Devi Nair
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When the target is YA, the story has to be fascinating and engaging. DOTMC covers these aspects nicely. The story is about two 7 year old who get stuck in book world.
The book is first part of a series and therefore, is left on a cliff hanger. Ayana and Tyler are average 7 year old who came together by chance and became good friends. Then they come across a book, which gives spells to conjure dragon. The book is about how they conjure new dragons every month and suddenly, due to a mishap, they find themselves in the world of books in Tyler's bedroom.
The book feels more of Middle grade than Young Adult. The story is sweet and nice. The merging of various books, some imaginary and some existing books, into the original book was truly beautiful. The characters are sweet and the friendship between them is adorable. The book would be an amazing read for pre-teens and early teenagers.
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When you are attempting to replicate legends, you should be very focused and detail oriented, because the people who read such novels are hard-core fans of these legends and will not compromise on quality. Dame Agatha Christie is the Goddess of Mystery, in my opinion. So, when “Monogram Murders” came out, I was very excited to meet Poirot again with his French exclamations and over-the-top attitude. However, I was to be terribly disappointed.
The story started fast and well. The initial feel of the book was authentic and nostalgic. However, as the story progressed, Hercule Poirot changed considerably. The much-too-humble Poirot felt like a completely different person. Catchpool was added and played the role of Watson. However, many a times through the book, it is shown that Poirot almost missed out on several important points and Catchpool in fact saved the day. However, Catchpool is too immature or too much of a novice to be a detective. Therefore, Poirot depending on such a person to gain insights is something far too impossible to imagine. All this is very different from the Poirot I know and admire.
The comes the climax – which lasted a good 4 chapters. Who puts climax for so long? Towards the end, I was so bored that I did not have the patience to even finish the climax. With a seemingly dumb Poirot and a never-ending Climax, I really have almost no stars to give this book. 1 star just so I could meet Poirot again, even if it was only for a couple of initial chapters
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The girl on the train is a debut book by Paula Hawkins. That and the grand reception the book received got me really intrigued about the contents of it. The blurb also appeared far too enticing and finally I bought the book. Reading it together with Denise really brought more insight into the book and what it was lacking.
The book is about the observations of a girl in a train and the consequences when she plans to act on them. It has enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The plot of the story takes you on a roller coaster ride where everyone appears to be guilty. Not only is it fast, it also maintains its pace through most of the book.
However, the characters could have been better. Instead of feeling empathy with the protagonist, the main feeling that comes is pity and a slight disgust. Rachel is this sad lonely woman who no one will glance at twice and even if they do, it will be to step away from her and wrinkle their nose.
The male characters were passable. The relationship Rachel had with Tom, Jason and the therapist brought out how lonely and desperate she was. However what truly disappointed me was the ending. It was very abrupt and lots of questions remained unanswered at the end. It did not give a closure to the otherwise interesting story.
All this gives Girl on the train a 3 star rating. It is an interesting read but be prepared to remain dissatisfied at the end.
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The story is a perfect bedtime story. It is about a girl and her friendship with moon. Little children have a wonderful and vivid imagination. Giving ideas for such imagination to rise is a perfect way to encourage children to creative in life. It also supports in improving social skills and vocational skills. The concept of the book is beautiful and so are the illustrations. Every child should be given an opportunity to read and understand such books.
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After Project Ark, I had huge expectations from Operation Earth. Mia McAdams learnt a lot from Usonia and now was coming to Earth along with Stella, to implement those learning and to take back a few reformed Earthlings back to Usonia. However, the book had little to talk about their implementation and more about how Stella is not able to adjust to the Earth's environment and how she was adjusting to meeting her ex-Earthling boyfriend.
It was slightly disappointing as I was looking forward to reading how children can go ahead and make changes in the world today. But it was more of YA romance kind of feel through the book. Hopefully, the next book will have some more interesting twists and turns in the story, like the first one.
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Once in a while you come across a murder mystery so twisted to make your head spin in all directions. And that is when it hits you again why you love murder mystery so much. River Bride is really an amazing book. It truly brings out the essence of whodunnit it a refreshed way.
Alvina Moon gets entangled in a controversial murder investigation when she falls for Del Musgrave the loner artist. Melissa with her stern belief that her husband deserves to be behind bars and Violet with a photographic memory makes Alvina realize that there is something strange in the air. However, further she goes into the mystery, the body count increases and the accused starts appearing less and less guilty. So who killed the au pair girl?
The suspense is sure to leave you spell bound. The character development is good and the story is engaging. The climax is sure to touch your heart. The plot slacks at times and the pace could have been faster. Overall a 4 star thriller
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A sweet romantic story with suspense hidden all through it. Alexis Mabry is a successful lady with disastrous love life. She is also someone who is not fond of showing off wealth. So when she comes across Baxter who is super rich too, but does not show off, she is confused. The story takes us through the lives of two people who are perfect for each other, only if they manage to overcome the immense wealth that is between them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The plot and the characters were well described. The story was making sense all through it. The chemistry between Alexis and Baxter is envious and dreamy. As much a perfect love story as it is possible. The couple from the previous book also plays a good role in this book. So those who are following the series will enjoy the second book more because of the good continuity in it.
However, one thing was entirely left out, which was the reason for Alexis' distaste for successful men. There were some reference to her past love life, but it was not entirely explained. That left an empty and incomplete feeling at then end of the story. I am assuming it must be because it is a part of the series and I started reading from #2. However, all the websites suggest all the books in the series as stand alone and as having different stories. But, even though everything else was perfect, the incompleteness of the story left a bad taste when it came to an end.
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Divorce is a thing which has a tendency to kill all the romantic feeling between the estranged couple. But Kienna works in a Bridal Store where she sells romance everyday. Therefore, although she wants to stop feeling, romance is deeply embedded in her. So when the handsome Blake comes by, she finds it very difficult to not have feelings for him. But he is the groom of her client. If they are meant to be together, why is Blake marrying someone else?
A typical romance story. Two skeptical people meet and love emerges. The thing here is it is not very romantic. It is curt. The story is not like a fairy tale where everything is lovey dovey. It is a complicated mature love story. Complicated because the couple goes through a lot of doubts before finally coming together.
If you are looking for a typical love story which will make your heart flutter, this book is not for you. This is more for those readers who understand the dark undertone in romance and appreciates it. It is an interesting read and a very different kind of love story.
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It does not take long for the course of life to drastically change. Cat did not expect such a thing to happen to her when she took up the case of the Burning Man. However things hit home very hard when the case turns personal and someone close get intimately involved in the crime. The story is about a psychotic serial killer and a pathologist who gets too close to catching him. The story is line is decent and maintains enough pace to keep the reader flipping fast through pages. The characters are given enough depth to give background but not too much to make it boring. The flow is steady and almost no flaws in language.
Cat is shown as a very strong lady who faces pure evil and manages to come out of it alive. The mood is very dark throughout the book which is in sync with the theme. It gives an authentic feel while reading. Although slightly typical, the story still retains interest. The end of the book feels like a cliff hanger. It seems more is yet to come from Solange Ritchie. I look forward for the continuation, if any.
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What starts off as a simple wedding between two people who were marrying for convenience, turns out to be a full blown murder mystery. Suzy was all set to marry her fiance when she comes across a devastating secret about him. But just as she was about to call off the wedding, her fiance gets killed. Now it seems her life is in danger as well.
The story hits the road running. The pace is set right from page 1 and is maintained throughout the book. There are so many twists and turns throughout the story to keep you engrossed and guessing the outcome. The series of events given one after the other are perfectly in sync and with such precision to never let you off track. The language is simple and not too fancy.
The only issue I found here is the number of characters. There are way too many characters in the story. Of course everyone is given some definite purpose, but the sheer number is enough to confuse you as to who is who and what was the purpose. This adds some complexity of the story and many a times you are forced to go back a few pages to understand the reason for a particular character. Because the story is super fast paced, these pit stops in the reading pace gives an unsettling and impatient feel to the entire story. The desired satisfaction is not obtained when it ends.
The excessive number of characters took away the intensity and amaze of the story. But the story in itself is wonderful. Gina has a definite talent with super fast paced mysteries. Looking forward to her next one
Super Hero and villains exchange their roles and everyone becomes the good guys for one novel. But if everyone are good guys and there is still a crime committed, that means someone is hiding behind a mask. And that is where Dane Curse comes in. Dane Curse is a super Villain turned detective for anyone who has an interesting case. And what can be more interesting that to investigate the murder of the city's beloved White Caped Hero?
The story is interesting and different. The scene setting of the entire book feels right out of Starling City or Gotham City or any other city from comics. The Super Hero – Super Villain fights are constant irrespective of what either of their intentions are. It is like cat and mouse. They are enemies no matter who is doing what. But that adds to the fun element of the story. The language used is nice and humorous. Dane Curse as a character must have been very difficult to create. He is a bad ass villain who is so used to being a bad ass but suddenly becomes good for his mother.
The only thing I felt as a drawback was the length of the novel. Considering super hero and super villains, children or Young Adults would have loved to read it. But the story is a bit too long for young people to maintain attention. Only someone who absolutely adores to read can manage to finish the entire book patiently. The pace of the story slacks at places which diverts the reader's attention. It could have been shorter and more crisper than the current state.
Other than that, it scored in all the avenues. It is definitely a fun and unique reading experience.
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Genre: Suspense / Drama / Family
My Review:
The relationship between siblings are always funny. They never start of as best friends. Sometimes it is remains strained throughout their lives. Sometimes it becomes better with time and siblings become best friends. Sometimes it starts off well but sours down the lane. Lynne and Hope is about two such sisters, who started off on a positive note but soured over the time because of an accident which resulted in Hope confined to a wheelchair.
The story is really very interesting and gripping. The core of the story is the relationship between Lynne and Hope. The way it changes and transforms with various events that happen in their life is a really interesting thing to read. The language is very simple and easily put, which makes the reading experience very smooth. The flow of the story is engaging and powerful. It is said from the point of view of both the sisters, which gives us the complete picture of the scenario.There is a pull in the story which makes you feel like you are an immediate part of their lives and not just a bystander watching the movie go by. There is an emotional connection which comes to the characters because they are so well-developed that they almost feel real and sitting right next to you.
A very interesting mystery novel to be read by anyone who likes such types of book, Lynne and Hope is highly recommended to everyone.
Star Rating : 5 Stars
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We all make mistakes in our lives, some of us are very regular in making them and some are not. Sometimes the mistakes are something that can be easily rectified. However, there are times when a single seemingly umimportant mistake ends up almost ruining your life. And that is what happens to Cathy in Dangerous Associations. Her husband, who she married for love, starts cheating on her. She divorces him thinking that would be the end of it. But he soon turns to drugs and a whole nightmare unfolds for Geoffrey, Cathy and Rob.
The story has a good concept and good character definition. The characters are well placed and easy to relate with. The language is not abrupt. It is good enough to go with and smooth. However I have my reservations about the flow of the story. Most of the story is from Cathy's point of view. But right in the middle, out of nowhere, Geoffrey's point of view comes. Even another character's story is shown right in the middle. They were relevant to the story, of course. But because of the abrupt change in story perspective, the flow breaks considerably. It could have done as alternate chapters from each perspective so that there is a uniformity in the flow.
Overall, the story was good. Just apart from the flow and therefore, the style of narration, I loved the story and the plot. It is really engaging and exciting till the end.
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Genre: Sci Fi / Short Story / Romance Suspense
My Review:
“Dream Job” takes dreams and science fiction, merges them and takes them to a completely different level altogether. The story starts in a typical manner with a passing relationship that ends abruptly and an erotic crush on the boss. But very soon, a twists comes with the concept of dream stalking. Is it really dream stalking? Or is it just the subconscious mind working over time? Very soon, as the story comes to an end, another dramatic twist comes which completely shifts the story upside down and brings another whole new concept of dream editing using technology.
Although the start is a bit confusing and soon into the story, it feels like it is going neither here nor there, that is how Mickey wants us to feel while she prepares to deliver the final punch in the end. There are some sensual scenes in the book, but they are tastefully done and does not appear vulgar or too erotic. The story, however, is not for everyone. It can only be understood and appreciated by those who like science fiction. It is slightly heavy and requires imagination to grasp the suspense and climax of the story. For others, the subtlety can be easily lost, thereby missing out on the whole point of the book. That is the only drawback of the book. Otherwise it is a bomb in a small package.
Star Rating : 4.5 Stars
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I started this series right at the end of it. However, being a stand alone, it did nothing to hamper my interest in the story. The story does not require any background for the reader to understand, no matter which part you are starting from. But this story does make you want to read the remaining stories as well. Contemporary Romance has a way of having repetitive stories. However, “Fighting for Keeps” manages to keep you entertained and hooked on to the book even though you know where the story is headed.
The 5th part of the book focuses on Noah and Lindsay. The romance is sweet and innocent. The determination of Lindsay to keep her brother's kids with her irrespective of what her own family thinks about her capability for that is admirable. The strength of the lady makes her very much unlike the damsels in distress we normally see in Romance novels. It becomes very easy to relate to such a lady and easier to still to appreciate a man who accepts and appreciates such a woman. It is truly a dream come true.
Fighting for Keeps is an amazing novel. With this one being so good, I really have to wonder how the other 4 would be.
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Genre: Series / Romance / Romantic Suspense / Mystery
My Review:
After Tristan and Connor, it is now Riley's turn to find love. Being a Marine sniper, Riley Kendall is the most macho but least emotional person among the siblings. So when he falls for the assassin Jordan Hunt, it was bound to be exciting and action filled.
Riley's story is very much more interesting than Tristan's or Connor's. While both the earlier stories had one true love as the underlying concept, this one is more practical and something which is really easy to imagine happening in real life. Jordan and Riley had to really work with each other to convince each other that they are meant to be, and then they also had to work on convincing Riley's family about it too. Nothing was too much easy or too much fairy-tale like in their story. It was all practical and hands on for them.
I liked the boldness and straight forwardness of the plot and the characters. The flow this time was much better than the first two books, although I liked both of them too. It shows how Randi is evolving with her stories and the way of writing. With such tremendous improvement, I am truly looking forward to her next book. Kendall siblings truly are having a very interesting life.
Star Rating : 5 Stars
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A love story with a twist so different, it will take some time to wrap the concept around the head. The characters Emmy and William meet during a vacation where Emmy had gone to Edinburgh. It was love at first sight for them and they promised to keep in touch over the years till they unite again. However, very soon the contact reduces to none and the relationship becomes a thing of the past. Then Emmy gets a chance to go back to London to work and William comes back in picture. The story then takes us on their relationship ride by filling the gaps and facing their challenges with them.
The story is a bit childish and immature. The situation where the lovers meet and what happens hence is not something that should ideally happen. However there is no denying that such people do exist and such situations can be believable with a stretch of an imagination. The flow of the story is predictable and typecast. Right in the middle of the story, most of the suspense gets revealed, which makes the further story too much typical.
The language is a bit on the repetitive side. Certain phrases does so much rounds in the book that it becomes predictive. The characters are given good depth, which gives some base to the story. Only for the characters can you manage to continue reading the book. Otherwise there is nothing exciting or fascinating about the entire concept.
Genre: Mystery / Drama / Suspense
My Review:
The story starts with the typical life of Evelyn Emerson who is a successful businesswoman. It soon follows into her married life and then involves all of her sisters. Due to the “tremendous” stress in their lives, they all plan to take a vacation, which eventually leads to even more stress. The entire story then goes on about how they handle this “additional stress”.
The story is pompous right from the word “go”. The family is too proud of its heritage and makes no effort to hide it at every page of the book. The women are very proud of themselves too, to a point of being arrogant. The story in itself is mildly amusing. A sense of mystery is maintained throughout the book. That manages to engage the reader throughout the book allowing them to come till the very end.
Star Rating : 3 Stars
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Books which give something to think are always something which I enjoy reading. After reading “Just around the bend”, although it was the second book, I was sure “On the other hand” would be amazing. And the book not only kept up with the expectations, but it also surpassed it.
Renee challenges the way you think about daily activities. It is a fresh outlook to various things happening around us which we ignore most of the times. Right from the catchy titles of the chapters to the absorbing matter written in all the chapters, The book goes from very light subjects like Open mindedness and interaction to very heavy topics like Fear of Dying and Who am I? in a very smooth flow.
The language is kept very simple for anyone to understand. The words touch your mind in a spark kind of way. The struggles
Renee has yet again created a brilliant book filled with creative thoughts about our lives. I hope for everyone to read it and enjoy the thought process that happen with the book. 5 stars for the complete package
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Clarissa and Paw are out with another mystery. Sandra never ceases to surprise the readers with totally new and exciting short stories of the two most lovable characters of mystery genre. This time, Clarissa and Paw are out to search for a missing stage actor, after he mysteriously vanishes leaving all his belongings behind.
Clarissa is developing with every book. The depth of her character shows maturity with every story. Paw becomes more and more of an expert in hunting for clues. By reading the stories from the start, you can see how the characters grow with each book and how the author gains experience and improves with every mystery.
This book keeps up with the expectations I have come to set up with Clarissa and Paw. In the last book, I wanted a bit of romance for Clarissa and I found it this time. It is perfectly flaw less. Wonderful read for anyone who loves adventure and mystery of any age group
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Yet another Indian author comes up with an interesting mystery. Checkmate is a story on terrorist hijacking of a plane. When you start the story, it feels like any other Bollywood terrorist movie ever made. The start of the book is quick and to the point. As the story proceeds, the story takes a turn for interesting-ville. The twist in the story happens in the middle, unlike the stereotypical end. The twist is unexpected and really makes you read it again to understand where the story changed lines.
However, the narration is dry and does not manage to keep the interest alive, as much as the story deserves it. There is a monotonous feel to the way the story is told, which kills the joy of the suspense, very much like how typical History professors manage to kill the interesting historical events by their tone. The characters are not given enough depth but a bit too much background. There was some more potential for Vikram in the story, which could have been explored, instead of bringing in his love life.
Stars are definitely deserved by the story line, pace and the twist. So a 3 star rating in spite of the amazing thriller.
Cozy murder mysteries are fun to read for the simple fact that they are cozy and yet there are dead bodies to be solved. “On the Road...” is no less and manages to engage the reader right from the start till the very end. Emily and Stan Remington are a retired couple who take up an RV and travel. Emily is a retired cop and Stan is a college professor. Like the profession of the couple, Emily is more rational and cop-minded whereas Stan is the soft hearted professor.
There is a lot of witty humor and wisecracks throughout the story. The character depth given is beautiful and does not go over the top. Factoring children and grand children into the picture is also flawless and smooth. There were times when I felt the story is going a bit too slow. It could have been a tad more faster. That was the only drawback. Otherwise, the story was wonderful and gripping. The mystery kept on going till the very end and there was a proper closure given to the story.
Star Rating : 4 Stars
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Surface Tension is a Science fiction based short story of a very interesting incident with an alien on earth. It is loosely based on ET with the exception that the alien here is well evolved. Although ideally I would have wanted the alien to play the main character in the story, I can very well settle with the current pivotal role played in the story.
The characters of Rachel and Max are very believable, although lack a certain depth to it. They come across as stereotypical and being too mechanical. The story covers all the bases by just touching upon all of them. It should have been a full length novel and not a short story. It feels more like a summary than a story with the current manner.
In spite of all this, the story is entertaining. No points can be given for character depth and overall feel of the story. But 1 point for fun, 1 point for the alien, 1 point for the climax. A total of 3 stars for the story.
Very rarely do you come across a book, which makes you feel a movie on this book would be so much amazing. Gone Girl was one such book. And here is the second one. I was skeptical about taking this book up as I felt it to have disturbing content in it. But I was really wrong and the story is as much positive as it goes. In fact a bit too much of it.
The story is about a twin searching for her missing twin. The on and off support of family and friends throughout the story keeps the roller coaster ride very active and jumpy with fun. The ultimate twist with the climax is completely unbelievable but super exciting. The flow of the story is steady without losing pace anywhere. Suspense is kept alive till the very last page. Every character in the book feels suspicious at every stage of the story and ‘Whodunnit' question keeps hanging at every turn of the page.
The story is built with an average number of central characters, which helps keep confusion away as to who is who.
But one thing where the story takes a fall is the believability of the characters. Every one in the book is too good to each other. It feels sickly sweet at times. That makes the characters feel fake and the story to be happening in a make-belief world. We all know that the people around us, even those who are very close to us, are not super nice all the times. This takes away one star from the rating
Other than that, it is a definite movie material book. Totally loved it
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Monica's Match is a typical Contemporary Romance Novels. But for someone like me who loves Contemporary Romance, the journey remains interesting even though the end is known. Boy meets girl and both fall in love. But complications arise which leads them to the question “Can they be together?”. Yes, the typical love story. But the characters are very interesting. Monica is this strong-minded business woman who monetizes her gifts very efficiently. However she has this rule of naught dating clients. And Jeremiah is hell-bent on making her make an exception. Jeremiah is a well-developed character, who we can easily relate with someone who has lived in a farm forever. The ideals and values of someone who is home-oriented and lives with grandparents are truly heart warming to read.
The story flows effortlessly and smoothly. The language is soft and easy. The feel around the book is romantic, soft and light-hearted. The only issue I had was that the climax was wrapped up on just a couple of pages. Waiting till the last moment to set out the suspense and just give half a page to it was too much of a killer, in my opinion. But that is just one drawback. Otherwise, the story scored in narration, language, romance, smoothness, everything. It is a wonderful read in one go and come out feeling happy, refreshed and so much in love. 4 out of 5 stars for the sweet romantic book.