Review: Break Me Down by Anna Downes

Break Me Down by Anna Downes
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided a ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a unique audiobook.  The narration was very well done with a full cast, and this reads more like a play than a novel.  It has mixed media aspects with news reports, voicemails, and podcast episodes mixed in with main character's point of view.  The narration is interactive with each character being voiced by a different narrator which you tend to only see in graphic audiobooks.  This really made the dialogue interactive.  

The author has a background in acting and if you listen to the interview with the cast and the author, they discuss how accurate her portrayal of some of the crazy and inappropriate behavior portrayed in the book really is.  As I was reading I thought some of the things Georgia experienced with Marianna was a bit out there but the cast will tell you they either experience or have colleagues who experienced similar acting classes that were as out there as Marianna's.  They prey not only on your bank account but on your emotions under the guise of making you a better performer and like Marianna cross the line into abusive.

In my opinion this took far too long to get into the thriller aspect of the book.  Much of the book feels more like Georgia's autobiography while she was living in a cult, as she becomes obsessed with taking acting classes with her teacher Mariana.  Her boyfriend introduced her to the classes, and now she is determined to be the star pupil.  As a child star, Georgia is no stranger to acting, but after a long hiatus she wants to be back on top of the acting game.  Marianna's teaching methods are unorthodox, but Georgia feels challenged and ready to unlock her potential.  This has the feeling of an unreliable narrator at times as you are never sure if what Georgia is "remembering" is real or a fever dream of Marianna's making.  As the story unfolds we never truly find out what is real and what is fabricated, but we do learn that everyone has their breaking point and that with the right drive people can be driven (manipulated) do anything.

Overall the concept of this book was interesting, and I think I would have connected with the characters more if I connected more with acting.  It is a topic I'm not really interested in, and I'm not really interested in cult based thrillers where people are living their lives.  I am more of an action packed fast packed thriller person, and this was more of a slow descent into madness.

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Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

T. Kingfisher's retellings are slowly becoming my favorite books!  I love the dark spin she puts on the fairy tales we all think we know.  One of my favorite things to do when I read a retelling like this is to read the original if I haven't already to see how it compares.  The originals are often dark and these more modern takes often are closer to the original than the happy animated tales many of us grew up watching.  I love that there is room for both.

This was a darker version of Snow White and follows Anja, a "healer" who studies poisons and their antidotes instead of the more traditional healing arts.  She is what some would consider odd, but her unorthodox approach is why the King has summoned her to solve the riddle of why his daughter is constantly ill.  Anja's mind for puzzles, observant eyes,  and constant quest for information, makes for the perfect kind of person to find out what is going on with Princess Snow.  Healers, Nurses, maids, guards, and every other type of of person the king can think of can't figure out why Snow's health is failing.  Anja's more scientific methods and investigation uncover a magic mirror and mirror world that might be the reason Snow is getting sick.  Aided by her body guard, Anja's quest is filled with strange sights, dangerous foes, and things she never thought she would encounter.

I haven't read the original Snow White tale, but I will be very soon.  Kingfisher always does a good job taking the key points of the original tale and staying true to those key elements while putting her own unique spin on it to make something new.  I've really grown to love her reimaginings and this is no different.  Anja was a strong and independent character who didn't bow to societal norms.   Her father and family supported her and let her be her own person and pursue her passion for poison study.  The romance was a nice addition as it wasn't the focus and happened almost organically as Anja and Javier spend alot of time together exploring and debunking.  They complemented each other nicely.  

The narrations was really great as the narrator was able to pace the book nicely and do different voices and accents for the various characters throughout the novel.

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Review: Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina

Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This had a really interesting premise, but I found it hard to follow.  There are alot of characters with very similar names and I struggled to keep them all straight.  The timeline also jumps around alot from chapter to chapter which also makes the storyline hard to follow because you aren't really sure what part of the story you are in because it isn't consistent from chapter to chapter "when" you are.  There is some romance, however it is a secondary plotline and not the main focus.  It is more of a promise for more to come.  The magic system is interesting and Azul's dedication and love for her sister is compelling.

I would have liked more background info on the gods and how the magic is tied to them.  I love mythology and lore, but I like a bit of an explanation on how that all works together.  Hopefully there is more to come in book 2.  The pacing is a bit on the slower side for my preferences when it comes to fantasy, but the ending was interesting enough for me to want to pick up the next book and see where things go.  

The audio narration was excellent.  Ana Osoria does a wonderful job

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Review: Woven from Clay: A Novel by Jenny Birch

Woven from Clay: A Novel by Jennifer Birch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

What a unique premise!!!  This follows Terra, a normal if not overachieving high school senior who just wants to have a great year.  Enter Thorne, a mysterious new kid, who wants nothing more than to get in Terra's way and keeps spouting off weird nonsense that she doesn't understand.  She also can't understand why there is mud everywhere she goes either and why Thorne is so interested in Mr. Quill the nice old guy in town that is like everyone's grandpa.  Thorne opens Terra's eyes to the world of magic and exposes himself and Mr. Quill as warlocks.  Turns out Mr. Quill is kind of like everyone's grandpa as he created golems, hence the mud, for all of the families in town under the guise of adoption.  Terra quickly comes to understand that some of her feelings around being adopted are warranted, but not because she was abandoned by her birth parents, but because she was created.  Thorne was sent on a mission from his guild, but Terra changes that mission  so she can save herself, Mr. Quill, and those like her.  She has to work with Thorne to prove that she can control magic and is a force for good.  In doing so she uncovers a vengeance plot within the guild that Terra and Thorn have to stop if they want to save the other golems.

This had some really great commentary about adoption, loneliness, inadequacy, friendship, abandonment, and finding your place in the world.  I didn't know this was a YA book when I picked it up, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult.  I also think this would be great for middle grade and YA readers as well.  The magic system was well explained, there is no graphic content (there is some kissing), it has diverse characters, the pacing is great, and the plot was entertaining.

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Review: The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a unique and atmospheric thriller set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.  Private Investigator Annie Gore has been hired to investigate the long cold case of three missing girls from a small town.  Max, her latest employer, has never given up hope that his missing sister could be found and is determined to get closure on her whereabouts.  Having grown up in Appalachia herself Annie knows how private and protective people can be of their own and she is well aware of how her investigations can stir up a town.  Annie has a track record of solving cases, and while hesitant to take this one she is willing to see what she can find even if it brings up her own painful memories and angers the townsfolk.

I'm not usually a fan of thrillers that involve children, but this is captivating and the focus is more on the investigation.  Annie having spent time in the military as a special investigator is tough and she knows how to draw out information and follow a lead.  She also has great instincts and knows when her bias is possibly leading her astray.  This book kept me interested from the first minute to the last.  There are so many people that Annie interviews that could be the kidnapper, but the twist at the end really surprised me.  I also loved the addition of the tale of the "Witch of Quartz Creek", the folklore and various retellings of the tale play a key role in the investigation and the lives of the people that live in town.  I always love when folklore plays a part in a novel and story of the Witch and it's variations was a wonderful addition to the novel.

This was a fantastic debut, and I look forward to seeing what the author writes in the future.  If we follow Annie on further investigations or if there are more thrillers to come I would be happy to read them if they are all as gripping as this one.

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Review: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.  Georgia has been accused of murdering her younger sister, but instead of prison she has been placed in a psychiatric institution on hold while she awaits trial.  She is completely aware of what is going on, but to give herself time she is pretending to have a mental break.  Unbeknownst to Amanda, Georgia is her twin and the only one she wants to talk to while she is locked up awaiting trial.  Amanda and Georgia were both adopted as newborns but neither  knew they were a twin.  They both lived very different lives growing up, and Amanda is determined to find out how they are connected and find out the truth about her new sister.  She unravels a web of lies and manipulation in a world of wealth she doesn't understand.  As she pretends to be part of Georgia's world to find the truth, she realizes that there is much more to the story than anyone let on.  

I found this to be very entertaining and fast paced.  The story alternates between Mandy and Georgia's points of view.  We get to learn about their lives growing up and who they are today.  How their relationships with their families shaped them and how things progressed to the night of the murder of Annabelle the younger sister.  There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and a big unexpected twist at the end that I never saw coming.   

January LaVoy remains one of my favorite narrators and she did a wonderful job with this.  She is so talented and did different voices for the different characters so you can always tell what is going on and who is speaking.

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Review: Angel Down: A Novel by Daniel Kraus

Angel Down: A Novel by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided a ARC of this book via Netgalley and Atria books, all opinions are my own.

I loved Whalefall by Daniel Krause, however this book is much different.  This is set on the battlefields of WWI and follows Cyril Bagger as he trudges through the trenches and the mud (there is so much mud).  Bagger isn't the best soldier nor is he a great guy, however when he stumbles across an angel his tune changes a bit.  He spent his time prior his service in the Army running cons, and now he swindles his fellow soldiers every chance he gets and he stays as far away from the action as he can get.  When he and his mates are sent to rescue a shrieking comrade they find something very different.  The each have very different experiences with the angel that Bagger finds and it either brings out the worst or the best in each man.

This book while it has chapters is written as one big long sentence.  There are plenty of commas, but there isn't much other punctuation if there is any.  It was an interesting choice for writing style.  I'm not a huge fan of stream of conscious style writing, and it typically doesn't work for me.   The pace is also very slow.  We don't meet the angel until many chapters in and much of that time is Bagger and his fellow soldiers tromping through mud contemplating their existence, which is probably a fairly accurate portrayal of what a soldier was going through at that time in France.  The story focuses on Bagger's experiences and what is happening around him.  Parts of this story are very gory and graphic which adds to the atmosphere.  Each person who lays eyes on the angel has a very deep and personal reaction, and is forced to have an internal struggle the longer they are in her presence.  They battle their internal demons and see who wins.

Overall I thought this was a very unique take on WWI historical horror.  I really enjoyed Bagger's growth and his relationship with Arno.  Overall the writing style and pacing on this one wasn't for me, I tend to enjoy this style more as an audiobook especially with the slower pace.  The conflict and challenges each soldier faced were interesting and really captured the human condition.

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