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erinarkin20
I’m always interested in a story that doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of anything else that it out there and I have to say, Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog definitely qualifies. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book and I found myself unable to put it down because I needed to see what was really going on.
Victoria Zell has never fit in. When she starts a new year at high school, she expects it to be the same as last year. No friends and no one paying any attention to her. What she didn’t expect was Z, the new boy. I have to admit, this story was not what I was expecting and I really liked the way Balog set it up. The story is a mix of Vic’s letter to her boyfriend Andrew, news stories, and police interviews to get the reader to the one responsible for the death that is mentioned at the beginning of the book.
Vic was definitely an unreliable narrator and I was on the fence with her. She is the outsider in her school so it was easy to feel bad for her situation. She was the new kid and because Andrew is homeschooled, they don’t see each other outside of their ritual of meeting at their spot by the fence. The relationship between these two characters is revealed via the letter she is writing but it soon becomes something more than just an introduction to what they are to each other. When Z is introduced, it becomes a confession.
Vic also outlines how her relationship with Z changed since the first day of school and it was clear she was more than a little obsessed with Z. At first I couldn’t really tell if Z was a bad influence or if there was something else going on and I have to say, having finished the book and getting an opportunity to read the police interview responses, it was hard to align the perception people had of Z with the things Vic tells in her story.
There isn’t much I can say about the actual story as I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone but every time I thought I had figured out what was going on, there was another twist with one of the characters. Balog did a fantastic job of setting up the story with the beginning because I was actually expecting this story to go a completely different way and the unexpected pieces were what kept me interested and turning the pages.
If you are looking for a book that has a twist and will keep you guessing until the very end, consider checking out Unnatural Deeds. It was a quick read and I thought Balog did a wonderful job of putting this story together.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
Victoria Zell has never fit in. When she starts a new year at high school, she expects it to be the same as last year. No friends and no one paying any attention to her. What she didn’t expect was Z, the new boy. I have to admit, this story was not what I was expecting and I really liked the way Balog set it up. The story is a mix of Vic’s letter to her boyfriend Andrew, news stories, and police interviews to get the reader to the one responsible for the death that is mentioned at the beginning of the book.
Vic was definitely an unreliable narrator and I was on the fence with her. She is the outsider in her school so it was easy to feel bad for her situation. She was the new kid and because Andrew is homeschooled, they don’t see each other outside of their ritual of meeting at their spot by the fence. The relationship between these two characters is revealed via the letter she is writing but it soon becomes something more than just an introduction to what they are to each other. When Z is introduced, it becomes a confession.
Vic also outlines how her relationship with Z changed since the first day of school and it was clear she was more than a little obsessed with Z. At first I couldn’t really tell if Z was a bad influence or if there was something else going on and I have to say, having finished the book and getting an opportunity to read the police interview responses, it was hard to align the perception people had of Z with the things Vic tells in her story.
There isn’t much I can say about the actual story as I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone but every time I thought I had figured out what was going on, there was another twist with one of the characters. Balog did a fantastic job of setting up the story with the beginning because I was actually expecting this story to go a completely different way and the unexpected pieces were what kept me interested and turning the pages.
If you are looking for a book that has a twist and will keep you guessing until the very end, consider checking out Unnatural Deeds. It was a quick read and I thought Balog did a wonderful job of putting this story together.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
This one was only ok for me. Overall I thought the story was interesting but the characters didn't win me over which is why it was a 3 star read for me. Valoria was a bit annoying for me and I just didn't believe in her. She came off as abrasive and I didn't buy that she was as great at everything as she was presented.
As I mentioned, I thought the story had potential and there were some pieces I liked. The gladiator aspect of it was interesting which, of course, means there has to be someone in power. There were a few in this story and they were all despicable. Green did a good job setting the stage for the final showdown which was pretty much a blood bath.
Vanquished was an interesting read and although I didn't love this one, the premise was interesting and it could absolutely be a case of "it's not you, it's me" on this book. I need to be invested in the character/s and this one didn't give me that.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy
As I mentioned, I thought the story had potential and there were some pieces I liked. The gladiator aspect of it was interesting which, of course, means there has to be someone in power. There were a few in this story and they were all despicable. Green did a good job setting the stage for the final showdown which was pretty much a blood bath.
Vanquished was an interesting read and although I didn't love this one, the premise was interesting and it could absolutely be a case of "it's not you, it's me" on this book. I need to be invested in the character/s and this one didn't give me that.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy
I refuse to believe that that is the end of the series. I'm going to need more...that is all.
11/5/16
Mosaic is the third book in the Reliquary series by Sarah Fine. If you haven’t read books one and two yet, don’t dive into this review yet. Go get the series and read all of it. Then come back so we can discuss all the feelings. I am going to try really hard not to spoil anything but be warned!
If you recall, Mattie had made the decision to keep their relationship professional but Asa hasn’t made it super easy for her. She continues to be attracted to him and when she eventually decides to do something about it, things go wrong…which seems to be something that happen often with them. As Mattie and Asa are separated, a number of things happen that made me not able to put this book down.
When Mattie and Asa are separated, Mattie finds herself face to face with Asa’s mother and she learns a lot about not only Asa’s mother and his relationship with her, but also about herself. Mattie really has to think about what she is willing to go through in order to get Asa back and it really isn’t pretty. Thankfully for Mattie she also has some friends to help her out.
While I really like these characters together, it was great to see Mattie trying to survive out on her own and I thought she grew a lot throughout this book. She didn’t have Asa to rely on and get her out of things…in most cases he was the one causing her problems. Mattie had to be smart and she had to be tough and I thought she really came through in this book.
I don’t want to say too much about this book since it is a book three but I do have to say…I can’t believe that this is the end. I am somewhat in denial and I am hoping Fine takes pity on me and writes the next book…YES I SAID IT! The ending on this one killed me and I can’t even tell you about it. Please know that despite the killer ending, I loved everything about this series.
If you haven’t read anything by Sarah Fine yet you need to fix that. She does a fabulous job of creating a story that will pull you in and keep you invested. Her characters are always well developed and she always does a wonderful job of developing the world they inhabit. If you are looking for a great paranormal read, check this series out. It was magic, danger, swoony bits, and a story that will have you turning the pages for more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
11/5/16
Mosaic is the third book in the Reliquary series by Sarah Fine. If you haven’t read books one and two yet, don’t dive into this review yet. Go get the series and read all of it. Then come back so we can discuss all the feelings. I am going to try really hard not to spoil anything but be warned!
If you recall, Mattie had made the decision to keep their relationship professional but Asa hasn’t made it super easy for her. She continues to be attracted to him and when she eventually decides to do something about it, things go wrong…which seems to be something that happen often with them. As Mattie and Asa are separated, a number of things happen that made me not able to put this book down.
When Mattie and Asa are separated, Mattie finds herself face to face with Asa’s mother and she learns a lot about not only Asa’s mother and his relationship with her, but also about herself. Mattie really has to think about what she is willing to go through in order to get Asa back and it really isn’t pretty. Thankfully for Mattie she also has some friends to help her out.
While I really like these characters together, it was great to see Mattie trying to survive out on her own and I thought she grew a lot throughout this book. She didn’t have Asa to rely on and get her out of things…in most cases he was the one causing her problems. Mattie had to be smart and she had to be tough and I thought she really came through in this book.
I don’t want to say too much about this book since it is a book three but I do have to say…I can’t believe that this is the end. I am somewhat in denial and I am hoping Fine takes pity on me and writes the next book…YES I SAID IT! The ending on this one killed me and I can’t even tell you about it. Please know that despite the killer ending, I loved everything about this series.
If you haven’t read anything by Sarah Fine yet you need to fix that. She does a fabulous job of creating a story that will pull you in and keep you invested. Her characters are always well developed and she always does a wonderful job of developing the world they inhabit. If you are looking for a great paranormal read, check this series out. It was magic, danger, swoony bits, and a story that will have you turning the pages for more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
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Soooo good you guys! If you love the series in book format you should definitely check out the audio.
