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with her daughter after losing her husband in an accident, Kris appears to be a workaholic vet and the daughter has withdrawn and seems to be struggling to cope.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

DNF: We Are Blood and Thunder

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

Unfortunately another one for the DNF pile. This one just did not work for me. It's long winded and boring and just another bland YA fantasy revolving around forbidden magic and disputing nobles and religious groups who all have their own agenda. I got half way through but can't find the willpower to pick it up again. I tried the other day and barely got through ten pages. Boring and just not up to par with the YA fantasy available, at least not for me. Time to call it quits. 

 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for approving my request to view the title. 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1944926/dnf-we-are-blood-and-thunder

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

Review:

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

Review: A Danger to Herself and Others

Review:

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