![Book review: Here and gone]()
review, Thriller |
I like jumping into the books without reading much about them. I try not to read the blurb before I pick a book up if I can help it. I did read the plot summary on its blurb before I received this book for a review, a while ago but had completely forgotten what I had read. So I dove directly into the book without an idea what to expect. How did that end up for me? Read more to know.Book Name: Here and Gone
Author: Haylen Beck
Characters: Audrey, Danny, Sean, Louise, Sheriff Whiteside, Deputy Sheriff Collins
Setting: The USA
Disclaimer: Thanks to the Author, Netgalley and Blogging for Books for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Audrey is running away from her terrible past with her children. She is not hiding from the law technically but was she? When she is stopped by the cops on her way to San Deigo, does not realize her life was going to turn for worse. She knows the cops took her children while she was arrested on a fake charge of possession of Marijuana, but who is going to believe her? It is her words against the County Sheriff’s, and her ex-husband’s attempts to discredit her does not help her case. A former addict, single mother with no one turn to, one who is running away from Child Protection Services. It doesn’t take long for the media to turn her into the villain – child murderer. Does she get her kids back? Who could help her out?
I have a solid woman crush on Mrs. Gerber. I could picture her smoking from the top of her stairs looking down at her husband’s body like a badass, just moments after pushing him down to his death. I wish I could have felt this close to Danny or Audrey, but I am not complaining. Dark web and their conversations were flimsy and disappointing. Thankfully their parts were kept brief, lest it might have been bizarre and too clichéd.
Rarely thrillers sustain the pace they begin with. Here and gone does a great job at maintaining it till the very end, even after we got to know what had happened to the kids. Even if at times when we get the gnawing feeling that it is one of those stories that has been retold countless times, we stick glued to the book, and that is the power of crisp and straight forward narration. There are no unnecessary twists and turns that could have made false promises to the reader.Here and Gone does justice to the plot and genre. I can recommend this book if you are looking for a fast paced thriller that might keep you occupied for an hour or two.
Paranormal, review |
I once got caught red handed by my Science teacher in my fourth grade for reading Archie’s while she was teaching. (Yea I live on the edge like that.) A friend had brought her book for me to read and I wanted to finish it before the evening. No wonder I stood without feeling guilty and in fact I was proudly standing when she called out me.
Now that I think about it, I realize she didn’t scold or punish me; she just forbade me from reading during class hours. Thanks to teachers like her, my love for reading has not burnt or faded out, like everything else in my life.
You know what, I still am the same, I love Archie’s and I don’t stop reading even when I am reprimanded or scorned upon. Yet, I can’t think of the last time I picked a book and couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Thanks to ‘The Devil’s Prayer‘ by Luke Gracias, I stayed awake up to the wee hours to complete this one.What makes a novel un-put-down-able?
Is it the fast-paced and well-knotted plot? Characters that you can relate to or intrigue you? Or crisp and engaging narration and language? Or just the fact that it has the name of an author that you like? Well, I can not hold it anymore. This book has it all, erm, except the last one. I hadn’t heard of Luke Gracias before I picked the book and now I can’t wait for the sequel. Says much about the book and his writing, read on to know more.
Book Name: The Devil’s Prayer
Author: Luke Gracias
Genre: Fiction – Historical Thriller
Characters: Siobhan, Denise, Jess
Setting: Brisbane, Australia
Disclaimer: Thanks to the Author, Netgalley and Writer’s Melon for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins with Sister Benedictine’s suicide leaving a group of monks on a trail in Spain. Siobhan watches the story on the television to realize that it was her mother who went missing six years ago.
She begins her journey to the isolated convent her mother seemed to have belonged to in a quest to search answers for her questions. She is tailed by the mysterious monks when she finds her mother’s confession and a mysterious key.
What she learns leaves her confused about her mother’s sanity and makes her start doubting her loyalty to her family. Whom would you choose to believe and trust – your mother who abandoned you six years ago or the person whom you have loved and protected until that moment?
The book takes us through two parallel stories from different realms, her mother’s story leading to the suicide and the daughter who is trying to solve the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance and the subsequent public death.
Denise’s story and her deal with the Devil had me engrossed and sleep defied me until I completed it. Of course, as always I rooted for the so called bad guy, the Devil and was waiting for him to get his share back. There are some graphic scenes of violence, so a word of caution for the faint hearted.
I loved that Lucas’s storyline never dropped its momentum anywhere in the story. But I did find a difference in the writing between Denise’s and Siobhan’s stories, may be it was intentional – or not. The ending seemed to be a little bit hastened and cluttered though that did not affect the reading experience much. I repeat, I can’t wait for the sequel. Even though the book did not leave a cliffhanger, there are too many answered questions.
Do you remember the frenzy that the number ‘666’ created when the Omen came out, or the Mona Lisa garnered with the release of ‘ The Da Vinci Code’ and somehow everyone wanted a piece of Da Vinci’s history? That is how I felt about Genghis Khan and the solar eclipses.
You might find the plots to be quite similar, an untimely death, followed by a family member frantically trying to make something sense out of the death and unraveling of the mysteries related to the religious cults supported by history and fiction. It is the execution that makes all the difference.
If you like historical fiction/thriller, grab The Devil’s Prayer already.
![Book review: Here and gone]()
Drama, review |
I have promised myself to try out new authors and try not to be a book snob, as hard as I can. When I saw the book on Netgalley I was so drawn to the cover and decided that I have to get / read My DisOrganised Life. I have never read any of the author’s books but read the first line again – yup I am treating myself (hopefully) by reaching out to new horizons.
Book Name: My DisOrganised Life
Author: Nina Whyle
Genre: Fiction – Drama
Characters: Eve Poots, Jake Richards Luce, Chuck, Adam
Setting: The UK
Disclaimer: Thanks to the Author and Netgalley for the Advance Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
Eve Poots has had her moments of shame on Youtube thanks to Tequila and an ill timed confrontation with her cheating and rude Ex and her loyal friend Luce and Nell, her sister help her through. But that was six months ago and she is trying to put them all behind her.
She works as an assistant at a TV channel and lives with her boyfriend Adam who is a junior doctor. She loves her job, in spite of repeated sexist attempts to put her down by Brian, and works hard to be Producer some day. She is an avid list maker and no thanks to her uptight religious parents and her brought up, Eve ends up being a shy, prissy and easy target for embarrassments.
When one of the contestants is disqualified from the Wedding Wipe-out the reality show that her TV channel is producing, Brian puts Adam and her name to fill in. One thing leads to another and Adam breaks up with her on camera in front of her colleagues. She is also attracted to her director Jake who finds her amusing.
What ensues is a series of hilarious incidents that happen in the shooting sets and her visits to her therapist Gudrun. The story follows her life till the end of the show shoot, when she finally stands up for herself defending from Adam and Brian and finds the man of her dreams.
My DisOrganised Life is written from a single point of view, Eve’s and seems like a long monologue. The writing is crisp and witty, at most places, making the read interesting, even if the scenes are somewhat cliched. There are many funny instances in the book, especially her talk with Gudrun and the very many tongue in cheek sexual innuendos. I like the prude, list making, in-the-closet-atheist Eve, even when there were times when I cringed at her ‘innocent'(?) thoughts (assumptions?) about Adam.
On the other hand, I felt that the story is one dimensional and did not feel the depth of any character, making it hard to like them. I had several questions unanswered. What was happening between Chuck and Luce? What was Jake thinking? Who won the contest? At one point of time, I felt Eve was just being so self obsessed that she never once enquired about Luce’s relationship (Yes I know. I imagine the characters and their emotions are real). There were many British pop culture references that I had to Google to understand (or could have ignored them.. ermm.. you know me) but they worked in most places.
My DisOrganised Life is a light-hearted breezy novel with witty and snarky dialogues, I will look forward to reading further more from the author.
![Book review: Here and gone]()
Drama, review |
What would you do when nothing goes right in your life? What would you to keep your finance trouble at bay? No, I am not talking about my own life, but the life of Ella from the book I am Ella. Buy Me.
Book: I am Ella. Buy Me
Author: Joan Ellis
Genre: Fiction – Historical, Drama
Main Characters: Ella David , Peter Richards, Tom Tyler, Adam Hart, Jan
Setting: 1980s, The UK
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publicist free of cost in return for an honest review.
I am Ella. Buy Me is set in the 80s in which Ella struggles against the inequality between men and women in the advertising world.
Ella is a copywriter in the mad Adland, who is determined to fight her way among her lecherous boss Peter Richards, too cool and handsome Alan, schmoozing Josh and other weirdos at work and keep her and her mother away from evictions. And her reckless sarcastic behavior doesn’t help either. Her boss is horrible and often passing her ideas as his own. Her only solace seems to be eating cake at the right and new places, with her best friend Adam, and the company of Wally their watchman.
She is almost fired and exactly at the time of dire need Tom arrives in her life. He is gorgeous, funny, lightens up her world and is in love with her. He even writes a song for her and offers to move in with her and share her mortgages. Does being with Tom gives her what she needs in her life? Does her office life every get better? You have to go through Ella’s life to know more from I am Ella. Buy Me
I loved that anyone who had(s) a horrible boss could resonate with Ella and her getting caught up into one mess after another would hit quite close to home to few (me included). She wants to better herself but ill luck seems to follow her. But the happy ending was quite expected and appreciated – she deserves it.
The setting did remind me of ‘Mad Men’ with Ella as Peggy and Jill as Joan. Ella as the one who has it to fight up the corporate ladder while Jill knows to give in and get what she wants, as in take up what she deserves. Jill actually grew up after a while on me.
But why 3 stars only? I couldn’t love Ella, though I could justify her actions with reasons of my own but still.. I could not see the integrity and strength that Ella is supposedly portraying. I tried to see her strength but failed.
I also wish I had seen more of Adam for he was the most like-able character in the novel and the part about his relationship with Jan was too short to understand how they survived so long and why they did break up. Maybe I am asking too much. But I simply didn’t get enough of Adam.
I liked the writing style and I would look forward to reading more from the writer. You should pick this book if you like period novels with corporate background.
Do you like books that have too many unlikable characters? What makes you continue the reading the book?
I like jumping into the books without reading much about them. I try not to read the blurb before I pick a book up if I can help it. I did read the plot summary on its blurb before I received this book for a review, a while ago but had completely forgotten what I had read. So I dove directly into the book without an idea what to expect. How did that end up for me? Read more to know.