to do, and fought back, killing him. But all was not as it appeared.

This is the first Karin Slaughter book I have read, and I loved every second of it. Slaughter's writing style reminds me a lot of Lisa Gardner's, which is a huge compliment from me because I adore her books also. The story was gripping and I genuinely couldn't figure out who did it. I'm not used to being unable to figure it out. Usually my overly-analytical brain doesn't give up until it's done, but I think that the plot for this book was so enthralling that I couldn't think of anything at all, I was far too engrossed.

Slaughter really seems to care a great deal about her characters. Throughout the book, I really felt like I got to know them and actually developed some deep feelings towards them. I was actually really saddened when I turned the last page; I just wanted to stay there with them. I'm already looking into the next book in the series because I feel like I can't stay away from my beloved Will Trent for much longer.

I can't speak too much about the writing style. I simply wasn't paying attention to it. I know that she is considered to write quite vigorously and can be quite a tough read, but I didn't find this at all. I found this book to almost turn the pages itself. I was reading, and then before I knew it, I was at the end. It took me two days to read over 500 pages and I think that really speaks volumes for how much it captivated me and how easy to read I found this book. It was a sophisticated book, though, and that's for sure.

Both the plot and characters were incredibly realistic. This is important to me (although I can't say why). The plot itself was captivating and really leaves you wanting more. Everything ties in nicely with everything else, and despite all loose ends being tied at the end, it wasn't perfect. And that lack of perfection at the ending really adds to the realism of the story. Slaughter writes as though she's just telling a tale of something that happened in real life, and I think that when writing a thriller, the scariest and most captivating of tales are those that we can see really happening to our neighbour, our father, ourselves. It is brilliant.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and am so excited to read the next in the series.

Unpopular Opinions | Book Tag

Okay so I wasn't tagged by anyone in particular, but I am an opinionated person with quite a few unpopular opinions and I thought this looked fun. I watched a few Booktube videos and realised I actually had some different answers to some of the questions but have yet to make a YouTube account so figured I'd make a blog post here, and eventually make a video to accompany the blog post. Phew that was a long sentence. I'm soooooorry! Haha

So this tag was originally created by The Book Archer on YouTube back in April. I'm a little behind, but ah well. It still sounds fun! So onto the questions. As always, these opinions are entirely my own and are not meant personally towards any person who does not agree. If I don't like a book, it doesn't mean the book is BAAAAAD. It just means it didn't personally engage in my brain, and that's okay, because we are all unique people with unique thoughts and that's what makes us wonderful ^_^

1. A Popular Book or series that you didn't like.

Oh gosh there are so many that fall into this category. Twilight, definitely. It's an insta-love book that's not written too well with characters I genuinely did not like at all. So... Twilight would definitely be up there. Gone Girl was another one. I absolutely HATED Gone Girl. I found it silly, predictable, slow to build and incredibly dull. I hated every character and genuinely didn't care what happened to anyone within the book. I think Gone Girl would be my number one

2. A Popular Book or series that every one else seems to hate but you love.

I honestly can't think of anything for this category... I can't even think of a book or series that everyone hates haha. I can think of books I love that aren't well known, but honestly cannot think of a single book or series that I love that everyone else seems to hate... Hm. Maybe I'll come back to this one later? OH WAIT I HAVE IT! :D

I found Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code very entertaining. No, they're not groundbreaking, showstopping literature. Yes, they're written in a very formulaic way, possessing a very linear plot. Yep, the character development is poor and it's very "one bound and then you're free", as my beloved grandma would say. But as a bit of light reading on a Sunday afternoon with a good cup of tea, they're great fun. So I'd have to say The Da Vinci Code for me :)

3. A Love Triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with (warn ppl for spoilers) OR an OTP that you don't like.

Ohhh boy do I have some unpopular opinions for this one. I absolutely HATE Harry and Ginny together. Ginny in general is a weak character for me, and I feel her story should have really concluded with The Chamber of Secrets. In my opinion, her character is poorly developed and she didn't mesh well with Harry AT ALL. There are whole Tumblr posts dedicated to the hatred of this character and this OTP. Just... no.

The second is also Harry Potter related and is Remus and Tonks. These are two people who are total opposites in every way and I just genuinely don't understand why Rowling decided to pair them up. It sort of feels like she just didn't want Remus to die alone to me, so she pushed him together with the first free female available like "oh hey, I'm single, you're single, let's hook up!" I just... don't get it. I adore Remus, he's my favourite marauder. So I'm very protective of him ¬_¬ I just ignore their relationship as best I can ^_^

4. A popular book Genre that you hardly reach for.

I very rarely reach for two genres in particular - contemporary "chick lit" literature, although I absolutely despise that term as I think it's completely sexist and very limiting in its descriptive properties (what does chick lit even mean?!) and straight up romance. I don't mind a nice book with a bit of romance thrown in, who doesn't like a good romantic sub-plot going on. But I don't like it to be the entire substance of the story. Contemporary chick lit includes authors like Jojo Moyes and Cecelia Ahern. I prefer my stories to have a bit of grit and suspense. So these are two I hardly reach for.

5. A popular or beloved character that you do not like.

Boy do I hate this character. So much. I think he's manipulative, childish and ultimately doesn't care about Harry a single bit. When Harry is in trouble and seeing visions of Voldemort, Dumbledore doesn't take him aside and explain things to put his mind at ease. Dumbledore simply ignores him, avoids him and blanks him. He has Snape protect the boy for years just so that Harry can die at the right moment, and Dumbledore ultimately tells no one of this until the moment when he must die. Snape says it best when he says "now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter"... Ultimately a cruel man. I despise him. 

6. A popular author that you can't seem to get into.
Oh boy you're going to hate me for this ;) I really cannot get into John Green. I've tried to read every single one of his books but haven't been able to finish any of them. I find the pace slow, the story the same every time, the character development weak and two dimensional... I just can't finish them. I absolutely ADORE his videos, so it makes me very sad that I don't enjoy any of his books :(

7. A popular book trope that you're tired of seeing. (examples "lost princess", corrupt ruler, love triangles, etc.)

I picked two main ones for this. I hate the "insta-love" trope. Where their eyes meet across a crowded room and they just KNEW they were "the one". I believe love takes time to develop once you truly grow to know and appreciate a person. Your eyes meet across a crowded room and it could be anyone on the other end. They could be a rapist, an abuser, a sociopath. It isn't until you get to know a person that you grow to love them deeply, so insta-love really bothers me for some reason. 

The second is what I like to refer to as the "Bella Swan". The "oh I'm so plain and nothing special and no one thinks I'm special except that one very particular boy who sees how wonderful and unique I am, with my brown hair and pale skin that means I don't fit in anywhere, but you see how wonderful and special I am" etc. It's just such a flat character, and is silly because every single person on this planet is unique etc. Very two dimensional with a lack of true personality and development. Such a special snowflake, indeed.

8. A popular series that you have no interest in reading.

Boy do I have a rant here. And the series is 50 Shades of Grey. Now, I'm no prude. I'm not opposed to a bit of erotica. However, 50 Shades is SO poorly written that I find myself reading through it and correcting the spelling and grammar, wincing at sentence structure and groaning at the pathetic character building and inner dialogue of the characters. It's truly painful to read for an English Language and Literature student such as myself.

There's also a huge problem with the "BDSM" within 50 Shades. I have a few friends in the BDSM community, befriending a professional dominatrix as one example, and this book is an insult to that culture. It isn't BDSM, it's an abusive relationship masquerading poorly as a BDSM one. Within BDSM, there are safe words, stop words, limits. They do not threaten physical harm when you try and leave the relationship, they do not follow you everywhere you go and threaten your safety when you go somewhere you are not asked. They STOP when they are told to. It is a relationship based on mutual trust, understanding and RESPECT above all else. Christian Grey is an abusive partner and it is an insult to the community that a lot of people I care about hold dear. So I will never read 50 Shades of Grey, nor see any of the movies. Absolute disgrace of a series, in my opinion.

9. The saying goes "The book is always better than the movie", but what movie or T.V. show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?

I have two for this - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I think that the casting for the TV series is absolutely phenomenal, they did it all amazingly and touched upon the sensitive scenes with dignity and grace and portrayed it beautifully (despite being such a horrendous thing to happen). I adored the books and loved the series even more, because while the book was somewhat slow in a few places, the series really did capture AND KEEP the attention. 

The second is The Hunger Games. The books were okay. I thought they were good but missing substance in places. Katniss in the book is irritating and somewhat of an airhead, muttering about whether Peeta liked her truly or not and what she thought of him etc, whereas in the movie series she is a sophisticated and intelligent young woman fighting for her life. She is dignified and gritty. This isn't the case as much in the books, so I truly did prefer all of the movies to the books. Very well done and excellent casting all around.