Scan barcode
scarletcat13's review against another edition
4.0
There were several intense parts and it wasn't until I was reading in bed at night that if I stopped at an intense moment my brain would try to put things in the shadows of my room. I do tend to scare easy as I wouldn't be surprised if very few people have the same opinion as me.
The characters were interesting and it was fast paced and exciting but I'm not in a hurry to read the next one. I don't feel the need to consume the sequel ASAP but I'll probably eventually get to it.
The characters were interesting and it was fast paced and exciting but I'm not in a hurry to read the next one. I don't feel the need to consume the sequel ASAP but I'll probably eventually get to it.
mrose21's review
4.0
This is an interesting take on a fantasy novel. I actually really liked it but its different than I expected. I didn't expect much so this most certainly was better than what I did think it could be.
I like Alice, she isn't like a lot of YA lead girls and expects/gets lots of males to save her and shes weak and feeble. Alice is a little like that, she does need Issaac to get anywhere but she can hold her own for the most part.
I don't really get the 'shadow woman' why she is who she is. I didn't get that link a little mythological throw happens with who it is. I won't say her name as that would spoil it. I've seen this particular goddess' used before but mostly for good so this is a difference take on her and I'm pleased about that. I did think she was a 'bad' goddess, I put bad because not god or goddess is all bad or all good.
I'm intrigued with Isaac, and who he could turn out to be. I like the fact it switches between her perspective and his this sort of makes the story a little more interesting.
I like Alice, she isn't like a lot of YA lead girls and expects/gets lots of males to save her and shes weak and feeble. Alice is a little like that, she does need Issaac to get anywhere but she can hold her own for the most part.
I don't really get the 'shadow woman' why she is who she is. I didn't get that link a little mythological throw happens with who it is. I won't say her name as that would spoil it. I've seen this particular goddess' used before but mostly for good so this is a difference take on her and I'm pleased about that. I did think she was a 'bad' goddess, I put bad because not god or goddess is all bad or all good.
I'm intrigued with Isaac, and who he could turn out to be. I like the fact it switches between her perspective and his this sort of makes the story a little more interesting.
thelauramay's review
2.0
It was going to be a 3.5/4 star book, right up until it DIDN'T HAVE AN ENDING. Pass. Hard pass.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
4.0
This was an amazing story! Alice is a hunter of bothersome otherworldly creatures - think poltergeists and other ghosty types. And they way she goes about it was really unique. The tool of her trade is an old-school camera named Trapper. As the story goes on, Trapper almost seems like a character unto itself, and I really loved the whole concept behind how it worked.
When a young girl is dragged into another realm by one of the worst haunts out there, Alice and Trapper won't be enough to get her back. Enter the very distinguished Isaac Moreau. I really like Isaac. As a mage and museum coordinator, he's just stuffy enough to be cute without getting overbearing. And Alice is going to need his magic to help get the girl back.
The measures they will have to take are extreme and dangerous. And the adventure that unfolds on the pages was amazing. Wrapping up with quite an epic battle scene that will really get your heart racing. There's a bit of a cliffhanger. You'll want to jump right into the second book in the series and see what they are going to next!
When a young girl is dragged into another realm by one of the worst haunts out there, Alice and Trapper won't be enough to get her back. Enter the very distinguished Isaac Moreau. I really like Isaac. As a mage and museum coordinator, he's just stuffy enough to be cute without getting overbearing. And Alice is going to need his magic to help get the girl back.
The measures they will have to take are extreme and dangerous. And the adventure that unfolds on the pages was amazing. Wrapping up with quite an epic battle scene that will really get your heart racing. There's a bit of a cliffhanger. You'll want to jump right into the second book in the series and see what they are going to next!
debmozingo's review
5.0
This book had me creeped out before I even hit chapter one!!! Excellent paranormal/fantasy book by Dignam & Martinez. I bought book two the second I finished this!
ahria's review
2.0
2.5 Stars
I really like the concept of this book. Paranormal investigator/bounty hunter armed with only snark and an old Polaroid camera? Sign me up! Alice is interesting, tough but vulnerable, and fun to follow through an adventure. The atmosphere, especially in the beginning, was really creepy and well done. The world building (the small bit we were shown, anyway) was intriguing too.
However, the writing is choppy and could have been filled out a great deal more. It read like a somewhat polished rough draft. There was a lot of "told but not shown" in the book, especially emotional things and relationships.
Overall, I did enjoy this. It has a lot of potential and I'll pick up the next book to see how goes.
I really like the concept of this book. Paranormal investigator/bounty hunter armed with only snark and an old Polaroid camera? Sign me up! Alice is interesting, tough but vulnerable, and fun to follow through an adventure. The atmosphere, especially in the beginning, was really creepy and well done. The world building (the small bit we were shown, anyway) was intriguing too.
However, the writing is choppy and could have been filled out a great deal more. It read like a somewhat polished rough draft. There was a lot of "told but not shown" in the book, especially emotional things and relationships.
Overall, I did enjoy this. It has a lot of potential and I'll pick up the next book to see how goes.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
2.0
This didn’t work for me. I thought it too much depended on past events that weren’t well integrated into the plot, the characters were fairly shallow—such that I never felt I got to know them—and the writing held far too many similes for comfort. Further, there were several instances of foreshadowing that never came to fruition in the book and the whole thing never really concludes. All in all, I wasn’t impressed.
Complicating matters further for me was that I also didn’t care for Laurel Schroeder’s narration style. Her intonation and speech patterns annoyed me. If I had to guess at the cause, without comparing it to the written text, I’d say she over-emphasized commas. This meant that instead of there being a brief, breath-length pause in the middle of a sentence or list, there were whole full stops. Everything felt broken up. This may be a preference thing and not bother others, but it annoyed the heck out of me.
Complicating matters further for me was that I also didn’t care for Laurel Schroeder’s narration style. Her intonation and speech patterns annoyed me. If I had to guess at the cause, without comparing it to the written text, I’d say she over-emphasized commas. This meant that instead of there being a brief, breath-length pause in the middle of a sentence or list, there were whole full stops. Everything felt broken up. This may be a preference thing and not bother others, but it annoyed the heck out of me.
abeautytoyourbeast's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jadezilla's review
2.0
Really difficult to get through. The story drags, the characters are one dimensional and the dialogue is almost robotic at times. Everything about the characters is over exaggerated- their actions, conversations, and reactions to events going on around them. Nothing feels believable and as a result, you don't care about what happens to them. It's impossible to immerse yourself in the story because the writing is so bad- it reads like a rough draft of a first-time author, unpolished and without any kind of finesse. The creativity is there- the overarching concept and storyline could have potential, but it's executed extremely poorly. Would not read anything else by the same authors if this is characteristic of their writing style (or lack thereof).
More...