Review: Glimmer by Phoebe Kitandis

Story Synopsis:

When Marshall King and Elyse Alton suddenly wake up tangled in each other's arms with zero memory of how they got there or even who they are, it's the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, Marshall and Elyse make a pact to work together to find the answers that could restore their missing memories. As they piece together clues about their lives, they discover that they're in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls. Everyone seems happy there, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town's perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything--not the death of Marshall's mom, not the hidden violence in Elyse's family, not even the day-to-day anguish of being a high schooler.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marshall and Elyse fall into an intense relationship founded on their mutual quest for truth. But the secrets they're trying to uncover could be the death of this budding love affair--and of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls. (from Goodreads)

Blair's Review:

Holy cow!

This book just came out of nowhere, and it's so good. Lisa got it for free at a sci-fi conference we both went to (cause we're geeks), and we both read it, and let me reiterate: holy cow.

Best free book ever. But I would have happily paid for it.

I'll admit that when I was reading it, I wasn't thinking many review-y type thoughts, because I was too engrossed in the mystery. Books which begin with a memory wipe can be a little cliche (Oh...the character doesn't remember anything...where have I heard that before? Only everywhere.), but Kitandis weaves such a gripping mystery around the memory loss that the trope seems fresh and new. I especially loved the disconnect between the characters' real selves and the selves they presented to the world, because it felt so true.

I've been asked to give my professional opinion on the memory loss. The truth is, I don't have one. When books try and pass off their neurological phenomena with a quasi-scientific explanation, I'm much more likely to huff and puff and pick holes and complain. Nothing suspends my disbelief quite as effectively as bad science. But it's pretty obvious within the first five pages that we're dealing with magic here. Magic's okay. Magic doesn't exist within my scientific world. I can suspend my disbelief for magic. Ironically though, the fact that the characters lose their names along with their histories actually makes this magical story more scientifically plausible than all the 'I-only-remember-my-name' stories.

Lisa's Review:

I'll reiterate Blair's "Holy Cow" statement. Yes, I was totally thrilled to score this awesome read at a sci-fi conference. Not because it was free and hardcover (and that doesn't affect my review, by the way). But I found this world and the plight of Marshall and Elyse so engrossing I couldn't put this book down. Seriously. I need to make a new category for this sort of book, like the "sleep-lost-reading-this" rating or "useless-the-next-day-at-work" rating or the "I-even-took-reading-breaks-at-work" rating. Because when all those things happen, the book is clearly five stars for me.

Is that subjective? I guess so.

 Blair's Rating: 5 stars

 Lisa's Rating: 5 stars

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Maze Runner #1)

Story Synopsis:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

My Review:

Do you ever read a book, and you know it isn't great literature, or even great writing, but you're willing to overlook the technical faults because it's a fast-paced mystery that's easy to get in to and fun to read? That's what I felt when I read The Maze Runner.

This book follows a group of boys, and one girl, who are trapped in a maze with no memory of how they got there. Escape attempts are often deadly. The mystery behind the maze got me into the book; tiny hints of a broken outside world kept me gripped. I was drawn into the story and the action, and dying to know what happened. The pages flew beneath my fingers, but not so fast that I didn't find faults.

The writing is cliche-ridden and choppy, with some weird phrasings that made me go, "huh??" I'm not as anti-adverb as some people, but this text is drenched in -ly to the point where even I noticed. On the plus side, the description of the memory loss was not outside the realm of scientific plausibility, and I appreciate that. Another plus is a story and writing style appropriate for both older middle grade readers as well as teens, so there's a wider range of appeal.

If you like strong female characters, this probably isn't the book for you. It features one single female character, and she is, for one reason or another, absent for most of the book. Once she does start taking part, she mostly limits her interactions to the main character. They question of why there was only one girl bothered me a lot, especially once I reached the ending. There's two more books in the series, so maybe that question will get answered. But I tend to be less fond of books that don't provide a strong female character in at least a secondary role, so for me this one one of the book's more glaring issues. How you respond to it will likely depend on your own personal tastes.

The Maze Runner is a fast-paced, action-packed mystery. It's not fantastic prose, but that's okay. It's the sort of book you read when you want fun and entertainment; the quick pleasure of a good summer read. And who doesn't need that sort of book from time to time? I certainly do.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Rated by: Blair

Review: Red Glove by Holly Black (Curse Workers #2)

Story Synopsis:

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose. (from Amazon.com)

My Review:

I know the traditional thing to do when reviewing a sequel is to compare it to the original. I think, in this case, that won't work. I read White Cat two years ago while curled up fetal on my bed, trying to distract myself from food poisoning. I'll say this much about it: My brain now associates that book with extreme abdominal discomfort, yet I still think it was a good read, which should tell you something about how fantastic a read it truly is.

On to Red Glove, which I read during a lightning weekend trip across the continent. I was tired, a little hungover (wild weddings will do that), and being accosted by arm-rest hoggers, crying babies, tight connections, other people's loud headphones, and an evil woman who crumpled my garment bag. Bitch. Red Glove took all that madness and made it bearable.

One of these days, I'm going to read Holly Black's books for pleasure alone and not as a distraction from pain and irritation, because they're worth much more attention than what I'm giving them.

What I'm getting at, with all this venting about flights, is that Red Glove is a fantastic book. I blazed through it. Granted, I didn't have much else to do, now that it costs $6.71 to watch a movie on a plane. But I would have kept reading even if the movie had been free. Cassel is a great main character - unique and compelling. The secondary characters are also engaging and well-developed. The writing is both descriptive and casual; the story dark and disturbing with frequent bursts of humor. It sucks you in and doesn't let go. Black's ability to take our world, add one magical twist, and still keep things completely relatable, is impressive; the fact that her magical twist has very real implications for the real world is even more so.

As with White Cat, the central mystery is a little predictable, but in Red Glove it took me a bit longer to crack it. Also, I don't know Lila's character very well, even though she's the romantic interest and a driving force in the plot. In White Cat she's a cat, in Red Glove she's cursed. We almost never see her as her true self, so who is she? I hope that the third book gives readers the chance to know her better.

Overall, highly recommended, especially if you're sick or facing a flight.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Rated by: Blair

Review: Whispers of Murder by Cheryl Bradshaw

Synopsis

It was Isabelle Donnelly’s wedding day, a moment in time that should have been the happiest in her life…until it ended it murder.
Three women, three motives to kill:
--A jealous sister
--A company CFO 
--A newfound friend
But which one is plotting against her? Which one wants her dead?

Think you know who did it? Think again.


(From Goodreads)


My Review
Oh this book was fun. It is a short read, just under a hundred pages. In it, a woman on the morning after her wedding awakens to find her new husband lying dead beside her. Everyone in Isabelle's family had a reason to hate him, could one of them be responsible for his death or could there be some other reason that he was murdered? 


I was completely engrossed in the novella and couldn't put it down until it was done. The ending was a complete surprise.


Cheryl Bradshaw has a knack for weaving a story that keeps you guessing and when you think you know who the murderer is, you are wrong. The book is filled with witticism's and great lines and was a pure pleasure to read. My absolute favourite line comes from Chapter 13; "Roland tilted back in his Laz-E-Boy recliner and watched his wife and daughters dote on him like lionesses tending to a newborn cub." I love that line and the book is just filled with fabulous lines like that. A truly good read.


Just on a side note, the book is available July 13 & 14th, 2012 on Amazon Kindle for free here: Whispers of Murder.  I would seriously consider giving it a read.


You can also follow Cheryl Bradshaw on Twitter @cherylbradshaw or check out her website www.cherylbradshaw.com


Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Reviewed by: Jessica