”Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it ”Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in the same familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet.”
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
I am stubborn about popular and modern books. I refuse to read them if they are on “booktok”, constantly suggested, or become even remotely hyped…..but….. in the wake of the movie coming out next week, I finally bit the dust, got sucked into the Colleen Hoover vortex, and decided to see what It Ends With Us was all about.
And…I get it now.
As a Criminal Justice major who has studied various criminal charges (especially on the events of domestic violence and sexual abuse), we learned a lot about the cycle of violence that abusers will demonstrate and what the victims will experience in this cycle: 1) Calm: also referred to as the “honeymoon phase”, the relationship will begin steady and behavior is generally calm with little to no conflicts or outbursts 2) Tension: agitation and tension builds, oftentimes accompanies accusations 3) Incident: the outburst of violence whether emotional, physical, or verbal abuse is happening; a crime is being committed 4) Reconciliation: the abuser typically apologizes, feels agonizing remorse, will try to give excuses or blame the victim, the abuser will try to deny the truth of what happened
With this in mind, I am dumbfounded by the insight that Colleen Hoover was able to give through the eyes of Lily Bloom, who was not only a witness to these appalling actions that her mother experienced by Lily’s own father, but eventually became a victim herself of domestic violence.
Experiencing the bona fide heartache and countless positive and negative emotions in this story was insane. You get a firsthand look at the toxicity that is so often shown in relationships of this avenue and get to be a part of the grievous thought process that encompasses the minds of victims. Colleen Hoover does a spectacular job of highlighting just how easy it is to be on the outside of this abuse looking in thinking “well, why don’t they just leave?” while simultaneously giving us the view from the victim who struggles to leave someone that they once authentically loved and shared a massively soul-captivating human connection with. We see the cycle demonstrated time and time again in this story and I believe it is a huge eye opener to those who have been through a situation like this. It is hard to see someone you love wholeheartedly transform into a person you don’t even recognize; someone who instantly becomes a threat to your life or your children’s lives. That is what I believe Colleen Hoover pointed out so, so well.
I also greatly admired Lily’s strength to recognize the importance of what she was going through and realize that no matter how bad someone’s past may be, or how much hurt they have been through themselves, it’s never okay to unleash violence or abuse. It is not worth it to risk your life or the lives of those you care for to accept the abuser’s half-hearted remorse and apologies knowing full well that it will not stop them from projecting their anger on you through violence again. (However, I understand that some situations are not quite as simple to escape such as Lily’s)
Though it was a tough read emotionally, I have nothing bad to say about this book. I believe it can be such a useful tool for those who have been through the domestic violence and abuse cycle and can help those in the future to recognize these behaviors in order to find freedom when they have the chance. Every single character and event was described with such detail that I had no trouble envisioning the story. Every single raw, genuinely human emotion was exhibited to pull every string of the heart.
As many readers know, captivating and prominent authors can be extremely rare to find– especially an author as illustrious as Amy Harmon who holds theAs many readers know, captivating and prominent authors can be extremely rare to find– especially an author as illustrious as Amy Harmon who holds the magnificent gift of enthralling readers through her wide variety of genres. Several of these genres are a form of historical fiction, implementing threads of romance, suspense, and intriguing adventures.
Written from two different points of view, Where the Lost Wander is a stimulating tale of two separate worlds that inherently collide. The first point of view comes from John Lowry or “Two Feet” as he was once named by his Pawnee mother. Being the son of a Pawnee woman and a caucasian man, he constantly struggles to find his place in the world; John feels as if he has one foot trapped with the “white man”, living and thriving as a mule trader in St. Joseph, Missouri while the other foot is confined in his mother’s Pawnee heritage. His fate is forever modified as he stumbles upon a beautiful young and artistic widow named Naomi May, who encompasses the second point of view. John joins the May family’s wagon train on the Oregon Trail, hoping to trade more mules for his father on this journey. Though life on the Oregon Trail deals its fair share of misery and danger, Naomi and John soon discover that, as stubborn as they are, they share an unbreakable connection which overcomes the tragedies set before them.
This is the third novel I have read by Harmon and I can wholeheartedly admit that it is evident that her writing is written from impressive amounts of knowledge, research, and pure passion...all of which never ceases to absolutely astound me. When I came across Where the Lost Wander, discovering that she had authored a novel about the hardships of life on the Oregon Trail, I knew I had to devour these pages. I have always held a huge fascination with the 1800s life in American history, especially learning about Native American heritage and the interrelationships between Native Americans and the “white man”. Harmon does an incredible job of incorporating interesting fictional characters while intertwining their story with the lives and characters of real historical figures, whether well-known or not quite as prominent. As someone who meticulously enjoys research, I adore the process I’ve developed of dissecting her writing, discovering what people and places are historically factual and real, and then learning how she combines the fictionalized characters and settings into the authentic relics of history. These components threaded into her perfectly curated and effortless writing style always make for an exciting experience.
Where the Lost Wander is not for the weak. Readers should be prepared as this is no light or perhaps cheerful read. Violence and dark themes make their presence known often, however, the beauty of a slow-burn romance between two hard-headed travelers adds great flair and enchantment opposite the dimmer tones. 5-stars....more
I'm disappointed in how boring this was, so I'm only giving it three 3-stars. However, I'm giving myself 5-stars for finishing this while on the brinkI'm disappointed in how boring this was, so I'm only giving it three 3-stars. However, I'm giving myself 5-stars for finishing this while on the brink of unconsciousness.
I am growing tired of this series and its overused phrases.
I want to like it. I heard so many great things...but holy hell.
I hope A Court of Silver Flames is not as cheesy as the last two books. Fingers crossed....more
This book was extremely promising from the start and overall, not bad.
The concept of Bring Me Your Midnight was so intriguing, the visual imagery thatThis book was extremely promising from the start and overall, not bad.
The concept of Bring Me Your Midnight was so intriguing, the visual imagery that Rachel Griffin produces through her writing was astounding. I thoroughly loved the world of The Witchery and enjoyed the imagination process while reading Bring Me Your Midnight. The characters were likable. The unique witchy events and practices were enough to keep me drawn in.
BUT. A major, MAJOR criticism I have is the back-and-forth and indecisiveness of the main protagonist, Mortana. This girl could not make up her damn mind. Mortana was not content at home, seeking adventure and a life that she could make for herself, but as soon as she'd leave home to explore a more attractive higher magic with this mysterious witch fellow named Wolfe, she would all of a sudden determine that she needed to go back home and do her duty to her coven. And it was non-stop. I got fed up after the third time.
Loved the storyline for the most part, however, I felt the pacing was a bit too fast. Maybe it's because I'm used to slow-burn romance arcs in similar books (I definitely feel as if Rachel Griffin could've extended this one out and written another book about this expanding the relationship, they met super early on) but Mortana and Wolfe seemed to move rather quickly. Also, Wolfe needed to get his act together and initiate some more interest in Mortana at the end (she was always the one making moves or asking to make moves). Slightly annoying, but it's fine.
Enjoyed the majority of Bring Me Your Midnight and found this conceptualization of witches different, unique, and appealing and that's for someone who gets easily bored with witchy books and fast. 3-stars....more
In the midst of a grueling war between gods, two rival journalists find themselves enveloped in a magical connection to each other. After her brother In the midst of a grueling war between gods, two rival journalists find themselves enveloped in a magical connection to each other. After her brother leaves to fight on the front lines, Iris Winnow begins to write letters to him, slipping them beneath her wardrobe door where they extraordinarily disappear. Little does she know that the letters written to her brother mysteriously come to rest in the hands of her work rival at the paper - the sharp-jawed and strikingly handsome Roman Kitt. As he anonymously replies to Iris’ letters, they unintentionally solidify a connection that proves indestructible throughout trials of life and tribulations of battle.
Amid various recommendations from several fellow avid readers, I decided to try Divine Rivals and ultimately ended up pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as rigorously as I did. As someone who is extremely particular about the type of fantasy that I can find myself encapsulated in, Divine Rivals delivers the perfect amount of fantasy while also implementing both historical and real-world elements.
Notable components that stood out to me were: 1) The setting primarily takes place in a city called Oath which would often morph to provide a London-esque vision in my mind. Ross describes Oath as a city with tall buildings, trams, and busy streets and also expresses that many of the characters would bask in delightful cups of tea. This instantly made me think of the UK; specifically, I kept picturing a version of London and I fell in love with this illustration. 2) The infamous enemies-to-lovers storyline holds a special place in my heart as a literature enthusiast. I reveled in witnessing the transformation of loathing to admiration and confessions of deep infatuation between Iris and Roman. This connection was especially unique with some of the best parts taking place in the form of letters which makes it infinitely more swoon-worthy. 3) A love story that speaks to fellow writers and lovers of literature reading about a relationship that unfolds from letters and old typewriters which gives off a light or dark academic atmosphere and inspires bibliophilic personalities in this realm. 4) Excellent historical research was used by Ross when describing battle scenes and intense trench warfare (Ross talks about this and what inspired her to write these segments in the Acknowledgments section)
Lows: 1) The focus on outside characters or inclusion of them as much in the story. Iris’s brother was significant to the plot line, but focusing so much on Attie, Keegan, and Marisol left me wanting even more to read about Iris and Roman than what was given. I loved these characters, don’t get me wrong, but it often pulled me away from the focus on the two most interesting personalities. 2) Predictability. Divine Rivals was not one to have a surprise factor that many readers admire. I predicted just about every chance meeting or turn of events. 3) This may come into play in the second book, but making it seem as if Roman’s dad was going to play a significant role in the war. However, the author brings it up and then does not seem to touch on it again.
Overall, Divine Rivals was an enticing story that left me excited to uncover what might test the fates of Iris and Roman and their remarkable tale. 4 stars.
As a Criminal Justice major, I’m naturally drawn to crime and suspense thrillers and I will say that if you are a huge fan of Criminal Minds, you willAs a Criminal Justice major, I’m naturally drawn to crime and suspense thrillers and I will say that if you are a huge fan of Criminal Minds, you will be intrigued by Stone Maidens.
Synopsis: Several young women have gone missing, their lifeless bodies found with a deep cut in their abdomen and dumped in the forest ravines of Indiana. Each body leaves not only a massive cut to the abdomen but a significant piece of evidence, a “calling card”: stone figurines lodged inside the base of each victim’s larynx. Law Enforcement has never seen this before, but forensic anthropologist for the FBI, Special Agent Christine Prusik has. Christine knows all too well what it’s like to escape with her life as she, too, embodies the same type of scar on her abdomen. She must determine if this is simply a coincidence or if someone is deliberately sending her a message...and the manhunt is underway for the Southern Indiana serial killer.
Several aspects of this book reeled me in from the start. My admiration, respect, and inspiration for females in the Criminal Justice realm and working in Law Enforcement is extremely unfathomable, and the fact the main protagonist is a female forensic anthropologist had me thrilled and inspired to say the least. I sincerely enjoyed reading about how Christine battled through the ongoing struggle of being a female superior in the forensic field, surrounded by males, several of whom do not respect a woman in an authoritative role. Her determination for this career was notable, especially while she was undergoing symptoms of PTSD from past traumas; another significant topic that was accurately included and addressed as it is very prevalent for Law Enforcement professionals to struggle with PTSD and other mental complications due to the extreme circumstances and stressors of the job. This made the story feel even more real.
Another highlight of Richards’ writing was the inclusion of different points of view from the characters. As the reader, you were enveloped not only in Christine’s world, mind, and thought processes but you were also encased in the killer’s. With an extreme interest in criminal psychology, I found it interesting to pick up on ticks from the killer’s perspective or note the different childhood experiences and traumas that relate to and influence the crimes he was committing or envisioning. It was interesting to see when the different pressures or situations from the outside world would begin to absolve into his “blackouts” or visions of disturbing scenes that would make him question himself, and this also left you, as the reader, wondering if this individual was dealing with a type of dissociative identity disorder. This was also a gripping concept that made you feel like you were inside a complex Criminal Minds episode and thoroughly made you want to keep reading to find out what was physically occurring for this person.
There are not many criticisms for Stone Maidens on my part other than the overuse of names when it comes to dialogue between individuals. It is not necessary to end every sentence dialogue with the name of the person they are speaking to, and I felt that this book held too much of that. We know who the character is speaking to if it is mentioned once at the beginning of the paragraph or scene. I also noted a few grammatical errors, misspellings, or misprints with a few words. While he described the midwest landscape so thoroughly, I also wished that he had maybe used real small towns for reference besides the FBI base in Chicago, but I am a reader who gets intrigued by real places and historical elements and loves researching them after reading (it makes me cheer loudly for the vast research that the author did and credibility it adds). This book however only held imaginary Indiana and midwest towns as well as geographical locations.
Overall, Stone Maidens was so enthralling I did not want to put it down. Richards leaves you yearning to find out the truth and excited to root for Christine's case. Law Enforcement heroines leave a big smile on this girl’s face, no doubt about it. Would highly recommend it for thriller lovers and fans of Criminal Minds. Four-stars.
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