Category: Review (Page 230 of 295)

BOOK REVIEW: I Am the Weapon (The Unknown Assassin #1) by Allen Zadoff

BOOK REVIEW: I Am the Weapon (The Unknown Assassin #1) by Allen ZadoffI Am the Weapon (The Unknown Assassin #1)
by Allen Zadoff
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Previously published under the title Boy Nobody

They needed the perfect assassin.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone to die -- of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.

But when The Program assigns him to the mayor of New York City, things change. Somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and a girlfriend; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission.

In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.

Buddy read with the amazing  Anna

 


Eventually people stop looking at me, stop meeting my eye.
There is nothing to meet.
There is nobody here.

 

So here’s the thing-I’ve found out a lot about myself recently. 1. I like flawed heroes more than I do any other kind of hero. 2. I enjoy fucked up scenarios in which the main character might or might not be a serial killer or any other type of cool thing like that (Most recently an assassin (obviously ^^^)). 3. I love male main characters or POVs, if done correctly, almost more than female POVs and main characters. And, lastly, I quite enjoy not-so-happily-ever-afters…to an extent. I’m still a bleeding heart-I’ll never lose that trait completely, I don’t think.

I remember that day. That moment. The smile.
I felt it then.
This sensation.
Not a sensation, I realize now.
A feeling.

None of this is shocking, really, if you know me at all. But I don’t think I knew, myself. No, most shocking to me is that I actually found this genre. I didn’t simply stumble upon it by circumstance, but because a great friend who does break the mold a little chose to gush. That’s all it took and I broke free of my safe little bubble and emerged on the other side victorious. I have found some truly astounding characters that will likely stay with me forever, and they are all male (Okay, so, clearly everyone knows I love my heroes but it’s completely different when I’m 100% in the male’s head the whole time, cut me a little slack). My point to all this?? I am so glad that I had a friend who read something that was so interesting and took the time to tell me about it so I would take my interest and actually put it to use, because now?? I have such a wide genre opened up to me that I would have never thought to look into before this moment and I am forever grateful that I chose to stalk this person’s reviews of that earlier series because I’ve read some great, albeit fucked up, books in the last month.

There are too many things like this lately. Things I do without knowing why, motivations that I cannot fully comprehend.

Bold. Daring. And most of all…Surprisingly deep and heartfelt. It started off kinda clinical, ya know? I was enjoying it immensely, but I felt like I was a third party when really all I wanted was to be inside his head to the point where I felt what he felt. I wanted that intensity and that deep rooted connection, and for a while I didn’t get that sensation…no, sorry, not a sensation, a feeling. ;). But then something happened. Benny boy’s door started to get some action-a light knock here, a dull thud there, then someone started to pound on the door until it splintered and cracked and ultimately exploded wide open. We were suddenly in this guy’s head. We had the inside track to what his weakness was, what made him human and not just some freaky assassin kid that doesn’t have any emotion. And the minute we started to see who this kid really was?? That’s when I just knew we were in for a ride-finally.

I had feelings once, too. I think I did. But that was a long time ago.
That was before.

Pulse-pounding, heart-throbbing, unpredictable and intense. I promise you-You won’t see what’s coming. You’ll think you know, but honestly? You don’t. The fast paced plot went straight to my bloodstream and made it impossible to breathe. I was so so happy to be back into a ‘criminal-type’ mind-It was like coming home, if I’m being honest. Even more truthfully, I’ve been looking for a guy that even halfway reminds me of Jazz…and it’s hard. It’s hard when you love a character so much and can’t seem to find that connection anywhere else. It stunts your excitement of other books. It makes you crazy. And dear old ‘Ben’ wasn’t quite Jazz and the stories are wholly different….but I can’t say he wasn’t close-In fact, he really touched me and made me think of Jazz more than once. That’s all I can ask for.

You learn many things with a knife in your shoulder.
You learn how to save your life. Or how to die.

Dealing with what it means to feel, to be human, to fit in, Ben will touch your heart in more ways than one. Losing your humanity when everything has been taken from you can make you a drone-immobile, a robot. But what happens when someone breaks through your shell? Makes you feel, makes you think about right and wrong, fair and unfair. So, yes, I loved this book very much. Will it be for everyone? Most likely, not. But…for those of you looking for a fun way to switch things up? Take a chance, try something you would never have tried before…And you might just come out in love with a whole new genre.


Sam is in my arms now, her body warm against mine, her lips so close that we share a breath.
“You went away for a second,” she says.
“I’m afraid to get close to you.”

 

 

 

********************************************

Because me and Anna NEED another sociopath dude like JAZZ. It’s an obsession and a curse.

Mission: Find a disturbed and tortured boy like Jazz
Successes thus far: ZERO
Are we ready? FUCK YES

The search continues….


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BOOK REVIEW – Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay Crownover

BOOK REVIEW – Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay CrownoverRowdy (Marked Men #5)
by Jay Crownover
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in a house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

Review:

Rowdy was not really a dominant character in the previous Marked Men’s books, in my eyes.  He appeared here and there, but I never really had a good grasp on him and his whole story.  Luckily we got to dive right into his history, and it wasn’t long before I knew him just as well as the others.  But his story has a different element, which made it even more enjoyable.  Two more stories become intertwined with his, and it made for a great addition.  I don’t want to give them away, and they aren’t related to the other Marked Men characters, but be prepared to have fun as you watch all of the drama, feelings and events unfold!

Rowdy and I had ties that bound us together, it was just proving more difficult than I thought to unwind them and tie them back up into a pretty bow. – Salem

Just like all of the other Marked Men, Rowdy had a tough past.  His mother was murdered, which forced him into the foster system.  He eventually ended up with a family that lived next door to the Cruz sisters.  They helped him find his way in life and gave him memories he could smile about.  BUT they both ended up breaking him in the end.  And now one of them is forcing her way back into his life.  Salem has accepted a job at the new studio.  She was not the sister that Rowdy dated, but she’s back to show him that he made the wrong choice.  That it should have been her all along!

You were everything to me and then you were gone and I was lost all over again. – Rowdy

Rowdy has made a great life and “family” for himself.  But now with Salem back in town, all of his old fears are materializing.  He always felt as though he was never good enough for anyone to stick around.  His mother ‘left’ him when she was murdered, Salem left him to escape her overprotective father when she turned 18, and Salem’s sister, Poppy, left him too.  If he lets Salem back into his life, what’s not to say that she will leave him again?  And while he’s come a long way, underneath it all he is still a broken little boy.  He wouldn’t be able to handle being abandoned again.

I saw his eyes widen, watched them fill with recognition and trepidation. I couldn’t help but smile. Even though he looked less than thrilled to see me, everything about seeing him made me happy, and I knew, just knew I had made the right choice. – Salem

It’s impossible not to like Salem.  She was sassy, strong and knew what she wanted in life, and that was Rowdy!  But she’s insecure at the same time.  Not only about the relationship that Rowdy had with her sister, but anytime life got too hard, she would pick up and run.  Unfortunately, her mind ends up becoming her own worst enemy wondering if she could even compete with the past and her sister.  But you know what?  I got it!  It made sense.  I think that’s one of the things I loved the most about Rowdy and Salem’s story.  They were so easy to understand.  Their thoughts and actions were not only relatable but completely believable.  And it made me love them that much more!

Salem and Rowdy’s journey was sweet!  Watching them push each other out of their comfort zones was hot.  And when they would re-live their history, their memories and stories were adorable.  And through it all, all of the other Marked Men and the women we love are constantly thrown into the mix.  Shaw’s news, while not surprising, had me elated, I loved watching Cora grill Salem, and seeing a huge event occur between Ayden and Asa was the icing on the cake. I can’t wait to see how all of their lives will be tied up in hopefully a pretty bow in Asa’s story, since it is the last in the series.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
***Each book can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed in order.***
Rule by Jay Crownover
Rule #1
Reviews:
Jen
jet jay crownover
Jet #2
Reviews:
Jen
rome jay crownover
Rome #3
Reviews:

Jen
nash jay crownover
Nash #4
Reviews:
Jen
Rowdy by Jay Crownover
Rowdy #5
Reviews:
Jen
asa jay crownover
Asa #6
Reviews:
Jen

BOOK REVIEW – Nash (Marked Men #4) by Jay Crownover

BOOK REVIEW – Nash (Marked Men #4) by Jay CrownoverNash (Marked Men #4)
by Jay Crownover
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down . . . and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them—or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?

Review:

It’ so easy to take pleasure in each of the Marked Men’s stories!  They are fun and always have some grit to them.  I don’t realize how attached I’ve become to the characters until their world falls apart beneath their feet.  Here I am flipping through the pages, enjoying how the storyline is proceeding, and then BAM something happens that is so deep, so emotional, that it’s impossible not to cry or feel ripped apart.  I do wish that I felt those stronger emotions throughout the rest of the book.  But that doesn’t take away from the fact that I was so excited to read Nash’s story.  But wow, I struggled connecting with Saint.  She was just…well keep reading and you’ll see why she wasn’t my favorite.

She was beautiful, breathtaking, and she absolutely despised me. – Nash

Nash just learned that the man who truly loved and helped raise him has cancer, and it’s terminal.  While dealing with Phil’s prognosis and his evil mother drama (she’s the devil btw, seriously) he is struggling to emotionally stay afloat.  But through it all, Saint Ford keeps appearing in his life.  Saint is not only a nurse at the hospital, but she went to high school with Nash.  She was shy, chubby and had a huge crush on him.  After having her heart and confidence ripped to shreds by Nash, can she really let him back in when he so desperately needs her?

“What’s right for me isn’t what’s right for you because I’m an actual human being with feelings and emotions, and you, Mom . . . you’re a goddamn monster.” – Nash

I’ve always loved Nash.  Out of that crazy, dramatic group of friends, Nash was the good guy!  He was the sexy, mellow, level-headed one.  And being inside his head made me fall for him even harder.  While I prefer bad boys, Nash and his tortured soul kept sucking me in!  He was sexy, broken, hurt and jaded from his past because of his evil mother.  But that didn’t affect what a beautiful person he became.  Because Nash is patient, kind, loving, loyal and he MADE this book for me!

“I don’t know that you would like me once you got to know me, and the Nash I thought I knew . . .” She looked so lost all I wanted to do was give her a hug. “I hated him, but you . . . this Nash . . . all I do is want him.” – Saint

Saint isn’t the typical type of girl that I can connect with.  She’s shy, quiet and struggles speaking her mind at times.  And while I tried my hardest to give her a chance, she definitely tried my patience!  I have a lot of leeway and understanding when it comes to characters having their hang ups and issues.  We all make mistakes, I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff over the years, and I know that I can be more forgiving than I probably should be with characters.  But this girl just drove me insane at times!  She would flip like a light switch and I just wanted to smack some sense into her.  Especially during the couch part……that was just, wow….shocking, frustrating, maddening and CRAZY!!!  Who in the world does that, really?!?!  I’m still in shock!  But of course there is a but!  She questioned her own sanity, and I was so thankful that she wasn’t clueless to her actions.  I liked how she made me laugh, how she cared for Nash and tried to have his best interests at heart. Unfortunately the positives did not outweigh her negatives.

“Why are you so certain I’m going to hurt you? That I’m going to fuck up and disappoint you?”
She gave me a lopsided smile and she worked her hands under the collar of my shirt so she could stroke the base of my neck.
“Because it’s bound to happen, but I really want to enjoy what we have before then.” – Saint

Nash’s story was adorable and frustrating.  While I wish he would have had a different love interest, I still enjoyed his story.  It was fun to watch another one of the guys find their way and sort out their past.  I love this group of Marked Men.  I love how these stories always involve their deep friendships!  That we get to watch them help one other throughout each book!  And that I get to continue to see Rule from time to time, gah I love him!!  Now I’m off to read Rowdy’s story but I have to say that I LOVED the scenes that involved either Asa and Royal.  They haven’t met yet, but they are both so intoxicating that I can’t wait for their story!!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
***Each book can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed in order.***
Rule by Jay Crownover
Rule #1
Reviews:
Jen
jet jay crownover
Jet #2
Reviews:
Jen
rome jay crownover
Rome #3
Reviews:

Jen
nash jay crownover
Nash #4
Reviews:
Jen
Rowdy by Jay Crownover
Rowdy #5
Reviews:
Jen
asa jay crownover
Asa #6
Reviews:
Jen

BOOK REVIEW: All the Rage by Courtney Summers

BOOK REVIEW: All the Rage by Courtney SummersAll the Rage by Courtney Summers
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous.But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out,All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

When all you can do is watch, you see.

Well, I begrudgingly give this five stars….Oh, come on. Yeah the hell right. Did anyone really expect me to give this any less than a bajillion stars? I am still awaiting the day I’ll pick up a Courtney Summers novel and not be floored by her simple words that portray deep, meaningful messages so many authors gloss over today. And even if that day comes? I know to the bottom of my soul, even if the story isn’t for me, I will still write her name, like, ten times in my review because that’s just what I do with my two favorite authors and because her words will never cease to have an impact on me. You know why? ‘Cuz she’s Courtney fuckin’ Summers and she isn’t afraid to get raw, gritty, and in your face.

You know all the ways you can kill a girl?
God, there are so many.


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It’s no secret that this woman snuck up out of nowhere and stole my heart with her magnificent and flawless writing. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, when I pick up a Summers book (anyone keeping a count of how many times I’ll say her name?) that I will be transported to another world where someone doesn’t have it as good as me. That I will not be the same after reading it. That I will never find an author who speaks to me on such a deep emotional level. That, during the story, I will learn something not only about a flawed, broken girl (or boy), but also about myself. Her novels aren’t simply page-turners, though they are undoubtedly that, they mean something. They make you wonder, they make you think, “Was I ever so blind to something like this?” “Was I as care-free and oblivious and go-with-the-flow that I was a part of someone’s torment without even knowing it?” And that’s what Courtney Summers does-she doesn’t simply write-she educates. She makes you aware. And this story was no exception.

It’s amazing how bad you can make the truth sound. As long as you keep it partially recognizable when you spit it out, a crowd will eat it up without even thinking about how hard you chewed on it first.

Romy is a whole new level of broken. In Summers’s previous works, we see lots of broken girls who don’t quite know how to handle what they’re going through, what they feel. I mean, they think they do…but do they ever really want to do what they think they need to do? Anyway-I digress. My point was that Romy is emotionally broken in a way that, while familiar from her other stories, I have never seen before. It’s not like she lays down and takes it. She doesn’t simply play dead and walk through the halls like a zombie. She has a bite that is unlike anything I’ve seen. It was deliciously depraved, some of things she had to do, but it was never over the top. This girl is someone who was bullied for speaking out against a rape no one believes happened, bullied for simply existing, bullied because she had the misfortune of being the only girl ‘found.’ The things she had to hear whispered behind her back and go through were unwarranted, nasty, and catalyst to thoughts that a girl should never have about herself…or anyone, for that matter.

I forget what I was doing. I forget what I’m here for. There’s a point to all of this but I don’t know what it is anymore.

What we see, essentially, is a girl who has been backed into a corner and can as easily be discarded as a piece of paper. No one looks out for her, no one will save her…she has to be there for herself-at school, that is. Outside of school we get to see the love that her mother and her mother’s boyfriend have for her, how they worry and would do anything for her. It’s not simply a case of blind parenting-they do their best to figure out what’s going on and they don’t clam up. They continually ask her why she’s acting this way, why she is running off, why she started a fight at school…it was heartwarming and broke my heart when they realized they couldn’t do anything to help if she wasn’t willing to open up. Because not only does everyone in the school hate Romy Grey….everyone in town despises her as well.


Why her?


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And finally there’s Leon. The guy she works with. The guy who’s above pettiness and high school games and wants to make a name for himself. The guy who would do almost anything for Romy…even after she rips his heart out time and again. He only has eyes for her, but he certainly doesn’t take her bull shit. He tells her like it is and he makes her a better person. I loved their relationship and thought it was adorable watching a new romance bloom after the wake of a tragedy, watching the struggle to keep her ‘good side.’ Okay, I lied. I don’t suppose it was adorable so much as uplifting….and heartbreaking. My soul was ripped in two more than once, longing for the perfect relationship, the perfect end to their (Romy’s) tremulous journey. But that’s Summers and she doesn’t sugar coat life. Things happen. It’s how you handle life’s hurdles that makes you who you are. If you can’t get past it? That’s your own hang up. And that’s what we get to see.

I don’t believe in forgiveness. I think if you hurt someone, it becomes a part of you both. Each of you just has to live with it and the person you hurt gets to decide if they want to give you the chance to do it again.

Suited in her battle armor to take on any day and each new event in life, I loved Romy to pieces. She was fierce, determined, but fractured into pieces and unable to feel complete and like a real, whole person. Her bad ass battle armor was a farce for what she really feels on the inside: dull, lifeless, and hurt. Watching her fight her internal battles and take on one snobby bitch or asshole, one at a time, whenever she felt like it, we saw the fight that has long since extinguished since ‘that night.’ I hope everyone can find something to love about this story, because I was undeniably hooked and wanted nothing more than to read about Romy’s happy ending. I hope you will, too.

…how do you get a girl to stop crying?
You cover her mouth.

 

 

*whines* And Courtneyyyyyy…..release another boooook….pleasseeeeee.

 

 

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AGHHH!!!! It’s LIVE!! FINALLY. *Rubs hands together* I shall start reading under my desk now-lol

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I’m going through serious, SERIOUS Courtney Summers withdrawl. It’s like I am starting to itch and I need that next fix immediately and I can’t seem to find any books that scratch that infernal itch and…

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Soon. April can’t make it soon enough.

Dying.

BOOK REVIEW: Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

BOOK REVIEW: Dangerous Girls by Abigail HaasDangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

One moment. One picture. One glimpse-that’s all it takes to make someone think they know the truth.

Yikes. So. I kind of hated this book. But….I really liked it, too. I needed something drastic, a shock to my system. I am on a major book high after I finished the Jasper Dent series. It’s not often that books put me so out of commission that everything afterwards becomes a heaping pile of poo, in my eyes. So, yeah, I had to read something dark, something so sinister that I couldn’t possibly start fantasizing about my lovely, flawed Jazz. But, when I signed on here, I knew I might not wholly enjoy the experience. That I might find characters that were so beyond flawed that it borders on a depressing line that I wasn’t ready to cross (I do so love a good flawed character these days, but woo buddy these were some fucked up characters). That I may be disturbed by the events leading up to the crime. I was 100% right.

I’m not guna lie. I knew who did it. I knew who the killer was. I can’t talk about why or how or what prompted the murder-you have to read it for yourself. It’s not easy to guess who it is and you’ll likely be floundering up until the final moment on whodunnit.

Wouldn’t we all look guilty, if someone searched hard enough?

The story is constructed in such a manner that you’re never bored. You never find yourself wanting to put it down. Each new page unravels another part of this intricately woven story and you start to speculate, to wonder, to explore any and all options. It fluctuates between present day (her trial), ‘before’ (the vacation where it all happened), and the past (high school where she, Elise, Tate, and the other girls all met). We get to see all aspects of the story in every perspective possible, but it doesn’t quite give you the full answer. I won’t lie and say I think this is a fantastic, wonderfully put together novel. I mean, it is! But, I can’t say I loved the format. I also can’t say I hated it. *Note: Please realize I have this under my ‘blur rating’ shelf* I think I just thought….well, I thought there’d be more from the vacation? Maybe that it would show the story leading up to the murder, all in one consecutive piece? But it didn’t. And now I understand why it didn’t, but it doesn’t change the fact that I thought this was a ‘real time’ story. Which is likely my own fault and hang up lol.

Would it have made a difference if I had cried?

Sporadically changing between the trial, when she met her friends, and during the vacay, we begin to see hard truths and ugly betrayals unfold. I think this is where my heart began to hurt. I am such a cliche person, in the fact that, unless it’s a Courntey Summers novel, I don’t much like ‘dark’ books. I mean, I love harsher stories now, whereas I didn’t before. But I need that silver lining, you know?? I am the epitome of the HEA dream. I crave it. I need it….but then again, I really don’t-not always. I just need characters to root for, that I care for, that I can obsess over. And, while I did root for our main character’s freedom and innocence, there wasn’t really anyone else to care about. I snarled at the screen when something would go wrong with her trial, when someone would alter the events that clearly they were glossing over, but, in the end, only having one character to ‘late’ (I didn’t love/like her but I also didn’t hate her….it was a mix) didn’t really do it for me as a whole.

I stare in the mirror, and remind myself: I’m here, I exist.
I’ll be okay.

My rating stems from three things-

The writing. It was great, compelling, kept me on the edge of my seat and flowed without ever being blunt or shortened for effect. I liked that…That sounds specific, but when writing flows, it flows. I don’t know that many stories constructed as such could be considered as ‘fluid’ as this one.

The end. I simply loved it. Want to see my absolute favorite quote/moment/revelation? It’s essentially a spoiler, so look at your own risk. If you’ve read it, you’ll know who said it. If you haven’t? Well, it’ll be your fault for looking. View Spoiler » Chills. Just many many chills.

The simplicity and gripping nature of the novel. The need to know more, even if it wasn’t the format I’d have liked.

So…that’s it.I hope I did a good job of expressing not only my concerns and issues, but also of letting everyone know that the story is strong and altogether gripping-even if you don’t like it, you’ll likely still make it to the end in record time….that’s just a hunch. After I finished, it was 2 AM and the house was dark- I needed to let my dog out in the back yard and found myself *not so discreetly* peering outside the back door, lest someone stab me repeatedly because I wasn’t aware. Don’t worry, my Pomeranian would have kicked their ass. I needn’t have worried.


How much do you love me?

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