I wasn't going to write a review or anything BUT I JUST FUCKING REMEMBERED SOMETHING.

One character legitimately, actually, unironically thinks the line but god, it's beautiful when that boy smiles.*



Gag.

OTHERWISE!!!! This was a really entertaining book that I read in two sessions. I do wish the whodunit reveal could have dug a little deeper into the psychology/motives of the person who did it, but I was satisified with the mystery as a whole.


*(I don't have my library copy anymore so I can't say that's verbatim but it's close. And for the record, that line is from 2AM (Breathe) by Anna Nalick, a song that I wholeheartedly love and in which the lyric works and isn't a cheesy mess.)

(Also posted at Short & Lazy Book Reviews.)

What the hell? I was promised a thriller and all I got was a character study that wasn't that great, terrible decisions made by boring and awful characters, and a plot twist that came out of nowhere and didn't really make any sense.

I ended up skim reading the last half of the book because I wanted to see how it all played out, but I really disliked Quincy and Sam. I can kind of see where the author was going with their relationship leading down toxic paths, but I don't think making me hate both characters to the point where I didn't want to read the book anymore was intended.

As for the reveal of what happened at Pine Cottage...okay, sure, I'll buy it. I buy Quincy's actions and some of the stuff that went on, but the overall action of the actual murders didn't make sense in my head. But I didn't really care at that point so I didn't even bother trying to make sense of it all.

So disappointing.

Also posted at Short & Lazy Book Reviews.

I’m a sucker for anything Stephen King, so I picked this up the second I saw it at the library. Like most King novellas it’s not quite a horror story, but one that involves children dealing with Big Issues that involve fantastical elements. Thankfully I wasn’t expecting much in terms of horror for this, because it read like a breeze, with little to no suspense. I wanted to know what the Button Box was, but at the same time I didn’t much care.

I haven’t read anything about how this story was written, so I have no idea what the distribution of work was between King and Chizmar, but this reads like someone wrote King fanfic and King himself polished it up a little bit. There are no stakes at all, even when we get a glimpse at what the Button Box does.

Overall this was nice, but ultimately forgettable.

Also posted at Short & Lazy Book Reviews.

I’ve loved this series since book one came in as a breath of fresh air after one disastrous comic book tie-in novel experience I had years ago. It’s like someone decided to write a Teen AU fanfic starring Lois Lane, but took only the best parts of what make Lois tick and wrote the hell out of it. We don’t deserve Gwenda Bond, truly.

Triple Threat builds on the first two books, showing a Lois who is finding her place in Metropolis, doing her best to be a good friend, excelling (or trying to) at her career as a junior reporter, and finally tackling an IRL meeting with SmallvilleGuy, aka CLARK KENT.

Look, I’ll be the first to say that I felt the novel dragged on a bit with the actual plot seeming extremely insignificant in the grand scheme of things. (What really happened, in the end? It’s like nothing changed whatsoever.)

But. But!

Lois and Clark finally meet. THEY FINALLY MEET.

I was something like ten years old when Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman aired on one of the two main television stations we received in Kenya. They were the epitome of cool and I used to watch the show with hearts in my eyes, wanting to be like them. I have a very clear memory of the moment Lois finds out Clark is Superman. I never got to watch too much of the show, but they made such a huge impression on tiny me that I got excited right alongside Lois in Triple Threat when she finally meets Clark. The meting itself, the way they’re awkward and adorable around each other, the way things move slowly and LOGICALLY for kids their age who’ve only had an online relationship until now…it’s incredibly sweet and satisfying.

Back to the plot…honestly, there were some threads of interest here and there, but like I said before, ultimately nothing really happens. I did love the mature and different look at a teen relationship going on with Maddy and Dante, and I love that Lois has a really good relationship with all her friends and her family. (As good as it can be with her dad, really, which is really good here.)

Oh oh oh, one thing I did love: Lois turned around and did one of the most frustrating, stupid things a Strong Female Character can do, but then turned it around and became a truly strong character by realizing she was dumb and apologizing for it. I don’t need my female characters to be Strong and take on the world on their own – I need them to be whole. Which Lois is, and which I appreciate wholeheartedly.

This book is perfect for teen readers and adult Superman fans alike. I can’t recommend the series enough.

PS. I went looking for Lois & Clark gifs when writing this review and W O W I forgot the humongous crush I had on Dean Cain before I even realized what crushes were.


(I mean, COME ON.)

Time to scour the internet to see if I can do some re-watching and relive some childhood memories.