Review: Onyx

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A bit of a disappointment after my love for the first book. I'm not a fan of love triangles, girls who slap, and teen angst. I am still a fan of Daemon, however, and I am a completionist so I will go on to the next book.

I listened to this one on audio, and I had been calling Daemon "Damon" in my head, but the narrator called him "Demon" and it threw me off. Every. Damn. Time. No one is called Demon, right? Am I right? Or am I crazy? Anyway...not enough to keep me from book 3, although Katy is far less annoying in print. Hoping there is a different narrator for the next one.

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Review: The Shade of the Moon (The Last Survivors #4)

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jon was insufferable. Just really the worst.

I would like to think that someone who had been through as much as he has would be a better person. Lisa, too. But the two of them were terrible people, and therefore I couldn't bring myself to care about either one of them. Plus, the writing in this one fell flat. The dialogue was stilted and it seemed like the author just wanted to crank out another book in the series. Stick with Miranda and Alex if you write future installments. A disappointment all-around.



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Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My sister recommended this book to me, and I really ended up enjoying it. It was part mystery, part chick-lit, and a voyeuristic dive into the characters' private lives. We follow various families all tied together through their children's elementary school, and it examines the lies we tell others and ourselves, both big and small. The subject matter hit really close to home with a couple of characters' story lines. It makes you think about your life, your friends' lives, and how things aren't always what they seem.

I really didn't guess at the ending and it really kept me engaged throughout. Good stuff and not my typical read. I will read others by her.



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The Lake of Dead Languages

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked it. It's a re-read for me, and I didn't love it like I remembered from the first time. It was, to be fair, many years ago when I read it and my life is very different now. It's an interesting book. Part mystery, part romance, all dramatic and overly complicated with a gothic feel. It made me want to learn Latin.

What I did like: weaving the past and the present together. The Latin. The boarding school setting. What I didn't like: the overly obtuse main character. Really? You can't figure out what is going on? I need my heroines to be smarter than she was throughout the book. And then when you do it gets spelled out to us, the readers, like we are small children. Also, the villain sucked and the explanation was lame. But overall, I still liked it, just not in 4 or 5 star territory this time around.



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A Charming Cure (Magical Cures Mystery #2)

A Charming Cure by Tonya Kappes

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


My interest in this series is quickly dwindling. Book 1 was cute, and I was intrigued by the colorful characters in Whispering Falls, Kentucky. But I don't know if I can continue. The dialogue is terrible. It reads like a high school creative writing project at times. The purple prose pops up at the most awkward times and completely pulls me out of the story. I could overlook this and just enjoy the plot, but I am discovering how much I dislike the main character, June. June is insecure--a character trait I absolutely hate. She eats ding dongs non-stop, which is strange, but more importantly, she just isn't very smart. If she would stop and think before acting she would avoid most of her troubles. She is ridiculously naive about her relationship with her best friend, Oscar. I can handle the, "will they or won't they" nonsense. Hey, they are both 25 years old. No need to rush into anything. But her inner dialogue makes me cringe, and I just don't like her.

I will give book 3 a final shot before throwing in the towel, but it isn't looking good for me continuing the series. Sorry, June, you may have to continue on without me.



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Cat Among the Pigeons (Hercule Poirot #32)

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Another good Poirot mystery. Another one that I had not read towards the end of the series.

Set in a prestigious private school in England, Poirot is summoned by a student to solve the crimes. Murder is afoot. Not just one murder, but two. Who will be next? Well, besides our good friend Hercule Poirot, no one is safe. But not to worry, because he always gets his man. Or woman, as the case may be.





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Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked it better than "Looking for Alaska" and less than "The Fault in Our Stars".

But Margo was selfish. One of my hot buttons. Girl, seriously, your parents are part of the reason you are messed up, but grow up.

Overall, just ok.



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LIV, Forever

Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Insta-love and paranormal all rolled into a ball at boarding school. I nearly broke something with the strength of my eye rolling, but it was ok overall. The main character is annoying and unrealistic--a Mary Sue of an artist who got into a prestigious boarding school based on her extreme talent in--get this, COLLAGES. Really? She has bad grades but they want the collage maker to come as a scholarship student? Ok, sure. I'll overlook it, but I'm subtracting a star. Spoiler alert: she doesn't get less annoying in death. The two male main characters are stereotypical, but I liked them both by the end.

Ok but definitely not great. Overall 2 stars of "meh".



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