Gun Shy is devastatingly good. Unputdownable. Mind Blowing. It's so bad but so damn good.
594536
I'm not a religious person. But I need to confess.

Forgive me reader, for I have sinned.

I listened to a book. It took from the light and it gave to the darkness. It spoke of terrible things that happened to good and bad people. And I couldn't stop listening until I had, had my fill of every single word spoken.

Gun Shy is devastatingly good. Unputdownable. Mind Blowing. It's so bad but so damn good. It's torturous to the mind and I feel like a terrible person for enjoying it so damn much.

From the first moment I read the blurb of Gun Shy I was intrigued by the premise of this suspenseful book. Every chapter takes a different turn and keeps you guessing.

Gun Shy begins in Leos POV where we learn about the town of Gun Shy and how the first missing girl is found. Within the time frame of a couple of chapters, Leo and Cassies lives are irrevocably changed by events completely out of there control.

Gun Shy was written in multiple POVs and had some of the most twisted, dark and complex characters Ive ever come across. I don't like dark, Ive tried a couple of dark books and Im way too sensitive to deal with the terrible things that happen to people. I like to live in the book world where I neglect the bad and only read the good, the romantic, and the soft so Gun Shy was completely out of my comfort zone and I damn well loved it!

Some of the scenes could have been horrific if written by someone else by Lili wrote them in a way that you felt almost removed from the situation? Its so hard to explain her intricate and talented writing style!

This review feels almost impossible to write because I want to tell you all the ways this book affected me and the emotions it evoked but its impossible without giving away the secrets enclosed within Gun Shys pages.

Cassie was one of the most heart breaking, frustrating and complex characters Ive ever experienced. She experienced traumatising events and did not escape without a few internal scars.

Not only was she dealing with loss of life but loss of her future. Thrown away in one night during an act by a selfish and sadistic character. Until she tries to take her future into her own hands

Leo was I think the only character I understood. I understood his actions, his reactions and his justification. I think in the whole town of Gun Shy he was probably one of the only genuine characters? I found him intriguing and uplifting. He saw the bad but he also saw the good.

There are no good people or bad people in the town of Gun Shy. Theres twisted people with agendas, secrets, desires and needs and they're all kinds of flawed. So many scenes gave me the chills and Im sure it was more intense listening to Gun Shy rather than reading it. Having the characters speaking to you and describing the actions of others was chilling.

The narrators of Gun Shy were Zachary Michael and Natalie Naudus and I was so thoroughly impressed with how they portrayed the characters. I was rewinding to re-listen to specific scenes over and over again. I swear I listened to the Epilogue about 3 times. That last part had me breaking out in goose bumps and looking over my shoulder in the middle of the night!
3400594
This was a movie I saw at my local video a few years back. It looked and sounded really cool. But I did not rent it; flip ahead 2 years. one day im at my local suncoast and like a bucket of water bamm! I remember this movie and I happend to stumble onto this movie. It was at the [inexpensive] so hell I bought it. I was amazed buy this movie everyone is perfect in it. Plenty of cool gun fights one of the best starts an hour and 14 min into the movie. Check this one out
4712085
I wasn't expecting it to be quite so good. I'm a sucker for a 'get in the car, you're coming with me' kinda man. #AlphaMales Tall, dark and handsome. Tough and tender. Rough and ready. Oh yeah. That's Killian; nickname 'Kill'. BUT I hate that name, it's too much. But loved the character. The FMC was just as great. Priscilla or 'Cilla'; lush and lovely. Smart and sassy; I liked her a lot.

The back story is one of horror pretty much for both protagonists; moreso for Cilla and her brother, Jones. I'll leave the reader to pick that apart. The author is very good at 'layering' their sad tales; giving it to us piecemeal but never too much at one time. In fact we're not explicitly told what actually happened to Jones and Cilla; the author leaves us to figure it out. Which personally, I was grateful for. To have seen it written on the page, would have been too much for me. The images evoked, were enough. I hate people sometimes; depravity does know no bounds. My imagination can only go so far before it closes down.

Authors note: Captive Beauty is a standalone romance. Think Beauty and the Beast, but twisted and dark in the best, dirtiest ways.

IMO there should be more reference to 'triggers'; absolutely. Depending on personal experiences, and how we each deal with particular events, this story could prove too much for some readers.

So good story; good writing; good characters. The two epilogues I felt were a bit confusing; unnecessary perhaps. The ending was very tender; in complete contrast to what's before it. I didn't really enjoy it; read it twice to see if it was 'me'. It's a bit too sweet for me, but not terrible. NO way.

Would I recommend it? Yes and I have. It was actually recommended to me by 'Carol'. Thanks again for that. Love Rec's, and love them even more when they are a great read. :)
4494449
Like so many other reviewers on this post have said, it is a gem. Stagecoach and Break Away are my personal favs.
3076762
Domo ArigaDIE!!! is basically the goriest, silliest, most over-the-top grindhouse kung-fu splatter-gore movie NEVER made.

Picture that last scene from the end of Kill Bill vol. 1 where the The Bride is chopping up the Crazy 88 and the music is awesome and its all bloody and hyper-cool. Yeah, thats basically this entire book. OH, except add in some crazy cyberpunk lesbian robots and mind-control powers and Satanism and a (literal) buttload of bodily fluids and goofy jokes. THIS IS AWESOME.

Adding to that is Jamie Grefes writing style: its is poetic, but not jagged. Its colorful, but not blinding. Its full of imagery and life and DEATH and guts. This was the first long-form work of Grefes Ive ever read and I was very impressed by both the flow of the story and the precision of the prose. Hes a very talented writer.

Now heres a personal story about why I don't own a copy of Domo ArigaDIE!!! anymore:

I was taking a train from Dallas to New York City and had to change trains in Chicago. I was tired and dirty and in a terrible mood. While waiting in line to be board the train, the guy in front of me asked where I was going. He had tattoos all over his neck and only one eye and he was carrying a stuffed black horse (whose name I found out later was Mack). He was very friendly, almost to the point where I thought there mightve been something wrong with him. He even showed me his drivers license. You see that little star in the corner? he said pointing to a star on it. Thats because Im a felon, he laughed.

So my felon friend was nervous about riding on the train. He had never gone cross country before and to help assuage his fear, he was chatting up everyone around us. I found out the two Australian lesbians behind me were on a golf tour of America. I found out the little girl behind them has a cousin named Betty and Betty has a cat named Sparkle. I found out the purple-haired punk rock chick behind them was heading up to Boston to visit her family. And, in turn, all these people found out that I am a published author.

Now my one-eyed new friend starts rambling. Were taking this train to the moooooon! Whats up with all these Amish people? Is it hot in here and where did those birds come from? You think they're getting on the train? He then goes to use the payphone (a payphone?!?!) and when he comes back hes holding $10 out to me.

Hey man, I want to buy one of your books, he says.

I don't have any on me, buddy, but you can find my stuff on Amazon and online.

He looks down, dejected.

Hey, I say, reaching into my bag and pulling out the copy of Domo ArigaDIE!!! that I had finished reading just a few hours before, You like crazy Japanese pinky violence exploitation movies? You can have this, if you want it.

Really man? his eyes lit up. Oh man, this is so great. Thank you! Thank you so much!!

He took the book and couldn't stop smiling. Soon after we boarded the train. I only saw him one more time after that, as he was getting off at his stop. He still had the book in his hands.

Interestingly enough, on my last long train ride, about 6 months before this, I made friends with an Englishman named Martin who was taking the same trip I was. About an hour before we parted ways, I gave him a copy of my book Stranger Danger. He read it to himself and chuckled in the seat behind me. I think Im becoming the Johnny Appleseed of literature on trains
1999340
I saw this at the Mile High Horror Film Festival this year, and was blown away. Just pre-ordered on here as well.

This was easily my favourite horror film of the year. The mood of the film is so grim, and the ending...whew... But my favourite scene of the movie was when they were prepping for their meal. The music and filming was brilliant.
1198792
It's been on the Best Sellers List forever.  I keep looking at it,reading reviews and just didn't think it was for me.  Saw it at Sam's Club (sorry Amazon), for a few bucks and thought I'd try it.  I loved it.  Wasn't sure in the beginning.  Had a lot going on in alot of directions, but I'm so glad I kept going.  Once I start a book I keep going.  I always figure that they'll get better.  This one really lived up to it's hype.  So much so, that I bought the second one in the series (The Girl Who Plays With Fire).  It was good.  Lost my interest in the middle, but made up for it in the last part.  I will definetly get the third book in the series (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest).

Anyone who wants to read a really great book...read "1000 White Women".  I'm by no means someone who's really into "history", although I do like John Jakes books,but this book (it's fiction) was incredible.  Reading it I kept thinking.."this should be a movie, & who would play the different parts".  It's that good. Check the book out here and seriously, don't be scared off if you're not into history or westerns, etc...I had serious doubts, but I'm so glad that I read it.  I could not put it down once I picked it up.  Enjoy!<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/One-Thousand-White-Women-The-Journals-of-May-Dodd/dp/0312199430/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd</a>
679817
This was the best game i have played in so long. If you think you are really good at games like this you can turn on "Very Hard." The game has like 20 levels with 5 missions  in each, so it takes a long time. The guns are great and it is so real. You have to try it
4793654
Damn it's good. I've gotten so tired of formulaic novels. See, there's a big, bad conspiracy. And then there's this unlikely hero. And he saves the day. And gets laid in the process. No character building. Nothing new. I know the bad guys 'cause they're always the same. I know the good guy and he's as interesting and surprising as a mall food court's fried rice.

And then I picked up this book. At an airport, no less. I'd accidentally brought a book I'd already read and cruised the airport book store with little hope of finding anything. So I bought this. I sorta flipped through it. It had some promise. Cults fascinate me in the same way serial killers fascinate me. But good books on either are rare.

Stevens has serious talent as a story teller. Novelists are everywhere Story tellers are not. When I find one, it's a beautiful feeling. The characters have depth I rarely see. She takes the time to build them, slowly, without slowing down the pace of the story and that takes some skill. The story is dark but not hopeless and doesn't leave you with that feeling of a needed shower like so many do. She draws you in and constantly surprises you. The heroine, Michael Munroe is complex, violent, intriguing and inviting. She's the friend you want when you need not just someone to help you hide the body, but a friend to plan the attack. Child-kidnapping is a subject that doesn't often make for a thrill ride. It is, in and of itself, too horrible an idea for entertainment. And yet, Stevens makes it work. The cult, The Chosen, is clearly not some fantastic caricature conjured for an easy straw man. That it's so believable makes it all the more terrifying as the villain.

I'm not going to tell you the story. Buy the book. You won't put it down and when you finish it, you'll do exactly as I did and go buy the rest of her books.
1813804
I recently saw The Sixth Sense and I would have to say I was amazed by the edge of your seat type thriller. I thought Hayley should have won an Oscar for his performance. I loved it!  Bruce was good too and he deserves more  than he gets for his acting ability.
2484326
I thought it was pretty good... terrible acting just as the first but great for its entertainment value, Lady Jaye is insanely hot, and plenty of guns, shooting and sweet action scenes.
4303418
Awesome. Spectacular. Both the writing and JLL.
 JLL is for sure quite a character, but I swear Rick Bragg could write about buttons falling off your polo and it would be good.
1917745
Genuinely unputdownable.  Like I rarely say that, because I rarely mean it, but this time I do.  It's Raymond Chandler dark with Hunter S. Thompson humour, and a bit of I Spit on Your Grave and punk rock mixed in for good measure.  It's a brilliant, witty, gritty (and not in a lazy way) novel that's written with deep attention to plot and character.
3216258
Oh man. Ohhhhh man. Wow wow wow man wow ohhhh wow wow ow wowow owow man wowo man amman whoweogk wooooowwwwwwwwwww
Okay.
Let me just start off by saying that wow. WOW. This is not what I was expecting at all. AT ALL. I mean yeah I guess I kinda was but WOW it just launched into that story there was no downtime no intro it just started with chapter one and did not stop, even when it got to the mini epilogue. It just kept going. Holy hell. Wow. This was great.
If you're a fan of such works such as Battle Royale or Gone you're going to love this psychological thriller that took me exactly one day to finish. On Edge was shorter than Need and the former took me two weeks. Need took me one day, it was that good, I couldn't stop reading it even when I wanted to. These kinds of books are sometimes hard for me to read because of their intensity but MAN it was worth it. Like seriously I have no complaints, none. Every character was believable and interesting and unique and nothing was too far fetched, even in the setting it was in, and WOW I did not see the plot twist coming like yeah I shouldve gotten it from the beginning but I was waaay too focused on Nate and Kaylees relationship and also the fact that, for the most part, all of the characters shared a name with someone I knew in real life. So that was cool. And lowkey disturbing, considering what happens. But mostly cool.
Let me tell you this book is not afraid to push limits. Like seriously you might think going into it that itll be tamer than it lets off but nooo way man this thing just goes for it. Plus its one of those books that has utilizes multiple POVs while still establishing a clear main character. A+.
I don't really have a lot more to say. I have 0 complaints. Usually a longer review means Im going to roast it but no it was great. 10/10 would read again (actually 9/10 I had to take a break now and then to process things, this story moves fast there is 0 downtime whatsoever).
1327805
As much as I enjoyed JDATE, and its sequel, I wasn't properly prepared for Futuristic Violence. Like, at all.

The violence was stunningly, awesomely, fantastic. The characters were equally as stunning, and the story was probably one of the best I've read in a while. It was a one sitting book, which is rare for me.

I hate to use reviews to bug authors, but c'mon, Mr. Wong! We need more, soon! Pretty please?
2877409
Speechless. Just speechless. What a brilliant, sick film for those of us so inclined. So very real, I thought Larry Clark (KIDS) directed it.
2633842
I added this book to my TBR shortly after I saw it was released. I didn't know what to expect, but the blurb intrigued me. Since that time, I have been seeing 5 star reviews popping up everywhere. I had planned on reading this later this month, when my schedule freed up, BUT, Thanksgiving morning, I received several texts, as I was getting ready for our family dinner, from a friend (Foxy) which read, I just started Nine Minutes. WOW  I mean WOW and they continued.. Of course, I stopped what I was doing and read this Prologue she was going on and on about. Here is my reply: D*MN YOU! That was freaking awesome. How am I supposed to go on with my day now?!?!? And so began the Buddy Read.

Once I returned home that evening, I began reading and finished the next day! I was so captivated, that 1/3 into the book, I realized I had not made any status updates yet. I just kept turning page, after page, after page. I was so engrossed in the story, I thought of nothing else.

This was NOT an easy read for me. I need to be upfront about that. The subject matter was troubling; I have a teenage children after all. But the writing was so good, and the plot and characters so thoroughly developed that I became desensitized to the story line. This is a raw and gritty read. Low on the steamy scenes with moderate violence. So understand that going in.

As the blurb describes, this is about GINNY, a 15-year-old who is abducted at the hands of a biker, then gifted to the head of Satans Army MC gang  GRIZZ. She was sassy, tough, smart and resilient. Having raised herself, despite living with her mom and step-dad, she refused to be burdened with fear.

  I was no victim. Never had been. Never would be.

Grizz  The head of Satans Army MC gang, was a frighteningly evil man with a tender and loving side. He didn't show empathy towards anyone but Ginny. His obsessive love for her knew no bounds.

  I love you, Ginny. Ill always love you.

What soon develops is a love storybuilt on the foundation of Stockholm Syndrome .?. perhaps. But as Ginnys background suggests, she didn't ever have anyone show her love or affection so when they were showered upon her she allowed herself to drown in them. To soak it all up and fall in love.

There is also an element of mystery and suspense within this book. Which adds to its overall AWESOMENESS! But it is still a love story.

  A story about a man who has loved me from the very beginning, from the first glance. the man who always was and still is my soul mate.

The side characters were plentiful and superbly written. Setting us up for more to come.

I am not going to explain any more of the story, just read the blurb  if thats your thing  because to do so I think would spoil it for you. AND I HATE READING SPOILERS! This is one of my favorites of the year. 5 Stars!