Dear Ashley, Most of the book was really great but that ending was genuinely annoying. Kind regards Claude
Seriously folks. There a few things more annoyDear Ashley, Most of the book was really great but that ending was genuinely annoying. Kind regards Claude
Seriously folks. There a few things more annoying to me than an unsatisfying ending. Now sometimes there are cool endings that your are left shocked or mind-blown. This just felt unfinished. I was actually totally absorbed for most of the book so I will still give it 3 stars. The characters were interesting and although the whodunnit elements were well signposted, I still loved the twists and turns.
A short but powerful novel. The writing in some of the more shocking moments is quite understated and I'm not sure if it is the translation but I hopeA short but powerful novel. The writing in some of the more shocking moments is quite understated and I'm not sure if it is the translation but I hope not because it was perfect given that Yunjae's Alexithymia, which makes it difficult to feel emotions like fear or anger. I really felt like I was in his head throughout his experiences so when people looked at him with confusion, anger or disgust I felt like shouting that his almonds are tiny so leave him alone, guys! I don't have any medical knowledge regarding his condition so can't comment on how the story progressed and ended. All I can say is that there nothing more wonderful than finishing a book feeling hopeful.
Whilst I didn't really enjoy the story itself I appreciated the in depth look at the life of a medical examiner and found that element to be quite intWhilst I didn't really enjoy the story itself I appreciated the in depth look at the life of a medical examiner and found that element to be quite interesting. I will probably pick up Judy's non-fiction book on her life as a medical examiner at some point but I won't be reading the rest of this series. The story felt a bit clunky, disjointed and flat in parts. Heaps of people loved it so it was a case of 'not for me'....more
Really really light hearted and fluffy despite the main character dealing with the loss of her husband. I can't remember the main characters 2.5 Stars
Really really light hearted and fluffy despite the main character dealing with the loss of her husband. I can't remember the main characters names and I just finished it, but it always nice to have a bookshop setting....more
Having enjoyed book 1 I decided to jump into this sequel. This one was not for me. It was lacking somewhat in the plot department, and in the romance Having enjoyed book 1 I decided to jump into this sequel. This one was not for me. It was lacking somewhat in the plot department, and in the romance department as well. It was steamy but I didn't believe that there was anything other than physical attraction between the main characters. That is literally all they talked about. That's okay but not my kind of romance story. I want to be drawn into the romance and see it unfolding on the page and not just a couple of hundred pages of hot and heavy thoughts and deeds....more
Definitely the most interesting book in the series. Look, it's a good trilogy but not amazing. Something was missing throughout the entire se3.5 Stars
Definitely the most interesting book in the series. Look, it's a good trilogy but not amazing. Something was missing throughout the entire series and I think it was any lasting emotional attachment. The characters were interesting and I liked the relationships but nothing hooked me and had me thinking of name mash-ups if you know what I mean. The focus seemed to be the story moving forward and things happening but nothing that had you gasping or swooning or feeling outraged. But I didn't at any point feel like I wasn't going to finish the series. Does that make sense? I liked it but also meh...Confusing.
CW: blood magic that requires the magician to cut themselves....more
Crikey, that was an excitingly tense roller coaster ride! The cold and isolated setting made for a good backdrop to this chilling thriller. T4.5 Stars
Crikey, that was an excitingly tense roller coaster ride! The cold and isolated setting made for a good backdrop to this chilling thriller. The dual timeline was extremely effective in keeping us on the edge of our seats as, piece by piece, the horrors of the past fill in the present day mystery of how a young child came to be found by writer, Wylie Lark, curled up in the snow outside her writing retreat home. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and actually listened to it in one day. The audiobook was really well narrated and heightened the level of stress I felt towards then end. I look forward to reading more from this author.
What an excellent debut, Stacy! When girls start going missing in Baton Rouge, Chloe notices some similarities to a spate of abductions that terroriseWhat an excellent debut, Stacy! When girls start going missing in Baton Rouge, Chloe notices some similarities to a spate of abductions that terrorised her childhood town over a decade ago. However, it can't be the same killer because that man is her father and he is currently in prison. Some good red herrings in here and nice wee twists. I liked how Chloe was fragile and on edge as this created tension and made some of her actions questionable. The result was a growing sense of unease for readers and a degree of uncertainty about which characters were trustworthy. A great murder mystery and I look forward to reading this author's next novel. ...more
A charming Christmas themed romance with a cute friends to lovers storyline. Steamy in parts and adorably awkward in others it was a perfect 3.5 Stars
A charming Christmas themed romance with a cute friends to lovers storyline. Steamy in parts and adorably awkward in others it was a perfect holiday read. It didn't have a huge amount of substance to it so I'd put it in the 'light and fluffy' category. I'll definitely continue with the series....more
I'm such an outlier with many of these super hyped and popular romances. Some have cavemen types clubbing women over the head and dragging them back tI'm such an outlier with many of these super hyped and popular romances. Some have cavemen types clubbing women over the head and dragging them back to their caves where they can growl at them about their ownership status and the women gasp and whimper and tremble delicately in the strong possessive hands of their master. Some are beyond the realms of plausible even though they are contemporary romances as is the case with this book. Despite being a super intelligent STEM woman the main character acts like a bloomin' idiot and miscommunication/no-communication and withholding information plague us throughout most of the novel. I suspect I am meant to be on the edge of my seat waiting for them to clear the air by speaking from their hearts and professing their undying love etc. All that happens is that I crank up the speed. I had this on 2.3x within the first 30mins. TWO POINT THREE! Do you have any idea what they sound like at this speed? Let's just say the love interests should be named Alvin, Simon or Theodore (you're welcome for the earworm). I actually enjoy a good fake dating trope but this one made zero sense to me. ZERO! And is it just me or is Adam's height pretty much mentioned on every page? Olive and Adam were quite boring characters and the dialogue was clunky and cringe worthy at points. Yay for women in science but bummed I paid for this book....more
Zed and Murphy have really grown on me and it was fun to watch them interact with a new bunch of characters. Book 9 in my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
Zed and Murphy have really grown on me and it was fun to watch them interact with a new bunch of characters. This is definitely like GOT though in that you shouldn't get attached to any characters! On to the next!...more
Whenever I read these post apocalyptic books I get concerned about some writers' bleak outlooks of how certaiBook 8 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
Whenever I read these post apocalyptic books I get concerned about some writers' bleak outlooks of how certain people in our society may respond when others around them are vulnerable and weak. There is a perfect quote from this very book to summarise some writers' concerns or possibly expectations for humanity:
"The rain started pouring again, pounding the pavement in a comforting rumble, draining off the roofs and running deep between the curbs. I hoped it would wash away the city's stink. All the evidence of evil littering the streets. And I wondered if the evil resided within each of us. Were the facades we constructed to mask our wicked brutality so fragile that they could be crumbled by a tiny virus and a high fever? Were the Whites not monsters but simply our true selves with the unwanted fetters of morality erased?"
Bleak right! Anyhoo, our band of survivors are starting to work out how they are going to deal with the intelligent whites (zombies) who incidentally have decided to free themselves from the constraints of clothing and are now running around naked ...more
Not gonna lie, that was a difficult read. Ansel Packer is counting down the hours until his execution after some brutal murders. I found it quite unseNot gonna lie, that was a difficult read. Ansel Packer is counting down the hours until his execution after some brutal murders. I found it quite unsettling that his story was narrated in second person. It made being with him during his last 12 hours an uncomfortably intimate experience as his inevitable death drew closer. The writing is sublime and the tension palpable.
“You are a fingerprint. When you open your eyes on the last day of your life, you see your own thumb. In the jaundiced prison light, the lines on the pad of your thumb look like a dried-out riverbed, like sand washed into twirling patterns by water, once there and now gone.”
Whilst we see Ansel's point of view, it is actually the women in his life that drive the story and peel back the layers of time so we can build a picture of how such a man came to be. Their voices are powerful and haunting because we as readers know how his life will unfold and the devastation he will bring. Their accounts are raw and they felt like real women, not just characters in a story. This move away from a typical serial killer novel to where the focus lies with the women made the story more absorbing in my opinion. What is equally hard hitting is that we aren't there to hate Ansel. In fact, I felt compassion for the boy left alone. “In most of your memories, your mother is gone. And before she is gone, always, she is leaving.” That mixed with the feelings of revulsion I felt for his actions made for a head and heart spinning experience. After all “No one is all bad. No one is all good. We live as equals in the murky gray between.”
Content warning: I want to give an open warning about the animal harm in this book. None of the harm is on page but there are gruesome descriptions of animal bodies. There is also domestic abuse....more
Zombie chain gangs! Zed was impossibly dense in this one with a super obvious betrayal meaning he was on his 3.5 Stars
Book 7 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
Zombie chain gangs! Zed was impossibly dense in this one with a super obvious betrayal meaning he was on his own again and desperately trying to get back to his friends. It's a dead human eat live human world with lots of live humans out to bring other survivors down, Zed! Wise up!...more
Things got frantic in this one with the odds against...well...everyone. Some hard losses in this one through Book 5 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
Things got frantic in this one with the odds against...well...everyone. Some hard losses in this one through both zombie attack and more sickeningly depraved humans. I'm starting to quite like our main characters. On to the next!...more
I quite like the concept of slow burns and how they don't turn into zombies but are seemingly immune after suBook 4 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
I quite like the concept of slow burns and how they don't turn into zombies but are seemingly immune after surviving the initial bite period. A good amount of running, mindless chomping zombies and pants-wetting terror so I am excited to continue on! I am even more excited that the audiobook box set of 9 was only one credit! That's value folks! ...more
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