Tag: rating 5 star

Books, Contemporary, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

by Zaheerah3 Comments on BOOK REVIEW: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

you can find the book at:

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Amazon
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Author Website

goodreads summary:

When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.’s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians’ scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enrol at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister’s footsteps and becomes D.C.’s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . Until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy’s. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

my review:

Rating:
★★★★★

A review describes it as a cross between Veronica Mars and Scandal, and it is entirely accurate. I have watched both shows (well, a couple of episodes of Scandal), and I can definitely see the inspiration. The high school life of VM and the Scandal theme, though aimed at a younger crowd.

 

Tess Kendrick is a very independent individual. She never intended to become her high school’s Fixer, in fact, she tries to escape. The more she tries to avoid it the more she gets trapped in the political lives of DC’s most important people and their children. Reading about her solving issues and thinking through puzzling problems gives you quite the ride of a read. I am looking forward to seeing Tess’ sister’s character get more developed, the big plot twist towards the end gives us new insight into her character that I certainly wasn’t expecting. I loved Tess’ little gang. Asher is sweet, and  I loved him from the very first time he appeared on the page, who then ends up becoming Tess’ main confidant and partner in crime. Vivvie started off as this adorable, bubbly character who stuck by Tess’ side because she didn’t have anyone else to hang out with, but soon enough the bonds of trust build and they become fast friends. I think she might be my favourite character out of the gang,  Henry, on the other hand, he ended up that character that was way too mysterious, and became too bland for me to be interested. However, I did feel sympathetic towards him due to the circumstances.

There is no romance in this title as it mostly focuses on the political issues, but I’m glad it didn’t because romance in this situation tends to be over the top and too much. The Fixer is one of my favourites reads so far this year, it keeps you engaged whether it be through problem-solving, kick-ass main character who takes matters into her own hands, or through the decent dialogue. Some of the secrets of the book are maybe a little easy to decipher if you pay attention to the right things, but that doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment.

Books, Contemporary, Mystery & Crime, Thrillers

BOOK REVIEW: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

my review:

Rating:
★★★★★


“There’s a difference between really loving someone and loving the idea of her.” 

 

The book begins as Nick – “I used to be a writer…back when people read things on paper, back when anyone cared about what I thought” – finds that at their fifth wedding anniversary his wife Amy has gone missing, the front door is open, the coffee table shattered, books scattered. Amy, a trust fund baby New Yorker who has a disastrous life since Nick put her to his Missouri home to care for his dying mother, is now gone.

Nick calls the police, naturally, but his reaction is strange. He keeps referring to Amy in the past tense and then holding himself back. He is not quite worried enough about her disappearance. “I wasn’t sure what to say now. I raked my memory for the lines. What does the husband say at this point in the movie? Depends on whether he’s guilty or innocent.”

The book switches between Nick’s narrative, as a person who is desperately looking for his wife which Amy consumes the attention of America’s media, and Amy’s diary, as she writes about the early days of their relationship. “Tra and la! I am smiling a big adopted-orphan smile as I write this …I met a boy!” She says. And then later: “He promised to take care of me, and yet I feel afraid.”

Slowly, the two stories begin to converge, the media and police start to swing the blame towards Nick’s way. He lies to the police: little lies that don’t really matter, but why is he doing it? And there’s something strange about Amy’s diary too; her vision of the events of their past is different from Nick’s, it demolishes their perfect image. We begin to see the cracks in the darkness in this seemingly perfect marriage: where is Amy, and who is telling the truth?

Flynn, an extraordinarily good writer, plays her readers with twists in throughout the story. She plays with her unreliable narrators to stunning effect, disturbing and delighting in turn. Gone Girl, her third novel, is an absolute must-read.

I spent most of the book deciding between fearing Amy Dunne and wanting to be best friends with Amy Dunne. The woman is brilliant, witty and utterly on-point about so many things (the “Cool Girl” speech; “bleed and clean,”). Her brilliance is terrifying. Even when it looks like her plans are going to unravel and she’s going to be caught, she finds a new way to win. Amy is always about winning.

I didn’t like Nick at the beginning but now looking back, you’re not supposed to like him then. He’s a bitter loser who drifts through the investigation, shrugging his shoulders at every new clue suggesting he might have a part in his wife’s disappearance. It’s only when he starts to fight back and become more like Amy, crafting his own lies and using the media to his advantage, that you begin to like him.

In short, this book hits all the marks, and I will definitely be reading more from Gillian Flynn in the future.

Books, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Angelfall by Susan Ee

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Angelfall by Susan Ee

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

my review:

Rating: ★★★★★

We have declared war on any being that dares to think they can wipe us out without a fight. No matter how celestial, no matter how powerful they are, this is our home and we will fight to keep it.

Six weeks after an attack on earth, the world has been torn apart by a war between angels and humans. Penryn accidentally finds herself watching an angel getting his wings brutally cut off. In trying to help, she is forced to watch as her wheelchair-bound little sister is taken away. Penryn demands that Raffe provides assistance in finding her sibling, and the two natural enemies must work together to outwit danger at every turn.

TO BEGIN WITH, SHOUTOUT TO SIAN FOR TELLING ME TO READ THIS BOOK.FOUR FOR YOU SIAN, YOU GO SIAN.

I’ve read my fair share of angel books, and they’ve all disappointed me. But Angelfall is different in a post-apocalyptic world where Angels have taken over, Penryn is only trying to survive with her schizophrenic mother and sister. Like most books about angels, the main character is usually swooning over these adonis looking people, but no, these angels are brutal and terrifying (and beautiful). Susan Ee’s fantastic debut is one of the best post-apocalyptic YA I’ve ever read, and it blew me away with its perfectly paced blend of action, story, and emotional tension.

Penryn is a fantastic heroine, a funny girl who happens to be amazing in combat. Her interactions with everyone else is so entertaining and hilarious. Raffe is not your usual broody YA main character. [ps agnostic angels was something I was not expecting!]. He’s so intriguing and funny it’s impossible not to be drawn to him anyway. His relationship with Penryn develops slowly and naturally as they struggle to find shelter and to survive in bleak circumstances, all against a dark backdrop of war and all kinds of unspeakable horrors.

Readers who are uneasy with gruesome books should be warned that there are some pretty intense scenarios, although they are well done and mostly appear in the aftermath.It’s exciting to find an author who writes such dark and vivid imagery and doesn’t shy away from the gory scene.

I have a few minor complaints, mostly about Penryn’s failure to ask enough questions, as this seemed entirely out of character for someone who tries to guess whether she can keep someone alive long enough to be of use to her. I also wish we’d learned a bit more about the war. (also, I heard this went from a 5 book series to 3…why?!!)

The action-packed story, funny dialogue, unforgettable characters all make for an incredible read. The twists and turns of this story are greatly done.

Books, Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA

BOOK REVIEW: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

by Zaheerah2 Comments on BOOK REVIEW: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

You Can Find the Book At:

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Amazon
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Author Website

GoodReads Summary:

This is a breathtakingly original rendering of the Trojan War – a devastating love story and a tale of gods and kings, immortal fame and the human heart.

My Review:

Rating: ★★★★★

Song of Achilles tells the story of Achilles’ life and the Trojan War through the eyes of Patroclus, the beloved companion and lover of Achilles. This is their love story.

A new take on the Iliad and this novel, faithful in many ways to the characters and events of the Iliad stands on its own merit as a love story. I found using the POV of Patroclus to be particularly engaging. I felt sorry for Patroclus as he grew up: the son who always seems to disappoint his father, no matter what he says or does, always hearing from his father. I thought she did an especially good job presenting the evolution of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, the attraction growing as they grew up together. Their love–their relationship– is the heart of the book.

I think my favourite parts was when Achilles is just getting to know Patroclus, who reveal how he ended up in Achilles’s father’s care. Patroclus answers that he killed another boy who was trying to take something from him. Patroclus wants to know what Achilles would’ve done in that situation, and Achilles says something like, “I don’t know, because no one has ever taken something from me.” (For those who have read the Iliad, you know where I’m going with this) And then when questioned about fighting Hector, Achilles refusing, simply saying, “What has Hector ever done to me?” (Again, you know what I’m talking about.)

I also enjoyed the development of the character Briseis, the girl taken prisoner by Achilles and then taken from Achilles by Agamemnon, and how Miller handled her story. In the Iliad, we never really see them together and don’t get the idea that there’s any special bond between them until Briseis speaks at his funeral, saying she loved him. This novel, with its more intimate scope, shows us this relationship from start to finish. It also gives Briseis a personality of her own, which is tough when your only role in the story is that of human to be traded between other, more important, characters.

I think the biggest issue I had with this book was the representation of Thetis. I know the novel needed some sort of antagonist but I didn’t think she deserved to be presented in this way. Especially since we know how much she loves Achilles.

Simply put, this is an amazing written story of love and loyalty set amongst the wrath of the gods. An epic novel with action, adventure, a touching romance, mythological creatures, and displays of humanity covering the whole spectrum of good and evil. Absolutely loved it and will likely re-read it in the future (which is rare for me).