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chronicreader96's reviews
369 reviews
Better the Blood by Michael Bennett
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Better the Blood follows detective Hana Westerman as she tracks the trail of a killer who sent her a mysterious video. However, will she manage to catch them before more people are killed?
I absolutely loved this book! I don’t know a great deal about the Māori, the focus on them in this book taught me so so much. I absolutely loved being immersed in their culture. I also loved that any Māori language or terms used were translated in footnotes. This helped me learn so much and I found myself eagerly awaiting the next one! I haven’t seen this translation technique done in other books and I absolutely loved it.
The crimes made me feel so conflicted, it’s not a clear black and white, right/wrong scenario like many crime books can be. I actually found myself getting a little emotional for the killer. Although I didn’t find this to be an overly tense ride, with no shocking twists. I still devoured it and wanted to read it every chance I had. I loved that the sections changed POV’s which really helped to get into the minds of the different characters. Although the POV’s weren’t made obvious, it didn’t take me long to figure out what was going on. Overall, I would love to see more books like this from Bennett!
I would recommend this novel to fans of detective novels with a cultural twist. I want to thank Likely Suspects, Simon & Schuster and Michael Bennett for sending me a copy of this book so I could give my personal thoughts.
Content Warnings
Minor: Police brutality, Murder, and Colonisation
The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle: How I Faced My Fears, Shifted Gears, and Found Healing from Anxiety, Codependency, and Depression by Leslie Reyes, Leslie Reyes
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle tells the author’s story, from childhood through to present day. With links to how learning to ride a motorcycle also taught her important life lessons for her mental well-being.
This was a mixed read for me. I absolutely loved Leslie’s raw honesty about her life experiences. There were many parts that I could personally relate to and I found such solidarity in that. Seeing someone who had similar experiences felt so validating. I will never fail to be astounded by the pure bravery in publishing a book like this. I loved that Leslie was able to reflect all parts of her life, good, bad and ugly! I want to make it very clear that my issues with the book were not in the story itself. I really liked the connection to Zen and mindfulness and have adopted some of the ideas into my life.
However, I feel this book could benefit from some heavy editing. The timeline jumped around so much that I gave up trying to follow it at all. Because of this jumping around, some sections were repeated across multiple chapters. The first couple of times this happened I thought my ebook copy had glitched and thrown me back to an earlier chapter. I did not like this repetition and jumpy structure at all. It really hindered my reading experience. I can understand that it jumped around in order to fit into the different Zen practices but it made it difficult to read. That being said, I’m still glad I read it and will be taking some of the lessons forward in my daily life.
I would recommend this book to fans of non-fiction and self help books. I want to thank Voracious Readers Only and Leslie Reyes for allowing me to read a copy of this book and give my personal thoughts.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness
Daddy's Home by A.K. Alexander
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There were so many parts to this book that were completely unexpected, I liked that it kept me on my toes!
Daddy’s Home follows Detective Holly Jennings on the hunt for a serial killer. The Family Man is targeting single mothers in his quest to have ‘the perfect family’. Can Holly catch him before more innocent people are killed?
This book was a whole lot darker than I had ever expected it to be. As a warning to any potential readers, a lot of triggering topics are brought up so please approach cautiously! I don’t want to give away some of the plot twists by stating what they were, but I don’t think I’ve ever read such a dark book before! That being said, I liked that this darkness came out of the blue and kept me on my toes. I also loved the hints of light that came through in the interactions between Holly and Brendan. There was a lovely message to their romance that warmed my heart.
I absolutely loved Holly’s strong, single mother character. It took me a little while to warm to her, but towards the end I truly admired her. She echoed the strength of so many single mothers that I know, with the added kick-ass detective aspect! I have definitely been left wanting to read more of this series to see what happens to Holly next. I loved the short chapters and swaps between multiple POV’s. I particularly loved being in the serial killers twisted mind. It added so much depth and darkness. Various characters are used in sporadic, one off POV chapters, but this wasn’t confusing as they always cropped up later on. If anything, I loved being able to get inside their head.
I would recommend this to fans of dark thrillers but please be really cautious of possible triggers! I want to thank Tandem Collective, the publishers and A.K. Alexander for sending me a copy of this book so I could give my personal thoughts.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
The Island by Adrian McKinty
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Island follows a blended family of 4 on their first holiday. When they get the opportunity to look for animals on a remote island the children jump at the chance. However, the events that unfold could never have been anticipated. Can they stay alive?
I absolutely loved the remote setting of this book. The island felt so incredibly vivid and although I don’t want to visit it anytime soon, I could not get enough of it! I loved the unusual premise, I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like this before! This novel is full of action and a desperation to stay alive. Some parts are relatively graphic, and for those that struggle with animal deaths this is mentioned in the book so please be cautious.
My main issue with the book was that I really struggled to connect to the characters, so I wasn’t really rooting for them. After a while I did start to gravitate towards Heather and the children. I loved the strength and determination that Heather started to show. But I just cannot get my head around why she was with Tom. I feel like Tom is one of the biggest villains in the whole book, and cannot understand why a strong woman like Heather would get sucked into a whirlwind romance with a man like that. Overall, this was still an action packed and enjoyable read!
I recommend this book to fans of thrillers with a survivalist tone. I want to thank Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group and Adrian McKinty for sending me a copy of this book so I could give my personal thoughts.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I made the mistake of watching the film first, but I still absolutely loved this book!
Bird Box follows Malorie and her two children as they try to survive in a world that has completely changed. Creatures roam the planet, but one look at them causes you to become incredibly violent.
This is one of the most unique concepts I’ve ever heard of and I absolutely love it. Malerman manages to transport the reader to a truly horrifying world, and really makes you question what you would do in the characters situation. I ended up really connecting to Tom and Jules, I loved their sacrifice and bravery for the greater good. I did struggle to connect with Malorie because of her brusque nature, but it was also necessary in order to protect herself and the children.
Although I was not scared by this novel (it seems it is quite a hard feat to be able to scare me) I was thoroughly engrossed in every page. The rising tension and short chapters kept me reading much longer than I should have been. What I did not expect, was the tears that came to my eyes in the last couple of chapters. I found myself feeling incredibly emotional and had to pop the book down so I could gather myself. I would recommend holding out on watching the movie adaptation until after you have read this as it did lessen one of the ‘twists’ for me. Overall, this is an incredibly engrossing and tense read that I will never forget!
I recommend this book to fans of an apocalyptic thriller/horror.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The Ex Hex follows exes Vivienne and Rhys. In the throes of emotional turmoil after a break up, Vivi mixes alcohol and magic, jokingly cursing her ex-boyfriend Rhys. However, when Rhys is forced to return to the town it turns out that the simple curse was much more sinister than they imagined. Can they fix things before time runs out?
I loved the Halloweeny and autumnal atmosphere that shone through in this book. I desperately wanted to visit Graces Glen, to be able to experience the charming town for myself. I liked the humour that was drizzled throughout, giving the book a lovely light feel that I enjoy in any romcom! There was an element of spice and after a while I started really rooting for the characters. However, it took me a while to get there. I did find myself connecting to Aunt Elaine, Gwyn, and Sir Purrcival. I would love to see more of these secondary characters in the future.
My main issue with this book is that it took me a long time to really get behind the romance. The issues that the characters claim are keeping them apart could be fixed by their magic. I found it so hard to really root for them when it felt like there weren’t any real obstacles for them to overcome. It almost felt like they were making up issues and ignoring the possibilities of their magic. I think a different romance trope would have worked better for me in this instance. It ended up affecting my connection to the main characters a little too. However, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. This was just the light Halloweeny read that I needed!
I would recommend this book to fans of romcoms, especially if you fancy one with an autumnal vibe!
Totem of Terror by Robert Herold
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This series just seems to be getting better with each book!
Totem of Terror returns to the characters in the Eidola Project. They are called to La Push to help the native people who are being attacked by a Demon. Can they end the terror these people face? Are they safe themselves?
This is the kind of series that really gets its claws into you. As each book goes by, I feel more connected to the characters. They gain a greater depth, their connections grow stronger. I just love seeing them grow and evolve together. I hated Nigel when I started the series but he is starting to worm his way into my heart. He is absolutely a morally grey character, but he has a truly caring side that is slowly being released as he grows to trust the world and other people again.
It’s really hard for a book to actually scare me, it only happens on rare occasions. But Robert writes horror so well that it really is able to creep me out. I absolutely love the blend of paranormal and historical fiction. I truly feel like I’m traveling back in time and joining the Eidola Project on their journeys. As much as I have a soft spot for Nigel, I would love to see more of the other characters again as they do not feel quite as well developed. I am very much looking forward to the next instalment in this series.
I recommend this series to fans of horror/paranormal based in a historical period. I want to thank Robert Herold for sending me a copy of this book so I can give my personal thoughts.
The Eve Illusion by Tom Fletcher, Giovanna Fletcher
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I initially loved the first book but found myself struggling more with it towards the end. In this book I had the opposite problem, I initially struggled with it but loved the end.
The Eve Illusion starts right where the first book finished. Eve and Bram fight for her freedom from the life she has been forced to live. But, is it possible for her to ever be truly free and is she safe from those who want her for their own gains?
I struggled to get into this book initially. I had forgotten who one of the characters was, although that was quickly rectified as they played a large role in this book. I don’t know if it was my mood when I picked this up, but I found the plot was slower and less exciting than the first book. That being said, things started ramping up around half way through and continued to improve for me as the book went on. The last handful of chapters really blew me away and had me feeling all sorts of emotions.
Although I had guessed the twist during the first book, I still felt excited when all was revealed. I found some parts to be so incredibly moving that my heart ached. I really love the unique concepts that are used in these books, the use of memories in this one had the psychologist in me absolutely enthralled. Overall, I found the ending so strong that it has made me super excited for the final book to be released. I cannot wait to find out what happens to all the characters and to return to this dystopian world.
I recommend these books to fans of YA dystopian/science fiction reads.
A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I find short story collections are either a hit or miss for me- this collection was definitely a hit!
A Sliver of Darkness contains 10 different horror short stories with all sorts of evil lurking in the corners.
I loved how incredibly unique every single story was. I’ve never read anything quite like the tales in this book. I also loved how amazingly vivid each story was, I could really picture what was happening and became so sucked in. Each short story is preceded by an introduction from Tudor. I absolutely loved this, it added such a personal feel to each story and really helped to set the scene.
There was only one story that was really able to scare me- and that was because my cat decided to attempt to meow, in the middle of the night, right when a high pitched noise was happening in the book. I jumped out of my skin! Although I wasn’t scared by each story, they were certainly creepy and I found myself completely hooked by every single one. This is an incredibly diverse short story collection, my biggest complaint was that I wanted more! I cannot wait to read more books by Tudor now, this is my favourite short story collection to date.
I recommend this book to fans of short story collections or light horror. I want to thank Netgalley, Michael Joseph and C.J. Tudor for sending me a copy of this book so I could give my personal thoughts.
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I was hesitant going into this book, mainly because of its length. But it has just become one of my favourite books of all time! This is an incredibly easy 5 stars to give.
The Hearts Invisible Furies follows the life of Cyril Avery. At a young age Cyril struggled to grasp an identity, feeling lost and unsure. Over his life he tries to come to terms with who he is and the reality of his home country.
I feel a great sadness that this book is over. Although it’s quite a long read, and it took me longer to get through than usual, I savoured every single page. Cyril’s reality completely surrounded me and I found myself looking forward to my chance to curl up with this book each day. Boyne created such incredibly vivid characters, each with distinct personalities and flaws. No one is all good or all bad, we all make mistakes in our journey through life. I loved seeing all sides of these wonderful characters, who came to feel like friends by the end of the novel.
This book tackles some really difficult topics, there are a whole host of triggers so please read it with caution. Initially, I was making jokes about what awful thing could possibly happen next…and actually ended up being right! However, as I got into the novel I really appreciated Boyne’s willingness to show the realities of some peoples lives. At one point, I felt so overwhelmed by the depth of my sadness that I had to stop reading. The moment was just too beautiful and too raw for me to continue. I had tears in my eyes many times during this read. However, it also made me chuckle and smile more times than I can count. Boyne balanced the sadness beautifully with some splashes of humour. I cannot wait to read more by this author!
I would recommend this book to fans of literary fiction, especially if you like an Irish setting! But please be cautious of triggers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Terminal illness
Minor: Torture