It's been almost a week since I finished reading this book. I wanted time for it to settle in my head before I wrote the review, mainly because I cannIt's been almost a week since I finished reading this book. I wanted time for it to settle in my head before I wrote the review, mainly because I cannot seem to find a good genre to slide it into - and that can make reviewing it a difficult task. Why? Certain genres have elements that we come to expect, and we tend to judge a book on how well they have adhered to those creative styles inherent in particular tropes.
This just broke the mould.
Xander and Alex are two young curators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, who stumble upon an object of great curiosity. Through investigation and research, they discover the hidden meaning behind the museum piece, its connection to both of them, and learn about their own family history in the process. From this aspect alone I could classify this as a Cozy Mystery.
The way this book has been written is deliciously elegant, masterfully detailed, and had me immersed in the world of museum antiquities - a world, I assure you, I know nothing about. Yet Dietz managed to take me by the hand and effortlessly show me what it's like to receive a donated piece worthy of being housed in a museum, the immense amount of detail that goes into the research and description of said object, as well as the reverence shown to such priceless artifacts.
I'm sure some of you are thinking - how boring - and yet it totally wasn't! Dietz managed to weave a mysterious paranormal theme throughout this novel that kept you turning the pages wondering what was going to happen next. And the way the 'magic' happens to the characters and is accepted by others in the story, along with the high level of writing skill from Dietz would have me place this work in the Magic Realism category.
There's a very sweet and natural growth of a relationship between the two main characters. I hesitate to say that this would be a Paranormal Romance, as the relationship, although important, wasn't the driving force behind the plot - and yet it is delightful and graceful - and the way both sets of families accept their sons' choices in romantic partners is heart-warming too.
There was one other element in this story that had me loving the entire work even more. Family history. I confess I don't know mine that well. My brother is the family historian and one day I'll have to pump him for all the glorious details. But I suspect I'm not alone in this lack of understanding regarding my roots, where I came from, and who the players were that went before me. What a massively important chunk of information I am missing from my life. This story emphasizes our interconnectedness and realization of who we are by acknowledging our own personal histories.
In short - this book puts family first. Despite sexual orientations, race, or class, the integrity of the family structure is the primary focus. Secondly, the lavish details of the rich upper-class families of New York are sure to put you in the mind of an American, modern-style, Downtown Abbey.
This is the first book I've read from Chris Bedell. I'll admit Young Adult is not normally my jam, but the concepts in this novel intrigued me. After This is the first book I've read from Chris Bedell. I'll admit Young Adult is not normally my jam, but the concepts in this novel intrigued me. After all, how can you possibly pass up a story where the main character ends up with a Grim Reaper boyfriend!
There were lots of twists and turns in this read, sometimes at a dizzying pace, but certainly, enough to make this a quick and fun romp.
Not everything in this book gelled well with me, and that might be because of the audience it's targeted for. There's a lot of sweet romance and high school shenanigans - which, if that's your thing, you'll most likely enjoy this story. For me, it was a little too tender. I yearn for the gritty darkness. I want my horror steeped in blood and terror, and I want my paranormal creepy and filled with gruesome characters.
That's not Deathly Desires. The main character, Cody, has gone through some difficult times. The recent death of his mother plays into the stress and life-struggle of a teenager in high school, not to mention that last summer he may have had a hand in the disappearance of one of his friends/not really a friend/could have been a boyfriend, but in the end, wasn't a very nice person anyway/so, sorry if he might be dead?
See, lots going on.
Sometimes the conversations between the characters were too polite, and the situations within the story too easily resolved. But again, that might be more from my expectations of the story set too high whereas the Young Adult reading audience may find this just right.
It all depends on how you like your oatmeal - right Goldilocks? For me, not hot enough, not gory enough, not paranormally enough, but for the right reader, it might be just perfect.
**spoiler alert** Do you remember high school? Remember having to read all those challenging books and then having lively debates in English class abo**spoiler alert** Do you remember high school? Remember having to read all those challenging books and then having lively debates in English class about what you thought happened? Where the teacher MADE you come up with theories and then asked you to prove it by pulling evidence out of the story to support your position?
Yup. There you have it. Welcome to hell.
That doesn't sound like an endorsement, does it? Except, in this case, it is.
Neu has created a small town where the cast of characters are instantly recognizable, and relatable, and some are even completely over the top - and I can say I know of at least three people in my life who could have been Teddy. Teddilicious....ha! That was awesome.
The real question in this spooky little Halloween read is what do you think happened? To me it was very Six Sense-ish - I see dead people - wait, what is going on!? No, what....REALLY! Oh My God!
The descriptions of ghostly visions are violent and bloody - just as they should be for this dark holiday celebration. What terrible things happened at the CAGE facility? Did Erica's plants mutate and make everyone crazy? Did the meteor storm and subsequent lightning have an impact?
That's sort of up to you to decide. What vicious version of hell does your mind create? And aren't some of the best horror stories the things our imagination comes up with after the movie is over?
Normally I do not get hung up on technical and editorial issues - because I'm the worst and can never figure ouThis was a fun read, with a few issues.
Normally I do not get hung up on technical and editorial issues - because I'm the worst and can never figure out when to use a comma, but this story really was littered with missing words, incorrect words and some unusual jumps in time. So much so that I had to re-read the first few chapters just to make sure I hadn't missed something.
So, that aside (which really made me have to dock a full star), the story was a good read with cops, private detectives, insurance scams and one dirty cop who I wished we had had an opportunity to know better. He seemed like a completely vile individual but we never really got to know how he ended up being so dastardly.
The relationship between John and Jason (side note - two main characters with the same lettered first name contributed to my initial confusion), was believable and tender if not starting out on a really bad foot. Seems that ex-cop turning Private Detective John likes his voyeurism. And while some readers may find that off-putting, I didn't. And the way the author explained the main character's proclivity was pure genius.
I really enjoyed this story. Cassie the PI was owlie and rough, yet you knew deep down she had a tender heart, and of course by the end of the book thI really enjoyed this story. Cassie the PI was owlie and rough, yet you knew deep down she had a tender heart, and of course by the end of the book that shows through.
I also loved the depth of world building and creative use of technology, and kudos to the author for creating advances in tech that I would never have been able to come up with.
I LOVED Bert. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to include any spoilers. But I will say, I want one! But then I also want an Ink too. Ha! Sound intriguing? You'll have to read it to find out more!
My only criticism would be that the story is very heavy on exposition and sometimes verges on the dreaded info-dump. I would have liked to seen more details of the story played out through clever dialogue, of which the author was entirely capable as seen with lines like: “I sit back into the chair at the head of my work table and take a big grimace-inducing mouthful of sadly milk-free wake-up juice.”
Excerpt From: Doyle, Matt. “Addict.” NineStar Press, LLC, 2017. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
I also wanted to know more about Devin, the shirtless, buff, cowboy assassin. Who doesn't want to know more about THAT! ...more
I should probably start off by saying - Murder Mysteries aren't usually my "go to" reads. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the story kepI should probably start off by saying - Murder Mysteries aren't usually my "go to" reads. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the story kept me going. I'm not a quick reader, and I don't have a lot of spare time, and this only took me 4 days to eat up!
Speaking of delicious things....Gabe and Maka, wow. Hot and sizzling. It reminded me of my vacation to Oahu, Hawaii, and the waiter that served me drinks at Hula's bar....but that's another story.
Long's writing whisks you away to the Hawaiian tropical paradise and immerses you in the Polynesian culture. Brilliant imagery and lingering creative phrases that grab you and sink you further into the story:
'When Maka walked past me, my eyes couldn't help but follow him, like they'd been caught in his gravity.'
And made me laugh out loud:
'"Gabe, you're going to fall out of your chair." Maka said. I wondered what he meant until I realized I was dancing in my chair.'
And reminded us of truths:
'A drunk tongue speaks a sober mind, right?'
All in all, a delightful read, and it looks like the beginning of a series I will definitely have to continue to read!...more