Krista Wagner's Blog, page 12

A Unique Thriller

This was an interesting concept story. I haven't read anything quite like it. It kept me suspended throughout the entire story. Not because there was constant suspense--there wasn't--but because Emily is a woman who is relatable in many ways. At least, for me.Here is what captivated me about Emily:1. She is a young woman who is trying to get away from a painful past and simply wants to find love, to belong somewhere. 2. She is vulnerable. She longs to be cherished. Unfortunately, her eager willingness to believe that she is loved has already gotten her heart broken before and so we wonder if she will once more fall into a similar trap.3. She earnestly wants a simple life, nothing flashy or too challenging, just a steady simple life.4. She is broken, having been horribly emotionally abused, and so she willingly steps into the shoes of another woman to ease the pain and bring her a second chance at life.You say, who is this Rose person then?Rose is the woman who has died.OK. What does this have to do with Emily?She happened to witness the car that hit her.And?Now, Emily is so desperate to be apart from her past that she slips into Rose's role--dental assistant, potential wife to her widower, etc, etc,. and no one knows that Emily was there when she died.So, you can see that the suspense is crafted quite differently in that aspect. How long will it be until the truth about Emily is known? And if it is revealed, will it even matter? Will it change anything?There's also another type of suspense that comes in later down the road. And it is chilling and brings in a whole new level of uneasiness.And then there's the twist, which did surprise.Overall, a spellbinding book.

Decent Crime Fiction

What was important about this novel were the committed thoughts to Christ on behalf of several of the characters, refreshing to see in such dark and dangerous situations as the ones they deal with. Instead of trepidation, the main characters handle their endangered lives with faith and trust in God, and it is believable. What confused me, though, was all this chaos was happening. Who are these people at different intervals threatening everyone's lives? And why, exactly? The action details are very well-written; unfortunately, the clarity isn't there. We get a "Tim" told from both Violet's and Angel's POVs, but I didn't realize it was the same Tim until well into the book, so that's not good. And a small note: an adjunct position is not full time, certainly not a reason for someone to move out of state as it would not support a person. I was also confused about Violet's family business--without knowing the type of business they've taken over, it's difficult to understand the motivations behind both Violet and Pete and as to why they're being targeted. Also, the book cover doesn't resonate with the story, which is a crime suspense (not a romance). Now, the characters are well written, the story is packed with action and mystery, which is inviting, and each chapter begins with scripture, which is beautiful and endearing. With a clearer understanding of some of the above-mentioned issues, this novel would have been much more of a worthy read.

Clean Romance

This was a very clean and wholesome romance. What was great about this story was that there were no games between the future couple (Colin and Abby). Their insecurities about the past, their internal struggle, and their thoughts toward each other were unbidden and real. The pursuit of each other was realistic as well, not some foolish juvenile nonsense, and fueled by their strength in God's Word.I think that their friends (Tammy and Nick) were too intrusive and it should have been more of Colin and Abby who figured things out for themselves so that their character growth would be more appreciated. Also, even after they fully disclose their love for each other, I would have liked to see more of a physical connection as they still seemed a bit wooden/distant when now would have been the time for a nice kiss to show that shift.

The Wrong Number

One of Stine's earlier works, The Wrong Number proved simple but fun as two best friends navigate the death of a woman on Fear Street.Starting out with harmless prank calls by Deena and Jade and Deena's brother , Chuck, the mood quickly escalates into dangerous territory when they call the wrong person!This story reminded me a bit of the movie Lisa in that it features a similar set-up and follows an innocent duo (in Lisa, it focuses on one girl) as they work together, quite bravely and a little foolishly, to prove Chuck's innocence and uncover the true murderer.Packed with fun tension and a shocking ending!

The Loch

A HUGE disappointment. Got halfway through the book and there was still no discussion of the Loch Ness Monster. For whatever reason, the story focused on juvenile Zach's immature inconsequential journey with a few mentions of him almost drowning and a verbally and emotionally abusive dad, but never could we connect to Zach. The writing was so sloppy and amateurish, I couldn't believe this was the same writer behind The Meg.A lot of purposeless wandering around with Zach and a blanket of geographical history that put me to sleep.Terrible disappointment. No action. No monster. All telling talky pointless diagloue.

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Johnny Got His Gun

The first time I read this, I was in high school. I remembered my impression of it was very favorable. But because that was about 25 years ago and I couldn't recall its details, I picked it up again, and was just as in awe as the last time.Is this book about WW1? Yes, and no. . .Joe Bonham is an emaciated WW1 war vet 'imprisoned' in the hospital. But he's no ordinary injured vet. He has no mouth, eyes, ears, or nose, and no limbs. Except, he doesn't realize it right away. Instead, we are thrown into an uninterrupted flow of consciousness in which his mind embraces the many significant moments of his life, before the war. Precious, cherished memories.People call this the 'best anti-war novel', but, to me, it doesn't read that way. Out of the 243 pages, about 10 pages are filled with a bitter floodgate of animosity about war, and honestly, they feel like such an abrupt departure from the rest of his thoughts that it almost feels like someone else took over in those moments.WHAT THIS NOVEL IS ABOUT IS THE LOVE OF LIFE.Once Joe realizes what has happened to him, that the shell took almost his entire body, and that he has only the ability to think and slightly jerk his head (to communicate), he hardly dwells on the war or about what's happened to him. Instead, his thoughts dash gratefully to fond memories of family, lovers, friends, and nature, the best of his life.At least five years go by in which he is a slave in the hospital, and yet he finds a way to make the time fly, by expressing his gratitude to Christ for his life while anxiously hoping for one of the nurses to understand his needs, especially once he fishes back in time to a memory where he used the Morse code to communicate.THIS NOVEL IS ABOUT GRATITUDEHere is a man, literally unable to do anything but think, trapped in darkness, and yet enjoying relishing in nostalgia and believing that one day he will find a way to reach somebody. Instead of drowning in depression and despair, he drinks in the elixir of hope, the belief that one day he will not be alone in this world. When he finds someone who senses he is trying to speak, his heart is as elated as a young child's. He explicitly discusses Christ in His glory and his thankfulness to God for "I will always have dawn and morning sunlight". In the end, the reality of what they deny him, to be heard, comes through, and the final pages echo a terrible harsh dark reality of the aftermath of war, of him literally and metaphorically having no say.But, overall, more than anything else, Joe Bonham, against all of those lonely years, embraced endurance.

Meg

My first Alten book, and what a treat! Alten creates a very plausible and convincing action-packed story that keeps propelling you into the ocean and alongside its master of the sea with every chapter. That's what makes this story awesome, you get a lot of time with a fascinating creature and its enormous impact on both sea-life and humans. And there is a huge cast of dynamic situations and people all invested in researching the Megalodon, so you find yourself just as intrigued by the mysterious creature.



What put me off was the multiple references to evolution and millions of years ago nonsense. Also, in the first couple of chapters, I had a hard time breaking into the story as it felt like reading an encyclopedia. Thankfully, Alten moved away from the technical dictionary and dove fast into a spirited exciting adventure from that point on.



Jonas, the main MC, was a lot of fun too. He dealt with some animosity, but his attitude remained pretty positive, especially in spite of the horrible conditions and dangerous risks he was dealing with.

Meg

My first Alten book, and what a treat! Alten creates a very plausible and convincing action-packed story that keeps propelling you into the ocean and alongside its master of the sea with every chapter. That's what makes this story awesome, you get a lot of time with a fascinating creature and its enormous impact on both sea-life and humans. And there is a huge cast of dynamic situations and people all invested in researching the Megalodon, so you find yourself just as intrigued by the mysterious creature.What put me off was the multiple references to evolution and millions of years ago nonsense. Also, in the first couple of chapters, I had a hard time breaking into the story as it felt like reading an encyclopedia. Thankfully, Alten moved away from the technical dictionary and dove fast into a spirited exciting adventure from that point on.Jonas, the main MC, was a lot of fun too. He dealt with some animosity, but his attitude remained pretty positive, especially in spite of the horrible conditions and dangerous risks he was dealing with.

R.L. Stine's The New Evil

This is a fun horror mystery that takes you into unknown territories. And boy, is it an exciting thrill ride! The strange occurrences that the evil brings about are intriguing and chilling, stuff you've never quite seen before.Stine amazes with the way he throws out sudden incidents that propel main character Corky into even more odd territory where the uncertainty of evil's path grows. But Corky is on her feet, ready to face any and all strange activities, which is a good thing as she definitely must be alert at all times!The deaths are also quite inventive. Just another fun engaging read by Stine.*An editing error: Corkey's name was mistakenly Gorky seven times.