Review: The Killing Woods

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Lucy Christopher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads kills me): Ashlee Parker is dead, and Emily Shepherd's dad is accused of the crime. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, he emerges from the woods carrying the girl's broken body. "Gone," he says, then retreats into silence.

What really happened that wild night? Emily knows in her bones that her father is innocent -- isn't he? Before he's convicted, she's got to find out the truth. Does Damon Hilary, Ashlee's charismatic boyfriend, have the answers? Or is he only playing games with her -- the kinds of games that can kill?

My Thoughts: Look, it's a book with another beautiful cover. 

I read Stolen a very long time ago but I loved it. Nothing in it was quite how it seemed and it was impossible to guess what would happen next. This book was similar in that way. I found myself surprised frequently. How the characters were feeling was so believable (okay, the romance stuff was a little strange but when is it not, right?). They were having a melt down right in front of me. It was the kind of melt down that friends watch and don't know what to do to fix, that affects everyone around you. It was perfect because that's exactly what this novel needed for me to believe it. I could believe that horrible things happened in the woods and that people would avoid someone whose father probably committed a murder. It was the psychologist stuff that made this novel what it was. It was marvellous.

Of course, that said, teenagers are stupid sometimes. Yes, let's go wandering in the woods with people we barely know or worse, alone. Let's just run off on your own and do stupid things while you are clearly unstable. Let's antagonize people that clearly hate you. Sure, it all needed to happen to get to the end but a few times I felt like I was in the audience of a horror movie, yelling at the screen and blood girl #6 to stop going up the stairs while when the crazy neighbour keeps calling the house and hanging up. No, you shouldn't run into the garage with all the chainsaws. Yes, it's a fantastic idea to let your phone die on Friday the 13th, while you are home alone but supposed to be out of town in the middle of the storm of the century. What is wrong with you people? 

...On another note, although I understood why it was important to the story, alternating points of view have to be done very carefully. At times, I thought that it was too heavy on one side of the story while the other was just being used to move forward. Yes, sometimes a character needs help figuring things out but would these characters have interacted as much as they did? I doubt it. I would have stayed the hell away from them, but that's me. I did enjoy watching them both fall apart and watching both of them ask questions, however.

So, I thought that this novel was really great. It's creepy and a good mystery. I enjoyed watching the characters fall to pieces but was mad at many of their decisions. This was a very easy to read story that had you rushing to figure out what happened. I needed to know how it would end. I was more than satisfied with how it ended. This novel was very well done.

Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 420
Rating: 8 out of 10

**Spoiler Alert: This is part of a series. You can read the review for Throne of Glass here**

Summary (Goodreads was crowned King): From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

My Thoughts: If I was Celaena, I would have totally gone crazy by now. I don't understand how she has managed to hold it all together...at least, she has managed to mostly keep herself together. I'm incredible impressed with her ability to do so. 

This is apparently going to be a very short review because the only thing I really want to talk about is the plot twists and sudden action that this novel is so good at producing. I knew that eventually something bad would have to happen but I never really saw the things coming. It was a good thing. Too often I see what's coming before it happens. In this novel, it was hard to see everyone's motivations before the moment they became important. On top of that, magic is so unpredictable that you could do nothing more than guess when it would cause something to happen. It was exciting.

Conclusion: This series is only getting better. I'm so excited for the next novel. Keep reading, folks!

Review: Throne of Glass

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 404
Rating: 8 out of 10

You can read Kristen's review: HERE

Summary (Goodreads rocks): After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
My Thoughts: Let's jump right into it then...
The original cover for this book was awful. I would never have picked it off the shelf. It looked far too much like a middle school aged book. I can hardly read high school aged books anymore without changing plot points in my mind. If Kristen had not forced me to read this series, I probably would never have read it. That thought makes me sad. The new cover is about a million times better. Kristen's review (above) features the old cover if you are dying to see it.

I loved Celaena because she was strong but also weak in her own way. She had to fight so hard to survive that she had to be strong. Her moments of weakness damn near ripped my heart out of my chest. I'm glad that the author kept so much about her a mystery because it means that there will be so many interesting things to learn about her in the rest of the series. 

However, love triangle. I hate those things if they aren't done right. I think it's unnecessary that someone always gets hurt. Like for real? Every single girl in the world does not have multiple guys tripping over her. That just isn't how the world works. But I digress... In this case, the love triangle thing we had going wasn't too wretched. I managed to finish the book despite it. We will see what the rest of the series brings.

I like magic. I like assassins. I like mysteries. This novel has all of those things with a bit of love thrown in on the side with a lot of great action. 

To wrap this up, I just want to mention the third person perspective. I don't read a lot of novels using this writing style. I liked it. It allowed the readers to get inside the heads of many characters all at the same time. You got so much more that way. Of course, I have read novels like this in the past but it's not very common especially in young adult novels lately. It was a nice change that helped to set this novel apart from the others that I'd been reading lately.

Conclusion: I wasn't expecting too much from this series but they turned out to be super great. I would recommend this to everybody. Okay, maybe not everybody but most people. Who doesn't want a kick-ass character? Read it.

Review: Headhunter (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #11)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Greg Cox
Format: Paperback
Pages: 343
Rating: 6 out of 10 (only cause it's not a reread kind of book for me)

Summary (hunted down on Goodreads): A package bearing no return address arrives at the Anthropology Department of the University of. Nevada...and a shocking discovery is made upon opening the box: a genuine shrunken head. At first, Gil Grissom and his team of crime scene investigators -- Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, and Greg Sanders -- consider this merely an oddity, a grisly relic from the past. But when all the evidence points to the fact that it's really the result of a gruesome modern-day murder, suspicions run high that a brutal serial killer with an unorthodox modus operandi may now be on the loose...

Thoughts from inside my head: Ah CSI books...sometimes they are good, other times not so much. I'm very picky about my CSI books. Different authors for each means different writing styles and different ways of describing things or writing action or doing this or saying that. It can really wear you down after **Goes to count how many CSI like novels she has** like 20ish books. 

This novel was written really well. I learned a great deal about the whole culture/history tie in thing they had going on. One of my favourite things about this novel is that you don't know who it is right from the beginning and spend the rest of the novel trying to catch them. By "you" I mean the CSI's. I guess who it was but I was just lucky, I usually don't when reading. Something is always held back to keep the murderer just out of reach. In this novel it wasn't frustrating; it was perfect. It kept you interesting, bouncing around the "who did it?" 

CSI books really need to stop picking on the Anthropology department! In the last one I read the Anthro department was involved and now it is again. On behalf of all Anthro majors (myself included), knock it off CSI! We know stuff...we could get away with kill you. Anyway...Bones is still on the air and only 1/3 CSI's is left so eat it. You're just jealous and it's unbecoming.

I would have liked to have a little bit more about why the killer did what they did. There is a little bit mentioned but I think it could have been better. Call in the BAU if you have to (CROSSOVER!!) but do something. I believed you, I just wanted a bit more explanation. Run with it.

So: What I've learned from this review is that I watch too many TV shows about crime/murder and that I also read about it (See my reviews for Kathy Reichs and Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY). I think maybe I should try to branch out. You, though? You should read the CSI book if you like the TV show. This was one of the better CSI novels I've read. CSI: Miami ones are still the best however.

Review: Blood Quantum (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #14)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jeff Mariotte
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads): The Las Vegas team of investigators has its hands full following a free-spending night at an exclusive nightclub which leaves the chairman of the Cloud Mountain Paiute Tribe dead. Already surrounded by controversy, the victim had a message scrawled in his own blood at the scene that would indicate a crime of revenge--and members of the chairman's inner circle aren't talking, which leads to a vicious cycle of violence and murder....?

What I think: My first problem with this novel is that it uses the two different shifts. I prefer the CSI novels that only use one crime for the plot. Following two, even if they merge into one in the end, is a lot of work. I get confused as to which characters are working which case; though, by the end, I figured out who was doing what. There is just too much science mixed in for my brain to keep up (in the beginning). This makes me take longer to read them. I bet watching the TV show more would solve this problem but who has time to catch up on four seasons?

Actually, this was one of the more complicated of the CSI novels just because of how many characters were involved with each case but I liked this novel a lot. I loved how everything was wrapped up. The cases went right to the last page of the novel which was a little bit weird because even on the TV show they get a few minutes of character nonsense. It wasn't bad, just odd. 

What else? The action was good. It didn't seem forced. It happened as I would expect after watching the TV show. The author didn't try to overdo it or anything.

Basically, I liked it. 

In Conclusion: A great one for CSI fans...duh. I have another CSI review coming...sometime. Not much of a rereadable novel but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I don't really know what to say here, sorry all.

Review: CSI: Binding Ties (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #6)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Max Allan Collins
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Bound to Goodreads): Ten years ago, Las Vegas was terrorized by "CAST" -- a vicious serial killer responsible for nearly half a dozen brutal murders, and who tested the mettle of the LVPD's new Captain, Jim Brass. After a two-year spree, CASt suddenly disappeared and has not been heard from...until now. Gil Grissom and his CSI team are called in to investigate a homicide that perfectly fits the notorious criminal's modus operandi. But all hell breaks loose when a reporter made famous by the original cases receives a letter from someone claiming to be CAST -- and who says he has nothing to do with the latest slaying.

Now the CSIs must stop someone who may be a copycat killer from striking again. ...even as a murderer from the past continues to evade capture, and isn't taking too kindly to rivals....

My Thoughts: Soooooo, I read the beginning of this novel twice. I'm almost a hundred percent positive. It didn't make a difference because eventually I found a part that I hadn't read before. I was confused to say the least but I moved on.

In the beginning, this was easy to follow. This soon turned out to be a lie. It wasn't impossible to understand. There were just so many characters. There was a copycat? There was an original? There were reporters and police? Never mind that there are like seven CSI characters to follow along with. It was practically, Anna Karenina! A million characters. Too much to follow.

The case was interesting enough though. There was solid action and some science behind it all. It was true to an episode of CSI. Kristen and I were talking about how strange it was that in an hour on TV you can get the whole story but it takes a couple hundred pages to get the same story in book format.

I've read a couple CSI and Criminal Minds novels now. They haven't really grown on me; I can't lie to you. They are a little dull for me. I want more character building and back story. There just isn't time to give the reader these things when there is so much about the case that they have to talk about. I understand that there are limitations, I just don't like them. For this reason, I can't give these books a 10. I do, however, have a couple more to read and review in the next few months...it should be interesting.

So: It's true to the TV show but not much for focusing on the characters. I don't really know how I feel about these types of novels. I won't be reading it again but if you're a hardcore fan of the TV show or the CSI:NY or CSI:Maimi or Criminal Minds novels, you should check out the normal CSI novels too. That's the best this novel is going to get out of me.

Review: Don't Look Back

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Rating: 7/10

Summary (look back to Goodreads): What if you had the chance to start again...but only if you promised never to look back? Samantha is popular, rich, and seemed to have it all...until the night she and her best 'frenemy' Cassie disappeared and only Sammy resurfaced, with no recollection of who she is or what happened. Sammy's a stranger in her own life - a life she no longer wants any part of. Losing her memory is a chance to start again. Then Sammy begins receiving mysterious notes warning her about that night, urging her to not look back. But she can't let it go. As she starts poking around in her past she begins to remember...and something sinister begins to surface.

My Thoughts: I really loved this novel, though it wasn't my favourite of Jennifer Armentrout's novels. I wanted to read it just because it was written by her but it turned out to be a pretty wonderful novel. It didn't seem like it was one of her novels (apparently it was written a while ago but just published? I don't know...). I'm so glad I read this novel.

The novel made me consider what it would be like to lose all my memories. Would I be the same person? Would I like the person I had been? Sam needed to relearn so much about herself. I couldn't even imagine what that would be like, never mind the fact that something horrible was involved and that she needed to fight for her memories to help her friend. I've never read a novel with a premise like this and I enjoyed the uniqueness. It was different and it gets bonus points for that.

I really felt for Sam. She really couldn't trust people or what they were telling her all the time. That would have been tough. I would not have been able to make it through this like she did. Points for being strong even when people were beginning to think she was crazy.

The ending has a solid twist. I mean, the person who did it was on my list but it was still a good choice. The ending was rather intense. The action was pretty sudden but it was really good. Kristen was mad, I was not. I might need to reread the novel just to see if it gives any hints as to who did it. I didn't notice too much foreshadowing but I also have a massive headache and cramps right now. If you read this novel and found some interesting foreshadowing moments, let me know without any spoilers for those who haven't read (that will be hard for you, I'm sure). 

It only took me a few hours to read this novel so it's perfect for that upcoming summer trip. I recommend checking this novel out. If you like mysteries and trying to figure them out than this is for you.

Basically: I want to read all of Jennifer Armentrout's novels. She's wonderful. I have a writer's crush on her. This was different than her other novels but I loved it. I'm not sure the category this novel falls under but I liked it. I would consider a reread, definitely. It's a wonderful mystery wrapped up in a good love story with enough high school drama to make you vomit. 

Hemlock

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Format: eBook
Pages: 404
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (a bite of Goodreads): Mackenzie Dobson's life has been turned upside down since she vowed to hunt her best friend Amy's killer: a white werewolf. Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country, and bloodlust is not easy to control. But it soon becomes clear that dangerous secrets are lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, Mac's hometown—and she is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her in grave danger.

My Thoughts: It took me quite a long time to get into this novel. I don't remember reading the summary because I don't think I would have read this novel if I had read the back. Werewolves just aren't really my thing, most times. Anyway, it mysteriously ended up on my list so I read it. I enjoyed it once I got into it and got past my eReader screwing it up. 

I liked Mac but I felt like she was a bit bipolar. Also, I wish the novel would have talked about the fact that she was seeing her dead friend because that's very strange and probably not healthy. I feel like that should have played a larger part in this novel. It probably would have been good for her to maybe tell someone that it was happening...

I'm tired of love triangles. My love life sucks and I no longer believe that this happens. If it does it's only with "those" people. If this is the case, I vote that they no longer happen. It was especially confusing in this novel because it was sort of the reason for a lot of things happening but you don't figure that out by the end but then it gets even more confusing. BUT TO MAKE IT WORSE, it's also not the reason for it happening. I feel like it might have been just to move the novel along but I didn't agree with it's use here. There are a million other things that could have moved the novel or built up the characters. I don't like how it was done in this novel. It was tired and made me tired and the motivations for everything were so convoluted that I ended up with a headache.

Love Kyle but he too is bipolar. Of course he would beat himself up and do things before calling them a mistake. I don't like the stunt he pulled at the end. It's very...New Moon. Blah.

I wanted to constantly punch Jason in the face. I think I was supposed to feel bad for him but I didn't. Grow up. Learn to deal. Life's tough. You screwed up. She screwed up. Everything went wrong but move on. A high school student with an alcohol problem is not an uber normal thing to have, especially in novels, and it didn't work to do anything but make me hate him.

I think it could have been so much more. If there is a second one, I won't be buying it but this one was an okay read right before exams, I guess.

Basically: Werewolves aren't really my thing. This novel is fine once you get into it. It was an easy read and I ended up enjoying it but I didn't really like the ending. I guess if you like paranormal novels than you will enjoy this novel.

Bones of the Lost

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kathy Reichs
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (GoodReads love): When Charlotte police discover the body of a teenage girl along a desolate stretch of two-lane highway, Temperance Brennan fears the worst. The girl’s body shows signs of foul play. Inside her purse police find the ID card of a prominent local businessman, John-Henry Story, who died in a horrific flea market fire months earlier. Was the girl an illegal immigrant turning tricks? Was she murdered?

The medical examiner has also asked Tempe to examine a bundle of Peruvian dog mummies confiscated by U.S. Customs. A Desert Storm veteran named Dominick Rockett stands accused of smuggling the objects into the country. Could there be some connection between the trafficking of antiquities and the trafficking of humans?

As the case deepens, Tempe must also grapple with personal turmoil. Her daughter Katy, grieving the death of her boyfriend in Afghanistan, impulsively enlists in the Army. Meanwhile, Katy’s father Pete is frustrated by Tempe’s reluctance to finalize their divorce. As pressure mounts from all corners, Tempe soon finds herself at the center of a conspiracy that extends all the way from South America, to Afghanistan, and right to the center of Charlotte.

Thoughts: Let me start by saying how much I love Tempe...a lot. How can you not love her? Sure, sometimes she is a little bit stupid and goes where she shouldn't but she cares so much about people. I love how hard she fought for the murder victim in this novel. I was also surprised to find how much the one cop cared in the end; it seemed like he didn't care for most of the novel.

I'm glad that the novels seemingly three story lines all ended up back together though it would never happen like this is real life. The conspiracy might exist like it did but what are the chances that she would get all the pieces and be able to put them together like she did.

One of my favourite things about Kathy Riechs novels is that the science is more realistic then it is on TV. Things don't happen fast. This novel has large time gaps in it almost as proof. 

But what's up with Pete? Also, I want more Ryan. Plus, Katy is crazy to just enlist like that but I guess that all that matters is that she is happy.

I wish that the novel would specifically say that she told the cops where she went when she runs off because she runs off all the time and it kind of makes me want to punch Tempe in the face. Like, call the police first or something if you can't get a hold of someone specific. Fine, run around risking your life if you want. I understand that the whole reason is to build suspense and to add action, and it does do that but seriously...

I like that she traveled during the novel. Kathy Reichs often travels to do her work so it stands that Tempe would to. I love that element of realism. I think it really adds some sense of movement to the novel too. She doesn't just sit in one spot. Plus, it's kind of exciting.

Final Thoughts: In all honestly, I will probably continue to buy Kathy Reichs no matter what happens. She could write another 16 novels and I would be more than happy to wait at Chapters on the release date. I'm hooked and will always be hooked. Maybe that makes my opinion on the matter a little bit bias so if you don't believe me than maybe you should go out and buy the book. If not this book than one of her many others. I have them all and they are beautiful. Tell me what you think, I could be blinded by my constant fangirling!

P.S. Sorry I've been MIA, school is sucking the life out of me this year. Hopefully, I'm back now but no promises! Love you all, lovely people.

P.P.S. If Kathy Reichs or anyone that works with her is out there, SEND ME THE NEXT BOOK!! Pleeeeeease.

Grave Mercy

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Robin LaFevers
Format: Paperback
Pages: 549
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Need you always Goodreads): Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart? 

My Thoughts: I found that the opening was a strange combination of both quick and slow. We are thrust into the life of Ismae. We see what she has been put through and how she suffers. The reader is quick to understand where she is coming from. She is also quick to agree to change her life for what she believes is the better. On the other hand, looking back, it didn't seem as quick as I thought. The author may have thought to include more about the political situation of the area since it turned out to be the real story here. Without the politics,  there would be no story. I guess this could be explained by Ismae's lack of knowledge, why should the reader know more than her when it's told from her perspective but I'm not so sure. I think knowing from the beginning would have helped a reader to know where the story is leading.

There were quite a few characters. I'm glad that there was a character index in the the beginning on the novel. I didn't use it but I could have at some points. The author did a good job at making sure that the reader kept up with the who's who. The characters were written in great detail so we knew what they were like. 

I love how they introduce Duval! It's perfect. I also enjoyed Ismae. She wasn't just some character to be messed with. She may be duped at times but she works to catch up and get ahead. She doesn't give up and she has the capacity to grow and learn. She doesn't take what people say at face value. She also learns to look at the bigger picture which characters often forget to do.

I wish the the end was explained in greater detail. Without spoilers, some things happen which are quite like miracles. They aren't bad. I was happy for them but I wasn't sure how Ismae came to the conclusions to fix things up the way she did. I feel like I missed something while I was reading that part. I read it twice but still couldn't figure it out. The solution had been mentioned earlier (this is relating to a specific plot twist near the end, not the whole novel) but it was mentioned in passing and as a metaphor, not a real solution. That confused me a little bit.

This novel, though 549 pages, wasn't long. Font size made it a quick read. I'm happy that this novel didn't have super small print or formatting issues because I've had too much of that lately. This novel was like a break for the eyes. It wasn't a break for the brain though. Outside of keeping track of characters and places (there is a character index and map after the front cover to aid the reader), the reader must keep up with all the politics. It's hard work. That won't stop me from rereading this novel again soon.

This novel really had a little bit of everything. There was death, illness, murder, mystery, politics, strategy, action and fighting, love and romance, friendship, betrayal, conspiracy, magic, and religion. Religion isn't really true to real life but go with it anyway.

Imagining this taking place in my world made it hard for me to relate to a lot of the story. Once I put it outside of my world, ignoring that there actually is a France, England, and Germany, I enjoyed it a lot more. I'm not suggesting imagining it on another world just don't try to fit this into real life like you might with other books. The fantasy and paranormal parts of the novel really stand out and it's hard to reconcile what most people know of the world with what happens in this book. Don't try, you'll enjoy it a lot more, I promise.

To End: Wow, that was long. I loved this book. I plan on rereading it again very soon. I would recommend this to young people that like a little romance but also love strong female characters, action, and can accept the violence and death that takes place throughout this novel. It gets kind of graphic at some points but it wasn't too bad. It's a well rounded novel.

P.S. The "series" is called His Fair Assassin and this is book #1. However, it's not really. The other novel has another main character which makes this novel stand alone if you want it to be. Thank God for that, they are so hard to find these days. Enjoy it!

Skin Deep

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jerome Preisler
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Thank goodness for Goodreads): A retired judge has been found brutally murdered on the outskirts of Las Vegas, complete with a macabre yet masterfully intricate tattoo on his face . . . the third seemingly random victim of the mysterious kidnapper dubbed by law enforcement as the "Tattoo Man." The judge wasn't the first person to have been abducted, drugged, and permanently altered with tattoos and body modification . . . but he was the first to wind up dead. At the same time, several other deceased are turning up all over Sin City with their body art mercilessly removed--and the timing would seem to suggest to those in authority that all of these crimes are somehow related. But Las Vegas's top crime scene investigators--Catherine Willows, Ray Langston, Nick Stokes, Sara Sidle, and Greg Sanders--aren't jumping to any conclusions, as they attempt to connect the dots by entering the secretive and tight-knit body art community--one that is intensely wary of outsiders. 

My Thoughts: This is, clearly, a CSI novel so if you don't enjoy that show then you may not like this novel either. This novel, not unlike the other CSI novels, involve a very interesting killer. These characters, always with depth, remind me of the serial killers from Criminal Minds. It might as well be a Criminal Minds novel, other than the characters. This novel doesn't involve a crime of passion with a quick cover up. It has a very elaborate back-story. This novel requires a great deal of thinking and keeping up. You must be able to follow the story and keep up with the csi's as they solve the crime lest you get left behind which if a very big possibility with this novel. You must keep track of the regular characters as well as the ones related only to this particular novel. It was a lot of work. It required focus and time that, in the beginning, I wasn't willing to give it. I had to restart the novel (I started reading this novel once before but gave up. Finishing it the second time was also a struggle but not because it was boring. I just don't enjoy thinking too much.). 

Obviously, this book involves science and big words which allows you to learn something while you read. I like that. I like knowing random fun facts about how things work and random big words that I can throw into my sentences to make me seem smarter than I actually am; it's a fault, I know. It also gave me a new view of tattoo artists and people with tattoos, not that I judged them before, you simply got an inside look.


One thing I must warn is that it is, though not the most graphic novel I've ever read, disturbing. The reader gets to see the world through the eyes of the criminal multiple times, as well as, through the eyes of the victim. This puts the reader in a position to understand motives and to, sometimes and not necessarily in this case, understand why the killer is doing what they are doing. It can help or hurt the book. In this case, it did neither really. It just spooked me out. It's worse seeing through the victim's eyes because I don't enjoy thinking about death never mind my own. 

In Conclusion: Having read other CSI novels in the past, I can say that this is not my favourite. I finished it and enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was but I find I'd rather watch my CSI on TV because it's easier to figure out the "whodunnit?" I like that aspect which is lost on me in the books. I won't be reading this novel again. I would recommend the CSI: Miami novels over regular CSI novels. If you are upset by crime novels or the description of dead bodies or crimes then this isn't for you. At times I did find it gross and upsetting and I watch all the crime shows on TV and have a strong stomach. You know what you like. 

Thanks for reading!

The Diviners

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Libba Bray
Format: Paperback
Pages: 578
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Bless Goodreads): Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

My Thoughts: This novel definitely gave me the heeby-geebies like it tried too. I have this little problem of reading at night and I'm sure that didn't help me in this case. I enjoyed the thought behind this story. I'm all for magic and people having strange gifts/talents so this book was totally my thing. I'm so glad that I kept on reading; I almost put it back on the shelf to read later. Anyway, creep factor was an eight. That's pretty good. The author has a great way of describing things to the reader. I also loved the point of view, it added to the story so much because even though most chapters followed a certain character and their thoughts, you also got the other characters thoughts. The end of some chapters shot around to give updates on minor characters or strangers to the story. I didn't understand them at first but I realized that they give us more background to the world and to how other people are seeing what was happening. It was very useful. 

I also need to give this author massive props for doing all the research necessary for this novel. It takes place in the twenties so not only did the author have to research landmarks from this time period but also how people acted, dressed, and spoke. I cannot even imagine the work that needed to be done for that. She mentions it all in the Author's Notes and Acknowledgements (always read these in books! They are often very funny and lend extra insight to the story. You get a feel for the author and can find out their thoughts on the subject. I love knowing the background to the story and how it came about. You always forget how much work goes into the books you're reading.). Plus, the author clearly has a thesaurus on hand. She uses excellent vocabulary with the except of the pos-i-tutly's and stuff that Evie sometimes says. That drive me nuts! Thought, in the end she says it less and you can see how she has grown.

The characters were solid and all very different but there were just too many of them. They don't all get the same time as the focus and, in the beginning, they are hard to keep straight. It doesn't help that soon they are all interacting. It's that fun six degrees of separation thing but it was rough until I figured out all the connections. Lots of characters die too. Keeping all those deaths is difficult too. They repeat thing enough to be able to figure it all out before the reader goes crazy or gives up. Try to hang in there. 

When I first chose the book I kept thinking how big it was but it went quickly once I got into the story. It wasn't so long as to get bored but it also needed to be that long to explain everything clearly. There were some parts of the book that I felt were just for fun, as in they could have been taken out, yet they made everything relate-able and showed time passing so I take that back. A warning: this book is, I believe, the beginning of a series so if you aren't looking for a series then steer away from this book, unless you don't need a solid ending. The ending of this story leads into something more.

So: I really enjoyed this book. I would read it again. I loved the idea behind the story and I think that the author has a brilliant way of writing (I've read her in the past). This book involves many different genres from action to love with spooky stuff thrown in the middle. Beware that it's the start of series but it's really good.

Fun Quotes (I love sassy writing but it's not as funny without context!):
- "Charity begins at home." "So does mental illness!"
- "What's wrong with Anna Karenina?" "Everything from A to enina." (I agree with this one completely)
- "I salute your spunk, but I question your sanity."

Basically...read the darn book!

The Taker

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Alma Katsu
Format: Paperback
Pages: 436
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (from Goodreads): True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting a quiet evening. Until a mysterious woman arrives in his ER, escorted by police—Lanore McIlvrae is a murder suspect—and Luke is inexplicably drawn to her. As Lanny tells him her story, an impassioned account of love and betrayal that transcends time and mortality, she changes his life forever. . . . At the turn of the nineteenth century, when St. Andrew was a Puritan settlement, Lanny was consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, and she will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for eternity.

My Thoughts: I feel it is necessary to start off by saying that this is definitely not a children's story. There is murder, mystery, intrigue, rape, immortal beings, and the police. When I picked up with book, from the amazing Wal-mart discount shelf (my first love), I choose it purely based on the cover. Okay, sure, 'don't judge a book by its cover', but I just love those masquerade masks...Anyway, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

First of all, this book is strange. Like Wuthering Heights, this story is a story inside a story during a large portion of the novel. I managed to follow this one better than Wuthering Heights. 

Then, of course, there is the fact that you are thrown right into the story. After that, a lot of what we read is the main character backtracking. What I can't understand is why Luke helps her. I mean, this chick shows up in the ER and asks for help escaping, are you just going to help her out? The police were the ones that bring her in. That would give me pause...

Next, the author tries to get us to believe in this world, which is our world, where there are, in fact, people that live forever but that also hang around each other. One is 'in charge' but it's kind of more of an 'I own you' kind of way. He's a bit of a wacko. Then again, this whole concept is nuts right. Sure but then why does it seem so real.

I found myself feeling sorry for the main character. What had she ever done? All she really wanted was love. Sadly, it came at a higher price then she would have thought. 

It leaves us wondering what is going to happen to Lanny. We think she is safe but is she really? She might be able to get herself out of this mess but does she? What will happen to her and Luke? We don't know. We are left completely stranded in this story. I found myself stuck, wondering what was going to happen. I super excited to read book two! I really want to find out what happens in the end.

Final Thoughts: I read this book while Kristen and I were on our break but kept an eye out for the second novel. I waited and waited until I could wait no more. I couldn't wait very long for the next book. Now that it's on my shelf I figured I would go back and review this so that I can gush about how awesome I hope the next one it. I'm going to start reading it right now. You should too.

Seriously though, this is not for children or people that are sensitive. There is murder, rape, torture, plain old capturing and locking up. At times, I found myself uncomfortable. Also, I told my one friend that she couldn't borrow my copy because she was simply too immature. Then again, I could be the sensitive one here... Let me know what you think about it.

Deluge

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Stuart M. Kaminsky
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Thanks GoodReads): Days and nights of heavy spring rain threaten to cripple New York City. Neighborhoods are experiencing periodic blackouts. People have been reported electrocuted by fallen power lines. Flooding of some subway lines has stopped trains in their tracks. And in the midst of the deluge, the CSI team has three cases to solve. 

Mac Taylor and Don Flack are on the trail of the perpetrator of a string of grisly murders with one thing in common: initials carved into the victims' bodies. When an unusual connection is found between the victims' lives, Mac realizes the killer isn't finished -- not by a long shot.

Lindsay Monroe and Danny Messer investigate the death of a teacher at an exclusive Manhattan private school. The victim seems like everyone's favorite teacher on the surface -- but they soon uncover a darker secret lurking beneath.

Stella Bonasera and Sheldon Hawkes are on-site at a suspicious building collapse when shifting rubble traps Hawkes

The intrepid members of New York's crack forensic team must race against time and the elements to bring three very different criminals to justice.
My Take: Here is a small fact: rain freaks me out. It's not that a fear drowning or I fear the rain itself. I've always been a tad bit fearful of what might be hiding under the dark, grey cover that rain seems to provide more often then not. I'm afraid of what might come with the rain. It's the flooding and mud that swallows your foot and the lightening that terrifies me. It's stupid and irrational, yes, I am very much aware so thank you but I can't help it. Because I'm already afraid of the rain, this book was spooky. I understand that not everyone is afraid of the rain but it's creepy nonetheless. The flooding makes the jobs of the CSIs near impossible but what can you do? Nothing. They have to keep trying anyway.

Also, I've never been one for having names carved into body parts. I didn't see the building issues coming. I loved that twist. The trick with these books is the twists because without them you can lose touch with the story.

If your a fan of the TV show then you should check out the book series. I have quite a few of them. The CSI Miami and NY ones are much better than the regular CSIs but to each his own. This should be on the top of the list though, for sure.

Flash and Bones

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kathy Reichs
Pages: 271
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary: Just as 200,000 fans are pouring into town for Race Week, a body is found in a barrel of asphalt next to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The next day, a NASCAR crew member comes to Temperance Brennan's office to share a devastating story. Twelve years earlier, Wayne Gamble's sister, Cindi, then a high school senior and aspiring racer, disappeared along with her boyfriend, Cale Lovette. Lovette kept company with a group of right-wing extremists known as the Patriot Posse. Could the body be Cindi's? Or Cale's?

At the time of their disappearance, the FBI joined the investigation, only to terminate it weeks later. Was there a cover-up? As Tempe juggles multiple theories,the discovery of a strange, deadly substance in the barrel alongside the body throws everything into question. Then an employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention goes missing during Race Week. Tempe can't overlook the coincidence. Was this man using his lab chemicals for murder? Or is the explanation even more sinister? What other secrets lurk behind the festive veneer of Race Week?

My Take: I really like Kathy Reichs books because she has the science but she also has the people. The novels that she writes are full of just enough action and just enough drama to keep you focused while at the same time, teaching you something that you didn't know or telling you how something works. She thinks about things and adds things that I would never even think about had it not been for her novels. She's great.

I've read all Reichs novels so now I'm just trying to keep up with the character, Temperance. I want to know what will happen to her, I want to know how she will solve what seems to be an unsolvable mystery. I'm curious to know how it ends and that it what propels me to finish these books.

I said before that there is just enough action to keep our interest and that's true. It isn't over loaded with useless detail but uses the action to move through the story. Each one of her novels has something happen to Temperance. She always gets herself into some kind of trouble and I find that as I read I get excited to find out what she will get herself into next.

Since Kathy Reichs is a real forensic anthropologist, the science is real. You really do learn some things. I think that's great because it makes the whole thing seem much more real.

Final Thoughts: If you like science, mysteries, racing, and just a touch of good drama, than this is a good novel for you. one thing that I love about Reichs' novels is that you don't have to read them all. She always gives an introduction so if you want to read only this one, you could. It's all around good.

P.S. Fun Kelsey factoid: Next year I will be going to school for anthropology and Kathy Reichs is the reason. ☺ Also, if you have read any of Kathy Reichs novels and haven't already than you should check out the Television show, Bones. It airs on Global and Fox (cable).

(This season is done but whatever!)

Dark Lake

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Louise Gaylord
Format: Paperback, ARC
Pages: 191
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (From GoodReads): Summer at the Lake just isn't what it used to be. This year, it's murder.
After 15 years, Allie Armington returns to her aunt Sallie's idyllic cottage retreat in the Adirondacks where she spent most of her childhood summers. Until the accident, that is. But instead of the happy reunion she's anticipating, she finds Sallie's mangled body and her cousin Arlene bound, gagged, and drugged.
The close-knit community of July 4th to Labor Day residents at the Hotanawa compound tries to portray the tragedy as a suicide to keep things out of the news. Allie knows better. There's been foul play, yet the cops have all but closed the case.
To clear her aunt's reputation, Allie's got to navigate her way around a compromised police department, wealthy neighbors with agendas, a cousin who's turned into a meth-head, and a drug conspiracy that just gets stranger and stranger- especially since the handsome drug cop is an ally in one moment and a suspected conspirator the next.
Populated with neighbors you love to hate, childhood ex-crushes you'd hate to love, and family and friends who promote more problems than solutions, Dark Lake brings us an up close look at summer life in the Adirondacks and Allie at her best.

My Take: Okay soooooo...I thought this was a pretty good book. I'm the kind of person that likes to guess "who done it" while reading a mystery. This book kept me guessing, I never knew what action would come next and I loved that. I also didn't figure out the killer until the very end when it was told to me. It had good forshadowing without giving away too many future plot points. I especially liked how everything was tied together at the end.

There were a lot of characters in this novel but i never got confused with any of them. In fact, I grew to trust many of them and even to hate a few too. I didn't, however, feel that the main character felt, or rather, expressed the right or all the emotions that she would feel with the losses that she faced in this story. It felt like some of the emotions were left out.

Another small issues was that every once and awhile there seemed to be pieces missing. Peices of dialogues and story line semmed to have been deleted but after a reread or two i found that the changes made sence, they were just slightly awkward.

Final Thoughts: It was a good mystery. I am likely to reread it in the future. It has a bit of everything. There is action, guns, death, love, comedy, and drama. It has a bit of something for every person. I would recommend this book to people who like CSI!