DNF: Renegades

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

Calling it quits on this one. It's been several months since I last picked it up, I read a few pages and am just not interested. Superheroes are not my favourite thing, but it's an author I love and I have enjoyed superhero themed books before and this one is all original characters. So it sounded like something I would enjoy. Heroes vs villains and a POV from each, with the main POV seeming to be from the girl who's on the bad guys team. With a dangerous power and someone no one seems to know much about.

 

There's a little bit of world building but no real character introductions. There's a list various superheroes before the story starts - names, powers, aliases and what team they're on. So when the story starts going you're supposed to know who they all are.

 

Personally I never bother with character lists when they're at the front of books. I want to be  introduced to who the main people are as the plot progresses - not thrown in at the deep end. So having to go back to the list and flip through even after reading it thoroughly a few times, it was still really  confusing and annoying. 

I wasn't connecting with the characters and the thought of picking this one up again became less and less appealing especially with it being quite a long novel. So time to call it quits.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for approving my request to view the title. 

 

 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/2071805/dnf-renegades

Review: The Devil's Equinox

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

This one was immensely enjoyable. Even though the main character was a bit of a moron. It was modern day set but reminded me of 70s style horror films. It would have worked really well in that setting.

 

However, it was a bit of a silly story but still fun (in a dark and twisted sorted of what the fuck is going on and why am I reading this???way). Despite how ridiculous the plot got it was hard to tear your eyes away and made for a good page turner. I think I read this one in a few sittings.

 

The story starts with the main character Aidan sat in a bar drowning his sorrows over a stale marriage. He and his wife have just had their first child but they’re not getting along. Bemoaning his woes to a beautiful stranger he accidentally voices he wishes his wife was dead. The beautiful woman just happens to be their new neighbour Regina, who has just moved in the house next door.

 

Regina worms her way into the life and Aidan and his wife, even befriending the wife to a point, becoming comfortable enough with them to even babysit their child. Before long Aidan is utterly entranced by Regina and falls deeper and deeper under her beguiling spell. After tragedy strikes Regina is there for comfort and before long has started to open Aidan’s eyes to a world of sexual pleasure he never knew.

 

She introduces him to a secret sex club she’s part of and each “level” of the club things get darker, more twisted and more depraved. All coalescing around a certain black magic ritual on a certain date and a certain time requiring one big ass sacrifice Aidan has unwittingly become a part of.

 

It’s all quite moronic and the more stupid things Aidan does, he gets in too deep and finally realises he needs help but the reach of the secret club is goes higher than he could have ever imagined. He’s over his head and trying to figure things out before time runs out.

 

Despite the bizarreness and disturbing nature of the plot I kind of loved Regina as a character. She was wicked and unapologetic about it once she had Aidan in her claws. Aidan was likeable enough just kind of dim. It did get a bit bloody towards the end and more and more stupid as the novel went on.

 

However, regardless of the ridiculousness of the story as I said earlier once you get into it it’s impossible to put it down. There was a fairly amusing twist at the end of the last chapter. (Very reminiscent of a certain Stephen King book).

 

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and certainly one I will be continuing to read.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/2069259/review-the-devil-s-equinox

Review: The Wayward Girls

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

An enjoyable mystery with a paranormal twist. Takes place in a “then and now” form.  Sisters Loo and Bee live with their mom and dad and siblings in a rambling farm in the 1970s. Their parents are considered “outsiders” in their small communities. The kids are home schooled, the dad’s an artist. The mom wanted an easier life, and while it seems ideal on the front, it’s doesn’t sound as easy as it looked in the idea stage.

 

During one summer strange things start happening in the house and before long a slew of paranormal experts and professors, reporter and a medium are on the property interviewing the family, trying to get to the bottom of the mystery.

 

In the present day, the mom, Cathy, is now in a care home and Loo has been called home to come and see to Cathy’s care and needs. At the same time a modern day team of university students are conducting a paranormal research investigation Loo and Cathy’s former house which has been empty for many years now.

 

The chapters flip back and forth between what happened back then and what’s happening present day. It’s been a while since I read it so I can’t remember too much of the intricacies of the plot. Lots of characters, can’t remember anything that particularly stood out. It was a well written mystery that kept the pages turning.

 

Intriguing more in the past stages for me than the present. The present day sounded like a thousand other ghost hunter books/tv shows/movies but it was interesting in comparing the temperament of adult Loo to the child Loo in the past along with how she dealt with things back then and what she’s thinking/feeling now as the recent events unfold.

 

There were a few twists at various points which I had already guessed, however, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the novel.  The twists were believable and the errors involved human and understandable, given the circumstances.  Some good family and relationship dynamics added into the mix.

 

All in all a very enjoyable read and definitely an author I would read again.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/2069166/review-the-wayward-girls

Review: The Rest of the Story

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

Normally I love Sarah Dessen books. I have loads of them and usually devour them in a couple of days. A new Dessen book is an autobuy for me, I’d already pre ordered and wasn’t actually expecting to get approved for the review copy but I did.

 

Sad to say though I really did not enjoy this book at all. It felt very poor in comparison to the others I’ve read. The story was slow paced, I felt like the characters had no depth to them. The only character who got a backstory or any insight into was the main character, and even she was about as interesting as dry toast. Everything else felt like cardboard.

 

Generally I love how characters in these type of books come somewhere for the summer where there’s a family connection and hidden secrets and stories the main character never knew emerges and she discovers things about herself and what she wants for her own future and grows as a person. I didn’t get a sense of that from this book at all. There’s also usually a great family dynamic as well. Didn’t feel that either.

 

So very disappointed with this one.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, Children’s for approving my request to view the title.  

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/2023264/review-the-rest-of-the-story

Review: Violet

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

The synopsis of this one caught my attention when browsing Netgalley. I usually like small town haunted houses with a secret and especially ones where someone’s coming back to a childhood home.

 

The novel started out interestingly enough. However, it felt very long winded and over written after a while and failed to keep my attention from about half way through. I did find myself skimming over the latter parts of the novel as I was mildly interested in how it all concluded. It took forever for anything to remotely happen.

 

The story stars with the heroine Kris going back to her hometown with her daughter after losing her husband in an accident, Kris appears to be a workaholic vet and the daughter has withdrawn and seems to be struggling to cope. Kris feels a fresh start will help them move on.

 

Arriving at the house they find it overgrown and the estate agent lied about the condition of the house  - it’s got a bit of a reputation in the town. It’s so slow and boring as Kris and the daughter start to clean the house and Kris finds mementos of her childhood and starts remembering things she’d forgotten. Creepy things start happening.

 

Whilst visiting the local town Kris learns about a series of murders and missing children. The daughter starts talking to someone who isn’t there – an invisible friend. More creepy things start happening. Kris remembers more stuff from her own childhood and her own creepy invisible friend. Who may or may not have been real.

 

Interesting concept but the execution didn’t really work for me at all. I didn’t connect to the characters, I didn’t feel any emotion whilst reading other than just wanting to get this book over and done with. Disappointing as I usually like this kind of story. Not for me.

 

Thank you to Netalley and Inkshares for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/2023262/review-violet

Review: Music and Malice in Hurricane Town

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley. 

 

This book was a lot of fun. I’ve read a few books by this author before and I’ve enjoyed them - this was something a little different. In a fantasy inspired New Orleans with a host of supernatural creatures, voodoo and magic being the norm, centred around a the mystery of a murdered voodoo queen. 

 

Main character Jude is a musician with a brass band who finds herself possessed by the dead queen who needs her help solving the mystery. Coming in to contact with a whole host of different characters from intriguing to creepy. Jude was a very likeable main character who discovered lots of things about herself as the plot progressed. Family and friendship played an important part. 

 

There were some rather disturbing bits towards the end. That being said it worked well with the plot and to be fair I didn’t guess or see it coming. Posed the questions for some interesting morality grey ares. 

 

There was some fantastic world building in mixing the familiarity of New Orleans with the Baton Noir fantasy version. The different types of magic and voodoo were explained very well - you don’t have to know hardly anything about the subject to work out what was going on. Quite a few interesting twists as well.

 

The plot was fast paced with plenty of action and little to no romance. A possibility hinted at with one sub plot which I personally would have loved to see explored. Left at an interesting ending - concluded the story but open for the possibility of more. I would definitely love to see more from this world. 

 

All in all enjoyable and fun. 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Tiger Group for approving my request to view the title. 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1983371/review-music-and-malice-in-hurricane-town

Review: The House in the Hills

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

I love haunted house books and movies, and the premise of this book definitely sounded like something I would watch if it was a movie. Bright young couple Marc and Harmony moving into their first house – a gorgeous house in the Hollywood Hills, a prime piece of real estate…for an astoundingly cheap price.

 

However, this book sat on my Kindle for months on end until one Saturday morning at the hairdressers when I selected it at random.

 

Given the premise – anyone with half a brain would (or should) be saying what’s the catch? To be fair at first the wife, Harmony at least ponders that very question – why is it so cheap? However, her husband persuades her this is her dream house and a great opportunity for them. At first I quite liked Harmony as a character.

 

I can’t remember what the husband did for a living - she ran a popular food blog and was passionate about it. She seemed rather sensible and together. If a bit high strung and quick to judge. One of the first things we learn is there’s a guest house on the property. And comes with a tenant – a bubbly bright hot young actress. Who immediately rubs Harmony the wrong way by making a joke about promising not to sleep with her husband.

 

As the couple settle into the house and new routines before long Harmony is experiencing creepy feelings and strange things happening, all of which Marc tells her is her imagination. Arguments become more frequent. And Harmony finally learns the truth about what really happened in the house and why the price was so cheap. By this point my liking of the characters had dwindled to wanting to smack them. Harmony was bossy, snobby and wooden. The arguments were repetitive and the “spooky experiences” were just stupid.

 

The book was poorly written, and the characters became increasingly annoying. There were some parts that were just jaw droppingly ridiculous. The idea had potential, but the execution was just bad. Unimpressed with this one. Just didn’t like it at all.

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Reverberator Books/Weapenry Co-Op for approving my request to the view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1979503/review-the-house-in-the-hills