***WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD***
Oh my gods where do I begin? The synopsis of the book is spiders come to kill everyone. Yeah that's pretty much it. First off, I am really pissed at this book. Nowhere on this book or inside it does it mention the fact that this is a trilogy and this is the first book in that trilogy until you are finished with the book and see that there is a prologue to the next book. But I guess I should have guessed it sooner when the book just kept on going and never got to a resolution point toward the end. Stupid me! 🤦🏼♀️ The constant changing of point of views from character to character are more than annoying. With a small cast, writing like this is doable however, this book has a HUGE cast of characters, all of which run around acting like stupid, horny teenagers (even the female President of the United States). But seriously every chapter reads like a prologue and it's like holy f&$#@ing sh#@$ are you kidding me? Another introduction to this mess? And on to the cast... these are all non fleshed-out one-dimensional characters whose only background information we get is who they've slept with who they are sleeping with or who they want to sleep with. Nothing else. Not to mention even for a thriller that is borderlined on horror/monster B-movie type genre, these are some of the stupidest characters I have ever come across in a book. At the end of the book someone mentions pouring gasoline on the spider's nest and calling it a f@#$ing day and the other characters just shrug it off. WTF? 🤦🏼♀️ The spiders were the only decent character in the story however, they didn't even get a damn backstory. Nothing is ever explained in this book at all. Why the hell are there seismic ripples underneath India? What could the spiders have been eating down there in the tunnels under the Earth? Why exactly are they all hatching now? NO ONE KNOWS!!! I would have to assume that things get better fleshed-out and explained in the future sequels of this book, however honestly I'm not going to invest my time in it to find out. And you know what? I could forgive all of it... ALL OF IT! If only it wasn't such a bore to read. I love B-rate monster movies and books but this one really took the cake on stupidity and poor execution. Sad but true. It's almost as if the author was trying SO HARD to get himself some movie rights but failed miserably. I don't usually do this and I hope I haven't offended anyone with my crude language but this book really pissed me off. I will not be recommending this one.
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Great storytelling...
A storm comes up out of nowhere and sinks Isaura's ship leaving no survivors except for her. She is left for dead in the middle of the ocean. But she's in luck because Leonel, the last of the merfolk and protector of the seas, is investigating where these storms are coming from. He saves her, and together they team up to solve the mystery of the violent storms. Secrets and betrayal lie ahead for the two as their bond grows ever closer. The question is, will they survive long enough? Okay I will admit, when I read the beginning of this book I found it 100% cliche and was rolling my eyes. "Yes, the ship sinks, the merman saves her... it's all been done before..." But then I started reading more and the more that I read the less cliche the story became. In fact the more I read the more fresh and new material I came across. You find yourself turning pages to find out what happens next. This book is very unpredictable which is very refreshing. This book has great world-building to where you can actually envision the characters world that they move around in. It also has great character development throughout the book and you really get to have a feel for the characters that the author writes. Especially Isaura (for me). I completely understand her plight in the book and at times I wish I could reach out and hug her and tell her that it's going to be okay. She is also a very strong female lead character which I very much appreciate. The banter between the two main characters is also very humorous and very relatable. It is not overdone and is very true to life and real sounding. This book has a lot of action I'm not going to lie but it has a great plot pace and very well executed. This book is obviously well-thought-out and put together very carefully for its readers. I love the great mix of genre elements. I would call this a Game of Thrones meets The Little Merman type of story. The ending was also a very great element. While wrapping up the story of the first book in a neat little bow the author also sets us up for the second installment quite nicely. I am very much anticipating its release. I would lastly like to mention that I personally loved all of the Nordic terms and characters of mythology throughout the book. That was very different and surprising for me considering that mermaids in Nordic stories were evil beings. But this book has taken the two elements and weaved them together in a very different light. I liked it a lot. Being of Norse ancestry myself, this really hit home for me. This was definitely a good book and I very much recommend it to others who enjoy a good fantasy with lots of action and adventure. Adorable story...
Bilbo Baggins has been chosen (quite unexpectedly) to join a company of dwarves and a wizard on a great epic journey to remove a dragon from a mountain filled with gold. This is indeed a very epic journey. Tolkien writes in such a way that he is speaking directly to you as if he were sitting in front of you telling you that his tale from beginning to end. Throughout the journey he breaks the reality of the book and speaks directly to you through his words. Don't get me wrong this is not annoying but rather refreshing. It makes me think of an old, wise sage sitting in a leather high-back chair, smoking his corn cob pipe and telling you this wonderful story with his eyes glistening as if he were just there yesterday. This book surprised me! I was one who watched the three movies before I read the book. So this book came as quite a surprise to me as there are many details in the movies that were made up just for the movies. They simply aren't there in the book. This is probably the very first time I ever get to say that they completely overdid it in the movie rather than under doing it the way they usually do. I personally think that if they would have made the movies a little more toward the book it still would have been an amazing story. But nevertheless, I digress. Note: If you want to know more about the differences between the book and the films you're going to have to look it up on the internet which I'm sure you can find many articles of that nature. I will not discuss them one by one here. Sorry everybody, but but that is indeed a review in and of itself. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Instead of reminding me a lot of the movies it actually reminded me a lot of one of my childhood films which was The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (animated 1979). It had the same presence and feel and it made me love the story even more. Do I even have to say that I would recommend this book? LOL 😉 I don't get it... This is a collection of Southern Gothic tales written by Julia Elliott. I really just don't get it. When I think of Gothic I don't think of aliens and nanobots. Maybe I have it all wrong but those are more sci-fi and futuristic type elements. Some of these stories would even borderline on dystopian rather than Gothic in my mind. Not all of the stories were this way as we do have talk of werewolves and the like. Like I said maybe I'm way off base here but I just don't see those things as Gothic. One of the real problems that I had with this book was the fact that none of these stories really have an ending. It's almost as if Elliott stopped writing right in the middle of the story or, even worse, she leaves us with a cliffhanger at the end. This is a good tie-in for some stories if she were ever to produce another compilation of short stories with sequels to some of these written here, however for almost every single one in a series of short stories to end this way it is not good. I mean come on give the reader some goddamn closure here please! As many have stated before me, this book is beautifully written, I cannot deny that. Elliot certainly has a way with the English language. So much so that her detail of certain things makes you see, hear and smell what is going on in the story! It's that powerful! I do take my hat off to her in this measure. Another thing that I really have to tip my hat to her for is that she has written these tales that are no doubt inspired by much older tales but she has written them as very updated versions. These are not just Gothic tales, these are tales for the new millennium. They are written with verbiage and a syntax style that anyone of this age could pick up and enjoy. This part was very refreshing to me as it was not simply a rehash of old stories but almost as if they were brand new stories written just yesterday. And may I just say, I am absolutely in love with this cover! The design is absolutely perfect for its content. Well, most of its content anyway. 😂 All in all I'd say it was an entertaining read but it did have some issues that I cannot ignore. I would recommend it to those looking for something a little different in the reading. ***SPOILERS AHEAD***
So many questions... Dan is going away to New Hampshire College Prep for the summer. This program is to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Dan to prepare him for college. There's one problem... this college used to be a sanitarium for the criminally insane! When things start to get really weird, Dan will need the help of his friends Abby and Jordan to help him figure out the mystery and catch a killer on the loose. But the question is, will any of them survive the summer? This is a good book but it is definitely aimed towards the younger crowd, which I think is awesome that such a cool horror novel is in the YA section. The details in this book are a bit scant and I had trouble clearly envisioning some of the character's world however, that did not take away from the story. I personally found the three main characters a little mean and annoying but honestly I think that's just the age difference between them and myself. Oh to be young again 😂 One thing I absolutely loved about this book was the insertion of all the black and white photos that were apparently from actual asylums!!! They really help you paint the picture but not enough to where it controls your imagination. They are great helpers in setting the mood for this book and helping you to see through the character's eyes. I can't help but wonder what came first, the photos or the story? The photos seem to fit the story so well it is almost as if the author found these old photos and wrote a story to go along with them. Quite possibly so. Nevertheless they are a great addition and I wish that more horror novels included some illustrations or photos along with their wonderful stories. The problem that I had with this novel was that there are a lot of questions left unanswered. The end of the book doesn't fully explain a few things such as Daniel's bloodline details and whether or not Felix was indeed possessed by a spirit of the asylum or whether he was actually the killer. It also does not explain whatever happens/will happen to Felix once he is sent to a psychiatric care unit. We don't even know if Jordan went home to his parents or whether he stayed with Dan at the end of the book. These are plot holes that are pretty big and should have been explained more thoroughly. All things considered it was a very exciting read and it definitely had me turning the pages. Unfortunately, I fear, I cannot give it a higher rating because of the humongous plot holes. We can only hope that the questions that lay unanswered will be answered in the next books in the series. I will most certainly be reading them. I do recommend this book to those who enjoy YA and a good horror book. Great book...
Linah has suddenly agreed to marry Kohl, the king's vizier. But just as their happiness was supposed to start, war descends on the kingdom! These two lovers are thrown in head first to a world that is being torn apart. And when Kohl becomes mortally wounded, Linah has no choice but to ask the Nightingale Queen for her help. Secrets will surface and Kohl's past will be revealed. Can Kohl and Linah move past all that and share a love that was seemingly meant to be? And better still, will they survive long enough? This book is beautifully written with lavish detail that makes you really feel like you are in the book's surroundings. although in the beginning the names make it a tad bit difficult to get into at first, the author has great word usage and an obvious grasp on the English language. The story itself is well written and easy-to-follow. It is fast-paced and picks you up right from the first chapter and hooks you in so you cannot put the book down. As a bonus it also beautifully sets you up for the next installment. I LOVE that the strong female main character has disabilities! This is the sort of thing to help break through the stigma that people with disabilities are weak. I also love that the author gave us a bit of a backstory on the two main characters. Although it wasn't much, it was very sweet and added to the story perfectly. The author's love for her character's is very apparent. This is one that I would definitely recommend and I'm very much looking forward to the next two installments. A beautiful love story...
Eli meets Ava on a beautiful beach one day. It was love at first sight. But their dreams pull them apart and move them in different directions. Years later they are reunited, pushed together once more as if the universe was trying to tell them that they were just meant to be together. Will Eli and Ava give in to their love? This is one of those books where you come to relate to the characters almost immediately. I personally deeply relate to Ava with her father issues. The story of Ava and Eli's love and losing each other only to end up back together again reminds me of my husband and I... We met when I was 12 years old, fell in love, married when I was 18, divorced, and years later weary married again when I was 30. Some things are just meant to be. This book is very romantic and there is a lot in this book that really hits home for me personally. The push and pull of the main characters is written well enough to make you want to just smack some sense into the main characters and tell them to give up the charade. YOU BELONG TOGETHER! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT YOU NUMBSKULLS!!! LOL 😋. I laughed, I cried, I listened to music and had a great time with this book. LJ Evans delivers again! Beautiful story, lovely characters, and of course, great tunes! Good job sweetie you did it again! Highly recommend to all romance lovers! OMG it's finally over... I don't say that because this book was bad. To the contrary, I say that because I have spent the last week trapped on a hilltop with these 6 characters as they slowly deteriorate. It was maddening! So the premise of the story is that these 6 characters go off looking for a Mayan temple in an effort to find Mathias's wayward brother who had left days before with some girl he had just met. She is said to have been a part of an archaeological dig in a ruined Mayan temple. When the friends stumble upon this temple they find that not everything is what It seems. Okay can I just say that this book gets 5 stars purely for yuck factor. Yuck!!! I mean seriously, this book completely made my skin crawl! I have a problem with things being underneath my skin such as intravenous needles and it got to a point where I almost threw the book down because I could not handle it. And the book is so well written and the scenes are so well described that you can see and even FEEL everything perfectly in your mind's eye. Let's talk about the movie for a second, Scott Smith was good enough to write the screenplay for the movie which was awesome because it did the book justice, it really did. The problem that I have was the switching around at the character roles. It really messed me up because, now having read the book and because the book came first, I feel as though the movie kind of screwed things up a bit. That and although the movie was very graphic in some parts, it really did not bring to life the death scenes as the book did. In the book it goes through each character's death through their own point of view as they are dying which is some pretty deep shit if you ask me! The movie just doesn't give you those feelings that the book does. Also the film doesn't make you feel as hopeless as the book does. But never mind all that. The book was fabulous to say the least. The film started off as one of my favorite horror films but the book has definitely taken a higher place on the mantle for me as far as horror is concerned. I can't say it enough, YUCK!!!! 🤮 Very very well done and I highly recommend it to those with a strong stomach and a love of horror. An incredible journey...
This is a memoir following The incredible journey of the author's treks throughout the world. In losing a mother but she never had, she seems to find herself and the world around her. With her lavish descriptions the world comes to life in the pages of this book. Her visits include places such as San Francisco, Italy, Paris, Burma, India, Kenya, Cambodia, and even home again to San Francisco. Through her journeys she finds spirituality, friendship, and the family quality of kinship that she never had. The beginning of this book is very sad and sets you up for the extraordinary journeys that the author takes you on. And then by the end, after you are already rooting for the author, she wraps it all up in a nice neat and beautiful bow. Her writing style is very to the point but her descriptions are ornate enough to bring the scenery to life. I also think that the addition of the recipe from her cook in San Francisco in the beginning of the book was a very nice touch and reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun. It would have been nice if she included more recipes throughout the book. Especially in her journeys through Paris. My favorite portion of the book was the elephants. I have always found them to be fascinating creatures and the family units that they have and the way they remember members of their family for the length of their lives is just incredible and I'm glad that the author of this book got to witness that first-hand. The book as a whole is beautiful and very well done. This is a memoir that I would definitely recommend to others. Confusing and poorly done...
So Josephine is a slave girl who is taking care of her mistress who is an aspiring artist. Lina is a high-power attorney in New York City who is discovering secrets about her family's past. These two stories are tied together by a very thin thread. I don't really care for Lina's story. It is boring and not really that believable. She's a high-power attorney and leaves the mystery of her mother's death to her father who is not speaking about it at all instead of finding the truth out for herself... I mean, come on! I do like Josephine's story, however I think perhaps this should be two separate books as this one turns out to be too long and drawn-out a little over halfway through. This book is completely overwritten and way too oversaturated with inconsequential details. Then again there's not enough detail where it counts. There is almost no mention of actual skin color in a book about reparations and slavery. It's almost like the author is purposefully skating around the descriptions of people. There is a definite sign that this book was not edited or not edited properly as there is a complete and total over use of commas everywhere throughout the book. Like, we may, want to give, the author, an award, for this, it is, so bad! 😂 I think the books premise is a great idea but in reality it was executed very poorly. I have to admit I didn't really enjoy this book and I ended up skimming less than halfway through it and almost didn't make it to the end. But if I didn't make it to the end then I certainly wouldn't get the incredible coincidences that happen by pure chance 🙄 Again, not very realistic at all. Can't say I will be recommending this book. |
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