Painfully Realistic (Possible Spoilers)
349624
A son disappears, parents despair then slowly unravel, police accuse the innocent deepening the rapidly developing psychoses, time fails to heal anything, and the sounds of sorrow go on and on. This scenario has unfurled itself over and over in highly followed news stories throughout the world. Now it is painstakingly detailed in this psychological thriller. Do not read this book If you have a missing child, it will cut your heart to the quick. I highly recommend it to readers who love suspense thrillers and are willing to endure the high drama this family is thrust into.
1956993
This is the first book in this series that I have reservations about.  There has been a continuing theme that the major plot points get resolved in each book.  There might be a couple of smaller bits carried from one book to the next, but by and large the immediate issues get wrapped up and, in the end, the characters are planning the next phase of their journey.  There also have been major twists in regards to who is on what side, and in what capacity -- Tug and Dumar's real identities, for example, were pretty hard to have predicted early on.

Instead of unforeseen twists with characters like there were in previous books, now there are completely unforeseeable revelations, mostly with technology.  Keeping me guessing with multiple possibilities is much better than throwing one brand-new, not-previously-alluded-to change into the story.

In some instances, the foreshadowing is way too strong.  From the fate of the Jump Sub, to the old man on Cetia, to the traitor at the end.  It was all too easy to see ahead of time.  The blank-stare bit was painful to read because so much attention was drawn to it.  There was also a lot of Pentaurus "filler" with needless and mostly emotionless death.  The nanite revelation seems like a last-minute plot device to counter the predictability with completely unknowable one-off players.

There wasn't a lot of character work in this episode.  Tug went backwards, Dumar is now one-dimensionally trustworthy, and Telles is just an everyday ground pounder with the vocabulary to match.  Naralena had a lot of opportunity to shine that wasn't taken advantage of, and the Ghatazhak are no longer invulnerable killing machines.  What happened to Jung weapons bouncing right off, and six soldiers taking over a moon base unaided, through the launch ports?  Hell, even Tug managed to take a few of them out when previously on Takara they could only be killed by danger-close artillery.

And, perhaps most frustratingly, nothing of importance was wrapped up at the end.  This should more accurately be called Episode 13, Part 1.

Yes, I will be picking up the next episode immediately when it's released.  But I hope it's more engaging than this volume.  Mr. Brown, this series has been phenomenal!  I hope mine and others' criticisms are taken constructively, as they are meant to be.  I couldn't do what you do without second-guessing myself to death -- this is at least the 12th revision of this review alone.  I would lose my mind trying to write entire books.
204840
Perhaps some of the most realistic and relatable characters in fantasy! Do yourself a favor and give it a read
1597484
From a very young age, we are taught that there are times in life that a person simply has to grin and bear it. Reach a little further, try a little harder, accept another little setback. But as author Kate Kryus Quinn reminds us in her insistently gruesome first novel, sometimes ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE is too much to take.

Annaleise is a miracle girl who somehow stumbled back into the civilized world after a dramatic disappearance over a year earlier. But even though everyone who knows her claims that she's the same girl, she's positive that she is an imposter. It isn't just the memory loss resulting from missing brain matter; Annaliese can't shake the feeling that she's someone else --- a girl named Anna. Suffering from nightmares, flashbacks of someone else's memories and a number of threatening acquaintances, Annaliese tries to uncover who is really living in her skin. But the answer may turn out to be a little more than she bargained for.

As Annaliese slowly chips away at the mysteries surrounding her reappearance, she realizes that she may be the very monster she's been running from. It seems that Anna has been involved with some very unsavory business --- selling souls, breaking hearts and some hard-core cannibalism. She's been on the move for a long time, switching from body to body as each girl approaches her 18th birthday. But Annaliese is trying to right Anna's wrongs. And while trying to determine exactly what she is responsible for (and to whom), Anna finds herself drawn to the old Annaliese's family, friends and even Dex, the unusual boy next door.

ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE could probably use a few more pieces to make the puzzle fit together. Annaliese is never questioned by the police, despite the fact that she has been gone for a year and her case has never been tied up. Neither is it ever truly explained where she has been waiting, or why the transfer to Annaliese didn't turn out like the others. Another loose end left dangling is why her feelings for Logan have evaporated, leaving a strong attraction to Dex, an essentially unknown loner, in their place. The ending is abrupt and Annaliese's poetry is, well, bad, but to be fair that may just be Quinn's way of keeping the story realistic. In any case, that's really only a little piece of it.

Reviewed by Rebecca Kilberg
4094759
A realistic view of how one would react to unrealistic events.  A character trying to cope with the unbelievable and un explainable while trying to maintain a shred of sanity.  The internal struggles are as interesting as the external foes.  I anxiously await the next episode.
1234234
Book 1 of The MacDarra Chronicles opens with a rather distressing scene--a ten year-old boy has just arrived at his new foster parents' home out in the middle of Nowhere, Georgia. He quickly finds that life with this new family is going to be anything but pleasant from that point on. He will be stripped of dignity, community, civility, and stripped as well of his name. "Hear that boy?" The woman glared venomously at him. "Unacceptable. That's what you are. Ugly as sin and twice as stupid." But why would a character like the vicious foster mother hate such a boy immediately? There is a reason, and there is also a greater reason why an angel we meet later has let him be led into this nightmare existence.

Jump forward six years to a high school in Connecticut. Two best friends, Celeste Kelly and Katie Grandol are in English class, still wondering about a young guy they had seen the evening before at the mall, when in he walks. The new student. Handsome as Adonis. Shy, unassuming, self-deprecating to a fault, mysterious, and cloudy about things modern in a way that no twenty-first century teen could possibly be confused about. Cell phone texting. Gym class exercises. Sword play--NO, not sword play, but nearly everything else. How odd until we jump back three years or so and pick up with the 14 year-old foster child living in his private hell, locked in a basement, subjected to privations and regular beatings that even prisoners of war would cringe at.

Cian MacDarra miraculously--and that is not an overstatement--survives until he is rescued (miraculously) by an inept Social Services Agency a few years further down the line. One of the most appealing, if not horrible, aspects of Colella's writing is her ability to walk the reader graphically through young Cian MacDarra's torturous existence; so effectively that the reader feels the verbal abuse he suffers wholly, and feels as well the whip on his back.

Celeste, Katie, and young MacDarra soon enough become friends, more by accident than amorous plotting by the two girls. A ride missed after school, a rescuing mother, a visit to Celeste's home, and a magical harp that Celeste will become master at playing--all of these things play a key role in a heaven-inspired mission Cian and Celeste will be called upon to walk into...and win. It is Good vs. Evil. Frodo vs. Sauron. David vs. Goliath. Celeste and Cian vs. a dark, malevolent angel.

Leap backward again. More detail of poor Cian's painful existence and further loss of identity.

Forward to the present again.

Backward.

"Time jumping." That is an appealing part of the narrative structure, as well as key to who Cian actually is, and why and how three beautifully constructed characters nudge him forward until the end of the beginning. They are "portal guardians," a beautiful harp-playing angel named Celesta---do you get the connection to our young heroine Celeste?--who protects the Hub of time from the evil forces. There is a "Keeper" sent to watch over and ready the young boy Cian for his calling. And the introduction when they meet (again) is an ancient harp purchased at an estate sale.

This is Young Adult fiction written by a very scene oriented and accomplished writer. Judy Colella has a firm hand on the often difficult, and often failed, challenge of plotting a riveting adventure set in modern America, and in the Hub of Time. HIGHLY recommended for young adults and older readers as well.
3166224
Everybody's got a name for it, but I'm going to label Bacigalupi's grim post-oil world of pain 'springpunk,' because of the grubbily archaic technology involving, interestingly, tension and release that pervades it. Everything in Krung Thep (future Bangkok) is falling apart at the seams, and at no point does this frightening sense of impending doom let up; in fact, it escalates to a tumultuous series of explosive events which may or may not be the release the story is questing toward. As a huge fan of the author's YA book 'Ship Breaker,' I found 'The Windup Girl' similar in style, just much more adult in theme and content. The pivotal character of Emiko, a bioengineered creature shunned by society - such as it is - is truly heartbreaking; I wish, in fact, that we'd had more of her, as her struggles really seemed to capture the tone of the story as a whole (if there's a sequel, I'm sure we will). Brutal and satisfying!
4341733
This is a living and breathing, starving and suffering, drinking and puking, torturing and dying experience that no gamer should miss. Yet it is actually a game, you can mentally get sucked into a world and a life where the strong live large, the common folk get by, the "enemies of the state" are hunted down like animals, and the weak die gruesome and horrific deaths... or perhaps they can have a chance at sweet revenge, but it's all up to you, your observations and points of views at the moments, and most importantly your choices. Every choice you make affects someone, somewhere, somehow. You will be absorbed for hours before you suddenly find out how what you had considered a "empathetic and humane" choice turned out causing a horrifying catastrophe that can continuously haunt you. And for those of you considering this journey, trust nobody. Not a soul.

This game is brash, violent, hilarious, heartbreaking, vile, intense and, unfortunately, quite true to its presentation of man's visceral quest for power, wealth, political standing, and the harsh and brutal punishment that comes with it all. The writing it top notch, the voice acting is great, the graphics are beautiful and horrifying at  times, and the story itself is immense, and that's not counting the side quests which are just as entertaining and satisfying as the main quest, if not even more satisfying. Please be prepared to put your life on hold for awhile if you decide to take the plunge into the world of Witcher 3. It would also be a good deal if you had some extra sick or vacation days built up, they will come in handy for this journey.
1812791
This book of fiction takes us into a world that is all too realistic in the horrifying trend of school violence that has been taking place too often in our society.
Bullying and violence have no place in our schools and the practice should be stamped out before it causes violence.
The author starts out with a terrible shooting at a high school where several students were killed and injured. Thankfully, at the end of the horrific rampage, the deranged shooter turns the gun on himself. However, later on, the killer becomes a menacing ghost that haunts the school, even though it was closed after the shooting.
I liked the way the author tells you something that pops up later in the book. Twenty years after the shooting, some of the survivors are still trying to deal with the aftermath. The scars are still open sores for the survivors and the trauma is not over, but beginning again after they decide to have a reunion to get final closure.  I don't want to give away the ending, but this book will certainly grab and keep your attention.
4837454
This is the kind of book that sucks you in, and you can't get your head back to reality for days after you finish it. It utilizes a changing POV structure to tell the story in pieces of flashback, so the reader has to put together what happened. You always know something awful is on the horizon, but Ms Bleeker is very skilled at keeping it just out of reach and raising the tension higher and higher. Her characters are very realistic and easy to connect with, and the story - incredible as it is - was written so well that I found it absolutely believable. This is a great book.
1874524
I don't really have any complaints with this novel. It's not a five star simply because I wouldn't want to read it again. That is not a reflection of the writing, just that this story is so painful.

Ms. Smith did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. I felt like she did them justice, presenting their strengths, weaknesses, struggles, and victories without prejudice, without bias. As a result, it really showed me the condition of my heart. I've always known I have an unforgiving spirit, but I'd thought I'd been getting better. Not so. Watching the sisters struggle, I heard my own heart responding in kind, taking up arms, and thinking about how I would feel, what I would do. And it was never to my own sacrifice, never for the good of others over myself. At least Rachel felt occasional guilt and eventual repentence and remorse. I have a long way to go.

In addition, this retelling really made me aware of how differently this story could have gone. Every step of the way, if they had chosen another path, things could have been so different. From the getgo, if just one of the sisters had chosen to love the other, regardless of how they were treated, I don't think Leah could have done what she did. I wonder if Rachel could have refused the marriage? I know she wouldn't have wanted to, but if she was trusting God and his ways, and I wonder if she would have been allowed to break her own marriage contract since Jacob had taken her sister by mistake? Hm. What a different story that would have been.

I completely understood her fear of allowing Jacob and Leah to spend any time together, to be close. How different it would have been, if she had even just chosen to love her sister herself- respond in kind words, compliments, companionship, encouragement, and ultimately forgiveness.

And I don't know if this part was accurate (will have to reread the Bible story myself now) but I noticed that Rachel did not turn to God much, except to beg for a child. But like so many of us, instead of trusting His silence (and perhaps pouring herself into her nephews), she attempted anything she could to make the decision herself. When will we learn that we cannot force God's hand?

Though so painful to read, this story was full of hard-earned wisdom. It was a colorful, vivid retelling.
55775
Very glad this is available on DVD.

Painfully realistic portrayal of family life at times; at other times, rather farcical.
4512012
I picked up Hansel by Ella James in the boxed set. I don't recall if this was a purchase or a freebie, but something about it caught my attention. There are so many aspects to this story that Im unsure where to begin. It is a romance, of sorts. Its also a psychological drama. Its one of those books where you want to dislike it intensely but find that there as aspects that speak to you so you cant seem to put it down. The main characters, Hansel and Gretel (Luke and Leah), are a pair of tortured souls, who spent a brief amount of time together only never to see each other again. Until Vegas. All hail, bachelorette parties. While sitting through a show like no other, Leah is suddenly face to face with her past. A past until then that many didn't quite believe. (Thats your spoiler.)

The psychological aspects to the story are difficult to read. If you have, or know anyone with PTSD, these are the parts that are difficult to read because James lays it out there in a way thats believableeverything from disbelief of family members to masochistic tendencies in order to feel (maintain a sense of control). All of the small and big nuggets she lays out there are not only plausible, but are very much in line with reality (as in, Ive known people who struggle with these things).

And yes, warning, there are BDSM elements. It fits the story. Deal with it. If it bothers you, move on and don't order a copy. ButButif you want to read a gripping story that crazily does have a happy ending, then give this a chance. Its rough. Its painful. You won't like aspects of it. But its good. It really is. (And if you read my other reviews, I don't say that very often.)
1498194
I want a different ending! It's just too real and painful. The best in the series by far! I loved all of these books but this one was the most engaging.
3085052
(Spoilers ahead!)

I really needed this series in my life. I don't think I ever won't need it in my life.

The Imperial Radch series lets you look behind all the doors fans want, desperately, to look behind in their favorite mediathat is to say, small, heartfelt moments between characters, hard-hitting conversations that dig deep, relationships being developed that only ever remain hints or scraps in most narratives. This kicks some serious character-driven butt, while at the same time constructing a world that you want to lose yourself in. And lose yourself you dowith strong characters to lead the way.

Ann Leckie pours so much empathy, wisdom, and general understanding of human nature into the pages of this series. This is a rarity that I have simply never come across at this level before in any media. In Sword, the conversation with Queter about making her oppressors see their actions for what they areit was so real and raw and liable to seize anyone who has known that fire in themselves. Those moments with Seivarden and Ekalu in Mercy, where privilege and entitlement are made visible and brought to its knees. This series is packed full of palpable moments that get you thinking about what the subject-matter tackled means for the characters as well as in your own life.

The setting is vibrant and epic, while also focusing and scaling to small pieces of that setting, creating both a larger-than-life feel as well as something that you can settle in and familiarize yourself with. By the end of Mercy, I wanted to live alongside the characters, and the story had enough depth to allow that feeling to seem tangible.

I was so invested in these characters that the moment action starts, I am desperately wishing it awayI'm not distanced and unemphatic, unworried for the character's safety because I'm looking forward to cool explosions or gunshots, as I am in every other bit of media. I am terrified. I want it to end so they can all have tea and be happy.

(And speaking of terrifyingZeiat genuinely terrified me a few times, which is amazing because I also love her adorable self to bits. She is the best use of wacky and child-like character is secretly terrifying I have ever seen.)

I suppose I wrote this review more for the author than for potential buyers, I'm not going to pretend this review isn't for a book written by an individual, I'm not going to pretend, as people like to, that media just exists on its own, rendering the creators invisible:

Ann Leckie, I loved this series to bits. Start to finish. Every bit of it. It had so much depth, so many meaningful interactions between characters. And god, I sobbed like an alarmed child when Breq got the brief surveillance clip of the protesters sitting peacefully in Station. I laughed more times than I can count. I laughed harder than I ever haveI threw my kindle across the room and shrieked, laughing until I cried, when Zeiat showed up at Mercy of Kalr's doorstep in the midst of crisis and asked for oysters. There were so many times I had to set the book down and catch my breath during the chapter where Breq and Mercy of Kalr and Seivarden sort out their feelings for each other.

You are an amazing writer, Ancillary Mercy exceeded my expectations, and honestly forever raised the bar that I judge all media by. I admire you, and always will.

Thank you, with all of my heart, for giving us such a wonderful story.
2540687
I loved this! It's timely, real, and emotional. The saddest thing about this book is that stuff like this happens all the time. I really liked seeing it dealt with in fiction. I especially loved how very real the characters were -- I didn't always like them, but I understood them. Some of the decisions made in this book are very, very hard to read -- but they're realistically depicted. Highly recommended, especially to teenagers (girls AND boys).
163138
I loved this book. This was not a romance, and I think it's a testament to the author's skill at creating characters and making you care so much for them that you hope so badly for a deus ex machina that magically make the one he loves love him the way he wants, and everything in his life will be happy forever after.

But if that's what we got in this book, it wouldn't be nearly as moving or believable. And don't make the mistake that I'm saying this was a dark or depressing bookit absolutely was not. There are luminous moments of happiness that are amazing and are so important to the casting of the shadows of sadness that make it all fulfilling and satisfying and tinged with bittersweetness.

You learn things about life in this novel, and true to life, a lot of the most important things you learn often involve some pain. And just like in the story, if you forget the painful stuff can forget the lesson, and that can end up being worse.