Iniquitous - Craig R. Key

Genre – Horror      

Publishing Date – January 5, 2017

Page count – 128 pages

Source – Sent by author

Format – Paperback

Standalone/Series – Standalone

Rating -⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

       Hello and welcome to my blog of wonders. Here you can find book reviews of books of all origin and genres. I will always be honest when it comes to reviewing any book. I try and keep my blog up to date and filled with truthful and fun reviews. So let's get started shall we?

     This book was sent to me by the author himself, Craig R. Key. He gave a basic plot summary about his book and with the very brief synopsis I received, I was intrigued. With the little I was given, I did some research and considered what I was getting myself into. It had nine ratings and two reviews, which isn’t the best but who am I to judge a book on the few ratings?  But the two reviews were good ones so that’s a plus.

     Iniquitous is about an alcoholic Private Investigator who was hired to aid the police in a Missing Persons case by the parents of a terminally ill little girl, Abby Deirdre, who disappeared from the hospital a month earlier. Unsure if the child is still alive, the PI finds himself in a race against time to find her before her condition worsens or at least find the people who took her. With every new discovery, it seems that Abby's disappearance may be linked to something worse. 
Something sinister. Something evil. Something iniquitous”

     I waited a week to finally get my hands on my own copy of Iniquitous. It came in on my birthday which was a major plus. It was not what I was expecting to be completely honest. When I opened the package, it was a large but thin book. That kind of threw me off a bit, I don’t know what I was expecting to be honest.

     At first I was skeptical about whether this book would be just another let down or it would be worth the time. Thankfully it was worth the read. It wasn’t a five-star read but it was able to keep my attention and it did have one hair raising moment and made me eyes water for some reason. The story doesn’t drag on and on and it gets to the point within only 128 pages.

     The only thing I really disliked about this read was I felt like each character could have been built up more. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. There were one or two parts where I was lost and didn’t know where I was or what was happening. With that, I didn’t like the ending. I was lost but at the same time I was mind blown.

     This would definitely be recommended to people who either want a quick read or like horrorish genre. I want to thank Craig R. Key for sending me your work and taking your time to send me an email.  

    

Abandoned - Elisa Dane

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Publishing Date: February 15, 2016

Source: Owned copy

Page Count: 272 pages

Format: Kindle

Standalone/series: Standalone

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Hello and welcome to my blog of wonders. Here you can find book reviews of books of all origin and genres. I will always be honest when it comes to reviewing any book. I try and keep my blog up to date and filled with truthful and fun reviews. So let's get started shall we?

This book was sitting on my kindle for months and I wanted to move it to my “Read” folder. I have an ever growing TBR pile and I never seem to make a dent in it. So I finally decided to give it a go and give this book a chance. I remembered buying this book because the plot sounded a bit cliche but very good. I was so determined to finally start it, then when I did I wasn't invested in the plot or characters. I guess that was because I started a new job and I was sick for a month, on and off. So my reading habits slowly came to a stop. I noticed I started reading and writing less, which meant the number of books I want to read each month will decrease dramatically and the reviews for those books. 

When I started to read I wasn’t drawn in and I’d choose sleep over reading. I slowly began to lose interest and I contemplated DNF’ing it and going back to it later on but I didn't want to give up so easily. I don't know if it was only because I was really tired or if it wasn't interesting enough for me. With that I kept on reading and I was determined to finish it. Oh boy was I wrong. I got more than I bargained for the deeper I got into the story. I became so drawn to the main characters, Tierra, Mattie, and Kaylee. I even teased up at least 2 to 4 times. The more I got into the book the more It made me remember why I bought it. For those of you who do not know anything about this book, this is a young adult contemporary. Here is the synopsis that dragged me in. 

“My name is Tierra Owens, and I like to kiss. A lot. It numbs the hollow ache in my chest and—for a few minutes—makes me forget how truly alone I am. My mother is an alcoholic. She hates me and insists I'm the reason she's not married to my father, whom I have never met. My best friend, Kaylee, is the only person who knows the real me. Everyone else sees what I want them to: a happy, confident, popular girl who has the world at her feet.

I am a fraud.

Relationships are forbidden. I avoid them at all costs. Sex? Emotions? Those things make a person vulnerable, and vulnerability always leads to heartbreak. When my childhood crush, Mattie shows up at school my world tumbles off its axis. The shell I surround myself with feels more like a pathetic crutch than a protective barrier, and I find myself wanting things. Daydreaming about what it would be like to have a boyfriend, a relationship—love.

The sad fact is: I'll never have any of those things. I am unworthy—trash. Which is why my mom abandoned me”

Now doesn't that make you want to read this book? Of course my favorite characters are Tierra, Mattie, and Kaylee. Each character stood alone but together they made the  story full and created room for growth among themselves. Tierra is a strong hearted teen with a will to not turn into her alcoholic mother. Mattie is such a loving and caring individual who gave Tierra the love her mother never gave her. He helped her grow and learn to love. Of course who could forget the best friend? Kaylee is the best friend every wants in their life.The characters growth gave life and a solid foundation for this amazing story. 

All three characters were well developed and create such a loving, touching and relatable story. There were several parts that left me in awe and wanting love like that. This is a must read and a highly recommended one too. I already recommended it to a good friend of mine. 

The Women Behind the Waterfall - Leonora Meriel

Genre – Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction 

Publishing Date – October 1, 2016

Page count – 248 pages

Source – Sent by author

Format – Hardcover

Standalone/Series – Standalone

Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


          

Hello and welcome to my blog of wonders. Here you can find book reviews of books of all origin and genres. I will always be honest when it comes to reviewing any book. I try and keep my blog up to date and filled with truthful and fun reviews. So let's get started shall we?

          This beautiful book was sent to me by the author herself, Leonora Meriel. It was sent all the way from England, which was really cool. I was initially excited for this book to get into my possessions; it took longer than I’d expect it to. But what did I expect? It came all the way from England to New York. I read the excerpt given in the email and I felt that this book would be an interesting read.

          Before I give my review, I just want to clarify that this is my honest review and I vowed to myself to always be honest with myself and whoever reads my blog. I do not or want it to seem as if I am “bashing” or “talking negatively about the book or author. That goes for all my reviews, whether it’s on the books I purchase or sent to me. So my reviews are 100% my opinion and they don’t intend to attack or belittle anyone.

          I personally found this book to be beautifully written and the author Leonora Meriel, created such a beautiful story and almost poetic. Even though I thought the writing was beautiful and the world she created very poetic, I had to DNF it. I stopped about half way only because after a while I became lost and it had elements of magic/ fantasy; which I'm not a fan of. I checked my email again and read the email’s entirety and saw that I didn’t read the genres this book fell under. So this was my mistake and I should have read the email entirely before accepting it. Regardless of what I did enjoy what I did read.

          I really did enjoy the first half of the book but it slowly became a drag for me. Personally the writing gave me such a pleasant feeling but it sadly wasn’t enough for me to finish the book. So I rated the book on what I did read. I would still recommend this book and talk highly of it. I want to thank Leonora Meriel for sending me her book and I’m sorry that I didn’t love it. 

A Trinity of Wicked Tales: Jilted Love - Kyla Ross

Genre – Horror, Suspense, Short Stories
Publishing Date – January 29, 2017
Page count – 93 pages
Source – Sent by author
Format – Paperback
Standalone/Series – Series
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


       Hello and welcome to my blog of wonders. Here you can find book reviews of books of all origin and genres. I will always be honest when it comes to reviewing any book. I try and keep my blog up to date and filled with truthful and fun reviews. So let's get started shall we?

      This beautiful book was sent to me by the author, Kyla Ross. This is a new author to me and I'm glad she got in contact with me. I'm a big fan of horror and suspenseful reads, so this was right up my alley. The synopsis was right to the point and it kept my attention from the cover to cover.

      Even though it was only ninety three pages long, it was straight to the point and each story held its own. There are three stories inside and they were not connected to one another. Each story kept me wanting to read more and more. Sadly it was a very short read and that brings me to my next point.

      The only bad thing I have to say, well it isn't necessarily a bad thing but it was too short. I personally wished that each story was lengthened just a little bit longer. It would have given the stories for depth and more detail. I felt like everything was so straight to the point that it felt rushed.

      I am always thankful for any authors that sent me their work in past, as well as the future authors. This quick and easy read is definitely a recommended read. Especially for someone that wants a quick read and enjoys anything horror or suspense related.

Book Review - "Burned" - Ellen Hopkins

Genre – Young adult 

Publishing Date – October 23, 2007

Page count – 544 pages

Source – owned copy

Format – paperback

Standalone/Series – series

Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

      I haven't read any of Ellen Hopkins's work in many years, probably since freshman year of high school. From what I remembered, I wasn't too impressed or two invested in any of her work. I'm not saying she's a bad author, it's the opposite. She's very talented and she sure knows how to write a relatable story. Reading Burned brought back many memories high school memories. 

      "Burned is the story of a young woman, struggling to find her place in the world in the face of abuse by the person she most adores: her father. She questions her family, her faith, and her ability to love and be loved.

Suspended from school, she is sent to rural Nevada to live with an aunt whom she barely knows. There she finds love, acceptance and new knowledge about the things that have made her father like he is. But even there, her demons find her. "

      When I started to read Burned I had already started a new job so I became very busy and tired and I didn't have time to read much anymore. My old job I had to take a train to get to work unlike my current job, which is walking distance. I used to read on the train to and from work which made it easier to complete my monthly TBR and my yearly reading goal. But since I walk to work everyday I don't get the luxury of reading on my way to work. But I do try and read on my lunch break.

      So on my lunch I would become very invested in learning more and understanding Pattyn's life and her decisions. I became emotionally attached to her because of the things she has gone through in her life. I don't know what's it like to have a father like that (thankfully) but being a writer I was able to put myself in her shoes without actually going through what she has gone through. 

      My favorite thing about Ellen Hopkins's books is her writing style. I love poetry and I'm also a poet/writer. I love how she tells a story through poetry. Each page is a poem and they're never the same (layout wise). It's a pretty massive looking book but inside it's not as intimidating. I can't explain it, you'd have to read it yourself. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry and a moving story. 

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins Book Review

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins 

Genre – Thriller, Mystery 

Publishing Date – January 13, 2015

Page count – 325 pages

Source – Owned Copy

Format – Hardcover

Standalone/Series – Standalone

Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

       Hello and welcome to my blog of wonders. Here you can find book reviews of books of all origin and genres. I will always be honest when it comes to reviewing any book. I try and keep my blog up to date and filled with truthful and fun reviews. So let's get started shall we?

      I know I'm pretty late both with reading this book and writing the review. I saw this on my Instagram but didn't pay much attention to it. I didn't even know what the book was about. It was until I saw a trailer for the book adaptation that sparked my interest. For anyone who knows me, they know that I don't like spoilers and if there is a movie I want to see and I know it is based off a book then I will read the book first and then watch the movie.

      The best part of reading this book was that I wasn't reading it alone. My friend and I both read it together and discussed it with one another. It was my first time ever reading a book with a friend or buddy reading. So it is pretty fun to read along with a friend and then be able to discuss it with them. I had a few "OMG" and "I can't stand you" moments. 

      If you're reading this review you probably already know what this book is about but what the hell I'll still include the Goodreads synopsis for those who don't know anything about the book or movie. 

"The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same community train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good? " 

      I know it doesn't sound that amazing (in my opinion) BUT it is definitely worth the read. I actually really enjoyed the change point of use between Rachel, Anna, Tom, "Jess" & "Jason". There were many moments where I would be left in shock and my jaw dropped open. This book definitely had a fair share of twists and turns. The character and plot developments were very well thought out in my opinion. 

      This book will definitely be on my 2017 favorites list. I have a recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It did start off slow but I promise you it does get better. Now it's time to actually watch the movie.
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