Wayward
Like the perfect dichotomy of tall, broad Tobias and slender, lovely Silver, mystical woods and ancient things, strange and magical is one side of the dichotomy of the very human wants, regrets, fears, and longings in Drowned Country. It's a lovely balance of the supernatural and the human and kept me hooked and enchanted by this world.
Just as in the first book, Tobias and Silver are not the heroes I'm used to, but they're heroes nonetheless, if full of faults. Faults is what makes them so relatable. In fact, while there were times I was questioning their choices and characteristics, I couldn't help but love them in the end, faults and all, perhaps more than other characters from other stories with more “noble” faults.
And somehow, in the span of a novella, there's character growth. Tobias and Silver don't remain totally static. They emotionally grow, and they learn a little more about each other, and honestly, though there were times the plot moved along a little slowly for a novella, especially in the first half, I appreciated the journey once I'd reached the end. Besides, I feel I must expect a somewhat slow pace at times from characters part of a wood. Nature moves inevitably, but at its own pace.
Altogether, while I have a few small critiques, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the development of not only the world Tesh created, but her lovely characters and their relationship. An absolute must-read sequal. These two books go hand-in-hand and while you could technically end the first book satisfied, you'll never have the full, beautiful picture that Drowned Country grants.
Definitely recommend this duology.
Silver in the Wood was like a new kind of fairytale. A fairytale of the trees and the woods and the things that sometimes live there. It was dry and green and earthy. The entire book smelled of leaves and dirt, and I felt like I was watching decades pass, slow, and warm like sun-dried earth, though only a fraction of that time actually passed in the present of this story.
The romance was almost subtle, and while I felt the attraction, it wasn't full of viseral things, but was growing, like a sapling. It was a cozy backdrop to an otherwise lingering story of age-old monsters sleeping beneath the trees.
While Tobias wasn't the hero that I usually find and enjoy in stories, he was likeable, a giant teddy bear of a man, aware of his own intimidating figure, yet kind and gentle. While Silver was a soft, young sapling of a character, fresh and dewy and sweet, fascinated with the myths and the stories and with Tobias himself. He was absolutely charming, I loved his sweet soul.
Of course, this was a novella at just over 100 pages long, or 2 hours and 20 minutes if you're listening to the audiobook, so while I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into the characters, their histories, and the myths, especially the true ones, surrounding Tobias, his forest, and his history with the beautiful monster, Fabian, this was a lush, warming, enchanted look into a world full of things not quite human hiding in the shadows, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hopefully we'll get a few more details in its sequel!
Any triggers in this book would be very mild, but I'll list them just in case. TW's
~Firearms
~Gunshot wound
~Kidnappings
4.5* rounded up
The Monster of Elendhaven was like an entire story of poetry. Lyrical, artful, concise, vivid, and beautiful. Intoxicating in its darkness.
“Elend” translates to misery, an apt name for a dark little town in the edge of a gray shore in the shadow of a mountain where strange monsters and disease both run rampant, coaxed by dark magic.
(Trigger warnings for The Monster of Elendhaven are located at the bottom of the review)
Where to even begin?
I just finished this book - a book I stayed up late to read, something I almost never do anymore - and then sat in the dark for almost five minutes turning the last two chapters over and over in my mind and feeling all the emotions.
This is a world full of myths and fate, and yet it's all somehow contained in a novella.
Giesbrecht is a master storyteller, from character-building to writing style, she shows not tells. As a reader, I was led to a lot of conclusions about feelings and thoughts and actions rather than told. Everything was in sharp focus, but with only as much information as necessary. It's obvious Giesbrecht trusts in the ability of the reader to comprehend, which I thoroughly appreciate but have only seen in a handful of some of my favorite novels. There's no need for superfluous detail when every scene is sharp and tingly.
I want to live in worlds this author creates forever. When's her next book? I need it.
Florian and Johann were a wonder of character study, dark and unique and conspicuous villains and yet easy to root for.
~•° A monster and his master °•~
No matter the consequences, Iwanted Florian's dark scheme to succeed, while Johann's murderous tendencies were somehow intoxicating and attractive and occasionally humorous through Giesbrecht's skilled hand.
Johann and Florian are unique from one another and yet fit together like a half moon and its dark side with fascinating chemistry. I was not expecting The Monster of Elendhaven to have any type of romance, let alone M/M romance, and yet it did have it. Gloriously.
I didn't know I could feel so much in a horror novel with fade to black romance, but I savored every second, every admiring look, every brush of lips. I listened to scenes over again with my heart in my throat, they were so good. Those scenes played out in my head later, when I was waiting and wanting to come back to this audiobook.
Johann and Florian's dynamic is unequal in an interesting way, both with power and both dangerous. Monster and master, monster willing to be the subject and master willing to give in. It's a dynamic that was cute and charming and dark and delicious all at once, the cherry on top of a wonderful Gothic fantasy horror novel.
The plot of which was character-driven and littered with
twists that kept surprising in a revelatory way right up to the end. Giesbrecht was clearly god when she wrote this book - the past, the present, and the future all laid out before her simultaneously as she wove her tale, knowing all, and feeding you only bits of what you needed to know and when you needed to know it.
I am entranced. I don't say that lightly. I don't find books that scratch before-unknown itches often. I will read whatever else this author puts out, hands down.
I listened to the audiobook for this story, and it was excellent. The narrator was so good I'm going to look up what other books he's done. But I also plan to read The Monster or Elendhaven again in text form because it's the kind of book that's wonderful both ways, and you see things/hear things a little differently depending on how you read it.
Either way, I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone looking for a dark, quirky little horror novel and who enjoys some M/M romance dynamics. The best book I've read this year by far, and one that's going on my Favorites shelf. A spectacular read, but only for the right audience. Is it skillfully crafted? Yes. Will everyone like the actual story? No. If this seems like a story you're curious about, and you're confident it won't trigger you, then try it. A++ Highly recommend. I'm still reeling... and it feels wonderful.
TRIGGER WARNINGS (possible spoilers ahead)
~Non-graphic rape of the MC right in the first few pages when he's still a boy (it's mentioned here and never again; if you can get past this, there's nothing else like it in the rest of the book)
~Gore, lots of murder throughout, some mutilation, pretty intense sometimes, but not gore for the sake of gore; nothing egregiously graphic
~Sickness, plague-like diseases throughout
~Strongly implied past incestuous feelings
~THIS IS A SPOILER READ ONLY AT YOUR OWN RISK (this is not a repeat of any trigger I've already listed) SpoilerMC death
While this isn't the type of 2* book that left me feeling frustrated, it earned its rating from being... mediocre in most areas and bad in others.
The Manor Housetrigger warnings are located at the bottom of the review since some of them are potentially spoiler-y. As far as triggers go, while many, they're pretty “soft”; nothing graphic and most of it was in the past and off-screen but mentioned or implied. However, if you have triggers and are considering The Manor House I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings.
I don't even know how to classify this book. It's not a romance, though there's some terrible “romance” in it. It's not remotely horror or a thriller, and while there's lot of small mysteries in it, I don't know if you could classify it as a mystery, though I guess that would be the closest if I had to pick.
Since I was looking for a horror book when my search results gave me The Manor House I was disappointed that wasn't what I got, but I figured out pretty quickly this was... something else, and adjusted my mindset.
This story is really two stories related to one another around the same house with a main character in the past with her romantic interest and main character in the present with hers.
Both are uninteresting.
But I'll start with the most problematic, the past, Eleanor and Lyndon.
I'm not sure I can describe the depth of my dislike for Lyndon. Through threats and coercion, he forces a naive, sheltered Eleanor to play the “pretend we're a couple” trope. When it's badly done, it's just creepy, not funny or cute.
Eleanor has just escaped from a religious and abusive home, and now finds herself in the hands of Lyndon who's apparently such a gentleman because he doesn't attempt to rape her when they share a bed after he forces her to pretend to be his wife in front of his family.
...
Yep. That's really in the book. Eleanor really thinks that to herself. Wow!! What a gentleman Lyndon is!
He later scares her into standing right next to the train tracks AS A TRAIN IS GOING BY and then randomly kisses her non-consensually. No build up. No chemistry. Just. Pretend you're my wife or I'll send you back to your abusive father and then wham! Kissy kissy while I literally bring you here and force you to stand so close to the tracks you're literally afraid for your life. This is fine, right?
I hadn't completely decided about Lyndon until this scene, but it never got better. In fact, t one point someone had attempted to rape Eleanor, and her - literally her first - thought when she hears Lyndon outside is that she has to convince him it's not her fault.
I... don't even know what to say.
And understand, this isn't like a dark romance book where bad things are done by a dark love interest but maybe it's still good and exciting because it's a fantasy. I've read those.
This is just plain bad. Lyndon is portrayed as a good guy and seen through Eleanor's eyes with rose-colored glasses because? Because? Because he's better than her father, maybe? Because he didn't physically abuse her, technically, when he had the opportunity to?? This is all theory, trying to head-cannon poor, naive Eleanor for trusting this unparalleled jerk who's somehow charming and attractive to her.
Their entire potential romance went down the drain quickly.
As for Taylor and Julius, all I can say is I don't get it. There's never any chemistry. It's always awkward between them and not in a cute way but in an uncomfortable-verging-on-creepy-at-times-way. Like when Julius is randomly ogling her in her teddy bear pajamas while she stands there, uncomfortable, wishing she had put clothes on before answering the door.
So. Awkward.
Most of the time I just felt nothing, a feeling (or lack thereof) I seemed to share with Taylor, since I was seeing this from her point of view.
Besides the bad and uncomfortable romances, the plot was... undefined at best. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't great. There were a lot of little mysteries and one or two big mysteries, but most of them weren't interesting. There were times something had been revealed with so little fanfare I didn't even realize that that had been one of the carrying questions until later when it occurred to me. Like. Oh yeah. I guess that's been answered now. Huh.
I didn't care.
There was little plot, especially in the present, but it seemed like there were always more questions, and yet it hardly mattered if I ever got the answers.
The ending was... better than the rest of it? Not fantastic, but alright, as the bigger questions were finally answered, and everything was wrapped up in the successive chapters.
While I had many problems with the story and the actual mechanics used, I will also mention as more of a personal preference, that the writing style wasn't something I enjoyed. It wasn't completely unskilled, but it was all broad sweeps with next to no detail at any time. Some people might like getting to the point faster, I suppose, but I like to get nitty-gritty with my stories. Please, give me emotions, images, scents, and sounds. I'd rather that any day over dialogue, thought, and simple action.
All in all, I can see how someone would wrap up this book thinking, “Not bad!” since the ending closes things out pretty well. But that's only if you can get past the slog of the rest of the book and the atrocities of the “romances” present. This one had some problems, and besides that, it just wasn't for me. I couldn't recommend it.
TRIGGER WARNINGS (possible spoilers ahead)
~Implied past rape of an MC when she was a child
~Implied past abuse of an MC
~Mentioned past rape of another character
~Attempted rape of an MC (on-screen but no clothes are removed, and it doesn't get very far before it's stopped)
~Past accidental pregnancy via rape
~Physical and emotional abuse from religious family
~Briefly implied incestuous feelings? (it's thrown in at the end)
~Non-consensual kissing
~Non-consensual touching
~Gaslighting
~Past murder
~On-screen murder (brief and without detail)
~On-screen death of a child via asthma
~Probably a couple other things like manipulation and coercion, but this is most of the TWs present
2.5* rounded up
The Twisted Ones felt like a 290 page build-up to nothing with a befuddled main character along for the ride, her one big decision a stupid one.
I'm not saying I hated it, but it was... lacking, and it had problems.
Granted, some of the twists along the way were interesting once I'd gotten over my disappointment of how unscary most of it was, but none of them filled me with emotion or pushed me to the edge of my seat.
The shock, body-horror, mind-tripping terror of The Hollow Places, another book by T. Kingfisher, wasn't successfully present in The Twisted Ones. It's feels to me the author was still learning and hadn't quite embraced the horror of the story she wanted to write.
I'm going to break this down into pieces.
The Plot
Great concept, mediocre execution with contrived mechanics to keep the main character, Mouse, in dangerous territory. It took quite a while for the real story to begin unfolding. The threat was subtle for far too long with a great deal of superfluous house cleaning and dumpster dropping, and once the plot did start to kick in (after over 200 pages), I was eager for what was going to happen next only for “next” to be... mild. Unexpected, yes; however, through a combination of disappointing twists and average, unemotional writing in this section, not exciting.
The Characters
“Mouse” was appropriately nicknamed, for she was a frightened little creature, much preferring to dig herself into a hidey hole and ignore the danger than dare face it, trap it, or kill it.
She once thinks to herself that she should have bought a baseball bat when she was in town, yet when she goes to town again a few pages later, knowing the danger is still lurking, she doesn't buy a baseball or any other weapon - she doesn't even think about it.
The one time she (idiotically) decides to have a backbone is obviously a writer's mechanic to further the plot along. But does Mouse prepare? No. Does Mouse get a weapon now? No. Does she at least do some research? Not remotely.
I didn't hate Mouse in general. She was... fine. She was human and relatable. But I don't like stupid characters, and the further the story went on the more Mouse was terribly stupid.
Foxy, her neighbor was a pretty amazing character. She had everything Mouse didn't, from age to style to courage and the smarts to actually prepare, at least a little. She was funny and generous in a country hippy sort of way, and I liked her a lot.
Bongo, the dog, was fantastic. Realistic. Cute. I could hear him when he howled and bayed, and I could see him when he cowered and whined. The author clearly knows dogs, and that translates well into this story.
Writing Style
The good, the bad, and the ugly - it's all there.
Kingfisher writes in a style that's easy to read. It's simplistic, down to earth, and it flows, so reading her books isn't hard, and it's even, for the most part, enjoyable. But it also can get repetitive. Although this was my one of my minor critiques of The Hollow Places it's more noticeable in The Twisted Ones.
There were times I found my eyes rolling, weary of thoughts/phrases that had been so oft repeated they'd lost their meaning.
I also couldn't conjure up much feeling at all during the climatic ending, even though Mouse was supposedly petrified.
Finally, there's a big section that's the reading of another person's story. I get why it was included, and it does give some interesting backstory. The problem is, it's almost entirely irrelevant to the plot.
I thought some of the things mentioned in the manuscript would show up as some type of twist. Some kind of foreshadowed, impossible-but-here-thing. It's just... again, it's mostly superfluous. If, perhaps, it had been shaved down and used later in the novel as a type of research in which the information was used, then okay, I could accept that, but... It wasn't.
Altogether... I generally like Kingfisher's writing style, but this didn't have the power I've seen from her before.
Trigger Warnings
Off-screen suicide
Mentioned miscarriages
Animal mutilation that already happened, nothing current or actively described
Firearms
Mentioned body horror
Probably others, your usual supernatural horror novel creepiness with a bit of violence
In Summary
I feel as if I have a mental chart of all the critiques I have for this book, and I haven't even laid out here many of them in order to keep my review succinct and spoiler free.
Yet, I didn't hate The Twisted Ones. There were times I scared myself with the potential of some inhuman creature looking in at night through my windows, and I made sure everything was locked up tight when the sun started setting.
The concept was very cool, and while the twists at the end weren't what I was expecting or hoping for, they were interesting choices that made me think. There are bits of the story that I'll remember because they're good ideas, and they inspire other twists and stories in my mind.
Even though there's a laundry list of things that could have been improved here... I'm not sorry I read it. It was alright. And while I wouldn't particularly recommend this one, I will be looking out for Kingfisher's other novels in the future.
ALL-ENCOMPASSING BLACK STRETCHED out in every direction. Labored breaths heaved all around Elliot. There was a moment of confusion when he couldn't tell whose dream he was in. Then the shelling started. Explosions burst around him, lighting up the moonless night in white lightning flashes. Guns fired deafening shots. Bullets tore up the earth.
The first of a series, Imperfect Illusions romanced me, seduced me, and dragged me from my pit back into the world of what good books can be. From devastatingly vivid writing, to gorgeously crafted humans - not just characters - whose challenges and irrevocable love stole pieces of my heart, this book was pure, intimate chemistry and explosive plot that somehow balanced teeter totter and never left me wanting.
Seriously... I am wowed. It's been a few days since I finished it; I've never stopped thinking about it and have just started a slower, reveling re-read because I want to live in this world a while longer. I cannot wait for the next in the series.
This is one of the few times a blurb wins over my usual preferences, since I don't gravitate towards historical romance, but magic? A dreamwalker? An empath? I was hooked. And rewarded for it.
Emotions lurched off the page, each chapter swallowing me in deeper, electric verbiage bringing a world to life in my mind.
Skillful writing is important to me, and Imperfect Illusions has it in spades, down to the history that's speckled, come to life, and so accurate, a former history teacher claimed how en pointe it is.
And the characters! My gosh, I didn't fall, I plummeted, for Warren Sullivan and Elliot Stone, or Sully and Elliot as they're more casually known. They aren't constructs, they're the type of characters you hear holding conversations with the author between chapters. The gentle-hearted, flaxed-haired poet Elliot with a heart of gold who's stronger than he thinks he is, and the tragedy-toughened, emotionally scarred, endlessly selfless, courageous Sully. Both together and apart they're people with hearts and with chemistry; and altogether, they culminate in two characters who fit together and whose ardent want propel the stubborn, longing little shites into each other's arms.
And when they do meet, it's not just sparks, it's flames, ungovernable and passionate, just this side of desperate, achingly streaked with possessiveness when they finally get to touch - and leaving me flushed and lip-bitten, even with just a reread of my highlights when I'm searching for a quote.
Somehow, the side cast were just as caringly constructed as my beloved Sully and Elliot, and I found myself falling for them too. Bellona, especially, I unwillingly came to adore. She wasn't your average underdeveloped, throwaway tough girl - you know the type - the ones I've come to expect from nearly all media. No, Bell had a life and a family and a history, all of which shaped her into who she is. It's incredibly rare I find a female character that's legitimately real, but the more snippets I had of Bellona, the more I loved her, a novel experience Lawless made feel effortless.
In all honesty, I could go on about this book for an unbelievable amount of time. I'm... extremely satisfied and desperate for the sequel, to say the least. From fiery start to heart-rending HFN ending, this is the first book in a new favorite series for me. A new 5* to the limited selection of books that meets my standards. Imperfect Illusions is a freaking gem in any genre, a magical, plotty, amorous, thrilling, crushing, melting emotional rollercoaster that'll leave you gasping for more. I can't say enough about it, and I can't recommend it more. If you like this type of romance, you can't miss this book.
I have a lot of comments to make on this one, but to sum it up: this is a fast-paced shifter romance with an actual plot. But where the pace keeps you turning pages the rush leaves the writing lacking some finesse.
My favorite parts about this novel are the plot and the anti-cliche Alpha that is Quinn. Quinn is small and short and while everyone assumes his bulky, gruff brother must be Alpha, Quinn elicites respect from his entire pack and teaches those outside his pack that he deserves that respect.
Without giving away any spoilers the plot is full of twists and turns that will carry through into the next book. There are so many questions, many answered but so many not. I love a plot as rich and girthy as that. And I've found that a book with plot just as important as the romance better holds my attention. This gave weight to both so well that something great was always happening and so I was constantly invested.
That, coupled with the succinct writing style made this an easy book to read through with a great deal of story packed into every chapter. That being said, the quick pacing did leave something lacking in the writing style. Just about everything was quick and hurried without much tallying on one subject or another. Characters could hardly sit still long enough for you to feel the full five-senses of a scene or the emotional depths that one could have been taken to. It's good and bad because you never have time to be bored, but you never have a chance to really sink into a scene or feel things as deeply as the characters do either. I think a better balance could have been struck and scenes could have been a little less rushed.
The quick pacing also left some holes in the grammar. I feel like this author gets books out and gets them out fast, and in a lot of ways that's fantastic. This could have benefitted from an extra line if editing, however. There were a lot of missing or misplaced commas, leaving sentences as run-ons or with awkward stops. Pronouns were used a little too liberally, mostly “he” and conjugations thereof, so I was often confused about who exactly was talking, and I'd have to skim back to figure it out. With the quick-pacing there were also somewhat frequent subject changes literally from one sentence to the next, often in the same paragraph that were abrupt and left me fumbling to catch up.
All of this aside, there were clear signs of research performed to make the animal sides of these characters as accurate as possible, which I truly appreciated. All the little moments between the romantic interests cumulated right from the get-go to pull at your heartstrings and love the way these two fit each other and fight for each other, while the plot kept you guessing right through to the final chapter.
Overall, this story was well put-together and will keep you entertained. It's a satisfying read, and I will not only be reading the sequel but checking out the author's other books too.
Wow.... This book will bend your mind in ways you never thought possible until you're on the edge of your seat, horrified, disgusted, terrified, and yet still wanting more. It's nearly unputdownable from charmingly eccentric beginning to nerve-wracking end, and this is the first time in a LOOONG time I've been so invested I didn't want to stop reading and yet didn't want the story to end.
I wanted to run, but that might attract attention. I didn't even dare cry out. I reached out and put my hand over Simon's mouth, and his eyes went as wide as mine and we stood in absolute silence while the sound rang in our chests and I tried so hard not to think of the thing I couldn't help but think about.
settled
Her brother Simon was the barista. I assume he got off shift at some point, but I never saw him leave. Simon was interesting. He dressed like a thrift-store Mad Hatter, with fingerless gloves and strange hats. He looked exactly the same now as he had the last time I had been here, five years ago, and exactly the same as he had when I'd first met him, nearly a decade ago. Simon had to be nearly forty, if not older, but he looked about eighteen. Somewhere, a portrait was probably aging for him.
hard
The Hollow Places
Ladies, get you a man who can handle a portal to hell without freaking out.
extremely
The Hollow Place
The Call
Content Warning: Sizism, sexism, misogyny, possibly racism, underage drinking, drug use, homophobia, sexualization of a minor, non-con voyeurism (ish), nudity, attempted rape, general creepyness and grossness throughout
Stupid, banal, monotonous, and overall without heart. Monument 14 reads like a very rough first draft with plot devices thrown is as they occurred to the author. It needed a massive overhaul. I'm 99% sure I have edited this review more than the author edited her book. Basically, the writing alone was so bad I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WAS PUBLISHED!!!!
On top of that, I had so MANY issues with the plot and characters, I have never loathed a book more.
Yes–loathed.
It's that infuriating. Just wait to find out why.
As this book was an unqualified trainwreck from start to finish there'll be a comment after this review full of some of the notes, quotes, and snark I took while reading.
Before that, however, the bullet points–or, highlights from hell.
Now, to kick this off I will start with my first issue, the awful writing.
I thought I would never read anything worse than Pawn, but here we are. Where do I even start? The grammar wasn't great, but honestly compared to everything else that was minor.
The sentences were annoyingly repetitive. Let's play: How Many Consecutive Simple Sentences Beginning with “I” Can We Fit in One Paragraph-
I pulled my sweater over my face and began to walk to my car. I got in my car and took care not to turn on the lights. I turned on the radio and heard the emergency broadcast that explained what was happening around me. I attempted to drive back to my home.
With little variation in sentence structure and abrupt course re-directions that come out of left field (and note: the formatting and punctuation is also taken directly from the book)-
We were locked in.The little kids lost it. “What's happening?” “We're trapped!” “I want to go home!” That kind of thing.Niko just stood, watching the gate come down.“We should like get something under it. To like wedge it open,” Jake shouted.He grabbed a shopping cart and rolled it forward, under the central gate.But the gate dropping just pushed the cart out of the way.The three gates settled with a heavy CLANK that rang with finality.“We're locked in,” I said.“And everyone else is locked out,” Niko said quietly.“All right,” Jake said, clapping his hands. “Which one of you little punks is gonna teach me how to play Chutes and Ladders?”
Zero sense descriptions beyond sight, cliche adjectives, robotic descriptions-
I fought the young man off for a moment, but he might have injured me seriously if he had not been attacked in turn by another person. It was an elderly man who had earlier told me he was there for chicken wire. I watched as the old man and the young man fought each other to death.
With these nonsensical analogies peppered throughout-
-These tears, like jelly beans, plopping out of his eyes and running down his face . . .-Everything was getting electric at the edges of my field of vision. Little zapping fish swimming up and nearly taking me down with them.
On top of ALL OF THAT, there were time discrepancies and plot holes, the kids didn't act or sound like kids, and the teenagers and adults were to all appearances either psychos or robots.
Ultimately, I can't even describe to you how bad the quality of the writing was from beginning to tedious end without copying and pasting the entire book into this review.
Besides, this wasn't even nearly the most infuriating element of this dumpster fire.
Strap in, because this is gonna get gross.
Supernatural
The plot.
teen drama
I didn't like Niko spending more time with Alex than I did. It didn't feel right to me. We were brothers. I should know everything he knew and vice versa.
the characters.
He proceeded to describe the same little girl, Chloe, whom he found annoying, as “chunky” and “chubby.”
repeatedly
-A chunky little girl named Chloe started to cry.
-The little kids cheered, especially Chloe, who made a big show of jumping up and down and clapping her chubby little hands. She seemed a little fickle, emotion-wise. And a little annoying.
-Chloe was the third grader who had been whining when Mrs. Wooly said she was going for help. Chloe was chubby and tan and very energetic.
kept
he exudes this creepytastic vibe, and on top of his wimpyness and cowardice, I loathed him.
“I can make us lunch if need be,” Astrid said. “I actually know how to run the ovens and the pizza shop because I had a job here last summer.”
I knew she'd had a job at Greenway. It had been a summer that involved a lot of superstore browsing for me.
Trigger Warning: rapey
-I savored being near Astrid.
-Her shirt rode up in the scuffle and I caught sight of her lower back. Tan, muscled, gorgeous.
-Just the idea of . . . well, the idea of washing her hair, made me feel really, very awake.
-What I wanted was Astrid. She looked so good to me I wanted to take her, in a dark and terrible way.
only
that is not okay!
TW end
die
“The bus is on fire!” “It's going to explode!” and “We're going to die!”
And I thought, They're right. Yes, we'll die. But it's okay. It's fine. It is as it should be. We are going to die.
sleepy
bus full of blood
There was a lot of shouting and people helping one another over the battered seats and slipping on the hail on the floor, slipping because everything was sticky, now with the blood of the kids who had been crushed and Mr. Reed and maybe also motor oil or gasoline, maybe . . . but, see, I was so warm and sleepy.
I know. A poem. Gay. What can I say?
tying up an 8-year-old girl
Chloe was an annoying kid anyway, it was a pleasure to restrain her. I held her fat little wrists with a big mean smile on my face.
I would've cheered
why
constantly
sexism and misogyny
-“Don't stick me with the little kids,” she protested. “I'm just as strong as you guys are!”
“Just do as I say!” Niko hollered.
She did.
-“Josie, please stay here and make sure the kids stay safe.”
“I want to come,” she whispered. “They're asleep. They'll be fine.”
“We need you here,” Niko said.
“Come on, dude, she wants to come,” Brayden argued.
Trying to win points with his new girlfriend.
“The answer is no. I need to know that the kids are safe and here,” Niko said. “The rest of you come on.”
I followed with the other boys and Josie crossed her arms and stayed behind.
disturbing
From third graders discussing a strip club
Max, Batiste, Ulysses, and Chloe were discussing Emerald's, a strip club located near an off-ramp on the outskirts of town.
“jokes” about boy scouts' masturbation skills
”You know,” Jake said, after he drained his cup. “I love Boy Scouts. You know why?”
“Why?” Niko asked.
“They give a real good hand job.”
We cracked up.
“No, really. All that time up in the mountains with nothing to do. They always come prepared, too, with the little lotion bottles.”
To drunk teenage boys bonding over how great sex is
“Oh man, getting laid is so awesome,” Jake said, scratching his head. “It's just absolutely the best thing ever. Once you get it, all you can think of is getting it again. Sometimes I'm having sex and I'm worried about the next time I'm gonna have sex!”
To the non-consensual SPYING of a girl stripping in front of her boyfriend and watching as he fondles her,
constant sexualization of a thirteen year old child and her attempted rape
-Now her behind is facing us, and they are SHORT shorts she is wearing. So we can see . . too much. We can see skin under the leg of her shorts. The creamy skin of her inner, inner thigh. It was like a Sports Illustrated bikini-issue spread.
-But it got worse (or better, depending on your POV).
She stood up and turned to face us.
And her T-shirt was all wet.
Now we could see her breasts outright, through the material of her T-shirt.
We could see the nipples. Everything about them, we could see.
It was hot. It was crazy.
THIRTEEN
wrong
ever
Shred this garbage!!
so much
too much
Men and women and boys and girls can be so. Much. Better than this.
3.5
Book content trigger warnings:
Suicidal character; suicidal thoughts; depression; gore; blood; murder; deaths; parasites; so much swearing;
Take into account this book came out nearly twenty years ago. However the R-word slur to refer to autistic people is used several times.
I think I covered everything, but this book was a lot, so there's a chance I missed something.
If the above warnings didn't make it clear: This book is intended for adult audiences only.
Dreamcatcher was a lot. It was so much, it's hard to know where to start. I'm not going to review it entirely because that would take so long. What I'm going to say is simple.
This book is a trip. There are some gross/squeamish parts I'm not going to go into detail about that I 1000% could have done without. And the story wouldn't have been lacking without them either. And while it's written ridiculously well, it could have been shorter. There was a lot of unnecessary information, especially after Part One and especially with this one character Kurz who, in the end, only played a small part, and a good chunk could have been edited down. However, it never stopped being interesting, and I was invested through to the very last page.
Dreamcatcher has its faults, but it's unique really unlike any other book I've read. The closest I could compare it to in writing style is Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave, and honestly, he probably got his style from King.
Overall, I would say I enjoyed it, especially the thrilling first 200 pages and the conclusion. Would I rec it? I dunno. It honestly depends on you. You've got to have a strong gut and a healthy mental state to step into this dark blizzard and be prepared for a journey. I will say that I was impressed enough with this that I will be picking up another King sometime in the future.
At least, once I've had a chance to recover from this one.
I am too tired in general and too tired of trying to get through this book to review it properly, but here are the highlights.
Book content trigger warnings: Severe Depression; Non-consensual feelings; Non-consensual touching; Implied past rape of side characters
Pros
–Character with mental illness representation
–Decent writing
–Unexpected twists
–Few dull moments
–Frequently shifting POVs that helped keep it interesting and made it possible for me to actually finish it
Cons
–Repetitive
–MC is an idiot
–MC drifts through most of the book while things happen TO her
–Superfluous, unnecessary descriptions
–Non-consensual themes throughout (ohmygosh so many)
–Audrey's Highly Convenient magical healing (weak writing anyone?)
–Cartoonish, foot-stomping villain
–This takes insta-love to a whole new level
–So. Many. Typos. Listen, I don't normally get caught up on this stuff because I know how easy it is to let a typo or even a few slip through the cracks, but there were at least two or three per CHAPTER. It barely looked edited.
–Too quickly/easily handled climax
–Convenient clean-up of said climax
–SpoilerSuddenly, magically mentally stabilized MC starting at the beginning of the climax and carrying through to the end of the book. It literally says something like the fog she's been living in is “blown away,” and while I'm in no way an authority on depression, this seems an improbable recovery of her truly severe mental illness.
I'm comparing books to Pawn now. Was it better than Pawn? Yes. Was it good? No. Do I recommend it? Absolutely not.
Holla! I'm free!
The best thing about finishing this book is the confidence I now have that I can do anything I set my mind to. After all, if can read 343 pages of writing with such banality I could actually predict most of the “plot twists,” as well as what characters were going to say before they said it, and a main character with the backbone of a jellyfish (you know they don't actually have any bones) and the herding ability of a sheep, then what can stop me?!
Let me just begin by saying that I hate writing bad reviews. As a writer myself, typically I can tell where and how the author tried. I know just what it's like to struggle with writing and just what a bummer it is to feel as if someone doesn't enjoy something you have poured your heart and soul into. Usually, I can find SOMETHING I liked. That just didn't happen with this book.
I don't know what to say except this was the laziest writing I have ever read. The entire book read like a first draft... or the hasty summary draft before the first draft. Words slapped onto a page to be expanded and vastly edited later. In what universe would this be considered a final, publishable draft?? (... I'm officially disappointed in my universe). Heart and soul? Where are you?
Kitty is a character who... Wait, that's not quite right rewind soundsKitty is a Poster Board Cutout of what the author thinks a classic YA heroine should be (that's better), except she's just so bad at it she looks more like a melodramatic stick figure doodle of the Thinker.
Wait, did someone actually call her “spunky”? Is that the word that was used to describe this petrified waifish wallflower who bends under the meagrest threats and shivers like a chihuahua at even the idea of fighting back? Man, there must be a new definition for that word I don't know about because Kit Kat ain't got spunk. Honestly, she has... wait, let me calculate this does numbers in the air Oh yeah! Nothing! Absolutely nothing going for her whatsoever! Smarts? They claim she's got ‘em, but I didn't see any evidence of this in my reading. Courage? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahaa... hoo boy.... Special abilities that make her stand out in some way (please, God, any way)? Boy, do I wish. She's the most boring, affected character I have ever had the misfortune to follow, and I actually wished someone would kill her off just to spice it up a bit.
The rest of the cast of characters isn't much better. Benjy, Kitty's boyfriend, isn't in the story enough for me to really know or care about. He was just the arms and the lips Kitty wanted to protect for future hugs and kisses. She was certainly made to do what was wanted of her with threats over him enough (I also encouraged them to kill him, because I really didn't care). The Harts were lizards in finery, not unlike the cast of a histrionic soap opera.
The plot? I mean, like, the IDEA of it could have been good, reminiscent of Hunger Games with a reluctant heroine taking down the evil empire. The plot is, of course, what drew me to the novel. The delivery? What's a more deplorable word than “awful”? With a grossly misleading synopsis that set me off on this merry (and by “merry” I mean mind-numbing, eye-rolling, intellectually painful) venture, I was thrust into a book with a girl who stupidly accepts the offer of becoming a VII without ever knowing they intended to make her Lila. And this great sounding rebellion plot that she must either stop or support, depending on “which path she chooses”? Was barely elaborated and even less involved with Kitty the entirety of the book.
In the end (and the beginning... and the middle) I was just plain unimpressed. And bored. And emotionless (did I mention that I wished someone would kill Kitty off?). The best I can describe this as is a half-baked (quarter-baked?) regurgitated YA cookie cutout. Like, all the cliches thrown into an old, mostly broken blender, left there for a few days until it was stale, and the mess that eventually oozed out was this book. It really was that disappointingly bad, and I sincerely hope I'll never read anything more boring.
Pawn is a book with zero redeeming qualities and five hundred issues. There are dozens of problems I didn't even mention. I can and have ranted with a friend in detail about the minutia of this book, but really, none of us has that much time to dwell on something so far beyond redemption. In a word (ok, two words): Skip it.
This book was a mess that was way, way too long. With unexpected allegorical undertones, the occasional plot hole, and lots of extremely questionable material throughout, I was relieved to finally get it over with.
Where to even begin?
The story follows the trials of Julian when she decides to journey to New Guinea with her infant. Led there by mystical dreams of a lush forest and a song that somehow wordlessly spoke, “Come to me,” and, “Save me,” to her, she ends up shipwrecked after a storm and kidnapped by a tribal people.
There's not much I can tell you without spoiling the story, but MUCH of the first 70% of the novel, of the abuses and struggles Julian endures, are pointless to the plot. I'm not even kidding. That entire section could have been halved at least, cut out or chopped down, skimmed or abbreviated. We did NOT need to know in detail every single aspect of her capture and life. There were many extraneous subplots that, in the end, had zero significance to the story. Like I said, it was a mess.
One of these, which contains small spoilers that I will hide, was
SpoilerWhen Julian is first imprisoned, she meets another prisoner, Michael, who has apparently been there for some time. They briefly escape captivity only for Michael to explain that there's no way for them to escape permanently or get off the island. He then goes on to explain that he was also led there by the same dream that brought Julian. Right after this, however, the two of them are once again captured, and Michael is killed when he's hit over the head by the natives. He is never mentioned again.
Anyone could have explained to Julian the reasons escape is impossible. The entire subplot of Michael was pointless.
Another big issue I had with the story was the Stockholm Syndrome Julian began to experience somewhat early on, as well as the (WARNING for possibly triggering material) implied rape both then and later in the story.
SpoilerJulian was not in a position to say no to one of the natives, a prince named Willem, when she slept with him (fortunately, this was not described in detail). She did what she had to do to survive because her usefulness, and therefore her life, were literally in the balance. But it wasn't described this way, and it made me uncomfortable. Later, the story touches on the fact that her tyrant and tormenter, who called her slave and abused her both physically and verbally, was her “husband.”
(Warning ended).
In addition to those issues, the book addresses Christian pacifism in the last third of the story. It implies that righteous anger, or emotions of any kind, are somehow “wrong” or a sin, when Jesus himself took a whip to those sullying the temple.
In the end, I gave it 2 stars, one for the writing, because it was fairly well written, (except for the last third when it was so repetitive I was, at times, bored out of my mind), and one for the narrator Nicola Barber, who for the most part, did a very good job vocalising the characters and emotions in this insane book.
The contents of the story are what I had problems with. By far, this is my least favorite of the Ted Dekker books I've read. I wouldn't recommend this one.
3.5
A very amusing crack fiction type read with a cute, sweet, charming version of Sherlock Holmes.
While I enjoyed much of the humor and found the mysteries entertaining, the writing style wasn't... grabbing. I enjoyed the story for the characters and the macabre monstrous twists to classic tales and not necessarily the way they were written.
In that vein, while I personally enjoy the type of dry humor this book displayed, some people might consider it more tailored for a younger audience.
Lastly, without giving away spoilers, some of the... changes to groups of people and characters were eyebrow-raisingly outlandish, even considering the type of novel I signed up for. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the world setting and the story lost me a bit at one point because of that. While it was a smallish part, I had to mentally skip over the aspect as much as I could when it was mentioned to enjoy the parts I did like.
With all of this in consideration, I still liked Warlock Homes enough to want to read the sequel, so if you're interested in a cute, humorous little set of magical tales based off the classic Holmes, give this a try and see what you think.
Wow, what a ride.
Now, while I wouldn't recommend this to young teens or anyone who doesn't like strange, disturbing thoughts or images, this was such a... unique, exciting, quick read... I can't not recommend it to some of you. If you want something well-written and something with pretty much zero cliches, something NEW, check this out.
I didn't really properly read this, only skimmed, and I would definitely classify it as a did-not-finish.
The way it was laid out was not what I was expecting. It felt like pure memorization, and it was mind-numbingly dull. I couldn't concentrate, I couldn't get into it, I didn't like it. I didn't learn anything from it either. Maybe that's my fault for not trying harder, but it was just... not fun.
I also didn't like the... the SOUND of the author's voice. Again, maybe it was just me, but he felt like he was so full of himself, I'm sorry. I really hate bashing, and I don't want to be mean, but after I read the first page I was already twisting my face with distaste.
He made it complicated and boring, and he made it seem like his way was the ONLY way, the RIGHT way and anyone else had better step aside.
I'm sorry, I just didn't like this book.
Really fascinating book that was interesting enough to read purely for the enjoyment of it but informational enough to learn something. Really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to young adults/adults who aren't squeamish about taking a deeper look into some of the darkest minds in history.
3.5
I really enjoyed this book until the finale. It was a light and enjoyable read with charming, sweet, and humorous characters. There was also a surprisingly dark undercurrent that made it only more interesting.
But then, during the climax there were a couple of paragraphs that just did not make sense to me no matter how many times I re-read them. Conclusions were made by the characters without any proper explanation for them, and I was left staring puzzled at the page, expecting it to make sense any minute and it never happening.
The epilogue was also disappointing in some ways and not what I had hoped for. Part of the story on the last page also confused me... I can't really explain why without spoiling the story, but, point is, Rapunzel Untangled just concluded weakly and left me twisting my mouth with ambivalence rather than contentment.
Oh well.
3.5
I'm conflicted on what to rate this, truthfully. Overall I quite enjoyed the unique and humorous writing style, and as I was reading it I first thought it deserved 5 stars. But then, it came to the point where there was a swear word, and then there were a couple more throughout it, and I really don't think swear words belong in a kids' book, especially.
Still, I was going to give it a solid 4 stars, but the ending was... very... strange... It seemed to be a bathos to me, and, though it explained things, I didn't really like it or feel satisfied.
Hence the 3.5, and honestly I can't decide if it's leaning more towards 3.25 or 3.75. I've already swapped it twice... ~sighs~ My gut's telling me to go with a 3-pointer. Sorry, Ellen Potter. I loved your writing style, but I just had a few issues with other aspects of your book.
There were just too many things that frustrated me with this book. The writing was pretty good in most places, but it was a really depressing style. Otherwise... Yeah, that's all I can think of to say positively about it.
I guess I can see some certain types of people enjoying Matched for the almost spectral feel of the words, but as for me... Clearly, it's just not my cup of tea.
