Okay, so to review. Book 1: I thought the first half was boring, and the second sucked me in. 4.5 stars Book 2: Totally got me with the side characters, the enemies-to-lovers romance, and the plot. 5 stars And now here we are at book 3.
So… I jumped right into this book from Book 2, excited and ready, and for about the first 30% I was riveted… and then we ran into some problems. First, the romance seemed to overwhelm the plot, which isn’t super problematic, but the MCs were square in the honeymoon phase for pretty much the whole book. Their relationship didn’t seem to grow, and the smut was honestly kind of repetitive. The inside jokes that were cute in book 1 and book 2 (Miss Willa’s diary and Poppy’s neverending questions) felt stale here, and the plot as a whole just seemed to stall with lots of talking and not much doing. There were also a few plot points (won’t give away without spoilers) that also didn’t really work for me.
I actually hesitated reading this book with #4 not out yet since I thought I would be dying to get my hands on it. As it is, I think I’ll read it once it comes to the library, but I’m really hoping it has more to it then this one.
The Pursuit once again follows smooth ex-con Nick and intense FBI agent Kate on another one of their not-con (but very con-like) capers. Honestly, I think this one was a bit of a let down. Although of course there were more fun capers and banter, nothing really stood out with this one that was any different than the last four, and I was hoping for a little bit more of a satisfying conclusion for Lee Goldberg’s last entry in the series. While this has a been a short, light audiobook series, the formula does wear out after a while, and I don’t feel any need to continue the series. But now, I’ll have to spend some time exploring the library’s audiobook archives to find something new!
September 2021 (Round Three) Genre: Open Word: Grow Action: Chasing Something Time Constraint: 24 hours Length: 100 words
We sit in the hard belly of the windowless plane, shoulder to shoulder with countless others. Although the sour reek of desperation followed us from the runway, the tension eases from Mother’s shoulders.
The plane rumbles forward, and the back door begins to close. Outside, the forsaken crowd chases the narrowing gap of hope through the dusty gunfire. Pleading hands thump against our unyielding savior, their cries growing increasingly forlorn.
The door shuts, and Mother sags, eyes glistening. “We are lucky.”
But that seems wrong. How can lucky mean sad too?
Perhaps that’s what it means to be a refugee.
JUDGe’s Feedback
This one didn’t place, but the feedback is below!
WHAT THE JUDGES LIKED ABOUT YOUR STORY
{1846} The specificity in the language and the detail are working wonderfully here to evoke emotion. For example, the detail of the windowless plane and its “hard belly” subtly reflects the hard bellies and hard lives of desperate refugees. Likewise, the description of the airplane as an unyielding savior is great. I loved the incredible image of “the forsaken crowd” that “chases the narrowing gap of hope through the dusty gunfire.” Wow! The detail of the mother’s body language, how she sags and her eyes glisten is fantastic. The lines “But that seems wrong. How can lucky mean sad too?” are heart rending, and wise.
{2059} I loved the line “How can lucky mean sad too”. It’s such a striking observation (and, on a side note, it’s the perfect line to incorporate into the title of this story). You also do a lovely job of fleshing out this scene (I especially liked “Outside, the forsaken crowd chases…pleading hands thump against our unyielding savior”).
{2035} The setting details brought this world to life. I particularly liked the “sour reek,” the hands thumping against the plane, and the dust. All of it drove home the desperation and the “luck” of the protagonist’s family.
{1943} ‘When Lucky Means Sad Too’ was a very poignant, evocative story. I liked the description of the “sour reek of desperation” balanced against the physical signs of relief from the mother. The image of the people hitting the airplane in desperation to escape was very powerful. I loved the sense of the child processing her experience, wondering how they could be lucky in the midst of this human misery. This was powerful writing – very well done.
{1908} I love the theme you have of luck versus sorrow. You do a great job of communicating both the relief the narrator’s mother has and the horror of the situation, especially of those left behind. It is a very moving story.
WHAT THE JUDGES FEEL NEEDS WORK
{1846} One possible approach to revision is to give a little slice of detail specific to the narrator as an individual, and what they are leaving behind. This might be a reference to a friend, a family member, a beloved place or object in the home, or even a tradition. In order to make room for this additional information, it’s possible to cut the final line from the narrative, and make it the title. Additionally, another approach to revision is to rewrite or reimagine the phrase, “although the salary of desperation followed us from the runway” by providing a specific sensory example or description of the smell rather than the abstract “sour reek of desperation.”
{2059} I wasn’t quite sure that the last line felt necessary to me. It’s perfectly fine, but I wondered if this story might be better off not explicitly mentioning that these characters are refugees (you do a nice job of alluding to this before that last line). This is, of course, only one reader opinion, but I’d encourage you to think about what that last line adds.
{2035} To me, those final lines made the character seem rather young. However, the rest of the lines made them seem like an adult, well aware of the situation around them. I think exploring every line from the same vantage point if it’s in the first person would really help deliver a sense of continuity into the world from start to finish.
{1943} Your writing is very descriptive and well polished. I wonder if the next step might be to see where you could make some more unusual or unexpected word choices. I liked the appeal to our senses with the “sour reek of desperation”. Could you convey a sense of the other sensations in the plane? What about as the door shuts, could we hear how that sounds, rather than just “shuts”? I wasn’t sure that you needed your final line, which felt like it was there to explain your plot. It was clear that they were refugees, so maybe you could use those extra words to create more sensory images in the description of their escape?
{1908} So much of the emotional landscape is clear and well executed here, but I think that the reason for the narrator’s sorrow could be a little more clear. There are obviously a lot of awful things happening in the background of the story, but it’s not clear what the narrator is reacting to when they say that lucky can mean sad. I think you could clarify this by showing the narrator’s reaction to just one of the things you described earlier in the story. You do such a good job of showing the mother’s emotions through tiny details that only take up a few words of space, so I think you could do something similar for the narrator and even replace some of the descriptions of the mother’s emotions if necessary. I have course would love it if you could keep all of the details, but that is what I would suggest looking at since you have such a limited word count.
July 2021 (Round Two) Genre: Ghost Story Word: Field Action: Losing a Coin Time Constraint: 24 hours Length: 100 words
Lured by the serene promise of Elysian Fields on the distant shore, Alex shoved through the crush of frantic souls toward the tiny skiff, while the moaning river of luminescent wraiths lapped at the rotting bank.
The cloaked ferryman silently proffered an expectant palm, and Alex fished out his coin with shaking fingers, when a jarring elbow knocked it into the swirling waters. With a panicked cry, he reached into the shallows, desperate for his lost toll.
The hungry souls yanked him in, swallowing Alex with the lost change.
And the ferryman held out his palm to the next passenger.
JUDGe’s Feedback
This one came in 7th place in my group, and I got to advance to the round 3! Feedback is below.
WHAT THE JUDGES LIKED ABOUT YOUR STORY
{1772} Alex’s actions shape the plot and his choices make the end feel like an appropriate conclusion to his journey. The story is crafted with rich description and detail to bring the scene to life.
{2092} The ending works well, it has that heavy sense of dread as Alex is pulled into the waters. This also adds that sense of recurrence, as the reader can expect that Alex isn’t the first or last to be taken into the river.
{1940} An enjoyable and horrifying piece that sets and scene and tone very well. Readers will acutely feel Alex’s despair as he drops the coin, knowing his chance of reaching Elysian Fields is gone. The last sentence where the ferryman dispassionately holds his hand for the next fare is great.
WHAT THE JUDGES FEEL NEEDS WORK
{1772} One way to continue to develop the story might be to explore more of Alex’s character. His frantic and careless behavior might illuminate the kind of person he was in life. For example, if it is more established that he was the type of person who got what he wanted no matter what, then the end’s “moral” is even more powerful.
{2092} The verbiage was a bit in consistent and overly complex for the actual events within the story. In multiple areas this causes the pacing to jarringly change, leading to a lack of immersion in the details. Consider reworking the story a bit more, in order to build a consistent language that continually draws the audience in. Try building the complexity based on the protagonist. The details of the world shouldn’t be more complex than Alex is, since he is our guide into those understanding those details.
{1940} Overall, a great piece, but subtle hints into Alex’s personality could help readers to root for him. We don’t get much of a feeling for the character’s personality.
The Switch follows a grandmother and her granddaughter as they seek to cope with a still-raw family tragedy and a recent divorce. They swap apartments for a few months in hopes of a change of scenery to help them with a fresh start.
If this plot sounds like a Hallmark movie, it’s because it definitely could be. Eileen and Leena are both sweet and so easy to root for, and in their new environments, they both manage to instill positive change while also discovering the much needed growth they were looking for. You’ll be able to see the romance coming from a mile away, but the romantic interests are also likeable and have a natural development. The audiobook was well told, with different narrators for the two MCs, and overall I definitely enjoyed this light, sweet romance.
Although there’s nothing very surprising or new here, if you’re a fan of Hallmark movies, you will almost certainly enjoy this one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
But hey, who doesn’t like a good Hallmark movie now and then?
Okay, so I had mixed thoughts on the first book (specifically I thought the first half was boring, and the second half was awesome), but it left off on a bit of cliff-hanger so I decided to give book two a try, and I was NOT disappointed.
I INHALED this book. Book two successfully intensified everything I enjoyed from book one. Although once again, I did think the start was a touch slow, I wasn’t bothered too much because I was already so invested in the characters. And the side characters really showed up here too in the best way. I absolutely loved Kieran. And this time, I loved learning about the world. The world-building definitely fleshed out and deepened here, but it was more seamlessly woven into book two.
It’s darker, it’s steamier (kind of veering into the weird, but this is a world of essentially vampires and werewolves so… you know), and in general, it’s just more awesome. Cas and Poppy are borderline dysfunctional and absolutely violent, but they seem so suited to each other, and their dynamic just totally works. If you’re unfazed by sex, violence, and language, and you enjoyed the second half of book one, then I wholeheartedly recommend. On to Book 3!
So I started reading Split Therapy by EP Stavs after my last two book had endings that kind of left me unsatisfied, and I was a little worried about an impending reading slump. But this book was such a breath of fresh air!
I really enjoyed EP Stavs’ Shendri Series, so when I saw the chance to get an ARC of her thriller novella, I just couldn’t help myself! Split Therapy follows sweet college student Jane as she tries to carry on with life after a traumatic incident. Meanwhile, her vigilante alter ego, Jae, roams the night finding a different way to come to terms with the incident.
First of all, I just love EP Stavs’ writing style. It is sharp and snappy but still paints the clearest picture of the action. Her banter is always on point, and she always manages to paint the most loveable characters that are so easy to connect with. I read this book in one enjoyable evening, totally drinking in the building tension and the sweet love interest, and I put it down feeling ready for another!
I totally recommend to anyone looking for a fun thriller to get lost in (that doesn’t mind adult themes and language) and can’t wait to see what Stavs writes next! Thanks so much to EP Stavs for the ARC; Split Therapy comes out on 4 Nov!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Working on my mysterious alter ego over here. Got the mug shot ready to go. (Yep… I went there.)
I put this book on my Amazon list after I loved Illuminae and Geminae. I wasn’t crazy about Obsidio, and then Aurora Rising wasn’t really for me, so I guess this was like a tie-breaker for me on Jay Kristoff. And I can say, this was probably my least favorite so far.
Lifelike takes place in a tech-filled dystopia full of androids, logikas, etc. It follows scrappy Eve after she finds a lifelike (basically a high-tech android) and starts getting chased by all kinds of bad. The world was cool, and while I usually like sci-fi slang, it felt a bit too cutesy/light for the bleak setting. Although I loved the action and the world-building, I had trouble connecting with the characters, and I found their quirky catchphrases (“don’t call me little” etc) to be a bit irritating. Even so, I would’ve given it four stars if it weren’t for the ending.
I felt like Eve did a complete 180 in the last 3% that didn’t seem to jive with anything I knew of her character. If you’re a Jay Kristoff fan and looking for a quirky YA sci-fi, I think you’ll probably enjoy this book, but it left me feeling dissatisfied and a bit annoyed, so I don’t think it was quite for me.
My husband (a *huge* sci-fi fan) absolutely loved this book, and basically shoved it to the top of my TBR so that we could talk about it. I loved The Martian, so I was definitely interested in giving this a go. One thing I noticed from the beginning is that Ryland Grace and Mark Watney have a LOT in common. They’re both highly intelligent, independent, passionate scientists, Grace just has a cleaner mouth.
This book follows Grace as he wakes up in a strange room without memories and basically tries to remember who he is and what he’s supposed to be doing. The story goes back and forth between him in “the room” and remembering his past. So… in the beginning, we spend a lot of time with Grace by himself, and there are a LOT of scientific explanations.
While I totally enjoy the way Weir manages to explain complex science in a way that I can understand, I felt like the balance was a little off in Hail Mary, and it seemed to slow down the pace quite a bit. Also, Weir introduces a few very powerful sci-fi elements, that had me asking my husband questions about potential plot holes. (To which he said: don’t think about it too much. XD) However, I absolutely loved the secondary character that comes in about midway. Overall, I thought the premise was super interesting, and on the whole, it was definitely an enjoyable read.
I will say, I thought the ending felt a little incomplete. I can’t say too much more with giving anything away. Still, I totally recommend this for any fans of sci-fi. My husband gave it a glowing a five star review, but while I thought it was a solid sci-fi I didn’t quite love it as much as The Martian.
The Scam once again follows smooth ex-con Nick and intense FBI agent Kate on another one of their not-con (but very con-like) capers. All of our favorite side characters are back and we have a few more colorful bad guys to take down in a satisfying, smart action-packed adventure. Nick and Kate’s relationship continues to develop, and this time we even got a bit of a cliffhanger to take us into a Book 5 (which I already have downloaded, is the last book by both original authors, and the last I plan to read.) If you liked the first three books, and are looking for another light, fun bit of audiobook adventure, you’ll definitely like Book 4.
Hayley Reese Chow 