Review 272 | The Female of Species - Mindy McGinnis.

Title: The Female of Species.
Author:  Mindy McGinnis.
Pages:  352.
Published: September 20th 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books.
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence. While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways. But Jack Fisher sees her. He’s the guy all other guys want to be: the star athlete gunning for valedictorian with the prom queen on his arm. Guilt over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered hasn’t let him forget Alex over the years, and now her green eyes amid a constellation of freckles have his attention. He doesn’t want to only see Alex Craft; he wants to know her. So does Peekay, the preacher’s kid, a girl whose identity is entangled with her dad’s job, though that does not stop her from knowing the taste of beer or missing the touch of her ex-boyfriend. When Peekay and Alex start working together at the animal shelter, a friendship forms and Alex’s protective nature extends to more than just the dogs and cats they care for. Circumstances bring Alex, Jack, and Peekay together as their senior year unfolds. While partying one night, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting the teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.

Rating:

I really, really, really, really wanted to love this book, because I count Mindy McGinnis as one of my favorite authors. She gained a spot on my auto-buy list, but I struggled with this book and didn't end up loving it.

Alex Craft is a killer. The murderer of her sister Anna walked free and Alex took matters into her own hands. She is now dealing with her violent thoughts and she makes sure she is in the shadow. She tries to stay unremarkable, until she is noticed by Jack Fisher. He is the popular guy of the school; the one every guy looks up to. He carries a guilt with him about what happened the night they searched for Anna - and now he is starting to fall for Alex.

Another person who sees Alex is Peekay, the preacher's kid who doesn't seem to fit in. She struggles with her identity; she is supposed to be this saint-like girl because of her father, but she wants to break free and be herself.

This book is violent, filled with swear words and there is sexual content. It is definitely a thought-provoking story and the fantastic writing-style had me hooked enough to finish it. But, the overall feeling this book gave me was disappointment. I could not connect with it and I did not feel any emotions when it came to the characters. I've read several other reviews and it feels like I missed out on something, but the delivery of the story was simply not for me. So, don't take my word for it and also check out these two fabulous reviews: Wendy Darling and Karen.

“But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll.”

Review 268. Ransom Riggs – Hollow city.

Title: Hollow city.
Author: Ransom Riggs.
Pages: 396.
Published: January 17th 2014 by Quirk Books.
Sort: Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar children #2.
Part 1. Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar children.

Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Rating:

I loved Miss Peregrine and the unique use of photographs. There is something about books that use this method, like The cure for dreaming & In the shadow of blackbirds that fascinate me. It adds an extra dimension of creepiness to the story and it’s really effective for this book filled with Peculiar children and monsters. It creates the right atmosphere and it feels like I get to know the characters in a different way, because now you can literally see them.

This story takes off right after the end of the first book. The Peculiar children are fleeing from their island with Miss Peregrine captured in bird-form. They must find a way to get her back before it is too late. They need to travel through other time-loops to find the last person who can help them: Miss Wren. During their hopping through time-loops they find out that Peculiars are disappearing. There is something dangerous going on and they need Miss Peregrine back.

I liked the different places and people they see on their journey. The author put a lot of work in creating a big cast with diverse characters. They go from place to place, which made it easy to fly through the pages and I found it hard to put Hollow City down, but keep in mind that the plot still is slower than the average book. You need to be able to appreciate Riggs way of telling the story, because I can also see how this series is not going to work for some people.

Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar children feels more like a set-up in comparison with Hollow City. This book is filled with action and it’s far more fast-paced. The Peculiar children are on the run and they have to use their unique talents to stay out of the hands from the Hollows - and what a scary figures are those!

I liked that we see more of each individual character. The first book introduces us to a lot of people, with Jacob as main character, but they all get their time to shine now. It made me feel more connected to the storyline, because they don’t feel so distantly anymore. The way they have to work together to achieve their goal was nicely done. It’s great when people need each other and how everyone plays their own role. The only downside is that I don't care a lot for Jacob and I'm also not a fan of the sort-of-romance that is thrown into the story.

The ending was great and I want to know what is going to happen right now.

“Strange, I thought, how you can be living your dreams and your nightmares at the very same time.”

Have you watched the movie from Miss Peregrine? Did you like it? I hope to see it soon! 

Review 261. Brittany Cavallaro – A Study in Charlotte.

Title: A study in Charlotte.
Author:  Brittany Cavallaro.
Pages:  321.
Published: March 1st 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books
Sort: First book in Charlotte Holmes.
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

It was quite obvious in the beginning that I would not get along with this book. It's definitely a case of "it's me, not you" because this book has a lot to offer. For some reason though, I did not connect with the story, the characters or the writing.

Jamie Watson got a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, where Charlotte Holmes goes to school as well. The two of them meet and he is immediately impressed by her; Charlotte less. She likes to be by herself in her laboratory, but Jamie feels an attraction to her and the two of have to work together when they are being set up. A student dies under strange circumstances and they are both seen as suspects – and only Charlotte's intelligence can clear their names.

I liked the fact that Holmes is a girl now. She is smart, impulsive and confident, three trades I normally really like in a character. With Charlotte it was the opposite; I disliked her, could not connect with her and most of all, I had a hard time accepting her drugs abuse. She got on my nerves more often than I wished and even her hard times did not make me like her more.. The way she looks at life and treats certain situations just did not work for me.

I had the same with Jamie. He felt blank to me and I never had the feeling I was connected to him. There was no sparkle for me and the two lacked the chemistry I see in the TV show and movies. I guess it is because they only work together, because someone is trying to frame Charlotte and Jamie is pulled under as well. 

The way they put the clues together was kind of fun, but the overall mystery was not that exciting to me and the lack of emotions made this a failure for me.

Let it go | The books that disappointed me.

Andy Weir – The Martian.
Rating: 3 out of 5. 
I think everyone is familiar with this concept by now. This book is recently adapted as movie with Matt Damon. The story is about Marc and how he strands on Mars after a failed mission. His crew believes he is dead and manage to go on their way back to Earth, but Marc is not dead at all. It is up to his intelligence and education to survive long enough, so that they can save him. That means he has to find a way to grow enough food, which is right up his sleeve as biologist, and he has to find a way to communicate with Earth.

This book has a lot of glowing reviews and I have seen many blogging friends rave about the story. Normally I would not have picked this up, but I went in and came out disappointed. This book is definitely well-researched, there is no denying that. It is obvious that Weir knows what he is talking about and I was blown away by Marc's intelligence and humor under his difficult circumstances. The thing is, I don't care about math and if I read a book, I don't want to have a feeling I'm reading a manual. This felt more like a 'how to survive on Mars' guide then a fictional story. I was bored and really struggled at times, but in the end I was satisfied that I've finished it.

I also watched the movie and I think the concept worked better on the screen. They skipped all the explanations, which made the story much faster.

Jamie Cassidy – Hawthorne.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
I went into this book with different expectations. For some reason I was under the impression this book was going to be a retelling and while there are fairytale elements, it was written as horror. There were definitely a few creepy moments, but I didn't care enough for any of the characters, so they didn't make a lasting impression on me. Heather wasn't interesting and I also disliked the regular POV switches. The story behind her family and why all the things happened was okay, but I will not read the sequel.

Licia Troisi – Nihal of the land of the wind.
Rating: 2 out of 5. 
I really liked the cover and the blurb sounded interesting enough, so I went into this book expecting an interesting story. Instead, I was rewarded with a cliche tale about a girl that annoyed me often. Nihal had all the potential to blow my mind. At times she is strong, I admired her strength to go after her dream and she could be brave. That is unfortunately snowed under her constant whining and naive choices. I liked that the author tried to show that crying doesn't mean you are weak, but the endless crying sessions of Nihal started to get on my nerves. The cliche elements made it hard to feel anything for the story.

Nihal is the last of her species, sporting violet eyes and blue hair.
Nihal is the first female to enter the Academy to become a Dragon knight.
Nihal turns out to be the best fighter of everyone.
Country is in war against one big enemy, called the Tyrant.

I liked that there is no romance, only friendship between her and her once-enemy-wizard-friend and her relationship with her father and later on aunt was nicely portrayed, but there was nothing that made this book stand out between other fantasies. I will not continue this series (and the sequels are not translated yet anyway). Shame.

Review. 253. Tess Sharpe – Far from you.

Title: Far from you.
Author: Tess Sharpe.
Pages:  343.
Published: March 27th 2014 by Indigo
Sort: Stand-alone.

Nine months. Two weeks. Six days. That's how long recovering addict Sophie's been drug-free. Four months ago her best friend, Mina, died in what everyone believes was a drug deal gone wrong - a deal they think Sophie set up. Only Sophie knows the truth. She and Mina shared a secret, but there was no drug deal. Mina was deliberately murdered. Forced into rehab for an addiction she'd already beaten, Sophie's finally out and on the trail of the killer—but can she track them down before they come for her?

Rating:

This book messed with my mind. The compelling writing-style and jumping between storylines hooked me; it made me curious to find out what truly happened that night Sophie's life completely changed. Suddenly, she lost her best friend and was forced to go in rehab for an addiction she no longer suffered from. Sophie is done with all the accusations and decided to go and find the truth herself: why was Mina killed?

Going back and forth between different time periods can be a tricky thing, but Tess nailed it in this story. We get to see Sophie before, during and after the murder of Mina and it was an intricate way to puzzle the pieces together.

Before: Sophie is addicted to painkillers after an accident that leaves her with a limp. We see her struggle with her injury and the pain. During: Sophie is on her way with Mina to talk with someone who helps Mina with her journalism story. After: Sophie is still alive and Mina is dead. The whole scene was set-up as a drugs deal gone bad and Sophie's parents don't believe her story. Her mother brings her to rehab and when she is released, we see her mission to bring out the truth.

During this story we find out what secret is between Sophie and Mina and how she deals with her feelings for Mina and Mina's brother Trev. The conclusion was satisfying, but also came a little out of nowhere. The book did leave you questioning who was behind the murder, but as far as I can recall there were hardly any clues. This made the culprit a bit vague and not stand out as a character.

Credits to the author for the healthy portrayal of Sophie's parents. We see a family that is torn apart after Sophie's addiction and how her parents try to make the best out of it. It is clear they love her and believe they make the right choices for her. It shows that parents can make mistakes too, even if they do it out of love.

"We walk into the rest of our lives together, not knowing it'll end before it's truly started."

Review 241. Mindy McGinnis – A madness so discreet.

Title: A madness so discreet.
Author: Mindy McGinnis.
Pages: 384.
Published: October 6th 2015 by Katherine Tegen Books
Sort: Stand-alone. Other work:
Not a drop to drink.
In a handful of dust.
Source: ARC copy from the publisher.

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

Rating:

This title is perfect for this book. There is indeed a discreet madness that seeps through the pages. This is a very subtle yet powerful story that will keep you up all night.

Grace is locked away in an asylum to protect her secret. She keeps her sharp mind hidden behind silence, because Grace has one mission: never return to her family, even if that means she has to act like a mental patient. There is one person who sees her potential and he helps her escape to another asylum where Grace makes friends and has hope of a new life.

Review 218. Abigail Haas – Dangerous boys.

Title: Dangerous boys.
Author: Abigail Haas.
Pages: 336 pages.
Published: August 14th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: A gift from Ellis.

It all comes down to this. Oliver, Ethan, and I. Three teens venture into an abandoned lake house one night. Hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding. The other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense? Or murder ...? Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece the story together - a story of jealousy, twisted passion and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful faces.

Rating:

I heard a lot about Dangerous girls, so I added the books on my wish list and didn’t look at it again. Luckily, Ellis send me a copy and right after finishing Dangerous boys I ordered Dangerous girls. What a mind-fuck! I was very satisfied how this story was told and how it tied together in the end.

Review 210. Megan Shepherd – A cold legacy.

Title: A cold legacy.
Author: Megan Shepherd.
Pages: 400.
Published: January 27th 2015 by Balzer + Bray.
Sort: The madman’s daughter #3.
The madman’s daughter.
Her dark curiosity.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls. Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

Rating:

To say that I disliked the second book Her dark curiosity would be an understatement. I absolutely LOATHED the sequel to The madman’s daughter. There was nothing about the book I liked, but based on the first book and the promise of A cold legacy I decided to give this series another shot. It’s not only a good feeling to cross another series of my list, I’m also happy to announce this was much more enjoyable.

Warning: don’t read the blurb from this book if you don’t want to spoiler yourself. It’s safe to read my review if you haven’t read any of the books.

Review 293. Bethany Griffin – The fall.

Title: The fall.
Author: Bethany Griffin.
Pages: 400.
Published: October 7th 2014 by Greenwillow.
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

Madeline Usher is doomed. She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin. Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house. In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down?

Rating:

“I am the one the house speaks to, the one the house flirted with, the one the house won’t let go.”

Madeline Usher is cursed, just like everyone before her in the family. Her twin brother was send away by their mother in the hope to break free from the curse. Both of their parents die and Madeline is locked in the house together with her doctors. They are monitoring everything and take daily blood samples. The house is a nightmare. It changes and shifts. It talks to Madeline and threatens her, but also protects her in a certain way. It’s a very strange sort of relationship to read about.

Then the time comes where Madeline gets her fits. It’s the first sign of the madness that slowly creeps into the heirs from the house. It’s an illness that slowly takes over and always ends in an early death. Madeline sees only one way to escape before it claims her life: she must destroy the house, but that’s not an easy task. The house is alive and not ready to let her go.

The book started out all right. I liked the setting and the overall creepiness of the story. The idea of a living house that changes around you and seeps into your body was scary. Madeline sees how it takes her parents away from her and now she is waiting, because she is next in line. Doctors are fascinated by it and she gets daily tests to follow her progress. The thing is; with a setting that takes place in one location, things do get a little boring. This book would have benefited from less middle part and a better, longer ending. It was a bit abrupt and left me unsatisfied and confused at first. It took me a couple of minutes to realize what happened.

The thing that gave me mixed feelings were the chapters. They switch between different points in Madeline's life. Every chapter tackled another age and sometimes even a diary entry written by a woman called Liz. It was sometimes confusing to follow the ‘now’ story and I could have done with a little less hopping around. It made me feel disconnected from Madeline and what was going on in the present story line.

After finishing the book I hunted down a free (legal!) copy of the original story, Edgar Allan Poe - The fall of the house of Usher and I must applaud Bethany for the way she created her own story. It's influenced by Edgar's version, but it has it's own voice and that was nicely done. I only wish she had handled the jumps in timeline a little better.

Review 262. Sarah Strohmeyer – The secrets of Lily Graves.

Title: The secrets of Lily Graves.
Author: Sarah Strohmeyer.
Pages: 304.
Published: May 13th 2014 by Balzer + Bray.
Sort: Stand-alone.

Growing up in a house of female morticians, Lily Graves knows all about buried secrets. She knows that perfect senior-class president Erin Donohue isn’t what she seems. She knows why Erin’s ex-boyfriend, hot football player Matt Houser, broke up with her. And she also knows that, even though she says she and Matt are just friends, there is something brewing between them—something Erin definitely did not like. But secrets, even ones that are long buried, have a way of returning to haunt their keeper. So when Erin is found dead the day after attacking Lily in a jealous rage, Lily's and Matt’s safe little lives, and the lives of everyone in their town of Potsdam, begin to unravel. And their relationship—which grew from innocent after-school tutoring sessions to late-night clandestine rendezvous—makes them both suspects. As her world crumbles around her, Lily must figure out the difference between truth and deception, genuine love and a web of lies. And she must do it quickly, before the killer claims another victim.

Rating:

I was looking for a little more tension in this book. Based on the blurb, I was expecting a killer on the loose, but it was a murder ‘with reason’ and there is hardly any action. I did like the solution for the mystery, but was also underwhelmed by it. I guess I was just this disappointed, because I loved Smart girls get what they want.

Review 246. Katherine Ewell – Dear killer.

Title: Dear Killer.
Author: Katherine Ewell.
Pages: 368.
Publication date: April 1st 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books
Sort: Stand-alone (BETTER)
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

Rule One—Nothing is right, nothing is wrong. Rule Two—Be careful.
Rule Three—Fight using your legs whenever possible, because they’re the strongest part of your body. Your arms are the weakest.
Rule Four—Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible. Rule Five—The letters are the law. Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known. But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there.

Rating:

You guys.. Sometimes I read books that make me wonder how they get published. I hate being mean, but this book was just plain horrible. Let me tell you that I went back four times to take certain sentences away and this is the best curse-free, less snarky review I could come up with. There is no way to enlighten it with some positivism, because there was not a single thing I enjoyed. If you don’t like rants, you better skip this. 

Review 211. Patrick Ness – More than this.

Title: More than this.
Author: Patrick Ness.
Pages: 480.
Published: September 10th 2013 by Candlewick Press 
Sort: Stand-alone.

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this.

Rating:
????

This book is a huge mindfuck. I seriously had no idea what was going on and I still have a feeling I don’t get the ending. lt’s probably at bit too spiritual to me and it just didn’t make any sense. Which is a shame, because I enjoyed the writing-styles and the characters. Up to 71% I was thinking around a 4 star rating, but with that strange and unfinished ending, I’m not sure anymore. It’s more around 2-3 and I’ve a feeling this book could have been more than this. This is also a very difficult review to write, but I’ll do my best.

Review 201. Mira Grant – Parasite.

Title: Parasite.
Author: Mira Grant.
Pages: 512.
Expected publication: October 29th 2013.
Publisher: Orbit.
Sort: Part one of ‘Parasitology’
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease. We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them. But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

Rating:

First thoughts after finishing this book: WOAH, what an amazing book. This is definitely the best book I’ve read with a medical aspect. I loved it! Being a soon-to-be-microbiologist, I felt very happy when I saw the well-written information. It was realistic and I can see that Grant did a lot of research. This resulted in a creepy and believable story. There were some very intense scenes where my heart sped up and I’m looking forward to see where this story is going to lead me.

Review 167. Liz Coley – Pretty girl thirteen.

Title: Pretty girl thirteen.
Author: Liz Coley.
Pages: 344.
Published: February 28th 2013.
Publisher: Harper.
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: Won in a giveaway.

Angie Chapman is only 13 when she gets lost in the woods in the middle of the night. The next thing she knows she’s returned home, scars around her wrists and ankles, physically exhausted. Her parents collapse into tears when they see her, but Angie doesn’t understand – until they tell her she has been missing, presumed dead, for three years. Angie doesn’t remember anything from her missing years. But there are people who do – people who could tell Angie every terrifying detail, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind. With help, Angie begins to unravel the darkest secrets of her own past. But does she really want to know the truth?

Rating:

Dark, gripping and gritty, those are the three words that pop in my head when I think about this book. Despite that, there is always a certain touch of hope. I never felt depressed or overwhelmed by this tough subject. The easy writing-style and Angie made this a very enjoyable, good book. I finished this book a couple of days ago, but I still think about it. It definitely had an impact on me and I see myself re-reading this book in a few years.

Review 74. Maureen Johnson – The name of the star.

Title: The name of the star.
Author: Maureen Johnson.
Pages: 372.
Published: September 29th 2011.
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile.
Sort: Part one of ‘Shades of London.’

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Rating: 

“Keep calm and carry on. Also, stay in and hide because the Ripper is coming.”

Summary.
Aurora – although she uses the name Rory – lives in America. Her parents are going to work in Bristol, so she will start a new year in London at a boarding school. London is shocked by the bizarre murders lately; they are similar to the murders made by Jack The Ripper.

When Rory spots a man at the crime scene, she becomes a valuable eye-witness. The only strange thing is: Jazza was there and she never saw the man. That’s how Rory’s strange new ability is discovered by a special force and soon, she is tangled up in the Rippermania. She is in grave danger, because the new Jack has made her his next and last target. Why is he so interested in her? Why did he start killing in the first place? And how can you stop someone who seems untouchable?

Opinion.
It’s quite hard to give you a good summary, because I don’t want to give you any spoilers. This is the best I could do without giving too much away. It’s up to you if you want to find out who this mysterious new Jack is. 

Rory is a nice girl, but not really remember able. She was a bit plain, nothing special. She is brave, though and I liked her, but I think I will forget about her soon. One thing I like about this book is that the romance doesn’t play a big role. It’s there and it’s cute, but Jack is the most important thing.

The ending was well done. The story ends, but it gives enough room for the next book. There was a nice build up towards the end and it did deliver. The writing style was pleasant, but sometimes, I wished that the story went a bit faster. You know, it felt like I could skip some pages without missing a thing.

I’m definitely going to read the next book, because I liked it. I just didn’t love it.

Review 7. Tess Gerritsen - The silent girl.

.
Title: Tess Gerritsen - The silent girl.

Pages: 336.
Published: July 5th 2011.

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Serie: Part 9 in Rizolli & Isles, but you can read it as a stand alone.

Every crime scene tells a story. Some keep you awake at night. Others haunt your dreams. The grisly display homicide cop Jane Rizzoli finds in Boston’s Chinatown will do both. In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, her head nearly severed. Two strands of silver hair—not human—cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel.Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. But one woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she’s the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil. Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning—and a swift, avenging blade.

 Rating: 

Tess Gerritsen is one of my favorite writers, but this book was not as good as her other books. Normally I'm hooked, but that feeling wasn't as strong now.

Storyline:
Maura Isles is in trouble. Everybody blames her for putting a respected police officer behind bars, but she can only see the story through her victims eyes. She likes to live according to rules. Even Jane treats her friend different and that gives a strange feeling in this book. But, let's go to the real story. There's a red-haired dead woman on a rove (above the restaurant mentioned on the back.) Her hand is severed from her body and her head is almost chopped off. According to the kind of wounds, it's done by an extremely sharp sword.

That's the connection between this murder and a murder-suicide from nineteen ears ago. The woman connected to that massacre is alive and she is a master in martial arts; and she has a sword. Is she the one?

Unfortunately, it's not that easy. There's a secret, buried so deep that the police has trouble finding it. There are mysterious notes, which appears every year on the day the murder-suicide happened. There are hairs found on the body which can't be identified. An old police agent who retired years ago is searching for missing girls. Girls who are linked to the people who died nineteen years ago. What the hell is going on?

Characters:
Of course, there's Jane and Maura, but they have a newcomer. A boy who wants to be noticed, so he can get a position at Jane's department. He really wants to prove something and that has two sides. He's eager to learn and he commits himself full to the murder. But he makes mistakes sometimes; like, he makes the family members angry with his questions.

Jane is a real bitch in this book. Most of the time, she can be that way, but I like that about her. Now, it annoyed me a bit, because she's so harsh at Maura. It's nice that the boy from the 8th book returns. He has a tiny role, but I liked him.

Overall:
There's so much going on and I always like how Tess keeps it easy to follow. Everything comes together at the end and I'm always wrong.. She surprises me and that's one of her good points. The writing is easy and quick, but I just missed something. Still, a really good read!

If you like a thriller, you should definitely read this one (or start in the first book. It's a stand alone, but sometimes, things from earlier books return in it.)