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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
This is one of those books that will linger in my mind for a long time. Raw and ruggedly real, it makes you think and then think again.
This is a very hard book to rate and review. I think my final answer is a 3.75. Part 1 of the book was actually 5 stars for me! I loved the survival aspect of it and not knowing what was going on, but once part 2 and 3 came around, the story got less intense and more lyrical and symbolic. I just don't like fluffy writing, so I lost interest in the last part of the book. I will read a Tarryn Fisher book again though!
ARGH! It's been days and I still can't unclench enough to coherently write this review, so apologies in advance if I ramble, swear, stop midway, or cry tears of pure frustration.
Initially, I gave this a two. Yes, I was that mad. But I could never do that because the writing was exceptional. So a three? Nope, because as much as this book left me with serious bald patches, I still finished it within twenty-four hours - this is unheard of in my house. So a four. Yes, it'll do.
Okay, I'm going to try and continue without spoilers, but I can't promise shit.
So we've been warned for the past few weeks, months even, that this is not a love story, blah, blah, blah. I disagree. Okay, there is much more to the story than whether h and H get it on and live happily ever after, but really, that's all I cared bout. There is major chemistry between the characters and more history than my local museum, and the need to see them together consumed me. To me, that's a romance. It's just not a typical one.
And that's where I got pissed off.
I don't always need a happy ever after, in fact, sometimes I hope there's not, but if ever a book has called for one, it is this. Without giving too much away, Senna has a pretty shitty time. She is broken in every way and just when you think she will get hers, something else will happen. It bugged me, because I didn't get the message. Unless it's that life is shit.
Also, I haven;t read any other reviews, so I can;t say if this has been picked up or not, but there was a HUGE Olivia/Caleb feel in there for me. Of course, the same author is going to have their own writing style. But I couldn't help but feel like they were pretty much the same people. This wasn;t necessarily a bad thing; I bloody love Olivia and Caleb! But I kinda wanted something completely different. The story is - the characters are not.
I didn't like where it finished, and I didn't like the big reveal. I was so invested in the story and so desperate for it to end on a high and, for me, it fell flat. This is a personal opinion and has been discussed with others, some agreeing, and some not, but I guess the most important thing is that each of us was passionate. This book will make you feel, in one way or another.
There is so much more I want to say. I feel like I could write a 20,000 word essay on this novel, but I won't (at least not yet!) because I don't want to give anything away.
So I'll sit here and stew.
Initially, I gave this a two. Yes, I was that mad. But I could never do that because the writing was exceptional. So a three? Nope, because as much as this book left me with serious bald patches, I still finished it within twenty-four hours - this is unheard of in my house. So a four. Yes, it'll do.
Okay, I'm going to try and continue without spoilers, but I can't promise shit.
So we've been warned for the past few weeks, months even, that this is not a love story, blah, blah, blah. I disagree. Okay, there is much more to the story than whether h and H get it on and live happily ever after, but really, that's all I cared bout. There is major chemistry between the characters and more history than my local museum, and the need to see them together consumed me. To me, that's a romance. It's just not a typical one.
And that's where I got pissed off.
I don't always need a happy ever after, in fact, sometimes I hope there's not, but if ever a book has called for one, it is this. Without giving too much away, Senna has a pretty shitty time. She is broken in every way and just when you think she will get hers, something else will happen. It bugged me, because I didn't get the message. Unless it's that life is shit.
Also, I haven;t read any other reviews, so I can;t say if this has been picked up or not, but there was a HUGE Olivia/Caleb feel in there for me. Of course, the same author is going to have their own writing style. But I couldn't help but feel like they were pretty much the same people. This wasn;t necessarily a bad thing; I bloody love Olivia and Caleb! But I kinda wanted something completely different. The story is - the characters are not.
I didn't like where it finished, and I didn't like the big reveal. I was so invested in the story and so desperate for it to end on a high and, for me, it fell flat. This is a personal opinion and has been discussed with others, some agreeing, and some not, but I guess the most important thing is that each of us was passionate. This book will make you feel, in one way or another.
There is so much more I want to say. I feel like I could write a 20,000 word essay on this novel, but I won't (at least not yet!) because I don't want to give anything away.
So I'll sit here and stew.
I really have no idea what to say about this book, except just freakin read it. don't look up spoilers, don't search for clues as to what it's about, just freakin read it. go in completely blind, and pay very close attention. it has a different kind of ending, but it totally fits the story. this is the kind of story you won't forget.
Well, I finished this book in under 24 hours, so what does that tell you? It's definitely one that's hard to put down. I really enjoyed it. It deals with some dark topics though, so be warned that it may not be for everyone.
Full review & more at https://imalicious.wordpress.com
Mud Vein is the first and only book I've read from Tarryn Fisher, but I won't stop there. I've read it years ago but I still think of it from time to time. Some sentences stuck to me deeply. It was also an introduction to one of my favorite artist Danny O'Connor whose art I own. On top of that, it contained music by Florence. What a divine combination.
"When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat... and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free."
Mud Vein is categorizes as dark romance, but I don't remember much of love. I remember the survivalist thriller that grips you by the throat and looks you in the eyes as you choke. All consuming dread in which intellect and brilliance of characters shines while they fail by their own demons.
“You are a lot uglier than you think, plenty more selfish than you are ever likely to admit. So, you ignore what’s inside of you. Thinking if you don’t acknowledge it, it’s not really there. Until someone unlikely comes along and cracks you. They see every dark corner, and they get it. And they tell you it’s okay to have dark corners, instead of making you feel ashamed of them.”
Notion that people can be so good but still have one single bad string inside them is forever stuck in my head. It resonated with me, connected to my mud vein and made me embrace it.
I did not like the revelation at the end, the reason for it all but it still gave me a nice journey through inner and outer horrors.
Full review & more at https://imalicious.wordpress.com
Mud Vein is the first and only book I've read from Tarryn Fisher, but I won't stop there. I've read it years ago but I still think of it from time to time. Some sentences stuck to me deeply. It was also an introduction to one of my favorite artist Danny O'Connor whose art I own. On top of that, it contained music by Florence. What a divine combination.
"When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat... and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free."
Mud Vein is categorizes as dark romance, but I don't remember much of love. I remember the survivalist thriller that grips you by the throat and looks you in the eyes as you choke. All consuming dread in which intellect and brilliance of characters shines while they fail by their own demons.
“You are a lot uglier than you think, plenty more selfish than you are ever likely to admit. So, you ignore what’s inside of you. Thinking if you don’t acknowledge it, it’s not really there. Until someone unlikely comes along and cracks you. They see every dark corner, and they get it. And they tell you it’s okay to have dark corners, instead of making you feel ashamed of them.”
Notion that people can be so good but still have one single bad string inside them is forever stuck in my head. It resonated with me, connected to my mud vein and made me embrace it.
I did not like the revelation at the end, the reason for it all but it still gave me a nice journey through inner and outer horrors.
Full review & more at https://imalicious.wordpress.com
Unreal. I haven't read a novel that had me absolutely holding my breath in quite some time, maybe since The Opportunist. This book was insanely good and overwhelming in so many ways.
Not only do you not know what is going to happen next, you find yourself so completely in awe of such a flawed person that every single irrational thing said person does makes perfectly good sense to you as a reader! That's when you know you're so deep into the story you can't stop reading, you cant stop connecting and you certainly cannot stop thinking about these people, even when the book is done.
Tarryn Fisher has an amazing gift and I'm hoping she continues to share it for years to come. I'm overwhelmed with the feelings and emotions that I'm left with after finishing this book, still processing.... My mind has the little hour glass icon going, and so does my heart.
Not only do you not know what is going to happen next, you find yourself so completely in awe of such a flawed person that every single irrational thing said person does makes perfectly good sense to you as a reader! That's when you know you're so deep into the story you can't stop reading, you cant stop connecting and you certainly cannot stop thinking about these people, even when the book is done.
Tarryn Fisher has an amazing gift and I'm hoping she continues to share it for years to come. I'm overwhelmed with the feelings and emotions that I'm left with after finishing this book, still processing.... My mind has the little hour glass icon going, and so does my heart.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Four years!
Four years this has been sitting on my kindle patiently waiting for me to read it!
Now someone needs to tell me why the hell it took me so fricking long to do just that!
This book… wow!
I don’t actually know what to write…
It’s not often I find a book that has me guessing everything wrong, that has me not knowing what was going to happen next, that had me so tied up in the story that I have to read during every free moment in my life, but this book did all of that.
A thriller?
A romance?
A mystery?
Yes to all of the above but at the same time it’s so much more than all of them.
It’s a book that I know will stay with me for a long time to come and yes I am kicking myself for not reading sooner.
Four years this has been sitting on my kindle patiently waiting for me to read it!
Now someone needs to tell me why the hell it took me so fricking long to do just that!
This book… wow!
I don’t actually know what to write…
It’s not often I find a book that has me guessing everything wrong, that has me not knowing what was going to happen next, that had me so tied up in the story that I have to read during every free moment in my life, but this book did all of that.
A thriller?
A romance?
A mystery?
Yes to all of the above but at the same time it’s so much more than all of them.
It’s a book that I know will stay with me for a long time to come and yes I am kicking myself for not reading sooner.
This is the most difficult review I’ve ever done. This is the most intense book I’ve ever read. Mud Vein. This book affected me emotionally to the point that I will never recommend it to another soul unless I am positive they could handle it. I have 45 highlights after reading this, normally I only have like 5. Part one is dark & claustrophobic, with choppy writing but always compulsive. It’s from the viewpoint of the main character, Senna. This woman goes through more terrible shit than any single human being ever should. It’s like watching a beautiful diamond slowly being chiseled away to dust. Part two has a different tone; we see Senna through the eyes of others & I was reminded of Eleanor Oliphant’s social awkwardness. That’s when I realized there was a purpose for that choppy dialogue. An example of a conversation with her: “You’re strange” says Senna. “Why do you say that?” “You’re brushing my hair. You don’t even know me, and you’re brushing my hair, cooking me dinner. You were a drummer and now you’re a surgeon. You hardly ever blink.” I felt like I could write a dissertation while I was reading this. I wanted to dissect every paragraph & character into a million pieces. However, I was also struggling to cope with the feelings this stirred up in me. The writing makes the horror seem authentic; the suffering non-patronizing. Like the writer has experienced abandonment, sexual assault, cancer and abduction like the main character. In the end I have to rate this a five star because even if I didn’t enjoy the feelings this book produced, I can’t deny the fact that the feelings were intense & deeply affecting. I’d rather roll around in the darkness with a writer that can make me feel something than skip through a three star novel that I will forget I read in a week. I suspect I now know what everyone means when they complain of having a book hangover...