Review: The Vicomte de Bragelonne

The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In case I haven't made myself perfectly clear, I am 10000% obsessed with this series.

The Musketeers are officially my bros, and when I read about them I imagine them as friends, which means I feel their experiences that much more significantly. I laugh out loud, I grin, I gasp, I tear up, I bite my lip and I'm pretty sure if I had a mustache I would twist it. This series gives me a very serious case of feelings.

I feel sad when I think of how many people never make it this far into the series. Granted, we're getting pretty political now, and there's a lot about the animosity between Focquet and Colbert, and bits and pieces about the governing of France and her relations, so it can be a little more tedious in spots. The Musketeers are divided, and Porthos and Aramis don't even make an appearance until well over halfway through. This book borrows Raoul's title, but he's not a major player, but one can clearly see he personifies a combination of our four favourite heroes so there's a strong desire for more of him.

But there is so much fun to be had within these 650 pages. This book begins with one of d'Artagnan's famous schemes, and it makes me laugh so hard. It's so ridiculous, and I love it the more for that. Athos is still a noble example that counteracts d'Artagnan's impulsiveness, and I love that this friendship is still going strong. My heart pounds harder every time some of the friends are united, and the appearance of Porthos at his time made me want to hug him myself. He's not given nearly enough credit, and every time I read the series I love him more. Aramis is still a cunning fox and I'm saddened every time they lie to one another, even though they still support their friendship. The younger generation that's slowly leaking into the story are actually a lot of fun, and I rather enjoy the relationship between Raoul and the Comte de Guiche. You can feel the tone of the story moving into the new friendships that are being born, so there are new dynamics to play with.

There's no real villain in this story - Mazarin the Miser is less threatening, and Colbert is not yet important enough to be evil, though he's well on his way. The King is still finding his footing, and there are others who have malicious intentions that are easily put down by one of our growing list of heroes.

So to sum up, this book contains a lot more politics, and French history. There are a lot of new names to remember (and this handy edition has a breakdown of characters at the back) but there are still some fun musketeer adventures and daring deeds.

This specific edition, though, includes a lot of notes which bothered me a bit. I didn't think it was necessary to add a note for everything that referred to something from a previous book. We all remember what went down with Milady, yo.

I hope more people get around to reading the entire series, because you've really gotta read how d'Artagnan decides to get rid of Monk. It's my favourite part of the whole book and it's hilarious.


***
Original Review 13/11/13

I love D'Artagnan and his crazy adventures! Some classics, you have to wade through the descriptive literature to find the threads of a story- with the work of Dumas, this is rarely the case. The story is so colourful that the language simply adds a greater depth and poetry that enhances, rather than hinders, the work. The story itself has as much intrigue as the previous Musketeers novels, though the absence of two of the four is sorely missed for a good portion of the book. There's a fair bit of travel but that's nothing unusual, and D'Artagnan is as charming as ever, despite the fact he's getting on in years. Bit of a weird spot to end Part I, but I will be keen to get into the next part!

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Review: The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue

The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by Anonymous
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had misgivings to start with because there's a whole bunch of hard-to-pronounce names (unless you're from that geographical region, I imagine) and sons- and fathers-of which is pretty hard to keep track of. But once our G starts out on his overseas adventure, it's actually a fun tale.

At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the guy. He seems a bit arrogant, but at the same time I liked that he was unafraid to go after what he wanted. I'm not entirely sure why he pissed off the first king but then was friendly with the ones who came after? But I liked that he made friends - it makes him more likable because suddenly other people like him, too.

So basically if you can figure out (or happily ignore) all the names except for the handful of important ones, this is a fun little adventure story. Kinda strange, and full of random, short poems, but I liked it.

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Review: The Twelve

The Twelve by Justin Cronin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Prepare to suspend all disbelief because this book makes no sense.

What a disappointing follow-up to the first book!

This one starts back at square one with a different cast of characters, and I can see why people recommend reading this pretty soon after the first because it really is hard to keep track of all the names. I even found that towards the end of the book I was forgetting who some people were - the scale is just far too grand and the storyline too chaotic to allow for perfect comprehension.

By this stage, I'm not really attached to any of the characters, and I'm pretty over the whole zombie vibe. This book pauses to make more of a comment on political climate in times of catastrophe and it was so dull for me. Granted, there's far more violence in this book than the previous, but there's also a lot more talking about how the world currently finds order among the chaos and it just felt a little too satirical for me. The government is the Big Bad, which just shows the drastic turn this series has taken - a series in which monsters are supposed to be taking over the world, and we're focused on how evil humankind is. So not my jam.

I enjoyed the initial re-introduction to Lila and to Grey, but it seemed to ridiculous and highly coincidental and that's kind of the way everything went from then on. People miraculously surviving things while others - big players from the first book - were killed off in a sentence, making it obvious their presence in this novel was a nuisance to the author. There are way too many characters to keep track of, and everyone is spread around, leading to multiple viewpoints that change so fast it's hard to really get into the flow of things.

So, to break it down, here's a quick pros/cons list:

Pros:
More violence
More details of original outbreak
More Carter

Cons:
More political
Too many characters
Constantly changing viewpoints
Too much coincidence
Confusing or entirely absent explanations
Characters inspire little empathy
Repetitive

I'm also so incredibly confused as to what's the deal with both Wolgast and Carter. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

So yeah, overall it was a disappointing follow-up, but I've heard the third one is better so I'm looking forward to wrapping up this depressing apocalypse.


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Review: The Power Is Within You

The Power Is Within You by Louise L. Hay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is basically a simplistic version of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind so I rather enjoyed it!

The premise itself is simple: Change your thoughts, and you can change your life.

It's about not seeing yourself as a victim but learning from every experience, whether good or bad.

It promotes gratitude, and the notion that what you put out into the universe comes back to you in kind, often magnified. So if you treat people like crap, guess how you're going to be treated?

I love this idea that our thoughts are the driving force behind what happens in our lives, and I work actively to alter mine every day. It's not about not having bad thoughts, but being able to recognise and alter them. You don't have to be perfect, you just have to want to be better.

One thing I noticed, though, is that this book assumes a lot about the reader, which I can see has been influenced by the author's own circumstances. The book seems to be aimed at an older readership - 50+ I would say. It does cover how to nurture children (skimmed it) but for the most part it seems to target that older readership.

It also seems to assume that every reader had a troubled childhood, with horrible parents. I found it really difficult because my childhood was actually pretty good, and my parents have been such incredibly supportive, loving role models. I've certainly overcome obstacles in my life, but I like to think I can still be a better person without having to overcome a dark past.

Overall, a really easy guide on how to begin changing your thoughts, and the benefits this behaviour will have on your life. Just be aware you may have to take some of it with a grain of salt.

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Just (Part 3)

He was not like the other boys.

Instead of running around kicking balls at lunchtime, he much preferred to sit in a corner and read.

That was okay.

His closest friend was a girl—some of the other boys teased him for that, but she liked all the same things he did, and they had a lot of fun together. The other boys just didn’t understand their friendship.

That was okay, too.

He enjoyed school; he loved learning new things, and always did well when he enjoyed the subject. Sometimes his mind drifted off and he was distracted by little things—a fly on the wall, a cobweb in the corner; that single spot on the whiteboard that the teacher had failed to erase. Sometimes the teachers noticed his distraction, and sometimes they didn’t. He liked the kind ones, who coaxed him back to the real world gently. Some of them made fun of him having ‘drifted off to outer space’ again; that was okay. He let the words wash over him. He was just someone who disappeared inside of his head, instead of whispering to his peers. That was all.

He talked plenty to his best friend, though. He told her about how he liked to imagine a better world, where everyone knew it was okay to be different. That sometimes he felt sad about how mean people were to one another because, really, they actually weren’t so different after all.

In turn, she confided in him: she felt sad sometimes for no reason at all. She would just be sitting at her desk, trying to learn about the anatomical properties of Hydrogen or the population of China and suddenly she’d be overcome by how meaningless everything was. She confessed that some days she didn’t even want to get out of bed. She was certain there was something wrong with her, and threw out words like ‘freak’ and ‘psycho’.

He understood, though. An idea formed in his mind.

A man soon came to their school to give a talk on depression—this man was the boy’s father. He was a psychologist who helped people with mental illnesses.

He spoke about what it felt like to be sad all the time, and how depression leaked into daily life unexpectedly. How it made you feel like you were different to everyone else, like that was a bad thing. But it wasn’t really – the world was full of different people, and that was just as it should be. Not only that, depression was actually pretty common: for every eight boys in the room, one would experience it. One in six, for the girls.

The boy saw his friend’s eyes glimmer with tears, and he grasped her hand and whispered, ‘it’s okay. You’re going to be okay.’ His father, at the front, continued to speak.

He began to tell them a story.

Once, there had been a man with a deep sadness in his heart.

He had a job he loved, a wife he adored; even a dog.

Still, he was sad.

As the man spoke, the boy felt his own tears prickle, and his heart swelled with pride. He’d heard this story many times. It was a story of sadness, and a man too afraid of being different to realise that he needed help. It was a story of tragedy, of fear, and of darkness.

But it was also a story of light, and freedom.

At the end, the man rolled up his sleeves to bare his arms. They all saw the thick scars traced there, so at odds with the smile on the man’s face. Was it truly possible this was the same man from the story?

The boy looked at his friend again, whose tears now coursed freely down her cheeks, and he repeated his words with a knowing smile.

‘You’re going to be okay.’

FIN

The Fall of Icarus (Taken from The Metamorphoses by Ovid)

Find it here: https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/Metamorph8.php#anchor_Toc64106497

Bk VIII:183-235 Daedalus and Icarus

Meanwhile Daedalus, hating Crete, and his long exile, and filled with a desire to stand on his native soil, was imprisoned by the waves. ‘He may thwart our escape by land or sea’ he said ‘but the sky is surely open to us: we will go that way: Minos rules everything but he does not rule the heavens’. So saying he applied his thought to new invention and altered the natural order of things. He laid down lines of feathers, beginning with the smallest, following shorter with longer ones, so you might think they had grown like that, on a slant. In this way, long ago, the rustic pan-pipes were graduated, with lengthening reeds. Then he fastened them together with thread at the middle, and bees’-wax at the base, and, when he had arranged them, he flexed each one into a gentle curve, so that they imitated real bird’s wings. His son, Icarus, stood next to him, and, not realising that he was handling things that would endanger him, caught laughingly at the down that blew in the passing breeze, and softened the yellow bees’-wax with his thumb, and, in his play, hindered his father’s marvellous work.

When he had put the last touches to what he had begun, the artificer balanced his own body between the two wings and hovered in the moving air. He instructed the boy as well, saying ‘Let me warn you, Icarus, to take the middle way, in case the moisture weighs down your wings, if you fly too low, or if you go too high, the sun scorches them. Travel between the extremes. And I order you not to aim towards Bootes, the Herdsman, or Helice, the Great Bear, or towards the drawn sword of Orion: take the course I show you!’ At the same time as he laid down the rules of flight, he fitted the newly created wings on the boy’s shoulders. While he worked and issued his warnings the ageing man’s cheeks were wet with tears: the father’s hands trembled.

He gave a never to be repeated kiss to his son, and lifting upwards on his wings, flew ahead, anxious for his companion, like a bird, leading her fledglings out of a nest above, into the empty air. He urged the boy to follow, and showed him the dangerous art of flying, moving his own wings, and then looking back at his son. Some angler catching fish with a quivering rod, or a shepherd leaning on his crook, or a ploughman resting on the handles of his plough, saw them, perhaps, and stood there amazed, believing them to be gods able to travel the sky.

And now Samos, sacred to Juno, lay ahead to the left (Delos and Paros were behind them), Lebinthos, and Calymne, rich in honey, to the right, when the boy began to delight in his daring flight, and abandoning his guide, drawn by desire for the heavens, soared higher. His nearness to the devouring sun softened the fragrant wax that held the wings: and the wax melted: he flailed with bare arms, but losing his oar-like wings, could not ride the air. Even as his mouth was crying his father’s name, it vanished into the dark blue sea, the Icarian Sea, called after him. The unhappy father, now no longer a father, shouted ‘Icarus, Icarus where are you? Which way should I look, to see you?’ ‘Icarus’ he called again. Then he caught sight of the feathers on the waves, and cursed his inventions. He laid the body to rest, in a tomb, and the island was named Icaria after his buried child.

Just (Part 2)

She had so many regrets.

The decline was subtle, certainly, but as his wife she should have seen it.

Perhaps she had, only her naivety had persuaded her that if her joy overflowed enough it would penetrate the shell that had begun to surround him. She would balance his darkness with her light.

What an idiot she’d been.

Every effort she’d made to understand him had failed—how could she possibly comprehend his pain when she knew nothing of it herself?

She’d thought their love for one another was strong enough to sustain them through the gloom; that if she stayed by his side, nurturing him throughout the long days spent in bed, holding him when he cried, reassuring him that she thought no less of him because of his tears—that all of that would be enough to help him step forward into the sunshine.

Just sadness, indeed.

Sadness had utterly consumed him, and he was so afraid of being judged that he’d kept it to himself, refusing to discuss it with anyone, refusing to admit that he needed more than her eternal sunshine to help rekindle his light.

You proud old fool, she thought miserably.

The same friends who had once offered advice now offered condolences, but they rang hollow in her ears. She wanted to rage at them for their lack of comprehension, and beat them with her fists screaming, ‘You did this!’ because that was the truth, after all, wasn’t it? That it was their misunderstanding and judgement that he had feared so greatly that had driven him to desperate measures?

That wasn’t fair though, she knew, and her rage at his oblivious friends was a mask for the guilt she felt over not realising how badly he was hurting.

She should have noticed. She should have spent more time with him. She should have sought help on his behalf. So many things she blamed herself for; so many things she wished she’d done differently.

She wished she’d told him.

Now she stroked her rounding stomach and wondered. If he’d known before, would it have made a difference? The child would carry his name, she decided. Sure, they hadn’t planned to have children so soon, but when she got the results back she’d been overjoyed; thought perhaps this was divine intervention.

Fate had intervened before she could share the news, however.

Every time she closed her eyes she saw again the blood; so much of it, pooling around him as he slumped against the bathtub, a razor in his limp hands. His eyes still open, gazing down at the destruction he’d caused.

‘I just wanted to cut out the darkness,’ he’d whispered in delirium as she’d frantically pressed a towel to his wounds with one hand and fumbled for her phone with the other, ‘I think I cut too deep.’

***

Review: Beneath the Mother Tree

Beneath the Mother Tree by D.M. Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is brimming with Mother Nature and her creations; overflowing with love and respect for the natural world.

It also comes with a healthy side of imagination and fantasy.

LOVED IT.

Ayla lives on a small island, immersed in nature and her Grappa's stories - Irish folk tales passed down to him by his own grandmother. Ayla knows she's too old to believe in his tales of faeries and tree-folk any more, but part of her won't let them go.

A mother and son arrive on the island, bringing their baggage with them. Riley is still hurting from the loss of his step-father, David, and his relationship with his mosquito-obsessed mother is strained. Marlise is afraid that if Riley discovers her secret, she'll lose him.

Grappa may be a drunk, but he knows the stories are true, and he's convinced Far Dorocha - dark servant to the Faery Queen - is after his Ayla. He'll stop at nothing to protect her.

This compelling tale is part romance, part mystery. As Ayla and Riley inevitably get to know one another, the reader is also trying to puzzle out the full extent of Marlise's secret. There's also that question of whether the novel intends to stray into the realm of fantasy, or whether the fantasy is simply left to stem from inference and the imagination of the reader.

The island has a very real presence; the writing is beautifully crafted to create a unique character from its setting, with its own history. The ever-present mosquitoes aid the contrast of sandy beaches and boggy wetland, and the island's inhabitants are typical small-towners.

I really enjoyed the atypical relationships. Marlise clearly has a few screws loose, but at times I still felt sorry for the way she was so afraid of losing Riley. A mother's love is a powerful thing. Grappa frustrated me with his determination to blame everything on signs and myths etc. but it makes him such a wonderful character, and his stubborn faith is really admirable. Ayla admits she's not like others her age, and the relationship with Riley blossoms slowly and timidly, which made it much more believable and far more endearing than the insta-love that ruins so many other novels. I often felt the urge to slap at non-existent mosquitoes, so powerful was their presence.

This is a tangled story of faith, love and nature. I found it instantly compelling, and its clever blend of mystery, myth and romance means this novel has something for most readers. Beautifully written and absolutely captivating. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author for my ARC.

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Review: Summer

Summer by Edith Wharton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

WHAT THE FRENCH FRIES.

THIS STORY IS TERRIBLE.

Charity is instantly unlikable, but I began to appreciate her straightforwardness and ballsiness.

She's lazy and selfish, though, and speaks terribly to people.

She's also totally naive.

Harney is a classic, predictable charmer and I kinda instantly disliked him because of where I assumed this was gonna go. I liked that he cared about the books, though. Respect, brother.

Royall is repulsive and I was so disgusted by his hitting on the girl he basically raised as his daughter. Like, I know things were different in the 'olden days' but damn, this was way too weird for me to be okay with it.

This story has some serious issues and I am so disturbed by it.

The writing was pretty in places, though, and conveys a very clear picture of summer in a small town. I'll admit it: the writing is actually okay. Predictable in places, but I tell ya what: I did NOT see myself being so disturbed by this book. The repulsion I feel after reading it suggests its actually a pretty decent slice of writing.

Plot though: minus a billion stars.

If you like classics that are totally messed up, by all means, go for it.

What a freaking mess.

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Just (Part 1)

A deep sadness filled his heart.

There was no warning, no precursor, no trigger.

No impending doom, or premonition of things going wrong.

He had friends, a loving family; even a dog who grinned stupidly every time he came home.

The job was one he loved—carving things from raw wood, shaping them into everyday functional items: chairs, tables, cabinets. He loved crafting things with his calloused hands, injecting them with their own spirit, wondering what sort of life lay in store for these products of his love. He found great pleasure in simply running his hands along smoothed wood, caressing the grain as tender as any lover. Applying the final coat of varnish with long, careful strokes. His work was his pride and joy; his workshop a haven.

Still, a deep sadness filled his heart.

He was blessed to have a loving wife—his true soulmate. It was a cliché, but she completed him. A source of constant positivity and joy, she encouraged his art and it had been thanks to her unyielding support that he had been able to make a career from his passion. She was kind, compassionate, fun and daring. She coaxed him constantly from his shell, and he loved her infinitely for it.

Nevertheless, a deep sadness filled his heart.

There were no children yet, but he was thankful. Three years was too short a time to properly languish in one another’s company, and he knew his wife felt the same. They were so caught up in loving one another that there really was no room to spare in his heart for children.

And yet …

This hollow feeling, this emptiness, this darkness that reared its ugly head constantly was reminder enough that his heart was divided. After all, how could he be so consumed by love for his wife and still feel this ever-present sadness?

He’d seen a doctor, of course. Back when he’d first spent a week in bed, unwilling to find the motivation to get up, let alone go to work. It had frightened him, this invasion of an emotion so ridiculous, so unexplained, so ruthless. What did he have to feel sad about? Why did it leach from his heart to consume his entire body so thoroughly? Why should he be unable to feel anything but this unjustified sadness?

The doctor told him to exercise more, and eat right. To call a certain number ‘if things get really bad’. He threw the phone number away and decided he’d have more luck cheering himself up if he just thought it through logically.

No matter how he worked through the problem in his mind, though, trying to explain this unfounded emotion, he could find no solution. Ultimately, it seemed to be just a hiccup in his otherwise perfect life: sometimes he was sad.

Once, he’d tried to explain it to a friend. The way it permeated his entire being, until he was paralysed into inactivity, his thoughts consumed by a sadness that had no foundation. His friend had appeared puzzled.

‘Why don’t you just do something that makes you happy then? Or think about something good?’

His friend, he realised belatedly, could never comprehend the magnitude of what he was feeling, until that friend had experienced it himself.

After that, he never bothered trying to explain it to anyone. He moulded his face into an expression of contentment, and henceforward he alternated between his two faces: the one he wore in public, and the one which revealed his true anguish only when he was alone.

There were pills he could take, of course, and home remedies suggested by insightful friends that meant well. Therapy was always an option, but how would talking about things help when no one truly understood the depth of his ailment?

After all, it was just sadness, wasn’t it?

His mind suggested alternatives, too: ropes, pills, high buildings and veins that could be emptied of the darkness coursing through him. His reaction to these perverted thoughts was twofold: a thrill at the idea of being free, then an immediate revulsion that he might so easily be swayed.

He’d heard stories, of course. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know the word depression, and understand it was the reason people blew their brains out or took a dive over the rail. Maybe he thought about those things from time to time, but he wasn’t like those others. He wasn’t mentally ill. 

He was just sad. He intended to live, which meant he was not the same as those others that people felt sorry for, and spoke about in hushed tones.

He was perfectly normal.

A deep sadness just filled his heart sometimes. That was all.

***

Review: The Man Who Outshone The Sun King: Ambition, Triumph and Treachery in the Reign of Louis XIV

The Man Who Outshone The Sun King: Ambition, Triumph and Treachery in the Reign of Louis XIV by Charles Drazin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

DISCLAIMER: I am obsessed with anything to do with The Three Musketeers so this was an automatic must-read for me.

Happily, I enjoyed every second of it.

I've never been big on history, but my musketeer obsession has led to a fascination of French history from that era, and when I spotted this book at Versailles on my recent trip to France (excuse the humble brag about my trip-of-a-lifetime, please) I knew I had to read it.

Foucquet, as Superintendent of Finances, had a role I never properly understood from the fictionalised account in The Man in the Iron Mask. This book tells his story: beginning at a dramatic middle point, then returning to his beginnings to explore his rise to power and subsequent downfall.

Drazin speaks the truth with no embellishment, and the book is clearly well-researched as it includes meticulous detail and some fascinating quotes. This is a fantastic story simply because the story itself is fascinating - the author is just the conduit to having this extraordinary life properly examined.

In general, I hate politics, but when the corruption is such a standard practice it makes for entertaining reading. Also interesting that the Sun King barely features, thanks to the overbearing presence of Cardinal Mazarin, until the latter half of Nicolas's story. Then when he appears he does so in full force. At one point I was thinking Foucquet was maybe a little bit guilty but then reading about the injustices he suffered really made my blood boil. It seems like such a tragic tale, but a brilliant insight into how justice was served in 17th century France.

I actually really admire the way Foucquet handled his incarceration, and even his reaction to the rumours that the king was plotting against him. I get the impression he had very strong moral fibre, and a healthy respect for faith and fate. He still had his flaws, and this account doesn't shy away from those, but at heart it seems he was a good man.

For those interested in a small piece of French history, I highly recommend this book. Don't be too sucked in by the blurb, as d'Artagnan and the MITIM don't actually appear until quite late in the book, but give it a go if you like those stories because reading the history behind Dumas's work is truly fascinating.

Also, d'Artagnan is most definitely in it and he is a real person and he's actually a total sweetheart and this makes me so so so incredibly happy because this is non-fiction, yo, and means my fictional book bf was once a living, breathing, human being. <3

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Review: The Passage

The Passage by Justin Cronin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this is the fastest I've ever read 900+ pages.

I mean, this is a mammoth book. Of the type affectionately referred to as 'doorstop books'. But it also covers a long passage of time (see what I did there) so it works.

Now, first I have to say that the less you know before you read it, the better. I would recommend you steer clear of reviews and synopses and just let the story unfold by itself. Much more interesting that way, and I really enjoyed the way the story was told. If you intend to ignore this advice, please read on. :)

Plot: Basically, there's a science experiment that goes horribly wrong and starts the apocalypse. It's hard to really talk about the plot without giving away too much but I think it's no spoiler to say that it's split between now and after. There are some really interesting characters and we get several viewpoints to make things interesting, and through each individual story is woven that of Amy, who is a Really Big Deal. It's interesting to read about how people deal with this collapse of society, and what sort of lives rise from the ashes.

At the same time, I kinda hate that element. This had all the stuff I hate about zombie books. Small bands of survivors scurrying around just trying to survive in the ghost of the World That Was. I don't know why this one was so much more interesting for me. There were still moments that seemed straight out of a zombie film but I guess I liked the characters enough to forgive this. Also how they relate to one another when there are so few of them is quite interesting. Some of the colony stuff was a bit slow for my liking but I still got through it fast enough.

Reality is, a book this long is not going to be non-stop action. But a lot of this story is the 'what would you do?' factor so there are a lot of moral questions and there's plenty of curiosity raised just by human behaviour. The different environments, different actions and emotions, different outcomes. Plenty to sink your teeth into. (see what I did there, too.)

If someone had told me the gist of this book, I probably never would have read it. So I'm really glad I went into it relatively ignorant. This book gives plenty of info but I still have so many questions so I'll be moving on to the next one asap!

Now, for those who have read it, here's some spoilery thoughts:
(view spoiler)[

1. Super curious about what Amy was before she got injected. Coz the animals already knew 'what she was' at the zoo, but like, I don't? I thought maybe she'd already been vamped one night while mum was out. Looking forward to an explanation!

2. Sad for the lack of Carter after everything goes up in smoke. I hope he gets a starring role later.

3. Books that kill dogs are THE WORST.

4. Nearly lost it when Lacey turned up again and then it switched to Sarah's viewpoint. So did NOT care about Sancho dying.

5. Had an 'awwww' moment over the backpack and the Peter thing, though.

6. I kinda didn't get Amy saying goodbye to Wolgast? Like, he was a ghost that was stalking her? But why? And how? That bit was too confusing.

7. Kinda wish the vampires were more like vampires and less like mindless zombies. If you're gonna combine two classic horror baddies, I'd much rather see werewolves.

8. So curious about Bolivia.

9. The whole 'fat lady dream' thing did nothing for me. Like, I got it, but it was tiring and repetitive and I'm super glad that he got blown up.

10. (It seemed incomplete to not have a tenth point here.)
(hide spoiler)]

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Review: The Dry

The Dry by Jane Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A brilliantly written Australian crime novel, The Dry will keep you guessing the entire way through.

We're immediately transported to the titular Dry, a drought-stricken country town called Kiewarra, where everyone is reeling from what appears on the surface to be a double murder-suicide. As always, however, things are not as they seem, and the alleged murderer's childhood friend, Falk, lingers in town after the funeral to determine what really happened.

The drought is severe, and Harper never lets you forget it. The setting is well sketched, particular for those who can relate to visiting a town such as this. We're given a clear picture coloured in browns and yellows, with air conditioners cranked, scorching winds and persistent sweating, all surrounded by the iconic swarms of flies. It's a familiar image to anyone who's experienced a trying Australian summer, intensified by the harsh reality of a town at the mercy of the weather. The heat is a driving force behind tempers and action, and adds an element of horror that works particularly well due to its inability to be affected. The drought seeps into every page, kicking up images of red dust and dried grass, bringing to life an unseen character in The Dry.

I'm often frustrated by Australian fiction because of the stereotypes but this novel cleverly crafts a typical outback town inhabited by likely characters who react just as you'd expect them to, with wildcards and twists thrown in the mix to make it a riveting story. There's plenty of Australian slang, but it's never over-used or cringe-worthy—it's the typical language of the country Australian. Every character detail is believable, and easy to imagine: they are stereotypes for a reason. Falk is fantastic as the city slicker jaded by his former country bumpkin lifestyle. Raco makes a superb partner as an idealist not afraid to get his hands dirty or ruffle a few feathers. The rest of the cast are unique, but familiar, making them easy to picture and so become involved in their lives. Harper transports the reader to this ruptured country town and demands you face all of its problems. It’s confronting, and that is one of the greatest strengths of the novel.

Falk’s initial reluctance to stay in town slowly descending further into unravelling the mystery very much mirrors the reader’s curiosity, as dropped clues lead to more questions instead of answers. On one hand, there’s the deaths of the Hadler family, but on the other is the twenty-year-old mystery of the death of Ellie Deacon—another childhood friend of Falk. The slow release of revelations keeps you hooked on both mysteries, and will keep you questioning what you think you know. Ultimately, this book is hard to predict which makes it a rather enthralling read.

I don’t often read crime novels set in Australia so this was an unexpectedly delightful novel. I appreciated all the Aussie nuances, but also that, aside from the obvious drought, it didn’t go out of its way to remind us it was Australian. The story came easily, flowed smoothly and kept the interest piqued.

Brilliant writing from Jane Harper; I’ll be on the lookout for more of her work!

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Review: Mercy

Mercy by Rebecca Lim
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book has been waiting on my shelf for my attention for years, and I finally got around to it and read it in a day. So I guess it's not a particularly interesting start but it gets addictive fast?

Now before everything: DO NOT READ THE BLURB OF THIS BOOK. I hope you got this message in time! Because the blurb tells us a major spoiler that the book makes a secret about and I wonder how different my experience of this book would have been if I didn't know it. Every time Mercy was like, 'what am I?' I wanted to scream because THE ANSWER IS RIGHT THERE IN THE BLURB. Seriously. Worst. Blurb. Ever. It also mentions stuff that doesn't happen until much later in the book so, really, avoid the blurb at all costs if you can. Just enjoy this random story about a girl who inhabits other people's bodies and is presently trying to solve the mystery of a missing girl. (Also, probably don't read my updates. I didn't know they were spoilers when I wrote them XD)

Mercy as a character, I did not like. She says she's respectful of the person whose body she is in (Carmen, presently), but then she repeatedly talks about how she is not Carmen and then stirs up trouble and gets into mischief. She also talks often about how she's putting others' needs first. Poor, hijacked Carmen. Mercy is also kinda horny, and wants to jump her host brother the second she lays eyes on him. But heeey the teacher is kinda hot, too. It all seems very high school, and if you know what Mercy really is (I told you not to read the blurb!) then it seems really bizarre and out of place. She acts like a total brat.

It was also really hard to be invested in her dream-relationship with Luc (already figured out who he really is - thanks, stupid blurb) because it's kinda random and there's not a lot of detail there. I'm guessing that will be built on more in the following novels but in this book it didn't really rate with me. I'm curious, since I've put together pieces (that I maybe shouldn't have yet?) but I don't really care, and I don't understand how she could be so in love with him when she falls so easily for host-bro, Ryan.

Host bro was okay, coz he's a bad boy who doesn't take crap, and what's not to love about that? But really, all we have here are character cliches. It's the standard high school cast, really, only hugely downsized and with more singing. Tiff and Brenda are basically interchangeable, and we don't hear much about the other characters unless they're part of the plot development (Hi, Spencer!) No one was really fleshed out enough to be interesting.

This actually feels more middle grade than proper YA (but it also has this one scene towards the end that shocked me a bit considering the rest was so G-rated). The story is simple, fast-paced and full of plot holes and questionable occurrences. It's highly predictable and has no depth to it, but it's easy to read and enjoyable enough. Low expectations is the key here.

I'm rather intrigued to see how the story continues, but not sure how soon I'll be motivated to pick it up. If you're after a quick YA with a hint of mystery, this could be for you. If you roll your eyes at cliches and hate anything you can easily predict, probably step away from this one. This is a YA novel that will be most appreciated by the younger readers.

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Review: HEX

HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am so, so glad to be done with this brilliantly horrific, absolutely terrifying novel.

The short version : If you love creepy supernatural horror that makes you jump at the slightest noise and see ghosts in every shadow, read this book.

When I started on it, my thoughts were something like, 'oh, this isn't so scary. She just kind of stands there.' and then I put the book the book down and was consumed by the horror: she just kind of stands there. It's that silent menace, the subtle fear of possibility and not knowing why that makes this book so utterly terrifying.

The setting: a modern, small town, haunted by a 17th century witch, whose eyes and mouth have been sewn shut. The town has come to terms with the fact that a ghost-witch is constantly appearing among them, and that they can never leave the town and thus, its curse. It seems pretty simple, and rather than being treated with fearful reverence, the witch is more of an annoying inconvenience. That in itself scared the bejeezuz out of me: NEVER DISRESPECT GHOSTS, PEOPLE!! You're just asking for trouble!

Of course, enter the troublemaker children, who dream bigger dreams than their cursed town can provide. Naturally you're sucked in, helplessly reading about all these events that you know are gonna cause sh*t to hit the fan sooner or later.

As mentioned, the horror is quite subtle; there's endless questions about the past, and what the witch's purpose is, and how this can possibly be resolved. So much of the terror of this book is simply not knowing; of the imagination running wild with ideas and theories. Once I got into it, I read it as fast as possible, because I didn't want to read it at night but I also couldn't stop reading.

The characters in this story are everything, and are brilliantly flawed:

Steve, who would sacrifice the entire town for his family.

His son, Tyler, who dreams of living a normal life.

Griselda, driven by her all-consuming fear.

Grim, the cynic charged with hiding the witch from Outsiders.

There's so many more, and they come together to tell a story about a town haunted by its own fears, as much as by the witch. This book raises moral questions and explores the lengths people will go to when motivated by fear. The result is absolutely chilling.

There are so many elements to this story that make it incredibly successful in its chill factor. The pace travels along brilliantly, and the varying elements of horror mean there's no danger of being bored. Questioning the motives and actions of the characters, wondering why things happen and how, expecting the unexpected and being terrified of what you know won't end well ... it just comes together so seamlessly (haha) and makes for a rather epic horror story.

The acknowledgements at the end mention that the Dutch version has a different ending, and definitely tempts me to bribe a Dutch reader for that secret. That being said, I do love these books that leave me with goosebumps as the final word. I can't imagine a better ending, really.

This is one of the best stories I've ever read, and I imagine I'll be haunted by this witch for the next few nights at least. Highly recommend for horror lovers.


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Review: A Thousand Perfect Notes

A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*sobbing*

WHY WOULD YOU WRITE THIS STUPIDLY PERFECT BOOK OF FEELINGS GUHHHHHHH

My heart hurts.

SO MUCH.

This book is a thousand times more brilliant than I was expecting.

I'M SORRY BUT I CAN'T DEAL WITH MY EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW.

***

5 hours later ...

Wow.

Okay. So.

I was so determined to not be influenced by Cait being a GR celebrity. It probably made me even more cynical and harder to please going into it.

Her style is unique, and while the tone is completely different from her sassy book reviews, the language she uses has the same beauty and originality. This book is full of such incredible visuals, and the way she describes music in particular is magnificent poetry. I was easier to win over than I anticipated. At first I thought it was a little too much, but as I relaxed into the story, I really latched on to the emotion in these descriptions, and they wreaked all kinds of havoc on my heart of stone.

The story is depressing - it's bleak and full of horrible things that will make your heart ache. But that subtle glimmer of hope is what makes it so powerful: you feel distressed about what's happening but you still have this notion that one day, things might be better. I fell into it so quickly, and became absorbed. This book had the elusive effect of making me forget I was reading, so it tore me apart that much more effectively.

YA is generally light and fluffy and all about that romance, so this darker subject matter was quite powerful, and I loved that the relationship between Beck and August wasn't pushed too forcefully on us. Ultimately, Beck is a broken character with a whole ton of issues and the presence of August doesn't obliterate that which was really important. Honestly, I can't fault anything about the story because it was beautifully expressed and had a perfect blend of elements. It's overwhelmingly dark, but there's still comedy, and sass, and adorable characters and moments.

Reading this book gave me such a visceral response; there are very few books that have made me cry but I just felt so much in this one. Beck's pain is so real, and that fragile spark of hope makes the punches land that much harder. I felt such an overwhelming sadness reading this but I was still waiting for things to get better. I almost took on Beck's emotions, and by the end of the story I'd kinda just given myself permission to cry it all out. What. A. Mess.

I don't drop 5 star ratings all that often but this won me over so completely that it seemed disrespectful to rate it anything lower. This is not a fun read, but I think it's important, and it's written so brilliantly that it is hard to imagine anyone having anything negative to say. You can really identify the time and care that went into perfecting this story.

Honestly I have so much admiration for the author's gift of expression, and I look forward to reading what comes next.

Now excuse me while I go pick up the tiny pieces of my shattered stone heart.

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Review: Journey of a Lightworker: A Collection of Personal Stories from Lightworkers Around the World

Journey of a Lightworker: A Collection of Personal Stories from Lightworkers Around the World by White Light Publishing House
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mixed feelings here!

WARNING : This review is full of hippie-thoughts, and if you're not keen on spirituality you might as well walk away from both this review and this book right now.

The world is so full of dark at the moment that it's actually quite comforting to know that there are generous souls out there who are motivated to change it for the better by bringing light into the lives of others. The accounts range from beautiful and heartwarming to utterly bizarre.

Each story relates one Lightworker's experiences: the past that led them on this journey, and how, today, they are working to make the world a better place for those living in it. There is a common theme of dark pasts; physical, sexual, verbal and substance abuse, addiction, trauma, near-death experiences, deaths of loved ones etc. The authors discuss how these dark experiences changed them, taught them, and helped them to become who they are today. Some of these stories were truly gut-wrenching, and it's evident how selfless these people are from the way they write about the things they do. Some of them had me close to tears because I could feel that past pain and yet recognise the light that has come from it. I really, really appreciated these stories, and I'm grateful such honest accounts have been shared.

As mentioned, though, I have mixed feelings. Perhaps it's simply because some are stronger writers than others, but some of the stories felt false to me. Not as though they were fictional, but that the author was holding back, or skipping over important details. In scenarios like that, I found it harder to appreciate the message of 'love yourself' and 'be yourself completely' etc. because to me it felt as though the author wasn't following their own advice.

There were also some stories that blew me away with their absurdity. Again, it's not disbelief in the occurrences, but the lack of meaning behind them. Some things were stated without support, and I found myself thinking of some of the schizophrenia cases we studied in my uni days. It's one thing to be inspired to greatness by visions and interactions with beings like angels, but it's another to claim all these interactions without explaining what their purpose was. I guess a lot comes down to delivery. If we consider Joan of Arc - she was inspired to greatness by the 'voice of God'. Whether she actually heard God or not is irrelevant, really - she went on to do incredible things. If, on the other hand, she just went around telling people that God spoke to her directly, it would be a lot harder to swallow and honestly you probably wouldn't like her very much.

Some of the accounts were more about preaching The Way of the Light, rather than giving any personal background, and I skimmed these ones because they didn't draw me in. I liked the ones that made me feel triumphant that a lightworker had been born from such darkness; the stories of people who overcame insurmountable odds to become the inspiration they are today. I wasn't particularly keen on the ones who talked about their material achievements, because it seemed rather shallow in light of the subject matter.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the accounts, and surprised myself by actually reading this one all the way through. I am a person who wants to do my part to change the lives of others for the better, so this was quite insightful in places, and helped me think about what sort of path I want to take myself.

Take it with a grain of salt, and like everything in the world of spirituality, read what seems to resonate with your soul. If it doesn't work for you, let it go.

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