Alia

Razor sharp and very funny

Revisado: 01-17-24

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this and how quickly it drew me in. The writing is tight, sharp, and super witty. I found myself laughing out loud often. I thought I knew where the story was going but it veered off into another direction multiple times, keeping me guessing. I didn’t think I would enjoy such a short story (I’m usually into longer books) but this length was just right.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Couldn’t finish it

Revisado: 10-06-22

The story started out okay, but quickly devolved into a constant stream of random thoughts by each character, with moments of jerky, confusing action in between. Despite knowing absolutely everything that every character is thinking, their motivations did not make sense to me, and were often in conflict with the progression of the plot. The relationships between the characters did not make sense, so their interactions with each other were equally baffling. It felt like a draft rather than a finished story, like the author was stumbling through a series of scenes for the sake of having them in the book, rather than them actually contributing to our understanding of the storyline. Almost halfway through, I still could not tell you what it was about and where it was going, which in some stories is tension-building and intriguing, but in this story is just frustrating.

The last straw for this book however is the absolutely awful narration. I normally don’t give narrators a bad review unless they make a lot of mistakes during the reading, but I have to make an exception here. This narrator’s pronunciation and emphasis on the “ing” in words got on my nerves so much, I had to take breaks from listening to it. I ultimately decided that finding out what happens in the story just wasn’t worth the suffering to get through it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Terrible

Revisado: 09-15-22

Oliver Wyman is the only good thing about this book. Waste of time’s listening to this book. The original Monster Hunters books are the only good ones.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Girl, chill

Revisado: 05-22-22

I read a lot of romance, but this one was a tough finish. It started out really well, it’s an interesting premise and the characters were fun. I was enjoying the storyline up until the love interest appeared. From that page on, the main character’s inner monologue became increasingly cliche and eye-roll inducing, with lines such as “his smile made me forget my own name.” Really? She was set up to be more clever and self-possessed than that. But once Camden is on the scene, she acts like a lovesick teenager. Other moments include listening to her drool over him shirtless for 8 minutes, as well as constant, relentless questioning of her self-created “rules.” Her telling herself every five minutes why she couldn’t be with him got on my nerves so much I wanted to turn off the book several times.

I wanted to see how things worked out with the wedding she was working at (which was apparently what the plot was supposed to be about). The parts about the wedding were tolerable. The rest was painful. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

I don’t get the positive reviews

Revisado: 05-03-22

The story started out as a nail-biter, suspenseful and interesting. But then about 3-4 hours in, it became an endless, dispassionate, depressing exposition about the rich kids whose lives “should be” so important and better than everyone else’s, are empty and pointless instead. How bad things aren’t “supposed to” happen to them, but only to poor people who are homeless and live in gutters. That isn’t my opinion of the book, that is actually what the characters say. It made me lose what little sympathy I had left for them and I couldn’t keep listening. By this point, I hated every single character, even the ones who were kind of likable at the beginning. I did not appreciate the change in tone, the subject matter (didn’t know there was sexual assault), did not want to hear about how sad these characters who have everything are. I kind of want to know how it ends, but for my own sanity, I’m not going to finish it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Kept me guessing- really

Revisado: 04-30-22

I read at least a dozen mysteries/thrillers a month, so it is rare to find one that truly keeps me guessing til the end. This book not only kept me wondering who committed the murder, but it also kept me guessing who the victim was! This book is uniquely written in that you don’t find out who the victim is until right at the end- just before you find out who dunnit! A refreshing take on the mystery genre, with plenty of intrigue, drama, sex, and betrayal thrown in. I loved the multiple narrators too. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fresh and intense

Revisado: 03-30-22

This series is a breath of fresh air for those who have been searching for a fantasy series to suck them in and take them for a ride. The writing is confident and the story progresses at an incredible rate; not a minute is wasted. The characters are complex, no one is really “good” or “bad” but a subtle blend that feels authentic.

Unlike a lot of modern writing, which seems to use non-binary love stories as a plot device or to be “different,” this love story feels natural and progresses smoothly. The characters are well-developed, confidently portrayed, and realistic.

Most importantly- clear your schedule and prepare to be unable to put it down til the end!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Fresh and intriguing

Revisado: 03-30-22

This series is a breath of fresh air for those who have been searching for a fantasy series to suck them in and take them for a ride. The writing is confident and the story progresses at an incredible rate; not a minute is wasted. The characters are complex, no one is really “good” or “bad” but a subtle blend that feels authentic. The love story is different from traditional binary and is written so convincingly that it does not distract from the story, but rather brings it a beautiful intensity. The narrator brings just enough emotion and tension to the story. I loved every minute and am a little upset about the massive cliffhanger at the end! I can’t wait for the next one.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Terrible narration and uninteresting mystery

Revisado: 03-24-22

There wasn’t much to like about this book. You know why the crime was committed from the first scene, and as soon as the murderer appears in the story, it’s obvious who it is. So it’s really just a matter of waiting for the main character to figure it out, then waiting for him to catch the killer. There is basically no mystery and the characters are too one-dimensional to carry the story. The main detective isn’t totally unlikeable, but he isn’t interesting or charming either. There really isn’t enough about him or his family to feel like you’re “getting to know” him, so the scenes with his family fall flat.

Now the narrator- just awful. First, his diction is totally off. It’s like he’s reading the story for the first time and doesn’t know where the sentence is going when he’s reading it. All the male voices either sound same or are artificially deep. The main detective only has a southern accent some of the time, usually when he’s speaking for a while, so the narrator remembers to do his voice. All the female characters are narrated with an incredibly annoying nasal quality that makes it sound like every woman in the book is a whiny old lady. It’s impossible to tell who is talking, especially because the author throws out so many names for new characters that natter on at each other for a few minutes, then never appear again.

This is a publishers pack, but I didn’t even finish the first book. I got to the last 2/3, after the killer was finally identified, but didn’t stick around to see them caught. I just didn’t care enough to put myself through any more of the awful narration.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Even better than the last one!

Revisado: 03-12-22

I love this series so much and it just keeps getting better! The mysteries are always interesting, but I really appreciate how there is significant character development and forward movement in the characters’ lives as the series progresses. Too many times a mystery series will just plug along, without much happening in the main characters’ lives from book to book. But with this series, just as much happens to the characters as it does to the overall storyline. This book has even more packed in than I could have imagined! I listened to the whole thing in one day, despite wanting to savor it. I just couldn’t help myself.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña