Review: The Lighthouse Witches

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I am giving this book 4 stars, but I am rounding up. There were parts of the book that I really enjoyed, parts of the book that felt disjointed, and parts of the book that I did not like at all.
The main story begins when Liv shows up at a remote lighthouse, apparently to take a commission to paint a mural on its wall. The lighthouse is decrepit, the sketches of the proposed mural are strange, and an eerie feeling permeates the landscape. Nevertheless, Liv is determined to do her job, despite the strangeness of some of her new neighbors and the growing hostility of her oldest daughter Saffy. Meanwhile Saffy has discovered a grimoire, written by a man named Daniel in the 17th century, detailing the witch hunts that went on in the area. When hints of their new home's dark past begin to be revealed, Liv is not sure who or what to trust.
Twenty-two years in the future, Luna, Liv's middle daughter has carried on the search for her missing mother and two sisters, and feels called to return to the island lighthouse when Clover, her youngest sister, suddenly reappears. But Clover looks just the same as she did 22 years ago--she is still seven years old. Luna, just as her mother all those years earlier, is not sure who or what to trust.
I enjoyed Liv's storyline, even though at times I didn't agree with her reasoning or decisions, I also really enjoyed Luna's storyline; once she "reunited" with Clover it was quite creepy.
I had the biggest issue with Daniel and his storyline. It really didn't feel like it flowed with the rest of the threads of the story. I realize it was supposed to explain some of what was going on in the present-day, and add some background information as well as motivations for what was happening to Liv and her girls, but it just didn't weave into the other threads of the story in a logical or organic way. And--without giving away any spoilers--at the end, when Daniel's fate was revealed, I just got mad. After all the things he had been through, and all the things he had witnessed, for him to make the decision he did regarding what to do with the rest of his life was, to me, not only disappointing, but also cowardly. In the light of Daniel's actions at the end, the whole "wildling" aspect was truly horrifying--and not in the fun "I am reading a scary book" way, but in a truly repugnant way that really bothered me. That really left me with a bad taste in my mouth about the whole book.
I'm not sure if I would recommend this book. I know I would NOT recommend it to anyone who has lost a young child. I think if Daniel's storyline had been reworked, or if he'd been left out completely and all the reader had from that time was the grimoire, the book would have been much better.

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Review: Vespertine

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from Goodreads.
I enjoyed this book. I was immediately drawn into the atmosphere of this book, and the story soon took off in a way that made me not want to put the book down. Artemisia is a young girl living in a convent, haunted by trauma in her past, and when she is confronted by evil spirits she must decided whether to trust one of the most powerful spirits of all--The Revenant--to help her defeat the spirits that are threatening her fellow sisters, her fellow countrymen, and her world. She could use the Revenant to save everyone, but could lose herself in the process.
The atmosphere that the author is able to evoke is completely immersive. The descriptions and settings were so well done. The reader really gets a feel for the dark, Gothic, eerie, and ethereal world the characters are living in. Artemisia is also very compelling, and a heroine who is easy to root for. The Revenant is also a fascinating character, which is saying a lot, considering it is really just a "spirit" who is communing with Artemisia in her head.
The world-building is quite good. The author uses words and terms that are slightly similar to real-world things, which gives the reader and idea of what is going on or what the author wants you to associate things with.
I got a little lost about 1/3 of the way through the book, because I realized I wasn't really sure why Artemisia had embarked upon her quest to literally save her world and why she was going where she was going and doing the things she was doing. I had to go back and reread, and I still was a bit confused. But I just kept going, and despite the ambiguity of how Artemisia ended up fighting to save a city full of people, I enjoyed her journey and was rooting for her the whole way. That being said, the ending was a bit anticlimactic. I was waiting for a big bang and it was more like a loud pop... That being said, I still liked the ending.
I have enjoyed every book this author has written. I am glad this book will get a sequel at least, because I am very interested to see what else Artemisia and the Revenant will do together, not to mention the other characters in the book, especially Leander. If you enjoy YA fantasy, I would recommend this book

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Review: Last Girl Ghosted

Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book. 

This book started off so good. In the middle it seemed like a completely different book. And by the end I was just kind of confused...
I was excited to read this story about Wren, who is encouraged by her best friend to try a dating app, and through it meets Adam, an intriguing and mysterious man with whom Wren feels an immediate connection. The two begin a relationship which lasts for 3 months, until one day when Adam completely disappears (after Wren has confessed something to him about a serious time in her past). Wren tries to find Adam and discover what is really going on when she is confronted by a private investigator who reveals Adam may not be at all what he seemed, and is probably connected to the disappearance of 3 other women.
At this point, I was loving the book. I felt like I was reading an episode of Dateline or something, and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. But then the book took a turn. In Wren's flashbacks the reader discovers more about her painful past and what has made her into the woman she is today. While this part of the book was compelling, it was not at all what I was expecting, and the book became much less of a mystery or psychological thriller, and more of an exploration of Wren's personal journey as she tried to live with her demons. It was dark, depressing, and hard to read.
Then, the book started to pick up again as it looked like Adam--or whoever was behind his disappearance--may be close to coming out in the open and revealing what exactly was going on. I was rooting for Wren to take charge and make whoever was responsible pay for what was going on. But in the last 1/3 things got weird. Wren made questionable decision after questionable--actually terrible--decision (I expected more of her), the timeline of the book got very confusing, and things that should have been elaborated on and delved into were barely mentioned. Things that didn't have much bearing on the story were described in incredible detail. I just got confused. Then the "climax" of the book was more than a little convenient and unbelievable. And I was left feeling a bit disappointed.
I am not sure what this book was trying to be--a twisty psychological thriller, a story of a woman's quest to confront her past and become the best version of herself, a tense and creepy suspense-filled mystery? It's like it was trying to be all three, and failed. I am not sure if I would recommend this book or not.

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Review: Certain Dark Things

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed this book. I was completely drawn into the world created by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and felt completely immersed in the Mexico City that Atl and Domingo were living in.
Atl, a vampire (or Tlahuihpochtli), is trying to survive in an alternate Mexico City after a rival vampire clan destroyed her family. She reluctantly teams up with Domingo, a young trash collector, to hopefully evade her enemies--including the authorities, drug gangs, and other vampires--so she can make it out of Mexico City alive.
The way this book blends vampire lore with pre-Hispanic Mexican mythology and culture was very compelling, as was all of Moreno=Garcia's vampire "backstory." Not only that, but the characters were extremely compelling as well. The plot plus the setting sucked me in (pun intended...?). Atl is fascinating as she navigates a treacherous road to safety. She is not always likable but does have rooting value, and even if I didn't like or agree with some of her choices, they did feel organic, and it was obvious that those choices made sense to Atl. Domingo is also a well-drawn character. I immediately connected with him, and rooted for him; I wanted everything to end up okay for Domingo! The secondary characters added to the story as well, and rounded out the book.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work in the past, or anyone who enjoys vampire fiction.

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Review: Never Saw Me Coming

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from Netgally.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It was fun, refreshing, different, and engrossing. That might be hard to believe if you've just read the synopsis, but it is true.
Chloe is a freshmen ready to tackle her first year of college and all it brings: new roommate, new friends, challenging classes, and...killing Will Bachman. It turns out Chloe is one of seven students participating in a study of psychopaths and their behavior. Chloe doesn't mind participating in the study--hey, her tuition is paid for!--and has learned to live quite well with her diagnosis. But she is not going to let anything get in the way of her most important goal: ridding the world of Will. When another student in the study is murdered, Chloe wonders if she now needs to watch out for another murderer on campus. Could it be another psychopath? Can she trust any of the other study participants?
When I began reading this book I thought it would be more angsty, very dark, full of unreliable narrators, and disturbing. But I was wrong. While it definitely has its dark moments and Chloe and her fellow psychopaths do often engage in questionable behavior, the more lighter "normal" moments really serve as a wonderful contrast. Told mainly from Chloe's perspective, the matter-of-fact way in which she describes and relates things that are completely normal to a psychopath and yet completely strange and shocking to someone without that diagnosis can be jarring, but in a good way. Chloe has definite rooting value, even as the reader questions if Chloe's actions should be worth rooting for. Charles and Andre and great counterpoints to Chloe, and make an amazing trio that I wanted to read more and more about.
The plot moved along well, and I had really no idea what was going to happen next. I was completely drawn in and did not want to put the book down. I wanted to keep reading because I could not wait to see what would happen next, but at the same time I did not want the book to be over, because I enjoyed Chloe, Charles, and Andre so much.
The book--while it feels a bit bizarre to call this a fun read, and to me this absolutely was--also does raise some questions that will really make the reader think. Are all psychopaths destined to be criminally "bad?" Is it alright to make assumptions about people, even if it is based on "science?" How safe is our digital and social network infused world? Does the public's obsession with true crime dehumanize the people involved in those crimes? I don't want to give away any spoilers if you haven't read the book yet, but towards the end, Dr. Wyman's attitudes and beliefs about whether or not criminals deserve the chance to be rehabilitated was very interesting, considering Chloe's attitudes. It created a fascinating dichotomy.
This was a great book. It had all the fun, soapy young adult things you'd expect in a book about college students, the suspense-filled elements of a thriller about a murder, and some very thought provoking elements you'd expect in a book about people with different psychological issues trying to function in "normal" society. I will say that there was one climactic moment that wasn't quite as climatic as I'd wanted, but it definitely did not ruin the book for me. I would absolutely recommend it. And I really hope we can get more adventures with the "Scooby Gang." I loved them (even while questioning if I should love them or not)!

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Review: The House of Ashes

The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I wouldn't call this a fun or quick read, but it was definitely a good book. The story and characters really stayed with me even after I finished the book.
The story starts with Sara, a young wife whose husband has moved the couple to a remote Irish cottage that has been in disrepair. But the book really, in my opinion, picks up with Mary's story, who apparently lived in the same house some years earlier. Mary was incredibly compelling, even as a very young girl. The author is able to use Mary and her point of view to relate some of the horrifically tragic events that take place in the house, and very effectively does that without being graphic or gratuitous. In a book that deals with such serious issues, this was a very smart way to let the reader know what was going on without having to implicitly describe things in detail that would be very unwanted.
I was completely drawn in by Mary and, even though I had some idea of what would happen to her, I was rooting for her throughout the book. Even though the reader pretty much knows what heinous event took place in that house decades ago, the author still does a superb job of building the tension to a point that when it does finally occur, it almost feels like a relief.
I would have liked a little more fleshing out with Sara. While she was a main character I feel like I knew her less that may of the secondary characters.
This is a haunting book that deals with serious issues. I did like it, despite thinking early in that I would not. It is very well written.

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Review: The Disappearing Act

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
The Disappearing Act is about Mia, a British actress on the cusp of hitting it big, who takes a little time to visit Hollywood during pilot season. She’s never been there before and so is quite happy to make a connection with a fellow actress at an audition. But when Mia’s new “friend” disappears into thin air, Mia is confused and concerned to say the least. Did she really disappear, did she ever really exist, or is someone playing a disturbing game with Mia?
This was quick easy read and I enjoyed it. It’s a perfect beach/vacation ction book.

Things that I liked:
* The reliable, single narrator. It seems like EVERY book right now has multiple points-of-view, multiple timelines, and at least one narrator that the reader isn’t sure can be trusted for whatever reason. While those books can be fun, it was refreshing to read an “old-fashioned” mystery.
* The author did a wonderful job of evoking the almost magical quality of Hollywood juxtaposed with the harshness of the city. The isolation that Mia feels as a newcomer is palpable.

Things that I didn’t like:
* The author had a habit of ending a chapter with a big event or reveal and then skipping over the aftermath and fall-out in the next chapter until Mia reveals what happened in an offhand way that makes each of these big incidents seem not quite so important. Every time that happened it felt like a bit of a let-down.
* Without giving away any spoilers, I wasn’t a fan of how the ending/“epilogue” was spread out over two chapters. If those had been re-worked into one “event” I think it would have been more impactful.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

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Review: The Last Mona Lisa

The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.

I am in the minority, but I did not like this book at all. I tried. I slogged through it. But it just seemed like a straight-to-home-video movie, instead of a summer-blockbuster mystery/action/thriller.
The quest that the main character, Luke, goes on to try to discover just exactly what happened when his great-grandfather stole the Mona Lisa just wasn't compelling enough to keep me interested. The characters were all two-dimensional and I felt no connection to them. Their motivations did not seem organic or realistic. The action scenes felt tacked-on. The chapters alternated points-of-view and narrators, and so switched from first person present-tense, to third person past-tense, to third person present-tense, and it felt jarring every time. My least favorite chapters were the ones narrator by Vincent. To me he came across as a self-absorbed, self-pitying, melodramatic guy who believed he was a great artist and should not be expected to take a "menial" job that would actually provide for his wife and unborn child. I had no patience with him. (For that matter, I didn't really like Luke, either. And don't get me started on Alex. Their insta-love was not at all believable.)
I would not recommend this book. But I know a lot of people have really enjoyed it. So what can I say? Maybe you'll love it, and maybe you won't. I certainly didn't.

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Review: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

This was the first Enola Holmes book I have read (I did watch the movie), and I absolutely loved it! I usually hesitate to read books in a series if I haven't read the previous books, but--maybe because I did watch the movie--I didn't feel like I was lost or missing any information or confused. I was able to pick up the action right as it started and was ready to begin this fascinating investigation along with Enola.
The book begins with Sherlock himself giving the reader a bit of background, and then moves to the POV of Enola, as she inadvertently, yet with resolute determination, joins her brother in discovering the whereabouts of the young wife of an aristocrat. According to her husband, she died quickly from a mysterious illness, but her twin sister doesn't believe that she is actually dead. The reader follows Enola as she sets out investigating the presumed dead wife, the "cad" of a husband, and where exactly troublesome women actually might go when they "disappear."
The author struck just the right cord of independent spirit in Enola and recklessness in her adventures to be entertaining and fun without being unbelievable and outlandish. The plot was rollicking and fun yet also really enlightening about the plight of women living in Victorian England. Enola is an endearing character, and the other characters who inhabited the book were just as compelling and interesting.
I could not recommend this book enough. It was a fun quick read, yet also engaging and intriguing. Enola was fascinating, and her quest to solve the mystery was compelling. I definitely will read the other books in this series. I even told my fifteen-year-old daughter that she absolutely should read this book--that should tell you all you need to know!

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