I dropped Science as soon as I could in High School. Nothing to do with the teachers (I believe one is a police detective now). It just felt really haI dropped Science as soon as I could in High School. Nothing to do with the teachers (I believe one is a police detective now). It just felt really hard to understand. So by all accounts I should have disliked this book. I did not. I loved it. Deeply.
At the risk of embarrassing myself, I don't 100% know what parts of the science were real or fiction or hypothetically true (aside from what felt glaringly obvious...well I sincerely hope the parts that I thought were fiction actually are fiction or we are munted). In the end it didn't matter because I completely understood the Science as it was presented in this book. Oddly, I also enjoyed and understood the mathsy type stuff as well. Anyone who has watched me count knows I still use my fingers...
It was such an entertaining story and I thought the two main characters were absolutely brilliant.
In and among the science there was humour. Exactly my type of humour.
"I penetrated the outer cell membrane with a nano syringe." "You poked it with a stick?" "No!" I said. "Well. Yes. But it was a scientific poke with a very scientific stick”
The audiobook was amazing and it was so well narrated. The 17 hours flew by!
This superb book is a must for science fiction lovers!
I admire the way Lisa used dual timelines and multi POVS to weave together a well paced and suspenseful read.
The audiobook narration was superb and heI admire the way Lisa used dual timelines and multi POVS to weave together a well paced and suspenseful read.
The audiobook narration was superb and helped to immerse me in this gripping mystery. Lisa writes completely believable characters, whether it be tired single parents, naive teenagers, or sinister and controlling psychopaths. I love the growing sense of unease I feel in her books as I start to piece together what is happening. Thoroughly engaging novel.
CW: (view spoiler)[drugs, death of loved ones (heart attack and drowning), stabbing, memory loss from trauma, sexual assault (hide spoiler)]...more
The harsh but beautiful Alaskan wilderness was the perfect backdrop to this powerful tale of survival.
Cora and Leni were characters that I wi4.5 Stars
The harsh but beautiful Alaskan wilderness was the perfect backdrop to this powerful tale of survival.
Cora and Leni were characters that I will remember for their loyalty, love, and gritty determination to survive Ernt and his PTSD driven paranoia and rage. The writing was lush and it blew my mind that, in what was essentially a slow burn, I could be on the edge of my seat for so much of it. I loved how Kristin perfectly described the realities of surviving in such an unpredictable and volatile environment and that she mirrored this with the realities of surviving in the Allbright family. The supporting cast were phenomenal too and I felt a deep affection for the Alaskan 'found family' members. A wonderful story that I thoroughly recommend.
CW: (view spoiler)[domestic violence, domestic rape, gun violence, descriptions of bloody injuries in people and animals, PTSD after war, hunting and killing animals, drowning (hide spoiler)]...more
Well that ended up being a fabulous ownvoiCW: (view spoiler)[Murder suicide by gun, drugs, addiction, on page rape, death of loved one (hide spoiler)]
Well that ended up being a fabulous ownvoice YA mystery!
I loved the characters and enjoyed learning about the Native American Ojibwe community in Michigan. Daunis is biracial and struggles to find her place and bridge the divide between her white mother's family and her Indigenous family. I find small town community stories incredibly absorbing as they feel emotional and intimate. Whilst I think there could a have been a bit of an edit to create a bit more intensity it was still a reasonably well paced story. The last third was utterly gripping and I felt fully invested in Daunis and the future of her community. An incredible debut.
I just want to add that this book made it to the Times Best 100 YA books ever written so it's definitely worth reading....more
CW: (view spoiler)[father attempts to kill himself with a gun however it blows away part of his head and he is left with severe long term injuries andCW: (view spoiler)[father attempts to kill himself with a gun however it blows away part of his head and he is left with severe long term injuries and needs constant care. His son found him after and there are descriptions of the bloody injury and scene, alcohol, inappropriate adult/young person relationships, affair, talk of abortion, excessive drinking (hide spoiler)]
Well that was an intense and emotional story!
I actually found it hard to put this one down because of how engaged I was with the characters' stories. Rob was the golden boy until his father's actions tore his world apart. Now he is an isolate counting down the days until he can leave school and his lonely existence. He meets Meagan through a school assignment and together the begin to learn about the struggles each of them faces. I thought Owen was a brilliant supporting character. One thing Brigid does incredibly well, is friendships. They are so relatable and her characters feel real and easy to connect to. This will be for seniors due to one content warning in particular. I really enjoyed this engaging and heartfelt story about looking past what you see on the surface, and the importance of understanding other people's perspectives. ...more
UPDATE: 24/12/2022 - Rereading Book 1 and 2 in preperation to read book 3! Still an incredibly engaging YA novel on second read!
Original review
CW: (UPDATE: 24/12/2022 - Rereading Book 1 and 2 in preperation to read book 3! Still an incredibly engaging YA novel on second read!
Original review
CW: (view spoiler)[off page domestic violence, death of loved one, death from heart condition, car accident, gun violence. (hide spoiler)]
Well that was gripping!
I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzly YA mystery. The 'game' aspect was so engaging and excellently done. I found myself wishing I had some big life puzzle to solve because the biggest mystery in my life is where the socks disappear to and why can't a pair disappear rather than one from each set? Why! Each character felt distinct in their voice and character traits. I salute the author for this because it can be difficult when you have a full cast actively involved in the story to establish so many different identities. The story was intricately plotted and left enough options open to keep Readers guessing. I am excited for what's to come in this series!
*whispers* hopefully the love triangle subplot disappears...more
CW: There are some significant triggers in this book (view spoiler)[sexual content, suicide, revenge porn, dealing with grief, alcohol/drugs, abortionCW: There are some significant triggers in this book (view spoiler)[sexual content, suicide, revenge porn, dealing with grief, alcohol/drugs, abortion, bullying, adultery, statutory rape, manipulation, graphic self harm and disordered eating (hide spoiler)]
Well that was a fabulous slow burn mystery!
I loved the traditional 'whodunnit' feel of this book as it explores the characters, their pasts, and potential motives. The author did a remarkable job of immersing us in these four characters' experiences of the same wedding event, and that in itself was fascinating. BUT THEN! After a particularly jaw-dropping reveal I could not put the book down. I think it was also clever that it is not immediately apparent who the victim is. This means I was paying close attention to every interaction and sideways glance to see if I could establish a likely scenario. This is not a novel where lots of "stuff" happens, the intrigue comes from the characters interactions with each other, hence the slow burn. The remote and creepy setting added to the tension with it's hidden caves, howling winds and treacherous terrain. Thoroughly entertaining experience!...more
Well that was a thoroughly entertaining zombie romp! Plenty of terrifying undead gorging on screaming humans. A couple of central characters that are engaging, especially little Peter. Some isolated soldiers trying to find a safe location to defend, and hordes of the walking dead (and the odd scary running ones) sweeping over the country and tearing apart any living creatures in their path. A good example of classic, mindless zombie fiction. I am moving to book 2 immediately because I need to know what happens to Peter!...more
CW: (view spoiler)[Mental health - psychosis, anxiety, depression, dealing the the loss of a loved one, drugs/alcohol, possible suicide discussed in tCW: (view spoiler)[Mental health - psychosis, anxiety, depression, dealing the the loss of a loved one, drugs/alcohol, possible suicide discussed in the book. (hide spoiler)]
A very good book about a girl dealing with mental illness. As a reader it becomes quite intense as Neena increasingly experiences psychotic episodes. You become unsure about what is real or imagined along with her. The tension was built up slowly enough that initially you felt she was an unreasonable and egocentric teenager, but as she becomes more paranoid and irrational you realise her mental health is spiralling downwards. I found myself quite drawn to her as a character as her voice felt very authentic. It was also interesting to read about how her Pakistani culture impacted how her illness was dealt with, and also the cultural pressures she perceived to exist from her parents. There was also some beautiful writing in the book. A very moving book about dealing with loss, anxiety and mental illness. ...more
CW: (view spoiler)[Prostitution to get money for medicine, suicide in order to blow up building, swearing (hide spoiler)]
Well the movie is nothing likCW: (view spoiler)[Prostitution to get money for medicine, suicide in order to blow up building, swearing (hide spoiler)]
Well the movie is nothing like this novel! The movie was a gimmicky take on what is actually a very gritty book. Things are bleak in this futuristic world created by Stephen King during his ‘Bachman’ writing period. Desperate impoverished people enter themselves into televised game shows in order to earn money to feed their families. The outcome of these games often spells death for the contestants themselves but a shot at survival for their families. Ben Richards enters in order to earn money for his daughter's medical treatments. The concept is brilliant and this is evident by the number of authors that have clearly taken inspiration from this 1982 novel. The writing is quite rough and raw and this sets the tone perfectly for what is a fast paced story of a man struggling to reclaim some sense of control and purpose in his life. I didn’t find Ben to be a likeable character but I felt strongly and emotionally connected to what his continued survival meant in terms of ‘sticking it to the man’. An excellent ‘under-dog’ story of a man pushed to his limits in a relentless struggle to survive. Thoroughly recommend....more
CW: (view spoiler)[sexual content, domestic violence, underage sex, cheating, drunk driving, abortion, drugs, alcohol, homomi4.5 Stars rounded up to 5
CW: (view spoiler)[sexual content, domestic violence, underage sex, cheating, drunk driving, abortion, drugs, alcohol, homomisia, bimisia, lesbomisia, suicide, loss of loved ones in car accident and illness, misogyny (hide spoiler)]
Well that was an absolutely amazing reading experience!
I could not stop listening to this incredibly well narrated, beautifully written, and engaging story until I got through to the emotional and lovely last line. It felt like I was listening to a yarn. A smoothly told tale of an actress fighting to establish herself in an industry that saw women as pretty baubles. The writing was wonderful and it seemed to just flow and sweep me into this world of glamorous facades. I loved every moment of it. ...more
CW: There were some unpleasant attitudes to the role of women and a lack of regard for the lives of black people in the community. Some of these attitCW: There were some unpleasant attitudes to the role of women and a lack of regard for the lives of black people in the community. Some of these attitudes didn’t seem to fit with the 1990s as Fiona expressed in her earlier review. Shout out to the Cantabs!
CW: (view spoiler)[ Rape, horrible killing of black man with racist motivations, suicide attempt, suicides as a result of their emotional state after vampire attacks. (hide spoiler)]
Well y’all aside from some of the things described in the content warning this was a great book! I mean seriously, middle aged book club housewives turned vampire slayers? Brilliant! I was pretty stressed during some really tense moments which is a refreshing change as I rarely find supposed thrillers all that thrilling but during the attic scene I was a bundle of nerves. To me this was perfect as an audiobook as it really gave you a sense of the different characters due to the excellent voice acting. I like how the story took place over a number of years as I felt quite immersed in the lives of the people in the community. I gotta say that was seriously the best (view spoiler)[dispatching of a villain I have ever read. They were so practical, calm and efficient. It was hilarious when they were discussing different cleaning methods. (hide spoiler)] Women rule! I thoroughly recommend this book for 16+ and am adding it to my favourites....more
Wowsers I really enjoyed that! Such a fun action adventure story about the powerful and brilliant women in the DC world. Everything just made sense, fWowsers I really enjoyed that! Such a fun action adventure story about the powerful and brilliant women in the DC world. Everything just made sense, from the friendships to the love interests to the motives of the characters driving the action forward. Everything. The characters had depth and dimension. A great example of the blurred lines between heroes and villains in the hero genre. SJM does it again....more
**spoiler alert** CW: Kidnapping of teenager who then gets inseminated in order to give the kidnapper a baby. Girl is then left to die in a locked roo**spoiler alert** CW: Kidnapping of teenager who then gets inseminated in order to give the kidnapper a baby. Girl is then left to die in a locked room. Man shoots himself (off page). ...more
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