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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I usually enjoy paranormal thrillers more, but just couldn't get into this one. Even though the story was perfectly understandable without the back story, I wonder if it might have been more enjoyable if I had read the other stories that take place in The Hollows first. Between the sensation of having dropped into the middle of a conversation, the continuously shifting point of view, and the heavy-handed story line, this one just didn't work for me.
This was not a good audiobook. It was impossible to follow between characters and time lines. The narrator was flat. I like Lisa Unger and was interested in the premise of the story but it did not work in this format at all.
wavering between 2.5 stars and 3 stars
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but there were so many character and location details that distracted me. The twist was interesting, but Unger's uneven character development was maddening. She gave the reader more information about Wolf and Rainer than she gave us about Papa, Mama, and Bobo.
Similarly, the story bounced between characters and time so much that I got lost a few times.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but there were so many character and location details that distracted me. The twist was interesting, but Unger's uneven character development was maddening. She gave the reader more information about Wolf and Rainer than she gave us about Papa, Mama, and Bobo.
Similarly, the story bounced between characters and time so much that I got lost a few times.
I HATED Wolf. Great book, great thriller, great twist.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting from a book about a girl with psychic abilities who is trying to figure out her powers. I also can’t quite pinpoint where exactly I felt dissatisfied here, but I’ll give it a shot.
It’s possibly the issue I have with most mystery/thrillers with bold letters on the cover. It’s all depressing violence, which is fine, because the world can be an icky place. But genre writers always deliver it so blandly. If I were to summarize my issue with any book on my list…it’s all about that hook. I usually cannot explain why some books have it and some books don’t. I also can’t explain why a book with a 4.15 rating is a book that drove me nuts when everyone else seemed to love it (cough, [b:The Selection|10507293|The Selection (The Selection, #1)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1322103400s/10507293.jpg|15413183]).
I just read a “thriller” book (After the Fall)…why did I like that one so much and this one was just so-so? I mean…this one has a psychic! It should be awesome!
I think where it went wrong (enjoyment-wise) for me was it wasn’t all that…humorous. The subject matter is very serious and grim (the disappearance of a girl), so it got pretty heavy for me. Not saying it wasn’t a good book, because I can see how this would be great for some people. It just seemed a little too drawn out and depressing for my taste.
I didn’t totally predict the ending. I did get suspicious that the some malignant ghost Abigail had the same name as the girl who was missing…and why would Abby/Abigail have two names in the same book? I suspected Abby might be dead in the sense that maybe the scenes with “New Penny” took place in the past, but that was wrong.
Edit: I'm wondering if it's a deflated rating because the narrator wasn't my favorite. She wasn't a deal breaker...just distracting enough that she detracted from, didn't enhance the book.
It’s possibly the issue I have with most mystery/thrillers with bold letters on the cover. It’s all depressing violence, which is fine, because the world can be an icky place. But genre writers always deliver it so blandly. If I were to summarize my issue with any book on my list…it’s all about that hook. I usually cannot explain why some books have it and some books don’t. I also can’t explain why a book with a 4.15 rating is a book that drove me nuts when everyone else seemed to love it (cough, [b:The Selection|10507293|The Selection (The Selection, #1)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1322103400s/10507293.jpg|15413183]).
I just read a “thriller” book (After the Fall)…why did I like that one so much and this one was just so-so? I mean…this one has a psychic! It should be awesome!
I think where it went wrong (enjoyment-wise) for me was it wasn’t all that…humorous. The subject matter is very serious and grim (the disappearance of a girl), so it got pretty heavy for me. Not saying it wasn’t a good book, because I can see how this would be great for some people. It just seemed a little too drawn out and depressing for my taste.
Spoiler
Clarification on the drawn out…it felt like the climax started way too soon in the book and then slowly got around to the big finale. Maybe this would not have been such a big deal if I hadn’t been listening to the audiobook, but it felt like the pacing was off. Like, the climax felt like it was starting in the middle of the book versus the end. If anything, it just made the book feel way longer than it should have been.I didn’t totally predict the ending. I did get suspicious that the some malignant ghost Abigail had the same name as the girl who was missing…and why would Abby/Abigail have two names in the same book? I suspected Abby might be dead in the sense that maybe the scenes with “New Penny” took place in the past, but that was wrong.
Edit: I'm wondering if it's a deflated rating because the narrator wasn't my favorite. She wasn't a deal breaker...just distracting enough that she detracted from, didn't enhance the book.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Fear holds on. Love lets go.” Such a simple but profound statement from this book. The end of The Hollows story is about growth and evolving and stepping into your power. This was the best book in the series for me, and drew me deeply into the characters' emotions and lives.
Beautifully written. Not predictable at all. I really enjoyed it.
"Ink & Bone" by Lisa Unger will be published on June 7, 2016. If you like paranormal type mysteries this just might be right up your alley.
Finley Montgomery has been sensitive since she was little. She sees dead people as the psychic saying goes. As she approaches adulthood her powers are becoming more difficult to integrate into her normal life. The only person she knows who could help guide her as she becomes more able to use her unusual abilities is her grandmother Eloise, a renowned psychic. So, against her mother's wishes Finley moves to The Hollows, New York. The Hollows is an unusual place, it seems to draw people to it when it needs something.
Finley and Eloise take on a cold case with Jones Cooper, a detective Eloise has worked with many times in the past. Ten months ago a little girl named Abbey went missing and her mother, Merri Gleason, has contacted Jones as a last resort. Merri has heard of the phenomenal successes in similar cases that Jones and Eloise have worked. She just hopes a miracle can happen and her daughter will be returned. Finley ends up taking the lead in the case, with her grandmother's help maybe her gifts can do some good. Finley must piece together all the information coming at her to help find this little girl and in this process she may solve many other mysteries buried deep in The Hollows.
This was a good, solid although unusual mystery. Ms. Unger writes smoothly and this makes the reading go down so easily. To enjoy this book though, one would have to believe somehow in other worldly happenings. I have no problem suspending disbelief and embracing psychic phenomenon so I found that I really enjoyed the journey.
I"nk & Bone" is a wonderfully unique look at psychic phenomena without all the usual unbelievable baggage. Finley must use the feelings she gets and interpret what it all might mean. She is a complex character and I can see that Ms. Unger will surely use this her again to start a series. There is so much to get to know about Finley and it seems obvious that this book is the beginning of something unique. One small caveat: since I think this is the start of a series, I found myself wanting more in a slightly negative sense. I felt that some of the relationships were left hanging so in a small way the book felt a little unfinished. I would think that's a problem when starting a new series, you can't just give away everything all at once. There's so much more to say in future books which left me hanging a little in this one. Because of that unfinished feeling I would give this book a three and a half stars out of five but since I can't go halvsies I'll round it up to a four star book.
I did find that the character Finley and her position at the beginning of her psychic journey made me think of what I wanted in the future. Finley didn't want the future to choose her, she wanted to choose her own path. This sentiment gave me pause and caused me to think about whether I was drawing my own life script or just letting it happen. I like books that cause me to look inward. It makes for a much deeper reading experience.
Finley Montgomery has been sensitive since she was little. She sees dead people as the psychic saying goes. As she approaches adulthood her powers are becoming more difficult to integrate into her normal life. The only person she knows who could help guide her as she becomes more able to use her unusual abilities is her grandmother Eloise, a renowned psychic. So, against her mother's wishes Finley moves to The Hollows, New York. The Hollows is an unusual place, it seems to draw people to it when it needs something.
Finley and Eloise take on a cold case with Jones Cooper, a detective Eloise has worked with many times in the past. Ten months ago a little girl named Abbey went missing and her mother, Merri Gleason, has contacted Jones as a last resort. Merri has heard of the phenomenal successes in similar cases that Jones and Eloise have worked. She just hopes a miracle can happen and her daughter will be returned. Finley ends up taking the lead in the case, with her grandmother's help maybe her gifts can do some good. Finley must piece together all the information coming at her to help find this little girl and in this process she may solve many other mysteries buried deep in The Hollows.
This was a good, solid although unusual mystery. Ms. Unger writes smoothly and this makes the reading go down so easily. To enjoy this book though, one would have to believe somehow in other worldly happenings. I have no problem suspending disbelief and embracing psychic phenomenon so I found that I really enjoyed the journey.
I"nk & Bone" is a wonderfully unique look at psychic phenomena without all the usual unbelievable baggage. Finley must use the feelings she gets and interpret what it all might mean. She is a complex character and I can see that Ms. Unger will surely use this her again to start a series. There is so much to get to know about Finley and it seems obvious that this book is the beginning of something unique. One small caveat: since I think this is the start of a series, I found myself wanting more in a slightly negative sense. I felt that some of the relationships were left hanging so in a small way the book felt a little unfinished. I would think that's a problem when starting a new series, you can't just give away everything all at once. There's so much more to say in future books which left me hanging a little in this one. Because of that unfinished feeling I would give this book a three and a half stars out of five but since I can't go halvsies I'll round it up to a four star book.
I did find that the character Finley and her position at the beginning of her psychic journey made me think of what I wanted in the future. Finley didn't want the future to choose her, she wanted to choose her own path. This sentiment gave me pause and caused me to think about whether I was drawing my own life script or just letting it happen. I like books that cause me to look inward. It makes for a much deeper reading experience.