This was crazy, and not in a good way, which is the worst kind of crazy.
Underwhelming, lackluster and a poorly written checklist of popular tropes toThis was crazy, and not in a good way, which is the worst kind of crazy.
Underwhelming, lackluster and a poorly written checklist of popular tropes to get the audience hooked, dropping crumbs of feminism and 'the uniqueness of it all' in between and spitting out this book. It promised a darkly seductive tale of power, ambition, and morally grey characters, but ended up delivering a shallow plot with little depth and even less logic. The romance was flimsy, the edge and motivations of characters inconsistent and I didn't believe anything that was said. ...more
If I had stumbled upon The City of Ember at thirteen, it would have been my ultimate treasure trove. It has everything that could have instantly pulleIf I had stumbled upon The City of Ember at thirteen, it would have been my ultimate treasure trove. It has everything that could have instantly pulled my wandering mind into a trance, compelling me into hours of hypnotic reading under the bedcovers. A post-apocalyptic YA, set in a dark, crumbling underground city built as a last refuge for humanity after the Earth was believed to be in peril, an experiment to save the last remains of a dangerous plague and a collapsing world.
The city of Ember was constructed by a group known only as “The Builders,� who intended it to sustain life for at least 200 years. They left behind a sealed box with critical instructions for the city's future citizens, programmed to open at the right time. Only the city’s successive mayors were meant to know of its existence, though none of them were aware of what it contained. But when the box is lost and the lights begin to fail, supplies dwindle, and disease spreads, two twelve-year-olds stumble upon a hidden path that may lead to salvation.
DuPrau weaves in themes that still feel incredibly relevant: the dangers of blind obedience to authority, the fragility of civilization, and the resilience of the human spirit. Though written for a middle-grade audience, the book still gives you the harsh glimpses of what could be, the reason why dystopian novels are often so terrifying to read. Sure, there are still many unanswered questions and the world-building leans toward the vague side, but somehow, that only fuels the need to jump straight into the next book. It’s mysterious, atmospheric, and haunting in the best possible way...more
This I'm pretty sure was a case of 'it's not you, it's me' . I was just.. conked out, words got blurry.This I'm pretty sure was a case of 'it's not you, it's me' . I was just.. conked out, words got blurry....more
Another incomplete series and it's confirmed that I have a tendency to torture myself into starting a series, knowThis review is for the whole series.
Another incomplete series and it's confirmed that I have a tendency to torture myself into starting a series, knowing I would hate the fact that I have to either wait for the book as every second passes in agony or the momentum of that interest withers away and I just forget about the series, none of which is a pleasant experience. But will I learn? Nope. So here we are.
To be honest, this wasn't completely terrible. With an intriguing premise -- a girl who's given a second chance at life, quite literally, as she travels back in time to right her wrongs or in her case, right others' wrongs. That's right, this is a revenge fantasy, where she takes it upon herself to get strong and burn the world that let her die. She was sent to this 'facility', which is some kind of a prison for supernatural creatures and she had to fight beasts, starve and question everything she knew of her life, including her blind devotion to her half sister, who is a petty bitch (oops, no spoilers here).
She comes back, trains herself to be stronger, and makes them regret ever looking at her wrong.
It all sounds great till now, right? It could have been.. even with the writing that needs a severe case of editing, all the development happening outside of the book as we are in constant whiplash, and for some incomprehensible reason, every being hates her existence (especially the women, all of them are written as petty, vindictive and envious, either a slut or a bitch,and I was a bit exhausted reading the same thing all over again throughout the series), it was still fine because the girl was not a pushover, we could see her putting all the efforts to train and be better.
But it all went down the drain when she meets the love interests. Training? Gone. Looking for answers? Nope. Girl, you've literally transported back in time, you have strange marks appearing on your body, your body is healing and getting stronger at an unnatural speed and you wonder about it for a second, and just think, meh. All she says is, I'm no longer the same person, I'll make them pay. And I'm here thinking, girl when?
There's so many unanswered questions, no conclusions or revelations, unrealistically obsessed MMCs and a filler second book that has nothing but sex in it. I might continue with the series because I would like to know where all this is going but I wish it were better....more
I pulled this old book off my shelf on a whim, hoping for something to snap my concerningly fried brain back into some semblance of functioning, and aI pulled this old book off my shelf on a whim, hoping for something to snap my concerningly fried brain back into some semblance of functioning, and a mystery seemed like the perfect fix—secrets to uncover, tension to keep me hooked. Instead, Ashes to Ashes delivered a slow burn that never quite caught fire.
The pacing dragged well past the halfway mark, and even when things did start moving, there was no real momentum to it. The writing was solid, the crime gruesome and a premise with the perfect mix of intrigue and promise but it lacked that ... spark, the urgency or unpredictability that makes a thriller, well, thrilling.
I know mysteries don't necessarily hinge on emotional depth in characters but when the central characters come with a lot of baggage that hangs likes a dark cloud over the whole 'whodunnit', when it leans quite heavily on past trauma to shape its leads, I expect more than vague hints and half-buried backstories. Instead, the novel skirts around them, as if it’s aware they should matter but doesn’t know how to make them feel meaningful. I would've at least liked to be in the know, especially if we are getting a five-hundred-page thriller, but things were brushed off, and the big reveal failed to pack that punch I was eagerly looking forward to.
Ultimately, it was fine—not bad enough to rage about, not good enough to remember. Just another book to pass time....more
The Days were a clan that mighta lived long But Ben Day’s head got screwed on wrong That boy craved dark Satan’s power So he killed his family in one nasThe Days were a clan that mighta lived long But Ben Day’s head got screwed on wrong That boy craved dark Satan’s power So he killed his family in one nasty hour
Little Michelle he strangled in the night Then chopped up Debby: a bloody sight Mother Patty he saved for last Blew off her head with a shotgun blast
Baby Libby somehow survived But to live through that ain’t much a life
—schoolyard rhyme, circa 1985
This certainly sets the tone of the book.
You’ve heard the cautionary tales—the dark tragedies that shake a town, the crimes that leave ripples, still whispered about years later. Well, that was the Day Massacre in Kinnakee, Kansas. But what if the the truth is not what it seems after all? At seven years old, Libby Day survived the brutal massacre of her family, and her testimony sent her older brother to prison for the crime. Decades later, directionless and desperate for money, she crosses paths with a group obsessed with re-investigating infamous murders. They believe her brother is innocent, pushing Libby to dig into a past she’s tried to forget. But the deeper she goes, the more she realizes that the truth is far more complicated than she ever imagined.
Grim, macabre, and unapologetically disturbing—this should have been my twisted cup of tea. But I was just... bored and detached, despite the brilliant writing and how the premise hooked me instantly at the beginning. As the story unraveled at agonisingly slow pace, I felt nothing (see, the story'd pacing drags, at least it would be because the characters are being fleshed out and developed, but that was sadly not the case). By the end and the supposed banger of a reveal, I wasn’t shocked or satisfied—I just didn’t care....more
Blaze, born from Stephen King's 1970s pseudonym, Richard Bachman, is both what you’d expect � and what you wouldn’t � from King’s writing. I once readBlaze, born from Stephen King's 1970s pseudonym, Richard Bachman, is both what you’d expect � and what you wouldn’t � from King’s writing. I once read that this book features "one of the most sympathetic criminals in all of literature," and I can’t help but agree.
(No spoilers ahead) Clayton "Blaze" Blaisdell Jr. is a giant of a man � physically imposing but mentally impaired by a childhood shattered by abuse and neglect. He clings to anyone who shows him even a scrap of attention, finding fleeting moments of companionship with his partner in crime, George. But George, like everyone else in Blaze's life, is abusive. And when he dies, his voice lingers, berating Blaze from inside his head like a ghost that refuses to let go.
Following this voice, Blaze kidnaps a baby for ransom � but instead of a hardened criminal, we see a broken man cradling the child like a lifeline, desperate for the love he never received. He cares for the baby with heartbreaking tenderness, struggling to resist George’s cruel commands, leading to an ending that feels either tragic or peaceful, depending on how you see it.
A departure from King’s typical horror, it's a crime story that's emotional, forces you to sympathise with the main character, and which dives into the turmoil of a damaged mind rather than the horror of the crime itself. It’s not his best work, but it lingers....more
I remember the first time I picked up AFTG and breathed the entire series down. I wathis was perfection.
It was warm, heartbreaking and so.. precious.
I remember the first time I picked up AFTG and breathed the entire series down. I was curled up in grief and exhaustion, unable to latch onto anything without feeling like everything around me would swallow me whole. It was a desperate attempt to detach, to escape and just be somewhere else, and my god did it wreck me in ways I never expected. It would always be something I keep clutched to my heart because it reminds of an important time, and how these broken, beautiful humans banded together to create something utterly phenomenal; a messy, imperfect family that laughed, cried, and learned to heal together.
Starting this series, I didn't know what to expect, and I was most definitely looking for all the crumbs I could get of the foxes but it slowly became all about these new, incredible set of characters who felt so real, their pain so raw, their warmth a hope that settled into my bones like a quiet kind of peace.
I have highlighted the entire book in pink (it's as horrific as you can imagine). Every relationship, every conversation strengthened the fragile thread of my belief in humanity. It explored the weight of trauma, the ache of survival, and the slow, painful process of healing. But more than that, it was about the unshakable bonds people form in the wreckage of their lives � the kind of friendships that aren’t perfect but are deeply, fiercely loyal. It was about learning to trust again, to laugh even when it hurts, and to find solace in the presence of people who refuse to give up on you, no matter how many times you push them away.
Jean and Jeremy, Jean and Cat, the entire Trojans and that banger of a scene with Rhennan, glimpses of the foxes still wreaking chaos wherever they go, and the dog� oh my god, the dog.
Now, I'm just rambling. I'm warring with the notion of keeping this book close to me and asking everyone to stop whatever they are doing and reading it now. Don't know which way I'm leaning towards yet, ha....more
Some books whisper. Others claw their way into your soul. This book. My god will it haunt me for eternity and beyond. A story that consumes, lures, andSome books whisper. Others claw their way into your soul. This book. My god will it haunt me for eternity and beyond. A story that consumes, lures, and devours, leaving behind echoes of its world long after its last word is read. It is horror in its most exquisite form, not just in the dark, shifting terror of its plot but in the writing itself, which pulses with an eerie, hypnotic rhythm.
“If you cut open my chest'—Andrew's voice was wrecked�'you'll find a garden of rot where my heart should be.� “When I cut you open all I'll find is that we match.�
At its heart, this is a story of two broken, terrible boys—one who creates, one who destroys. Their art is macabre, stitched together from pain and nightmares, crafted in ink, blood, and something far darker. One carves beauty from ruin, while the other turns beauty into something twisted and hungry. They are trapped in a dance of brilliance and horror, their minds unraveling against the weight of the incomprehensible. The true terror is not just the things lurking beyond the trees but the things lurking within them—their own minds, fracturing, their own hands, shaping horrors into existence.
The horror of this does not simply reside in its plot (though that, too, is unrelenting in its grip). It is in the way the writing breathes—in how it coils around you, making you long to escape yet beg to stay. It is in the way you feel the forest pressing in, vines tightening, the silence expanding, until you, too, are a part of it. The prose is lush and winding, as if woven from the very roots of the cursed forest it conjures. It is rich with dread, with beauty so sharp it cuts, with a creeping unease that slithers beneath your skin.
C.G. Drews has crafted something truly rare: a horror novel that is as breathtaking as it is terrifying, as poetic as it is monstrous. And when you turn the final page, shaken and enthralled, you realize—perhaps too late—that the forest never truly lets you go....more
Remember that I tried (I really did) and went down fighting. This book actually succeeded in making me, someone who's usually cheerful and positive, loRemember that I tried (I really did) and went down fighting. This book actually succeeded in making me, someone who's usually cheerful and positive, lose the will to live.
P.S. A heartfelt shoutout to the latest entry to the TSTL heroine hall of fame: Miss Violet Sorrengail....more
American Queen is a powerful and poignant exploration of a largely overlooked chapter in both African and American history. Reflecting on themes of frAmerican Queen is a powerful and poignant exploration of a largely overlooked chapter in both African and American history. Reflecting on themes of freedom, community, and the enduring power of the human spirit, it tells the story of a remarkable woman's life and legacy, Louella Montgomery, a formerly enslaved woman who rises to become the "queen" of the "kingdom of happy land" - a community she helped establish with her husband after leading a group of formerly enslaved people from the clutches of oppression and brutality. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that this wasn't purely fictional, and the true historic events talked about made the pain, the struggles they faced -- both internal and within the fragile camaraderie they had built, the scars that run deep even when you've escaped the shackles seem even more real. That said, I did find the book a bit challenging to get into initially. The pacing felt slow at times, and while the author’s research is evident, there seemed to be a disconnect between the historical context and the more modern tone of the writing; the gap making it harder for me to fully immerse myself in the time period and its events. Nonetheless, it is an important, almost-forgotten piece of history that deserves to be remembered....more
Halcyon (sadly in hiatus)
>
Books:
Read
(1317)
Loading...
