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snowbenton
This book was very well researched, and I loved seeing the struggle of being Catholic, the many holiday celebrations, the gender roles and class rules and day to day lives.
The idea was fascinating: in one of his lost years, Will Shakespeare seduces a widow who inspires him to write poetry even as she fears he will leave her and go back to London. But the sheer scope of foreshadowing of his evil nature, mimicked in the secret lives of the supporting characters, made the story trudge on as Katherine loved him, avoided him, loved him, and hated him. The two rape scenes (I can't in good conscience refer to them as sex scenes) were unnecessary and did not fit the story to that point. The ending also seemed forced.
Overall it was a story of obsession and scoundrels. Would not recommend unless you really love history and aren't that into Shakespeare.
I received an ARC from the publisher.
The idea was fascinating: in one of his lost years, Will Shakespeare seduces a widow who inspires him to write poetry even as she fears he will leave her and go back to London. But the sheer scope of foreshadowing of his evil nature, mimicked in the secret lives of the supporting characters, made the story trudge on as Katherine loved him, avoided him, loved him, and hated him. The two rape scenes (I can't in good conscience refer to them as sex scenes) were unnecessary and did not fit the story to that point. The ending also seemed forced.
Overall it was a story of obsession and scoundrels. Would not recommend unless you really love history and aren't that into Shakespeare.
I received an ARC from the publisher.
I received a copy for review from the author.
Tamed Lightning follows two siblings as they both experience strange phenomena (vivid flashbacks and terrifying nightmares), but the story really gets going when their little brother is kidnapped, leaving them grasping at straws as they realize there is more going on in their lives then they could ever have imagined.
Acosta has built a Mara Dyer style stage that leaves the reader wondering who to trust -- because even the narrators aren't entirely reliable. The pacing is great; the story bumps along between the two siblings as they try to live their lives in the midst of their increasing paranoia and strange happenings. The isolation created by the parents' going on vacation enhances the creepiness as they throw a crazy high school party and then question themselves and each other.
The biggest problem I had with the story is that it is 90% telling and 10% showing. I'm told over and over that Audrey is a flake and doesn't like her parents but I never see them arguing. There are a lot of non sequiturs throughout; such as halfway through Audrey's best friend asks her if she believes in God and they fight but it doesn't enhance the plot. It felt like a lot of half ideas that should have been cut ended up getting left in. The book needs a heave dose of editing; there were some typos and at one point a sentence was cut off in the middle. Bentley is five but mathematically he should be seven if he was born when Audrey was nine. They are small things that add up to a big distraction, but this story would be really great if it could be sharpened at the edges.
The most impressive thing to me was that, even though I hated the characters, Acosta made me care about what happened to them. This is a rare feat; I often drop books if I don't like the characters. Audrey is venomous, spoiled, indecisive, and Kennedy is the most maddeningly stereotypical high school douche bag (and don't even get me started on their weird friends and the creepy guidance counselor) but Acosta painted their terror and frustration in such a way that it was too compelling to look away.
Overall an exciting read that could benefit from an editor.
Tamed Lightning follows two siblings as they both experience strange phenomena (vivid flashbacks and terrifying nightmares), but the story really gets going when their little brother is kidnapped, leaving them grasping at straws as they realize there is more going on in their lives then they could ever have imagined.
Acosta has built a Mara Dyer style stage that leaves the reader wondering who to trust -- because even the narrators aren't entirely reliable. The pacing is great; the story bumps along between the two siblings as they try to live their lives in the midst of their increasing paranoia and strange happenings. The isolation created by the parents' going on vacation enhances the creepiness as they throw a crazy high school party and then question themselves and each other.
The biggest problem I had with the story is that it is 90% telling and 10% showing. I'm told over and over that Audrey is a flake and doesn't like her parents but I never see them arguing. There are a lot of non sequiturs throughout; such as halfway through Audrey's best friend asks her if she believes in God and they fight but it doesn't enhance the plot. It felt like a lot of half ideas that should have been cut ended up getting left in. The book needs a heave dose of editing; there were some typos and at one point a sentence was cut off in the middle. Bentley is five but mathematically he should be seven if he was born when Audrey was nine. They are small things that add up to a big distraction, but this story would be really great if it could be sharpened at the edges.
The most impressive thing to me was that, even though I hated the characters, Acosta made me care about what happened to them. This is a rare feat; I often drop books if I don't like the characters. Audrey is venomous, spoiled, indecisive, and Kennedy is the most maddeningly stereotypical high school douche bag (and don't even get me started on their weird friends and the creepy guidance counselor) but Acosta painted their terror and frustration in such a way that it was too compelling to look away.
Overall an exciting read that could benefit from an editor.
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It's so rare to find a young adult book that I loved at sixteen that is also still read-able at thirty-three, but this one managed it. All the characters are nauseatingly precocious for their age, but the cynicism and emotional drama are ageless.
