Audiobook Review: The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
Posted on July 8, 2019 18 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (June 11, 2019)
Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Nathalie Buscombe
You know it’s summer when there’s a gazillion interesting thrillers coming out and I want to read them all, and with The First Mistake being about the possibility of an unfaithful husband with a best friend involved, it looked to me like the perfect guilty pleasure beach read.
At the center of this novel is Alice, married to her second husband Nathan with whom she is running an interior design business and raising two daughters in their beautiful home. When her first husband Tom died in a skiing accident, Alice was devastated and became lost in her grief. Tom was the love of her life and losing him sent her into a tailspin so that she was committed into a mental health institution and was left with bad anxiety for years. But then, Nathan came along. Kind, patient and loving Nathan, who helped her get back on her feet. With his help, Alice was able to get her life back on track again and keep running the company that she started with Tom.
And then one day, Nathan needs to fly to Japan to negotiate a possible deal with a vendor. He wants Alice to go with him, since as the owner of the company, she should be part of the decision-making process. But still feeling haunted by her first husband’s death, Alice isn’t prepared to jet off to a faraway place, leaving her girls behind. Taking solace in her conversations with her best friend Beth, Alice reveals how she thinks her anxiety has been affecting her relationship with Nathan, and worse, she has been noticing some suspicious signs that he might be having an affair: an unfamiliar earring found in his car, dubious charges on his hotel bill in Japan, flowers addressed to another woman…. And then another blow: Alice stumbles upon evidence that her first husband Tom might not have been the man she thought he was. Dealing with possible betrayal from both the present and the past, Alice feels herself starting to lose control again and doesn’t know who she can trust.
I’m guessing cheating spouses isn’t exactly an uncommon theme when it comes to domestic suspense, though I appreciated how Sandie Jones tried to tackle it from a different direction. Not going to go into specifics, of course, though I will say she leads the reader to think one thing, and then pulls the rug from under us when we least suspect. Most of this book is told from Alice’s perspective, though when we get to the surprise POV, that’s when the plot thickens, as they say. That said, the story felt a bit far-fetched at times, pushing the limits of believability—and you really had to buy into the characters or else many of their actions will feel forced.
Speaking of which, as the protagonist, Alice holds her own marvelously, though I think she’s a tough character to relate to until you progress far enough in the book to get the full picture of who she is. Both Alice and her best friend Beth have been damaged by certain events in their past, and it shows in the way they approach their problems. I didn’t find either them to be all that likeable, though I also believe this is by design. While it was difficult to connect with them on an intellectual level (there were so many things I would not have done if I had been in their shoes) I was still nonetheless able to understand where their motivations were coming from.
I also enjoyed the second half of the novel a lot more than the first, which is not surprising given the way this mystery was structured. Once we get the second POV, I think that’s when the dam broke and everything started coming together. Of course, the author also saves a bunch of earth-shattering surprises for the final few chapters, when the shocking twists and revelations just didn’t seem to end. It would have been nice if the pacing had been better balanced, because I found the first half of the book to be somewhat of a slow burn, though at the end of the day, I agree that for a thriller it’s best to go out with a bang.
All told, The First Mistake was a quick and entertaining thriller, and I wish I could have provided a lot more detail in my review, but when it comes to this genre that’s almost impossible without revealing any spoilers. As always, it’s best to go into these types of books blind if you’re curious! I had a lot of fun with this one, and I would recommend it if you’re looking for a light and easy thriller-suspense to kick back with this summer.
Audiobook Comments: I think it would have been more effective and mysterious had they gone with two narrators for novel, but nevertheless, Nathalie Buscombe did a fantastic job as narrator. Even when the rapidly fluctuating emotions of the characters presented a bit of a challenge, I think she handled the voices well and made them feel convincing.
Book Review: Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes
Posted on July 7, 2019 27 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Grave of Empires
Publisher: Orbit (April 9, 2019)
Length: 608 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I don’t think I enjoyed this one as most others, but honestly, I believe it had more to do with my mindset going in than anything to do with the book. Seven Blades in Black is rollicking action-packed epic fantasy full of spellbinding magic, tantalizing intrigue, and bloody violent battles—in other words, pretty much everything an avid reader of the genre could ask for. That said, it is also a heavy clunker of a book and there’s a lot going on, resulting in plenty of highs but also many lows when it comes to the story’s pacing and interest.
The main setting of the novel is an area of the world called the Scar, a continent that has been torn apart by a brutal war against the Empire and the Revolution since time immemorial. At the center of it all is our protagonist, a feisty mage by the name of Sal the Cacophony. Sal is known throughout these parts as a quick-witted gunslinger who rides a giant bird, carries a thunderous sentient hand cannon, and wields a sword named Jeff. She’s quick at the draw and sharp as a blade, but she also has plenty of issues including a massive chip on her shoulder and a vendetta against the mages who betrayed her.
At the beginning of the book, we find out that Sal has been captured by the Revolution, robbed of her weapons and magic, and is awaiting execution. Under interrogation, she recounts her story, gradually revealing the sequence of events which led her to begin her journey of vengeance and how it ended with a trail of destruction and death left in her wake.
Sitting at over 600 pages, this is definitely a book that requires a substantial time investment and a fair bit of patience. Others have been able binge this one in a couple of days, but for me it was a struggle to motivate myself to even pick it up on most occasions. But like I said from the outset, this probably had little to do with the book itself and everything to do with me. My goal had been to find a fun fantasy to read for the purposes of unwinding and de-stressing, and when I heard about the swashbuckling action and witty humor in this, I thought it would be perfect. And to be fair, it did provide a fair amount of entertainment and excitement in a general sense, though as I soon found out after I started reading, the story was also a lot more complicated and not as easygoing as I had expected.
For one, the plot itself is fairly complex—gratuitously so, I felt at times. And while the time shifts were somewhat clever, there was also a forced quality to them, like I could feel the author’s hand in pushing the characters and events through to his desired storyline every step of the way. There were also numerous sections in the book that made me question whether they were really needed, like dense paragraphs of tortured melodramatic internal monologue or repetition of certain character or story themes. The thing is, lengthy books don’t typically pose a problem for me; usually when I find a doorstopper of an epic fantasy novel that is skillfully written and keeps me well engaged, I can breeze through them like any other. With this one though, there were certainly moments where I definitely felt the full brunt of its massive page-length and a mental countdown of how many pages I had left to go was on the back of my mind far more frequently than I would have liked.
Sal was also a difficult character to like. By design, she’s a cantankerous, belligerent piece of work. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve certainly enjoyed my fair share of other “unlikeable” characters who come across endearing and charming even when they do nothing but act like jerks through the entire book. But something about Sal just rubbed me the wrong way. Her swagger, snark, and devil-may-care attitude seemed really artificial in the way she was written, and her anger and woe-is-me self-pity came across as overly dramatic. It made connecting to her nearly impossible, and once sympathizing with her became difficult, inevitably there also went much of my interest in Sal’s story or resolution of the conflict.
Again, I am very much a mood reader and I imagine I would have enjoyed this one a lot more had I been in the right frame of mind and more lenient towards some of the issues I mentioned. But as it was, I had expected a story line that flowed better and a more engaging conflict and main character. I will say however that the premise of Seven Blades in Black was unique, with a concept behind the main character that was solid and imaginative. The world-building was also phenomenal. For those reasons, I give this book 3 stars despite the weaknesses in the plot and story structure. To its credit, I do think that it managed to pull everything together for a great finale—perhaps not in time to wow me, but it did make me more open-minded to the possibility of checking out the next book (and I’ll know what state of mind to be in if I do)!
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on July 6, 2019 25 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I round up what I’ve read since the last update and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Hello summer! For today’s roundup, I actually have a few life updates. Things have been a little crazy on my end for the last few weeks, now that the kids are out of school their days are packed with other activities that require me to run around and be with them everywhere. I also started a new gig a couple months ago, but as with all freelance/contract stuff it gets a little slow during the summer months so I have to work whenever I get the chance and pick up anything I can get. I’m also preparing for my upcoming vacation, which involves trying to get as much reading and reviewing in so that I’ll still have steady content here on the blog while I’m gone. With my schedule being the way it is now though, that’s been tough but I’ve been managing. All I can say is, thank goodness for audiobooks.
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
Big thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending a long a finished copy of The Philosopher’s War by Tom Miller. I’m reading this now, and though progress is slow, it’s got nothing to do with the book and everything to do with just not having enough time to sit down and read these days. I’m enjoying it a lot! So far it’s living up to the first book. The publisher also sent along Broken Places & Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor, which is new to me, but it sounds interesting! It is a memoir by the author about her life, how she went from a college track star to waking up paralyzed in a hospital bed, and how she channeled her feelings and experiences into writing, becoming a successful science fiction author.
Thank you also to the amazing folks at Ace/Roc/DAW for this next batch! First up, a gorgeous finished copy of The Wolf’s Call by Anthony Ryan, which I’m curious to read to find out more since this series returns to the world of the author’s Raven’s Shadow trilogy. I also received a couple of ARCs: Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine is the fifth and final book of The Great Library series, and I can’t wait to see how things end; and Shield of the People by Marshall Ryan Maresca is the second book of the author’s newest series, called Maradaine Elite. Of course I still need to read the first book, but with the number of series he has set in Maradaine, I think it’s going to be a while for me to catch up. And from the publisher I also received a finished copy of Crowfall by Ed McDonald, book three of Raven’s Mark. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read of the series so far, so I’ll probably tackle this one sometime later this summer since it’s the final book.
And a big thank you to the team at Harper Voyager for sending me a bunch of goodies last month, including an advance reading copy of To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers. Yay! I love her Wayfarer books and I can’t wait to dive into this novella. I also received a finished copy of The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey, described as a dark fantasy standalone which has also been compared to China Mieville. That makes me think this one will be a bit weird, so we’ll see how it goes. A couple weeks ago, I also received an ARC of The Emperor’s Fist by Jay Allan which I initially balked at when I saw that it was the fourth book in the Far Stars series. Apparently though, it can be read as a standalone, so I think I’ll give it a look later this summer.
Thank you also to Orbit for spoiling me silly last month with a couple of exciting ARCs: The Throne of the Five Winds by S.C. Emmett is the first book of a new fantasy series called Hostage of Empire. Despite the low-key cover, the East Asian inspired story described in the synopsis is definitely calling to me. And I’m so beyond psyched for The Bone Ships by RJ Barker, which is at the top of my list of most anticipated releases of 2019. I loved the author’s Wounded Kingdom trilogy so I’m very excited to see where he’ll take us next.
Last but not least, courtesy of Subterranean Press I received this beautiful ARC of The Best of Uncanny edited by Lynne M. Thomas. It’s a collection of two novelettes and many stories and poems from the first 22 issues of Uncanny Magazine, and it’s huge!
I’ve been showing great restraint. In the digital pile this week, only audiobooks: with thanks to Audible Studios for a listening copy of Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light which brings to life an epic origin story about two teenage superheroes; from HarperAudio I received Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa, sequel to the incredible Shadow of the Fox; and finally, my thanks to Macmillan Audio for listening copies of Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton and The Escape Room by Megan Goldin!
Reviews
Here is a quick summary of my reviews posted since the last update:
Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong (5 of 5 stars)
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho (4 of 5 stars)
The Rumor by Lesley Kara (3.5 of 5 stars)
Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Girl Who Can Move Sh*t with Her Mind by Jackson Ford (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Girl in Red by Christina Henry (3 of 5 stars)
The Brink by James S. Murray with Darren Wearmouth (3 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve managed to “unstack” from the TBR since the last update. More reviews coming soon!
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!
Friday Face-Off: Historical Figure
Posted on July 5, 2019 20 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe…has been answered”
~ a cover featuring A HISTORICAL FIGURE
Mogsy’s Pick:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother’s bedside. She’s been stricken with something the old-timers call “Milk Sickness.”
But unbeknownst to young Abraham at the time, Nancy Hanks Lincoln’s death was actually caused by a vampire. Losing her became the catalyst for his revenge and lifelong obsession with ridding the world of the nefarious bloodsuckers. In this highly entertaining fantasy-historical mashup, Seth Grahame-Smith actually managed to fit the plot around historical events quite well. Not much more to say about this book, besides it was an fun, interesting read (and much better than its movie adaptation).
Let’s check out the covers:
From left to right:
Grand Central Publishing (2010) – Corsair (2011)
Grand Central Publishing Movie Tie-in Edition (2012) – Thai Edition (2011)
French Edition A (2011) – French Edition B (2012)
Portuguese (2012) – W. F. Howes Large Print (2011)
Winner:
As usual, the movie tie-in editions have the brighter, more visually appealing covers, but they do seem to lack a bit of the class and elegance I prefer from the “old-timey” covers, blood-splattered as they are. I’m going to have to go with the original Grand Central Publishing edition for this one.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Audiobook Challenge 2019: 2nd Quarter Update
Posted on July 4, 2019 16 Comments
It’s that time again! Summer is in full swing, and that means as the 2nd quarter of the Audiobook Challenge comes to a close, we’re ready for another update on my progress in the year thus far along with a rundown of the list of audiobooks I’ve completed in the last three months. But first, here’s a quick refresher on what the challenge is all about:
Challenge Details
- Runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. You can join at any time.
- The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2019 than you did in 2018.
- Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
- ANY genres count.
- Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
- You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
- If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
- Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be June 30, 2019, and the last update will take place on December 15, 2019.
Levels
- Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
- Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
- Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
- Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
- Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
- My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
- Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+
Relative to how I did at the beginning of the year, I kicked ass this quarter. After tallying up all my audiobooks for the past six month I’m now sitting at 31 completed for the year, which means I’ve already passed my soft goal of My Precious so I guess this means I’m trying for Marathoner!
Waiting on Wednesday 07/03/19
Posted on July 3, 2019 18 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
A Golden Grave by Erin Lindsey (September 17th, 2018 by Minotaur Books)
I had a lot of fun last year with Erin Lindsey’s supernatural mystery Murder on Millionaires’ Row and I’m so excited to see that the sequel’s on its way (with such a pretty cover too)!
“The follow-up to Murder on Millionaires’ Row, Erin Lindsey’s second historical mystery follows Rose Gallagher as she tracks a killer with shocking abilities through Gilded Age Manhattan.
Rose Gallagher always dreamed of finding adventure, so her new life as a freshly-minted Pinkerton agent ought to be everything she ever wanted. Only a few months ago, she was just another poor Irish housemaid from Five Points; now, she’s learning to shoot a gun and dance the waltz and throw a grown man over her shoulder. Better still, she’s been recruited to the special branch, an elite unit dedicated to cases of a paranormal nature, and that means spending her days alongside the dashing Thomas Wiltshire.
But being a Pinkerton isn’t quite what Rose imagined, and not everyone welcomes her into the fold. Meanwhile, her old friends aren’t sure what to make of the new Rose, and even Thomas seems to be having second thoughts about his junior partner. So when a chilling new case arrives on Rose’s doorstep, she jumps at the chance to prove herself – only to realize that the stakes are higher than she could have imagined. Six delegates have been murdered at a local political convention, and the police have no idea who–or what–is responsible. One thing seems clear: The killer’s next target is a candidate for New York City mayor, one Theodore Roosevelt.
Convinced that something supernatural is afoot, Rose and Thomas must track down the murderer before Roosevelt is taken out of the race–permanently. But this killer is unlike any they’ve faced before, and hunting him down will take them from brownstones to ballrooms to Bowery saloons. Not quite comfortable anywhere, Rose must come to terms with her own changed place in society–and the fact that some would do anything to see her gone from it entirely.”
Audiobook Review: The Brink by James S. Murray with Darren Wearmouth
Posted on July 2, 2019 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Brink by James S. Murray with Darren Wearmouth
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror
Series: Book 2 of Awakened
Publisher: HarperAudio (June 18, 2019)
Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
Author Information: James S. Murray | Darren Wearmouth
Narrator: James S. Murray
The Brink by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth is the sequel to the supernatural horror-thriller Awakened, which introduced a terrifying threat to the world in the form of an ancient breed of subterranean monsters. Compared to the first book, it is even edgier, bloodier, crazier—and fun for what it’s worth. At times the story gets to be so over the top it’s hard to take seriously, but as long as you go into the novel knowing what to expect, it has great potential to be an enjoyable summer popcorn read.
Picking things up following the events at the end of Awakened, The Brink follows now former New York City mayor Tom Cafferty who has become a changed man ever since surviving the horrors of the subway tunnels beneath the Hudson River. The encounter with the monsters has made him realize that humanity is under threat, and that New York isn’t the only place these bloodthirsty creatures have established a stronghold. All across the globe, they have been planning in their underground nests, preparing and growing stronger for the day they will finally conquer the sun and reclaim the world from humans.
One clandestine organization has known about these creatures for generations, and they been completely devoted to the goal of eradicating them from the planet. However, far from being altruistic, the head of this organization, a fanatical megalomaniac named Van Ness, is trying to hold the leaders of major countries hostage, demanding billions in payment for the knowledge on how to fight the creatures. Needless to say, the United States with its position on never negotiating with terrorists will have none of it, but Van Ness also holds all the cards, threatening the president with large-scale destruction and millions of Americans dead unless he gets what he wants. With their hands tied, the US government must put their trust in Cafferty and his team to infiltrate Van Ness’ organization which is situated in the heart one of the largest creature nests in the world, and pray that they put a stop to his plans before it is too late.
From Awakened to The Brink, there’s a noticeable effort to raise the stakes as well as a definite shift from a creepy and oppressive atmosphere to a flat-out action-horror thriller complete with a completely exaggerated Bond villain-type bad guy and a death toll in the millions. The authors are no longer keeping the monsters a localized threat in the subway tunnels beneath the city of New York; they’re taking things global and showing just how badly the human race is screwed. These creatures, now that they’ve been revealed, are also featured much more prominently in this sequel, and from the descriptions of their physical appearance and behavior, it’s obvious they are heavily influenced by the Alien franchise. In fact, I all but pictured them as the xenomorphs in my mind—not that it’s such bad thing, mind you, considering how terrified I was of those movies growing up. Still, I have to say I missed some of the more irresistible horror elements from the first book, including the claustrophobic mood and edge-of-your-seat suspense. It’s like the authors made a conscious decision not to waste time with the subtleties in this follow-up, turning up the campiness and blood-and-gore instead.
For one thing, we have a villain who’s so over-the-top evil and extreme he comes across as a goofy caricature. Shockingly, the creatures in The Brink aren’t the scariest thing in the novel, for that distinction belongs to Van Ness. The man is pure crazy. As the son a Nazi soldier, he’s hell bent on bringing back the Third Reich, but only after he has purged the world of the monsters and “impure” races so that civilization can start over. He also has no qualms about turning the entire planet into a nuclear wasteland in order to bring his vision about. The man operates out of a state-of-the-art underground lair with the monsters he claims to hate so much, protected by his unquestioning minions and billions of dollars’ worth in high-tech lasers, I kid you not. And of course, we mustn’t forget his pet peeve for naughty language, because all cheesy villains need an eccentric quirk.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to take The Brink too seriously, which is a shame because the first book really knocked it out of the park with regards to striking a balance between hair-raising horror and irreverent campy entertainment. Murray and Wearmouth carried things a bit too far in the latter direction this time, a shift that threw me off somewhat, I confess. Still, if you’re looking for a fun creature feature-type read and don’t mind if things get a little (okay, a lot) farfetched, give it a shot for your beach reading list this summer.
Audiobook Comments: Once again, I had the pleasure of listening to James “Murr” Murray narrate his own book, which definitely added an extra dimension of immersion since no one knows the story better. I think some of his accents could have been better, but overall his voice work was superb and it’s clear his theater and television experience has served him well.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Awakened (Book 1)
Audiobook Review: The Rumor by Lesley Kara
Posted on July 1, 2019 15 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Random House Audio (June 18, 2019)
Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Karissa Vacker, Olivia Mackenzie-Smith
I’ve been listening to a lot of thriller-suspense and mystery in audio lately, and The Rumor was another fun one. Inspired by a true crime story, author Lesley Kara takes readers to a quiet seaside town of Flinstead where single mom and budding realtor Joanna Critchley has decided to settle down with her son Alfie. Being in a smaller and more close-knit community would be a good change for them both, Joanna reasoned, especially for Alfie, who was being bullied horribly at his old school in the city. Even though the move would take them farther away from her good friend and Alfie’s dad Michael, who takes a very active part in the boy’s life, Flinstead is still close enough to the city where frequent visits to see each other would be possible. And with Joanna’s mom living right in town, Alfie can also be closer to his grandmother and they will have a good support system.
At first, however, things don’t go as well as Joanna had hoped. Alfie is still having trouble fitting in at his new school, and Joanna herself is also struggling to make friends among the townsfolk and the tight group of PTA moms. In an effort to gain acceptance, she carelessly lets slip a rumor she heard about a notorious killer who was released from prison years before who might have settled in Flinstead. This murderer, named Sally McGowan, was just a girl herself when she brutally stabbed a young boy to death. If the rumors are true, then this means a heartless psychopath might be living among them right now, hiding out under a guise of being reformed.
To Joanna’s dismay, the rumor quickly winds up snowballing out of control, especially when Michael, a journalist, gets wind of it. Now he wants to write a book about McGowan and is hoping to stay with Joanna and Alfie while he conducts research and tries to track her down. Unfortunately though, the whispers may have already reached the killer’s ears, and who knows how far she will go to keep her identify from being revealed?
The Rumor was such a fun read, and I was immediately drawn to its mystery even though it took me some time to warm up to its protagonist Joanna. She was very much at the center of the novel causing all the drama, and there were times where I just wanted to shake her and tell her to shut her big fat mouth because it seemed like everything that was coming out of it was making things worse! And why did she give a damn what everyone thought anyway, just go live your life the way you want and to hell with all the judgey people who probably aren’t worth your time. But of course, once the narrative gradually established that Joanna was trying to fit in for the sake of her son, I became more sympathetic. Alfie was having a tough time adjusting at school and being one of only a few mixed-race kids in his class wasn’t helping. Joanna would do anything for her son, something I can understand and agree with. She thought she was doing a harmless thing by bringing up McGowan in a bit of conversation, even though she regretted it almost immediately.
Admittedly, the story did take a while to get off the ground. Part of the reason was the amount of setup it required, including Joanna and her situation with Michael, as well as why she felt moving to Flinstead was the best thing for Alfie. Another reason was that there were a lot of characters in town to establish—understandable, considering how the entire mystery hinged upon trying to figure out who Sally McGowan was (and how one of Joanna’s “clues” was that people with new identities often chose names that kept their original initials, leading to a disproportionate number of “S.M.” characters to keep track of). More people meant more possibilities and a better guessing game, though this did result in a confusing at the beginning trying to recall who was who—especially in the first half of the book when character development for all characters was still in its early stages. The audio format also presented its own challenges, though the narration/voice work was fantastic, making it easy to distinguish between the characters.
Still, I have to say that once you got over a certain hump, the flow of the plot improved drastically. Sometimes though, I do wonder if reading more thrillers has made me become a lot more alert to the tricks and trends of the genre because I found parts of the ending to be rather predictable. That said, my enjoyment was in no way affected, and I also liked how certain themes related to guilt, absolution and atonement were explored.
Overall, The Rumor was an entertaining and satisfying mystery-thriller in its own right, and a delight to listen to in audio. It’s also quite impressive for a debut, and I would love to read more by Lesley Lara. I already have her next book in my sights.
YA Weekend: Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich
Posted on June 30, 2019 19 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Hardcover: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Audiobook: Hachette Audio (June 11th 2019)
Length: Hardcover: 352 pages | Audiobook: 12 hrs and 42 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Marisa Calin, Polly Lee, Gemma Dawson, Allan Corduner, Steve West
I’ve read all of Dawn Kurtagich’s YA horror novels so far and Teeth in the Mist is probably the most elaborate but also the toughest to get into. A loose retelling of the legend of Faust who sells his soul to the devil for knowledge and power, the novel weaves together past and present to tell the stories of sixteen-year-old Zoey Root, a modern-day high school student, as well as Roan Eddington, a young woman who lived nearly 170 years before.
In 1851, Roan finds herself moving into Mill House, a remote mansion in the Welsh mountains owned by her new guardian Dr. Maudley following the death of her father. It is said that the house is haunted by the ghost of its architect’s wife, who was burned at the stake as witch. When Roan arrives, she discovers others around her age at the mansion, including Rapley, Maudley’s adopted son, as well as Emma and Seamus, Irish siblings who are also wards of the doctor. Together they find that Mill House is also home to something more sinister with roots to an ancient secret.
Shifting gears to the present day, Zoey has always held a fascination for the burned-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House, and not only because of its atmosphere and intriguing history. Years before, her father made a research trip there to learn more about the circumstances behind his birth, only to return a shadow of himself, having lost his mind and most of his memory. Like him, Zoey also possesses supernatural gifts—which come at a high cost. By retracing the steps her father took, she is determined to find out what happened in the hopes of getting some answers for them both.
Spread out in between Zoey and Roan’s perspectives is also a third point-of-view, presented to us in the form of diary entries written by a sixteenth century woman named Hermione. Newly married to a man with plans to construct the largest water mill in the area, her writings reveal clues from the past about the unsettling provenance of Mill House.
All these disparate and complicated threads are pulled together in an organized enough manner, though I won’t lie, it made for a rather dull, sluggish beginning. The first half of the novel sought to establish the three characters, separated by the centuries. It’s difficult to tell at first how their storylines are related, but in time their connections are revealed, and mainly, they have to do with Mill House and the man who built it. Then, of course, there are the allusions to Faust and his infamous deal with the devil. In addition to exploring this theme, the early plot also attempts to expand upon the classic story by moving beyond the basics.
Still, despite the lackadaisical pacing of the first half, Teeth in the Mist intrigued me with the interplay between its three timelines. Dawn Kurtagich is fast becoming a well-known name in YA horror, not only establishing herself as an authority when it comes to creating atmospheric settings but also a creative genius when it comes to presentation—as in how to play with the structure and format of a story to make it compelling and fun for the reader. For example, these methods were used in her last novel And the Trees Crept In to a great extent, where coming across disjointed prose and different font sizes and styles on the same page in order to portray the unraveling sanity of the main character was fairly common. It’s meant to pull you in and make you feel more immersed, and it’s very effective.
I also think the story picks up in the second half, as the links between the three women became more apparent and dynamic. Because of the constant shifts, however, I didn’t feel that Teeth in the Mist was quite as creepy or moody, possibly because keeping up with all the moving parts was also a lot more demanding on my attention and drained my mental energy.
Still, overall I enjoyed the book. I’ve had several busts this year already when it comes to horror YA, and at the very least I wasn’t disappointed in Teeth in the Mist even though it is probably not Kurtagich’s best. That honor still belongs to The Dead House, but I will still rabidly look forward the author’s books and I’m eager to see what she’ll write next.
YA Weekend: Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
Posted on June 29, 2019 29 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of Gumiho
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (June 25, 2019)
Length: 429 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’m sure one day I’ll come across an Asian mythology inspired fantasy and not be immediately tempted to add it to my TBR, but today is not the day! Wicked Fox caught my eye for several reasons, not least of them the fact it features the gumiho, or nine-tailed fox demon, a creature of legend from Korea. The story is also set in the present day, and I was quite curious to see how its traditional folktale elements would be combined with the modern.
For 18-year-old Gu Miyoung, a half-human shapeshifting gumiho, immortality comes at a steep price. In order to survive, she must feed on the gi, or life energy of men. Unpleasant business to be sure, but it must be done, though making murderers and other evil men her exclusive prey is one way Miyoung seeks to assuage her conscience. And in the bustling city of Seoul with its steady supply of wretched criminals, it’s as good a place as any to feed and to hide. By day, she’s a quiet and unassuming teenager about to start classes at her local high school, but in the night by the light of the full moon, she’s a reluctant hunter, searching for her next meal. To choose her targets, Miyoung has sought out the assistance of a young shaman named Nara, who can communicate with the ghosts of the murdered to find their killers.
But one night following a feeding, Miyoung encounters a Jihoon, a boy from school, out walking his dog and completely oblivious to the fact he’s about to become a goblin’s late-night snack. Miyoung rescues Jihoon, and inadvertently reveals her true nature in doing so, losing her fox bead to him and creating a connection between their life forces. At school, the experience has drawn them together, though Miyoung remains wary about letting any human boy get too close. From her capricious mother Yena, Miyoung has learned that she cannot always trust the gumiho within, the otherworldly part of her that is always volatile, that always hungers. And with a part of her soul gone with her bead, her situation is also growing even more desperate by the day.
Let me first start by saying there are parts of Wicked Fox I really enjoyed, but also parts that I thought were weaker or could be reworked. Namely, I loved all the supernatural aspects. If you enjoy urban fantasy, I think you will also find this world inhabited by legendary spirits, demons, ghosts and monsters greatly appealing. And the best part? All these paranormal elements are incorporated into the enchanting, vibrant setting of modern-day Seoul.
In fact, I wish we could have seen more of this side of Wicked Fox. But the novel also had its lulls, including the long sections devoted to high school dramatics. I thought the narrative dwelled too long on Miyoung and Jihoon at school and their time in getting to know each other, as it felt like in these chapters, nothing else significant happened at all. It also took me some time to warm up to Miyoung, mostly because in general I find self-pity to be a very irritating and unbecoming trait in YA protagonists. Simply put, at times her actions and dialogue contained too much angst and woe-is-me for my liking. Needless to say, Jihoon was a real sweetie, an infinite font of patience to put up with her some of her crap. That said, I’ve seen some reviewers describe this book by making comparisons to Korean soap opera dramas, so it is quite possible for Miyoung and Jihoon’s relationship to be a tribute to those.
Thankfully, the second half of the novel picked up considerably, with more intense conflicts and higher stakes that really blew me away. The intrigues and reveals towards the end made it all worth it, connecting all the threads established earlier about Miyoung’s past and dropping some pretty big bombshells about her family. Not to mention it was immensely satisfying to finally get some actual answers as well as the much-needed release from tensions simmering beneath the surface since the intro. This went a long way in making up for some my frustrations over the slower chapters that dragged down the middle of the book.
Overall, I would recommend Wicked Fox by Kat Cho for fans of urban fantasy and paranormal YA, especially if you are fascinated by East Asian traditions, cultures, and mythology. After a stellar beginning, the story took some time to develop, but time and patience will pay off in a big way in the end with plenty of delightful revelations and a satisfying conclusion. I was glad to learn that there will be a sequel to follow this one, because I can’t wait to read more set in this world.
The BiblioSanctum 