This week I'm reviewing:
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These quick bite stories were very entertaining. I think if I had to choose, the first two would be my favorites, but I enjoyed them all.
The first one reminded me of Joel and Tess from The Last of Us in a post apocalyptic world.
The second one reminded me of a time loop in Life is Strange.
The third reminded me of Kara in Detroit Become Human.
And the fourth reminded me of the Leviathan in Supernatural.
Each story was unique and honestly, they contained so much world in them, that they could all be made into novels. Such interesting concepts!
I do wish some had a bit more punch at the end, but they were still cool stories without it. The endings mostly drop off and you're left there like "oh, I wanted more" but in a good way.
I will be looking into more by this author and I recommend these short reads to sci-fi and fantasy and dystopian readers. It's 4/5 stars from me.
I can't say I didn't like this book because there was a lot of things to like. The characters were enjoyable and the way they interacted was realistic and fun. The roller coaster of their luck throughout the day was entertaining. Even the twist with the dog at the end was great.
My critique with this book is that I found it hard to adjust to the author's style. The main character would be going about their business then in the same paragraph there's ghosts and creepy things and a lot of times I had to reread sections to understand what just happened. Also, to give us backstory, the author completely stops the story to tell us what they need to and then goes back to what was happening. I understand this is their style choice, and while it's unique, for me it took away from the story itself.
The other thing with this story is there's obviously stuff going on with the main character. They're seeing things, they've been through some trauma, but I don't feel that ever heightens. I don't feel there's a climax or a resolution to the story.
The book has a fascinating concept. The author is definitely onto something. It's also very polished as far as grammar goes. The style just wasn't for me. It was a bit of everywhere and out of focus, but that could be what the author wanted.
I'd still recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind being pulled from the story for extra info. It's 3/5 stars for this one because I definitely see potential.
What a roller coaster!
This was such an exciting read! The short chapter often ending in cliffhangers kept me turning pages.
The story, the clues, the small victories and losses created so many highs and lows for the characters.
I was enthralled with the game the angel created and loved that he was always one step ahead. Not that I wanted the detectives to lose, but the twists made the story that much more exciting. Every time you think it's over it's not. Even at the end, no spoilers, but I was thinking, "Wow the author forgot something big" and then was pleasantly surprised they didn't!
The storytelling and prose was well done. I'm ready for the next book!
5/5 and I recommend this book to any supernatural, crime, or mystery reader!
This book had a lot of things going for it, and I absolutely did enjoy the story. The world building was very good, and the characters interacted very naturally.
The beginning hooks the reader well with Casey being invisible to those around him except his family. However, the fluke never seems to be explained. Which brings me to one critique I have for this book. There are several unanswered questions by the end of the book. My it's meant to be that way to make room for a sequel, but a part of me felt a bit cheated. The main conflict of the book was resolved, but there were still some little things I wanted tied up that weren't.
Another thing is, I think this book would have worked better if the main characters, Casey and Gloria were a little older. The are ages 11 and 6, but they don't act, think, or talk in the way those ages would. The book is categorized as Children's fiction but I read it more as YA (if the ages were different).
That being said, the magic, the creatures, the school structure, all of it was very interesting and it did keep me turning pages. There's definitely some unique things going on here.
I think middle grade readers wouldn't pick out the critiques I see and would love the enchanting story. For me personally it's 3.5/5 stars.
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