Holly Mo

Fantastic New Series!

Revisado: 04-22-20

Fans of the Charlie Davidson series will love this new book about a completely different set of characters.

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Story Didn't Have To Be This Long

Revisado: 04-15-19

This is one of those stories in which I found myself sighing in exasperation, because the lead female character has an obvious secret--and if she had revealed it earlier on in the book, a lot of people would not have suffered and/or died. She doesn't reveal the secret until the very end, and her reasoning for being secretive is pretty weak, when compared to the loses that result from the secret.

The reader can figure out her secret pretty early in the book, which makes the lead male character look a little dim witted, since he somehow keeps missing all the clues.

I think I'd have a more positive impression, had the book been shorter. It was one thing to be annoyed by the lengthy reveal, but it was definitely exacerbated by the multiple teaser scenes. She'd announce that she has a secret, he'd, say, "what is it?" But instead of revealing it, she'd waver about how she was worried about his reaction... then they'd get distracted, and I'd yell, "AW, COME ON! NOT AGAIN! JUST TELL HIM YOUR DAMN SECRET!"

The story isn't bad, I just felt that it dragged on further than it needed to.

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Narrator Not a Good Fit

Revisado: 04-11-19

Instead of listening to the story, I spent a lot of time thinking: Why is everything being whispered? Why is the female's voice so whiney?

I tried to push past it, but then the story started to veer into the typical romance cliche (2 people pretend to be dating, fall in love with each other). Personally, I couldn't finish it.

I've enjoyed other works by this author, so I'm going to assume it wouldn't have been quite so grating if it were performed differently.

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I re-listen to this book, often.

Revisado: 04-05-19

I cannot find it's equal in the sports/romance/drama/fiction genre (I've tried).

If you've enjoyed those genres, you might accidentally disregard this book, assuming it's like the others. Do yourself a favor and try this book. It is unique.

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Continues to be a Great Contemporary Paranormal

Revisado: 04-01-19

If you're considering this book, you've likely read its predecessors, and you're now wondering if the story is holding up, or fizzling (a common question, when reading an ongoing series).

The story is still strong. Nell is learning and evolving, both, at work, and personally.

Possible, tiny, not-quite-a-spoiler:

There is a character whom has endured a lot of nastiness, and never seems to catch a break... that character finally starts to heal in this book. I especially liked that part!

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Still a Great Series!

Revisado: 09-30-18

After reading a lukewarm review, I was worried that the series was going to go the way of others, and fizzle out, but my opinion contradicts that of the lukewarm reviewer.

I'll admit, it wasn't my favorite of the series, but it certainly wasn't bad. I think my only complaint would be my desire for more of that humorous sparring between Toby and Tybalt. Once you know the plot, it's obvious why it was missing... but I look forward to its return!

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My Favorite of This Series!

Revisado: 05-08-18

If you are reading reviews of this book, it is probably safe to assume that you are already a fan of the series. I would assume that a series as long as this one is in danger of becoming repetitive or stale, but Faith Hunter has proven my theory wrong.Not only is the storyline still strong and interesting, but it's getting better! Beast's personality is developing, and she has a sense of humor!

As always, Khristine Hvam provides the perfect narration to this story. I hope that never changes!

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What If Your Diary Became Humanity's Textbook?

Revisado: 08-08-17

This is a story about our world, post-disease (a disease that wiped out nearly all women and babies).

Our protagonist is an anonymous journal author. She was welcome in most communities because she was medically trained and she was a female who survived the disease. Generations have passed since her life and death, and now her journal is one of the few things available to explain the days after the disease that ripped through the entire world without warning.

I envision myself in this situation, and I know my ideas and portrayals would be extremely subjective. If a new generation was relying on my words alone to explain what happened, they'd find my perspective lacking in some ways, because I would be writing to maintain sanity, not to communicate with future generations.

Nonetheless, her words become revered text that contains valuable knowledge that must be passed on to future generations.

This may be an unfair assessment, but in a small way, the story reminds me of The Walking Dead series, sans zombies. Both stories exist in a world where most of the population was wiped out by disease. Both follow people as they adapt to this new world. The people become hardened by their situations, learning the balance between trusting no one, yet finding safety in numbers. The stories are vastly different from each other, too, but that thought kept popping into my head.

I look at the men in my life, and I'd like to think that they'd retain their sanity and morals, even if they lost more than half of their friends and family, but I am lucky enough to not have personal knowledge on this topic, so perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps losing almost everyone is enough to drive most people to insanity. And I suppose, even if that didn't push you over the edge, maybe being surrounded by people who have lost their minds would be enough to make you feral.

Realistic or not, most of the survivors in this story become ruthless, and many of the men devolve into uncivilized, immoral predators. If you like post-apocalyptic stories, this one was will written and interesting.

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A Skilled Murderer Fools Everyone, and His Wife

Revisado: 07-09-17

Just another typical day in suburbia, driving home with her kids in the backseat...

That's what Gina Royal was doing when she realized that she wasn't going to have a typical evening. A drunk driver ran his car into her house! Luckily, there were lots of police officers on the scene, already processing the paperwork that would need to be presented to the insurance company.

Little did Gina know; the drunk's collision with her garage was a mere annoyance compared to what awaited her, inside the garage.

In retrospect, she felt so stupid. How could someone not know they were married to a serial killer? How could she blindly accept his reasoning for keeping his workshop locked up tight (he said he had expensive tools in there, and didn't want them stolen or broken). She's not surprised when the public suspects that she was an accessory to his crimes; she wouldn't be able to believe herself innocent, had she been an outsider, looking on from the comfort of a living room sofa.

She was eventually acquitted of the crime, but it cost her a year without her children. Furthermore, that acquittal kept her out of prison, but the public had already judged her to be guilty, sentencing Gina and her children to a lifetime of being the targets of cyberbullies. Trolls hiding behind the internet's anonymity harass her family, relentlessly. Unspeakable pictures are posted with her children's faces edited atop pornography and murder victims.

There is a witness protection program, but there's nothing in place for the family of a murderer. Desperate to shelter her children from the public's hateful attacks, Gina takes on new identities and develops a new way to survive. She learns self defense. She becomes proficient with firearms. She has an escape plan that she practices with her children, religiously.

Just when she finally finds a bit of peace, she learns another tough lesson. Random internet trolls were horrifying, but in truth, they weren't ambitious enough to do anything requiring them to walk away from their computers. On the other hand, some people looking to avenge the murder of their loved-ones will let nothing get in their way. When you're hurting, it doesn't matter that the man who murdered your sister or your daughter is a sociopath. If you are not a sociopath, you assume that the worst pain a person could experience is losing a loved one to a murderer, and therefore, the way to hurt a murderer is to hurt his family.

This was a great story, and well narrated. I know some people get frustrated with cliff hangers, so I'll warn that group: there is at least one sequel coming out; if you can't stand a cliff hanger, you may want to hold off on this one until December, when the second book is released.

I recommend this book!

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Backman Can Write Any Point of View!

Revisado: 04-27-17

I've read most of Backman's books, and this author is amazingly talented. When I read "A Man Called Ove," I thought, this guy must know my daughters and their grandfathers, because the characters' interactions are spot on. When I read, "Britt-Marie Was Here," I thought, he must know an older woman who felt discarded, because she seems so real. In "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry," I assumed he must have lived in an apartment building where his neighbors represented, all walks of life, because each character was alive and unique. Now, in "Beartown," I jokingly conclude that he is in fact a pseudonym for what must be a team of authors, each specializing in writing a certain point of view, because his representation of the human teenager was very accurate.

"Beartown" is about so many things: parenthood, navigating being a teen, the desperation that can engulf a small town into pack mentality. It touches on retirement and how it effects a sense of purpose. We see immeasurable loss, beating the odds, perseverance, abuse, revenge, forgiveness...and so much more.

From the above paragraph, you may think those are too many subjects to tackle in one book, but Backman makes it flow naturally and realistically.

At times, I felt that he was bordering on over description in regards to each character's inner thoughts, but as I read on, I came to appreciate the time he took to bring the reader into the characters' heads. Some may feel that the following is a spoiler, but I want to explain what I mean with an example, therefore, I'll preface the next section.

*Possibly could be considered a spoiler*

At one point, some boys throw a rock with an expletive written on it through a window. The mother/wife gets in her car and scares the boys in a way that could be perceived as unstable. But the reader has been inside her head. We've seen what she's been through. She's endured unimaginable loss. Outwardly, she seems abrasive and uncompromising, but the reader knows how much she has sacrificed for those she loves. You feel her desperation and helplessness and anger. Despite knowing how wrong it would have been, had she actually caused permanent damage, I found myself cheering her on; then, when she came to her senses, so did I. She wasn't insane; she had a temporary moment of insanity. Backman took a lot of time to get us inside her mind, and it allows the reader to understand her irrational behavior.

*End of possible spoiler*

What I like best about the book is the multiple layers given to each character. We see tough guys in moments of sensitivity. We see sensitive guys finding their strengths. It is easy to dismiss a character as universally shallow, until we see the character in a different environment and we watch them bloom into someone we'd like to know. Heroes make selfish/life altering choices and bullies evolve into better people.

I especially like the ending, because it felt so complete that I actually exhaled. This is a great book for discussion, and I'm encouraging my teen daughters to read it. The narrator's performance was spectacular in the audio version. I highly recommend it!

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