The nitty-gritty: A fantasy with lots of potential that felt more “middle grade” than “young adult,” Fire & Heist had some fun moments but ultimately disappointed me. I had heard all sorts of good things about Sarah Beth Durst’s The Queens of Renthia series, and so I was eager to check out her latest, a young […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of over-the-top slasher action with a very thin plot, this ended up being surprisingly entertaining. This isn’t my first Gretchen McNeil book, so I had an inkling of what I was going to be in for with her latest, #murdertrending, and in that respect, it did not disappoint. This book was so over-the-top […]
The nitty-gritty: A story full of great ideas that really shined in some parts, but unfortunately needed more polishing and editing to make it a standout debut. I was intrigued by the idea of Smoke Eaters, a story about a special crew of firefighters with the ability to withstand dragon smoke and slay dragons. And […]
Sparked started out very strong, and I really enjoyed the first half of the story. But unfortunately, around the halfway mark, things started to go downhill for me, and it ended up being a typical YA paranormal that reminded me of so many other stories I’ve read. Which is sad, because I’ve had great luck […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced, frantic glimpse into the future that left me more puzzled than exhilarated, The Uploaded is one wild ride. Little Venice’s streets were hip-deep in spillover from the Atlantic Ocean, a thick muck choked with the Bubbler’s stink and liquefied corpses and rotting seaweed–a dead town that swallowed bodies and vomited out […]
The nitty-gritty: A strong concept that should have worked, but for this reader, there just wasn’t enough emotional connection for me to enjoy the story. Alex was a survivor. Alex wanted the fix, and that was the deal, the box of Turkish delight to sweeten the work of professional betrayal: half a century. Standard offer […]
The nitty-gritty: A unique tale with glimmers of magic and wonder, but with some writing inconsistencies that distracted from the story. The city was a huge place of death with very little life. He could not sense the ghosts of the dead, but they had to be out there. And what about the ghosts of […]
The nitty-gritty: A story with lots of potential that fell short with a less-than-interesting plot and awkward writing. (Apologies for this longer-than-normal review, but apparently I have a lot to say about this book!) There’s always going to be the “next” book after you read something amazing, and for me, Behind the Throne will always […]
The nitty-gritty: A slowly drawn-out mystery, beautifully written with subtle tension, that unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations. Having read lots of enthusiastic reviews for Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts, I was eager to try his latest. Tremblay has a talent for establishing a creepy atmosphere with very little information to go on. […]
The nitty-gritty: An original world-building idea that just didn’t get off the ground for me. Perhaps a novel might work better? I was excited to check out a shorter piece of fiction by Fran Wilde, whose Updraft I really enjoyed, and so when Tor.com announced The Jewel and her Lapidary, I jumped at the chance […]