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jennsie's review against another edition
3.0
3.5, ish
Not my favorite of this author, but a good read! SNAKES!
Not my favorite of this author, but a good read! SNAKES!
kjackmi's review against another edition
4.0
Snakes are invading homes in a small town in England. Is there a natural cause or is there a more sinister relation to a decades-old mystery? Really liked this, as I did "Sacrifice" by this author, though it can be tough going for the snake-phobic. The heroine in this case is a vet with her own secret, and a disfigured face. As in the previous book, I love how her female protagonists are not victims, but participants in their own fate and indeed, rescue others.
lienwynvarras's review against another edition
4.0
How many of this woman's books can I read before I tire? Well, apparently a couple more.
This particular one was quite enjoyable and I now know a lot more about snakes than I did before. I like to read books that actually teach me something. As for the plot, I liked the fact that a series of murders in our present day ended up being connected to a tragedy that happened fifty years ago. It was fun to puzzle it all together and it was helped by the interesting characters.
That said, it became a little frustrating to listen to the main character's insecurities about her looks. I don't blame her — she's had facial scars since she was a child — but the fact that several of the eligible men in the story take an obvious interest in her almost immediately had me rolling my eyes. And yes, I get that she was exaggerating her own scarring in her head and usually shied away from people because of it, but it still felt pretty cliché. Perhaps because I've read a fair share of YA novels where it is a very common thing for the heroine to THINK she's plain and ugly yet lo and behold, she was beautiful all along! What I'm trying to say is that Bolton did nothing wrong, I just got annoyed because of previous experiences.
That said, I have to admit that I quite like how this woman writes romance, because it's down-to-earth and relatable. Not that there was a whole lot of romance in this one (more like tension) but still. She does it well.
I've been debating whether to give this three or four stars and I'm going to go with four, if only because I remember this one quite fondly even years after having read it.
This particular one was quite enjoyable and I now know a lot more about snakes than I did before. I like to read books that actually teach me something. As for the plot, I liked the fact that a series of murders in our present day ended up being connected to a tragedy that happened fifty years ago. It was fun to puzzle it all together and it was helped by the interesting characters.
That said, it became a little frustrating to listen to the main character's insecurities about her looks. I don't blame her — she's had facial scars since she was a child — but the fact that several of the eligible men in the story take an obvious interest in her almost immediately had me rolling my eyes. And yes, I get that she was exaggerating her own scarring in her head and usually shied away from people because of it, but it still felt pretty cliché. Perhaps because I've read a fair share of YA novels where it is a very common thing for the heroine to THINK she's plain and ugly yet lo and behold, she was beautiful all along! What I'm trying to say is that Bolton did nothing wrong, I just got annoyed because of previous experiences.
That said, I have to admit that I quite like how this woman writes romance, because it's down-to-earth and relatable. Not that there was a whole lot of romance in this one (more like tension) but still. She does it well.
I've been debating whether to give this three or four stars and I'm going to go with four, if only because I remember this one quite fondly even years after having read it.
poucks_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Finished reading:
Awakening by Sharon Bolton
__________
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🐍😵🐍😵🐍🤷🏻
Pages: 538
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
__________
These kind people are wrong. I'm not beautiful on the inside. How can I be when people shy away from me, when drunken men crack crude jokes at my expense and teenagers follow me in the street, cat-calling and taunting? How can I even be normal when I am afraid to buy clothes from a shop because no one will willingly serve me? How could a beautiful soul survive a lifetime of that sort of treatment? So, I am not beautiful, inside or out.
__________
Look, yes, normally, I would not pick this up, because it's a thriller, and I am not really interested in that genre. But! This book was all about snakes. Snakes found in Britain. And honestly, that was the only reason I picked it up. And I don't regret it one bit!
The story goes about a young female wildlife vet, who has a big scar on her face due to an accident in her infantry. The village she lives in is very quiet and that is why she lives there, because she avoids humans at all costs. But when the village is pestered by snakes (way more than usual) and People start dying because of snake bites, the vet is the only person that is considered an expert in snakes and handling them.
Her life gets thrown upside down and hiding is not an option anymore.
I have to say, many, MANY of her insecurities were very relatable to me... Her train of thoughts were very much like how I would think when I was younger and avoiding any contact with people. The fact she finally slightly opens up and doesn't avoid all contact with anyone was such a great moment.
What I also absolutely loved, was snakes having such a big role in all this and how they are described as gorgeous and misunderstood creatures!
What bothered me a bit, was the facts that throughout the book, the author continuously switched between snakes being venomous or poisonous. In the beginning and the end of the book, it was the worst.
But all in all, I really enjoyed it, more than I thought and loved reading a fictional story, where snakes played such a big role, and not necessarily a bad one!
Awakening by Sharon Bolton
__________
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🐍😵🐍😵🐍🤷🏻
Pages: 538
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
__________
These kind people are wrong. I'm not beautiful on the inside. How can I be when people shy away from me, when drunken men crack crude jokes at my expense and teenagers follow me in the street, cat-calling and taunting? How can I even be normal when I am afraid to buy clothes from a shop because no one will willingly serve me? How could a beautiful soul survive a lifetime of that sort of treatment? So, I am not beautiful, inside or out.
__________
Look, yes, normally, I would not pick this up, because it's a thriller, and I am not really interested in that genre. But! This book was all about snakes. Snakes found in Britain. And honestly, that was the only reason I picked it up. And I don't regret it one bit!
The story goes about a young female wildlife vet, who has a big scar on her face due to an accident in her infantry. The village she lives in is very quiet and that is why she lives there, because she avoids humans at all costs. But when the village is pestered by snakes (way more than usual) and People start dying because of snake bites, the vet is the only person that is considered an expert in snakes and handling them.
Her life gets thrown upside down and hiding is not an option anymore.
I have to say, many, MANY of her insecurities were very relatable to me... Her train of thoughts were very much like how I would think when I was younger and avoiding any contact with people. The fact she finally slightly opens up and doesn't avoid all contact with anyone was such a great moment.
What I also absolutely loved, was snakes having such a big role in all this and how they are described as gorgeous and misunderstood creatures!
What bothered me a bit, was the facts that throughout the book, the author continuously switched between snakes being venomous or poisonous. In the beginning and the end of the book, it was the worst.
But all in all, I really enjoyed it, more than I thought and loved reading a fictional story, where snakes played such a big role, and not necessarily a bad one!
amsa59's review against another edition
3.0
First, I did not like this one as much as her novels on PC Flint. Second I couldn´t stop listening (audio book). The story swivels and changes directions like a snake and, by the way, do NOT read it if you suffer from snake fobia. This said, it´s a well written story with interesting characters and dark secrets in a small remote village.
pam1256's review against another edition
I did enjoy this mystery story. Some of the characters I didn't like as much. I felt bad for the main character, but I was rooting for her because she was smart and resourceful! Not sure what to give the star rating, I did have fun but I won't be rereading it, hence why it's in the unhaul tag.
It was so cool to see snakes in books and recognize with some stuff I already knew about snakes!
It was so cool to see snakes in books and recognize with some stuff I already knew about snakes!
romysvx's review against another edition
4.0
Moje ostatnie spotkanie z Sharon Bolton - tak bardzo wyczekiwana przeze mnie Stokrotka w kajdanach, okazało się jednym z największych czytelniczych rozczarowań. Nie ukrywam, więc, że po kolejną powieść autorki sięgnęłam z dużym oporem i rezerwą. Na szczęście "Blizną" Bolton w stu procentach zrehabilitowała się w moich oczach. Fabuła zaintrygowała i wciągnęła mnie już od pierwszych stron. Za sprawą plastycznych opisów bez problemu wczułam się w klimat powieści - niepokojący, tajemniczy i lekko mroczny. Autorce udało się wykreować ciekawe, nieszablonowe postacie - zarówno te pierwszo- jak i drugoplanowe. Jak na porządny kryminał przystało, tak i w "Bliźnie" intryga jest zawiła, jednak jej wyjaśnienie jest absolutnie logiczne i satysfakcjonujące. Po drodze autorka zręcznie myli tropy, podsuwa coraz to kolejnych podejrzanych. W pewnym momencie czytelnik nawet nie może być stuprocentowo przekonany co do niewinności głównej bohaterki. Wplecenie wątku fanatycznej sekty religijnej sprawiło, że w czasie lektury niejednokrotnie przechodziły mnie dreszcze strachu. Jednak największym atutem kryminału Bolton są wężę. Węże wypełzają z niemal każdej strony tej powieści. Autorka w przystępny dla laika sposób bombarduje nas informacjami o tych nieczęsto spotykanych w książkach gadach.
Jestem zachwycona "Blizną" - jest to bardzo sprawnie napisany, niebanalny kryminał, który pochłania się błyskawicznie zapominając o upływie czasu. Właśnie taką Bolton chcę czytać!
Jestem zachwycona "Blizną" - jest to bardzo sprawnie napisany, niebanalny kryminał, który pochłania się błyskawicznie zapominając o upływie czasu. Właśnie taką Bolton chcę czytać!
Jestem zachwycona "Blizną" - jest to bardzo sprawnie napisany, niebanalny kryminał, który pochłania się błyskawicznie zapominając o upływie czasu. Właśnie taką Bolton chcę czytać!
Jestem zachwycona "Blizną" - jest to bardzo sprawnie napisany, niebanalny kryminał, który pochłania się błyskawicznie zapominając o upływie czasu. Właśnie taką Bolton chcę czytać!
gadrake's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent creepy thriller, bordering on horror novel by British author S.J. Bolton. There is a strong focus on snakes (sometimes a wee bit too much information perhaps) used as murder weapons in the deaths of numerous elderly people in a small village. Suspicion is spread between a disfigured veterinarian, a public television snake expert, a religious cult, and young thugs. Author does a phenomenal job keeping the reader guessing and keeping the reader sufficiently on edge as you wonder when the next snake will appear. A few possible ghosts make their appearance as well. Well done.