Review: They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

Title: They All Fall Down

Author:  Rachel Howzell Hall 
Publisher: Forge
Publishing Date:  April 9th, 2019

Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery Thriller 

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime.

Delighted by a surprise invitation, Miriam Macy sails off to a luxurious private island off the coast of Mexico, with six strangers—an ex-cop, a chef, a financial advisor, a nurse, a lawyer, a young widow.

Surrounded by miles of open water in the gloriously green Sea of Cortez, Miriam is shocked to discover that she and the rest of her companions have been brought to the remote island under false pretenses—and all seven strangers harbor a secret.

Danger lurks in the lush forest and in the halls and bedrooms of the lonely mansion. Sporadic cell-phone coverage and miles of ocean keeps the group trapped in paradise. And strange accidents keep them suspicious of each other, as one by one . . .

They all fall down

I was excited when I discovered this book on audible. I love Agatha Christie's – And Then There Were None. It is one of my favorite classic books and the first Christie I read. I read any retelling or inspired by books I find. I enjoyed this read. I found that there were enough similarities to say it was a retelling and enough differences to have the feel of a new story. I liked the story and I did enjoy the mystery. The writing was well. It was a good time.

Well there are 7 strangers that are brought onto an island. All under different prefaces of why they are going to the island. The real reason….. to die for their past sins. Lots of murder and gore. The characters die one by one and the main character does what she can to survive while trying to figure out who is behind all the deaths.

I found this to be a really good retelling of the original story. It had all the right elements of the original… the island , the deaths, the mystery of who the killer was… and I enjoyed the fact it was it’s own story. I feel that it was mix of Then There Were None and the movie Seven. Which I also enjoyed. So it was a good read for me. I was a little disappointed in the pacing and the reveal… but other than that I enjoyed this book very much.

What I liked… I really loved hating the characters. They were all flawed in a major way and that is why there were on this island to begin with. They all had something in their past that they needed to be punished for… if death is what you consider punishment. They all needed to atone for a sin. Finding out what they were guilty for was fun. They all had their reasons which was how they slept at night I guess. I could see how their messed up minds could find justification in what they did.. however the killer didn’t care. Anyways I loved reading all about their past and how their stories played into their deaths. I really didn’t like any of characters but that was okay for me. This isn’t the kind of book where you like the characters. They were very well written and very layered. For the story , they were well done and served their part well.

The main character, Miriam, was interesting and at times, I found myself wanting to maybe hope for the best for her and that she survives.. but other times I found her lacking in regret and empathy and I just could’t root for her. It was a love/hate relationship. I did like that her story was told on past and present moments. I enjoyed seeing her life and what made her who she was. Her story was a little more elaborate than the other characters.

Don’t let my lack of liking the characters in this book deter you from reading it. I promise… liking the characters isn’t something that was written into this story.

The pacing was a little slow at times and very exciting at others. I did have a bit of an issue with this… but it wasn’t too bad in the end. There were some very suspenseful and thrilling moments which made up of the slow a bit. The reveal was also lacking a little in the wow department. I think it couldn’t have been done a bit better with a little more oomph…. But I can say I didn’t know who and how and it was nice seeing how it all played out. I love the “how it was done” in mysteries. I think they are the best part.

I feel it was well done and of course not as good as It’s inspiration but well done and I really enjoyed it.

RACHEL HOWZELL HALL is the author of seven novels, including the critically-acclaimed Detective Elouise Norton series. The third novel in the series, Trail of Echoes, was published this past May and received a coveted Kirkus Star and was one of Kirkus Reviews 'Books That Kept Us Up All Night.' Land of Shadows and Skies of Ash (Forge) were included on the Los Angeles Times’ “Books to Read This Summer” for 2014 and 2015, and the New York Times called Lou Norton “a formidable fighter—someone you want on your side.” She is also collaborating with James Patterson and BookShots on the upcoming "The Good Sister." A featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed ‘Crime in the City’ series, Rachel has also served as a mentor in AWP’s Writer to Writer Program and is currently on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America. She was recently named one of Apple iBooks' "10 Authors to Read in 2017."

Review: Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

I have Title: Queen of Hearts 

Author:  Colleen Oakes
Publisher: HarperTeen

Publishing Date:  May 3rd, 2016

Pages: 306
Genre: YA Retelling 

Series:  Queen of Hearts Saga #1
Source:  Audio

 

Only queens with hearts can bleed.
This is not the story of the Wonderland we know. Alice has not fallen down a rabbit hole. There is no all-knowing cat with a taunting smile. This is a Wonderland where beneath each smile lies a secret, each tart comes with a demand, and only prisoners tell the truth.
Dinah is the princess who will one day reign over Wonderland. She has not yet seen the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father’s approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into Wonderland’s dangerous political game. Dinah must stay one step ahead of her cunning enemies or she’ll lose not just the crown but her head.
Evil is brewing in Wonderland and maybe, most frighteningly, in Dinah herself.
This is not a story of happily ever after.
This is the story of the Queen of Hearts.

I have had this on my list for a while now. I tried to read it a couple of times and didn't seem to be in the mood so I would put it down. I finally started and finished this book and I am very happy I did. I really did enjoy the book. The story was interesting and even though it was a little slow I kept reading and the ending just blew me away. It was good, real good. 

Dinah is princess of Wonderland and she knows one day she will become queen. Her father, the king of Wonderland is not a warm person, never says anything encouraging to Dinah, and seems to lack any kind of love. Dinah has found that life in Wonderland keeps getting more complicated. With the help of her crush, Dinah starts a journey to understand the secrets of Wonderland and she discovers nothing is as it seems and there are so many secrets, betrayals, and evil in Wonderland.

This book was really good. I love any twist on Wonderland and any story from the evil one's point of view. I have recently read Heartless and I can say that I think it was hard to read another Queen of Wonderland book after that one. It's a very touch act to follow; however this book did hold it's own. 

I struggled a little bit in my final thoughts of this read for the simple fact the beginning was a little slow for me. There was a lot of time in Dinah's head and I guess it was a bit too much for me. Once the book took off though, a little bit over halfway probably, I didn't want to put the book down. Honestly, I am having a bit of a hard time of this with many books lately. It may just be me.... at any rate, at some point in the book I was so totally into the story. 

I had mixed feelings most of the book when it came to Dinah. Honestly she was a bit spoiled and rotten but there was something buried deep inside of her wanting to escape. She lived her life in fear of disappointing her father, loneliness from missing her mother and her father not really being a part of her life, and jealousy over everything that took her father's attention. She did have some loving servants in her life and one boy that stole her heart. I do believe that it is due to these people that she is still a very strong girl. She lacks when it comes to making good decisions, she has never had much of a role model. She needs direction, leadership, and love in her life and she is getting none. 

There is a handful of characters in this book but really the only one that I was give the chance to really connect to was Dinah. I feel that this is one are the book lacked. This is Wonderland I feel there was so much to work with in character development and I didn't really get it. I do like that I was able to feel and understand Dinah, which is important for the story of Queen of Hearts, but I needed or wanted a bit more with the other characters. 

I do feel this book lacked with aspects and it didn't really hook me until late in the book. In some ways it felt like this was just a build up to a much bigger story. The ending was left on a cliffhanger... this bugged me just a bit since this is when it got really really good. I do understand the importance of the world building and I do think this book fulfilled this part... I just wanted a bit more. 

I will be reading the rest of the series. At least the next book. I need to know where the story will go and I am hoping the thrills and the excitement from the end of the book will continue over to the second book with no speed bumps. 

I did like the story... it needed a bit more but I was able to get involved and invested enough to want to know the rest. 

Colleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including The Queen of Hearts Series, The Wendy Darling Saga and the upcoming YA novel The Black Coats. She lives in North Denver with her husband and son and surrounds herself with the most lovely family and friends imaginable. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture.

She currently at work on her third YA fairytale series, a YA thriller and a fantasy collaboration.

You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Twitter @ColleenBlooms.

Review: Tell The Wind and Stars by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title:  Tell The Wind And Fire

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Clarion Books 

Publishing Date: April 5th 2016

Pages: 360
Genre: Classic Retelling/urban fantasy

Series:  Stand alone
Source: Audio

 

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised.

Lucie alone knows of the deadly connection the young men share, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

Celebrated author Sarah Rees Brennan tells a magical tale of romance and revolution, love and loss.

This will be a difficult book to review because of my feelings right at this moment but I wanted to write the review right away… because of my feelings. Great book to review to get me back into reviewing.. not so much on reading.. because I am not sure I can go on after this book.

I want to start by saying this book has been on my TBR for a very long time. I was scared to get to it beacuase of the reviews. I thought well I guess I can understand the mixed reviews but really I can’t. I really wished I had not waited so long to read this book and really can’t believe its over.

This book was amazing for me. It did start off a little slow but not so slow I wasn't interested. It was a book of deep thinking and feeling and I wasn't quite prepared for that but I am so glad I dove into this book. 

This is a retelling of Tale of Two cities. About a two cities... one full of good magic and lives weatlhy but has lots of rules and ettiquite to live by. The other city is dangerous and dark and full of dark magic. They are forgotten, used, and starving. This is the story about a girl and 2 boys that find themselves in a real mess. A mess that involves death, and a doppleganger, and secrets. They have to work together to stay alive. 

I have never read tale of two cities. I am not much of a classic reader. Which I know I need to correct and I am working on it and this one will for sure be added to my list.. but for now I have not read it and had no idea what I was getting into. I think most of the mixed reviews may be from if you read the original or not. I think It may be hard to appreciate if you havn’t or if you don’t read between the lines. There is a lot to be said about this book.

This book can be slow. That was the hardest part I had with the story. But there was so much in that slowness that set the mood and the story soley for the ending. The characters are a bit one dimensional at the beginning … again setting the stage for what is to come. If I was to rate this book on most of the first half it would have been much lower. I still would have enjoyed it but not loved and adored it. The ending and what comes out of the ending is totally what made me fall for this book. It brought everything into light and now I just don’t’ know what to do with myself.

This book is a lot. There is so much that rests in the growth of the characters, the setting, the tone. It’s a book about revenge and about good and evil and about what is actually right in the end. The choices you make mark your way along the path. The only choices you feel you have may not be good ones but you have to make the best of it and deal with the road it leads you down. Its about sacrifice and true human worth and what soul is. Its about the greater good and if it really is the greater good or self righteousness. It’s a book of soul searching and deep thinking.

The story was good and was filled with deeper meaning but it was also written so beautifully. A very lyrical and poetic telling and the visionaries drawn with words was so fantastic. I was immersed into this world. Which the world building was so well done. There is never an explanation of where the magic came from but really it didn’t matter for the story. The story wasn’t about the magic. That was just thrown in to make it more beuaitful and exciting. It was not however the center of the story. The center of the story was mankind. So I found myself never needing and explanation of where the magic came from or how it all started. Usually this is a big deal for me but not needed for this story to shine.

So I do see the mixed reviews. It may not be the book for everyone but it was for me and if you like heartbreaking stories and deeper meanings in every action, give this a shot. You just may fall in love with it too.

At first it was a four heart for me.; but the longer I sat here not wanting to pick up my next read I was so anxiously awaiting and needing to review this gem right away. I knew it was nothing but a 5 hearts for me.

Sarah Rees Brennan is Irish and currently lives in Dublin. For a short stint, she lived in New York and became involved with a wide circle of writers who encouraged and supported her, including Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. She has developed a wide audience through her popular blog, mistful.livejournal.com, where she writes movie parodies, book reviews and some stories.

Review: Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty

Title: Lock & Mori  

Author:  Heather W. Petty
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date:  September 15th 2015

Pages: 256
Genre: YA Mystery/ Classic Retellings

Series: Lock & Mori #1
Source: ARC 

 

FACT: Someone has been murdered in London’s Regent’s Park. The police have no leads.

FACT: Miss James “Mori” Moriarty and Sherlock “Lock” Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.

FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.

FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock’s one rule—they must share every clue with each other—Mori is keeping secrets.

OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can’t trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again.

This was the first Holmes book I have ever read. I know terrible. I am hoping to read the classic real soon and I know I started this backwards by reading a retelling first. But this book did its job as a retelling and made me want to read the original so that will done soon. Now back to this book, it was was great. I enjoyed this read so very much. I loved the classic mystery feel, I loved the characters, and I loved the story. I am not sure how it measures up to the original but this retelling had me stuck and invested from page one. 

Well not much to tell here. Its about Sherlock and its about Moriarty. Sherlock is a teenage boy.. obsessed with mysteries, puzzles, and games. Moriarty is a teenage girl. One who has a hard home life, very smart with life and books, and needs a friend. There have been a string of murders in the park and Sherlock and Moriarty decide to get together to investigate them. Solve them, Its a game, a challenge, a competition. The game is afoot. 

This book really surpassed my expectations. I really didn't know what to expect but I didn't expect to like this book and enjoy it as much as I did. The beginning started off a little slow for me but it didn't take me long to really grab onto the characters and run with them.

My favorite part of this book was the characters. The mystery was great and I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did so yay for keeping me in the dark.... but it was just a murder mystery. Well executed and enjoyable but not anything extraordinary. The characters however were.

I loved these two. They were quite the opposite but they got a long... well they went together well. They start off as just two smart bored kids with a mystery to solve, then they become friends, then they fall in love.... it was fast but it was so much fun. The bickering, the chemistry, the need for each other was all wrapped in a sweet but troubled way. It wasn't the usual romance. It wasn't all fluffy and irresistible. It was a need and a connection and of course great timing for these two. It worked and it worked very well.

I didn't connect to Moriarty as much as I wanted, She was a hard cookie to feel but I did connect enough to want to know her more and take my time figure her out. She  had it rough and she was a bit closed off. Only opening herself up enough to keep Sherlock around. She needed him and even though she hated to admit it, she kept him around because she needed  him. She was very smart, Very street smart and book smart. She is very loyal.. to her family and now I think to Sherlock. She was screwed up... just a little from being smacked around and hated by her father. She was a a survivor.

Sherlock was an interesting character. I wish I has more of him. This story was told from Moriarty's point of view so Sherlock was in the background. He did catch my eye though. Smart... well book smart. Socially awkward. Conceited a bit. Yes all the things expected but.. He had a huge heart for Moriarty. He was kind (what he knew of kind) He protected her, he had a huge sense of needing to protect her. His love was for Moriarty was quite evident.

So they mystery was good. The story was an introduction for more to come in the relationship of Moriarty and Sherlock, The romance was well done. The book was a very very fast read. It happened quick and it was a page turner once I got past the first two chapters. It was a real winner for me. I really liked this one and expect the next one to blow me away. 

If you like Sherlock Holmes read this, if you have never read Sherlock Holmes read this, If you have read Sherlock Holmes and didn't care for it... read this. I think you will  like it.

Heather Petty writes Young Adult novels about grim reapers with English accents, snarky magic shop cashiers, and faery-infested summer camps, all of which are represented by Laurie McLean of Fuse Literary.
Her debut YA mystery, LOCK & MORI, is coming Fall 2015 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Heather is also a granola mom, avid reader, technical writer, and freelance editor. She lives in Reno, Nevada with a Lumberjack, a Fairy-Child, and four cats who she’s pretty sure are plotting her demise.

Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh

Publisher: G.P; Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: May 12th 2015
Pages: 395

Genre: YA Retelling

Series: The Wrath and the Dawn

Source:  Audio

  

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all. 

This book was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. I grabbed the audio as soon as I could and dove into the read. It was incredible. I cannot put all my feelings and emotions for this book into words. It took me in, made me fall in love, then tore my heart out of my chest. It was more than I had hoped for and I am crushed but excited there is a book two. I need more and I need it now. 

This is a retelling of 1001 Nights. A girl marries a man who is said to be a monster. He marries at  night and kills his bride at dawn. The girl, Shazi, finds a way to stay alive. Night after night. Her true motive, not to stay alive but to seek revenge on the monster, her husband. He killed her best friend. In the time of planning and finding the time to avenge her friends death, she discovers truths, uncovers secrets, and falls in love with the monster. 

I have never read 1001 nights, I didn't even know what it was about. I did know that Aladdin comes from the story but that's about it. This story intrigued me. I did look up info about the original before
I started the book just out of curiosity and I thought it sounded marvelous and it was.

I still didn't know much about when I started the story and it was so much more than I anticipated. It was very engrossing, very romantic, very dark, very addicting. Once I started the read I couldn't stop. I was in for the long haul and I was immersed inside this world. I forgot about everything around me and just ventured. I loved everything! I adored the characters, I was amazed by the writing, and I was living the story. Not a thing I would change....except for the ending..... but I will touch on that later.

The writing, for sure, is what made this story for me. It was beautiful. It was well done. Tons of character development. The world was vivid. So vivid. I really thought I was living in this world while I read it. Its been way too long since a book totally pulled me in like this,

All the characters had depth.... so many levels and it took the entire book to get through all those layers. Which I enjoyed. It was page after page of really getting to know these characters. Learning their flaws, desires, secrets, strengths. I couldn't get enough. Each character dark and lovely. I couldn't hate any of them. Just lots of love.

Shazi was a strong character, bent on revenge. She wouldn't allow anyone or anything to get in her way. Or so she thought. The problem was.... Shazi had a heart. She loved fiercely. So that fierceness let her to her revenge but it also held her back and following through. I really loved her. She was smart and lovely and colorful.

Khalid... oh what to say about Khalid. So I knew from the start as it was obvious there were reasons behind the death. Now I didn't fully understand this reason or how he could do it but I knew that would come in time. The entire time from the beginning I couldn't hate him. His character drew me in and intrigued me. He was charming, he was withdrawn, he was mysterious, he was confident, I just liked him and as the story continued and Shazi's love became, mine did too. I fell for him. I sure did.

The romance, yes there was romance. A slow burning passionate but sweet, intense, awe inspiring romance. I can't explain the romance because it just needs to be felt. It was good, real good, great, awesome, life stopping goodness.

The ending was the only downfall for me. It was fast and non ending and heartbreaking and uggg... I just wanted to scream and throw the book except I was listening to it and didn't want to throw my mp3.

One more thing... the narrator rocked. I never really know what to say about the narrator except that with her and the writing, the book truly came to life for me. In fact once it was over I really didn't know what to do with my life for days... weeks even. It was hard and it its a series and it will be a while before the next one comes out. so sad!

A breathtaking beautifully written dark and tempting read.

I live in North Carolina (Go Heels!) with my husband Victor and our dog Mushu. My YA fantasy novel, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, is available wherever books are sold. In my spare time, I like to cook, dance salsa, and wreak havoc on the lives of my characters.