Lately, mysteries and thrillers have been calling to me. I regret answering to this one.
The premise of This Is Our Story is base*Spoiler-free!*
Lately, mysteries and thrillers have been calling to me. I regret answering to this one.
The premise of This Is Our Story is based upon a friendship between five boys. All five go into the woods for a hunt and only four come back. Naturally, my interest was piqued heavily because I wanted to know what happened, why only four came back, was it an accident, was someone murdered?
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Sadly, I realized rather quickly that more often than not, everything was not what it seemed. I say this to say that I thought I was in for a super suspenseful whodunnit, when in reality I was met with awkwardly placed angst among teenagers and misplaced "clues". The author would throw out little tidbits randomly and usually in the middle of a scene I felt was important for either setting the stage for the rest of the novel, or just time for plain old character development.
It didn't come as a surprise to me that I was not a big fan of Kate, our main character. She inserted herself into every situation that did not concern her whatsoever. She worked for the DA's office and her job should have been filing papers and sticking to her body language commentary on the videoed interviews from the night Grant Perkins was shot. This job, along with her virtually unfounded romantic feelings towards one of the River Point Boys caused her to mistakenly believe that it was her place to insert herself (and her obviously biased opinions) into the investigation early-on.
Now, the setting did not play well into the story. It was almost like where we were in the story was second-string in the grand scheme of things. The story was set in Louisiana (where the author lives!) and we were only reminded of this by an occasional "Y'all" and a town barbecue. Stereotype, I know, but it's Louisiana and nothing if not a good place for eats.
Now since I'm not an expert in law by any means, I won't claim to know everything. However, I did find it strange that Kate had complete access to documents regarding the River Point case. Toxicology results, interview tapes, coroner's report, all with no experience whatsoever. If my freedom was on the line I would not be comfortable with someone such as Kate handling my files and interfering with the investigation. Kate and the RP boys all attend the same school once they transfer to her school after things get heated after them becoming suspects in their friend's death. It was at this point that I knew exactly where the story was going to go, but I was already in too deep.
When things didn't move within the story, I quickly became bored and increasingly irritated with Kate and the shoddy police work done with Grant's case. One of the RP boys was almost charged because of hearsay and that didn't sit right with me. So after many strange occurrences in the story, I realized quickly that normal logic and basic ways of the law and legal system were going to be ignored. Knowing this, I thought that perhaps the intrigue would make up for the silliness. It didn't.
I admit that I suspected the twist would be this grand gesture and would knock my socks off since the author (purposely or not, I'm not sure) did not give any clues to keep the reader engaged in hopes of figuring out the killer before the end. It was virtually impossible to figure it out, and this did the opposite of intrigue me. It made the story seem all over the place with no clear direction.
List of Grievances!
-Kate was very blatantly interfering with almost every aspect of the investigation and no one noticed this. -Naming them the River Point Five sounds way cooler than River Point Boys. Sorry. -There wasn't enough of the political intrigue of their town. The setting was bland and the characters were severely underdeveloped to the point where I didn't care who killed Grant, I just wanted the story to be over. -The author fell short by painting the victim in a terrible light, and almost implying that he deserved what he got. This was a huge turn-off for me. -Kate was a terrible main character and let everyone down by getting involved with the investigation and an RP boy. -Too many of Kate's opinions were always inserted into every situation and I didn't care about them or take them seriously because of her clear bias. If anything, this made me suspicious of her.
In closing:
-Upon finishing the book, I felt sad for Grant honestly. He did some things, but he didn't deserve what he got. It seemed that everyone besides his grieving parents turned against him so viciously and this made me feel bad. But, most importantly, I felt that the unveiling of the killer was severely underwhelming because there was no development to attach the reader to him. This would have made the story worthwhile, but alas. This story sucked and I'm upset that my time was so wasted on it....more
*Spoiler-free review!* I read this with my buddy Logan and it definitely kept us busy. Packed with intrigue, scandal, and characters with stories that*Spoiler-free review!* I read this with my buddy Logan and it definitely kept us busy. Packed with intrigue, scandal, and characters with stories that grab you, One Of Us Is Lying will surely impress. The essentials of the plot include an app created by Simon Kelleher, called About That. This app is used by virtually the entire school, as it is riddled with all of the latest gossip about fellow students. Simon finds himself in detention with four other students, each from very different backgrounds and with vastly different attitudes, which I found refreshing. Eventually, everyone comes to the conclusion that something about their fate in detention that day is off, and things take a crazy turn within the first thirty pages. So, from the description of the book, we learn that the five students all walk into detention that day, and only four walk out. We spend the rest of the book in alternating POV's from everyone in the room that fateful day, as we try and figure out Simon's demise. There were many pros involved in One Of Us Is Lying, a main one being the fact that the characters, each with more than one flaw, were relatable or at the very least able to be understood with ease. This was nice to see since the dust jacket had each of them typecast--"the criminal, the brain, the athlete," etc. Their unlikely unity was unexpected and yet, perfectly placed and executed. McManus truly did a great job thwarting the reader at almost every turn--everyone and anyone had a motive for wanting Simon dead. Other than pretty likable characters, McManus also managed to toss in some tasteful twists and turns; a secret revealed here, a distasteful comment there. I suspected everyone and you're truly not satisfied until the very end when everything is revealed, and I loved that. One Of Us Is Lying really did a great job of taking very broad topics and narrowing them down in the lives of five students in a high school setting where gossip and rumors run rampant, and surprisingly enough, unlikely allies and friendships are formed. And most importantly, young people find themselves in the face of tragedy. With a twist I never saw coming, McManus has become one of my new auto-buy authors, just like that. Definitely give this one a try for a quick, fast paced mystery!...more
A twisty road with detours and "road closed" signs everywhere you look. Sometimes I Lie was true to form because our main character, Amber is a liar. A twisty road with detours and "road closed" signs everywhere you look. Sometimes I Lie was true to form because our main character, Amber is a liar. I thoroughly enjoyed the aspect that the main character we are presented with has a difficult time with the truth or just avoids it entirely. To me, that seemed like a much needed fresh take, especially on psychological thrillers which are becoming more and more mainstream.
The story is engaging, the characters are sneaky and unpredictable. As I read, I noticed the tempo or pace of the plot changing ever so slightly and yet enough to raise suspicion. Events were presented through alternative "Before" (chapters which were diary entries), "Then" (events leading up to Amber's coma), and "Now" (inside Amber's current thoughts and emotions as she is able to hear everything going on around her.)
The twists were subtle and interesting, leading to the climax of the story that left me with more questions than answers. ...more
I enjoyed the story enough to devour it so quickly, however I wish Atlas had gotten more screen time here. This was almost a one star read for*2 stars
I enjoyed the story enough to devour it so quickly, however I wish Atlas had gotten more screen time here. This was almost a one star read for me, but Atlas really came through as a fantastic “light at the end of the tunnel,” so to speak. This story was severely lacking in the realm of resolution. There were quite a few loose ends that will just remain as such, however they won’t keep me from sleeping soundly, as I likely won’t be thinking of this story or it’s characters in an hour. ...more
This book was shaky at best, borderline tragic at worst. Tragic meaning that the hype and plot-line was so promising to the point where2.5 Solid Stars
This book was shaky at best, borderline tragic at worst. Tragic meaning that the hype and plot-line was so promising to the point where once I read the story, I felt mislead. As soon as I felt like this could possibly be a good story, there went the downward spiral. The story was completely unlike what it was presented as, and not in a good way.
In the beginning, we're presented with an oddly refreshing "bad girl" character, Kate Harker. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle a "bad boy" monster, so I'm counting my blessings for that. But from what I could gather from the murky setting, the city is "overrun" with monsters.
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I beg to differ. There were maybe two "monstrous" encounters I can vividly remember, but I would hardly call the city "overrun", because for some odd reason the monsters steer clear of insured humans. Insured = paying Harker for his protection. How he manages to protect these people, let alone convince them to get their insurance from him, I could not tell you. The whole thing just seemed...silly. Harker was not this intimidating figure and he even had monsters that worked under Kate Harker is the daughter of Harker, her father, whom she refers to as such. (Weird). She has palpable daddy issues, and I felt for her on this. Instead of taking it in stride and trying to be the opposite of her tyrannical father, she instead aspires to be just. Like. Him.
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This really ends up being the hair in the soup because she had no reason to want to have a goal like this, perhaps other than the fact that he was her remaining relative. The dynamic between Kate and her father was so odd. One always tried to "one up" the other and it was exhausting, and just weird. And when this issue was addressed and resolved, it was so underwhelming and anticlimactic. I just don't like when stories jerk you around in a round about circle to get you to see something that is obvious from the beginning. It's like beating a dead horse.
August had the most redeeming qualities out of all. I appreciated his character and the inner demons he was battling. It was some powerful stuff. He was apart of something bigger than him and I was 100% behind him the whole time. But. Bottom line: I didn't want massive chaos but isn't that what should be expected in a city overrun with monsters? The story would have been 10x more interesting and memorable if the monsters were indeed "running rampant". This is another case of Hyperitis. I truly believe the hype killed this book....more
I believe that once in a blue moon, we all as readers come across a book that everyone should read. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is that book. ThI believe that once in a blue moon, we all as readers come across a book that everyone should read. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is that book. The synopsis can easily make a few heads roll, and that is understandable. But to Dnf this because of the subject matter indicates that there is more maturity to be achieved, especially if you consider yourself an avid reader like myself.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things did not hold back, and my heartstrings were tugged as I found myself being completely sucked into Wavy's life and her story as she grew as a person. It was gritty, raw, and real. I genuinely feel that the subject matter was handled so fantastically and I know that Wavy's story will stick with me for a long time to come. It was just that good.
I will leave you with this: take a chance on this one. It won't disappoint....more
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender completely sold me in regards to the fact that magical realism can be"Love makes us such fools."
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender completely sold me in regards to the fact that magical realism can be so subtle and yet right in front of your face. Ava Lavender was born with wings and her twin brother Henry was born a selective mute. Doesn't that just sound so sad? Not necessarily sad with pity, but sad because damnit, one can only take so much misfortune and it's another thing when misfortune and woe run throughout your entire family.
There was a beautiful family tree in the beginning of the book, and I was not expecting the author to give us the backstory and history of Ava's family. But sorrow is very appropriate and I'm glad that it's in the title because all of the sorrows and woes of Ava and her family just accumulated into this big gray cloud that hung over my head the entire time I read the story. And I honestly loved every minute of it. It seems like such a special feat, in my opinion, when you formulate a story that readers don't need to relate to at all that will stick with them for a long long while.
I fell in love with the characters, and it didn't take much for that to happen. And to add more praise to the character development aspect: they initially weren't all that likable. Everyone had problems, and I mean everyone. Some worse than others, but everyone was dealing with their own issues and each and every one was recognizable, even in the supporting characters that didn't necessarily have the spotlight on them. The supporting characters for once were not there just to have random conversations with the MC that weren't important to the plot, and they weren't there to just fill pages. They were important.
The author made me care about each and every character in the book, and damn her for it. Some authors really need to take notes when it comes to this. I really could not find anything wrong with this book, and if it was longer I wouldn't mind. If there was a sequel, I wouldn't mind.
I shelved this book under romance also because romance was extremely prevalent in this book, and upon a little deep thinking after I finished reading, I realized that it was the root of everything that happened in the plot, good or bad.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is my first favorite of the year, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I can tell that the author had an idea, knew exactly what she wanted to write about, and she went for it.
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This book is also the only book I don't mind typing out the whole title for. An abbreviation would be a crime! Blasphemy, even....more
"We can't begin to learn until we admit how much we don't know."
This statement, I feel, cannot be any more true when talRead-along with my BB Girls <3
"We can't begin to learn until we admit how much we don't know."
This statement, I feel, cannot be any more true when talking about dimensional travel. The whole concept went completely over my head at times, but I brought it back. I was determined to understand! It's truly fascinating to think about.
So first a little run-down from the synopsis.
Marguerite Caine has grown up with geniuses for parents, and "hot, masculine" guys as basically live-in Einsteins and what-not. They sit in the house and Science and Chill and eventually come up with the Firebird, which is a really cool sounding car a dimensional traveling thing-a-majig. Then, when Marguerite's father is murdered, all evidence somehow points to Paul, one of the "hot, masculine" guys. Like I said, all of the "evidence" somehow points to Paul because PLOT people! Why else wouldn't you have other possible suspects?
So poor Pauly is blamed for this horrible thing. And then there's Hot Masculine Number 2, Theo. He's somewhat unimportant in the beginning of the book, really. He's just apart of this somewhat annoyingly satisfying one sided love-triangle, which should not have even been a thing. I hate love-triangles that show from the very beginning who will get the girl.
Okay, then this craziness was said. "He could've gotten away with it, slipping into another dimension beyond the reach of the law: the perfect crime."
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If it's that easy to commit a crime and escape the reaches of the law, I strongly advise that the Firebird does not end up in the hands of the populace for hopefully obvious concerns. Speaking of the Firebird, the science of the thing was more often than not, "cut to the chase" as said by one of the characters when it was about to be explained. A couple paragraphs of explanation wouldn't have hurt anyone, really. But the allure of the Firebird remained instilled through the story.
Back to Marguerite. Marguerite was an odd-ball of a character. I felt completely detached from her, and I would have loved if this story was told in dual POV or something, because the other characters, however a little underdeveloped, were more interesting to me. Marguerite was just too quick to believe whatever someone told her while she lived in a world where she should question literally anything and everything. But she did seem to have this plot-convenient knack of "knowing things" and "being sure of it" and it never failed.
The author did a not so good job of describing our characters, also. All I remember reading about Marguerite was she had red hair? Maybe?
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For all we know, Marguerite could be Merida. I even asked my 8 year old sister who red-haired Marguerite would remind her of. "Merida from Scotland! From that movie Brave! Can I read that when you're done??"
And can we discuss the possible ramifications of dimensional travel for a second? (I found it's easier to think of it as the same as Every Day. It'll save you the headache, trust me.) Inhabiting your other-dimensional self and making choices and doing things that maybe that dimension's you wouldn't have even done, seems a little scary. Tell me there aren't any butterfly affects or anything.
And as for the other characters. Again, I know hardly anything about them. Makes you wonder what those 360 pages were about, huh? Me too.
Firebird= "Oh, you just shock yourself with it for reminders, whatever those are exactly, oh and you can also use it for dimensional travel." This Firebird seems like it's more trouble than it's worth. And those "twists"? Anyone who successfully managed to muddle through the confusing mess that this book sort of turned out to be, could have figured them out. Not to say that A Thousand Pieces of You was terrible, because it wasn't. It just wasn't a favorite.
"She's told me what happened, or what she thinks happened, but the story doesn't make a lot of sense." -Henry Caine. A man who could not have spoken truer words.
I will conclude with a list of sentences that you have to read more than once to understand, and you still don't.
-"Probably I should have known not to expect a love letter from a guy who expresses himself through actions rather than words."
-"Probably I was supposed to bring some kind of flashlight in here with me."
"I think we're all quite mad. Some of us are just more discreet about it."
Yes. Yes. Yes.
But first! Logistics.
Grace Mae knows madness. This is the tru"I think we're all quite mad. Some of us are just more discreet about it."
Yes. Yes. Yes.
But first! Logistics.
Grace Mae knows madness. This is the truest statement if I've ever seen one. Grace is one of many people in the asylum being kept there under false pretenses, and a tragic event further secures her family's mantra of her being "insane" or "mad".
Grace Mae and Doctor Thornhollow solve crimes together, and I often found myself trying to piece together clues and solve the things myself. This acts as somewhat of a sub-plot, because everything ties together into the main plot itself.
Next! Opinions!
A Madness So Discreet was written soooo well. Honestly, the material was handled so beautifully. A 'madwoman' and a Doctor solve crimes together. Sherlock and Watson vibes? My guess is yes, and I very much enjoyed that!
But this asylum, you guys. This asylum and the people in charge are just plain nasty. They were evil. The things that took place, along with the somewhat poetic aura of the people completely subject to this savagery, made me ache. There was just something about the very somber, melancholy undertone; I loved it. But the writing; I cannot stress this enough, was damn near flawless.
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"The signature of one judge and the word of a male family member and that's that." She snapped her fingers. "You're insane." This just grinds my gears, folks. But this story takes place in the 1800's, and that's just the way things were.
But the fact that the author took the time to give the minor characters, (who are asylum inmates as well), their own personalities and individual struggles made me admire this book even more. She could have easily swept them under the rug and focused solely on the MC, which is done so much in books now, I didn't know how much better minor characters made a story until I finished reading this.
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One thing to keep in mind while reading this, though, is that it is a little on the slow side. It resembles Not A Drop To Drink in that aspect. There's no break-neck action, and plot-twists smacking you in the face at every turn. I love books like that, but I was not bothered by the pace of this story. But this still takes a little sticking with. Just focus on the message behind it, and what the characters and their predicament are trying to tell you.
But if you're not one for slow stories, then I wouldn't recommend this one.
"Simply using the words sane and insane is a way for the population to draw a safe line through humanity, and then place themselves squarely on the side of the healthy."
If a quote could better describe the book it's in, and the way society is today, please tell me where to find it.
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