Sandra
First, thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy for an honest review.Secondly, it must be pointed out that The Call of Cassandra Rose has some heavy topics within the book. I will be listing the trigger warnings to help my fellow readers out. TW/CW:1 Sex SceneAbuse (physical, mental, emotional, verbal)Suggested Hints of past child abuseSelf-injurious behavior (Self-harm: Suicide Ideation Self-Harm Cutting Scars)Drug Use: (Drug Addiction Alcoholism Alcohol/Drug Withdrawal/Drugging Someone Against Their Will)Eating Disorder (forced upon by someone else)PregnancyDeathEscalating Violence: ( Described Blood Graphic Violence)Kidnapping/Hostage Situation/Stockholm SyndromeConfrontation of Abuser Nightmares about Traumatic EventsTerminal illness/sickness guilt tripping/gaslightingmanipulationI might be missing some but this is what I can remember.Now, there was a stereotype within the book that should also be mentioned:There is a house cleaner/nanny that is Hispanic/Latino. Often when this character was mentioned, she was used as a filler character. Which she also filled many typical stereotypes. I have mixed feelings about this area.Anyway,This story is a mental thriller that is rather suspenseful in many areas. For me, it was rather hard to put down because I wanted to know what would happen to Mrs. Clarke as she battles the demons of her past and present. I do not remember much of the world-building but what I imagined throughout the story was the rich/fancy side of New York, City. Now, that I reflect upon the world-building or scene-building, there was not much there. Which is fine. I am always thrilled when I can imagine the place instead of having the author describe it for us.The Main Character is named Anabelle, we follow her around as she tries to understand and heal from her past. She has a son named Joshua and is married to a rich man. Her past is rather dark and she was doing good until she started getting calls from her mother. Those calls made her spiral into bad habits. She also started to become paranoid about her husband. Is he cheating and if so with who?...Mr. Clarke:He is rich. Has a great job and loves his child. Without giving away too much. He was predictable and typical.Mrs. Anabelle Clarke is full of fear, self-doubt, and low self-esteem. She has no friends, she ran away from home at a young age. Anabelle loves her son and would do anything for him. So, she enlisted her trust in a hypnotherapist named Cassandra Rose. Will Cassandra Rose help Anabelle?Cassandra Rose:Without spoiling the book, she is a hypnotherapist that is willing to help.Overall, the book was good but also predictable. I knew that (insert character here) was involved as so as I saw those text messages she sent during the weekend. The characters are somewhat relatable in different aspects. Some aspects were unrelatable and cheesy. The background stories follow the same relatable and unrelatable areas.The story has twists and turns but for me, it was not because of (insert name here). It was because of some of the scene descriptions, depicting the events as they are unfolding. I say this is a good debut novel.
Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of this wonderful story.
This fantasy adventure book is a wonderful story to get young readers interested and invested in this genre. Once you finish the Seekers you feel rewarded. The world-building is impeccable. Most times when it comes to young adult fantasy something is always missing but in the Seekers. It does not do that. The fight scenes kept me immersed in the story and made me want more. Plus there is magic!!!! Troy Knowlton, thank you for writing the Seekers and pulling me out of a reading slump. This is a story that a lot of Young-adult fantasy readers will love.
So, it has taken me a while to figure out what I wanted to say about this book. Many other reviewers have already stated the issues within this book and since I am late to the game I will keep this short.
Overall:
This book is very problematic in many ways and treads a very, veryyyy, dangerous line. The stereotypes used throughout this book are disgusting and detrimental to the LGBTQ community, along with the mental health community. This book belongs in the 50's and not 2022. Most of us readers understand that this is dystopian, and it is dark, but this villainizes a marginalized community that already experiences so much discrimination.
First off I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC!
The prologue was good and did its job. It set The Drowned Woods up very well.
I liked the characters but at times they become insufferable due to seeing similar characters done in other books. I feel that the characters are missing something to make them more “unique” or “less forgettable. There were times while readings this that I see a character and just completely bypass that section with good old glazing at the page.
I did love the multiple POVs, but it was flawed. I feel that it could have transitioned better.
The pacing was slow. For me, it was so slow that I got easily distracted. I can deal with the slow pace that picks up, a fast pace that slows down, and even a slow pace that picks up once. But this was constantly slow. The only way I can better describe this is to imagine this as a monotone person.
The ending for me was okay, I feel let down though.
I think if this whole book was written like the prologue was it would have been 5 stars.
Listen Mama is heartbreaking and a wonderfully sad memoir that will make you cry, smile with sadness, and even make you remember your own story (if it is similar).
We meet Manny in the early 90s when he begins his journey through the turbulent waters of his existence as a teenager and we are witnesses to his ordeals and tribulations until the bittersweet but satisfying conclusion of his story, in the late 2000s. This is a good recollection of someone who endured a lot. It hit home for me.
I do recommend being cautious when diving into this story
Some TW's that I saw:
Anxiety, Bipolar, bullying, depression, overall mental illness, death, Domestic abuse, sexual assault, drugs, trauma, food insecurity, and weight issues.
There are more but these are the ones I remember the most.
I am glad that I was given the opportunity to finally cry during a story that hit close to home for me
Thank you, NetGalley
#ListenMama #Netgalley
Hmm, not sure how to articulate my thoughts.
I am not even sure If I think this is three stars or lower.
For me, this did not work. I also do not know if I would recommend this book or not. It seemed lackluster. I only enjoyed one story out of the book and it was Shooting Stars (One Bed). For the rest of them, I wanted them to end faster due to several different aspects. Most of the stories (for me) are bland.
I.... I Just... Do not know what else to say...
Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read this.
I am not even sure how to start this.
Just like mother is a decent ride.
When it comes to books like this I do not get easily rattled and most times I can guess what happens next. I did know what will happen next in this book because, well It reminded me of a few movies combined. Books like this have been done before, same with movies and due to my age. It gets repetitive and cliche.
It is a “fast” read, but for me, it was predictable including the ending.
sigh
It could have been one of those good textbooks.
But...
It was more of a hassle to understand what is going on in each chapter.
It has a weird shift. First it will provide information, define terminology, etc (typically college textbook). Then out of nowhere it shifts into a story, scenario, or something. It is easy to miss and by the time you notice, you are already half way done with the chapter.
Most of the information within the book is just repeat information from other classes that I have taken. So, if this is the first SCS class then this book will benefit you.
I do however like the “straight to the point” aspect of the book. I just do not like the strange shifts that I have seen.
I normally rate all my college books 3 stars to be fair and unbiased
Where to start?
The prologue in The Book of Souls grabbed my attention. For me, I was wondering “what is going on”? As it progressed I wanted more and to know more. Then the prologue ends and we finally make our way to the first chapter. Which takes place in a different setting that is completely normal. Talk about an attention grabber. Loved it.
As I devoured the rest of this book (without giving too much away), this book kept me wanting more.
One scene that stuck out to me the most was Jack calling for help but instead, he was told to let the holy spirit in. I felt that. That pain of relying on someone but never receiving help except in the phrases of “God heals” or “believe in god”. That scene made me emotional because I have been there. I am glad the dad did help jack come morning.
This book was thrilling from start to finish. It is a fast-paced read. Overall I would rate this book 4.5 stars.
Fabulous second book. It was slow in the start but picked up.
My thoughts:
WHAT he is a MistBorn now, he has very little character growth and becomes a MistBorn all because of one mist spirit. I can't.
That twist of betrayal though. I didn't see that coming at all.
I was hoping more for zane.
Good book though.
Not bad for a three year old or younger but... It felt like pages are missing or ideas are missing.
First, it talks about a science fair coming up and the little kid has never won one. Then it quickly goes into “trying to trap a dinosaur”. The dinosaur avoids the first trap then by the second trap the story feels off or missing. This continues until the very end.
Decent though, needs work.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy of Light Fighters by Palmer Pickering.
This is an absolute gem of a book. It is a wonderful read and it is long, but in the end, it is worth it. The writer is well one of my new authors that are on my “will always buy” list. Sci-Fi readers will love this book (maybe I am just behind in that area). The character development and world-building are amazing. That is a major thing for me. It was also done very well.
I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-Arc copy.
Let us start :).
I read Forestborn when it came out and was amazed at the story. Wildbound on the other hand JUST elevates the story to a new level.
The characters mesh into the plot without being “clunky”. Someone already touched on Helos, so I will not. You could feel the love and heartbreak. I am not sure how to explain it without giving away spoilers. I know this story will draw your attention and you will be able to feel the emotions lifting off the page.
The way all of the characters interacted warmed my cold, dead heart to the point of melting (the aforementioned four rounds of tears). It was so heartbreaking seeing how these characters were affected by the war with Eradain, but again,
A complaint that does not take away my rating but will help the author. Create a designated page in the front that has a list of all the possible trigger warnings within the story. There are battle scenes and Helso has PTSD. The battle scenes, for me and only me, feel slow. Do not come for me, I like them because they fit well with the story. I have just got done reading a book with intense battle scenes, so adjusting from that book to this book makes those scenes slow for me.
.
The author has grown since her Forestborn, she has honed her craft even more.
I won't touch on relationships because that is just not my strength.
This is a fast read, I just took my time because I wanted to enjoy every second of this book. This is a fairly simple read, not too complex but not so simple that it feels mundane. Overall, it is a good book.
I can not say perfect because nothing is perfect but it is a good read.
The plot follows a young woman named Doris who hires a Vampire Hunter named D to kill the vampire that bit her.
There are a lot of elements in this plot. You have Doris relying on D to fight and defeat Count Magnus Lee, the vampire that attacked Doris. The Count aims to turn Doris into a vampire so he can have her as his wife. The Count's daughter is trying to prevent this union. There is a lot more in this story that will take me forever to type but it is pretty good.
The book does deserve praise. Despite that Kikuchi writes kinda flowery. The characters are well-written and the setting is well developed.
My issue and the reason why It is 4 stars is because of the audiobook. I spent 4 years being an audio editor and learning how to clean them up to make them sound smooth.
Let me explain, humans, make a lot of sounds with their mouths that they might not know that they are doing. These sounds can be ticks, sighs, teeth sounds, the pronunciation of letters that are drawn out, lisps that affect how one may pronounce letters, etc. In this audiobook, the S sound is very strong. For me, it is hard to miss because that should have been cut down or noted by the editors for removal. What I mean by noted is sometimes, you need permission before you can cut something out/down in the audiobooks.
Anyway, that strong sound of S is hard to miss in the first chapter. It does get better as the story progresses but for me, it's annoying my audio editor side due to how strong it is compared to all the other words and letters within this story. There are also breath sounds within this audio that should have been cleaned up but overall pretty good book. I enjoyed it.