4.5 stars Especially fascinating because the author became a therapist and is able to offer unique insights into her horrific situation and the monste4.5 stars Especially fascinating because the author became a therapist and is able to offer unique insights into her horrific situation and the monster responsible for it. It’s also very well-written. ...more
Entertaining, but convoluted...and ultimately it felt too neat and too free of thoroughly believable human mourivarions and actions. The author's prevEntertaining, but convoluted...and ultimately it felt too neat and too free of thoroughly believable human mourivarions and actions. The author's previous thriller THE KIND WORTH KILLING was definitely better. ...more
This super cute Cinderella-goes-to-Geeky-Con story is probably closer to a 3.5 in terms of merit because I think it could have been eveSo. Much. Fun.
This super cute Cinderella-goes-to-Geeky-Con story is probably closer to a 3.5 in terms of merit because I think it could have been even better (view spoiler)[ pretty much all the adults are terrible, the emotional beats could have been stronger, and a major issue with sticking so closely to your source material is that it becomes fairly predictable. Its sparks back to life once Elle arrives at the Con, though (hide spoiler)], but it is such a cute and enjoyable read, it gets rounded up to 4 stars!
Please ignore the terrible cover art and pick this up if you've ever gotten excited when you saw someone wearing a tee-shirt referencing a movie/book/band you like, or if your heart secretly melts over meet-cute romances, or if you enjoy, you know, SMILING ABOUT ADORABLE THINGS.
Review to come. I'm still grinning from ear to ear. :D...more
The best of Slaughter's standalones for sure. A little tangled towards the end, but no one writes procedurals or electrifying tension the way she doesThe best of Slaughter's standalones for sure. A little tangled towards the end, but no one writes procedurals or electrifying tension the way she does....more
3.5 stars A baby is set adrift in the Elizabeth Islands in the 1920s. Why? The answer is revealed slowly, and Crow isn't sure what her adoptive father3.5 stars A baby is set adrift in the Elizabeth Islands in the 1920s. Why? The answer is revealed slowly, and Crow isn't sure what her adoptive father knows about it. (view spoiler)[She thinks she might've been born on a leper colony. (hide spoiler)]
Luminous prose, quietly endearing characters, and sobering history. I loved so much of this beautiful middle grade book, and yet I'm mixed about one major subplot, much as I was with FOX HOLLOW. I think the story is engrossing enough--and frankly, more powerful without it. But it says something about the beguiling nature of the author's writing that I only needed to see her name to know that I wanted to read this. Jorjeana Marie's narration is just perfect for this story, too.
3.5 stars Surprisingly interesting, especially towards the end. An entertaining airport-type read, with an intriguing subplot that doesn't surface unt3.5 stars Surprisingly interesting, especially towards the end. An entertaining airport-type read, with an intriguing subplot that doesn't surface until you realize what's going on.
Review to come of the audio edition. I'll have to look up the voice actor's name, but she was terrific! It's hard to do Liverpool accents and a variety of male/female voices convincingly....more
2.5 stars The first third of this book was so engrossing. A woman is accused of murdering her two children--but Ruth is not your typical mother, and s2.5 stars The first third of this book was so engrossing. A woman is accused of murdering her two children--but Ruth is not your typical mother, and she will not garner the usual sympathy, because she's always perfectly made up and she drinks in excess and she takes a lot of lovers and she's--gasp--a cocktail waitress. I was interested in this portrait of a woman who is judged so harshly by her outward appearance; for some women, careful clothes and makeup are armor used to mask what's going on inside, even during the most stressful times.
But that is pretty much the only thought-provoking idea to come out of this. I have no idea what happened, except that the last two thirds of this character study got derailed by an ineffectual, not-very-bright, off-putting journalist and a terribly inept mystery that is littered with uninteresting people with half-hearted motivations and very little conviction. (Not to mention a couple of pretty spectacular info-dump interviews shoe-horned in late in the game.) There are a few brief moments when you catch a glimpse of what this book could have been through Ruth's private grief, but they come early on and are quickly forgotten. The kids' brutal (though non-explicit) murders barely register, because they're merely props like everything else.
In the end, what's clearly meant to be an examination of slut-shaming and a challenge of feminine ideals still misses the mark; it doesn't really go anywhere, and both the characters and the reader leave the book unchanged. A huge miss as a suspense novel and a missed opportunity as both character study and as feminist commentary. ...more
Wendy Darling
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