lekiare's reviews
635 reviews

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This novel would make an excellent movie in the future. It has the right amount of suspense, mystery, and character development that you would expect would fit for a summer movie. And, I mean it as a compliment because I love summer movies. 

The main character is one flawed human being. She has a ton of mental issues as well as having to deal with the death of her twin brother and a sick father could never really acknowledged her as more as just being there. So, when she is given the opportunity to continue her brother's work by going to the Arctic, she sees it as an opportunity to investigate what really happened to her brother. Of course, what results is more than what she expected. 

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm looking forward to see what else the author publishes in the future. Thank you for the ARC from Netgalley.

One Last Child by Anni Taylor

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It's rare that I'll read a mystery, but for some reason this book caught my eye. I was not disappointed! I highly recommend it, and I will probably read the next book in the series soon.

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Holy crap!  When I read that this novella had horror elements, I couldn't believe it.  I assumed it was just a fantasy.  How wrong I was.  

This story was so beautiful and yet so harrowing.  The main character, Iraxi, is stuck on an arc with people who are dying.  She is an an outcast among them, but within their belly lies their hope and her misery.  The ship reeks of desperation and as every day passes, the feeling becomes all the more overwhelming as the minutes tick away to Iraxi's child's birth.  

I found myself wondering why there was so much desperation?  Why the sorrow?  And by the end, though not all questions are answered, the horror of it all makes sense.  I would have loved to continue reading about this world, and hope the author chooses to continue it in the future.

Netgalley provided a copy of this story for me to review.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

The writing in this novella is absolutely surreal. It's been a while since I've actually had to struggle and pay attention to the words on the page, because that's how inventive and unique the writing is. Having said this, the story itself was just okay. I am fascinated by Japanese culture, which is why I picked this up from Netgalley who provided a free copy. However, outside the fascinating descriptions and the use of Japanese phrases, it really felt like something was missing.  I really didn't understand the lead's conflict with herself and the others in the group. That, I'm pretty much every character was a complete asshole. So yeah, I wasn't too big on the characters and I think it hurts the ending just a bit.  

Otherwise, it's a quick read and I don't regret reading it..

Medousa by Michael F. Butchin

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I have always been fascinated by the tale of Medusa. I even wrote a short story with her as one of the main antagonists.  So, when I came across this book, I couldn't wait to read it. I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. 

First, this book is long. So long in fact that I found myself wanting to just skim everything to get to the end. Except, I already knew the ending so why the rush?  It made me realize that this novel is not for those who are impatient, and yes, there could be some sections that could be left out, but at the same time I really found myself enjoying how Medusa was brought up and what she learned as she grew into a young and beautiful woman. What made this novel even more interesting was the fact that just like Homer and The Iliad, the gods are present in all their selfish and omnipotent glory.  By the end I really hated Athena.  Hated a few of the other gods and goddesses too.

Anyway, if you have always been a fan of Greek mythology, then I highly recommend this novel. And, thanks to Netgalley for the read.

Behind the Veil by E.J. Dawson

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

3.25

What lies behind the veil? Literal and supernatural things that can harm or heal a human's psyche, and only Leticia Hawking knows what to do to help.  She's a widow living in an early 20th century LA who is making a living as a medium.  Her skills allow her to bring peace to the relatives of the dead, and she's very particular about who she will help. That is until a man demands she help his niece.  From there the rest is easy to glean.

If you're looking for surprises or twists, then this is not your novel to read.  It's pretty straightforward, but it doesn't mean it's a bad read.  I really enjoyed the characterizations and the female lead isn't some damsel in distress.  

As for everything else, well, it was ok. It's a short, entertaining read that anyone will enjoy if they like historical mysteries with a supernatural bent and a dash of romance.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this.

Zero In by Dean Koontz

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

All right, this ending was a bit disappointing.  Really, it feels like the series just fizzled towards the end and finding out the backstory was just anti-climatic. Probably because I could already guess at what it would be. Also the fact that these short stories are told in the third person really keeps you detached from the main protagonist.

I don't know, the first season was so much better. The answers and the plots in this last season just ruined the whole series for me.

Corkscrew by Dean Koontz

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Light Has Weight, but Darkness Does Not by Dean Koontz

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Either I am being too nitpicky or I'm right to be bugged.  Let's just say that the characterization of the little girl in this story just doesn't make sense.  Not the writing part.