Book Review: “Hunger Games” trilogy
I’ve mentioned before that my youngest daughter often recommends books that I should read. Rarely will my oldest daughter recommend a book.
When they both suggested the Hunger Games trilogy, I knew I’d have to read at least the first one.
So once again, I headed to the online version of my local library and found the audio books were available for download. I knew there was going to be a movie or something, so the waiting list for all three books didn’t surprise me.
What surprised me was how much I enjoyed the story. (In my defense, the last book/series my girls got me to read was Twilight and we won’t discuss how wrong sparkly vampires are or the social implications of watching people sleep when they don’t know you’re there—better known to the sane world as stalking.)
Since the movie has been released, and has been a box office hit, I’m not going to do much of a “plot review” here. I will, however, give my overall thoughts on the story.
Throughout the saga, there are a lot of characters. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen (the main character) has a family and friends in her District 12 home. In preparation for the games there are another six or seven members of her production team. Inside the arena there are 23 other participants who must kill or be killed before a victor is announced — and 22 of those participants change from book to book. Despite the sheer number of characters to keep straight (remember, I was doing the audio version!), I didn’t find it confusing at all.
Hunger Games was my favorite of the trilogy. Not only did it set up the premise of the story and the rules of the world Suzanne Collins created, but it was fast-paced and easy to follow. Taking place in Panem, an almost post-apocalyptic United States, the games are a sadistic invention of the “Capitol.” Designed to keep the masses in line, each year 24 children—11 boys and 11 girls—are selected to compete to the death in the hunger games. Winners—and the areas they come from—are provided for as long as the “tribute” or contestant lives. Katniss, a strong female character, offers to take the place of her sister in the death game. This suicide mission is something that just isn’t done.
In preparation for the the games, Katniss and her District 12 partner, Peeta, along with their production teams, make an elaborate ruse of young love between the two teens. Katniss, in an effort to survive the games, is willing to play along. The audience loves it.
As the game progresses, the Capitol changes the rules. Now there may be two winners, if they’re both from the same district. Katniss vows to protect Peeta so they can both go home. The story plays out much like you would expect. Until the end when the Capitol changes the rules again. Nope. Only one winner. Sorry.
In a deception reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Katniss and Peeta threaten to consume some poison berries, causing an audience uproar, which in turn causes another rule change allowing both tributes to live.
In book two, Catching Fire, it’s one year later. Katniss and Peeta are still using the “teenagers in love” strategy and she hopes that will only last as long as they are the most recent victors. However, it may not be that simple.
Not only is it time for the annual hunger games, but it is the 75th annual event and the Capitol wants to make it a biggie. Instead of selecting 24 new tributes to compete in the brutal games, the 24 contestants will be selected from previous winners.
Katniss finds out that there has been talk of rebellion throughout the the Districts. There is even the possibility that the annihilated District 13 truly does exist. Katniss is visited by President Snow to ensure she understands the gravity of the situation. In other words, if she doesn’t “play nice” her family will pay.
Why this turn of events? Revenge. With the poison berry stunt at the end of Hunger Games, Katniss made a fool of the Capitol. How can the government maintain control if a teenage girl can outwit the game?
So, Katniss and Peeta find themselves returning to the arena. Peeta loves and wants to protect Katniss. Katniss wants to protect her world and everyone she loves.
Of the three books, Catching Fire was my least favorite. However, the story was necessary to tie Hunger Games to Mockingjay.
Mockingjay is the story of the rebellion. At the end of Catching Fire, Katniss is rescued from the arena by members of the supposedly non-existent District 13. Peeta isn’t as lucky. He’s captured by the Capitol and tortured for information on Katniss and her followers—followers the 17-year-old girl doesn’t even realize she has!
After much inner turmoil, Katniss accepts the role of the rebellion’s figurehead. She sits in on planning meetings, she struggles to rescue Peeta, she trains for combat. It isn’t easy, and it’s a lot of responsibility for anyone, let alone a teenager still struggling with her own since of identity.
But she does it. Katniss takes an active part in leading the rebellion. In doing so, however, she is sucked into a game of politics where the rules of the arena seemed a little more clear.
If Hunger Games appealed more to females, with the possibility of a love story, then Mockingjay is for the males. Here we have betrayal, war rooms, fighting, blowing stuff up. Yes, the hint of romance is there, but this is the action-packed conclusion.
Despite the “young adult” label, I found the trilogy to be well written and thought provoking. Whether she meant to or not, Suzanne Collins gives an interesting commentary on today’s American society with our dependance upon the government to take care of us and our fascination with reality television. I know that I will never watch CBS’s Survivor the same way again. Perhaps it’s my age, but I was also reminded of George Orwell’s works—1984 during the trilogy’s first half and Animal Farm during the second. (Seriously, if you haven’t read them, DO!)
I thought the Hunger Games Trilogy could really be the same story (much like how J.K. Rowling felt that the Harry Potter series was one long story broken into seven books).
Finally, I admit that I haven’t seen the movie, though I hope to. Have you? Did you read the books also? What did you think?
Nichole
Book Review: “Hour of the Hunter”
There is something wonderful (to me, at least) about being read to. I love books, in case you didn’t know, and would rather read or knit than do just about anything else. Being able to turn back a few pages to “catch something” again is fun. Feeling the pages move from right to left as I progress through the novel gives me a sense of accomplishment.
However, there’s something about just relaxing and letting someone tell you a story. For me, it’s like “comfort food” for the ears.
And that, my friends, is something I’d forgotten until recently.
Our library allows patrons to check out audio books from the comfort of their own home. So I did.
The first book I checked out was Hour of the Hunter by J.A. Jance. Jance has been on my “gotta check out” list for awhile now, but I hadn’t picked up anything by her.
This was a fast-paced, thought-provoking story that made my morning walk less tedious. In addition, Gene Engene’s narration was awesome. His voice is perfect for story-telling.
In Hour of the Hunter, Andrew Carlisle is being released from prison. He has convinced the warden that he’s a model prisoner, however, Andrew is conning him to the full extent. The warden doesn’t do his job of making sure Andrew is going where he says he is. In fact, Andrew has spent his time dreaming of revenge on the woman he blames for his time—Diana Ladd.
Diana’s husband had been a friend of Andrew’s. The two men were out partying and a young woman was killed. Diana’s husband then committed suicide before they were tried for the crime. Andrew blames Diana for his incarceration.
The book is really the journey of Andrew going after Diana. There is no mystery since readers—or listeners, in this case—know he plans to kill her.
One of the things I really enjoyed in the book was the Native American stories sprinkled throughout the novel. There were some parts of the story that seemed a little slow, but Engene’s voice helped that along.
If you’re even a little squeamish, I would avoid Hour of the Hunter. However, I thought it was good company on my morning walks and I’ll look for another Jance novel in the future.
Nichole
Book Review: “Color Me Grey”
Ready for another review, with a little more “fan girl” in the mix?
J.C. Phelps and I are both members of the Black Hills Writers Group. We’ve done book signings together. We’ve had numerous conversations on the state of publishing and the cool technology available for authors and readers. However, I had never read her novel.
Don’t get me wrong, I had heard her work at both BHWG meetings and book signings. And it wasn’t that I didn’t want to read it. I just hadn’t.
Until now.
Recently, I got a tablet—something I’d been wanting for awhile. And one of the first things I downloaded onto it was the Kindle app. It only seemed fitting that the first book I read would be J.C. Phelps’ Color Me Grey.
Color Me Grey is the first in the Alexis Stanton Chronicles. Alexis, a spoiled, rich girl, decides her job is a bit boring so she up and quits. She wants adventure, so she answers a mysterious ad in the classified section. Despite the secretive nature of the position, Alexis is not only intrigued, but is perfectly and completely qualified for the job. Being the spoiled little rich girl, Alexis was homeschooled and trained in everything from history to military interrogations.
Oh, wait! Before we go further, it’s another “full disclosure” moment! As snooty as that last sentence sounded, I have nothing against home education. In fact, quite the opposite. I firmly and completely believe that public schools fail most children. The “sit down, shut up, and follow the pack” mentality doesn’t account for individuality or creativity. Teachers are underpaid and overworked. They spend more time enforcing rules and dealing with problems than they do actually teaching. They often don’t get the opportunity to work with their students one-on-one. And those, my friends, are just some of the reasons why my youngest was home educated.
Sorry, let me step off the soapbox now.
As I said, Alexis was homeschooled and learned more than the typical “reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.” It was the extras which made her perfect for the job.
The job, it turns out, is a cross between private investigator, repo-man, and CIA agent for a company where all the employees have crayon box aliases: Mr. White, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown, etc., and now Ms. Grey.
Overall, I found Color Me Grey to be a quick read and an interesting story. There were, of course, a few parts that moved a bit slower than others, but isn’t that how life is? It’s also not the type of book I would normally read. After seven years in the U.S. Air Force, I usually avoid military-style novels. While Color Me Grey isn’t a military story per se, that element is there.
Someone on Goodreads compared Color Me Grey to USA Network’s Covert Affairs. It’s a good analogy.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I found it fitting that this would be the first book I read on my tablet just because of the conversations J.C. and I have held. I look forward to other installments of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles.
Nichole
Book Review: “The Corpse Wore Tartan”
Okay, so we have some need for “full disclosure” on this book. I actually got to meet Kaitlyn Dunnett at a writers conference a few years ago where she spoke on a panel. I think it was one of the last Mayhem in the Midlands conferences, but I could be mistaken. And, either way, I don’t think she’d remember me at all.
Whenever and where ever it was, though, I do remember that this book wasn’t released yet. Instead, she brought book jackets! And with a cover like this one, how could I not be on the the lookout for The Corpse Wore Tartan?
Oh, and for another odd piece of full disclosure, yes, I do own a full-length tartan. Yes, my husband has been known to wear a kilt. Yes, he does own a set of bagpipes. No, he can’t play them. Yes, he’s tried. No, you don’t want to hear.
Now, the review. The Corpse Wore Tartan is the fourth in the Liss MacCrimmon Scottish Mystery, but it’s the first one I’ve ever read. I will have to go back and read the other three.
The story takes place in Moosetookalook, Maine, where Liss and her aunt run a Scottish Emporium. In this installment, Liss is working as the liaison between the Scottish Heritage Appreciation Society and the Spruces, the Moosetookalook hotel where the group is hosting their annual Burns Night Dinner.
Robert Burns
For those who don’t know, Burns Night is a celebration of Scottish poet Robert Burns and his held close to his January 25 birthday. Now let’s think about this for a minute. A January dinner. In Maine. What could complicate things?
If you guessed a snowstorm of epic proportions, a power outage, and a dead body, you’d be on the right track.
I’ve never been to Maine, but South Dakota has it’s fair share of winter weather, and author Kaitlyn Dunnett does a great job of describing the brutality of a Maine winter: blowing snow, freezing temperatures, ice on the lines.
Back to the plot. During the Burns Night celebration two things happen. First, an ice storm blows in to Moosetookalook, making the roads unsafe to drive. This forces not only the guests, but the staff to stay at the hotel. The combination of high winds and sleet also knocks out power to the hotel. The second item of importance is the actual dinner. Emcee Phineas turns his remarks into more of a roast than a toast, giving motive to more than a few of the participants. Phineas’s twin, Phil, wasn’t much better. He had the police called to report a missing clan broach—after he and his wife contaminated the “scene of the crime” that is!
So now we have the Moosetookalook police on the scene (and her state trooper fiance), taking statements from the guest about the missing pin. At some point after the power goes out, Phineas is discovered killed with a skean dhu, that little knife that gets tucked in the socks of men wearing kilts. Sherri, the Moosetookalook officer, tries to do everything “by the book,” even though help isn’t available because of the treacherous roads and downed phone lines.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I liked the way the weather played into it, as well as the way the author portrayed the small Maine town—specifically the idea that the residents seem to pay for the their mistakes for years. It was also a quick, light read, which I needed after the darker novels I’d picked up recently. What I didn’t like, was the sketchiness of the backstory. I’m sure that wasn’t a problem for avid followers of the series, I found some of the relationships just “bam, I’m here” with little or no explanation or warning. Again, I’m sure that people who’ve read the series from the beginning didn’t have the issue, and I will be one of them. I’m making it a point to go back and read the first three.
Nichole
Book Review: “13 1/2″
I’ve read—and enjoyed—a few of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon books. 13 1/2 isn’t one of them.
This stand-alone has nothing to do with National Parks or even the “outdoors.” It’s not a cozy mystery with an unlikely sleuth. Heck, it’s not even really a mystery. Instead, I would categorize 13 1/2 as a psychological thriller.
The story starts out with Polly Deschamps, a young girl living in a bad situation. It’s one of those stories that we all wish were rare, but, in moments when we’re honest with ourselves, we know happen all too often. A mother who didn’t want Polly and is ill-equipped to nurture her. A series of less-than-stellar men in the mother’s life. An environment of alcohol and abuse.
Polly, however, vows that she will not be her mother. She swore she would rise above her circumstances, and not lower herself to meet them. She does what any fictitious girl in her situation would. She runs away.
Because of her attitude, I instantly liked Polly and it was that admiration that kept me reading to the end.
Polly’s story, however, is only a small part of the novel. The majority of the story is about the Butcher Boy, a child of 11 or so who is convicted of murdering his mother, father, and sister and seriously injuring his older brother. All with an axe.
It’s now years later and not only is Polly a mother (completely unlike her own, by the way) with two little girls, but the Butcher Boy is out of prison and living in New Orleans with his brother.
The families collide and history begins to repeat itself.
I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t the quick and easy read I hoped for. Like the Anna Pigeon books, Nevada Barr’s descriptions in 13 1/2 were amazing and her characters well developed. Even after I figured out the “mystery” I continued reading because of the characters.
Nichole
Book Review: “The Book Thief”
The Book Thief was one of those stories recommended to me by my youngest daughter. Her tastes run more literary than mine normally do, and she is more of a fan of historical fiction than I am. However, she is very discerning, as well. Books she recommends are usually quite well written.
And this one is no exception.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak takes place in Nazi Germany and follows the story of one young girl as she comes of age during one of the most evil times in recent history. The story starts in 1939 when 9-year-old Liesel Meminger travels via train with her mother and 6-year-old brother. It is there that Liesel first encounters the narrator of the story. Death meets Liesel when he comes for her brother.
Shortly after the encounter, Liesel steals her first book. The first of many. She discovers a book hidden in the snow after her brother’s burial. “The Grave Diggers Handbook” becomes Liesel’s first book. She can’t read it and if she could she many have left it there in the snow. Instead, she picks it up and hides it among her possessions.
After the burial, Liesel and her mother continue their train journey which ends with Liesel being deposited at a foster home in Munich. It is there that the rest of the story unfolds. Liesel arrives unable to read and missing her family. Her foster parents, who she grows to love and call Mama and Papa, truly don’t know what to do with the young girl. Her Papa is there for every nightmare and teaches her to read and they start with “The Grave Diggers Handbook.”
The story continues as the war does. Liesel grows. She becomes a member of the Hitler Youth. She sees Jewish people marched through the streets. She witnesses a book burning.
She also keeps a huge secret. The secret of Max Vandenburg, a young Jewish man hidden in the basement.
Zusak creates a phenomenal story. Although he chose Death to narrate the story, the overall tone isn’t as morbid as it could have been. Yes, there are spots where the tone is extremely serious. However, Zusak also shows the happy moments of this girl’s life. Let’s be serious, no matter how evil war is (and it is evil) there are a few happy points in the intervening years. There must be. No one can remain in a state of depravity all the time. By telling the story of Liesel as she steals books and grows, Zusak shows a human aspect to the evils of Nazi Germany.
I really enjoyed the book and am sorry it took me so long to pick it up. Like most books with 500+ pages, there were sections that moved quicker than others, however I still found it a fairly fast-paced novel. The subject matter was serious and heart wrenching without being full of condemnation.
Although I’m glad I read The Book Thief (and do wholeheartedly recommend it to others!) I think I’m going to look for something a little lighter for my next book. Suggestions?
Nichole
Book Review: “Angel Condemned”
In case you don’t know, I love this series and look forward to the next installment.
Angel Condemned is the fifth Beaufort and Company Mystery. The series is set in Savannah, Georgia, where young lawyer Brianna Winston-Beaufort has set up her practice. Or, rather, practices. Bree is a tax attorney, but she is also a celestial advocate. Her living clients pay the bills (barely!) but the dead and damned create most of her work.
In the previous four books, author Mary Stanton has created a world with definite rules and boundaries. The angels who work for Bree can’t touch those living clients and Bree is forced to maintain two separate offices to keep her cases from mixing.
Those rules haven’t changed in this latest installment, much to Bree’s chagrin. In Angel Condemned, Bree’s aunt is accused of murdering her fiance, Prosper White. She wants to use her angel staff to help build a defense, but they aren’t allowed to help in matters of the living.
White, a museum curator, was involved with authenticating the Cross of Justinian. And that artifact has a soul attached. A soul in need of Bree’s special kind of help. Only when it becomes clear that the Cross of Justinian (and the thirty-year mystery surrounding it) are crucial to White’s murder can Bree’s angelic staff help.
Like the rest of this series, Angel Condemned is a quick read. Stanton’s characters are well written and her descriptions of Savannah are wonderful. Unlike most cozies, this one is written in third person and is very well done. I found myself trying to take notes on the writing style as I was reading the book. Because it’s the fifth in the series, I would suggest reading them in order (Defending Angels, Angel’s Advocate, Avenging Angels, and Angel’s Verdict) but I don’t think it’s necessary if you can’t. Stanton includes a “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of each book to help readers and I found that useful as well.
If you’re looking for a paranormal mystery that is vampire free, check out the Beaufort and Company series. If you’ve already tried it, what did you think?
Nichole
Book Review: “11/22/63″
At one time, I was a huge Stephen King fan. I’ve always been a student of history. Alternate realities and the question of “what if?” appeal to the mystery author in me.
Therefore, 11/22/63 is the kind of book that could have been written just for me.
For those who aren’t the students of history, or haven’t heard the buzz around this novel, ask any American baby boomer about November 22, 1963, and he or she can no doubt tell you exactly what happened that day. No matter where that person lived or what else they had going on in their lives, at one point all attention was focused on Dallas, Texas.
The President of the United States had been shot.
History books tell us that Lee Harvey Oswald was the loan shooter and he did so from the book depository in Dallas. However, the people enjoy a good conspiracy theory, don’t they?
11/22/63 is a true exercise in “what if?” What if Oswald was solely responsible for the death of JFK? What if Kennedy had lived? What if the United States had skipped that mess in Viet Nam altogether? Wouldn’t the world of today be a much better place?
That is the premise behind 11/22/63. This is a story of a diner owner (Al) who finds that his storage room has the ability to transport him to the same day & time in 1958. And when he returns through the “rabbit hole,” no matter if he stayed in the past for an hour, a day or even years, the 2011 time is always only two minutes later. The diner owner returned to 1958 over and over just to buy cheep hamburger to keep his business cost low. Next time the “rabbit hole” is accessed it’s a “complete reset” and
Time, however, has a way of catching up to all of us and Al is no different. He’s dying.
Al believes the world of today would be a much better place if Oswald hadn’t pulled the trigger in 1963. He convinces Jake Epping, English teacher and loyal customer of the diner, to travel back in time, live there for awhile, stop the assassination of JFK, and make the world a better place.
Jake takes on the challenge. He takes care of Oswald, returns to the year 2011 — five years older just two minutes later — and everyone lives happily ever after.
Yeah, right.
Al briefly explains the butterfly effect before Jake accepts the mission. Whatever the two men change in the past, will have some impact on the future. But, if they don’t like what they’ve done, they can always just return to 1958 and it will be like it never happened.
I’m not sure how I feel about the book. While I was reading the 800+ page tome, I enjoyed it. My personal “unforgettable moments in history” start with the assassination attempt President Ronald Reagan. Because of my age, perhaps, I was enthralled with the descriptions of the late 1950s and early 1960s. King, always the master of description, didn’t let me down.
King pointed out the good (prices) and the not so good (air pollution and constant smoking) that were a part of the time. Let’s be honest. It was the way that it was and it’s no use trying to make the past seem either better or worse.
I also enjoyed the resistance Jake encountered. The past did not want to be changed and did what it could to stop him.
However, the five years Jake spends between arriving on the other end of the “rabbit hole” and the fateful day in Dallas sometimes drag on without adding to the overall plot. Yes, it’s a lot of time to fill. Yes, there were more than 800 pages to the book, giving King plenty of space to fill that time. However, I felt that we didn’t need to know a play-by-play of Jake’s every move. I’m also not sure we needed to know his every adventure in the “Land of Ago” since King really did a great job of setting some of the adventures through Al. I also disliked the way the characters seemed to ignore whatever they disagreed with or didn’t understand. Yes, that’s human nature to dismiss what doesn’t fit, however, I thought the characters did it a little too often.
Having said all that, I enjoyed the book. It was a little long and there were scenes that could have been cut or shortened, but the story was interesting and the descriptions great.
The book wasn’t the Stephen King I remember from my youth, either. And that’s not a bad thing! This novel didn’t have the horror aspects I remember from years ago. Frankly, I don’t think horror would have worked for this story.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. Have you read it? What did you think?
Book Review: “Who Do, Voodoo?”
A psychologist, a professor and a tarot deck are the stars of Rochelle Staab’s Who Doo, Voodoo?
Psychologist Liz Cooper tolerates the hocus pocus. Her mother reads tarot cards, but Liz is much more scientific minded. She humors her mother, but doesn’t believe any of it.
Nick Garfield is Liz’s brother’s former college roommate and a professor of religious studies. He’s an occult expert with an open mind. Where Liz sees coincidence, Nick credits the supernatural.
The story starts with tarot cards being placed on the front door of Liz’s best friend’s home. Robin is open to the messages of the cards, and takes them as a warning of doom. Especially since the cards on the door are the same cards Liz’s mother pulled for Robin’s husband the day before he died. What Robin perceives as an omen, Liz finds harassment.
Liz asks Nick—because of his expertise—to help her find out who is leaving the messages for Robin. Before they can get to the bottom of that mystery, however, Robin is arrested for murder. Liz, with total faith in her best friend (despite evidence to the contrary), sets out the prove Robin’s innocence.
This is the first in a series which will test Liz’s comfort zone as she delves into the spiritual realm.
I really enjoyed this book. Staab did a great job of creating believable characters. She added just enough romance so that it didn’t seem forced, but the romance wasn’t the focus of the story or even a “main drive” when Liz and Nick were together. I like the fact that Liz gets involved to help her friend because that seems believable to me. Heck, that’s something I would do. Staab’s mixture of psychology and the occult was a great contrast and added another level of realism to the story.
This is a quick read, but one that’s worth it. I’m really looking forward to the next “Mind for Murder” mystery in the series.
Nichole
Book Review: “Women of Justice” series
Here we have another set in the “no, I probably wouldn’t have picked that up on my own” book reviews. This time, an entire trilogy.
The Women of Justice series by Lynette Eason is a combination romance and mystery. I hesitate to call it romantic suspense because the mystery played just as large a role—if not larger—than the romance aspect of the plot. No matter what designation you would prefer to call them, however, one label is beyond question. The books are undoubtedly Christian fiction.
The books follow the lives of three women who work in the justice system.
Book one, Too Close to Home, features FBI Agent Samantha Cash as she works on a case involving missing teenage girls. Connor Wolfe is a state officer who has been following the case from the beginning. Samantha’s strong work ethic and her faith in God are cornerstones of her personality and traits that are attractive to Connor.
Too Close to Home was the most fast paced of the three and the story line was amazing.
Book two, Don’t Look Back, features Samantha’s younger sister Jamie Cash. To say Jamie has issues is an understatement. Kidnapped, raped and tortured as a teen, Jamie overcame her agoraphobia and fear of men to earn a degree in forensic anthropology. The case she’s working on, however, is frighteningly familiar to her. Young girls are found dead showing evidence of torture similar to what Jamie suffered years earlier.
Like many survivors, it was Jamie’s faith that kept her alive all those years ago and her faith is tested as she realizes the injuries on these young ladies aren’t just similar—they were made by the same person.
Don’t Look Back covers some very gritty subject matter for a Christian fiction novel and Eason does a great job of handling the details delicately, without holding back. The story line kept me engaged and it was another quick read.
Book three, A Killer Among Us, was my least favorite of the trio. In this book, Kit Kenyon is a hostage negotiator who becomes the target of a serial killer.
In this one, it’s Kit’s partner, Noah, who has the relationship with God. He goes so far as to offer his pastor’s business cards to people he thinks would need someone to talk to.
Once again the writing was good and the plot was amazing. What I didn’t like about this book was the relationship between Kit, Samantha and Jamie. It turns out the women are related (no, I won’t tell you how because I don’t want to spoil that). All of that is revealed in book two. However, I felt the relationship was contrived. It was like Eason found out she needed one more book and the woman should be related so she scrambled to figure something out.
Because the relationship was explained at the end of Don’t Look Back, I think I was frustrated enough to be biased against that aspect of the story line.
Overall, however, this was a good series. The books were well written and the characters were believable. Eason doesn’t make her Christian characters “preachy.” Instead, the characters have embraced their religion in a way that it becomes part of their personality. The characters also aren’t perfect simply because of their beliefs.
If you don’t like religion to meet fiction, I’d stay away from the series. If you don’t mind when a character has a religion or you are wondering how someone could write a more “gritty” Christian fiction mystery novel, then I would recommend this series. For those who’ve read the series, leave me a comment. I’m interested in your thoughts. Or, if you have a suggestion for another book I should look for, I’d like to hear that too!
Nichole
My Goodreads Bookshelf
