Brooke Nelson's Blog, page 3

Dark Objects by Simon Toyne (An ARC Review)

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m about to do something I really don’t like to do: give a book one star. Unfortunately, I felt really backed into a corner on this one, and I just ended up having a pretty poor reading experience. As always, with reviews of this kind, I want to note that my rating is simply the opinion of one person, and there will certainly be people out there who enjoy the story. I firmly believe that every book has an ideal audience that will love it, but as much as I wanted to be a part of that audience, I am not.

My main issue ended up being the predictability of the story, in which case every “reveal” was actually something I guessed long before. I think much of this had to do with the fact that the author clearly had a bone to pick with a certain political party. I’m not naïve. I know modern politics are included in a lot of books, no matter the genre. But I think those points can be included while also surprising the reader by not making the “bad guy” the most obvious person possible.

I was really hoping for a grand surprise at the end, and for a moment I thought I got one. Then, there was a further surprise that ended up being exactly who I had pegged as the ultimate villain from about 10 percent of the way through, simply from gleaning the author’s political leaning. (A bit of a bummer.)

I also found many of the characters unlikable. There was such a focus, by everyone, even the main characters I was probably supposed to like, on the color of people’s skin, that I found it difficult to form any kind of connection with them. When the anti-gun, anti-violence, (stereotypical “girlboss”) white female protagonist has a whole inner monologue about whether a man is Asian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi-Irish (or something like that), while there’s a dead person out there, I find it hard to sympathize or understand her train of thought.

All in all, I can honestly say this is not the book for me, but I do hope it finds its way into the right circles.

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Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m pretty sure the first time I read this book, I didn’t read the entire thing. It’s an odd thought, because now, I would absolutely never DNF this, but I guess that just speaks to how tastes change over the years.

As of today, Angels and Demons is easily one of my favorite books. The constant action and simplistic writing style blend together perfectly into a fascinating story of non-stop questions and clues.

The characters felt real, and I connected with many of them, whether that be through their personality, their work, or some other trait. The story was written in such a way that I never wanted to stop reading. (I think I read it faster than I’ve read a book in a long time.)

The writing style is straightforward. Extra fluff is never used to add to the word count. One of my greatest bookish pet peeves is when fifty words are used where ten would do the job. But there is literally none of that here. Only the necessities.

Every word is necessary, and every POV utilized is important. The story is told from multiple characters’ perspectives, but it doesn’t feel like an overload. The reader is not all-knowing until the very end, but rather, throughout the story, we get a look into the minds and actions of more than one pertinent, essential character. And each of these people are woven together at the conclusion of the story in a way that I can only describe as this: brilliant.

For fans of thrillers and generally exciting stories with complex solutions, this is absolutely the book for you. Dan Brown lives entirely up to the hype surrounding his name, and that is no small feat.

Now onto The Da Vinci Code…

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One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke (ARC Review)

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the interest of complete honesty, this was not a book I enjoyed. Just for context, I say this as a 22-year-old woman whose favorite genre is thrillers with female main characters, which is precisely what One of the Girls is.

My first issue arose when I realized I didn’t actually like many, if any, of the six main characters, all women in their thirties as far as I can tell. We have the heavy-drinker-partier type, the absolutely-downtrodden-personality type, the couple who hangs all over each other the whole weekend while using the word “babe” an inordinate amount of times. Based on the vast differences between the women, I hoped to connect with at least one of them. But I ended up really feeling nothing.

One problem I had that skirts between a character issue and a writing issue is the repetition. When one woman’s feelings are described a certain way, in very specific words, it is almost a certainty that her feelings will be described in a following chapter in the exact same words. It gets repetitive very quickly. I can’t tell you how many times one of the women felt a tightening in her breast. I mean, come on, there has to be another way to describe that.

Moreover, the whole book carries a distinct pro-female, anti-male tone that feels a lot more like an inserted author bias than the opinions of the characters, which makes it painfully easy to draw a map of what will happen at the end. Overarching themes are fine; overarching themes that make the story predictable are…less fine. But for the sake of not spoiling, I promise not to say anything further. I just prefer books that are more mysterious throughout, including the end, such as You Are Not Alone and Final Girls.

That said, I always wish a new story success, whether it’s my cup of tea or not, and I do hope this book finds its way to the right people, even though I wasn’t one of them.

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The Night Shift by Alex Finlay (ARC Review)

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To be frank, I am disappointed.

The Night Shift reads a lot like a knockoff of Riley Sager’s Final Girls, only with three points of view and a focus on the legal side of things. I had high hopes; it’s undoubtedly a good premise, and when I began, I felt a glimmer of hope. But it was quickly extinguished by the mediocre manner of storytelling and somewhat boring cast of characters.

I typically like stories told from multiple points of view, which is why I was, yet again, so surprised by this book. Two of the main characters narrating the story are varying levels of unlikable, and the other is enjoyable but a bit boring. I truly did not care what happened to any of the three of them. The only character I truly felt anything for was a side character who was discarded in the most boring way possible by the end.

On top of that, (and I’m not usually one to complain about this), but the writing of women was just offputting. The female FBI agent was the only tolerable woman of importance in the story, and she referred to an abortion as “taking care of the baby.” Yuck. Just use the word “aborting,” please.

The plot, on the other hand, starts off a little hard to follow because of the jumping from one character to another. Or maybe it was just because I was bored. But it eventually resolved itself to a pace I could enjoy a little more, with plot points that I was able to follow and even be intrigued by. The conclusion was pleasant, though it didn’t address a number of important issues displayed earlier in the book.

That said, there is more good than bad to The Night Shift. I did eventually find myself wondering what would happen. But it’s not one I would recommend to people with my similar taste in thrillers and mysteries. (If you’re more interested in the legal side of things and you don’t mind some odd writing of female characters, this might actually be the perfect book for you.) The best explanation I can give for The Night Shift is how I started this review: a slightly disappointing retelling of Final Girls with a less-than-sympathetic cast.

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Elektra by Jennifer Saint (An ARC Review)

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

For many, it was Percy Jackson. For me, it was Elektra that made me fall in love with Greek mythology. I’m a little late to the obsessing-over-Greek-myths club, but better late than never!

Following the story of three different but interconnected women, Elektra takes an insightful look at the complex, rich, albeit sometimes tragic relationships between mother and daughter, as well as the devastation of war on both sides of the battle. While I didn’t know much of the stories of Elektra, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra before reading, I was able to catch on easily to their roles.

Each character was written with the utmost care, particularly the three main woman, in such a way that I was able to discern one’s emotions and actions from one another early on in the story. This is something I find particularly important in books including multiple viewpoints; I could tell one woman from another, and I wanted to hear every perspective in turn. None of the women’s stories were a disappointment, and therefore, none of the chapters became boring. Admittedly, I didn’t particularly like Elektra, as a person, but her story was just as interesting to me as the others’.

Next comes the writing: beautiful and poetic, yet not forced. The creative language used in Elektra only made the story richer, and didn’t feel like a tool to fluff up an otherwise disappointing author’s writing.

I was also impressed that Saint was able to include such a long span of time in just one book, and then make it flow naturally. But that’s just what she did.

I don’t say it often, but this is an easy five-star book for me. Jennifer Saint is truly a talented writer, and I will definitely be picking up more of her stories in the future.

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Elektra by Jennifer Saint | ARC Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

For many, it was Percy Jackson. For me, it was Elektra that made me fall in love with Greek mythology. I’m a little late to the obsessing-over-Greek-myths club, but better late than never!

Following the story of three different but interconnected women, Elektra takes an insightful look at the complex, rich, albeit sometimes tragic relationships between mother and daughter, as well as the devastation of war on both sides of the battle. While I didn’t know much of the stories of Elektra, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra before reading, I was able to catch on easily to their roles.

Each character was written with the utmost care, particularly the three main woman, in such a way that I was able to discern one’s emotions and actions from one another early on in the story. This is something I find particularly important in books including multiple viewpoints; I could tell one woman from another, and I wanted to hear every perspective in turn. None of the women’s stories were a disappointment, and therefore, none of the chapters became boring. Admittedly, I didn’t particularly like Elektra, as a person, but her story was just as interesting to me as the others’.

Next comes the writing: beautiful and poetic, yet not forced. The creative language used in Elektra only made the story richer, and didn’t feel like a tool to fluff up an otherwise disappointing author’s writing.

I was also impressed that Saint was able to include such a long span of time in just one book, and then make it flow naturally. But that’s just what she did.

I don’t say it often, but this is an easy five-star book for me. Jennifer Saint is truly a talented writer, and I will definitely be picking up more of her stories in the future.

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed with this book after how much I enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses. In an effort to make this as clear as possible (and not focus solely on the good or bad), let me give you an idea of the great…and the questionable, as I see it.

What I liked: Azriel, Cassian, and Mor. All three are a great addition to the current cast. It was easy for me to develop feelings for Cassian and Mor right off the bat. Azriel took a bit longer, but only because he talked so little. It was hard to get a read on them. The friendship between the three of them is superbly written as well. The use of Elain and Nesta in this book. They weren’t left out completely or thrown in too often. They had just the right about of time to showcase their personalities and make them truly enjoyable and worth caring about.The clear direction of the story. You have no idea how much I like a book that tells me what the goal is early on. Sometimes I like to know where we’re headed, rather than wander aimlessly from magical land to magical land. In that way, this book was super satisfying.The relationship between Mor and Feyre. I love to read a female friendship that does not consist solely of disagreements and distrust. Mor and Feyre legitimately love and trust each other, and they did right from the start. Lucien. I consider myself lucky to get even a speck of Lucien content. What a thoroughly well-written, compelling character. I want a book focused totally on him, please.The end. Oh my goodness, did that surprise me. I am truly impressed by the note Sarah left us on. Despite the meh-ness of certain parts of this book, the final scenes actually make me consider continuing the series.What I disliked: Feyre’s disagreeableness. I understand her getting overwhelmed and upset at times, but her near constant sniping at Rhys got old, fast. You can only say something nasty or storm off (and then regret it five minutes later) so many times before I lose interest. I wanted to love her again, as I did in the first book, but I found myself more annoyed than understanding of her.The sex. Good lord, some of it was just not necessary. Sorry, but ACOTAR did it better.Making [a previously likeable character who I won’t mention here] such a bad guy. It’s entirely possible that I’m mistaken and the twist was planned before the first book, but the way it was written felt like such a forced way to push Feyre in a certain direction romantically.The word “mate.” I might vomit if I ever have to hear that word again.

There’s a little taste of my thoughts on the book. It was more good than bad for me, but I definitely had a number of points that had me going “ick.” Will I read the next? I’ll have to think about it. It took me months to finish this one, so with any luck I’ll have the next book read in no longer than five years’ time

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas | Book Review

Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed with this book after how much I enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses. In an effort to make this as clear as possible (and not focus solely on the good or bad), let me give you an idea of the great…and the questionable, as I see it.

What I liked: Azriel, Cassian, and Mor. All three are a great addition to the current cast. It was easy for me to develop feelings for Cassian and Mor right off the bat. Azriel took a bit longer, but only because he talked so little. It was hard to get a read on them. The friendship between the three of them is superbly written as well. The use of Elain and Nesta in this book. They weren’t left out completely or thrown in too often. They had just the right about of time to showcase their personalities and make them truly enjoyable and worth caring about.The clear direction of the story. You have no idea how much I like a book that tells me what the goal is early on. Sometimes I like to know where we’re headed, rather than wander aimlessly from magical land to magical land. In that way, this book was super satisfying.The relationship between Mor and Feyre. I love to read a female friendship that does not consist solely of disagreements and distrust. Mor and Feyre legitimately love and trust each other, and they did right from the start. Lucien. I consider myself lucky to get even a speck of Lucien content. What a thoroughly well-written, compelling character. I want a book focused totally on him, please.The end. Oh my goodness, did that surprise me. I am truly impressed by the note Sarah left us on. Despite the meh-ness of certain parts of this book, the final scenes actually make me consider continuing the series.What I disliked: Feyre’s disagreeableness. I understand her getting overwhelmed and upset at times, but her near constant sniping at Rhys got old, fast. You can only say something nasty or storm off (and then regret it five minutes later) so many times before I lose interest. I wanted to love her again, as I did in the first book, but I found myself more annoyed than understanding of her.The sex. Good lord, some of it was just not necessary. Sorry, but ACOTAR did it better.Making [a previously likeable character who I won’t mention here] such a bad guy. It’s entirely possible that I’m mistaken and the twist was planned before the first book, but the way it was written felt like such a forced way to push Feyre in a certain direction romantically.The word “mate.” I might vomit if I ever have to hear that word again.

There’s a little taste of my thoughts on the book. It was more good than bad for me, but I definitely had a number of points that had me going “ick.” Will I read the next? I’ll have to think about it. It took me months to finish this one, so with any luck I’ll have the next book read in no longer than five years’ time

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Final Girls by Riley Sager

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

My entire synopsis in three words? Another great thriller.

And for any of you who know me and my reviews well, you know I love a great thriller. Even better, a great thriller including characters with whom I empathize; and a step up from that, a twisty ending. Final Girls included all of the above. Now, I’m not going to call this my perfect book, hence the four and a half stars instead of five, but it’s a short step away from being everything I wanted. Riley Sager just did so much right.

The main character, Quinn, is truly a well written individual. I understood her. I felt for her. And above all, I wanted to read her story. And without that itty bitty final element, a book tends to lose me really quickly. Sager was able to write Quinn as a potentially unreliable narrator while not irritating me with the fact that she might not be totally trustworthy at all times, and that is truly a talent.

As far as the side characters went, they were all over the place: big hit or big miss or completely blah. For me, the hit was the officer, Coop. I thought he was just offputting-yet-trustworthy enough to be of interest. I understood why Quinn felt the way she did about him; it would be hard to help after the situation she’d been in.

The miss was the friend whose name I won’t mention for spoiler purposes, though I ended up gaining a bit more appreciation for the character as the story went on. Finally, the blah was the boyfriend, Jeff. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t great. Just there, which somehow worked for me.

Now, there is something about this story that I deeply appreciate but I don’t see often enough in the books I read. I think it’s only right to acknowledge it fully here. Two of the important side characters have very different but very controversial jobs: a police officer and a defense attorney. I love how the topics of their jobs are handled. There are moments where their controversial jobs are brought into question, and here’s what is so genius about the writing:

Sager is so completely true to the story and the character, I saw no flicker of the author’s out-of-the-blue opinions in those moments, just the characters’. In the brief times one was made out to be the bad guy, it was entirely due to believable reasons from the character’s standpoint and the story’s plot. For that, I commend you, Mr. Sager.

There is something so special about reading a story and never thinking “oh, there’s the author’s opinion awkwardly shoved in where it feels strange and wrong!” You know what I mean?

All in all, I can say I will likely pick up another of his books in the future. I am impressed by all aspects of this book and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller to keep them guessing.

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P.S. I started up a newsletter! I plan to send out some fun stuff like memes and new books I’m looking forward to, as well as updates on my writing and the publishing of my third YA thriller. I suspect I will be sending out a new edition every other week. (I promise not to spam your inbox.) If you’re interested, please click here to enter your email and sign up!

Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I contemplated back and forth for the past few days if I want to write a review for this for the simple reason that it is a controversial book, and this blog is for fun, not for debates and tension. But in the spirit of Brené Brown and the book itself, I am choosing to write a review. Let’s be honest: people get touchy over any and every book. It doesn’t matter if it’s actually controversial. Somebody will make it that way. (Take the Grisha series, for example… Yikes.) So let’s get into it!

I rarely read book recommendations unless they’re from my sister, but I was told about this book while having a discussion with a friend who has a totally different political ideology than me. That’s the first thing that makes Braving the Wilderness such a standout book. While it is certainly politically pertinent, it holds the kind of pertinence that can be agreed upon by two people across the aisle. Notice I didn’t say, all people on either side of the aisle. But two of us in the world definitely feel this way.

Also, as a quick note before we continue, I’m not particularly far one way or another on the political spectrum, but I am strong in my beliefs.

The overarching idea behind this book is that we have to find the strength, peace, confidence, and care in and for ourselves that we are able to be honest about our beliefs. It’s a beautiful sentiment, to be honest. If you would have said this to me five years ago, I probably would have laughed. But I’ve grown from the person I was at 13, at 15, at 17, (heck, even last year at 21) and I think a big part of growth for me has been working to understand why other people think the way they do. It doesn’t mean I think they’re smart or right. It means I am being my best respectful, empathetic self, and that feels good to me. (Brené mentions at one point in the text that there are boundaries though, so don’t take this as “treat people however, because they have to take it.” I, along with a whole lot of the world, will not in fact take it.)

The short one-or-two-page-long stories she included within many of the chapters really stood out to me. A person can preach to me as much as they want, but nothing speaks as loud as the retelling of an experience they’ve had. In the chapter discussing the importance of experiencing collective joy and pain, I remember her speaking about a Harry Potter opening night showing she attended. And yes, this is the point where this nonfiction book review turns into a Harry Potter experience.

During the showing, when (gigantic spoiler alert if the series has somehow evaded your grasp thus far) Dumbledore dies, the teachers and students at Hogwarts raise their wands to the sky. The viewers then proceeded to raise their hands (and some of them, wands) to the theater ceiling. Brené points out that this is not because the audience actually believes in Harry Potter. What they do believe in is the light. She then suggests we consider turning the film viewing into some sort of political arena. Those people would likely have turned on each other, split themselves up, and chosen sides. Instead, they felt together in that moment, in the collective experience of it all, in the fact that we are all bound together as humans.

She points out that collective events, experienced in person, are incredibly important to remind us we are together; we are one; and we are more connected than we like to think when we read through the angry drivel fed to us by social media.

All in all, I liked the book, and I liked most of the ideas in it. Of course, I’m not going to think it’s all good and dandy. That’s the thing about opinions; we’re not always going to have the same ones. In fact, we often are not, but that doesn’t mean we are doomed, and that doesn’t mean we have to become monsters to one another. This is basically a How To Stay Nice When We Wonder If It’s Possible Anymore guide. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

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