The Unknown Sun is a Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Romance novel, not my typical genre, but it sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad that I did.
Moira is a young woman with a chilling past. Not once, but twice, she has been the sole survivor when terrible accidents have claimed the lives of her family members. Both of her parents and two of her sisters have died tragically in a car wreck and then a plane crash, leaving Moira basically all alone in a world she doesn't understand where everyone, including herself, wants to know why she didn't die.
When she is attacked at her home by a strange boy she vaguely recognizes from school, she cries out for help, but the twins that show up to save her are not ordinary themselves, and soon she finds herself in another world surrounded by strangers.
Despite knowing no one and nothing of this strange land, she soon discovers there are links between her past and this world. The twins, Airi and Bel, were able to save her through the use of a magic portal. It is up to Moira to work with the twins to save their world and activate similar portals throughout the land while avoiding the evil forces that seek to destroy them and claim the throne from their father.
As Moira works with the twins, she begins to discover she has much to offer. She transforms from the weak child she had been on Earth and finds her own power. She also quickly makes a love connection with Bel and learns to love his sister, Airi, as a best friend. She soon realizes that this new land will be her home and she must do what she can to protect it, no matter the cost.
There were a lot of things that I really liked about The Unknown Sun. First of all, Mackey has a gift when it comes to word choice and prose. Parts of the piece are actually written so beautifully it is as if one is reading a poem. I really enjoyed savoring the word choice and letting the perfectly chosen words roll off of my tongue.
I also thought Mackey did an excellent job of building the world as we went along. This is a distinct place, which is difficult to construct, and sometimes authors get so bogged down in building the land they forget to advance the story. That did not happen here. The pace continued as it should while the world was built around it.
I also felt like the story itself was very engaging. There were some creative ideas here that I hadn't considered before, starting with the idea that Moira had been the victim of these two accidents that had shattered her family. There needed to be a reason, of course, and I feel like we find out enough information about those events later for it to make sense.
There were a few things that I would have like to have had better clarification on. For one thing, the new world involves a new language--although I'm not clear on how they actually also know English so well--and a lot of the words were confusing to me. I don't feel like I learned them well enough to know what they meant when I heard them later in the story. Some of them were very similar to each other.
I can say the same about some of the characters. There ended up being a lot of characters with strange sounding names, particularly towards the end, and some of them started with the same letter, so I couldn't always remember who was who, especially with characters that were mentioned but did not actually appear in the book. Towards the end, I finally decided I had given up on trying to remember who a couple of the characters were and I decided to go ahead and finish the book and if I needed to go back and figure it out later, I would. I didn't have to do that. It might be more important in a sequel, possibly.
On the subject of the sequel, this book was first published in 2014, and while the back matter promises a sequel, to my knowledge, one is not out yet. That seems like a really long time to wait for a sequel to me.
Finally, this story gives new meaning to the phrase "love at first sight." Bel loves Moira immediately and it only takes her half a second to realize she loves him, too. She is young, though, so maybe that is plausible. I am a bit confused about their relationship, however, especially since we find out later that they may actually be related, and that doesn't seem to make a difference to them at all.
Overall, this was a good read. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy novels, particularly those set on other planets. It will also help if you like romance. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but you can purchase it here, and the current price is $2.99.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
My Review of Dream Student by J.J. DiBenedetto
I started reading this book in September of 2014. It was one of the very first free books I downloaded once I started subscribing to free and bargain book emails.
It is now the end of May 2016. And I just finished the book. You can call me a lot of things, but a quitter ain't one of them....
This book is about a college student, Sara, who is studying to be a doctor in the late 80s, early 90s. One night, she realizes that she is able to see other people's dreams. This has it's ups and downs. For example, she meets a guy named Brian and falls in love with him, partially because she has seen him dream about her. A major negative would be that she is able to see the dreams of a serial killer who is dreaming about murdering young girls.
The premise sounds great, doesn't it? Sara has to hunt down the murderer before he strikes again. Except it doesn't go that way. She spends a lengthy amount of time ignoring this problem or trying to explain it away. When she does seek help from professionals and her friends, there is no sense of urgency. Even when she sees that she could have prevented at least one of the girls from being murdered if she had taken action sooner, she doesn't feel compelled to act for weeks at a time. While I like Sara, it makes it a little difficult to understand her when she doesn't really seem to have a driving motivation to help other young girls when she can if it might make her look a little off her rocker. She does help one girl, however, because she is able to do so by bluffing her way through. I also don't understand why she doesn't confide in her parents, who she has a really close relationship with.
The story is told in first person for the most part, except for the dream sequences. This made it even harder to connect to the other characters in the story, and we don't get a lot of backstory for any of them. I also feel that it may have worked better to switch those two POVs around so the dreams were more intimate than regular life.
The vast majority of the story is about Sara studying for tests, interacting with other college students, going to the cafeteria and having to settle for cereal, falling in love with Brian, and eavesdropping on dreams that do nothing to progress the story. There are several scenes that could have been left out completely, as they do nothing to move the story forward. I don't know if this was the author's attempt to throw us off the track of the true murderer or if he just doesn't realize that scenes should only be included if they lend something to the momentum of the story. The same can be said for numerous characters who are introduced and fade away and have little to no impact.
As far as the antagonist is concerned, it is obvious from the character's brief, but pointed, introduction that he is the antagonist. Despite the fact that there are lots of other characters who show up and disappear for no reason, the only purpose this character could possibly serve is so that he could eventually be the bad guy. However, if you look at the key role of an antagonist, it's generally to move the plot forward by antagonizing the protagonist. This guy doesn't do this because he's hardly in the story at all, and even when he is, it's usually in dream mode. This makes the problem/solution relationship between the two key characters dysfunctional, which transforms what could have been a fast pace plot into the twitchy, annoying, squealing speed of a shopping cart with a wayward wheel; no matter how hard you try to get it to move in the right direction, it just continues to delay your progress and make you crazy. And then, in the end, the resolution is so quick and ridiculous, I was almost expecting the criminal to say, "I'd have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those pesky kids!'
There was a bit of nostalgia in this book for me since I was in college around the same time as Sara. I remember that life distinctly. If I had written this about my own life, there would have been far less romance, a lot more Oprah, and equivalent bowls of cereal for dinner. That being said, I would never write a book about when I was in college because no one would want to read it, on the account of it was really boring and did nothing to progress much of anything--including my career (thanks a lot BA in History.)
I am impressed with the number of reviews this book has on Amazon. Two hundred forty-nine reviews is nothing to sneeze at. And the average is 3.8 so some of them are really good reviews. Maybe the other books in the series are better. I'm not sure I will ever find out. I do like the cover design, and while there were certainly proofreading errors, the only ones that really got to me were the titles in quotation marks instead of italics. I gave Dream Student three stars on Amazon. You can find my review here, and if you find it helpful, please hit the "yes" button next to the review. You can try out Dream Student for yourself by purchasing it here. It is usually priced at 99 cents, but right now it is free. Let me know what you think!
It is now the end of May 2016. And I just finished the book. You can call me a lot of things, but a quitter ain't one of them....
This book is about a college student, Sara, who is studying to be a doctor in the late 80s, early 90s. One night, she realizes that she is able to see other people's dreams. This has it's ups and downs. For example, she meets a guy named Brian and falls in love with him, partially because she has seen him dream about her. A major negative would be that she is able to see the dreams of a serial killer who is dreaming about murdering young girls.
The premise sounds great, doesn't it? Sara has to hunt down the murderer before he strikes again. Except it doesn't go that way. She spends a lengthy amount of time ignoring this problem or trying to explain it away. When she does seek help from professionals and her friends, there is no sense of urgency. Even when she sees that she could have prevented at least one of the girls from being murdered if she had taken action sooner, she doesn't feel compelled to act for weeks at a time. While I like Sara, it makes it a little difficult to understand her when she doesn't really seem to have a driving motivation to help other young girls when she can if it might make her look a little off her rocker. She does help one girl, however, because she is able to do so by bluffing her way through. I also don't understand why she doesn't confide in her parents, who she has a really close relationship with.
The story is told in first person for the most part, except for the dream sequences. This made it even harder to connect to the other characters in the story, and we don't get a lot of backstory for any of them. I also feel that it may have worked better to switch those two POVs around so the dreams were more intimate than regular life.
The vast majority of the story is about Sara studying for tests, interacting with other college students, going to the cafeteria and having to settle for cereal, falling in love with Brian, and eavesdropping on dreams that do nothing to progress the story. There are several scenes that could have been left out completely, as they do nothing to move the story forward. I don't know if this was the author's attempt to throw us off the track of the true murderer or if he just doesn't realize that scenes should only be included if they lend something to the momentum of the story. The same can be said for numerous characters who are introduced and fade away and have little to no impact.
 |
| "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." J. Lennon (picture via Pixabay) |
As far as the antagonist is concerned, it is obvious from the character's brief, but pointed, introduction that he is the antagonist. Despite the fact that there are lots of other characters who show up and disappear for no reason, the only purpose this character could possibly serve is so that he could eventually be the bad guy. However, if you look at the key role of an antagonist, it's generally to move the plot forward by antagonizing the protagonist. This guy doesn't do this because he's hardly in the story at all, and even when he is, it's usually in dream mode. This makes the problem/solution relationship between the two key characters dysfunctional, which transforms what could have been a fast pace plot into the twitchy, annoying, squealing speed of a shopping cart with a wayward wheel; no matter how hard you try to get it to move in the right direction, it just continues to delay your progress and make you crazy. And then, in the end, the resolution is so quick and ridiculous, I was almost expecting the criminal to say, "I'd have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those pesky kids!'
There was a bit of nostalgia in this book for me since I was in college around the same time as Sara. I remember that life distinctly. If I had written this about my own life, there would have been far less romance, a lot more Oprah, and equivalent bowls of cereal for dinner. That being said, I would never write a book about when I was in college because no one would want to read it, on the account of it was really boring and did nothing to progress much of anything--including my career (thanks a lot BA in History.)
I am impressed with the number of reviews this book has on Amazon. Two hundred forty-nine reviews is nothing to sneeze at. And the average is 3.8 so some of them are really good reviews. Maybe the other books in the series are better. I'm not sure I will ever find out. I do like the cover design, and while there were certainly proofreading errors, the only ones that really got to me were the titles in quotation marks instead of italics. I gave Dream Student three stars on Amazon. You can find my review here, and if you find it helpful, please hit the "yes" button next to the review. You can try out Dream Student for yourself by purchasing it here. It is usually priced at 99 cents, but right now it is free. Let me know what you think!
Saturday, May 21, 2016
My Review of Haunted Ends by Elizabeth Price
I chose this book because I really like the televisions show Ghost Hunters, and this book sounded like it would go right along with that type of program; ghost hunters investigating a haunted hotel.
Nah, not so much....
When I first started reading, I was really confused. The first several chapters are all about a guy named Sam who is taking a plane from one city to another with a really important package, and about how he doesn't really have any friends, and about how the flight attendant keeps hitting on him.
He checks into the hotel, goes to catch a bite to eat, and is murdered; here's our ghost.
Then, another guy, Rocky, comes to the hotel to do an investigation, and since this guy is...or was... a psychic medium, he ends up hooking up with Sam to solve his own murder. Oh, and he's also trying to find the contents of that package, which have gone missing, though that's just kind of nonchalantly thrown in there several chapters after Sam dies. Why is he looking for the contents? Again, not really explained. It might be because it was his duty to deliver them. It might be because he wants to give them to Rocky. Who knows? We don't find out why until the very end of the book, and even then the reason isn't stated with conviction.
Much of what the characters do in the book isn't really done with conviction, as a matter of fact. Most of them were rather two-dimensional. And we don't really know much about what many of them look like either, including Rocky and Sam, except for some stereotypical comments thrown in throughout. Sam is a person of short stature, and there are a ton of short jokes all through the entire book. Personally, I found this a little offensive. I don't think many people would meet someone and immediately start making fun of them for the way they were born. Even the "good guys" tend to do this in Ms. Price's book. There's also a lot of poking fun at over-weight people. Most of the ghosts are also stereotypes--"saloon girl," "Hispanic woman," "disco dancer," etc. I find that authors often tend to use these stereotypical types of characters when they haven't got a lot of experience writing or they've thrown a book together so quickly they haven't put a lot of time into developing their characters. We don't really know what they look like, what motivates them, where they came from, where they are going, or what they want out of life/death. This makes it really hard to connect to them or to care about what happens to them. I felt like Sam was the only character in the book who even mattered to me, and by the time I felt a connection to him, he was already dead. (I don't think that's really a spoiler since it's kind of spelled out in the book description.)
It wasn't all bad, though. The story was complex, if not perfectly executed, and once you get into the heart of the story, the pace picks up and keeps moving. I was bored for the first three or four chapters, but after that I kept reading until it was over. There is room for a sequel, and if one is written, I hope that the characters are more developed.
Once again, like many of the books I've read recently, there is certainly room for another proofread. There are some misspelled words, sentences missing words, etc. It's not the worst I've read, but it's far from perfect as well. Many of the Amazon reviewers noted this. I find it interesting that a Michael Price commented back to one such reviewer that he didn't notice any of those mistakes. Maybe he is the author's husband or dad who happened to be the proofreader? I don't know. Just an observation....
If you're looking for a light read, and you really like books where the ghosts aren't scary, then maybe Haunted Ends is the read for you. You can buy it here at the current price of $1.99. You can read my three star Amazon review here.
Nah, not so much....
When I first started reading, I was really confused. The first several chapters are all about a guy named Sam who is taking a plane from one city to another with a really important package, and about how he doesn't really have any friends, and about how the flight attendant keeps hitting on him.
He checks into the hotel, goes to catch a bite to eat, and is murdered; here's our ghost.
 |
| The ghosts in this book are not designed to be scary--much like this sheet apparition. |
Then, another guy, Rocky, comes to the hotel to do an investigation, and since this guy is...or was... a psychic medium, he ends up hooking up with Sam to solve his own murder. Oh, and he's also trying to find the contents of that package, which have gone missing, though that's just kind of nonchalantly thrown in there several chapters after Sam dies. Why is he looking for the contents? Again, not really explained. It might be because it was his duty to deliver them. It might be because he wants to give them to Rocky. Who knows? We don't find out why until the very end of the book, and even then the reason isn't stated with conviction.
Much of what the characters do in the book isn't really done with conviction, as a matter of fact. Most of them were rather two-dimensional. And we don't really know much about what many of them look like either, including Rocky and Sam, except for some stereotypical comments thrown in throughout. Sam is a person of short stature, and there are a ton of short jokes all through the entire book. Personally, I found this a little offensive. I don't think many people would meet someone and immediately start making fun of them for the way they were born. Even the "good guys" tend to do this in Ms. Price's book. There's also a lot of poking fun at over-weight people. Most of the ghosts are also stereotypes--"saloon girl," "Hispanic woman," "disco dancer," etc. I find that authors often tend to use these stereotypical types of characters when they haven't got a lot of experience writing or they've thrown a book together so quickly they haven't put a lot of time into developing their characters. We don't really know what they look like, what motivates them, where they came from, where they are going, or what they want out of life/death. This makes it really hard to connect to them or to care about what happens to them. I felt like Sam was the only character in the book who even mattered to me, and by the time I felt a connection to him, he was already dead. (I don't think that's really a spoiler since it's kind of spelled out in the book description.)
It wasn't all bad, though. The story was complex, if not perfectly executed, and once you get into the heart of the story, the pace picks up and keeps moving. I was bored for the first three or four chapters, but after that I kept reading until it was over. There is room for a sequel, and if one is written, I hope that the characters are more developed.
Once again, like many of the books I've read recently, there is certainly room for another proofread. There are some misspelled words, sentences missing words, etc. It's not the worst I've read, but it's far from perfect as well. Many of the Amazon reviewers noted this. I find it interesting that a Michael Price commented back to one such reviewer that he didn't notice any of those mistakes. Maybe he is the author's husband or dad who happened to be the proofreader? I don't know. Just an observation....
If you're looking for a light read, and you really like books where the ghosts aren't scary, then maybe Haunted Ends is the read for you. You can buy it here at the current price of $1.99. You can read my three star Amazon review here.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
My Review of Sensing Serafina by Elisa Ellis
This is a love story--but not one like any I have ever read before. I spent the first few chapters of the book trying to get a grasp on what is happening. And I don't mean that in a negative way--it isn't as if the author's writing is vague or she leaves us with those plot holes that some of the other books I've written have where you have no idea what is happening because the author just assumes you know. No, in this case, Ellis knows you don't know. And she likes it that way. It's written in a way that keeps you guessing, trying to figure things out on your own, attempting to get there one step ahead of the story. This is the type of story I like to read; it keeps me thinking and engaged.
The main character, Cal, has just come to from a major motorcycle wreck where he has lost his sight. His beloved girlfriend, Serafina, was with him at the time of the wreck. And when he is finally out of a coma and able to comprehend, his mother tells him that she is gone. Grief stricken, Cal must find a way to go on, now without the love of his life and without his sight. As you can imagine, this is very difficult. He struggles with motivation. As a person who planned on leaving town right after high school graduation, which has happened without him, he now has to change all of his hopes and dreams. Eventually, with his mother's loving guidance, he enrolls in art school and finds he has quite a talent for sculpting. He is finally making friends, including a cute girl. It looks as if Cal is about to be able to put the pieces of his broken life back together.
And then the unthinkable happens.
Really, I'm a pretty good guesser, and I did not see this coming at all!
It's impossible for me to review the second half of the book without giving the plot twist away, so I won't. I will tell you, however, this is a worthy read. Not only is Ellis's writing style unlike any other writer I've ever read, the creativity that went into the crafting of this story is very unique. It's definitely worth the time it takes to read it, and it will stay with you after you've read the final chapter.
That isn't to say it's perfect. There were a few things that threw me off a bit, a few things I thought might go a different way. But everything is plausible, and in this particular world, for these particular characters, this is how the story went, and it all works together in the end.
There is some strong language from time to time, as one may expect from a character in Cal's position.
This is a new release, and I think it will do really well! You can buy it for yourself here for only $2.99 and you can check out my five star review here.
If you read it, come back and let us know what you think!
The main character, Cal, has just come to from a major motorcycle wreck where he has lost his sight. His beloved girlfriend, Serafina, was with him at the time of the wreck. And when he is finally out of a coma and able to comprehend, his mother tells him that she is gone. Grief stricken, Cal must find a way to go on, now without the love of his life and without his sight. As you can imagine, this is very difficult. He struggles with motivation. As a person who planned on leaving town right after high school graduation, which has happened without him, he now has to change all of his hopes and dreams. Eventually, with his mother's loving guidance, he enrolls in art school and finds he has quite a talent for sculpting. He is finally making friends, including a cute girl. It looks as if Cal is about to be able to put the pieces of his broken life back together.
And then the unthinkable happens.
Really, I'm a pretty good guesser, and I did not see this coming at all!
It's impossible for me to review the second half of the book without giving the plot twist away, so I won't. I will tell you, however, this is a worthy read. Not only is Ellis's writing style unlike any other writer I've ever read, the creativity that went into the crafting of this story is very unique. It's definitely worth the time it takes to read it, and it will stay with you after you've read the final chapter.
That isn't to say it's perfect. There were a few things that threw me off a bit, a few things I thought might go a different way. But everything is plausible, and in this particular world, for these particular characters, this is how the story went, and it all works together in the end.
There is some strong language from time to time, as one may expect from a character in Cal's position.
This is a new release, and I think it will do really well! You can buy it for yourself here for only $2.99 and you can check out my five star review here.
If you read it, come back and let us know what you think!
Sunday, April 17, 2016
My Review of Onyx Webb Episodes 1, 2, and 3 by Waltz and Fenton
This is an unusual one, and I came to be reading it this weekend in an unusual way, so it's only fitting that my review will also be a bit out of the ordinary. This is what I would describe as an "incomplete book" in that the first installment doesn't have a complete story arch, and yet I still gave it five stars. If you've been reading my reviews for a while, you will know that this is very strange for me, as I usually start no higher than three stars for these types of novels. But Onyx Webb is different, and despite the fact that I was left hanging at the end of Episode 3, the well-written, interwoven, complex story portraying the unfortunate lives of several different characters completely held my interest from page one until the end of the first installment--and I will definitely be reading on.
The story starts when Onyx Webb is a little girl on the way to the World's Fair with her father in 1904. When Onyx goes missing, we are introduced to a serial killer, Obedience, whose description is creepy enough to keep you up at night if you dwell on it. I won't give anything away, but the events in Onyx's early life had me turning through the pages quickly to find out if she lives or not. After all, when we first meet Onyx in the prologue, it's made pretty clear that she is a ghost. I had to find out if it was Obedience that killed her!
But even though this portion of the book isn't particularly long, it is interrupted by the stories of two other characters. We travel to the mid-twentieth century with Juniper and her family, and we go to near present day with Koda. Their stories are also spell-binding, and while I was in a rush to get back to Onyx, I was also extremely captivated by the worlds of Juniper and Koda as well, particularly when we find out that Juniper has gone missing and Koda has seen a ghost. The way the book is woven together demands that you keep reading; once you are updated on one character, you have to continue reading to find out what is going on with the others. Also, the more you read, the more you realize these stories are all related somehow, though by the end of Episode 3, it's still not exactly clear how.
Not only are these main characters well-developed and interesting, so are the supporting characters in each of their stories. You can't help but be intrigued by Koda's best friend, Dane, or immediately dislike his ex-girlfriend Mika. Juniper's brother is the ideal older brother, and his search for his missing sister is heart wrenching. Even the backstory of Onyx's parents, which we get in flashbacks and stories told by her father, is well-thought out and raises many questions about who--or what--Onyx really is.
As a fan of historical fiction and horror, this book was a perfect balance of the two for me. It is so well-written that fans of literary fiction will appreciate its value as well. Even though I don't generally read mysteries because I become too emotionally invested in the characters and become too upset when something happens to them, I am certain readers who appreciate these types of novels will also enjoy this book. I read another review that said this book created a new genre, and while I'm not sure if I'd go quiet that far, I absolutely understand why it was stated--this book is certainly a genre crosser. Basically, if you like books, this one has something for you.
While I am certainly bothered by the abrupt ending with no resolution, as I said before, it didn't bother me like it usually does. I think one main reason for this is that I knew it going in. The authors make it abundantly clear that this story is told in installments and that there are currently twelve of them. I still adamantly say that all books sold as individual units should contain an entire story arch, and this one does not, but at least I knew that going in. Also, the story itself is so well-written, I didn't take any stars off of my Amazon review due to incompleteness. If the scale had been 1-10, I may have given it an 8, but when we only have 5 stars to play with, I can't see omitting any for this reason.
Now, let me explain how I came to be reading this book this weekend. About a month ago I was contacted by one of the authors asking me if she could gift me the book in exchange for a review. This is pretty common for book bloggers, though it hasn't happened to me too many times before. I didn't accept her gift though--I couldn't--because I already had Onyx Webb on my Kindle. I had already downloaded it! So technically I'm not obligated to make the canned statement that I was given this book in exchange for a fair review, although I would have been if I didn't already have it. The reason it has taken me so long to read it is because I was wading my way through Noble Cause. I started reading Onyx Webb Friday night and finished it Saturday, not because it's short but because I couldn't put it down.
If you like American Horror Story (the first few seasons when the storytelling was still excellent) or Stephen King, or Dean Koontz, you will like this book. I honestly think Onyx Webb would make a great television series or a movie. I believe it's currently on it's way to a cult following, and I can see why. The price of the first installment right now is $2.99 and you can purchase it right here. If it's a rainy Sunday where you live like it is here, and you have three or four hours, go get it now. You'll thank me--until you get to the end, and then you'll be mad at me because you know you're going to keep spending $4.99 for each of the remaining installments. Sorry! I promise I get no money for any of the books I recommend!
If you read it, please come back and leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts! And don't forget to leave a review on Amazon. It's super important for the authors and other readers.
Now to figure out what to read next.... Oh, right, Onyx Webb Episodes 4, 5, and 6.
The story starts when Onyx Webb is a little girl on the way to the World's Fair with her father in 1904. When Onyx goes missing, we are introduced to a serial killer, Obedience, whose description is creepy enough to keep you up at night if you dwell on it. I won't give anything away, but the events in Onyx's early life had me turning through the pages quickly to find out if she lives or not. After all, when we first meet Onyx in the prologue, it's made pretty clear that she is a ghost. I had to find out if it was Obedience that killed her!
But even though this portion of the book isn't particularly long, it is interrupted by the stories of two other characters. We travel to the mid-twentieth century with Juniper and her family, and we go to near present day with Koda. Their stories are also spell-binding, and while I was in a rush to get back to Onyx, I was also extremely captivated by the worlds of Juniper and Koda as well, particularly when we find out that Juniper has gone missing and Koda has seen a ghost. The way the book is woven together demands that you keep reading; once you are updated on one character, you have to continue reading to find out what is going on with the others. Also, the more you read, the more you realize these stories are all related somehow, though by the end of Episode 3, it's still not exactly clear how.
Not only are these main characters well-developed and interesting, so are the supporting characters in each of their stories. You can't help but be intrigued by Koda's best friend, Dane, or immediately dislike his ex-girlfriend Mika. Juniper's brother is the ideal older brother, and his search for his missing sister is heart wrenching. Even the backstory of Onyx's parents, which we get in flashbacks and stories told by her father, is well-thought out and raises many questions about who--or what--Onyx really is.
As a fan of historical fiction and horror, this book was a perfect balance of the two for me. It is so well-written that fans of literary fiction will appreciate its value as well. Even though I don't generally read mysteries because I become too emotionally invested in the characters and become too upset when something happens to them, I am certain readers who appreciate these types of novels will also enjoy this book. I read another review that said this book created a new genre, and while I'm not sure if I'd go quiet that far, I absolutely understand why it was stated--this book is certainly a genre crosser. Basically, if you like books, this one has something for you.
While I am certainly bothered by the abrupt ending with no resolution, as I said before, it didn't bother me like it usually does. I think one main reason for this is that I knew it going in. The authors make it abundantly clear that this story is told in installments and that there are currently twelve of them. I still adamantly say that all books sold as individual units should contain an entire story arch, and this one does not, but at least I knew that going in. Also, the story itself is so well-written, I didn't take any stars off of my Amazon review due to incompleteness. If the scale had been 1-10, I may have given it an 8, but when we only have 5 stars to play with, I can't see omitting any for this reason.
Now, let me explain how I came to be reading this book this weekend. About a month ago I was contacted by one of the authors asking me if she could gift me the book in exchange for a review. This is pretty common for book bloggers, though it hasn't happened to me too many times before. I didn't accept her gift though--I couldn't--because I already had Onyx Webb on my Kindle. I had already downloaded it! So technically I'm not obligated to make the canned statement that I was given this book in exchange for a fair review, although I would have been if I didn't already have it. The reason it has taken me so long to read it is because I was wading my way through Noble Cause. I started reading Onyx Webb Friday night and finished it Saturday, not because it's short but because I couldn't put it down.
If you like American Horror Story (the first few seasons when the storytelling was still excellent) or Stephen King, or Dean Koontz, you will like this book. I honestly think Onyx Webb would make a great television series or a movie. I believe it's currently on it's way to a cult following, and I can see why. The price of the first installment right now is $2.99 and you can purchase it right here. If it's a rainy Sunday where you live like it is here, and you have three or four hours, go get it now. You'll thank me--until you get to the end, and then you'll be mad at me because you know you're going to keep spending $4.99 for each of the remaining installments. Sorry! I promise I get no money for any of the books I recommend!
If you read it, please come back and leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts! And don't forget to leave a review on Amazon. It's super important for the authors and other readers.
Now to figure out what to read next.... Oh, right, Onyx Webb Episodes 4, 5, and 6.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
My Review of Never Forgotten by Kelly Riser
This the book that has been sucking my life away for the last month or so. I usually try to finish a book a week. This one took way too long. For one thing, it was slightly longer than most books I read. For another, the first 65% of the book was boring--and I couldn't get through it. Rather than rushing through other tasks to read, I by-passed reading to do anything else (like sort socks, scrub the toilet, or watch paint dry.) I'm glad I didn't give up because the ending turned out pretty good. But I'm still not sure it was worth it.
I'd like to say I won't include any spoilers, but in this one, that's hard to do. From the beginning, we already know that Meara's dad is some mysterious sea creature. We can figure that out from reading the "about" section or from reading the first page. It takes Meara a lot longer to realize this for some crazy reason.
You'll want to like Meara when you find out her mom is dying of cancer, and she has to move to Canada to stay with her grandparents during her mom's final days. You'll be happy when she makes friends and meets a cute guy. But she also does a lot of other things that kinda make you think she's a bit of a jerk. You'll see what I'm talking about. You also kind of have to wonder how slow she is that she hasn't figured out what's going on with her dad or when he starts mysteriously appearing to her why she accepts his ridiculous answers of "just wait, you'll see" why I've been gone for seventeen years, why I can talk to you in dreams, why I can magically show up in your bedroom. "Oh, okay. I'll just wait then. Thanks." (Not exact quotes, but you get it.)
Many of the characters are extremely flat, which is a shame because there was an opportunity to do so much with some of them, especially the magical ones. The boyfriend is the typical all-star athlete, straight A student that all the girls want. The best friend is "like, totally whatever...." Lots of cliches. Too many cliches. Even the dying mother is a cliche.
Something else that really bothered me is that this book is published through a publishing house, Clean Teen Publishing. It does not list a specific editor, but I'm really shocked that, first of all, they didn't reduce the first 45% of the book to about 20% and that, second of all, they don't have better proofreaders. There are a lot of typos, misspelled words, etc. in here that I would expect to see from an Indie author who possibly hired someone on Fiverr to proofread for them (not knocking that--I have edited several books that way myself) but if you work at a publishing house as a publisher and you don't notice when the author calls the boyfriend Even instead of Evan or leaves words out of sentences, or leaves letters out of words that make the tense incorrect, uhm, that's a problem. I hope this isn't a vanity press and that Ms. Risser didn't pay these people to publish this for her because if she did, she should consider getting her money back. And if it's a legitimate publisher, they should look into hiring new editors. Seriously.
All that being said, the last 25-30% of the book was really good. If I was jut ranking that portion, I would have given it five stars. I am tempted to read the second installment to see if it is as good as the end of this one, but I'm not sure I want to take the risk of sitting through another 65% of how Meara painted a dock and what sweater Katie wanted to pick out for her boyfriend to test it out. Maybe if it's free and the other 2000 books on my kindle account suddenly disappear.
I honestly hate to be so negative. I really don't feel like it's necessarily Ms. Risser's fault that the end product ended up the way that it did. She was supposed to have help, and in my opinion, they didn't do their job. If you'd like to try this one, seriously skip to about halfway, and you won't miss anything important that you can't figure out. It may be worth it.
If you'd like to see for yourself, you can buy Never Forgotten here and the current list price is FREE (might be a reason for that.) You can read my 3 star review here. I will note that this book does have a 4.4 average review with 123 reviews, so other people do like it.
Has anyone else read it? What did you think?
I'd like to say I won't include any spoilers, but in this one, that's hard to do. From the beginning, we already know that Meara's dad is some mysterious sea creature. We can figure that out from reading the "about" section or from reading the first page. It takes Meara a lot longer to realize this for some crazy reason.
You'll want to like Meara when you find out her mom is dying of cancer, and she has to move to Canada to stay with her grandparents during her mom's final days. You'll be happy when she makes friends and meets a cute guy. But she also does a lot of other things that kinda make you think she's a bit of a jerk. You'll see what I'm talking about. You also kind of have to wonder how slow she is that she hasn't figured out what's going on with her dad or when he starts mysteriously appearing to her why she accepts his ridiculous answers of "just wait, you'll see" why I've been gone for seventeen years, why I can talk to you in dreams, why I can magically show up in your bedroom. "Oh, okay. I'll just wait then. Thanks." (Not exact quotes, but you get it.)
Many of the characters are extremely flat, which is a shame because there was an opportunity to do so much with some of them, especially the magical ones. The boyfriend is the typical all-star athlete, straight A student that all the girls want. The best friend is "like, totally whatever...." Lots of cliches. Too many cliches. Even the dying mother is a cliche.
Something else that really bothered me is that this book is published through a publishing house, Clean Teen Publishing. It does not list a specific editor, but I'm really shocked that, first of all, they didn't reduce the first 45% of the book to about 20% and that, second of all, they don't have better proofreaders. There are a lot of typos, misspelled words, etc. in here that I would expect to see from an Indie author who possibly hired someone on Fiverr to proofread for them (not knocking that--I have edited several books that way myself) but if you work at a publishing house as a publisher and you don't notice when the author calls the boyfriend Even instead of Evan or leaves words out of sentences, or leaves letters out of words that make the tense incorrect, uhm, that's a problem. I hope this isn't a vanity press and that Ms. Risser didn't pay these people to publish this for her because if she did, she should consider getting her money back. And if it's a legitimate publisher, they should look into hiring new editors. Seriously.
All that being said, the last 25-30% of the book was really good. If I was jut ranking that portion, I would have given it five stars. I am tempted to read the second installment to see if it is as good as the end of this one, but I'm not sure I want to take the risk of sitting through another 65% of how Meara painted a dock and what sweater Katie wanted to pick out for her boyfriend to test it out. Maybe if it's free and the other 2000 books on my kindle account suddenly disappear.
I honestly hate to be so negative. I really don't feel like it's necessarily Ms. Risser's fault that the end product ended up the way that it did. She was supposed to have help, and in my opinion, they didn't do their job. If you'd like to try this one, seriously skip to about halfway, and you won't miss anything important that you can't figure out. It may be worth it.
If you'd like to see for yourself, you can buy Never Forgotten here and the current list price is FREE (might be a reason for that.) You can read my 3 star review here. I will note that this book does have a 4.4 average review with 123 reviews, so other people do like it.
Has anyone else read it? What did you think?
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
My Review of Train Your Puppy to be Perfect: An Essential Guide to All Puppy Training and Care by Tracy Macallagh
I really, really hate writing bad reviews. But then I also really, really hate it when people cut and paste (or possibly paraphrase) information off of the Internet and try to sell it to people. As a freelance editor, I ran into this a lot. People just want to slap some information together and call it a book. I don't know that this is what Macallagh did in this offering. She claims to be an experienced dog trainer. But when all of the information in your book can very easily be acquired through a simple Google search, there's really not a lot of added value to your book. And, as a reader, I find this a bit insulting and quite irritating.
I decided to read this book because, at the time, it was free, and I have a puppy. She's a great dog and I was able to train her to do all of the things in this book in a few days when I first got her several months ago. We are still struggling a bit with potty training--and I have tried every thing mentioned in this particular book. So, it wasn't insightful in the area that I needed help in, and if even I know how to get my puppy to sit, lay down, stay, and heel, well, you don't have to be an experienced dog trainer to be able to do that.
Maybe if I could get my dog to heal instead....
The best part about this book is that it's a super quick read. I think I read the whole thing in twenty minutes. However, that really shouldn't be the best thing about a book.
Oh, and the list of websites in the back where you can find all of the information for free is also good. Or, you could just Google "puppy training" and you're covered. For reals.
Also, as a teacher I was a little insulted when the dog trainer author went off on a tangent about how students are given credit for being close in math nowadays. Say what? What school are you referring to and how exactly do you know this? Not in my school! And.... what does this have to do with getting my puppy to stop leaving random puddles in the kitchen?
The grooming information can basically be summed up thusly: Get your dog groomed.
Perhaps as we start to move out of the era when Amazon paid the same rate for all Kindle Unlimited titles regardless of page number we will start to move away from people furiously throwing short, meaningless compilations of information off of the 'net onto an author page and calling themselves writers. That was the idea, anyhow. (I will say it doesn't appear as if this book is currently enrolled in the KDP program, so perhaps I am off on a tangent now.) In the meantime, I will continue to stick with the information I learned at the few classes I took several years ago at the local PetCo to help my puppy. Does that make me an expert? I did sleep at a a Holiday Inn last night....
Maybe someday I will write a book about how to get your dog to pee in your kitchen (it's really easy--give her a lot of water and then ignore her for a few minutes).
If you'd like to read my two star Amazon review, you can find it here (I don't believe in one star reviews.) If you'd like to give this one a read yourself, you can find it here. It's currently priced at $1.49. Let me know what you think!
I decided to read this book because, at the time, it was free, and I have a puppy. She's a great dog and I was able to train her to do all of the things in this book in a few days when I first got her several months ago. We are still struggling a bit with potty training--and I have tried every thing mentioned in this particular book. So, it wasn't insightful in the area that I needed help in, and if even I know how to get my puppy to sit, lay down, stay, and heel, well, you don't have to be an experienced dog trainer to be able to do that.
Maybe if I could get my dog to heal instead....
The best part about this book is that it's a super quick read. I think I read the whole thing in twenty minutes. However, that really shouldn't be the best thing about a book.
Oh, and the list of websites in the back where you can find all of the information for free is also good. Or, you could just Google "puppy training" and you're covered. For reals.
Also, as a teacher I was a little insulted when the dog trainer author went off on a tangent about how students are given credit for being close in math nowadays. Say what? What school are you referring to and how exactly do you know this? Not in my school! And.... what does this have to do with getting my puppy to stop leaving random puddles in the kitchen?
The grooming information can basically be summed up thusly: Get your dog groomed.
Perhaps as we start to move out of the era when Amazon paid the same rate for all Kindle Unlimited titles regardless of page number we will start to move away from people furiously throwing short, meaningless compilations of information off of the 'net onto an author page and calling themselves writers. That was the idea, anyhow. (I will say it doesn't appear as if this book is currently enrolled in the KDP program, so perhaps I am off on a tangent now.) In the meantime, I will continue to stick with the information I learned at the few classes I took several years ago at the local PetCo to help my puppy. Does that make me an expert? I did sleep at a a Holiday Inn last night....
Maybe someday I will write a book about how to get your dog to pee in your kitchen (it's really easy--give her a lot of water and then ignore her for a few minutes).
If you'd like to read my two star Amazon review, you can find it here (I don't believe in one star reviews.) If you'd like to give this one a read yourself, you can find it here. It's currently priced at $1.49. Let me know what you think!
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
My Review of Lady Falls (The Black Rose Trilogy Book 1)
The initial scenes of this novel had me captivated: a young orphan girl tormented by a vulgar headmistress, a sinister stranger showing up in a thunderstorm to "save" her, the promise of vengeance being gained, no matter the cost. Even the setting--Victorian England (though it seems more Regency to me, which is even better for the story line)--is quite interesting, and from the very beginning, I was lured in by author Renee Bernard's mesmerizing characters. Unfortunately, the strong plot line did not hold throughout and I was left more than slightly disappointed by the conclusion.
However, another of Bernard's talents lies in creating bits of prose and dialogue that sound very much like one would expect for the period (even if her vision seemed a bit off to me). She certainly knows how to turn a phrase, pick the perfect adjective, and create a beautiful metaphor. I was extremely impressed with her ability to choose colorful words that supported her characters and made them seem real, and for the most part, likable.
Towards the end of the novel, however, when the plot seems to disintegrate, those characters begin to make choices that seem very disingenuous and I agree with more than one fellow reviewer who also said some deus ex machina was happening here. (If you're not familiar with the term, this is, essentially, when an author makes something happen because it has to--in order to save an otherwise doomed plot.) We are told in the beginning that the Earl of Trent (sometimes called Geoffrey, which is confusing at times) is seeking revenge on someone. We find out pretty quickly that this someone happens to be Phillip Warrick and that the lady of the house, Raven Wells, (remember that orphan?) has fallen for Warrick. It isn't until very, very, very (did I say very?) late in the story that we are reminded of this--sort of out of the blue. And the character of Trent goes from a somewhat likable, if not a bit eccentric and power hungry, guy to a soul so despicable you'd think the devil would be hanging out in his war room taking notes.
And what of our hero, Mr. Warrick? Well, he also loses his mind at the end of the book and acts completely out of character, transforming into yet another monstrous, chauvinist oinker.
This is the first in a series of three books, and I don't think I'll be reading the next two. While Bernard is an amazing writer, I am not a fan of her story telling. This is the opposite of most of the books I have read recently where the story is pretty decent but the writing is unimpressive. I may be willing to give another series or stand alone of hers a try at some point, but as far as Raven Wells is concerned, I can only hope she recovers from the treachery imposed upon her by the two men in her life. Incidentally, this is a cliffhanger and even though the first chapter of the next book is included, there is no resolution--none. So, if that sort of thing drives you crazy, keep it in mind before you make your purchase.
I must also mention there are some pretty explicit scenes in the book, and I would not recommend it for younger readers at all.
You can read my 3 star Amazon review here and check out Lady Falls for yourself here. Current price is 99 cents.
If you have a book you would like for me to review, please send me an email at amyevanhorn@gmail.com. I am currently reading Seven Sisters by M.L. Bullock.
However, another of Bernard's talents lies in creating bits of prose and dialogue that sound very much like one would expect for the period (even if her vision seemed a bit off to me). She certainly knows how to turn a phrase, pick the perfect adjective, and create a beautiful metaphor. I was extremely impressed with her ability to choose colorful words that supported her characters and made them seem real, and for the most part, likable.
Towards the end of the novel, however, when the plot seems to disintegrate, those characters begin to make choices that seem very disingenuous and I agree with more than one fellow reviewer who also said some deus ex machina was happening here. (If you're not familiar with the term, this is, essentially, when an author makes something happen because it has to--in order to save an otherwise doomed plot.) We are told in the beginning that the Earl of Trent (sometimes called Geoffrey, which is confusing at times) is seeking revenge on someone. We find out pretty quickly that this someone happens to be Phillip Warrick and that the lady of the house, Raven Wells, (remember that orphan?) has fallen for Warrick. It isn't until very, very, very (did I say very?) late in the story that we are reminded of this--sort of out of the blue. And the character of Trent goes from a somewhat likable, if not a bit eccentric and power hungry, guy to a soul so despicable you'd think the devil would be hanging out in his war room taking notes.
And what of our hero, Mr. Warrick? Well, he also loses his mind at the end of the book and acts completely out of character, transforming into yet another monstrous, chauvinist oinker.
This is the first in a series of three books, and I don't think I'll be reading the next two. While Bernard is an amazing writer, I am not a fan of her story telling. This is the opposite of most of the books I have read recently where the story is pretty decent but the writing is unimpressive. I may be willing to give another series or stand alone of hers a try at some point, but as far as Raven Wells is concerned, I can only hope she recovers from the treachery imposed upon her by the two men in her life. Incidentally, this is a cliffhanger and even though the first chapter of the next book is included, there is no resolution--none. So, if that sort of thing drives you crazy, keep it in mind before you make your purchase.
I must also mention there are some pretty explicit scenes in the book, and I would not recommend it for younger readers at all.
You can read my 3 star Amazon review here and check out Lady Falls for yourself here. Current price is 99 cents.
If you have a book you would like for me to review, please send me an email at amyevanhorn@gmail.com. I am currently reading Seven Sisters by M.L. Bullock.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
My Review of Love Like You've Never Been Hurt by SJ McCoy
I really wanted to like this book.... There are pieces of it that were really great, but there was so much wrong with it (sigh), both from a plot stand point and as an editor, it just ruined it for me.
Let me start with the premise of the story. Emma is a screenwriter who lives in LA. She has a lot of friends--so many, in fact, it takes a while to remember who they all are. There's Holly, her best friend in LA, but then she has a group of friends she grew up with--Missy, Ben, and Pete. And Pete also lives and works in LA, and even though they are great friends, Emma has never met Pete's business partner, Jack, until early in the story when she literally runs into him. Later, we'll meet some other important people, like Grandpa, his best friend whose name I forget, Dan, Lexi, Laura, and Scot (yes, with one T.)
Emma realizes that she is interested in Jack immediately, but she had her heart broken by her ex-husband so she doesn't date or think about relationships ever--not even when she really thinks a guy is hot and knows he likes her, too. Even when Jack makes it clear that he is interested in her and that he's a good guy, she doesn't buy it. You can already see where it's going from early one when we discover that Jack has dated a lot of women but he's not a player and yet Emma is still scared that he'll cheat on her. Any guesses what ends up happening?
Nevertheless, despite this sexy man wanting her so badky, Emma ignores him and tries to run away. Her friends tell her to go for it, even Pete who knows Jack so well. She still runs away. Her friends call her "Mouse" because she keeps hiding in a "mouse hole." This may have been a cute analogy once or twice but it is stated over and over and over and over again. Eventually, of course, Emma gives in and decides to give Jack a whirl (or a roll--in the hay, as the case may be). But--as you can guess, there is one miss understanding after the other until the end, which I will not spoil for you.
There are so many occurrences that seem pretty far-fetched but need to happen for the story to work. For example we get a tiny shred of foreshadowing at one point when Jack takes his phone out of his pocket and puts in on a dresser.So later, when there is a misunderstanding, he can't call Emma because he doesn't have his phone. Also, in another situation where Emma is very mad at Jack about something she has very little evidence to suspect he did, she won't call him because she just doesn't want to think about it. She'd rather get really drunk on whiskey and spend the night at Ben's house. This does not seem realistic at all to me. The explanation, of course, is that she's a mouse and she's immature. Well, I don't buy it. She's not immature in anything else she does, so why would she be when it comes to relationships? Wouldn't she at least call him to tell him to go pluck himself?
There were some descriptions that McCoy wrote really well. She is particularly talented at writing steamy scenes, something many authors struggle with. They were believable and well described without being too intimate. She also took her time and let the story develop, which is a rarity with many romance writers as well. At times, it seemed a little drawn out, but for the most part, the pacing was pretty perfect.
I did not see an editor listed on the Kindle addition and I'm wondering if McCoy didn't attempt to edit her own work--something that is nearly impossible to do well. There are so many comma splices--like dozens--it was extremely distracting. Here is an example:"You hurt yourself by believing the worst, don't you see that?" Likewise, the word okay is constantly capitalized even in the middle of a sentence. Such as this one: "Hey, Mousey. Everything Okay?" There were also lots of places where she didn't put a comma before "and" where one was required and put one where it wasn't needed. There are plenty of questions that end with periods and even some statements with question marks. Here is an example of the first instance: "But did you see them, like, kiss or anything." and one of the later: "I thought he was supposed to be here?" Finally, there were some phrases used that I had never heard before that seemed odd to me, sort of like when I edit for second language learners, though I believe she is an American. Here is an example: "She stayed at mine last night, she was in a bit of a state." (note the comma splice as well!)
McCoy has several titles available, but I don't think I will be reading anything else from her unless it is highly recommended by a close friend. I didn't even bother to read the chapter of the next book included in the back of this one. I see that she has quite the following, and I think that's wonderful. Her writing just isn't for me. I need a story that makes me think and wonder what is going to happen, not something so predictable. And I would strongly recommend a good editor. For me, this one is only 2.5 stars, though on Amazon, I gave it 3 (rounded up.) You can check it out for yourself here. It is currently free as of September 23, 2015.
Let me start with the premise of the story. Emma is a screenwriter who lives in LA. She has a lot of friends--so many, in fact, it takes a while to remember who they all are. There's Holly, her best friend in LA, but then she has a group of friends she grew up with--Missy, Ben, and Pete. And Pete also lives and works in LA, and even though they are great friends, Emma has never met Pete's business partner, Jack, until early in the story when she literally runs into him. Later, we'll meet some other important people, like Grandpa, his best friend whose name I forget, Dan, Lexi, Laura, and Scot (yes, with one T.)
Emma realizes that she is interested in Jack immediately, but she had her heart broken by her ex-husband so she doesn't date or think about relationships ever--not even when she really thinks a guy is hot and knows he likes her, too. Even when Jack makes it clear that he is interested in her and that he's a good guy, she doesn't buy it. You can already see where it's going from early one when we discover that Jack has dated a lot of women but he's not a player and yet Emma is still scared that he'll cheat on her. Any guesses what ends up happening?
Nevertheless, despite this sexy man wanting her so badky, Emma ignores him and tries to run away. Her friends tell her to go for it, even Pete who knows Jack so well. She still runs away. Her friends call her "Mouse" because she keeps hiding in a "mouse hole." This may have been a cute analogy once or twice but it is stated over and over and over and over again. Eventually, of course, Emma gives in and decides to give Jack a whirl (or a roll--in the hay, as the case may be). But--as you can guess, there is one miss understanding after the other until the end, which I will not spoil for you.
There are so many occurrences that seem pretty far-fetched but need to happen for the story to work. For example we get a tiny shred of foreshadowing at one point when Jack takes his phone out of his pocket and puts in on a dresser.So later, when there is a misunderstanding, he can't call Emma because he doesn't have his phone. Also, in another situation where Emma is very mad at Jack about something she has very little evidence to suspect he did, she won't call him because she just doesn't want to think about it. She'd rather get really drunk on whiskey and spend the night at Ben's house. This does not seem realistic at all to me. The explanation, of course, is that she's a mouse and she's immature. Well, I don't buy it. She's not immature in anything else she does, so why would she be when it comes to relationships? Wouldn't she at least call him to tell him to go pluck himself?
There were some descriptions that McCoy wrote really well. She is particularly talented at writing steamy scenes, something many authors struggle with. They were believable and well described without being too intimate. She also took her time and let the story develop, which is a rarity with many romance writers as well. At times, it seemed a little drawn out, but for the most part, the pacing was pretty perfect.
I did not see an editor listed on the Kindle addition and I'm wondering if McCoy didn't attempt to edit her own work--something that is nearly impossible to do well. There are so many comma splices--like dozens--it was extremely distracting. Here is an example:"You hurt yourself by believing the worst, don't you see that?" Likewise, the word okay is constantly capitalized even in the middle of a sentence. Such as this one: "Hey, Mousey. Everything Okay?" There were also lots of places where she didn't put a comma before "and" where one was required and put one where it wasn't needed. There are plenty of questions that end with periods and even some statements with question marks. Here is an example of the first instance: "But did you see them, like, kiss or anything." and one of the later: "I thought he was supposed to be here?" Finally, there were some phrases used that I had never heard before that seemed odd to me, sort of like when I edit for second language learners, though I believe she is an American. Here is an example: "She stayed at mine last night, she was in a bit of a state." (note the comma splice as well!)
McCoy has several titles available, but I don't think I will be reading anything else from her unless it is highly recommended by a close friend. I didn't even bother to read the chapter of the next book included in the back of this one. I see that she has quite the following, and I think that's wonderful. Her writing just isn't for me. I need a story that makes me think and wonder what is going to happen, not something so predictable. And I would strongly recommend a good editor. For me, this one is only 2.5 stars, though on Amazon, I gave it 3 (rounded up.) You can check it out for yourself here. It is currently free as of September 23, 2015.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
My Review of Insanity (Mad in Wonderland) by Cameron Jace
I love all things Alice, so I was really excited to read this, especially after all of the great reviews, but I was a bit confused even from the beginning. First of all, there's no true time established in the setting until much further into the book, so it was difficult to establish this was happening in present day and not Alice's original time. Once we learn it is present day, it's very confusing as to how Alice is alive. I found the idea that Alice is in an asylum very similar to ABC's Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Though there were certainly elements that were different--like Alice isn't rescued from the asylum in order to go back into Wonderland, she is still in an asylum because everyone thinks she is crazy.
I liked the backstory regarding Alice killing everyone on the bus, including her boyfriend, Adam, but I don't feel like we ever get a clear picture of exactly what happened. And I think it seems pretty clear from the first time that we meet Jack that he and Adam are a bit too similar (don't want to give anything away.)
Also, when Alice is present, the book is written in first person, but when she's not, it's third person--which was just odd. Generally speaking, when I am reading a book in third person, I identify with the narrator as another person but when Alice is sometimes telling the story and then some identified person is, it was hard to follow. How do we know what is happening in Alice's story if she's not there? It almost seemed like the author didn't consider this when first telling the story and then went back and tried to patch it up.
I know this is a series and I'm not sure I'll be reading the rest. The characters were not engaging enough for me to seek out the next one, nor was the idea original or creative enough. I love Lewis Carroll's creation but I don't think this retelling/imagination hit the mark. I gave it ***.
Lots of other people disagreed with me, however, as this book has plenty of four and five stars. If you'd like to check it out yourself, you can find it here.
I liked the backstory regarding Alice killing everyone on the bus, including her boyfriend, Adam, but I don't feel like we ever get a clear picture of exactly what happened. And I think it seems pretty clear from the first time that we meet Jack that he and Adam are a bit too similar (don't want to give anything away.)
Also, when Alice is present, the book is written in first person, but when she's not, it's third person--which was just odd. Generally speaking, when I am reading a book in third person, I identify with the narrator as another person but when Alice is sometimes telling the story and then some identified person is, it was hard to follow. How do we know what is happening in Alice's story if she's not there? It almost seemed like the author didn't consider this when first telling the story and then went back and tried to patch it up.
I know this is a series and I'm not sure I'll be reading the rest. The characters were not engaging enough for me to seek out the next one, nor was the idea original or creative enough. I love Lewis Carroll's creation but I don't think this retelling/imagination hit the mark. I gave it ***.
Lots of other people disagreed with me, however, as this book has plenty of four and five stars. If you'd like to check it out yourself, you can find it here.
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