ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)

4.5 stars. Not as intriguing for me as the first installment, but I still adore Murderbot. The human characteristics just expand in this volume of the series and I had a great time with the read.

I went the audio route this time and this may be one of the few instances where I absolutely prefer the read over the audio. The audio was really well done, but for some reason the story just didn't stick as well with the audio format. It may be a genre specific thing for me, since I don't typically listen to my sci-fi reads.

I did love the changes that Murderbot underwent during this novella and I'm enjoying the small piece delivery of the story. It's a good palate cleanser of a read and gives me a bit of a pick-me-up if I find myself sliding into a reading slump. A fun series that I'll continue to read.

The first of Christie's Hercule Poirot novels, I was still fairly impressed with her mystery skill. Christie is without a doubt the master of misdirection and red herrings. I didn't love this as much as some of her other reads, but I still have to admit that she did a magnificent job keeping me guessing (and heavily doubting myself during the portions I did have the right culprit) until the end.

These novels are admittedly dated and do show some issues with lack of political correctness, but they are a product of their time, so I do give lenience on that to a certain degree.

The writing was good, but not quite as smooth as in her later novels. Still, the plot moved well and the pacing was right on target. This was a quick and easy read, though it did have a bit of complexity to the number of characters to keep straight and the suspicious to follow. Not Christie's best, but still certainly worth the read.

This book is way out of my comfort zone, but I read it as part of a reading challenge. For someone who regularly enjoys the cozy mystery genre, this one will undoubtedly rate higher. The writing is comfortable and decent, with a story that's easy to follow.

The plot is nice and fast-paced, with a low to moderate intrigue level. The characters are colorful, but not necessarily believable. There is a LOT that occurs with regard to the protagonist and her 15-year-old sidekick that felt fairly stretched and worth of an eye roll or two. However, it is a light and quick read that fits well in the cozy mystery genre and is admittedly a good palate cleanser.

I won't be continuing with the series simply because this isn't a genre I gravitate towards, but it would be a decent series for those who are looking for a cozy read.

4.5 stars.

An incredibly atmospheric read with a good, lightly creepy mystery. This book ticked a couple of boxes for me and sailed along fantastically. Boarding school, creepy circumstances, ghosts, murder mystery. Yep, yep...loving it. The juxtaposition of a modern day mystery with an old cold case was an awesome bonus.

I love St. James' writing. She creates such a powerful scene and always draws me in just right. The creepy factor is enough to be uncomfortable without being nightmare fodder. I adored the boarding school setting, though I will admit that I wanted more of it. I could have easily done with another book fully about Idlewild alone. I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.

I wasn't a huge fan of the relationship component to the book, but what are you going to do? There's bound to be something in there and some readers will appreciate it. It's just not always my cup of tea.

The mystery was well-written and not at all heavy handed. That was much appreciated as I sometimes feel like mystery and thriller authors try to beat readers over the head with context clues. This writing was nice and subtle, with an easy flow and enough intrigue to keep me wanting more without feeling overcomplicated. There were some pieces that could be considered somewhat predictable, but I think they were hidden well enough. I enjoyed the twists and didn't find them too blase or outlandish.

I breezed through this book and didn't want to put it down. It was a really fun read and I very much enjoyed myself. This was my 2nd St. James read and I will now be reading her entire backlist. Success.

Tidepool is a gothic horror debut from author Nicole Willson. It's reminiscent of a Lovecraftian tale with very dark atmosphere in a creepy seaside town. Wilson's writing is smooth and coherent, with a lot of promise for future reads. She clearly has an excellent imagination and she has a talent for creating a nice, creepy feel.

While the atmosphere won me over, the protagonist (Sorrow) was a problem for me. At times she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but then she would make the stupidest decisions. Dumb characters who behave like slasher film victims are not my fave. This made the plot run a bit circular, dragged down the pacing, and made the story less believable. (I realize that believable is an odd thing to mention when dealing with a speculative fiction read, but that's what we're going with.)

The storyline was fun and creepy, but admittedly fairly predictable. While I enjoyed this quick, gothic read, I just wanted something a bit more solid and shocking. The writing, however, shows great promise and with Willson's clever imagination I expect that she may have some good spooky stories to share in the future.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

I'm late to the party, but I finally made it here and I'm starting to understand the hype. An adventurous sci-fi fairytale retelling, Cinder is an incredibly creative read with a lot of fun & intrigue built in.

The story is a retelling, but it is absolutely its own story. There are parallels with the original tale, but so much of it is unique & new. There is also a slight flavor of Jay Kristoff's Lifel1k3 series, which was really fun for me. Apparently I just really like stories with cyborgs and androids. Who knew?

The plot is admittedly a bit predictable, but it's still fun. The pacing is good and the detail in the writing evokes a pretty powerful atmosphere. The characters though...they carry the story. Cinder is fun and vocal and a strong female protagonist. She does not shy away and she stands up for herself...a nice powerful spin on Cinderella. Kai is amazing and kind and not spoiled by power. They're just so cute. My favorite though is the android...Iko. She's adorable and funny.

I'm totally sucked in to this world and I'm ready for more. The bright side about being late to the party...the entire series is ready for me to devour.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5 stars. Whimsical, fantastical, and true to the original while still being incredibly imaginative on its own. Not a true retelling, but a continuation of the stories from where Lewis Carroll left off. A bit darker and more grown up than the originals, good for Alice loving YA readers or adults.

See the full review at EPJ

I have an undying love for all things Alice. That's what made me pick this book. I'm so glad I did. It was wonderful. I will say, it dives right in and goes full-on straight to crazy. It's different, but I liked it. I like that it's written in first person and in the present tense. It makes the story more powerful and gives it a very unique feel. I loved Alice so much. It was hard to see her suffer with her illness and there were times I wanted to hug her, to shake her into sense, to even throw my hands in the air and walk away from her. I found myself very emotionally attached to her. I think I've found a new author to love.

A Kind of Spark is an important and well-written example of the types of novels that need to be put in the hands of middle grade readers. An OwnVoices novel, it explores the difficulty of being different (in this case autistic) in a world that at some times has difficulty embracing diversity.

The writing is perfectly aimed at its audience and speaks in a way that is accessible and plainly understood. There is a lot of direct speech regarding feelings and how one's words can affect another. The parallels between historical witchhunts and the current experiences of autistic individuals (or really anyone who lies outside of what is commonly accepted as a social norm) is brilliantly and sensitively written and helps to really solidify an important message.

Addie is a beautiful, empathetic, and poignant character who just makes this novel near perfection. There is a lot to be learned from this novel for both children and adults. It is an important piece of the literary world and needs to be a novel that gains more attention in the target audience.

There are some minor issues with flow, repetition in the prose, and pacing, but I think those issues are more likely to be noticed by critical adult readers than items highlighted by younger readers. Younger readers will likely find a lot to identify with in the pages and not be bogged down by these details.

If you have a young reader, I highly recommend.