44 (44, #1)

Nov 27, 2011 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was surprisingly very good, which I didn't know what to expect! The story was original and the characters were very likable! The setting is sad and gloomy considering what the main character (Abby) has gone through, but it works with the plot! Abby the main character is in a dark place in her life! She experienced a drowning accidenty in a frozen lake, she was pronounced dead, but somehow came back! She doesn't remember anything from the accident and how she drowned and many parts of h...more This book was surprisingly very good, which I didn't know what to expect! The story was original and the characters were very likable! The setting is sad and gloomy considering what the main character (Abby) has gone through, but it works with the plot! Abby the main character is in a dark place in her life! She experienced a drowning accidenty in a frozen lake, she was pronounced dead, but somehow came back! She doesn't remember anything from the accident and how she drowned and many parts of her life before the accident are erased from her mind! Additionally, her world is now black and white in many ways! After the accident she becomes color blind, but I think this is methophorically how the author wants us to see from her POV. Abby now lives in darkness in a way, her life is without color, this was stripped away the day of her accident, she's lost many of her friends, people believe she is a sort of freak, she can't play soccer anymore due to the affects of her incident, and her grades in school are not great and she wonders if she will graduate; not only that but she has visions in her dreams of people dying in the hands of a serial killer! The only person she can rely on her secret is her sister Kate and her best friend Jessy which something has changed in their relationship but she doesn't know what. All the characters are an important part of Abby's recovery and they will help her get her memory back and hopefully catch the killer on the loose! This story has suspense, heartache, romance, and mystery all packed into this book! You will never expect the turn out of the story it's both surprising and sad! I loved how the author was able to keep you guessing throughout! Not once did I expect the outcome of this book! I am so glad there is a second book on the works! I really enjoyed this book! Don't expect this to be a long read... I was satisfied with it because the author gives you enough without becoming redundant, overwhelming or boring! The book was just right! Don't give it a secound thought and pick up this book!(less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Yumi Learner rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I started reading my first book this year in English without using a dictionary. The book is extremely fun beyond my expectation, and I can't put it down. The book has a series and I want to finish all 6 books in this month.

Today I finished reading my first book for this year, and it was very interesting. I couldn't predict the story by the end. While reading the book, I predicted what it would happen to next, and they were always different from my expectation. Especially I love the idea that t...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Francine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-lit, speculative, young-adult, fantasy, suspense

Well, not bad for a free book on Amazon. The writing was not great (far from it), but the story was entertaining enough and kept me hooked. While the themes were more mature, this was definitely geared towards a younger audience. And...while I didn't think Jools Sinclair was a very good writer, she was significantly better than Stephenie Meyer! Larger vocabulary, better pacing, less cringe-inducing dialogue...if the characters were more developed and the mystery not so obvious, I probably would'...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Indigo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: esper, mystery, nookbook, romance, teen, urban-fantasy, you-get-what-you-pay-for, young-adult, death

Id have to give 44 a middle of the road. It wasnt bad, but it didnt live up to its full potential to be really good.

To the credit of the author and her proofreaders, there were far fewer spelling and grammatical errors in this book as compared to most of the other free ebooks i have read. That alone is a big plus.

It was an engaging enough read, but comes apart like wet tissue paper if you apply fridge logic to it. But on the other hand, it feels organic and real -- What seventeen year old girl,...more Id have to give 44 a middle of the road. It wasnt bad, but it didnt live up to its full potential to be really good.

To the credit of the author and her proofreaders, there were far fewer spelling and grammatical errors in this book as compared to most of the other free ebooks i have read. That alone is a big plus.

It was an engaging enough read, but comes apart like wet tissue paper if you apply fridge logic to it. But on the other hand, it feels organic and real -- What seventeen year old girl, already burdened with recovery from an ice drowning and the resultant loss of her athletic abilities would also leap to tackle the mystery of why her best friends were all suddenly angry and hateful to her? So on the one hand: why didnt the heroine talk to her estranged friend? It wouldve given away the shock too soon. But on the other, Abby had amnesia, nightmares, and apparently prophetic dreams to contend with, as well as trying to get her grades back up, and dealing with people who thought her gifted or evil due to her near death experience.

We are told the story from the viewpoint of Abigail Craig, the aforementioned survivor of ice drowning. Sinclair did at least a good bit of research here and it shows. The post trauma symptoms, brain damage, loss of strength, amnesia, nightmares, and difficulty grasping her changed life are all pretty accurate, and did a good job building a gray, black and white world that paints a dreary visual when paired with the backdrop of Oregon in winter.

Abby and her best friend Jesse are the only two really developed characters in the story, though, and that's really a pity. I wouldve liked to have known more backstory about Abby's elder sister Kate, and how she came to date grubby, dirty (and quite possibly homeless) artist Matt. How could he bake muffins? Afford a cellphone if his art didnt sell and all he did was couch surf and panhandle for change?

I would have loved more detail on ambitious reporter Kate, determined to hit a big story and end up on CNN. It would have been interesting to see her struggle between her ambitions and her protective feelings toward her only remaining family.

Abby's doctors could have used some more development as well. How did the ER doc fall for Kate, and what made her turn from Matt to reciprocate. again, the organc justification explains it away. Abby can see it happening, but her sister wont talk about it and Abby has other things on her mind.

Still,as mentioned,the book was engaging enough a read, and the clues clever enough that I was caught by surprise by the pair of ending twists. That alone should give the book an extra half star, as predictability thwarting is always good.

Lastly, i liked the author choosing to build atmosphere with the music choices. Less so with the insider view of Bend; I felt like I needed Google maps open as i read to really grasp the casual familiarity of Abby's careless local namechecks.

Still, even though I am a good bit older than the targeted demographic, I was a voracious reader as a kid, and more meat on the bones of this story, and more substance to the subplots would only have made a better meal for the mind.(less)

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May 06, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is another one of those books which I bought (well, downloaded as it was a freebie) from the Kindle store, just because I wanted to read in bed but was too lazy to walk to the little room which acts as my library.

44 was – perhaps predictably at just 158 pages – thin. This was a book which read more like a novella or even a lengthy short story. However, it wasn't just the word count that made this seem a little on the scrawny side. The story was thin. The dialogue was emaciated. The premise...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Oddmonster rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: brain-in-the-off-position, ya, oregon

Where's the little half-star button? I need a half-star button so this thing gets bumped up to 4.5.

It's crime! It's paranormal! It's YA! It's mean girls in high school and family dating woes!

It's 44. Y'all, I feel like I've been waiting for this book to come along for a long old time. It's the perfect step up from when you feel a little older than John Bellairs and a little too young for Christopher Pike, who is straight-up crazy. It's a calm little soft-rock mystery, despite the underpinnings...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Cee Martinez rated it 3 of 5 stars

Abby Craigers drowned in a frozen lake and was pronounced dead for forty four minutes before miraculously returning to life. There is a strange side effect to her rebirth, however, she can only see in black and white--save the colors of the "emotional auras" of the people around her.

The easy, breezy prose, and swift pacing marks this as young adult novel with a clear voice. Abby is a broken protagonist, who has lost her old friends, her star spot on the school soccer team and is struggling in he...more Abby Craigers drowned in a frozen lake and was pronounced dead for forty four minutes before miraculously returning to life. There is a strange side effect to her rebirth, however, she can only see in black and white--save the colors of the "emotional auras" of the people around her.

The easy, breezy prose, and swift pacing marks this as young adult novel with a clear voice. Abby is a broken protagonist, who has lost her old friends, her star spot on the school soccer team and is struggling in her relationship with her best friend, and possible love interest, Jesse. Regular hospital checkups and psychiatric evaluations mark Abby's days but this depression only serves to paint the canvas of Abby's character, and does not drown the reader in histrionics.

The plot moves at a lightning pace, and is a bit of a familiar one. I think by this point we are all familiar with serial killers, and psychic dreams, and heroines no one believes. Abby confides in her sister, an up and coming reporter who is drowning in trivial small town stories. Abby is having dreams of murders before they happen, and her sister is upon each and every story. Together, the girls set upon investigating the murders themselves and with all the pluck and vigor of classic detective sleuths. A little boy trouble thrown into the mix doesn't hurt proceedings any.

I found this read fun and refreshing, if a bit light. I would have liked to have had a richer sense of surrounding with Abby's color-blind affliction. I was disappointed at an apparent "blooper" in the prose where Abby describes in 1st person the sight of a pink dessert box, which should have been impossible for her to do. (Unless the dessert box was emitting some sort of emotional aura, which would make an entirely different sort of story all together!)

I did find Abby and Kate spunky and likable enough to worry about their welfare, which is always a good thing.

There are no scenes of excessive violence, cursing, or sex. Although, Abby deals with the pains of love, it is not poured all over each page with the smothering treacle that many young adult novels seem to have these days. It really does make a great choice for a super picky parent overseeing their child's reading material.

As this book is the first of a series, the ending does leave off rather abruptly with a hook for more and I must say I won't mind taking a peek at future volumes.(less)

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Jan 07, 2012 Raven rated it 5 of 5 stars

44 Minutes...

That's how long Abby Craig was clinically dead. Some think her return to life was a miracle, God's plan; some think it was the devil's work; still others have different ideas. Whatever the cause or reason, Abby is ostracized by her friends, and considered a "freak"- her only remaining friend is Jesse, whom she has yet to talk about the accident with. She has yet to talk about the accident to anyone, mainly because she doesn't remember it, nearly a year later. Aside from Jesse, her b...more 44 Minutes...

That's how long Abby Craig was clinically dead. Some think her return to life was a miracle, God's plan; some think it was the devil's work; still others have different ideas. Whatever the cause or reason, Abby is ostracized by her friends, and considered a "freak"- her only remaining friend is Jesse, whom she has yet to talk about the accident with. She has yet to talk about the accident to anyone, mainly because she doesn't remember it, nearly a year later. Aside from Jesse, her biggest support system is her older sister Kate, a local newspaper reporter. Things began taking a turn for the strange(r) when Kate is called to report on a body found under a bridge. Abby's reoccurring nightmare has taken an unexpected turn- this time in the dream, she wasn't alone. She was with the man who drowned. When Abby tells Kate of her dream, including the image of a tattoo on the man's neck, Kate confirms the identity of the deceased is indeed the man in Abby's dream- and they soon come to the realization that Abby's dreams are turning into visions. She begins to see the deaths, and the same darkness surrounding the killer, although she can never see his face, and has no way to stop the killings.

Jesse advises Abby not to talk to her shrink, Dr. Krowe, about it, but her sister talks her into telling Dr. Mortimer instead. Dr. Mortimer is the ER doctor who ultimately saved Abby's life, and has a personal interest in her recovery, not to mention has fallen in love with Kate. Abby thinks the pairing would be ideal- until she confides in him about her visions. Seeing the same darkness surrounding Dr. Mortimer upon telling him, Abby is convinced he is the serial killer. But Kate doesn't agree, and won't heed to Abby's warnings. Frustration and worry mount in Abby, along with her growing feelings toward Jesse, and the weight of everyone telling her to forget about her visions and concentrate on her healing. Dr. Krowe is pushing her to remember what happened that fateful night, believing it will help in her recovery. But what will Abby find? And how is it connected to her visions? Will things fall apart or come together when she finally sees the killer's face? And who will believe her? What is her connection to all of this?

While I could see the killer from a mile away, there were a couple of twists and turns I did not anticipate, and Sinclair has a way of telling a tale so you want to see it through to the end, regardless. The ending left me in tears and wanting more- I downloaded the sequel right away.(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Abbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, up-all-night-reads, mystery-suspense

Amazing. I just enjoyed this book. Not only was this a gripping mystery and suspense novel, but it was also fast-paced and didn't leave me bored out of my mind.

So 44 is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Abby Craig who survived the hands of death with only a faulty memory and minor psychological problems. She lives in a small town called Bend; and after she resumes her life, the murders begin to pile up. Abby only wants to live a normal life without the weird, sympathetic looks from everyone...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Adrienne ツ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, mystery-suspense, owned, ya-fantasy-romance, series

This book captivated me from the very beginning. Jools Sinclair certainly knows how to weave a good story; I'm surprised to know not many have been exposed to her beautiful style of writing. I've added her to my list of newly-found favorite authors now. I truly adored this book and I'm sure I'll be having a repeat of my enthusiasm and awe when I get my hands on book two in the series.

44 was a refreshing change from all the other YA books I've read in the past months. It didn't involve seemingly-...more This book captivated me from the very beginning. Jools Sinclair certainly knows how to weave a good story; I'm surprised to know not many have been exposed to her beautiful style of writing. I've added her to my list of newly-found favorite authors now. I truly adored this book and I'm sure I'll be having a repeat of my enthusiasm and awe when I get my hands on book two in the series.

44 was a refreshing change from all the other YA books I've read in the past months. It didn't involve seemingly-ordinary-girl-meets-overly-hot-mysterious-bad-boy typical romances; or any obstacle-ridden-angsty-love-triangles; or even ~~sparkly~~ inhumanly beautiful vampires with hearts made of gold. No, the story was about a girl named Abby Craig who came back to life after 44 minutes of lying dead in a hospital bed and who later had startlingly vivid dreams that could allow her to witness when, where and how the psychotic serial killer who was on the loose in her small town called Bend incapacitated -- or more accurately, asphyxiated -- his victims. And while having these terrifying visions, the said protagonist must also try to come to terms with what happened on the day of her death.

I honestly didn't expect Nathaniel Mortimer, Abby's doctor's brother, to be the serial killer in the town. He was awfully kind and seemed easy to get along with which was why it never crossed my mind that he could be the one behind all the people's deaths. I had my doubts about the doctor himself, and about her sister's ex-boyfriend Matt but I never expected it to be him. This just proves how deceiving appearances can really be and how you should never, ever, rule out anyone as a possible suspect in cold-blooded murder.

The ending was pretty depressing, partly because Nathaniel had gotten loose and escaped the feds but mainly because Jesse, Abby's best friend for eight years who professed his love for her under a dark, starry night but was painfully rejected afterwards, turned out to be a ghost (the author calls him an in-betweener in the book though, so I guess I should call him that too, to be more specific) who had been following Abby around, waiting for her to finally be ready to face the truth. Apparently, he and Abby had died in a car accident that took place near the snow-covered mountain and that he, unlike Abby, had stayed dead and turned into an in-betweener (aw, see? I used the word!) that nobody could see. Sadly, he turned out to be the one that got away. I cried a little after I found out.

But overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would probably rate it five shining stars if the author just hadn't given it a terrible plot twist and revealed to us that Abby's love interest was a ghost. I'd recommend this to anyone who's searching for a slightly different paranormal story. I'll give you a warning beforehand though: get ready to turn on the waterworks if you decide to read this book until the very last page. You're probably gonna need some Kleenex, too.(less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

44 was just about impossible to put down once I started. From the very beginning, there was an air of mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. There was always a bit of the story that was just beyond my reach, a piece missing that was integral to Abby's story. Instead of that missing piece being frustrating, it was what kept me thoroughly engrossed to the end of the book.

Abby was a fantastic lead character, amazingly real and fully relatable. She was struggling to find herself after her acci...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Paranormal/Mystery/Romance
THEME: Visions/Dreams
RECEIVED: Received for Review from Author
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Imagine yourself falling through thick ice, your lungs taking in ice-cold water and your heart slowing down with every inch you fall below the depths. For Abby she experienced just this and was claimed to be dead until she startlingly woke up, but something was wrong she didn’t wake up normal. 44 is a book of fantastic mystery and thrilling twists.

After...more GENRE: YA Paranormal/Mystery/Romance
THEME: Visions/Dreams
RECEIVED: Received for Review from Author
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Imagine yourself falling through thick ice, your lungs taking in ice-cold water and your heart slowing down with every inch you fall below the depths. For Abby she experienced just this and was claimed to be dead until she startlingly woke up, but something was wrong she didn’t wake up normal. 44 is a book of fantastic mystery and thrilling twists.

After the accident of falling through the ice Abby’s life has never been the same. Her friends don’t talk to her, she can no longer play on her soccer team, and she starts having these awful nightmares of a man killing people. Luckily she has her best friend Jesse who still is talking to her and her sister who is her biggest supporter. But when the deaths she see start happening for real outside her dreams, her life takes an even deeper and more dangerous turn.
I loved 44, I don’t want to giveaway why it’s called 44 because I feel as a reader its fun to discover that on your own. Abby is a character that has really hit rock bottom when it comes to her social life, I really felt for her as she struggles with being an outcast and trying to find herself again.

The plot was brilliant and chilling, I had no idea who the killer was and when you think you’ve figured it out another twist happens. I really enjoyed how Abby and her sister tried to solve the mystery together like a little team.

Jesse, Abby’s best friend was a breath of fresh air as a male lead. He was a big mystery and someone who was always there for Abby. He made sure she knew he was there for her, even if he wasn’t always around. I enjoyed reading about his relationship with Abby and their chemistry really pulled everything together.

Overall a great mystery story with a touch of paranormal elements and romance, the ending was a major shocker and leads into the second installment. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Abby. Mystery, romance and paranormal elements, you can’t go wrong with 44.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a YA book with some minor graphic murder scenes but overall enjoyable for all ages. Fans of Amanda Hocking and Kristie Cook.
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May 24, 2011 The BookWhisperer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: series

IMPRESSIVE! 44 is a wolf in sheep� s clothing, and will take is readers by storm. Abby is a seventeen year old trying to come to terms with her near death experience. Although, that hardly gives justice when she was officially dead of 44 minutes. As if waking for this wasn't enough to overcome emotionally; now Abby is trying to adjust to the physical damage that the accident has caused her. With several problems including a limp, color blindness, severe headaches, and memory loss; Abby life is n...more IMPRESSIVE! 44 is a wolf in sheep� s clothing, and will take is readers by storm. Abby is a seventeen year old trying to come to terms with her near death experience. Although, that hardly gives justice when she was officially dead of 44 minutes. As if waking for this wasn't enough to overcome emotionally; now Abby is trying to adjust to the physical damage that the accident has caused her. With several problems including a limp, color blindness, severe headaches, and memory loss; Abby life is not at all what she was used to. Even worse she can't remember most of what happened just before or after the accident leaving a ton of mysteries that she just can't seem to sort out. Just when she begins to accept her life as normal; she begins having nightmare that are actually more than just dreams. This was an intriguing twist of paranormal added to the story. After a couple unexplained deaths are uncovered; Abby learns that she is having dreams about these unexplained death, even more that dreams are telling her they are not simple suicides. The ability to uncover the killer through her dreams was a bit terrifying to say the least. Jools Sinclair is a talented author with the ability to paint a very vivid picture for the readers. It is easy to imagine and follow a story with detail and intensity that was previewed in this story. Jesse and Abby are a bit of reality that was easy to relate and understand. Their romance was a bit of sweet heaven in this novel. The history and relationship between characters is an unspoken and deep hearted love that will have readers craving more. There past is heart wrenching and emotional promising to captivate readers with intrigue and desperation. Their sweet romance with add to the overall excellence of this read promising to attract a variety of readers. With so little pages concern toward to pace of this novel was elevated immediately. Sinclair seems to start this book in the middle of the story without leaving the reader confused and unknowing. With so much information in such a small book it will impress readers to the detail and depth in so few pages. The conclusion will take your breath away. Don't miss you chance to check out this amazing story. [return](less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars

44 is a book that you will not be able to set down. This book is full of excitement, curiosity, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The main character Liz was skipping school to go skiing with her best friend Jesse as they usually did on Thursdays, but this week they were in for an unexpected surprise. Jesse lost control of the car and hit a tree, launching Liz into the lake nearby. She was dead for 3 hours by time they got her back to the hospital.
Once to the hospital they called her s...more 44 is a book that you will not be able to set down. This book is full of excitement, curiosity, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The main character Liz was skipping school to go skiing with her best friend Jesse as they usually did on Thursdays, but this week they were in for an unexpected surprise. Jesse lost control of the car and hit a tree, launching Liz into the lake nearby. She was dead for 3 hours by time they got her back to the hospital.
Once to the hospital they called her sister, since her parents were not there. The doctor did everything he could but was unable to bring her back. A few hours after she was pronounced dead for 44 minutes she miraculously came back to life. It was unfathomable, unexplainable. She came back colorblind, and with little memory. Jesse stayed by her side the entire time she was there. They ran millions of tests and were unable to come up with a conclusion. She went home and tried to go on with her daily life, but as time went on she found more and more things that had changed with her body. She lost all of her athletic ability at school, and was no longer as smart as she used to be. She became the laughing stock of her high school. She also began seeing a psychiatrist.
As time went on Jesse became her only friend, but she also told her sister everything. She felt that she owed it to her to tell her everything. Liz began to have nightmares. Nightmares that would give her the sweats and chills, she couldn’t stop them. In every nightmare she felt as if she were drowning. This went on for weeks. After her 3rd nightmare though she saw someone else drowning in her dream. She explained to her sister what she had seen.
Her sister was a very important news reporter in town and was covering a murder. Maybe her nightmares were just a coincidence or maybe they were able to help in some way. Liz was very curios asking a million questions. All she wanted was the next big story in town, the next big thing. Weeks went by and then another murder happened, and another. They were unable to locate the killer. They had no idea who would commit murder in such a little friendly town as this one. Everyone knew everyone and everyone spoke to everyone. Who could be the killer when there was no body capable of killing?
This book is one of the most enjoyable, mystery books I have ever read. The twists and turns around every corner always keep you interested. I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I do.

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Jan 24, 2012 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got this as a free e-book, so I didn't really go in with the highest expectations. I was pleasantly surprised about how good it was. There was a mystery, a tiny bit of romance, and the lead character was very real feeling.

I don't want to go into a huge amount of detail because I don't want to ruin some of the plot's finer points for someone who is going to want to read it. There is a serial killer in the book that the main character is trying to figure out who it is. There were twists and turn...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

If this book were a movie, it would have to be lined up with The Sixth Sense. It starts with the main character Abby trying to cope with life after a fatal accident. She did die... for 44 minutes. Much to her sister's shock and astonishment, she woke up from the dead. Sometime after, she develops a precognitive ability, dreaming things that are about to happen, usually of murder victims and a serial killer in their town.

The brother of Abby's doctor claims to have brought her back to life, but t

...more

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May 16, 2013 Jenny Hilborne rated it 5 of 5 stars

44 is an excellent paranormal suspense

The story takes place in Bend, OR. Abby Craig drowned when she fell through the ice on a lake. Brought back from death, she is not the same as she was before. Her memory is gone and she lives in a world without colour. Her former best friend now hates her and Abby has no idea why. Unexplained mysteries surround her. Her only anchors are her sister Kate, and her friend Jesse, who Abby realizes she loves but pushed away before her accident.

Then Abby begins to...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Volatalistic Phil rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. What I enjoyed most about it was the length of it. Personally, I don't like drudging through hundreds and hundreds of would be pages. I also enjoyed how things flowed along in the book, not giving you too much to digest at one time. I especially enjoyed the twists in the book, though I will not tell you, I think you will enjoy them too. I'm looking forward to seeing how book two turns out. I picked this book up for free, and I am glad that I did. In these reviews, I t...more

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May 17, 2013 Natacha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, ibook

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 22, 2011 Mishel Zabala rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, for-review, bookishsnob

My Rating: 3.75/5 stars!

I was very taken aback at the detail 44 had since it barely came in at 67 pages. I worry with short novels and novellas because I feel like it’s never enough for me for some reason or another. But 44 was a lovely surprise! The characters were pretty much spot on. The story-telling was nicely paced and the plot was really entertaining. After Abby comes back to life after a drowning accident her entire world has changed. She’s lost the sight of color, a lot of her memories,...more My Rating: 3.75/5 stars!

I was very taken aback at the detail 44 had since it barely came in at 67 pages. I worry with short novels and novellas because I feel like it’s never enough for me for some reason or another. But 44 was a lovely surprise! The characters were pretty much spot on. The story-telling was nicely paced and the plot was really entertaining. After Abby comes back to life after a drowning accident her entire world has changed. She’s lost the sight of color, a lot of her memories, and the friends she was once closest too. The only constants in her life are her best friend Jesse and her strong-willed sister Kate. She may be in love with Jesse but he’s crossed that bridge long ago and Abby failed to reciprocate his feelings. But despite the strained emotional tug Abby feels for Jesse he still remains to be the rock she leans on.

When terrible visions start to plague Abby she thinks everyone may be right about her: maybe she is just a freak. But then the visions turn out to be accurate and Abby knows there’s a deadly serial killer hunting the streets of her hometown and she may be the only one who can stop him…

It took a little bit of time for me to get to know and care about Abby. She’s extremely vulnerable and depressed in the beginning of the story. But it isn’t until she breaks from her shell and realizes how much courage she possesses that I really got a sense of who she was. I didn’t really understand why she was treated so horribly after she came back from her accident. I know people can be cruel for no reason but it still baffles me (both in reality and fiction) when people act cold and callous. Even after the ending I still didn’t really get why her friends (i.e. Amanda) starting acting so differently. There’s an obvious cause for Amanda’s dislike towards Abby but again, after the ending is revealed, I was still not okay with her behavior.

I was surprised at how much I liked Kate. I really loved how supportive she was for Abby. It was refreshing and I was happy Abby had someone like Kate in her life. Despite the fact that Kate can be impossibly stubborn she’s very smart. Jesse was great too although he was somewhat confusing with certain actions, but things pieced together like a frustrating puzzle at the end. It was very satisfying…well, not satisfying in the sense that the ending was what I wanted but I still liked how everything started making sense towards the end.

The serial killer part of the novel was interesting and a nice addition to the story. I can definitely see another book coming and Jools herself says she is planning on a trilogy for Abby. I’m excited to see what happens next for her. 44 is a very thrilling and enjoyable read surprised me in many ways. I definitely recommend it!
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Sep 15, 2012 Sharon Cataldo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, crime, ya

Abby fell through the ice , drowned and died for 44 minutes. She was left with amnesia, an inability to see colour and disturbing dreams that seem to connect her to a serial killer who has just started to kill seemingly random victims. Abby is an otherwise normal teenager trying to cope with the after effects of her accident. Her various relationships with her sister Kate, the doctor who saved her mall, Dr Middleton, her psychiatrist, her former best friend Amanda her now best friend and perhaps...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Kai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: liked-more-than-i-thought-i-would, free-ebook, series

I picked this up because it was free and the cover art... well, it looked like something that would be good to keep me amused. I started reading it one night and before I noticed I was about 20% in and hadn't laughed at anything. I actually liked Abby. She was troubled but resilient without being cliche or whiny, coming off as fake or trying-too-hard-badass, or any of the other annoying characteristics that make up a lot of the 'heroines' in YA these days.

Her sister seemed a little flat and I'm...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Gina rated it 2 of 5 stars

meh.I should've known that I wouldn't like this book from the genre. Being a freakishly precocious reader, I enjoyed YA when I was eight to ten. After that, it all seemed too... simplistic. The stories are too cut and dry. You always know who the bad guys are and how it's going to end. The protagonists are, without fail, caught up in their teenager issues and their view of the world is skewed because of it.

This book was no different. I figured out who the killer was in the first third of the boo...more

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May 24, 2011 Wenj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, read-2011

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

44 by Jools Sinclair is a wonderful paranormal mystery for young adults with all the suspense and plotting one would expect in an adult thriller. Wonderfully planned out with some nice twists and turns and endearing characters that are sympathetic and endearing, this novella may be short, but there is no lack in quality!

The lead character, Abby is a wonderfully adult character that was masterfully developed with great emotions and thoughts. She's somewhat...more Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

44 by Jools Sinclair is a wonderful paranormal mystery for young adults with all the suspense and plotting one would expect in an adult thriller. Wonderfully planned out with some nice twists and turns and endearing characters that are sympathetic and endearing, this novella may be short, but there is no lack in quality!

The lead character, Abby is a wonderfully adult character that was masterfully developed with great emotions and thoughts. She's somewhat independent, struggling to find herself and adjust to her 'new life' after a fatal accident in which she was finally revived some forty-four minutes later. Though she suffers through moments of depression and struggles with her frustration at no longer being able to lead the life she once did, she is seen as an outcast among her peers, but instead of sulking she mourns her old life and moves on finding her place on the fringes. And close at hand is her best friend and love interest Jesse, a character that I really loved. His relationship with Abby is dynamic and organic with great turmoil and tension that is perfectly relatable to young and old readers alike. Throughout the tension mounts, but it is never questionable the devotion that both characters have to one another and this close knit bond is marvelous to see change over the course of the story. But, more impressive is the relationship between Abby and her older sister Kate. No doubt Kate has a tough task raising her younger sister and then coping with all the repercussions of her near fatal accident. When these mysterious visions of a serial killer start effecting her little sister I was really impressed that she so easily believed her. Though, more important was the connection between these two. There's something of a protective quality about their relationship showing a strong familial bond, as well as a wonderful closeness where each fully divulges to the other. Kate never sees Abby as being a child and accepts her as an adult and never considers her sister a burden which is a unique attribute that I especially enjoyed reading.

The world was also wonderfully created with a great atmosphere that was at once somewhat disconnected while being fully realized. This seemed to perfectly mirror Abby's character showing a world where things are far from the normal life of a teenager. But, at the same time, I really loved the diversity ranging from the crime hunting side where Abby delves in to her visions to catch a killer with her sister and still maintain a realistic high schooler appeal of a young lady trying to find her place and herself. The locale was nicely described as well, creating a nice backdrop for the tension and journey of the story.

Sinclair also did a marvelous job with the storyline and still maintaining a lot of 'character' based content in parallel to the varying directions of the plot line. There's a great mystery surrounding the mysterious serial killer, the visions that Abby experiences and the truth surrounding her accident which she remembers very little about. Everything really ties together very nicely and there are several twists along the way eliciting a lot of wonderful emotions making this something of a roller coaster, especially towards the end. But, after reading the story from beginning to end, I did end up with a few little niggling issues that seem to conflict with how the story ends. I know I'm leaving this extremely vague, but to go in to any amount of detail will completely spoil the ending. What I am willing to say is that while I found a few of the occurrences in hindsight to be odd or completely off, it doesn't change my opinion of the story as a whole.

In the end, this was a great, short read that I really enjoyed. There were some great characters that were able to bring forth a lot of emotion from the reader. Definitely a great read and I will be checking out this author again in the future!

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Sep 23, 2012 Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

This book started out really interesting, but soon lost momentum. It’s a very average plot with no real twists, and although the author tries very hard to place the reader’s suspicion of whodunnit on the wrong character, the “twist” really wasn’t much of a revelation. I can’t say I connected with the characters as not much was done to fluff them out, and no effort was made to get the reader to feel anything for them. The only redeeming quality for me – and the reason for the three-star rating -...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Deborah Hughes rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really got reeled in on this book. The story idea grabbed my attention right from the get-go. A young girl drowns, is dead for 44 minutes and then miraculously comes back to life. But she's different and trying to cope with what happened. I LOVED it. The writing is superb. Although I usually pride myself in figuring things out, I didn't on this one. Though looking back, I can't figure why and then I do...the writer is very clever! I had to immediately download the next book and although I was...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Forty-four (44) minutes, that is how long Abby Craig or Craiggers as her friend Jesse calls her was dead. After having been dead for 44 minutes, many ppl, including her Medical Treatment team think of it as a miracle that she is still very much alive. However, she came back different, she can no longer see colors, only blacks, greys, and whites. She is also plagued with frightening images, images of death and murder, all the more frightening, when she wakes, she learns these events have actually...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, suspense-mystery-thriller, romance, fantasy, kindle-own

This was a really great fast read. I especially loved the crazy spin at the end...totally made me cry!

Definitely interested in moving on with the series. I don't yet have the next installment - but fortunately it is written and available for purchase at Amazon. No wait...I LOVE that!

Giving this a 4. Well written, great story line, great characters...just felt like alot went untold at the end. I realize there is another book to move on to but I don't like to have to guess even at the end of a se...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Wanderlust rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA Paranormal, Paranormal, Ghost, Psychic fans.

Cover - Very fitting for the book.
Favorite Line - "My life is good, most days. But this morning wasn't like most days."
Favorite Character - Jesse

I wasn't expecting much from this book after reading some of the other goodread's reviews but i was pleasantly surprised. It is a really interesting story with twists & turns. It is quite dark for a YA but i like that - life isn't sunshine & bunnies for most teenagers so i think book's should reflect that. I am 24 so not YA but i still liked it...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Melissa-The Book Addict rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ghost, paranormal-other, young-adult

I was contacted by the author to review this book, and truth be told I was a little apprehensive when I started this book. I also have to say that once I started it I didn't want to put it down. I was sucked straight into the story and the characters. I really liked Abby she was dealing with a lot and while she may not have been happy she was dealing, and living. Her brush with death left her only being able to see in black and white, her position as star soccer player has slipped away and even...more

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title link	preview: 44
avg rating	preview: 44 Goodreads rating: 3.61 (1647 ratings)
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