Month: October 2019

Updates

đŸ”±Percy Jackson Series RereadđŸ”±

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on đŸ”±Percy Jackson Series RereadđŸ”±

19616454I just recently finished Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth the fourth book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympian’s series! I actually really enjoyed my reread of this book. The start was a little on the slower side for me and a little repetitive to be honest. It seems at the start of every Percy Jackson book so far he’s been at school a monster arrives, a short battle ensues and he runs back to Camp. Granted, its not the exact same every time but it does seem to be the standard so far in the series. I like that we see more growth in terms of Percy, Annabeth and even Clarisse’s characters. They are all getting older and emotions and feelings are being developed more and more as the series progresses! The cute little romance between Percy and Annabeth is kind of at that awkward phase where they are starting to realise their feelings for each other and they’ve started becoming a little jealous of each others friendships, Percy with Rachel and Annabeth with Luke. I thought the action and adventure was very well done and the insight into Daedalus’s history was fascinating! There was definitely twists and turns and surprises at every turn which kept me engaged and invested in the book! I think this might be one of my favourites in the series!

Happy Reading📚

Reviews

The Turn of the Key Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Turn of the Key Review

40489648Creepy!

The Turn of the Key follows the story of Rowan who is a nanny. When she comes across an advert for a live in nanny position it looks too good to pass up.

I like the format of the book, the use of the letters at the start to kind of establish all of the details and then backtracking to find out how Rowan came to be in this situation. There was quite a short time frame that the book focuses in on which I appreciate. I think the whole story was over the course of a week, which really enabled the plot to go into the minute details of all the events that take place! 

I really enjoyed Rowan’s character. She was definitely self-aware and wasn’t at all arrogant or above anyone else, I found her to be super relatable and I could find myself really connecting with her and all the events that happen at Heatherbrae. I thought she wasn’t the most likable of characters and I think that endeared her to me even more.  I like the fact that she swore and but some of the thoughts she had in regards to the girls were a little off-putting and didn’t really enable me to trust her completely as a character. Especially when she was supposedly this highly regarded nanny and childcare worker, so I kind of picked up on that and it made me a little wary of her.

Ruth Ware really has a way of creating this completely chilling and creepy ambiance out of a perfectly normal scenario. The atmosphere was a little off kilter from the start and I liked how the technology was incorporated as a way to make Rowan a little more paranoid. The way that Ruth weaves the story definitely had me on the edge of my seat and really had me concentrating on what was happening and when in order to figure out how everything goes down.

The only qualm I had was that the ending felt a little rushed to me. We had this whole, long drawn out, build-up of suspense and in the end Rowan was really just stumbling around while the events took place. I get that she didn’t really know what happened from the start but we are really just told and not shown what actually took place. It was still a great twist and I didn’t see it coming at all, I just thought it would have been explained a little more in detail.

Still a fantastic, nail-biter of a psychological thriller and I will definitely be checking out a few more of Ruth Ware’s backlist titles in the near future!

⭐4.5/5 stars Dark, unsettling, spooky!

Book Lists

Recent Book Haul

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Recent Book Haul

This is a haul of books that I have accumulated over the course of the last month or so.  I’ve really been trying to not buy a lot of books that I haven’t read yet and only getting new releases I’m super excited for or books I’ve read and rated 4 stars or over!

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Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling

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The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

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Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff

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Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake

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Reviews

My Lovely Wife Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on My Lovely Wife Review

39796904This was a roller-coaster ride!

This book follows the story of a suburban couple who decided to spice up their marriage by murdering people!

I absolutely loved the concept of this book! Reading from an inside perspective of the killers is something that you don’t really come across in thrillers. Especially when the husband kind of portrays himself as the innocent bystander really and Millicent is the one who does all of the dirty work. Looking after his daughter when she is sick and being so in the dark of what his wife is really capable of.

I actually really loved Millicent’s character! I love how meticulous and mercurial she is. Her rigidity and need for order and structure in all aspects of her life and how controlling she is of her family was an indication of how she truly is but I didn’t pick up on anything! She was really unpredictable and I had no idea of what she was capable of. I definitely wanted to know where she was keeping the girls and when she was going to see them, but through her husband’s perspective she really covers every aspect of her crimes and very nearly got away with it all!

I like the fact the even though we are deep in the husband’s mind and we are reading through his perspective we only know him as Tobias which is his alter-ego. The fact that we aren’t even given a name I think proves how inconspicuous he is and how easily he is able to blend into society without a second thought or glance.

I thought the pacing of the book was perfect! We are really given just enough to keep turning the pages and the sense of foreboding is implemented really well throughout the course of the plot. Every page I was waiting and anticipating for when the other shoe was going to drop and the truth was going to come out. And when the climax finally did occur it was totally unexpected and shocked me! The twists and the turns really keep you engaged and the characters and their lives kept you enthralled.

I highly enjoyed this book and I feel it’s one of the best domestic, suspenseful thrillers I’ve ever read!

⭐4.5/5 stars calculating, twisted & dark!

Reviews

Serpent & Dove Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Serpent & Dove Review

42608037._SY475_I really enjoyed this!

Serpent and Dove follows the story of a witch named Lou who is on the run from her coven. When she ends up in the hands of the Chasseurs (witch hunters) as a thief and known witch associate through some unforeseen circumstances she is forced to marry one of them.

 I thought this book was cleverly done. I had heard it involved a witch and witch hunter being forcing to get married and I didn’t quite understand how it was going to happen, but the way the plot line played out it made sense. It wasn’t at all insta-lovey and there was definitely a period of hatred, turned to indifference, to mutual respect and then we started getting more feelings involved. It definitely progressed on the slower side of thing but I didn’t mind it.

I absolutely loved Lou’s character, especially how crass she is in the presence of the Chasseurs and how uncomfortable she makes them. I like that she acknowledges how prudish they are and goes out of her way to make them horrified or embarrassed by her behavior. It definitely kept me entertained throughout the plot.

Reid’s character was at first a little boring and too rigid for me but I like that we gradually see him thaw and actually get to know Lou and accept her for who she is. I thought his blind reverence for the Archbishop a little stale to be honest but it did play a key role in how the story played out. He was a lot more of an integral character than just Lou’s love interest and I like that he was a strong presence in the book. He is quite staunch and firm in his beliefs that all witches should be burned and to see how his perception of what he thought was right get drastically changed because of his feelings was a moment!

The pacing like I said was a little on the slower side but I was so invested in the plot that I honestly didn’t care, I just wanted more. I thought the premise was highly original and the whole dichotomy between the witches and the different covens was fascinating to get into. Hopefully after that ending and the witches being the main focus at the moment we get a deeper insight into that world in the next book!

⭐4/5 Witchy, dark, high stakes!