Review: From Here On, Monsters

From Here On, Monsters by Elizabeth Bryer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What the frickafrack did I just read??

How did I enjoy it so much when I'm so confused? What even happened? Are any of these people even real? WHAT ABOUT THE MONSTERS???

This book is clearly too clever for me.

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Like,

Where is Felix? Is he okay?

What was the deal with the mirrorpartment?

Was that the end of the codex?

How the heck does SINBAD come into it??

All these questions and MORE. Can someone please read this and tell me all the answers? Thank you.

Is this what they call 'magical realism'? Or just 'batsh*t insane?

Let me be clear though. I actually really enjoyed it. Who'd'a thought it.


I'ma go ahead and recommend all the people looking for something unusual; something the likes of which they've never read. And it's Australian, yay. :)

But seriously, if anyone can explain to me what the heck just happened I'd really, really appreciate it.

Many thanks to Macmillan for a copy to read and review.

View all my reviews

Review: Lost But Found

Lost But Found by Peter Sharp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Why yes I am a dog lover, thank you for asking.

No, I don't have my own dog yet. Why would you rub that in?! Apartment life gets in the way, sadly. My life goal is to be able to afford a place where I can have dogs. <3

Anyhoo.

This book is cute, and sad, and uplifting and will make you want a dog. Even if you are a cat person. It will tug on those heart strings and have you browsing the website of your local shelter wondering who could be YOUR 'Found' pound puppy. There are so many just waiting to be loved.

It tells the stories of 40 dogs that ended up in the care of Sydney's Dogs & Cats Home. Some of these dogs were in pitiful condition but with the care, attention and love of staff and volunteers at the home, each found their way into loving arms. Some really heartwarming stories here.

This little book is great incentive to find your new family member at a shelter, and give a dog a second chance. The photos will have you attached in no time so good luck to you if you, like me, are not in a position to adopt a pet. Because the lack of dog in your life will be a gaping hole after flicking through this book.

All royalties from the sale of this book will go towards the home, as well, so that's a fantastic way to contribute, and you end up with this gorgeous reminder of how furry friends can enrich our lives.

You can find out more about the home here and find this book in stores from October 29th.

With thanks to Macmillan for an early e-copy.

View all my reviews

Review: The Institute

The Institute by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who doesn't love when the King talks psychic abilities??

Maybe not the spine-tingling, goosebumps-raising horror I was expecting but thoroughly enjoyable all the same!

Setting the scene: Kid genius Luke goes from dreaming of college to waking up in an unfamiliar 'Institute' for 'gifted' kids. Turns out they don't even care that he's a genius at 12 - the people running the Institute only care that he occasionally flips empty pizza pans with his mind. He's in there with a bunch of other 'special' kids who have also been abducted, and what lies in store for them is not a good time.

I LOVED the setup, and the personalities of the different kids. If a sequel comes out featuring these badass youngsters, I AM THERE. Nicky of course with his attitude is a fave but also just the way they connect - they're all in it together and it makes them a solid unit. I liked that.

King seems more focused on the hands of fate here, and as the story unspools we understand there's a lot here about choices and consequences. On the surface, however, we get this neat little thriller about a bunch of talented kids stuck in a seemingly helpless situation.

I appreciated that these kids weren't Carrie-level gifted. There's nothing hugely special about any of them, except for the new addition, Avery, whose mind-reading ability is slightly stronger than most. No big.

'Great events turn on small hinges.'

There's a bit of a kids-vs-adults mentality, but it's cleverly countered with a helpful housekeeper and Tim, a former cop who finds himself mixed up in things incidentally. I think this was an important element, because when it comes down to it, these kids are still just kids. Plus the relationship between Tim and Luke reminds me a little bit of Roland and Jake and I will never not love the bond between those two. I think it was important to recognise that the kids were just ordinary kids, despite their abilities. This was well done.

Sadly some minor errors, with wrong names being used in a few places, but ultimately easy enough to overlook for another addictive ride from the King. It wasn't scary, so to speak, but there was still a cleverness to the thrills and certainly a few moments when I found myself holding my breath and just hoping things didn't go awry.

Maybe not his best work - a bit of a sprawl and less complex than some - but I enjoyed it all the same. There's room here to revisit some of the characters and expand on events, which gives me hope we will see more from this world.

View all my reviews

Challenge Review: Ready Player One

My #dymocks52challenge book 25/38, for week 39.

Title: Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Published: 16/8/11
First appearance in 101: 2016 (#100)
Years in 101: 4
2019 101 ranking: #71
Rating: 5 stars

Why I chose this book:
I'd heard plenty about it, and actually thought it had been released earlier than it was. I knew it referenced the 80s, but the dystopian element never really drew me in. However its place in the Top 101 for the past four years straight gave me the opportunity to add it to my list. I'm so glad it did!

Thoughts:
Once again I owe gratitude to this challenge for discovering a fantastic read in a book I likely wouldn't have picked up. This ended up being a fun, addictive read that I couldn't put down! The 80s references are a lot of fun and made me nostalgic for my own childhood, but the story was clever enough to not rely just on gratuitous references to the past. It had some serious themes that I found highly relevant to today's society, meaning there was a solid foundation to all the action. I loved it from start to finish, and it scored a surprising 5 stars from me.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

I'm surprised this took as long to make it into the Top 101 as it did, but I think as more people read it, it will climb higher on the list. It's a must-read for any 80s kid who grew up with video games, and speaks to geeks around the globe. It's also unique in that it's set in the future, focuses on the past but is incredibly relevant to the present. It was clever, fun and packed full of action and adventure. This definitely needs to find its way onto more bookshelves.

Review: The Day The Lies Began

The Day The Lies Began by Kylie Kaden
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

No gonna lie, this was a bit of a drainer.

I feel like the story was maybe there but it just went wrong in so many places.

Things that frustrated me:

-Pacing
-Characters
-Lies and secrets
-Explanations
-Lack of action
-Random vulgarity

The story took a long time to gain momentum and then when the big plot point came to light it was handled really badly. Instead of a nice reasonably structured amble towards the conclusion it was just a mess of characters lying and moaning about their lies and then allusions to more lies that were top secret ... I get that it's all about lying but this was really too much, and not nearly clever enough to make all the lying and secrets actually shocking or even interesting.

Also, THESE CHARACTERS ARE SO MESSED UP.
Abbi: The feisty mum who would do anything to protect her family, including manipulate her adopted brother
Blake: The cop with no spine who has an unhealthy affection towards his adopted sister despite being madly in love with his ex, Hannah, who has always treated him like trash
Hannah: The ex of Blake and ex-best-friend of Abbi who constantly sticks her nose and stuck up opinions into everyone else's business. I FKN HATED HANNAH
Will: Abbi's perfect husband who is morally above everyone else and is so perfect and also did I happen to mention that he's perfect? Like, the perfect husband, and father, and friend and, oh yeah, he's just perfect basically.
Molly: Hannah's younger sister who is actually pretty cool but why would we bother learning any of her story when everyone else is doing that exciting lying thing and Molly's arc is seemingly completely unrelated?

So it's like ... Abbi and Blake have secret conversations about 'the forbidden thing' that they did together which basically has you wondering how well you're gonna cope if that turns out to be incest (coz that's definitely what it's trying to hint at). Then the *plot reveal* and everyone is all, 'ooooh who did this thing?' and of course then Abbi and Blake's conversations have more context and there's a slow release of what we're actually trying to solve here and then ... lies. This person was lying about this to this person while that person lied to this person about that ... it becomes less about the actual plot point and more about how everyone has a secret. And, for the most part, these are terrible secrets. It's basically a soap opera. But without the fun drama element and zero tension or build up. There's no atmosphere, no setting the scene, no emotions built. I just did not give a crap. All in all, these are pretty trash secrets and some seemed really pointless?

Also the resolutions were weak and terrible. (view spoiler)[I mean this is basically a book about a bunch of people who have told a lot of lies to a lot of people and then the lies are all out and the entire town's inhabitants are like, 'ok cool.' ??? (hide spoiler)]

NO WORRIES MATE.

I liked the Aussie-relevant references and slang but also felt like it was trying too hard. Also some parts were really crass and vulgar which just felt awkward instead of believable. (view spoiler)[The term 'rock spider' was used so much it was like the author googled it, liked the nickname and decided to use it as often as possible. My conclusion: way too often. (hide spoiler)] I just feel like there was so much in this story that didn't need to be there.

It rambled on about secrets and lies far too much and overall felt incredibly messy. I felt nothing for the characters (aside from a strong loathing for Hannah) and the story was so all over the place it made keeping track of things a little difficult. It took me a long time to read it because I honestly just didn't care about what was happening at all.

Also FKN EADIE'S KIDDIE ACCENT WAS THE WORST. She's supposed to have a lisp but she talks like the worst stereotype of a kid EVER. Lots of 'pwease' and 'winbisible' and 'outgrowded' and SWEET CHEESES who taught this kid English? Coz she is absolutely TERRIBLE. Also how the EFF do you turn 'invisible' into 'winbisible' with a friggin LISP? GET OUT.

So yeah I guess the writing kind of annoyed me. It was really terrible.

All in all, a pretty disappointing read. Felt very amateur, so even though I think the idea was there it absolutely tanked on delivery. Hopefully others will appreciate it a little more than me.

With thanks to Netgalley for an uncorrected proof e-copy to read and review.

View all my reviews

Review: The Harp of Kings

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a little slower than I'd have liked but I did eventually get through it. It's a pretty light on fantasy about music, nature and Fair Folk with a mild dose of court behaviour. Slightly too bland for my tastes, if I'm honest.

The plot: On Swan Island, brother Brocc and sister Liobhan are training to become warriors. They also play music. They're given a mission - along with a fellow trainee, Dau, and two trainers - to journey to a kingdom nearby that's lost a super special harp that's of vital importance to the upcoming coronation. It's kind of a secret mission so they're all under cover but the cover is them being musicians so PHEW. Also fiery Liobhan has to control her temper to match her more submissive character. Sad face.

Honestly, the whole premise was a bit weak for me, and as much as I love music, its importance in this story wore a little thin. I think maybe the world building just wasn't there and I never really got a decent feel for the kingdom or its inhabitants. It was a bit scarce on details so I had a hard time losing myself in the story.

Added to that, the characters were subdued and didn't really do anything particularly exciting. I did like the 'Otherworld' stuff when it finally came up but even that was more 'cutesy to look at' rather than any kind of connection. Liobhan was a fiery, spirited sort but because her fake character wasn't she was a bit dull. Brocc was a bit off with the fairies (LOL) and then Dau became an entirely different person with little explanation, so even though I liked him I kinda resented that.

The court stuff was all pretty shallow, and it just felt like there was no depth to story, world or characters. It was an okay read, but I never felt sucked in or even invested in what might happen. Things travelled along fairly slowly, and there was never any ominous sort of threat or villain to increase the pressure. I mean, the crow things were pretty underwhelming.

I liked the idea of this story but the delivery was too slow and shallow for me. I need more action, whereas this is definitely a slow burn fantasy and likely setting up for a more extravagant series. I'm told this is fairly typical of this author, though, so if you've enjoyed her previous work this one is likely to still be a hit.

With thanks to Macmillan for a complimentary copy to read and review.

View all my reviews

Challenge Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

My #dymocks52challenge book 24/38, for week 38. 

Title: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Author: Mark Manson
Published: 13/9/16
First appearance in 101: 2017 (#85)
Years in 101: 3
2019 101 ranking: #61
Rating: 4 stars

Why I chose this book:
I do quite enjoy self-help books that take a more philosophical approach, and this one's no-nonsense title did rather appeal to me. It's also appeared in the top 101 every year since its 2016 release, which clearly suggested more than a temporary fad.

Thoughts:
It's quite blunt in delivery and doesn't bother attempting to placate anyone so naturally this is going to rub some people the wrong way, but I quite enjoyed it. It requires an open mind, and the concepts are certainly nothing new, but it's accessible, easy to read and mercifully short. If you can manage not to take offence, you'll find some great nuggets of wisdom within the pages.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

I think so! The concepts are certainly important and I think more people could benefit from reading books with this attitude - that we need to consider more carefully the things we invest our time and care in. Its ideas aren't anything new but the bold title perhaps makes it easier to relate to and thus accessible to more readers.

Review: American Royals

American Royals by Katharine McGee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ahhh, drama.

I mean, I could definitely have used more - I liked all these characters too much - but it still hit the spot.

The setup: In an alternate world, Washington became the first king of America, and here we are in present day to witness the inner happenings of America's reigning royals. Mum and dad are regal and proud and of course thrusting ridiculous responsibilities on their first born, Beatrice, who will be America's first ever queen (hooray for abolishing sexism in the monarchy).

Meanwhile younger siblings, twins Sam and Jeff, have much less responsibility and go out of their way to have a good time. Jeff's ex-gf, Daphne, is also still hanging around, stirring up trouble.

The formula is there but it wasn't quite as dramatic as I wanted. I think everyone was so nice and understanding and it was all a bit flat. I wanted people yelling and screaming and gasping and fighting and throwing things and getting busted in compromising positions etc. but instead everyone kinda just cries a lot? The boys are all so lovely and understanding and yes of course I am in love with them all but would it have hurt to have at least one of them act a little bit like a jerk? There wasn't a lot of variety, because they're all upstanding gentlemen madly in love with their respective lady. *yawn*

Daphne is there to cause a bit of mischief but really, she was a bit light on. Amateur hour over here. I was curious about the story between her and Himari but could kinda predict it as well so it wasn't a big deal when the story came out. I'm very much looking forward to meeting Himari properly in the future, though.

I feel like this was really more setting up things for more drama in the future, so I'm pretty keen for the sequel. Ah, that awkward moment when you read a new release then have to hang out at least another six months for the sequel. *nervous laughter*

I liked it, it had petty teen drama like I wanted - though I wanted more rich kid drama - but it was a little underwhelming. I want some mad scandals in the sequel. I want Sam to show off her wild side and Connor to date a model and Beatrice to have multiple meaningless flings and Nina to get a girlfriend and Jeff to go on a crazy adventure and Daphne to start a company. I want parties and getaways and secret bungalows and haunted houses and rich, rich drama.

I mean my imagination is running wild with the potential of this series. I NEED MORE.

View all my reviews