The teenage voice has been captured well for the narrator, and a solid streak of feminism is woven through the plotline. I honestly didn’t expect the typical teenage paranoia and family cringe to have a real basis – but it did. (I am being deliberately vague to avoid spoilers.)
The book was probably designed for the Young Adult reader, but I enjoyed it and suspect that you would too, whatever your age! I expected a fantasy, possibly with time travel, but found it was more of a mystery, and beautifully constructed at that.
The book incorporates some historical research, and closes with reflections from the adult heroine, many years from the original plot. To me, this made the book more mature than the typical Young Adult offering, more like Literary Fiction or Chick Lit. With the sporting interest incorporated, I don't see why a male could not enjoy the book too, but that would be a matter of taste.
I read an advance copy provided by Book Sirens.
Almost Dead by Blake Pierce
I enjoyed the book. It was a fast moving, domestic drama. A taste of danger, a little bit of suspense, and a play on perception. I wasn’t quite so thrilled to find at the end, that while the story can stand alone, it is designed to build up to a crescendo along with the rest of the series.
The incident is complete, but there is a hint that the heroine is trouble prone, or that more consequences might be coming. There was also very little progress on the over-riding arc of searching for her sister.
So what to say? It was a genuinely good read – just that the marketing strategy of connecting to the rest of the series is really showing.
I relished my advanced review copy from Book Sirens.
Killer Spring Fling by Mollie Cox Bryan
I would class this as a Cozy Mystery, because aside from the discovery of a body, there is little violence. The setting, a tourist town concentrating on Victoriana is well delineated. The combination of gaming interests and Victoriana is unique and stimulating.
My only complaint was that the book seemed to finish too quickly. In a classic who-dun-it, one clue decoded leads to another and there may be several incidents. This seemed to wrap up the threads quite neatly around one incident. I think it was slightly shorter than some, but with the new epub format, it is hard to tell.
Book Sirens supplied an advance review copy, and this is my truthful reaction.
MISSING by Jane Marion
This book was interesting because it was set in Tasmania. I admired the effort to create a uniquely Australian thriller. The heroine was a mother, who struggled to care for her child, despite rigorous adventures. This was another plus, and I think created a brave role model.
It had sufficient mystery and drama, and was well constructed. It was the second in the series, and I hadn’t read the first, but I found the story easy to pick up.
I read a review copy supplied by Book Sirens.
