Florence is a ghostwriter for one of the most successful romance authors out there, but after a bad breakup, she no longer believes in romance and canFlorence is a ghostwriter for one of the most successful romance authors out there, but after a bad breakup, she no longer believes in romance and can't seem to finish the last book in her contract. She asks for another extension from her handsome new editor, who says no, and then suddenly has to leave New York to return to her family home due to a death in the family. She hasn't been in a decade because her family owns a funeral home and she can see ghosts, and although she's missed the place, she is uncomfortable because everyone knows she'd once claimed to see ghosts. And then things get even more complicated after her new editor shows up as a ghost that only she can see, and she doesn't know what he needs to finish his business on earth.
I've read some of the author's YA books and really enjoyed them, so I figured this would be the same kind of cute, fun story that would keep me hooked. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The writing was fine, but the story continually lagged and I found Florence a fairly weak main character. She was whiny, her requests were rather ridiculous (for example, she asks her editor if she can turn in her requested romance novel without a happily ever after... she honestly thought this would be approved?), and she completely lacked self-esteem and self-respect. It was hard to root for her.
I liked the underlying ghost story in here, but there was zero chemistry between Florence and her editor, aside from her noting how handsome he was an kissing him once before going home, so having an entire plot revolving around their relationship didn't seem to work. He didn't have much personality and seemed to just wander around perpetually confused. Since Florence was also wandering around confused about her gift seeing ghosts and trying to squelch it, I sighed instead of swooning. I just didn't care. Also, the main issue she had with coming home and the reason she hadn't seen her family in years was because she'd once solved a murder by talking to ghosts and had an article written about her in the local paper, which made Florence super insecure and think that no one believed her. So when she comes back, she treats her family terribly and doesn't want to tell them the reason; they in turn treat her with the same awkwardness.
There was potential in here. The premise was cute; the execution was not. I had to stop reading about a third of the way in because I was just so annoyed and not enjoying it at all. I'm giving it two stars instead of one because I liked the premise and the writing was decent. But overall, this was disappointing and unenjoyable. It surprises me that this was written by the same author of some YA books I've enjoyed and would read more of! Who knows, maybe this was written by a ghostwriter like Florence who requested to write something entirely new and got approved for it. ...more
3.5 stars. Shea is a blogger who narrowly escaped a kidnapping when she was young and now runs a website devoted to cold cases. The most famous one in3.5 stars. Shea is a blogger who narrowly escaped a kidnapping when she was young and now runs a website devoted to cold cases. The most famous one in her hometown is from 40 years prior, when a young woman named Beth was accused of murdering two men for no apparent reason. She was acquitted and returned to her family home, where she's spent the last 40 years in relative quiet and the supposed real killer never caught. After a chance encounter, Shea asks if she can interview Beth, who surprisingly agrees to the request. Shea is thrilled to have a chance to actually crack a cold case, but as she spends more time with Beth, she senses that something is wrong in Beth's old house and can't tell if she's being manipulated or if she's onto something.
This started off promising. I was intrigued by both the present day and the historical mystery, and the narration jumped between the two in a way that kept me hooked and eager to read more after each chapter ended. The author did a great job leaving each chapter on a note that made me eager to turn the page... only for the point of view to change to the other woman, whose story I immediately got equally engrossed in and didn't want to leave. The writing was good, the mystery was solid, and I was definitely curious to see how everything would turn out.
While I think an equal amount of time was spent in both time periods, the old murders definitely were the main plot in here. I enjoyed the few twists that were in this book, not all of which I saw coming, and I felt like the answers slowly but surely unfolded in a way that kept the pace at a great clip. I enjoyed the actual reveal of what happened and what was going on. I expected a few additional twists and turns, which didn't happen, but I liked how everything played out.
What surprised me, perhaps more than it should have, was how this really was a ghost story and not just a story of Shea thinking the house seemed haunted but having a reasonable explanation for all the oddities. This kept me from liking the book quite as much as I wanted to, as I'd hoped for this to be even more clever and it felt like the whole "haunted" angle made it really easy to play everything off instead of providing explanations. That was my main complain about this book. My second complaint is that Shea's backstory wasn't as developed as it could have been. The main focus of the book is the story behind the murders that Beth is accused of committing and how she turned into the cold woman she became, but it felt odd that Shea's background was barely explored except to explain away some of her fears and oddities. I think I expected both stories to have a little more parity.
I enjoyed this overall and did like the mystery, but the supernatural element to it kept me from loving the book. I'd recommend this to someone looking for a thriller with a hint of ghosts. For those looking for a book completely grounded in the real world, this is probably not going to fit the bill!...more
This is the seventh and final installment of the Trade Street series, so some spoilers from previous books will likely be in my review.
This picks up This is the seventh and final installment of the Trade Street series, so some spoilers from previous books will likely be in my review.
This picks up shortly after the last book ended. Melanie and Jack have separated but still love each other, so they're trying to figure out how to work things out while also working together against their common enemy, Marc, who thinks there is more treasure hidden in their house and is regularly in their haunted house due to being part of a movie being filmed there. Meanwhile, Melanie is dealing with more ghosts, one of whom keeps warning her about threats to her family and others who seem either eager or against Melanie solving a decades-old murder for a friend.
As usual, I really enjoyed the setting in here. The author does such a great job bringing Charleston to life, both in present day and also historically, thanks to the numerous ghosts and their histories. The world was very vividly described, and I really enjoyed getting to visit these characters again. The cast of characters has greatly expanded from the first book, and some of the additions are just so fun. I also like the way ghosts are handled in these books, as they are characters in their own right but not fully known because Melanie doesn't always know exactly who they are or what they want, despite them trying to communicate with her.
The mystery in here was fun. I had an idea from early on about the guilty party, and while I wasn't exactly right, the actual solution made sense and was quite satisfying. My only real complaint about this book is that the drama between Melanie and Jack seemed mostly manufactured for storytelling purposes, and I ended up rolling my eyes or sighing at the "will they or won't they?" dynamic continually shown between them (of course they will; it's a novel!). I could have done without that in here and got quite annoyed at times.
Overall, however, I thought this was a solid ending to the series. Apparently a spin-off series is coming next, and I'm curious to check that out. This was certainly a lot of fun and interesting to read, and I'm glad I finished the whole series!...more
4.5 stars. Wallace is a terrible person, focused on work and doing nothing to help those around him. When he dies, he appears at his own funeral and d4.5 stars. Wallace is a terrible person, focused on work and doing nothing to help those around him. When he dies, he appears at his own funeral and discovers no one is particularly sad that he's gone. A reaper comes to collect him and help guide him on his journey onward, which involves a stay at a teahouse of sorts with a generous owner named Hugo, who seems to bring out the kind parts of Wallace that he'd long forgotten, as he tries to sort out his life and prepare himself to open the door to the next phase.
This was a really enjoyable book. The writing was excellent, the characters were nicely portrayed, and the story was very thoughtful. This felt like a fantastical version of a journey into the afterlife, and the author's magical touches in here really made it shine. While the story itself was on the thinner side, there was tremendous characters growth and so many moments that were deep despite, or perhaps because of, their simplicity. Wallace's journey was really sweet, and the entire book kept me invested and interested. There was a melancholy tone underlying this book because of the heavy topics it involved, but I'd still say that this was, overall, a fairly uplifting and hopeful book. I'm glad I read it and imagine that parts of it will stick with me....more
This has been on my to-read list for ages, and I finally got around to checking it out. I've read one other book by the author, and while I don't remeThis has been on my to-read list for ages, and I finally got around to checking it out. I've read one other book by the author, and while I don't remember it very well, I did like it and I've heard enough rave reviews for her work that I figured this would be great. Unfortunately, it didn't capture my attention and I ended up only getting about halfway through before accepting that I just didn't care about the story and didn't want to keep investing time in a book I wasn't enjoying.
I'm not sure what I expected from the plot, as the blurb is fairly vague, but this was definitely different. Alex is a student at Yale, recruited by a society called the Lethe to be their new "Dante". The Lethe monitor the secret societies at Yale that deal with the supernatural, and the Dante typically takes a potion that allows them to see the "grays" (basically ghosts) to make sure everything is above board. Alex is recruited because she doesn't need this potion to see the grays, she's just always able to see them.
The problem with this book is that it was just kind of boring. I suppose if you are fascinated by the concept of secret societies, you'll have an initial affinity for the plot; I don't, so a lot of this felt like trying to give extra importance to something that is ultimately just a bunch of students trying to pretend they're special and have supernatural rituals. Everything about it felt forced, especially the part where I was supposed to care about any of this. It felt like I was reading fanfic about Yale secret societies from someone who wanted to give them a lot more importance and intrigue than they have in reality.
The characters weren't especially interesting, and I didn't care about the plot. The writing in here was fine, but without something to truly hook me, the writing itself didn't count for enough. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but it felt like the same thing over and over. There were a few bits that included interesting notes, such as Alex using an enchanted coin to compel someone to answer her questions, but most of this was just one thing happening after another with no real point. This was so frustrating trying to read because I didn't get a sense of urgency, of intrigue, or even of interest.
It's funny reading the reviews of this book, it seems like people either loved it or were as disillusioned as me about it and often didn't finish it. Funny how some books are that polarizing! I wish I'd seen the same magic in here that many others did, but it just didn't work for me. ...more
This is the 6th book in the Tradd Street series, so minor spoilers for previous books may follow! Melanie is getting ready for Christmas and had hopedThis is the 6th book in the Tradd Street series, so minor spoilers for previous books may follow! Melanie is getting ready for Christmas and had hoped that the excavation of the cistern dug up in her backyard would be complete by now, but the excavation process is still ongoing - and she keeps seeing a ghost there who seems to be guarding something. Other believe the cistern might be somehow related to what seems to be a haunted mausoleum nearby, as the bricks originally came from there, and it's also believed that some kind of treasure may be dug up. Naturally, Melanie's ability to see ghosts makes her start investigating this further, and she even teams up with the brother of someone she hates in order to figure out what's going on.
I enjoyed this book a lot! Some of the complaints I've made about previous books continue to be present, mostly the fact that Melanie occasionally seems overly naive and that much of the drama stems from a lack of communication. It's hard to see the same situation repeat itself - Melanie starting to share something, but then failing to follow through with sharing all the details, making it obvious that the lack of communication would result in problems! That said, my complaints are minor, as the book was very entertaining. Also, there seemed to be additional facets to Melanie's personality in this book, which I liked. She seemed to have grown slightly more complex in certain ways, particularly in how she felt about and interacted with family members.
The mystery in here was a bit convoluted but quite enjoyable. I learned a lot about old jewelry, and the new characters were great additions. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between Melanie and the estranged brother of her biggest nemesis. There also continue to be hints of a forthcoming mystery that I assume will be central to the 7th book in this series; I'm definitely enjoying the buildup to that and hope the story doesn't disappoint! The main mystery in here was great, and I thought there was a nice balance between the problems in Melanie's personal life and the past mystery featuring the ghosts she couldn't stop seeing.
It's been years since I read the first few books in this series, but I think this series is actually getting better as it goes on, with the characters able to be more fleshed out and there being a greater history of material to draw upon. This ended in a satisfactory way, although some of the interpersonal relationships are left open, so I'll have to see where those stories go in the next book. This was a solid installment in this series, and I'm looking forward to the next!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for a review....more
This is probably my favorite book in the Trade Street series so far! Minor spoilers from previous books follow....
Melanie is heading back to work aftThis is probably my favorite book in the Trade Street series so far! Minor spoilers from previous books follow....
Melanie is heading back to work after her extended maternity leave comes to an end, and her first client, Jayne, is new to town and seeking Melanie out for help selling an old house she inherited from a woman she'd never met. The bequeathing is a mystery to everyone around, so naturally they begin to look into it; more concerning is the fact that there seem to be spirits in the house, one possible protective but the other very possessive and wanting both Jayne and Melanie to leave. Even weirder, Melanie can't seem to see any spirits when Jayne is around.
The mystery in this book was by far the best of this series! The setting, as usual, was excellent, and the house with its mysterious spirits was creepy. There were just enough strange things going on that I didn't know what to make of them and felt on the edge of my seat waiting for what might happen next. I also really loved the mystery of where Jayne had come from and why she'd received the house. I had no idea where that story would go until later in the book (a little bit before Melanie figured it out), and I really liked how it was explained.
There are still some loose ends from this book, but the main mystery wrapped up and I'm guessing the loose ends were simply hints of what's to come in the next book, which I'm excited to read!...more
It's been a while since I read the last book in this series, but I don't think I knew there were any additional installments to this until recently! SIt's been a while since I read the last book in this series, but I don't think I knew there were any additional installments to this until recently! So now, I'm catching up. Melanie is now living in an old home she inherited, where there used to be ghosts... and now there seems to be a new ghost, someone who's appeared after home improvements result in the discovery of a newborn in the foundation of the house. Melanie needs to figure out the newborn's identity and help the ghost who's appeared, but she also has other things on her mind, as she's pregnant, has turned down Jack's marriage proposal, and is miserable without him but doesn't want him to know.
I really liked the mystery in here! The Southern setting was strong, and the mystery seemed to play off the local history. There was a lot of research done to figure out family history, and it was fascinating to see how the investigation unfolded and the small pieces of historical records used to piece together a full historical narrative. I had no idea how the mystery would resolve, and it was definitely wrapped up nicely.
The weaker parts of this book mostly had to do with Melanie and her pregnancy, as well as her relationship with Jack. She and Jack had chemistry, as usual, but Melanie seemed to be overly immature, especially for someone supposed to be 40! She didn't want to actually talk to Jack, preferring to make assumptions, and then she seemed completely naive when it came to her pregnancy. For example, she was determined to make a schedule for everything and assumed it would go exactly as planned, even requesting the birth announcements have the date of birth pre-printed on them (I think this was supposed to show just how detailed she was about everything, but it just seemed dumb. Also, there was a too-heavy focus on everyone trying to feed her health food, including some truly disgusting sounding foods (cookies made with soy paste? Is this actually a thing??). Thankfully, the mystery in here made up for the less-than-stellar parts, and it ended on a solid enough note that I'm looking forward to reading on!...more
This book sounded great, but I just could not get into it. This is set in the 1930's, but there's a world called Summerland where some of the dead go.This book sounded great, but I just could not get into it. This is set in the 1930's, but there's a world called Summerland where some of the dead go. A British spy, Rachel, discovers that there's a Soviet mole in Summerland, so she sets out to catch him, but no one believes her (partly because she's a woman and partly because she's accusing someone who's been vouchers for) so she set off to catch him herself.
I liked the concept of this a lot, but the execution just didn't hold my interest. I read probably a little under half of this before I started skimming and then realized I didn't really care if I finished. I didn't connect with any of the characters and didn't ever feel fully immersed in the world. I did like some parts in here - for example, I liked the way that those in Summerland can interact with the living, by hiring mediums and using their bodies briefly. That was clever and interesting. However, the rest of this just seemed confusing for no real reason. I didn't fully understand why it needed to be set in the past and also have the realm of Summerland for the dead. It was almost like there was so much going on in here, nothing truly got the attention that it deserved.
I didn't dislike this, I just couldn't get into it. I wavered between 2 and 3 stars and ultimately went with 3 because it wasn't bad. It just wasn't something that captivated me. ...more
Laurel and Athena are the daughters of grave keepers and, as such, they've gotten a reputation for being kind of weird. Athena begged to be allowed toLaurel and Athena are the daughters of grave keepers and, as such, they've gotten a reputation for being kind of weird. Athena begged to be allowed to go to school, but she now feels awkward there because she doesn't quite fit in, while Laurel is still homeschooled and begging to be allowed in an actual school. Their older sister, Lucy, died before Laurel was born and now haunts the area around their house as a ghost. In this world, people spend a lot of time just hanging out in their graves but aren't allowed to go into anyone else's. The book opens with Athena busy trying to fit in at school, and Laurel finding a runaway her age and agreeing to keep his secret because it's the first exciting thing that's happened to her.
This was such a weird book - not necessarily in a good OR a bad way, just plain strange. I never truly understood how this world worked. Everything else about this book, aside from people just hanging out in their graves, made it feel very contemporary. But then there'd be references that blended the contemporary world with this strange one in the book (for example, one character watches The Real World and someone on the show continually talks about how "grave sick" they are and ready to be home so they can spend time in their grave). This blending didn't work for me, as it was never explained how this whole business of grave keeping came to be and also didn't seem to really be important to the story in here, even though it was continually referenced. It was just strange.
The actual plot in here was really thin. It bounced between Athena's and Laurel's stories, with occasional interludes written from a ghost's point of view. It never felt like anything actually happened in this book, even when things did. I just didn't care about their day-to-day lives and there was no strong overarching plot to hold my interest. I did like the development of a friendship between Athena and a classmate, but that was about it. Everything felt ho-hum. I continually wondered what the point of this book was, and it almost felt like the strange setting was supposed to make up for the lack of a real plot or interesting characters. The characters, to be fair, were not bad, but I never connected with them and didn't particularly care what happened. The entire story about the older sister, and their parents' subsequent overprotection of the girls, didn't really come full circle and felt like just another thread that wasn't fully developed.
I didn't hate this book, it simply fell flat for me. I'm giving it 2 stars because while it was dull, there's nothing I want to rant about. There's nothing I want to rave about. I kept waiting for something to happen in here to capture my interest, or maybe explain things, but that never happened and I grew less and less interested in picking the book back up again the further into the story I got. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have finished had I not actually bought the book. I have no idea who the target audience of this book even is, so I can't even say who might want to read this. ...more
Sukie reluctantly moves with her parents to an old house owned by her elder cousin, Hepzibah. The house is in poor shape and appears to be inhabited bSukie reluctantly moves with her parents to an old house owned by her elder cousin, Hepzibah. The house is in poor shape and appears to be inhabited by ghosts, but this is nothing new to Sukie, since her own sister is now a ghost that only Sukie can see. The ghosts themselves, however, are new. Soon Sukie becomes aware of certain old items that appear to be haunted somehow, with a "feel" to them that's different but she isn't sure what it means. Meanwhile, Sukie's learning about her family's history from Hepzibah and trying to figure out how some of the stories end and where buried treasure might be buried, since a ghost in the house says she wants Sukie to find that. All this leads Sukie to the New-York Circulating Material Repository, where fictional items that have entered the real world are stored.
I really enjoyed this book and was sad to see the story end, especially since this is apparently the final book in this series (they're all loosely related, set in the same world but with different characters and self-contained stories). This one focused mainly on spooky stories, such as those written by Edgar Allen Poe (hence the title...), but also included adventure stories and the like. As in previous books, I loved the New-York Circulating Material Repository and the whole idea behind it!! I wish this had been featured in the book a little more, as it felt so magical yet Sukie doesn't discover it until at least halfway through. But I found the entire story charming nonetheless and thoroughly enjoyed while reading.
One thing I really loved about this book is how fresh it felt, even compared with the previous two books in the series. The entire course of the book was different in here, with Sukie not discovering the Repository herself and instead first discovering fictional objects in the "wild", being able to feel their power but not understanding why they felt different. It was so fun to have Sukie try to figure this stuff out on her own and run into other "collectors" along the way, which helped her understand what was special about certain objects.
At the same time, however, this book was probably the weakest of the three. That's not to say this was bad by any means, since it was definitely quite fun and enjoyable; it simply didn't have the same intensity behind the plot. The story was cute and moved along nicely, but the plot itself was kind of weak and not necessarily developed as much as it could have been. I think having a stronger plot with more urgency would have helped give this story the slight push it needed to take it from good to great.
That said, I really did find this book charming. Even being the weakest of the series, it was still a better than average read and completely drew me into this world. These stories are just so fun and so clever! I love how much classic literature is drawn upon to make this world come to life, and of course I love the whole idea of the Repository. Definitely worth reading, especially if you've read the previous two books. The author kept the world fresh in here and the story never once felt old due to the new characters and completely different approach to the plot. Very fun! I'm looking forward to rereading all three books one of these days....more
Kind of dull. A girl hopes to see her best friend, who'd promised to come back as a ghost after she died but has yet to do so. Then, a year later, theKind of dull. A girl hopes to see her best friend, who'd promised to come back as a ghost after she died but has yet to do so. Then, a year later, the girl sees the ghost of a former teacher and she can't figure out why she can see this ghost but not the one ghost she wants to see.
An okay premise but I could not get into the story. The writing was super choppy and the action so vague that I never cared about any of the characters or what they were doing. It just seemed like stream-of-thought narrative, with overly simplistic sentences that were perhaps shortened for stylistic purposes but ended up seeming flat. Since I didn't care about the characters and wasn't drawn in to the story based on the writing or the plot, I ended up skimming and then putting this aside. There wasn't anything I hated about this book and it's definitely not bad, but it was underwhelming....more
After Charlotte is pushed onto the subway tracks and killed, she "wakes up" in an invisible hotel, where the guests/residents are all ghosts who can'tAfter Charlotte is pushed onto the subway tracks and killed, she "wakes up" in an invisible hotel, where the guests/residents are all ghosts who can't move on to the next phase of death until they solve their own murders. Charlotte teams up with a few other ghosts in the hotel - all of whom have been there longer - to solve the case, learing "The Rules" of being a ghost along the way.
I loved the premise of this book. What a great idea, ghosts trying to catch their own killers. Charlotte was a fun main character and made a good narrator. I enjoyed following along with the case, trying to figure out who was guilty and why. The atmosphere in the book was surprisingly cheerful and peppy for the topic, and there wasn't much suspense, which could have rounded out the novel and made it more mysterious and haunting instead of just fun.
The antics of Charlotte and her sidekicks as they went about investigating the case were entertaining. Each character had a distinct personality and contributed in their own way to the case. There was some focus on the people that Charlotte left behind, but she mainly watched her boyfriend (whose personality changed drastically after Charlotte died) and old friends/rivals; her family members got very little page time. Since her family had little to do with the mystery aspect of the story, their characters weren't missed, but it did seem odd at times that Charlotte did not check in on her family members, despite narrating about missing them. This may have been done to keep the story upbeat instead of too sad.
Although there were little things I would have changed about the book, the main thing being adding more suspense to it, I thought the book was a very entertaining read overall. The idea behind the book was excellent, and the ending seemed to pave the way for future books in a series. If this is the case, I'm sure I'll read more; the book was fun and I hope the mysteries can only get better!...more
4.5 stars. This book is a prime example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Right before starting this book, I read a few chapters of anot4.5 stars. This book is a prime example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Right before starting this book, I read a few chapters of another book with a "serious" cover and discarded it when I realized just how dumb it was (the cover was a front!). With this book, I expected a fun light read, nothing deep or insightful, and yet the book turned out to be all of that! What a pleasant surprise.
Alona is a princess in her high school until she's hit by a bus one morning, going from Miss Popular to nothing but a ghost who, she observes, everyone seems to forget about all too quickly. The only person who can see her is a weird kid named Will, definitely no one she would have talked to when alive. Will sees way too many ghosts, who all want his help when they discover he can see and hear them, but he just wants to make it through the last month of high school and get on with a somewhat normal life. The two make a deal that if Alona helps keep the other ghosts away from Will, he will help her figure out how to find the light and not wander the school's hallways forever.
The story was light and fun, but the characters were so well developed and had so much depth that it made the book a much more compelling read than I was expecting. Neither Alona nor Will is perfect, as you'd expect, but instead of their issues feeling forced or ridiculous, they came across as smart and insightful. After Alona discovers that she is somewhat "solid" when she's around Will, not completely transparent as she is otherwise, Will explains, "Energy is just energy until it finds me." I don't want to give away any plot points, but this is such a cool concept throughout the book and made me think a lot about all the different types of energy people are putting out into the universe.
Granted, this wasn't the most insightful book I've ever read, and it is certainly far from a weighty or heavy read, but it had an excellent blend of fun humor and thought-provoking moments. I had no idea it was the start of a series until I looked it up to write this review, but I'll definitely be checking out the follow-ups. A pleasant way to spend a few hours....more
Amelia has been a ghost for a long time. She can only remember small snapshots of her life before she became a ghost and has no idea how she died or aAmelia has been a ghost for a long time. She can only remember small snapshots of her life before she became a ghost and has no idea how she died or anything else about her life. After she helps rescue a boy named Joshua from drowning in the same river where she drowned, she discovers that he can actually see her - the only person who can. He's immediately smitten with her, she's intrigued, but then another ghost, Eli, appears and threatens to keep them apart.
The writing is okay. I think the author has a good voice and the beginning of a good storyline, but it didn't draw me in and I didn't finish the book. The story seemed to meander along extremely slowly and I got bored really fast. Maybe it's partly because I'm not the target audience for this book, but I don't think that's the main reason, since I have certainly enjoyed other books in this genre. I think my main problem with this book is that Amelia was so passive and didn't have enough personality to give the book the energy it needed to stand out. Also, although I didn't finish reading the book (so it could have improved as it went on), the relationship/connection between Amelia and Joshua felt forced instead of natural, and Eli didn't make much of an impression on me, despite being the "villain" of the story....more
After Jana dies, she's sent to "Dead School", where all teens go, and is shocked to discover that her boyfriend, Michael, is not there beside her. SheAfter Jana dies, she's sent to "Dead School", where all teens go, and is shocked to discover that her boyfriend, Michael, is not there beside her. She doesn't understand how he's still alive because they were inseparable and belong together (at least in her mind). In Dead School, she meets a lot of other teens who all seem to have ideas about the purpose of Dead School but no real answers except for the fact that some students are Risers and expected to "rise" afterward, and others are Sliders and expected to "slide" afterward. Jana starts hanging out with a Slider named Mars, who shows her how to get off campus and watch Michael, hoping she can somehow communicate with him and have him soon join her so they can be together again. There is also a subplot about how Jana died - slipping while bowling - and whether it was an accident or murder.
I think the idea behind this book is a good one. It's clearly meant to be a dark comedy, which the plot would work well for - only I felt that the execution of it all wasn't very good. All the characters were extremely flat, and not a single one turned into an actual person instead of a caricature. I never even understood why Jana was so in love with Michael; granted, she hadn't had the best home life (a small plotpoint that also wasn't done in a way where I felt any emotion) and he was probably the first stable person in her life, but it got tiring having to read so much about how Jana loved Michael and they belonged together without a single piece of evidence showing the reader why they should believe this.
The other characters in the book were pretty flat as well, and many didn't get developed any further than a few peripheral mentions. Almost everyone tells Jana the story of how they died and ended up at Dead School, and for each story, it was told in italics, like the reader was almost watching the action unfold. Despite this styling, I didn't get emotionally involved or care about any of them and actually started skimming because these stories felt like asides, not things that actually enhanced the book as a whole.
The plot itself ended up sliding into the ridiculous as Jana started breaking every rule she could in order to get demerits, hoping to soon become a Slider so she'd be more likely to be able to communicate with Michael. It felt very forced and really dumb. Even worse, her Slider friend Mars keeps telling her not to do this... but helps her anyway. I did enjoy some of the scenes with Mars as he showed Jana what he'd figured out how to do and she watches eagerly; however, these scenes weren't enough to save the book as a whole from its distinct lack of voice and passion.
I felt the voice of the book was very detached, preventing me from ever becoming truly involved in the story. It didn't help that there were a number of small but still loose ends when the book completed. I also wish that the author hadn't resorted to cliches with some of the characters. The bad boy trying to redeem himself for one fatal mistake? The cheating boyfriend who only care about himself? The good girl who makes one mistake and ends up dead? The clingy girl who only talks about her boyfriend? Yup, they're all in here!
I'm actually a little surprised I finished the whole book, but it was a quick read and I kept waiting for a twist or sudden turn that would enhance all the lesser parts of the book. This book wasn't horrible, but it also wasn't good. ...more
4.5 stars. The book opens with Madison discovering that she's dead. She doesn't know how she died or what she's supposed to do now that she's suspende4.5 stars. The book opens with Madison discovering that she's dead. She doesn't know how she died or what she's supposed to do now that she's suspended in some sort of strange existence, with objects that she lost during her life floating around her. Every time Madison touches one of these objects, she's pulled into the memory of when she lost the object, able to relive the experience and - occasionally - change the experience. She can't go into the future, only into the past.
I really liked the mystery thread that ran through this book, discovering how Madison died, but the mystery wasn't the only reason the book was good. The concept of lost objects pulling her back into life was fascinating and extremely well done, as I got to watch her former life unfold without knowing how it would end. Characters were well developed, and I was immediately drawn into their lives, wanting to know more. I loved how the author explored the idea of how little actions and moments from life affect the rest of a person's existence. The whole plot was well thought out and ended up coming together in a magical story.
The only thing I didn't completely love about the book was the epilogue, as it didn't seem to tie things together or add anything more to the story. But despite the strange note the book ended on, it was a very engrossing read overall and one that I would recommend to others looking for a thought-provoking vision of life and death.
I won a free advanced copy of this book from Goodreads, and it was definitely a good book to have won.
The Language of Sand follows a woman named AbigaI won a free advanced copy of this book from Goodreads, and it was definitely a good book to have won.
The Language of Sand follows a woman named Abigail, a lexicographer by trade, who relocates to a small island in North Carolina after a fire causes her to lose both her possessions and her family. On Chapel Isle, Abigail is to be the new lighthouse caretaker, only things are not exactly the way they were described. The lighthouse is in terrible shape and most island resident believe it's haunted by the ghost of a former caretaker; furthermore, Abigail is an outsider and some of the close-knit island residents do not accept her.
The descriptions of the island and the lighthouse are extremely visual; I could picture and feel the island in my mind, and it made me want to be there with her. The first half of the book was fairly quiet, with much of it just Abigail and her thoughts, and the second half has her interacting more with island residents, many of whom were fun to know and had interesting stories of their own to share. The story is a slow and quiet one, but it's very sweet and really took me to Chapel Isle along with the characters.
Going with the theme of the main character being a lexicographer and previously editing dictionaries for a living, each chapter cleverly began with a letter of the alphabet and a word to go with it, probably helping me expand my vocabulary. The one thing I think this novel could have benefitted from was adding a little more depth to the secondary characters and the plot, since both felt a little thin, but even with that said, I still enjoyed the book overall. ...more
Set in the town of Sleepy Hollow, this story is told from local teen Abbey's point of view after her best friend dies under strange circumstances and Set in the town of Sleepy Hollow, this story is told from local teen Abbey's point of view after her best friend dies under strange circumstances and she meets Caspian, a handsome and mysterious stranger who Abbey immediately falls in love with. The mystery of what happened to Abbey's best friend was engaging, and I was also a little interested in what Caspian's deal was, but, unfortunately, I thought much of the book fell flat overall.
The narration plodded along at an okay pace, although there were many long scenes in which nothing happened but everything was described, and some of the dialogue sounded stilted; the descriptions were definitely better than the speech. I never fully connected with any of the characters, and I did not share Abbey's fascination with Caspain, who simply frustrated me because of his hot and cold personality; it also drove me crazy the way Abbey pretty much swooned every time she so much as thought of Caspian, despite barely knowing anything about him. This swooning overtook the plot about Abbey's friend, and I wish there had been more depth to it; as it was, I didn't see the attraction. The character I liked the most was a minor one who Abbey ignored or pushed away all too often, yet this character, Ben, felt more authentic and real than either Abbey or Caspian.
The setting was done well; I liked the way the legend of Sleepy Hollow tied in to the modern day story in the book. I was easily able to imagine everything the author described, and it was clear that she'd done a great job researching the area and the history to be able to draw the reader into the situation. I also thought it was really cool that Abbey made perfume for fun - what a different hobby and one that gave her interesting projects to work on in her spare time.
Overall, I'd consider this book an okay read (especially after I reached the end, which was kinda underwhelming). It was good but not great, though I think it might have a lot of appeal for others. I will probably pick up the second book in the trilogy when it's released, since I am curious about what will happen, even though I didn't fall in love with the characters....more
3.5 stars. Probably my least favorite book in this series but still enjoyable enough to read in one sitting. Calla, from a family of mediums, is learn3.5 stars. Probably my least favorite book in this series but still enjoyable enough to read in one sitting. Calla, from a family of mediums, is learning how to use her psychic abilities while dealing with her dad moving nearby, trying to dig up the truth about her mother's past, and wanting to find the truth about what happened to her mom and why. I thought the mystery in this book was fairly predictable, although some of the details surprised me. Though this installment did tie up some loose ends from previous books in the series, the book's self-contained mystery wasn't as engaging as it could have been and no riveting new points were revealed, almost as if the main story arc had finished in the previous book and this extra book had been later tacked on. However, having read the rest of the books in this series, it was still an interesting read and a fun way to spend an hour or two. ...more