I liked the creepiness) but the relationship between Patch and Nora ...
584358
Spoilers for those who have not read the first book.

I read Hush Hush and I didn't see what the big deal was. The angel mythology was different, the story was decent and creepy (okay, I liked the creepiness) but the relationship between Patch and Nora was so twisted, I didn't have words. For most of the book I'm like hello he is trying to kill you (therefore not to be trusted at all).

Any who, I wasn't in a big rush to read the second book and I sure in hell didn't want to pay full price for it, so I waited. Then I got into ebooks, which are a lot easier to just pick up and read here or there while I'm commuting or wait around. So I download Cresendo from my local library and I am glad I continued the story.

Cresendo picks up not to long after Hush Hush. It's summer and Nora is taking a summer class, hanging out with her best friend Vee and Patch and her are actually in a good. However after the first few chapters everything goes to complete s***. Once again Becca goes dark and creepy and I love it.

Nora and Patch are fighting, someone is out to kill her again, she's broke (no job, no money), she gets these weird creepy feelings, a guy she knew from childhood has come back into town and something is not right with him, and did I mention Nora thinks she sees her father, you know the one who was murdered not so long ago.

At this time we have background into the angelic world (because of the first book) so now we get to have a story line that has more action and mystery while we're trying to figure what the hell is happening and who is currently messing with Nora.

What I like:
There is a lot more action and mystery in this one, the story drew me in more and we get to know a little more about the angelic world. We got to see more of Nora and Vee, hanging out and being best friends. Also, did I mention the creepy factor, it is very creepy, love it.

What I don't like:
The interactions with Nora and Patch are so weird and Nora kind acts like a crazy girlfriend for a little while and I hate that. Also I really wish the relationship between Nora and Vee was shown even more and I wish the relationship was a little different. Vee at times was annoying and I'm like "what kind of friend is that" and I don't remember if she was like that in Hush Hush or not.

Overall 3.75 stars
Cresendo had a lot, there was dead dad sightings, spy-work, fighting, unexpected secrets, twists and turns, a death, a betrayal and an ending that leaves me saying "This cannot be good". I will be reading the next book in the series, Silence.
1665710
Spirits cant step over or navigate crooked pathways. A superstitious community would have been especially cautious with suicides. The ghosts of those who take their own lives are considered notorious wanderers. That probably explains the high walls that surround the cemetery. In the old days, they would have buried the bodies facedown to disorient them.
  The things you know.

Overall I like this series. It has this eerie quality to it and I really enjoy the southern drawl of a book, Im pretty sure a book can have a southern drawl. It is this slow and easy almost swaying in the wind kind of vibe sometimes.

I probably should have reread the other books going into this one though. I had forgotten a lot of things about the secret order of the Coffin and the Claw and how Devlin was involved with them in the first place. I just felt like I was playing catch up a little too much. So if you can reread at least the last book going into this one.

I was really hoping that after the events of the last book that Devlin would be a believer of at least some things supernatural but he is still forever the skeptic and the fist half of the story I felt like Amelia told me a million times how they were drifting apart. I mean a small part was shown but overall it was just her telling the reader that things weren't perfect between them. Which was sometimes strange as you could tell how much Devlin cared about her but it is a weird relationship where both parties seemed to be keeping all kinds of secrets from the other and you knew some big thing would have to happen for them to either start really trusting each other with everything in their lives or that a split would happen.

I have read the other books for the ghost stories but also for the forbidden romance of Amelia and Devlin so I really hope they work that out. But because of the slow paced nature of the book it seemed to take a long time for things to really get going.

But there are ghosts and a mystery to solve. We also have Amelia who has not let the other side know she can see them and that comes with a whole new bag of troubles as the spiritual realm keeps trying to contact her and she isn't she if they are friend or foe. Still that whole story was extremely interesting and I loved learning more about her special powers and what they are evolving into.

In Short - I really liked the ghost storyline of this but the relationship aspect left me wanting a lot more. I know the next book is out but I think Ill wait until #6 is also done so I can read them back to back. I think that one is supposed to close out this storyline.

The 2 star deduction is for the meandering that we have to endure and repetition of the relationship angst.
31942
This was an interesting story. Overall all I liked it but I found it hard to connect and accept Tamara's insta- attraction/obsession with Cal. She seemed too quick to accept the fact that ghostly beings were coming out of her barn on a nightly basis. I understand her want to help them cross but the attraction to a skeletal figure who she barely knows and only sees 15 minutes each night is a little hard to come to terms with for me. That being said I like how the story comes full circle and you get to learn about some of the ghosts stories. Darlene Allen did a good job as narrator.
4273371
Oh come one! They have know each other for the biggest part of five minutes and exchanges ten sentences and he is sooo cute they are already kissing. Seriously!
I think this is one of my biggest pet peeves. The loves at first sight between teenagers. I mean aren't they supposed to be at least a little bit self-conscious? Through the entire book it feels like they have been together for years!

The ghost part was the best part, even if I still don't know how a girl dead more than a hundred years ago can understand/use computer though. I liked the storm and the apparition and every little bit about Emily. though it felt a little bit too quick and we didn't really learn all that much about her. I would have thought that a ghost that stick to a house for so long would be a bit more difficult to exorcise. I'm also not sure about the "coming home" concept, seeing she never left her room.

I was expecting something a lot different when I saw the title but it has nothing to do with a "Ghost writer" but more with a ghost that communicate by writing.
3954590
3.5 stars.

Well this was a different read. While it could be very dark, and even creepy in places (there's a particular chapter that I best describe as "1st person sociopath"), it wasn't what I expected. There's certainly an element of the Stockholm Syndrome/falling in love one's captor theme that's done differently and really well. The last couple chapters are what really intrigued me the most, how everything comes together, the complete fall-out. It makes an odd sort of sense that makes you think that this could really happen, could really be something more.

Okay, I'm being unusually incoherent with this one. While there's a definite dark theme running through the novel, there's also a strange sweetness to it. The sweetness comes to fruition at the end in a way that I kind of expected, but didn't really believe would happen.

The writing overall is sound, although I'm at the point lately that I'm sort of over first person anything--that's a personal preference, not a reflection of the book. It didn't totally blow me away, but it did seriously creep me out a little bit in the beginning, and gave me a strong sense of satisfaction at the end. A book that moved me a bit but didn't amaze me. It was the day-to-day, the quiet caring and characterization that I enjoyed the most. The power dynamics just didn't really work for me--Rob was too placid, too easily cowed for me to really dig my teeth into it. But perhaps it's a more realistic approach to the whole "falling in love with one's captor" thing.

A solid read, just as long as you're aware of the warnings that come with the book and they're your cup of tea. Good book, but the relationship, though very well done, just wasn't quite what I was looking for with power dynamics.
3831577
It an enjoyable "light" read. I especially enjoyed seeing how relationships (apparently) work in France versus the US. Our book club read this and discussed it. One topic we discussed was whether the male character's "snooping" (in the beginning, to find the owner of the stolen purse, later...because maybe he couldn't resist learning more about the woman) was to the level of being "creepy". Being perceived as creepy would seem to make a relationship difficult-to-impossible. Read the book and decide what you think about it.
3337726
I was really excited to read this book.  I have been a huge fan of Holly Black's books (especially her Modern Fairy tale and Spiderwick series) and was excited to see what she came up with next.  This was a good book and eerily creepy, it didn't blow me away but it was entertaining.

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever and love playing creative games of fantastical adventure with their action figures.  However, as they grow up their friendship is being torn apart. When Zach's father throws his action figures away it's the last straw for Zach, he refuses to play.  Poppy in a desperate maneuver to save their friendship takes a mysterious china doll (that they in their game they have dubbed The Queen) out of her box.  However things take a dark turn when Poppy claims The Queen is haunting her.  The Queen tells Poppy she will not rest until Poppy buries her in the grave of the girl whose bones were used to make The Queen's china.  So all three friends set off on a desperate adventure to put Queenie to rest.

This book is a well done and creepy story.  It is about the creepy china doll, but even more it is about friendship and growing up.  All of the kids have big issues with their families, and this final adventure helps them to grow up and understand the world a bit better.

Honestly I had some trouble engaging with these characters.  This might be because this was such a short book and we hear from all three characters' point of view.  They came off as somewhat selfish to me.  Poppy is very manipulative of her friends.  Alice only goes on the adventure because she's in love with Zach.  Zach is pretty bitter (and a bit clueless about the girls) through the whole thing.

The story is very, very predictable.  Things end exactly as you think they will.  The adventure the kids go on is brief and honestly not all that magical.  Mainly they spend time trudging through urban and suburban landscapes trying to find The Queen's grave.  As soon as I felt like I was starting to get engaged in the adventure...then it was over.

The Queen is very well done and extraordinarily creepy.  If you are already creeped out by china dolls or dolls in general this book might totally freak you out.  The Queen seems to move when no one is looking, destroys things when people are sleeping, and even takes over people's minds a bit.

As I mentioned above this book is mostly about the pressures and expectations of growing up and how that can put stress on a friendship.  It was a decent story and the idea was a good one, I just had trouble engaging in it.

Overall an okay creepy, adventure read.  The Queen is really well done, but I had a lot of trouble engaging with the characters and the plot was very predictable.  The story is really more about growing up and friendship than about creepy hauntings.  I would recommend for middle grade and older kids because the story is about a young girl being murdered and the doll is super creepy.  This was an okay book, but by no means my favorite Holly Black book.  It was lacking in a lot of the wonderful description her books normally have.
1271950
I love Kate's writing, so I give her 3 stars for that, but the hero here is creepy.  His whole  obsession with her past, and her forgiving herself, etc, was creepy ,not sexy.  I felt his behavior in lying to her, etc was also creepy.
1788712
Oh, this book! I thought I loved Jace and Clary's relationship, not to mention Will and Tessa, Katnis and Peeta/Gale, Katsa and Po, Fire and Brigan, and Chalice and Jeremiah, but the story between Nora and Patch is seriously growing on me. I was right in my last review that authors improve with each book they write and Becca Fitzpatrick is no exception. Although I loved Hush, Hush, in Crescendo, I can see a definite improvement in her writing. The descriptions are wonderful, the dialogue is much better, and the relationships among the characters grow to the point where you really begin to see the plot which thickens. In fact, the plot becomes so complex, I actually had to read the book over to get everything straight but then again, I was hasty during my first pass through, that I probably missed some crucial points.

CAUTION - SPOILERS

As for a brief summary, the book starts off where Patch and Nora are at the amusement park and Nora bumps into Marcy, her archenemy. From there, it appears as though Marcy begins to ruin Nora's "perfectly happy" life after Nora declares her love for Patch and exchanges jewelry with him. Believing that Patch is "spooked" by what she said, her jealousy of Marcy grows as she begins to see Patch and Marcy hanging around together more and more often. Although Nora and Patch's relationship takes a turn for the worse, she still believes that he is her guardian angel and over-confidently puts herself in danger. Little does she know in the beginning that someone is out to kill her but finds out and in her search to find out who that person is, she uncovers some facts that stun even the reader. In Hush, Hush, I was able to predict events easily. In this one, not so much. The author did a terrific job of making me believe one thing and then showing me something else entirely at the end. Good job, Becca!

The things I loved about this book: Nora and her development as a teenager whose life is plagued by lies and betrayal, often times from those who are closest to her, even blood-related to her. Patch and his undying devotion to Nora even when he is seen as the "bad boy" in everyone's eyes, even Nora's. His love for her blows me away. He takes so many hits and yet he still loves and protects her. Man, that's the way it should be! Vee - I love this girl. I thought she was funny in book one but in this one, she had me cracking up. Not to mention her loyalty to her best friend. It seems like whenever Nora needs something, Vee is right there to help her break the law or whatever mischievous deed they are doing. It's great! Even the supporting characters were well done.

As for the things that bothered me (or more accurately, that drove me nuts!) keeping in mind that the book is designed to drive the reader nuts in this regard: Patch! Why doesn't Patch tell Nora what is going on from the beginning?! When she asked him what he was doing with Marcy, all he had to do was tell her why! And in the book, he never really explains why he doesn't. I thought that maybe there was some reason - like the archangels would have gotten angry with him for telling her or something but no, there was no reason. And Nora! After what he did for her in book one, she is so mistrusting. She doesn't even try to understand him and behaves rashly and angrily. Although, this behavior may make sense given everything she has been through, still, she never gives him the benefit of the doubt. I have to say, though, that it makes for good tension in the story and drives you to keep reading to find out what happens with them in the end. The end, which is a cliffhanger! Ugh! (Now I understand why readers get irritated with me when I write cliffhangers. I'm sorry!) And now, I absolutely have to read Silence. So looking forward to it ...

My favorite lines: Nora - "We fight a lot." Patch - "We also make-up a lot."

Very sweet!

Rating: 5 stars

Thank you again, Becca, for writing a great story!

Happy reading

~ Melissa
Melissa Douthit's Blog
3507017
One thing about this book I loved was the main character's development. The way her monster was described I would definitely have a hard time dealing with it. Very disturbing, crazy creepy and scary for her. She pushed through and became stronger in the end, which who doesn't love a strong heroine overcoming her deepest fears.
One of my favorite book boyfriends was in this book and was it bad I was rooting for the other guy because I wanted Evander to stay single? Lol That shows how well his character has been written. I want him all to myself. Hooray for Book Boyfriends :) Without spoiling too much there is a fun twist that I he might have competition on the book boyfriend list.
There are also some major hints to what is coming for the next book and I loved seeing old characters make an appearance in this book.
Another knock out book. Check out all of N. L. Hoffman's books, you will not regret it!
590506
This book was an installment that I was eagerly awaiting. And after finishing it, I had to wait a day until I could get my thoughts together enough to write a coherent review. The beginning is incredibly frustrating because you're seeing the world through Nora's eyes and you're just as "in the dark" as she is about what has happened to her. She can't remember back to April (it's now September) and she has been missing (kidnapped) for 11 weeks. Patch is nowhere to be found, and if anyone remembers him, they aren't saying. Hank Miller is dating Nora's mom and you'll be asking WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON for about the first half of the book. But I swear, just hang in there because the last half is like free-falling.

Eventually, we do get some serious Patch interaction but you'll have to read it to see how that comes about. The plot is incredibly well thought out and Fitzpatrick does a good job in keeping you motivated to read even though she's keeping secrets. :)

The ending - well - I was unaware there was a 4th book that was recently announced so I almost threw my Kindle across the room in frustration. If there was ever a cliffhanger - this is it. I stared at the last page for a few minutes before I completely spazzed out and had to text Sash to see what the heck was going on. I thought I would have to fill in the rest of Nora and Patch's story by myself which was devastating, to say the least. I absolutely ADORE this series. Patch is one of my dream guys (he's also A LOT like my boyfriend--minus the whole fallen angel part--so that works out well). I can honestly say that there is NO way that anyone can guess what happens in this book, much less how it ends.

If you have come to love this series as much as I have, you'll be on your knees begging for more, happy about the ending, and completely swooning over Patch and Nora's love story. (Not to mention Nora turns into an even stronger female protagonist than she was in the previous book, Crescendo.)
4350637
The past has a way of inserting itself into psychic Melanie Middleton's life.  Living in Charleston and being a realtor of historical homes has placed her in the catbird's seat in terms of meeting up with many entities that are unsettled and seeking some kind of closure.  Enter Jack Trenholm:  dark, handsome and brooding, but a man who has worked with her in solving mysteries, and you find another kind of unrest.

When Jack shows up on her doorstep asking a favor, Melanie is totally unprepared for his teenage daughter from a long-ago relationship; a daughter he didn't know he had.  And he is begging Melanie to take in fourteen-year-old Nola for awhile until he and Nola can sort out their rocky relationship.  For Nola was led to believe that Jack had abandoned her and her mother Bonnie years ago; now Bonnie is dead, leaving these issues very much unsettled.

Melanie and Nola scarcely have gotten to know each other when Jack's mother, an antiques dealer, shows up with an antique dollhouse for her new granddaughter.  And suddenly, all kinds of shenanigans are unleashed.  Strange happenings, like miniature dolls and furniture flying about, things generally in havoc, and unsavory ghosts making appearances and stirring things up.

As if things weren't dicey enough, Melanie's Tradd Street home develops serious problems with the foundation, and she has to move into her mother's house on Legare Street.

As all these events unfold, Melanie discovers the origins of the dollhouse:  an old estate on Montagu Street, where the ancient owner, Julia Manigault, has many secrets from her past that are rising up to haunt those around her.

How do an ancient dollhouse, the house on Montagu Street, and the current events around Nola relate to an ancient event in the 1930s?  And why is Nola's mother's spirit hovering about and seeking its own kind of closure?  Will Melanie finally connect with Jack and settle her own unsettled life?

Turning the pages of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Strangers-on-Montagu-Street-Tradd-Street/dp/0451235266/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Strangers on Montagu Street (Tradd Street)</a>, I was fascinated, captivated, and unsettled until I could reach the final page.  But that's not all we're going to learn about these characters.  Another book is on the horizon, and I can't wait!  Five stars.
3038061
The subject matter in this book is a little creepy for me but I've loved the rest of the series!
1051413
This movie had creepy atmosphere and lots of scares and a surprise ending.  The background story could have been a little more substantial and explained a little better -- left you with some questions.  It sort of reminded me of The Grudge, but not quite as complex.  Overall, I enjoyed the movie
2102258
As a longtime fan of the Mind's eye series, I enjoyed this. As a watcher, I was sort of creeped out. A lot of the material is somehome psychologically unsettling. I can't put my finger on why, but parts struck me as nihilistic and abstract, very unlike the uplifting feeling brought on by the other videos. You can buy it if you want. Just be careful.
300838
Yes the story has holes or at least avenus unexplained. But it caught me up and dragged me along. Maria commits a terrible crime on the spur of the moment but you have to sympathise. She's spent a lifetime sleepwalking and finally snaps. There is a lot of description of the moors as others have commented. But it fits in building the atmosphere . A great gothic novel. Nesser writes a strong suspense novel and I recommend him as one of the top Swedish thriller writers.
3997865
So, there were parts of this book that I enjoyed but mostly I was a bit bored with the story until the last act.

The story starts off great. Nora, our main character, is headed to her sister's house with a relaxing and fun weekend planned in her mind.. But the scene that unfolds is not the one Nora envisioned. She finds her sister has been brutally murdered, and she is left shocked and devastated.

It was a bit hard for me to connect to Nora. I felt like I didn't have enough background information to know exactly how I felt about her. As she is trying to figure out who killed her sister, there are a lot of flashbacks of her life with Rachel, her sister. I almost felt as if I knew Rachel better than I knew Nora. There was no doubt that they had a strong relationship though, so I understood Nora's depression after Rachel's death.

With the flashbacks woven into the story, it took me awhile to get used to the writing. Flynn Berry's writing is brilliant and the descriptions were amazing, but it took me awhile to get used to the word flow. It was hard to read from Nora's voice because of how depressed and paranoid she became. It was different than books I usually read, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

More truths unfold as we learn about both Nora and Rachel.. All of it leads to Nora discovering that she may not have known her sister as well as she thought she did. The second act of this book is all about getting inside Nora's head as she spirals out of control and becomes obsessed with solving Rachel's murder.

Like I said, the descriptions were amazing but there were parts where I did become a bit bored because there was TOO much detailed information.. If that makes sense? The story did become incredibly intriguing as the story wraps up. You think it's going to end one way but it ends up ending in a whole different way.. Which made that part of the story a lot of fun to read.

In the end, I felt like I knew who the real Nora was and who the real Rachel was. I was able to connect to the way Nora developed throughout the story. I would've liked to see more of what happened to Nora after the story just ends, but I did like how it all wrapped up. The ending definitely saved this book for me because it was intense and unpredictable.

Overall, I thought this book was okay. It reminded me a lot of Gone Girl and it would've been great to see more than just Nora's POV, like maybe Rachel's from before? That would've been fun. It wasn't bad though, and I think anyone who enjoys mysteries or thrillers will enjoy this story!

* I want to thank Penguin Books for sending me an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.