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Wednesday 28 August 2019

Review: Viper (Isle of Storm and Sorrow #1)

Review:

Viper (Isles of Storm and Sorrow #1) - Bex Hogan

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

This was also an additional book in one of my Fairyloot subscription boxes so I got a signed paperback as well.

 

I didn’t dislike it, I wasn’t particularly blown over with it either. It’s just another generic YA fantasy set on the high seas. In this one the heroine Marianne lives on her father’s ship. Her mother died when she was a young child. Her father is the Viper, the protector of the 12 Isles. But they’re more like pirates and assassins – ruthless, cruel and brutal. Marianne is supposed to take over one day.

 

However, she doesn’t seem to have the violent streak a Viper needs. She’s not dim by any means. She has a conscience and thinks things could be done better. Because she’s a girl she’s treated like crap by the crew. She has one companion – an older lady who has helped train her who treats her like a person. She was once close to one of the boys her age, but circumstances made him turn his back on her.

 

She’s betrothed to the Prince of the royal family the Viper serves. The prince appears to be condescending and arrogant. On the night of her official initiation as a Viper everything goes wrong and things happen and Marianne is forced to flee. Pursued by her father’s crew over the 12 isles she discovers nefarious plots and a secret about her own past that could have a massive impact on the 12 Isles and the Eastern Lands they’re on the brink of war with.

 

The prince isn’t the asswipe he seems to be – and there’s much more too him. Alliances are drawn, plots are uncovered, other Royalty is determined to be selfish and useless and things need to massively change. It’s up to Marianne and her companions to make this happen.

 

It wasn’t by any means a bad book, - it was just kind of okay. I liked Marianne as a character, she had a code of honour and a brain and thought logically. She was emotional but wasn’t ruled by her emotions. The prince turned out to be a really interesting character as well. The writing was okay, the story was okay. There just wasn’t anything about this book that really stood out to bring it apart from other sea based YA fantasies.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Hatchette Children’s Books for the review copy.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1941430/review-viper-isle-of-storm-and-sorrow-1

Tuesday 27 August 2019

Review: A Danger to Herself and Others

Review:

A Danger to Herself and Others - Alyssa B. Sheinmel

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

Unreliable narrators aren’t usually my thing. They make me uncomfortable. The whole premise of this book made me uncomfortable.

 

A perfect daughter of psychologists institutionalised for a crime. She’s convinced she did no wrong (even though it’s obvious from the start she did.) Her logic is flawed and frightening but also…in a weird way vey plausible. Which makes it all the more frightening.

 

Hannah is a very intelligent girl who has a habit of latching onto people and calling herself the perfect best friend. She’s not cruel or violent or anything. She’s manipulative without even realising what she’s doing.  She’s doing a summer programme at a college and something terrible happens to her roommate.

 

Police are called and they all think Hannah is responsible. She’s labelled “a danger to herself and other” and put in a hospital for evaluation until the trial. Despite how uncomfortable this book made me as a reader, it’s extraordinarily well written. It’s compelling and page turning and you just have to know what’s going on. What happened with the roommate, what makes Hannah the way she is? Is she faking it and a very good actress – or is she really just nuts and doing a good job of covering it up and trying to convince everyone she’s normal and no threat to anyone?

 

It’s a harrowing experience following Hannah as she wakes up in the hospital and goes through talking to the doctors and learning how things work and what she has to do to convince everyone what happened was an accident.

 

Slowly, we learn what really happened. The truth about Hannah’s involvement and what might happen next.  What makes it all the more believable is there’s no black and white right and wrong way to handle the outcome. It’s not a fair outcome, really but it’s a realistic one and something that highlights the tough decisions that justice systems sometimes have to make.

 

It’s a difficult book to get through but a really good one.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1941405/review-a-danger-to-herself-and-others

Monday 26 August 2019

Review: This Lie Will Kill You

Review:

This Lie Will Kill You - Chelsea Pitcher

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

This title appealed to me immediately as it came recommended for fans of “One of Us Is Lying” which I absolutely loved. However, this book failed to meet the high standard of that book. I thought this book was awful.

 

The premises was interesting enough. There was a party and someone died. The actions of a small group of people lead to the tragedy and someone saw what happened. Now, a year later those people are sent mysterious invitations to a murder mystery party with a big prize. No name of the person inviting them.

 

The party is a costume party and each character is given certain props. Challenges to solve that get more personal and more deadly as the night progresses. Secrets are at stake, lives are at stake and the risks become more and more over the top. Some of the group were friends, some aren’t and they all must come together to figure out what’s happening and survive the night. Should be interesting. Its high stakes and tense.

 

Problem for me was I absolutely hated all the characters. They were all horrible horrible people or bland people with about as much personality as cardboard. Also, very predictable. I knew almost immediately who the responsible person was. As the plot went on it became just ridiculous and unbelievable.  

 

It was one of those – this is so stupid why am I finishing it books? – but I did read the whole thing.  I just really did not like this book at all.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children’s for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1941365/review-this-lie-will-kill-you

Monday 12 August 2019

DNF: Dark of the West

Review:

Dark of the West (Untitled, #1) - Joanna Hathaway

The concept of this one started off interesting - two nations poised on the brink of war, the son of the one general goes to spy on the other side and winds up falling for the princess he's supposed to be gathering information on. I managed nearly 300 pages of this but frankly I'm just bored. 

I don't care about any of the characters and there's too much emphasis on military tactics for my liking and it's very boring. Calling it quits. 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1934489/dnf-dark-of-the-west