Review for The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry

The Innocent Sleep is written by Karen Perry. Karen Perry is the pen name for authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece.

This novel was won through Goodreads for a honest review


HOLY SHIT. that's all i can say about how this book ended. i did not see the twist coming. i thought i had figured out how it would end but i was totally taken for a ride those last few chapters. the writing is amazing. i was apprehensive at first to read it because it's not something i would normally read. but the authors were having none of that and pulled me right into the marriage of Harry and Robin.

five years after losing their son in a tragic accident, Harry and Robin are finally moving past their grief and have started living again. that is, until Harry spots his son in a crowd and sets off on a destructive path to find out the truth. the back and forth chapters were great. the story flowed smoothly without getting stuck in one character's POV more than the other. Harry's chapters were more nerve wrecking, almost bordering on manic. Robin was more calm in her story telling but was just as depressing as her husband's.

this story about broke my heart. i was screaming at the book in my head, taking a serious pause towards the end when the mystery is revealed. i'm still surprised that i didn't see it coming. one of the pieces of the puzzle, i had figured out somewhere toward the middle of the novel but that was only a drop in the bucket of crap thrown at me in the last pages. by the end, Robin has taken on Harry's role of despair but for different reasons. the book leaves you with an open-ended scenario that you know won't work out for anyone. but this book is so good that it's worth it.


5 STAR RATING

2nd Review for Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Fight Club is a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk that was made into a film with the same name.


i am totally eating my words right now. i gave up on this book late last year when i picked it for a book challenge (you can read what i had to say about it underneath the review). again, i picked this book this year for yet another challenge and love it. it's one of my favorites and i recommend it to all.

i was surprised with how much the movie stuck to the book. as always, there are a lot of liberties taken with the story telling but the overall tone and character arcs are the same. the endings are completely different, the book ending being my favorite. it's so menacing to have the last line be "We look forward to getting you back." the narrator is so far gone as Tyler that his own life doesn't even exist anymore. i found the book to be way darker than the movie as well. the movie can almost read as a comedy but the book is nothing but angst and drama.

the short chapters are amazing for the story. you're quickly thrown into the drama and then are pulled back to tell the story in short quick spurts from the beginning. it wasn't dragged out and the story doesn't slack off. it's fast and you better have the attention to keep up. before you know it, it's the end of the book and you're wondering if maybe you've missed something. you can't help but compare the book to the movie and find the movie lacking with the severity of the narrator losing his mind.

i am so glad that i gave this book another chance. it's an amazing example of how you can hate a book one year but then revisit it and all of a sudden you're in love. it makes me wonder what other books i've shot down should i give a second chance to?

5 STAR RATING

WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE BOOK LAST YEAR

with such high ratings and an awesome film adaptation, i was hoping for a mind blowing read. unfortunately i was bored outta my skull.

reading through the first chapter, i was excited. i thought that i was gonna be pulled into the story like i was with the movie. the first 15 pages succeeded. after that, it was all downhill. page after page i found myself saying, "What the hell is going on?". not in the sense that i couldn't follow the story. i just couldn't get INTO it. i skimmed the hell outta this book before i gave up.

i've seen the movie.

i know how it ends.

SPOILER The Narrator Is Tyler Durden SPOILER

shocker :)

Review for Zom-B by Darren Shan

 Zom-B is the first book in a series written by Darren Shan.


i only read this book for an alphabet challenge and i was looking for a random book with the letter Z. i am so glad i picked this one. i knew i would like it because it's written by Darren Shan, who is a horror genius. i loved his Demonata and Cirque du Freak series. i wasn't looking to start yet another series but i'm hooked to the story and can't wait to read the next one.

the book follows the life of B, who is an awesome character. not awesome in the sense that she's a likable character, but B's POV was addictive and i could not stop reading once i started. dealing with her abusive and racist dad was story enough but then you throw in zombies and you got a favorite new series. i liked that B's home life was just as important to the story line as the zombies. her father was horrible. his racism was dealt with very seriously which made me take it seriously. he was the true villain to me. i'm interested in seeing how that will continue in the next book.

all of the characters were great and it was killing me to see them get picked off one by one. one thing i like about Shan is that he doesn't shy away from the death scenes with the kids. it's just as brutal as reading an adult novel about zombies. no one is safe and most likely everyone around you will die. i thought each book would be told from a different person because of how this book ended. but that doesn't seem to be the case so i'm excited to see what really happened to B and how she survived and what the deal is with the zombies. i'm sure i won't be disappointed.






5 STARS

Review for The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

The Bitter Kingdom is the final book in the Fire and Thorns trilogy written by Rae Carson.


so this is it, the end of the Fire and Thorns trilogy. i really didn't think i would like it. the first book was shaky at first but i grew to like it. the same thing happened with the second book. the series finally hit an all time high with the last one. i liked this book from beginning to end. i was rooting for Elisa the whole time, never once finding her character boring or annoying. her group of loyal friends and subjects were entertaining to read as well. the action wasn't overwhelming but it kept a steady pace. the ending was amazing, not exactly how i pictured it but still very well done.

this go around, Elisa has to save her kingdom and Hector, her royal guard and the man she loves. her god stone is more powerful than ever and it helps her every step of the way. again, i like the presence of the god stone. it helps this adventure book have a bit of celestial mystery than i never completely understand. i was totally taken by surprise when SPOILER Elisa completed her destiny and her god stone fell out. i like that we don't know what the lost oasis she found will be used for in God's will SPOILER you learn to love Elisa for herself, not her connection with God or her powers.

the romance in this book was so good. Hector was such a great character. i enjoyed the chapters told from his point of view. i wasn't expecting that since the other two books were only told from Elisa's POV. it was a happy development because it let me in on Elisa's guy how is very likable. i thought he'd be kinda stiff but his words read just as fluid as Elisa's. i was satisfied how the story ended. i don't feel like there needs to be another book added on. the characters have grown from the mostly uninteresting characters they were into fully engaging ones. i am glad that i read this series and would quickly recommend it for anyone looking for a quick fantasy read.


4.5 STARS

Review for Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point is a young adult novel written by Kasie West. The sequel is titled Split Second and is to be released next year.


i really though i was going to hate this book. i always assume that every new young adult book i'm about to read is a piece of crap and that i'm about to waste my time reading it. i was dead wrong because i absolutely loved this book. i stayed up all night reading it, didn't go to bed until 2 am. i couldn't put it down. every time i thought i could wait until tomorrow to finish reading it, it would pull me right back in.

when faced with a choice, Addison can "search" her future and live out both outcomes. this ability is very handy now that her parents are getting divorced and she has to choice which parent to live with. if she goes with her dad, she'll go live among normal people with no abilities. she'll become close with Trevor, a guy who understands her. if she stays at the compound with her mom she'll fall for the hottest guy in school.

i was rooting for Trevor the entire time. from the jump i knew something was off about Duke, the popular boy from school. he was just too smooth. i'm curious to see how he'll be written into the second book. hopefully he'll be written out of the story. Trevor is another story. i loved him from the moment he was introduced. his background was great and i liked how it connected to Addison's story. he wasn't just a love interest, he was actually a plot line for the story. Addison was great. she wasn't overly dramatic or helpless. she didn't apologize for the way she was, she was just herself throughout the whole story.

the ending just about killed me. knowing that the whole book was the future that hadn't happened yet was keeping me on the edge of my seat. which future would be the best for her and her friends and family? which would she choose? the epilogue made me so excited for the second book. i really hope the Trevor and Addison work it out. they are one of the best YA novel couples ever written.


5 STARS