Neal Shusterman: All Better Now

Neal Shusterman is back and this time all he is trying to do is make the whole world Happy:

A new pandemic is traveling the world, the first symptom is a fever that may kill you, but if you survive something magical happens, you feel utter contentment, happiness, everything is new again and beautiful. No negative thoughts, or worries, nothing to weigh a person down, those thoughts and emotions no longer exist. Some people flock to get Crown Royals, others will do everything in their power to eradicate Crown Royal. Who is on the right side, wanting Crown Royal to unburden them or those who see the disease as a case of the body snatchers, only time will tell.

Wow, this was such a unique concept, not so much the idea of a pandemic but the idea that a virus can make all your worries, all your bad thoughts, your inclination to do bad things go away. One now exist in this concept of enlightenment and everything will be okay. What better way for a virus to spread than to have the people who have had it be so happy that they want to share it with everyone.

I think that Shusterman did a good job of showing multiple POV in this book, from those who have had and recovered from Crown Royal and those desperately trying not to catch it. While those who are trying to not catch it are painted in a more negative light, I think Shusterman tries to maintain this balance through Mariel and her interactions and questioning what Ron is doing.

What I liked about this book is that it made me think. Who is right who is wrong? Is it right for those who have Crown Royal to spread it even though some who get it will die and is Crown Royal really all that great as it inhibits your ability to think rationality about situations. And those who are searching for a cure (basically the wealthy, as they worry about their fortunes) is it so bad that they don’t want to catch it and change who they are and what they believe in even if they are horrible people. I don’t know if i can say who were the true Bad Guys in those general terms.

I think that Shusterman created such a unique story that I am glad I read it and had to think through it. That said I think you need to be in the right headspace to consume this book. I will admit there were times when I did not want to pick this book up as I needed something more fluffy and popcorn to escape in but I am still glad I read this book.

This book is said to be more YA (12+) but I question that. I think the topic may be a bit heavy for the younger side of YA reading group but maybe I am a bit out of touch of this.

I do wonder if there where be another book after this one, just based upon how this one ends. And out of pure curiosity sake I would probably pick this one up, but I really need to be in the right Mood to do so.

Enjoy!!!

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Sabaa Tahir: An Ember in the Ashes

In the first of a series, Sabaa Tahir has a slave and a solider one fighting for freedom the other fighting to betterment of the empire:

Laia lives a sheltered but not naive life under her grandparents, until one night the Silver faces come and change everything. Now she will risk it all in order to dave her brother. Elias, has never fit in with the other Soldiers in training, he is the best of them, but he does not want the silver mask to be a permanent part of his body. He wants freedom and not to be part of the Tyranny he is training to enforce. And neither of them know that the choices that they make could change the very fate of the empire itself. 

WOW, this book was amazing, had me hooked from start to beginning and I did not want to put this book down. I have no idea why I don’t see more about this book and the only thing that I can think of is that this book in 2015 but this means that I don’t have to wait to read the rest of the series as it is complete. This book is stated to be a YA novel as both of the main characters are younger but it is on the darker side of things and I found that both the main characters were mature for their age, which would be due to their circumstances and how they were brought up.

This book is fast paced throughout, there is the political intrigue as well that is happening and the magic system (which I admit do not fully understand yet) is very unique in who receives the power. It very much has the you don’t know who you can trust, especially as you get further into the book and you just feel for both Laia and Elias and what they are each wanting to achieve. As the world is based upon Ancient Rome, not a lot of world building was required and Tahir was able to get right into the story and what was occurring.

I was invested in both Laia and Elias, and i question how you could not be. Laia especially goes on a journey to show just how tough and resourceful she can be in order to achieve something to save her brother's life. The Commandant is just a vile human being that both Laia and Elias have to interact with. Both characters are strong, determined and both believe that they are doing the right thing. 

The whole Silver mask part and it becoming one with the person who is wearing it was pretty creepy and I can understand why Elias chose to continually remove his. 

I think the one thing that I will criticize of this book is that they ending was predictable, you knew what was going to come. But i still loved this book and really enjoyed the ride.

I highly recommend this series if you enjoy the fantasy genre and even if you do not it is not that High of Fantasy that one would become confused. The fast pace of this book, with the political intrigue thrown in that does not take away from the pace is done right. Cannot wait to read the next book. I can see this book being one i recommend for a long time.

Enjoy!!!

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Elle Cosimano: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave

This is the 5th book in the series so you will need to read the first four before this one. Start with Finlay Donovan is Killing it and go on from there.

Elle Cosimano brings Finlay Donovan is back and there is another body in her backyard, well her neighbours:

Finlay and Vero are happy to be home and looking for things to settle down and Finlay knows that she needs to get some writing done. What neither of them expected is for a body to be found in their neighbour across the street back yard and none could believe that Mrs. Haggarty was arrested for the murder. When the police clear her, her house remains an active crime scene, she has no where to go other an into Finlay's house and Stephen now becomes the prime suspect. As much as Finlay hates Stephen at time, she can't let him be charges with murder and Finaly and Vero know a few things about murder. 

I would have been fine with this series ending with book 4 as all the main plot points had been wrapped up. But I will say that it was fun to dive back into this series and this one took the more cozy roots and we seem to be done with gangsters and have moved back home with the same antics that Finlay and Vero seem to get up to in every book. I will say that they book feels familiar with some of the things that Finlay and Vero do in this book, mainly throwing all caution to the wind, but it also felt a bit predictable in the sense of oh they need to find this piece of evidence or information, what is the most crazy and outlandish way to get it.

I feel like Mrs. Haggarty was not only a great addition to the side characters but really stole the show in this book. I loved learning about Mrs. Haggarty's life and how gangster she has been in what she has chosen to do with her life. I feel like we all need a Mrs. Haggarty on our street keeping track of everything and setting things right.

This book was fun, I don’t think as good as the first two in the series, but I enjoyed it while i was reading it as I need to read something more cozy in awhile. This does end on a cliffhanger of the one plot point in the series that has not been wrapped up so I'll most likely read the next book in the series.

Enjoy!!!

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Nadine Matheson: The Jigsaw Man

In the first book in a series Nadine Matheson show how some cases never really end:  

We are always told that imitation is the best form of flattery, but not when it involves body parts being washed ashore on the River Thanes. DI Henley is just starting back to work in the field after some time off, and this is not what she thought her first day back would look like. She did not think that it would bring her back to the case that caused her to go off work and the the Jigsaw Man, Peter Olivier, would be making a reappearance in her life ever again. But someone is trying to get his attention and using his methods to do it and Henley and her team now have to find and put together the links before more bodies are found.

I love starting a new series and I feel like I have not read a police procedural book in a long time. I was not sure what to expect out of this book, as I have not read anything by Matheson before but I remember this book being all the rage a few years ago but I have not heard much about this series since. As this was the first book in a series, you always need to get a feel for the characters you are reading about. You understand that they have history before this book and you are seeing them as they are now, but I felt like there was a whole other book before this one as events that happened previously are referenced multiple times throughout the book especially at the beginning in a way that felt more like i had missed something major along the way. This makes this book read more like a second book in a series instead of a first one.It does get better with not feeling this way the farther you read into it, I was just put off a bit at the beginning because of this.

I enjoyed and appreciated how Matheson let the investigation(s) unfold in this book. Matheson showed that not every lead was going to be the one they needed or take them where the investigators thought it would lead. Investigations hit dead ends and a promising lead can lead to nothing or even something that they could use. I liked that Matheson understood circumstantial evidence and that this was not enough to charge a person and that they needed more.

While we did not get the first case that featured Olivier we certainly see the affects he has had on DI Henley. I think that Matheson did a good job showing some of the affect of PTSD as well as Henley's will and desire to just push through it all and do her job even to the detriment of her mental health and her family life. DI Henley is a complicated character at times, her desire her passion for the job is admirable but the toll it takes on her is not. It is interesting see the other side of the coin with the female officer and the Husband taking point of caring for their child and the resentment he feels towards her and her job for the time it take her away from the family. I think that Henley's home life is portrayed pretty accurately in this book and while I do not agree with all the decisions Hadley makes, I did like her as a character as she felt her portrayal was very real.

There are a few disturbing chapters, that are short, that are told from the killer and/or victim POV when they are doing the killing or being killed. They are not overly descriptive but Matheson does enough for someone to get the uncomfortable feelings about what is being done. 

I did end up really enjoying this book even after a somewhat slow/confusing start of this book relying a bit too heavy on past events. However once you're in it you’re in it and the twists and turns keep coming till the end. I look forward to continuing on in the series.

Enjoy!!!

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