I have been looking forward to reading Megan Miranda's newest publication, marketed as a blend of YA and psychological mystery genres. I love the subtI have been looking forward to reading Megan Miranda's newest publication, marketed as a blend of YA and psychological mystery genres. I love the subtlety and finesse with which this author plays with words, an aspect I have been able to find not only in Fragments of the Lost , but also in The Perfect Stranger and thoroughly enjoyed All the Missing Girls. However, aside from the exquisite, almost lyrical style of writing employed, this novel did not offer the kind of reading experience I would have expected from a novelist of Megan Miranda's calibre. The incredibly slow pace characterizing over half of Fragments of the Lost did not allow me to be fully concentrated on what was going on as I was often drifting off due to a slight sense of boredom. On top of that, the characters were not particularly likeable, from my point of view, although I found the dynamics of the relationship between Jessa and Max rather interesting. The suspense was intelligently built up, but the revelation, albeit unforeseen, did not shock me and therefore did not make up for a very much needed faster pace and quite bland characters. While I may sound very critical of this novel, the overall experience was not a negative one, but perhaps I just expect Megan Miranda to reproduce the level of quality, complexity and cleverness attained in All the Missing Girls. Most of my Goodreads friends have written very positive reviews of this book so I am evidently very much in minority with the few displeasures I pointed out....more
Paper Towns was my second ever read in English and my first encounter with John Green. I loved the storyline, the characters, the mystery, the symboliPaper Towns was my second ever read in English and my first encounter with John Green. I loved the storyline, the characters, the mystery, the symbolism, the humour, the flowing prose - in other words, everything about that book. I came to understand why so many readers have fallen in love with John Green's literature. I excitedly dived into Looking for Alaska, but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. The same can be said of Turtless All the Way Down, a release that, as many other readers, I have highly anticipated for the last few months, given that John Green had taken a hiatus after his highly successful publication, The Fault in Our Stars, which I haven't read yet.
Turtles All the Way Down was by no means an unpleasant read, but rather a confusing one without a clearly defined plot. My impression is that John Green failed in his attempt to build multiple subplots. While he took the plot into more than one direction, he has never finalized the process. As a result, Turtless All the Way Down has an uninteresting and unclear plot. Nonetheless, John Green displays once again his talent for crafting memorable teenage characters, capable of introspection. He couldn't have illustrated in a more realistic manner how OCD affects one's life. Considering that the story is told from Aza's perspective, the youngster suffering from OCD, you are made aware of her thoughts on her mental disorder from the first page to the last and I promise that you will feel unsettled at times. In addition, the novel lays emphasis on how the people in Aza's life cope with her mental health struggles and I thought that this aspect was well-done and realistically approached. I very much appreciated Daisy's (Aza's best friend) raw honesty, because she did not forbear from criticizing and scolding her friend, now and then.
Even though I disliked the writing style at the beginning, believing that John Green let himself get lost in unnecessary details, as I kept turning the pages, I was able to find many relatable quotes that summed up life and were worthy of highlighting on my Kindle:
It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.
True terror isn't being scared; it's not having a choice in the matter.
Reading someone's poetry is like seeing them naked.
The worst part of being truly alone is you think about all the times you wished that everyone would just leave you be. Then they do, and you are left being, and you turn out to be terrible company.
She noted, more than once, that the meteor shower was happening, beyond the overcast sky, even if we could not see it. Who cares if she can kiss? She can see through the clouds.
"The problem with happy endings," I said, "is that they're either not really happy, or not really endings, you know? In real life, some things get better and some things get worse. And then eventually you die."
You remember your first love because they show you, prove to you, that you can love and be loved, that nothing in this world is deserved except for love, that love is both how you become a person, and why.
All in all, I have mixed feelings on Turtles All the Way Down. I enjoyed various aspects of this novel, but at the same time it had obvious imperfections that partly interfered with the reading experience. If you are an avid fan of John Green or the Young Adult genre, this is a must-read, although it is not as compelling as my beloved Paper Towns....more
The Wife Between Us is the result of the collaboration between Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and will be released at the beginning of 2018. The bThe Wife Between Us is the result of the collaboration between Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and will be released at the beginning of 2018. The blurb was written in such a compelling and crafty manner that it is impossible not to want to read this book immediately if you are a psychological thriller/mystery/suspense avid fan.
The Wife Between Us is a cleverly structured psychological thriller that shifts narrative perspective in the first part with the purpose of delivering a first surprising twist which I consider the best executed one within the plot. Although the cast of characters is not very large, the story is undoubtedly woven from multiple intricacies, red herrings and revelations. I appreciate the fact that the authors built a rich background for Vanessa, but at the same time I think that some aspects of her past could have been omitted. At times, I found the story too convoluted for the 352 pages it comprises of.
So far, this novel has received positive reception from many Goodreads members and I believe it has the potential to become a bestseller, because while it bears certain similarities with very popular psychological thrillers, such as Gone Girl, I Let You Go and Behind Closed Doors, it also features some rather innovative ideas in the genre. I am very much in the minority with my 3 star rating, but I urge you to read this novel nevertheless. At the moment, I feel I cannot properly explain why I didn't enjoy The Wife Between Us as much as other readers. It's probably one of those cases when it's not the book, it's me.
I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for supplying me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
A pro athlete really dies twice. At the end, like everyone else, but also at somewhere closer to the beginning, when s
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
A pro athlete really dies twice. At the end, like everyone else, but also at somewhere closer to the beginning, when she loses the only life she's ever known.
While I have been known to seldom read nonfiction, every now and then I find myself curious to read the autobiography/memoir of a certain famous person, specially an athlete, whose life and career I deem interesting. I think that behind one's success often lies an extraordinary and inspirational story which proves that anything that might initially seem impossible to achieve we can make it possible when the self-belief and willingness are strong enough and we are surrounded by people who desire to help us succeed. Maria Sharapova's life story is a perfect example to illustrate that. Although I have never been a fan of Sharapova's detached and arrogant on and off the court demeanour, her sometimes sarcastic remarks about other players and her loud and well known grunting, I strongly believe that she is a valuable asset to the tennis world and history, even after the big and ongoing controversy surrounding her 2-year suspension by ITF (eventually reduced to 15 months) and subsequent return to the WTA tour.
When Maria started working on this book she was seriously thinking about retiring from professional tennis in the near future. Her memoir was therefore meant to be a farewell. Her career obviously took an unforeseen turn at the beginning of 2016 when she received an email from ITF in which she was informed that she had tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open and that she would be suspended from competion immediately.
In the intriguing prologue Sharapova describes the moment when she read the email from ITF and the different reactions she was overwhelmed by: shock, frustration, injustice. After researching on meldonium (known to her as mildronate and taken for medical reasons since 2006), a substance believed to be performance-enhancing, albeit not scientifically proven, and banned in sport since 1st of January 2016, she reached the conclusion that even though she was culpable for not checking the new list of prohibited drugs, she in no case deserved to be called a cheater and suspended for a 4-year period. All these unfortunate events reignited her passion for tennis and desire to return to the WTA tour as soon as possible and consequently she decided to fight against ITF for a reduced ban. Unstoppable turned out to be not a farewell, but rather an assurance that Sharapova is back in the game and motivated to reach the top once again. From this perspective I would personally interpret the title choice some people have complained about.
It is important to know that although the subject of her suspension necessitated a revealing discussion, it only accounts for a small part of the book. The first half is mainly about Sharapova's introduction to tennis at the early age of 4 in Sochi, her father's decision to immigrate with his little girl to the U.S. so that her talent could be properly harnessed, the financial and tennis-related difficulties they had experienced during the first years living in Florida and how they managed to overcome some of those problems by benefiting from certain people's benevolence, her WTA tour debut and Wimbledon win at 17 years old, when she defeated Serena Williams in the final.
The tennis parent is the will of the player before the player has formed a will of her own.
In the second half of the book Sharapova continues to talk about the most prestigious tournaments she has won, the coaches she has hired or fired, her fierce rivalry with Serena Williams, the shoulder reconstruction surgery she underwent in 2008 and subsequent rehabilation, her relationships with Sasha Vujacic and Grigor Dimitrov.
Unstoppable is a well-written and heartfelt memoir which, as an avid tennis fan, I enjoyed immensely. I truly appreciate Sharapova for having the courage to open her heart to the public and speak very frankly about arguably the most difficult and emotionally consuming year she has experienced as a tennis player and public figure. I must admit that she grew on me both as an athlete and a mere human being and I am looking forward to seeing what she will be able to accomplish now that she resumed her tennis career. I found her autobiography unputdownable and I highly recommend it to those who love tennis just as much as I do, but also to the readers who are interested in an excellent and memorable autobiography/memoir.
Special thanks go to NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK) and Particular Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Much to my embarrassment I have not heard of this author prior to my perusal of the Edelweiss catalog in a quest for a captivaActual rating: 3.5 stars
Much to my embarrassment I have not heard of this author prior to my perusal of the Edelweiss catalog in a quest for a captivating ARC, although I later came to know that plenty of his books have been well-received both by the readers as well as the critics. Noticing the theme-anticipating title The Flight Attendant was sufficient to make me take the plunge and click the 'request' button, considering that I have been nurturing an interest in the mystery/thriller novels focusing on the lives of those working as flight attendants or pilots as well as on a crime committed in an airplane ever since my reading experience of Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie, followed by The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve.
The Flight Attendant presents itself as a relatively straightforward and more traditional in nature mystery/thriller in that the reader is introduced to the murder scene from the very first chapter of the book. Furthermore, it does not take long to discover the identity of the culprit who assassinated the man with whom Cassandra, the main character the title refers to, had a one-night stand in Dubai. Hence, it is my opinion that the author did not attempt nor opt to write his book in the widely used 'whodunit' style, an aspect I personally found refreshing, but instead made the reason behind the crime the focal point of the novel along with the abounding and compelling characterization he crafted successfully. Through its protagonist, Cassie, the novel provides the reader with a detailed, thought-provoking, and credible description of the chaotic and disorganized lifestyle that results from the stewardess job. Cassandra's life is illustrated as an amalgam of one-night stands, numerous being drunk experiences, and the faced difficulty in settling down and engaging. Bearing all this in mind, I was somewhat surprised at the end of the book as I had not foreseen the highly improbable twist the author would incorporate in the storyline in his endeavor to administer a last ounce of excitement and thrill.
I have stressed countless times that I hold in high regard the authors who put a significant amount of effort into researching those striking topics approached in their literary works and it is safe to say that Chris Bohjalian merits inclusion in this category. The Flight Attendant serves as an incontrovertible proof that he is well versed in the functioning of FBI, the life of a flight attendant, weaponry, and forensic medicine.
In terms of negatives, unfortunately, I did not consider the overall plot as addictive and engrossing as I would have expected taking into consideration the promising premise. One aspect I particularly disapproved of was the underdevelopment of the other character who was the focus of some of the chapters, because I thought that that subplot had potential and should have been more skilfully handled by the author.
That being said, I have mixed feelings for Chris Bohjalian's upcoming publication, hence my 3.5-star rating. Considering the theme of the novel, namely the tumultuous life of a flight attendant, I believe that The Flight Attendant is a must-read for the mystery/thriller genres fans as well as those who have enjoyed Bohjalian's previous works.
Special thanks go to Edelweiss and Doubleday for supplying me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Anyone can be anyone on Facebook. It's easy to hide behind a faceless page on the internet.
Friend Request marks Laura Marshall's literary
Anyone can be anyone on Facebook. It's easy to hide behind a faceless page on the internet.
Friend Request marks Laura Marshall's literary debut. It is a well-conceived and decently written psychological thriller with a very enticing and thought-provoking premise: Louise, the protagonist and the narrator of most of the chapters comprising this book, is a single mom of a little boy, Henry, and a successful interior designer who receives an unexpected Facebook friend request from Maria Weston, a girl who disappeared more than 25 years ago and has been presumed dead ever since. Maria started to attend the same high school as Louise during the senior year and the two were initially friendly towards one another. Different rumors about Maria's experience at her old school in London began to circulate among the students and Louise, influenced by her popular friend, Sophie, distanced herself from Maria and took part in harassing her. Louise and her friends plotted something meant to embarass Maria publicly on the occasion of the leavers' party which coincided with the night she vanished under mysterious circumstances. Haunted by the past, Louise has been living under the impression that she was responsible for Maria's death.
The story is told in alternate timelines: on the one hand, we are witnessing Louise's present increasing paranoia caused by the frightening idea that Maria might actually be alive and she seeks revenge; on the other hand, we learn about the events that took place in 1989 and concluded with Maria's disappearance.
It's been a while since I read a psychological thriller that captivated me from beginning to end. Needless to say, Friend Request is highly suspenseful and no character can be trusted. I had my theories regarding the culprit's identity but, as expected, none of them proved correct or at least closer to the truth. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the denouement, given that the gradual build-up of suspense throughout the book was excellently executed. Nevertheless, it seemed realistic and plausible, which is a real plus point.
The social media aspect of the novel announced in the blurb wasn't as articulate as I would've expected, but I didn't necessarily mind that. Friend Request approached other important matters, such as school bullying and how the unpopular teenagers grow to behave uncharacteristically because they crave the popular students' attention.
That being said, Friend Request is definitely a page-turner and I highly recommend it to the fans of mysteries/psychological thrillers. I am looking forward to reading Laura Marshall's future releases!...more
Imagine the exhilaration I felt when I noticed on Goodreads that a new installment of the Rizzoli & Isles series was due to get published this summer,Imagine the exhilaration I felt when I noticed on Goodreads that a new installment of the Rizzoli & Isles series was due to get published this summer, considering that I have said countless times that Tess Gerritsen is one of my favourite contemporary authors of mystery/thriller. The Rizzoli & Isles novel series also served as a source of inspiration to the popular TNT police procedural and crime drama starring the talented Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander, which, sadly, concluded last year. However, I am happy because it seems that Tess Gerritsen has no intention of ending the novel series at the moment.
As anticipated, Tess Gerritsen returns with yet another installment of the long-running Rizzoli & Isles series with a well thought out plot and excellent writing. I Know a Secret features the well known eponymous characters police detective Jane Rizzoli and her colleague and friend, medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles. Initially, the two are faced with an interesting and odd homicide case: a horror film producer is found dead in her apartment with her eyeballs cut and placed in the palm of her hand. The problem is that Maura cannot determine the cause of death as there are no obvious signs of the manner in which the perpetrator committed the murder. Subsequently, Jane and Maura are examining another bizzarely staged crime scene. This time the victim is a man and his body was stabbed with arrows. The two murders appear connected and lead the Boston PD homicide unit to a notorious case of child abuse and presumed child abduction which took place 20 years ago.
In addition to the homicide cases that must be solved, some chapters focus on the personal lives of the main characters: the complicated relationship between Maura and her dying and villainous mother Amalthea Lank who featured for the first time in Body Double; the on-again, off-again relationship between Maura and her love interest, the Catholic priest Daniel Brophy; the funny drama of the Rizzoli family; the romantic reconciliation between Frost and his ex-wife, Alice.
In I Know a Secret, Tess Gerritsen proves that she is well versed not only in forensic medicine and police procedures, but also in filmmaking, religious symbolism and child psychology. She is able to readily transpose her vast knowledge into writing and this is the reason why all of her books in the mystery/thriller genre are so well-documented and credible at the same time. In my opinion, one aspect that differentiates each installment of the Rizzoli & Isles series from the ever increasing number of other crime fiction novels is the graphic and informative description of the medical procedures Maura has to perform in order to determine the cause of death of a certain person who was involved in a crime scene. This type of description unquestionably abounds in I Know a Secret, as well.
While I definitely enjoyed and quickly read this 12th installment, I found the mystery and the twist and turns of I Know a Secret a little weaker and less thrilling as compared to some previous books of the series, such as Last to Die or Die Again. Due to this, I am going to rate Tess Gerritsen's newest novel at 4 stars instead of 5.
All in all, I Know a Secret is a valuable addition to the Rizzoli & Isles series and it leaves you eager to encounter once again the great characters you have been constantly rooting for, over 12 books....more