The Orphans is a heartbreaking read that left me feeling extremely sad and sorry for these characters. I didn't pity them. My feelings were just somewhere in between.
Both characters are fragile and flawed. It was very different to what grief-loss books are these days. My sadness also came from a place where Ro thought his sister has moved on. Whereas, in reality, Jess was still the eight-year-old on the beach. She had just put a mask on of moving on which slipped from time to time throughout the book. She was right there with Ro, only she masked it. Ro was a fresh, deep and his unpredictability gave me a glimpse at how his mind worked. It was thrilling to read his POVs as much as it was heartbreaking to feel his pain. I didn't expect the story to end the way it did which left me in unexpected tears and sadness. The Orphans is a book you will cherish if ever abandonment and grief has accompanied you. Get your copy of The Orphans by Annemarie Neary now.
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George (through dialogues), Caitlin's husband and his insightful and wholesome character.
The story of Violet and Finn had me turning pages at a slower pace. I didn't want to miss out on tiny details. Jessica Strawser's writing is descriptive, yet captivating. I have come across books where descriptions have bored me to death. Almost Missed You is certainly not one of those books. The long passages of descriptions are perfectly detailed and inquisitive at the same time. The chapter endings were a delight because I kept looking forward to a new reveal. There is a deeper meaning to Almost Missed You and you need to read it yourself to get acquainted with the characters and their minds. This story blurs the lines between womens' fiction and mystery-thrillers of our times. I feel lucky to have received a copy of Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser's through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Get your copy from Amazon.com
something as dominant as The Masterminds comes along the way, I believe I’m converted; and I haven’t even read the first book, yet.
The Masterminds is told from the perspective of Brook and Josh. Josh is trying to nail the Discoli family down which leads him to Brook, who fronts as a judge of a famous competition while behind the scenes, he is doing things he’s not supposed to. Both of them are trying to save who they love the most. Ivy and Aster, the twins from the first novel are tangled in this mess and the story moves forward with a pace that had me biting my nails till I didn't have any left. Olivia Wildenstein is a fine craftswoman of words. She weaved a story so gripping and profoundly moving, giving each and every character a powerful motive to make The Mastermindswhole. What surprised me even more is how she didn’t usedetailed sex scenes as a common literary device I’ve come across these days that many authors use to shove the plot forward and stretch the words count to a painful extent. She knows which genre she’s writing for and how to present it well. Her writing is simple because the complexities lie in her characters and the dense plot. She is a true mastermind in devising crisp sentences that don’t come across robotic. In addition to this, I liked that Olivia Wildenstein didn’t overdo the descriptions of settings and places because I tend to skip those paragraphs altogether. I hate reading about the color of the drapes and the cracks on the wall unless it's coming from Agatha Christie. Do you catch my drift? Descriptions can be poetic, but can also ruin the story if the writing is sloppy. That's where some readers like me struggle to connect with the characters. I agree, some of the readers might disagree with me on this. But, give The Masterminds a chance and see for yourself how clever Olivia Wildenstein’s writing actually is. Even without the flowery descriptions, I could relate to the characters, their stories, fears and insecurities. I also appreciate her writing more because every time I tried guessing the mystery of the missing diamonds, I was proved wrong. I loved the fact how Olivia Wildenstein didn’t describe Diana’s physical attributes at first when she talks to Brook and carefully unwraps her in another scene in the future when I kept racking my head wondering who is the woman Josh is describing, using her physical attributes. The way this author created doubt in my mind in every chapter and scene was spectacular. The ending was gut-wrenching and I did not see that coming. Olivia Wildenstein, you knocked the wind out of me using a sledgehammer. How could you? Although, I do believe it was not easy for you to write it as well. Maybe that’s why the chapter was short and a tough one. I went back to reading it twice before I could grasp what happened and what I read was actually what it meant. Before I forget, here are my favorite quotes from the book: Unfortunately, I’ve learned that sometimes you’ll love people who won’t love you back, and there’s nothing you can do about it. & My other half. My sweeter half. My shattered half. & one more…. To me, Ivy and Aster are two parts of the same person. In the womb, a person’s right arm doesn’t grow sooner than the left. I’m a fan and am looking forward to read more of Olivia Wildenstein’s works of art. Order your copy for Kindle and Paperback.
Here is the reason why.
Pretty Wicked is a well-researched novel. The workings of a psychopath is detailed and through Ryann, I could acknowledge how she worked and justified her actions. For the world, she is perfect example of a good girl and ticks all boxes of social acceptance. But, underneath all that lies another layer of her personality. A personality that is intelligent, dark, egotistic, liar and a prime manipulator. She has everyone eating from her hands, except for Estevez, her father’s partner. I admired the graphical and sensory representation of each and every killing that Ryann undertakes. It made me feel like I was sitting in the front row to watch her work. No matter how she picks up her victims or the various ways she kills them, the clues add up and make her the focal point. I can only blame her fifteen-year-old age and the immaturity it entails. I enjoyed how the novel was written from the perspective of a psychopath and not from the viewpoint of the same-old-detective. I was thrilled, scared, happy and even sad withRyann and her experiences. When another psychopath came into the plot, I really hoped they’d work together. You must think I’m twisted, but I can’t help it. I was looking forward to it. I’d guessed who the other psychopath was because I seriously paid attention to the clues neatly placed in the writing. But, again, Kelly Charron threw my expectations out of the window with a major plot twist in the end. Kelly Charron’s writing is beautiful and I admire the way her simple way of writing actually made me excited. Pretty Wicked is a page-turner and a must read. Get your copy from: Amazon.com Release date: January 10, 2017
What could have made the good professor snap and kill his entire family? Thomas Houston had everything that DeMarco didn’t - a happy, cheerful family with a loving wife and beautiful children. However, throughout the investigation, Ryan DeMarco finds that there is not much difference between him and Thomas Houston. I found their similarities oddly satisfying and the overall book to be a great read.
This is the first book that I’ve come across where the protagonist is a writer, and how the author focused on the lives of a writer is true to some extent. It is solitary life, to be precise. Randall Silvis, the author is a spectacular storyteller. I could remember every character by their metaphorical and unique references he has placed carefully for the reader to remember them. In addition to this, the literary references made throughout the book were from some of my favorite authors and poets which made Two Days Gone even more special. Randall Silvis is a mind-blowing observer and at times I wondered if I’d ever get a chance to sit with him somewhere, in a crowded place and do nothing but observe the people around us. There were small bouts of well-timed humor that added spark to the prose. Believe me, the narration and the small ticks in each and every character were memorable. I admired how every scene had a profound sensory experience. Throughout the book, I could smell, sense, taste and feel things. Like I was right there in the middle of things. Very few authors get it right and when such exemplary sensory experience gets combined with a brooding plot, everything becomes exciting. I want to go on and on about Two Days Gone, but that would only mean revealing the spoilers - which I don’t want to. You need to read and find it out yourself if you want to know what I'm talking about. Pre-order your copy of from: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble |
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