Krista Wagner's Blog, page 11

Intriguing and Unique

What a compelling steampunk mystery! Nyssa is fun, brilliant, and diplomatic in this clever story that keeps you fascinated with each dusty step she takes.From the first page to the time she spends in the Dalhart mansion, we are lured into a spinning world that intrigues with "sparks" and "shocks" where we uncover a mystery and survive its dangers thanks to the wit and courage of Nyssa.Burke's amazing writing skill is evident. Her story is sure to be a seminal tale, one I can see holding its place in the canon.

Just okay

While Megan Miranda has a skillful pen, this mystery does not feel nearly as exciting as it should. I expected a tightly woven narrative, but instead, it drags along in a very ordinary fashion with no real tension. Jessa, the MC, is a strong protagonist: enduring, softly relentless, and very patient, marks of a likeable character.What doesn't gel, however, is why we should think something is amiss about Caleb, her ex-boyfriend, after his death. Nothing ever points to it. Jessa mentions that there were parts of him she didn't know, but she doesn't give us any clues as to what these fragments are or why she feels like they're missing. Where there should have been suspense and intrigue, there was simply Jessa's mundane daily act of going through his things, at his mom's request.She suspects that his mom is hiding something too, but never do we get a clear picture as to why she would come to this conclusion. And when we get to the climax, Miranda understates just how shocking it is. So, while we are expected to be in suspense, held in the anticipation of something, we never are. All we see is Jessa packing his boxes and remembering moments that don't point to anything.And Mia, Caleb's sister, shares something strange, but it's never addressed again. Then, Jessa jumps to this wild conclusion about Caleb, but once again, there is nothing to indicate why we should ever expect this. Unfortunately, while Jessa's character, aside from her unfounded suspicions, keep us drawn in, the many holes make the story crumble.

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Eerie and Gripping

R.L. Stine takes us back to the very beginning in his latest Fear Street book, and wow, is it strangely enchanting.The origins of the Fears go way back, nearly 100 years ago, to where the curse began. The story follows Harmony whose sister is to be married when terrible sinister things began to take place.This is an exciting supernatural tale with thrills and chills all the way through!The history of the family is engaging. The strange occurences fascinating. And the ending satisfying.

Unique Story

This was an unusual tale with all of the elements of a paranormal story, though without being scary.As I read through the strange mystery, I kept asking myself about the various characters' secrets (there are many), what they could possibly be, for whatever they were was enough to orchestrate a strange timetable and turn of events.There were some confusing elements. Like the POV would suddenly shift without warning (no heading to show that we are now in someone else's head). It was also disconcerting to see Peyton (the MC) showing little emotion when she ran across the strangest and most curious moments as the mystery unraveled. What should have been a shock felt instead like just an odd but not too abnormal shift, when it was anything but. The startling secrets deserved more suspense-filled buildup, and more explanation and time spent on them as they were breezed over once announced.Payton's own secret creates a divide between Beau and her and is not fully understood until we get to the last third of the book, but even then it doesn't make sense to have created a separation. Another confusion was why Peyton kept referring to her mother by her name, but sometimes as mother as well. Additionally, it was never really clear how Mrs. Miller came into the picture or how Bertha was related to Peyton. There are numerous facts like these whose details unfortunately slipped the author's mind, and thus unwittingly created an unreliable narrator.The mystery of the tintypes is a very interesting turn, however, and I felt like I had been whisked into a Red Rose (a la Stephen King) world. The writing is compelling in so many ways, aside from the lack of suspense; the whole concept is inviting, especially as answers start to emerge.As much as the novel intrigued, it also left so many questions unanswered. How did they get into this alternate world? And why does it happen at all? Mrs. Miller and Bertha seem equally involved in what happens, but the reasons remained blurry.

Not Worth the Time

There was just nothing inviting about this story. The author seems bent on glorifying sexual immorality and frowning on those who deem it a concern by making them look like fools.

Forced

Unfortunately, this could not keep my attention. The writing felt so stilted and forced, with each chapter feeling like it was created on the verge of a moment, without any real thought or purpose.There wasn't anything thrilling about this one.

Just Terrible

Just Friends sounds like it has a good premise: best friends being the worst enemies. . ."with friends like these", but it's not that at all.What we have, instead, is a dead-end story.Every character is running into a wall. Deliberately. None of them are redeemable characters. You don't root for anybody. The decisions they make are depressing and pointless and without purpose.There was no twist as expected.How the main character was totally unaware of how superficial her friends were is beyond me.The content was so saturated with sexual innuendos, that the story had no function other than to emphasize out of control hormones and self-centered drives.Just another book with a great cover and an empty story.

Cozy Mystery

My first Tara Meyers novel, and I wasn't too thrilled. I really wanted to like this book because the concept is unique, but the characters--and there were many of them--all felt the same. No one stood out. Unfortunately, you don't get a good sense of the characters all around.The main character, Ember, has just lost her mother and has returned to her hometown, but she doesn't ever go over her feelings about the loss or about being back home. This is unfortunate as it's an important part of her place in life, so we can't really empathize with her or see any character arc. Plus, she doesn't seem to have any feelings about anything that happens. And people treat her like they never knew her--it doesn't make sense---, or like she was the plague, simply because she bought a clinic from a former doctor who some people had issue with. So, it was difficult to invest in the characters.There tends to be a lot of jumping conclusions to things as well. Ember decides something without much of a basis; the author forgets to detail the mental process of breaking down/discovery and instead rushes right to it without a logical reason for doing so.

Super engaging!

Wow! What an awesome read that makes tailspin over tailspin with each breathless chapter. The MC is Reva, a spoiled snotty sarcastic girl who cares for no one other than herself (and her dad and brother). She is mean-spirited and careless with other people's feelings, but her being the protagonist works because when horrible things happen, she is put on edge and taken from her comfort zone and forced to grow up a lot.What I like about this story is how it is contains a nice blend of pranks and actual deadly situations--it's a unique part of what makes some of his novels so appealing.The plot never lets up, and we are right there with Reva, and sometimes seeing things through her cousin Pam's eyes, wondering who's behind the terrible tricks. The Christmas time setting makes this all the more fun and exciting as we rush forward in anticipation for the answers!