The nitty-gritty: An ultra slow-burn story made this a tedious read in the beginning, but the fantastic ending was worth the wait. “Something quiet but catastrophic had happened inside them all through that terrible night. Something had changed, irrevocably. They all had realized, in their own way, that they were either going to die in […]
The nitty-gritty: Wild nature is the setting for this excellent mystery/thriller where the characters’ relationships take center stage. “The real agony, she now understands, is this. It’s good things—the book of poems, the sandwich, both kind and thoughtful—speckled with carnage. It’s seeing someone you love splinter away from you, shard by shard. Knowing there are […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced survival story with engaging characters, Gone Dark was a lot of fun and a solid YA thriller. “Don’t cry, Zara. Crying is a waste of water.” I don’t read YA very often these days, but I wanted to take a chance on Gone Dark because it sounded like a pretty good […]
The nitty-gritty: A surprisingly emotional story about family bonds and the lengths one father will go to protect his child. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I expected These Silent Woods to be a thriller. I’ve seen lots of reviews from readers who were surprised that the story they expected wasn’t the […]
The nitty-gritty: A lush and evocative story about a young girl’s coming-of-age in Baja California, Untamed Shore was a pleasant surprise. Outside her window, the moon watched her, but it did not judge her. The moon was pure. And she thought of Coyote, who dreamt beautiful yellow dreams and thus created the world. But when […]
The nitty-gritty: M.R. Carey once again proves how consistent a writer he is with his latest, a suspenseful, mind-bending novel full of realistically nuanced characters. I’ve loved every M.R. Carey book I’ve read, and I’m happy to report that his latest is just as thrilling, strange and mind-bending as I’ve come to expect from him. […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced, globe-trotting adventure, with plenty of mystery, humor and characters that will grow on you. In my “old” book collecting days, F. Paul Wilson was one of the authors whose books I bought and read, but it’s been years since I’ve even thought about him, until Tor asked me if I’d like […]
The nitty-gritty: A suspenseful young adult tale with awesome female friendships and an intriguing supernatural element. A couple of years ago I read and loved the dark and violent Merciless, written under Rollins’ pen name Danielle Vega. And so when the author offered me a copy of her latest, I was looking forward to more […]
The nitty-gritty: An atmospheric tale that has so much potential, but with too many confusing story elements, it just didn’t work for me. Rarely do I write scathing book reviews, it’s just not in my nature to completely tear down someone’s work. But in this case, I can’t help but rant about What We Knew. […]