Category: Reviews by Genre

Books, Young Adult/ Teen

Book Review: You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on Book Review: You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Author website

my review:

Rating: ★★★★★

~ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~

You Were Here is a surprisingly enjoyable novel and authentic. Told in alternating chapters from each of the five main character in a variety of ways. The main protagonist Jaycee’s are told in the first person, while Zach and Natalie’s are in third. Bishop’s chapters are graffiti art, while Mik’s are graphic novel panels. The result is five clear and differentiated voices and a really refreshing way of reading a book.

Jaycee’s brother died five years ago when he snapped his neck doing a backflip off the top of a playground swing in front of Jaycee and others. Five years later, the time hasn’t changed the Jake-sized hole she has in her life. Every year, on the anniversary of Jake’s death, Jaycee breaks into the ruins of an insane asylum and meets up with Mik, Jake’s friend. But this year, Jaycee is joined by her ex-best friend Natalie, Natalie’s boyfriend Zach, and their friend Bishop. This was the beginning of a series of adventures when Jaycee finds Jake’s map of old buildings and hidden dares.

Continue reading “Book Review: You Were Here by Cori McCarthy” →

Romance, Young Adult/ Teen

Book Review: Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on Book Review: Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.

When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.

my review:

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

I’ll start with what I did like so it’s not lost in whatever comes next. The style of writing made it easy to read, it’s light and fluffy, and serious when it needs to be. Mercedes was an interesting main character, I didn’t like her, but it was nice to read a YA contemporary that’s quite different. Firsts make a lot of promises, and the potential was so obvious.

I wanted this book to be so about empowerment but it was so bad how lacking the empathy was towards the females vs the amount of care was taken into sympathising with the boys she slept with, especially since they cheated on their girlfriends with Mercedes. But I felt so bad for her when she receives the brunt of the abuse from the girlfriends.

Mercedes logic behind why she’s provided her service is understandable, but again it lacks any proper exploration until the very end where it’s delivered in the biggest info dump ever. She never once tells her experience to the girlfriends or attempts to clear the air on why she did it. I get that they’re extremely mad at her, but considering how strong she was in her justification of her own actions to herself, I just thought she would try at least. Like her reasoning makes sense, but at the same time, I was sitting there thinking, you’re sleeping with people who are already dating other people.

Also, the character of Faye felt so forced and was such an obvious plot device to put Mercy and Zach together. (Mercy’s like oh this new girl is hotter than me, Zach is obvs going to like her better than me, despite Zach being so blatantly obvious about his feelings towards Mercy)

I think the biggest issue I had with this novel was the message it sent about consent. Twice Mercedes tells boys to disregard consent, and completely misrepresents consent and confuses what is a very clear case of rape. And it isn’t really addressed and questioned.

Overall, a novel that was filled with potential. This novel is set in our modern world where women are valued as object based solely on their sexual availability to men. I understand where Mercedes was coming from, but this book wasn’t for me. Don’t be bogged down by my low rating, it’s good because the book does point out an important double standard about sexually active girls and teen boys and does portray a realistic and challenge to slut-shaming and double standards.

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy

BOOK REVIEW: Nirvana (Nirvana Series, #1) by J.R. Stewart

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Nirvana (Nirvana Series, #1) by J.R. Stewart

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble (Unavailable)
Author Website (Unavailable )

goodreads summary:

When the real world is emptied of all that you love, how can you keep yourself from dependence on the virtual?

Larissa Kenders lives in a world where the real and the virtual intermingle daily. After the supposed death of her soulmate, Andrew, Larissa is able to find solace by escaping to Nirvana, a virtual world where anything is possible – even visits with Andrew. Although Larissa is told that these meetings are not real, she cannot shake her suspicion that Andrew is indeed alive. When she begins an investigation of Hexagon, the very institution that she has been taught to trust, Larissa uncovers much more than she ever expected and places herself in serious danger. Her biggest challenge, however, remains determining what is real – and what is virtual.

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

NOTE: This a review of the second e-ARC of Nirvana. Having reviewed the first one, I was offered the copy of the second version and I’m now posting the revised review.

When the population of bees have declined drastically, the economy was shattered. But an organisation called Hexagon is in control of everything now. There is also a virtual reality world called Nirvana that exists where people pay to plug in and use as an escape. Larissa’s husband, Andrew, received funding from Hexagon to do research. When he got more involved, he disappeared. We don’t know if he’s dead or alive, but Larissa keeps meeting him in her Nirvana. To Larissa, Andrew seems so real, but Hexagon needs Larissa give up her search for Andrew.

I immensely enjoyed this one, the plot line had improved and so had the character development. Initially, it was quite bland, but I’m glad that the author had taken onboard the original reviews and changed a lot of things around. Stewart clearly has a creative mind and a knack for creating an incredibly fast-paced read. The characters are well-developed, and the premise is pure ingenious.Combining parts of science fiction, romance and mystery make Nirvana a thrilling reading experience. I’m also really curious about this unique location, with people living in secluded bubbles and spending so much time in virtual worlds.

However, I think the biggest problem I had with this novel was that we are shown many characters’ perspectives, it’s often only a surface-level view that doesn’t make them seem more lifelike. I feel like it would be have been better if Larissa had narrated the whole story, more compelling in my opinion. And I really wished she had a more prominent character trait than bibliophilia – it comes across as an attempt to quickly grab readers sympathy.

Combining a post-apocalyptic dystopian society with virtual reality makes it an exciting read. Overall, a brilliant storyline, mixed with mystery and fantasy and I am excited to see how the series continue!

Books, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Website

goodreads summary:

Located in a nameless desert somewhere in the great American Southwest, Night Vale is a small town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all common parts of everyday life. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge.

Nineteen-year-old Night Vale pawn shop owner Jackie Fierro is given a paper marked “King City” by a mysterious man in a tan jacket holding a deerskin suitcase. Everything about him and his paper unsettles her, especially the fact that she can’t seem to get the paper to leave her hand, and that no one who meets this man can remember anything about him. Jackie is determined to uncover the mystery of King City and the man in the tan jacket before she herself unravels.

Night Vale PTA treasurer Diane Crayton’s son, Josh, is moody and also a shape shifter. And lately Diane’s started to see her son’s father everywhere she goes, looking the same as the day he left years earlier, when they were both teenagers. Josh, looking different every time Diane sees him, shows a stronger and stronger interest in his estranged father, leading to a disaster Diane can see coming, even as she is helpless to prevent it.

Diane’s search to reconnect with her son and Jackie’s search for her former routine life collide as they find themselves coming back to two words: “King City”. It is King City that holds the key to both of their mysteries, and their futures…if they can ever find it.

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

Welcome to Night Vale holds up as a beautiful read, and when taken out of context of the podcast can be a little confusing (maybe more for newer readers), but I still think that the universe is such a mystery and compellingly written. Older fans will get the references and enjoy the what they fell in love with, plus some answers to other questions. A great mix of dark humour, horror and science fiction and really great to read despite its failings as it comes to a close.

The writing of this book was so excellent and very conversational. I think the audiobook for this novel would be so fantastic, especially if they had the voice of Cecil for the audiobook. The characters within the book are so diverse and, of course, so weird. Not only are they distinct, but brimming with charm and the authors do a great job of crafting two complex main female characters.

My main fault with the novel is that the book felt like it lost tension and excitement towards the end. It’s difficult to decide what felt was so incredibly disappointing, but it may be that some fascinating things were introduced toward the end of the book that is never explored, a painfully missed opportunity. Also, I wasn’t satisfied with any of the explanations surrounding Troy, or the man in the tan jacket. Given that I’m really invested in the podcast, I walked away from the book feeling slightly let down.

Overall, a strange yet weirdly charming novel that leaves you delightfully bewildered.

Books, Contemporary, Indie, Thrillers

BOOK REVIEW: Where Death is a Hunter by Christopher Stookey

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Where Death is a Hunter by Christopher Stookey

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Author Website (unavailable)

GoodReads summary:

Hannah Fâtier is a thirty-two-year-old physician fresh out of residency training. She’s just started her first job as an anesthesiologist at Deaconess Hospital in San Francisco, she’s bought a new home, and she’s engaged to be married.

In short, life is good for Hannah–until, one day, tragedy strikes. A patient under her care dies unexpectedly during a routine operation. An investigation into the case reveals the cause of death to be a basic medical error committed by Hannah. […] She begins to suspect someone has framed her for a fatal medical mistake she didn’t make. But who would do such a thing and why? And, more importantly, why did her patient really die that day on the operating table?

Where Death Is a Hunter is a medical mystery dealing with hospital death, a dark enigma, one doctor’s self-doubt, and the search for redemption.

my review:

Rating: ★★★★★

~E-copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review~

Hannah Fâtier is an anesthesiologist with a brand new job at Deaconess Hospital in San Francisco. Her life seems ordinary until a patient under her care dies before the routine operation had properly begun. Hannah is blamed due to a basic medical error, yet Hannah knows she isn’t to blame. Research into the patient Hannah discovers many inconsistencies. And learns that someone has framed her for a fatal medical mistake she knows she didn’t make.

Okay, I really enjoyed this book. I feel like thriller novels are now something I should look into more. Hannah is such a great character, I loved her so much and felt so sorry for her as she was put through all this terrible suffering. She lives an intriguing life which in turn increased a good tale. The novel only focuses on what’s essential, and Stookey creates a female lead that was great to root for. And the supporting cast – while they didn’t feel as fully fleshed out, but they were still likeable and believable. This is such a short review, but this book was so great! I could definitely see this as a tv show!

Overall, a detailed, thrilling novel that keeps you gripped until the very end!

Books, Indie, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy

BOOK REVIEW: The Mine (Northwest Passage #1) by John A. Heldt

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: The Mine (Northwest Passage #1) by John A. Heldt

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

GoodReads Summary:

In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can’t use, money he can’t spend, and little but his wits to guide his way.

Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever.

My Review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review~

For twenty-four hours, beginning about noon Eastern Daylight Time, six planets from our solar system will fall into a rough alignment with the sun

Joel Smith is a brash college senior who enters an abandoned mine shaft at the same time as a rare alignment is taking place. He enters the mine in the year 2000, and leaves in the year 1941.The summer before December 7, 1941, and Joel Smith is the only one who knows what’s to come.

Joel has no choice but to adapt to life in the 40s. With nothing more than the clothes on his back, and the item in his pockets that shouldn’t exist, Joel has a keen wit and warm heart that allows him to embark on a journey to his hometown Seattle where he manages to befriend his grandmother and embarks on an adventure that could change the course of his life.

Joel is a likeable main character, who is resourceful but is constantly burdened with guilt when he has to hide his knowledge of upcoming tragedies. Despite his best efforts, he grows to love the life of the 40s. Heldt has created a cast of interesting character and a plot that wasn’t confusing which made it easier to read and understand. The side characters were deep in detail and very likeable. Heldt did a great job and made this book a quick, and delightful read.

My only complaint about this story is how easily Joel adapted to life and how he had taken it quite easily when he learnt that he was in the 1940s. I wanted a little more action and suspense within the novel but, overall, Heldt has created a time travel novel was interesting and enjoyable to read.