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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
A girl is kidnapped during a family hike and, a year later, the mother hires a psychic to help find her. The story itself is engaging enough so that I had no trouble binge reading it... that doesn't mean I don't have my complaints.
The prose was so awkward at times that I had to reread it just to get what was going on. Every few paragraphs there's a massive info dump that we either didn't need or was completely out of place for where it was. The twists I saw coming before they happened. The Author seems to be one of those people who think cellphones are the end of human interaction and are destroying the American Youth. Things of that nature.
Here there be spoilers:
The Good:
I did like the story and the main character (though I'm completely blanking on her name so maybe I wasn't that engaged with her, especially since I can remember all the other characters names).
The clues the Author left us was easy to follow though some might consider that a bad thing if they like a challenge to their mysteries. Telling us what Momma was wearing and then the next chapter tell us the waitress was wearing the same thing. Giving us the color of Abbey's favorite sneakers but having 'Penny' remembering sneakers of a different color. I actually did like those clues. They were honest and straightforward. There was no attempts at trickery or the author trying desperately to 'outsmart' you in an attempt to fake being smart (*cough*Moffat*Cough*). I appreciate that respect for my intelligence.
The Bad:
That fucking red herring. A quarter of the way through, you start suspecting that the 'Penny' we read about might not be Abbey that we're looking for. Between the mother and brother's 'feeling' about Abbey being alive and the big deal the psychics seem to make of it - it makes no sense that Abbey isn't alive. The twist could have still happened but by the time of the reveal, Abbey being alive was so integral to the story that it had stopped being a plot device and started being a promise to the reader. Eliza could still be the Penny we were reading about but Abbey could have become some feral child either living in the mines or in the church. That entire 'twist' just pissed me off more than anything because it was a giant waste of my time.
Speaking of wastes of times: The parents - both of them - were utter assholes. I don't care that the mother did pills and blamed herself for not being there for her kid, that's fair - But her being a self-righteous jerk was a bit much for me. (If I remember right, she was one those characters that hated technology). The Dad was just despicable in every way. I can't think of a single redeeming quality for him. And yet, I was forced to read about their struggle and 'redemption' that ultimately lead to nothing because the author wanted to be clever with an unwarranted twist.
The prose was so awkward at times that I had to reread it just to get what was going on. Every few paragraphs there's a massive info dump that we either didn't need or was completely out of place for where it was. The twists I saw coming before they happened. The Author seems to be one of those people who think cellphones are the end of human interaction and are destroying the American Youth. Things of that nature.
Here there be spoilers:
The Good:
I did like the story and the main character (though I'm completely blanking on her name so maybe I wasn't that engaged with her, especially since I can remember all the other characters names).
The clues the Author left us was easy to follow though some might consider that a bad thing if they like a challenge to their mysteries. Telling us what Momma was wearing and then the next chapter tell us the waitress was wearing the same thing. Giving us the color of Abbey's favorite sneakers but having 'Penny' remembering sneakers of a different color. I actually did like those clues. They were honest and straightforward. There was no attempts at trickery or the author trying desperately to 'outsmart' you in an attempt to fake being smart (*cough*Moffat*Cough*). I appreciate that respect for my intelligence.
The Bad:
That fucking red herring. A quarter of the way through, you start suspecting that the 'Penny' we read about might not be Abbey that we're looking for. Between the mother and brother's 'feeling' about Abbey being alive and the big deal the psychics seem to make of it - it makes no sense that Abbey isn't alive. The twist could have still happened but by the time of the reveal, Abbey being alive was so integral to the story that it had stopped being a plot device and started being a promise to the reader. Eliza could still be the Penny we were reading about but Abbey could have become some feral child either living in the mines or in the church. That entire 'twist' just pissed me off more than anything because it was a giant waste of my time.
Speaking of wastes of times: The parents - both of them - were utter assholes. I don't care that the mother did pills and blamed herself for not being there for her kid, that's fair - But her being a self-righteous jerk was a bit much for me. (If I remember right, she was one those characters that hated technology). The Dad was just despicable in every way. I can't think of a single redeeming quality for him. And yet, I was forced to read about their struggle and 'redemption' that ultimately lead to nothing because the author wanted to be clever with an unwarranted twist.
I really enjoyed this one. I needed to take notes on all of the names towards the beginning, but I got it all figured out, eventually.
Read for book club and using for week #9 in 2018 reading challenge: A book with a body part in the title (heart, bones, teeth, skin, blood, etc.
Read for book club and using for week #9 in 2018 reading challenge: A book with a body part in the title (heart, bones, teeth, skin, blood, etc.
The prose is fast-paced and paints an interesting vivid picture. I didn't enjoy the constant POV changes. Some were completely unnecessary (Wolf, Rainer, maybe even Eloise). I really enjoyed Finley, even if she was a cookie-cutter type "bad girl". Wish the author had focused more on her. That said, it concluded in a satisfying manner. 3.5 stars.
I actually thought I was going to hate this. I was very pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed it. I was a little sad with the outcome of the mystery, as I’m sure anyone would be. But it was more realistic, and that somehow made it better.
The Prologue was fab! Just grabbed & ran, I couldn't wait to read the rest from there!
Really great book. Finley & her grandmother are they're kind of psychic, a solid pair.
Kids are going missing & Finley seems to be chosen to help the private detective.
Thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end, full, fast story. Need more Finley!
Really great book. Finley & her grandmother are they're kind of psychic, a solid pair.
Kids are going missing & Finley seems to be chosen to help the private detective.
Thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end, full, fast story. Need more Finley!
I don't read this sort of book very often, and I'll tell you guys a secret: I grabbed it because I was early meeting my husband and some friends for dinner and needed something to read while I waited, and it 1) didn't sound lame and 2) it actually fit in my tiny purse... The heroine being a pink-haired, very tattooed girl was a good start, of course, but I was also intrigued by the idea of disappearances in a creepy little New York State town, and how psychic investigators get involved in that kind of case.
Finley Montgomery is a twenty years old psychic: she inherited her capacities from her grandmother Eloise, who has often partnered up with law enforcement when some investigations were at a stand-still. After what sounds like a lifetime of getting herself in trouble, Finley goes to live with Eloise at The Hollows, to learn how to control and use her gift. When the story opens, she is haunted by a phantom sound that won't leave her alone. In a parallel narrative, Merri is trying to deal with her daughter's disappearance: ten months ago, Abbie vanished (was kidnapped?) during a hike in the woods right outside The Hollows with her father and brother, and no one has been able to find a trace of her since. In a last-ditch attempt at figuring out what happened, Merri goes to private investigator Jones Cooper - Eloise's old partner, to see if he might be able to give her some answers.
I'll stop the recapping here, because the twists and turns are too fun to spoil: if you want to know, you'll have to go read it for yourself. But trust me, this book is awesome!
The characterization is a strong point of this book; as Unger explores the various points of view of her key characters, she does an amazing job of making us see the world through their eyes. The characters react to grief and confusion in an honest, messy way, which was perfect for the story. I loved Finley - I understood her very well. When Unger describes the awkward estrangement from her boundary-violating mother, I actually shivered: it's not easy to describe toxic mother-daughter relationships well or realistically, and she does both. Amanda actually felt a touch too familiar for me to ever be comfortable with the passages about her and her behavior towards Finley. For some reason, I often expect thrillers to be shallow (maybe I've been reading the wrong ones, I dunno…), so I was very pleasantly surprised by the depth of "Ink and Bones", the complexity of people, their thoughts and reactions.
The atmosphere created by the easy-flowing and very realistic prose was quite absorbing: the supernatural elements don't sound far-fetched or hokey, which was what I was afraid of when I realized there would be some fantastical/horror elements to the story. This book is so well-grounded in mundane, every day details that Finley's ghosts are simply a creepy fact and not an outlandish way of explaining unusual events. The pacing is top-notch: it's difficult to stop reading because you just want to know what happens next the whole way through.
I understand that Unger's other books are all interconnected, with The Hollows being the common thread: next time I am in need of a purse-sized book, I might just go pick one up!
Finley Montgomery is a twenty years old psychic: she inherited her capacities from her grandmother Eloise, who has often partnered up with law enforcement when some investigations were at a stand-still. After what sounds like a lifetime of getting herself in trouble, Finley goes to live with Eloise at The Hollows, to learn how to control and use her gift. When the story opens, she is haunted by a phantom sound that won't leave her alone. In a parallel narrative, Merri is trying to deal with her daughter's disappearance: ten months ago, Abbie vanished (was kidnapped?) during a hike in the woods right outside The Hollows with her father and brother, and no one has been able to find a trace of her since. In a last-ditch attempt at figuring out what happened, Merri goes to private investigator Jones Cooper - Eloise's old partner, to see if he might be able to give her some answers.
I'll stop the recapping here, because the twists and turns are too fun to spoil: if you want to know, you'll have to go read it for yourself. But trust me, this book is awesome!
The characterization is a strong point of this book; as Unger explores the various points of view of her key characters, she does an amazing job of making us see the world through their eyes. The characters react to grief and confusion in an honest, messy way, which was perfect for the story. I loved Finley - I understood her very well. When Unger describes the awkward estrangement from her boundary-violating mother, I actually shivered: it's not easy to describe toxic mother-daughter relationships well or realistically, and she does both. Amanda actually felt a touch too familiar for me to ever be comfortable with the passages about her and her behavior towards Finley. For some reason, I often expect thrillers to be shallow (maybe I've been reading the wrong ones, I dunno…), so I was very pleasantly surprised by the depth of "Ink and Bones", the complexity of people, their thoughts and reactions.
The atmosphere created by the easy-flowing and very realistic prose was quite absorbing: the supernatural elements don't sound far-fetched or hokey, which was what I was afraid of when I realized there would be some fantastical/horror elements to the story. This book is so well-grounded in mundane, every day details that Finley's ghosts are simply a creepy fact and not an outlandish way of explaining unusual events. The pacing is top-notch: it's difficult to stop reading because you just want to know what happens next the whole way through.
I understand that Unger's other books are all interconnected, with The Hollows being the common thread: next time I am in need of a purse-sized book, I might just go pick one up!
This was so goood! I loved every part of this book. The twists and turns are well written. I didn’t expect the ending, I wish I could reread this again for the first time
3.5 stars...I listened to this in audiobook format and I couldn't stop listening. It hooked me right away and I was dying to find out more and more. The first half sets up everything so well and it's great. But, per usual, the second half let me down. The paranormal stuff got too outrageous and crazy, there was too much telling instead of showing, and the last few chapters were boring and pointless (for me).
I wish there had been more police work and investigation, and I wish the bad guy's motivations were different than they were. The whole vortex/hell mouth thing was dumb. But, all and all, it was an enjoyable read. I'd recommend it if you enjoy books like Lowcountry Boil or Sookie Stackhouse (without the humor).
I wish there had been more police work and investigation, and I wish the bad guy's motivations were different than they were. The whole vortex/hell mouth thing was dumb. But, all and all, it was an enjoyable read. I'd recommend it if you enjoy books like Lowcountry Boil or Sookie Stackhouse (without the humor).
This book had me riveted, both from the psychological suspense and the richly imagined characters. The setting of The Hollows, an upstate New York town with various paranormal and supernatural elements, ratcheted up the tension as well. This is by far a character-driven book, though, which made it a devastating and heartbreaking story. I loved it.