The Last Child by Jon Hart - Book Review

Have you heard of this book? Because I had not heard of it before reading it, but it has 28, 000 reviews on goodreads - isn't it weirdly shocking when I book is super popular and you've *never* heard of it!? "The Last Child" is a mystery novel that follows teenage main character, Johnny. Johnny's twin sister went missing over a year ago - no one can find her, the case is growing cold, there are no leads, so Johnny decides that he is going to launch his own investigation. The book also follows a character named Detective Hunt, he is the lead on the case - and in my opinion, a stand out character. The twists in this book are GOOD, the plotting is really good, the pacing is great - I can totally see why "The Last Child" has over four stars on goodreads. But this was more of a plot read for me, I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters and I wasn't overly fond of the dialogue. I really did get a kick out of Detective Hunt though, he is one of those no nonsense, overly committed to his job kind of cops, who is also constantly breaking the rules, and probably has a thing for your mom. If you're looking for a new twisty mystery to read, this is one to check out. If you've read "The Last Child" let me know what you thought of it in the comments, but of course, no spoilers!

The Sinner by Petra Hammesfahr - Book Review

"The Sinner" by Petra Hammesfahr
Book Review and Discussion

This book gets *super* weird - lets go ahead and start with that - and it was a buddy read for me, so sorry buddy. BLERG lol you can pick next time! Okay, so it gets weird, but the premise is still pretty neat, and it's why I read the book, so lets discuss. "The Sinner" by Petra Hammesfahr follows a woman named Cora, she is a wife and mother, and she goes to the beach with her family one day and while she is there having a wonderful time with her family - she stabs a man, to death. When the investigators ask her why she did it, she claims that it is completely random, she doesn't know why. The rest of "The Sinner" follows Cora and the investigators as they try to unpack her life and find out exactly what her motivations could have been that day. This is one of those rare times when the the adaptation is better than the book. The narration style of "The Sinner" was just completely chaotic and really took away from the suspense that the mini series was able to successfully build.

goodreads // amazon // library

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle- Book Review

“Not everybody wants to get out and see the world. Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you just want to figure out how to fit yourself into the world you already know.” - Universal Harvester by John Darnielle 

The back cover summary of "Universal Harvester" by John Darnielle is super unsettling and also incredibly intriguing. Jeremy works at a video rental store in a small town in Iowa during the late 1990's - his day to day work life is pretty relaxed and predictable. Suddenly, though, customers are returning tapes reporting a problem - there is something on the tape, something that doesn't belong. "Universal Harvester" follows Jeremy- and others affected by the tapes - past, present, and future. I enjoyed reading this chilling and unique book- check out my video review below or keep reading for more of my thoughts about this book.

   

My Husband's Wife - by Jane Corry - Book Review

"My Husband's Wife" is one of the twisty, turniest books I have read in a long time! No joke, by the end of the book  I had completely lost count of all of the unexpected surprises along the way. "My Husband's Wife" is told from the perspective of several characters, including Lily and Carla. When the book begins, Lily is a new lawyer as well as a newlywed wife to her husband Ed. Carla, a nine year old girl who lives with her mother, lives down the hall from Lily and Ed. Sixteen years later when their paths cross again, Lily and Carla are challenged by their circumstances, lies, and loves - past and present. And just how will things end, well...

The Last Night At Tremore Beach - by Mikel Santiago - Book Review

"The Last Night at Tremore Beach" is one of the darkest, creepiest books I have read in a while- probably since "Behind Closed Doors" by B.A. Paris - which I loved ( check out my review here). The main character, Peter, is struck by lightning and begins having lucid and increasingly terrifying nightmares. Nightmares showing him what would be a terrifying sequence of violent crimes against his friends and family - leaving Peter, and the reader, wondering - are these nightmares omens of his future or is Peter losing his mind?

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett - by Chelsea Sedoti - Book Review

Looking at the cover of "The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett" I'm pretty sure most readers would not be able to correctly guess the book's plot. In an ultimate test of "do not judge a book by its cover", this book most certainly does not match the bright yellow cover and flower petals it is adorned with. " The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett" was absolutely not what I expected at all - in some not so great ways, but also in some awesome super surprising ways...

Everything You Want Me To Be - by Mindy Mejia- Book Review

"He's not an evil man. Evil is simple. It's a child's explanation for why people do bad things. The truth is always more complicated and worth pursuing..." - Everything You Want Me To Be

I absolutely love books that keep me guessing - not just who did it, but why, and how and when! This book had me on my toes until the very last page! "Everything You Want Me To Be" is an amazingly twisty page turner, that is insightfully written, and I completely loved it!

Cover Me In Darkness - by Eileen Rendahl- Book Review

I got sucked in for this read you guys! "Cover Me In Darkness" was a total back cover read. You know that feeling- you read the synopsis and then hook, line, and sinker - you have to read the book, like now. I saw the synopsis for this book - hmm, murder mystery meets cult escapee? - um yes, sign me up, please!

"Ink and Bone" by Lisa Unger Book Review and Discussion

 Twenty-year-old Finley Montgomery is rarely alone.  Visited by people whom others can't see and haunted by prophetic dreams, she has never been able to control or understand the things that happen to her. When Finley's abilities start to become too strong for her to handle - and even the roar of her motorcycle or another dazzling tattoo can't drown out the voices - she turns to the only person she knows who can help her: her grandmother Eloise Montgomery, a renowned psychic living in The Hollows, New York.

Merri Gleason is a woman at the end of her tether after a ten-month-long search for her missing daughter, Abbey.  With almost every hope exhausted, she resorts to hiring Jones Cooper, a detective who sometimes works with psychic Eloise Montgomery.  Merri's not a believer, but she's just desperate enough to go down that road, praying that she's not too late.  Time, she knows, is running out.

As a harsh white winter moves into The Hollows, Finley and Eloise are drawn into the investigation, which proves to have much more at stake than even the fate of a missing girl.  As Finley digs deeper into the town and its endless layers, she is forced to examine the past, even as she tries to look into the future.  Only one thing is clear: The Hollows gets what it wants, no matter what.

Sure, I loved Harry Potter all those years ago, but lately I just can’t hack magical/paranormal anything in books. I tell myself I’m picky with the books that I read that stray from reality but I think I also just don’t like it. It always feels like a cheap trick to me, or juvenile, or completely implausible- which given the fact that is paranomal should be fogiven- but again, I have some real issues with suspending disbelief!

 
So I was certainly surprised that when reading "Ink & Bone" - I had no problems at all with the paranormal elements to the storyline. All of the credit for this of course goes to the author -Lisa Unger. I loved the characters and the plot. I was sucked in immediately and I loved it!

Unger is an amazing writer and she introduced the paranormal in a way that didn't turn me off from the book. For one, I like there aren’t a lot of “rules” to Finley and Eloise's abilities. Yes, they are psyhcic and that's important to the storyline- but there isn't a great deal of time spent in the book exploring their psyhic abilities or defining that "world". It sits in the background most of the time, as it does for Eloise and Finley - it's subtle and perfect.

Additionally, the author doesn’t use the supernatural as a crutch to explain everything away- which is what often happens sometimes and it is a vaccuum for enjoyment.Finley being psychic doesn't easily untie any strings. It's hard work, made all the harder by Finley struggling with her newly understood abilities.

What I Didn't Like

Honestly, there wasn't much about the book I didn't like. It moved somewhere between slow and steady in some parts, but there was also great character development and exploration - and those kind of go hand in hand.

If you like suspenseful mysteries, or if like me you suffer from an inability to appreciate the "paranormal" but want to give it a try - I definitely recommend this book.



Many thanks to Touchstone for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read.
While the book was free, as a girl who is "all about the library" ( where books are always free) - you can be sure that all opinions are mine!

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng- Book Review - The Love of a Family is Tested

What happens to our relationships when we project all of our unhappiness, all of our insecurities, and all of our aspirations onto another person - particularly our children? That central question is asked of us again and again while reading Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. I really enjoyed reading this book and was blown away by the storytelling!