Even the most astute readers will be in for a shock as Hawkins slowly unspools the facts, exposing the harsh realities of love and obsession’s inescapable links to violence.
It felt like watching a long-awaited, much-touted extreme martial arts match end in a tie. At least I learned something about Dante, Florence, and the H+ movement—and it was more fun than a typical history lesson.
King may be exploring the nature of violence in contemporary America, but the narrative’s pacing is too slow for it to catch. King plots every action of his main characters, who spend a distracting amount of time thinking things through. Nothing is held back, which means the suspense never gains momentum.
A relentless page-turner, Gone Girl revels in the lack of happy outcomes for its ill-fated couple, whose terrifying normalcy is slowly peeled away, with financial woes and family arguments coming to light.
Emma Donoghue is a very, very skilled writer. Room is a remarkable achievement. It’s one of the best books I have read in years.
Readers wishing to wallow in cultural trivia will find much to savor in Hallberg’s all-encompassing, occasionally overwritten effort, but others will be left to wonder how so much energy could generate so little light.
...swift and satisfying, especially when read through the lens of secrets and fame and the famous writer behind it all.
Though Barton stumbles slightly down the homestretch, tipping what should be her biggest bombshell, she tells her tale with a realism and restraint that add to its shattering impact.
...providing the warmth of a first-person narration and the freedom of an omniscient one. It might be this that gives Sebold's novel its special flavor, for in Susie's every observation and memory—of the smell of skunk or the touch of spider webs—is the reminder that life is sweet and funny and surprising,
The book ends on a cliffhanger worthy of Harry Potter, and Rowling’s readers will eagerly await the next installment.
...in which dogged attorney Jake Brigance fights for justice in a Mississippi town where justice is not always easy to come by...Trademark Grisham, with carefully situated echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird. A top-notch thriller.
The methodical Strike and the curious Ellacott work their way through a host of vividly drawn suspects and witnesses toward an elegant solution. Readers will hope to see a lot more of this memorable sleuthing team.
..."The Gods of Guilt" is first and foremost a propulsive, engaging legal thriller that for sheer courtroom drama surpasses the bestselling "The Fifth Witness," which earned Connelly the 2012 Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction.
Among the other treats in this complex web are Connelly’s ability to construct seamless links between plot strands while springing the occasional plot twist on us
It is very well done and worth the read; however, each reader needs to decide if this story is a true account. As for me … I feel this story faithfully describes Heaven through the eyes of a four year old.
Not much mystery and even less poison, but it’s hard to resist either the genre’s pre-eminent preteen sleuth or the hushed revelations about her family.
Sharp Objects is a gripping novel that sucks the reader into this small town mentality, where the misfit is tormented, young girls grow up too fast and the whole sorry bunch is in deep denial. Each word will sear on your skin and leave more than a lasting impression.
The book contains some surprising twists and turns, the ending coming out of left field—totally unexpected...It is a well-written, fast-paced, emotion-grabbing read.