All the Books.

“It seems like a normal morning in August 1975 at Camp Emerson, a summer camp for wealthy families set far into the Adirondack mountains. Except one of the bunks is empty. The empty bunk is Barbara Van Laars, who just happens to be the only child of Peter and Alice Van Laar. What's more horrifying is the fact that Barbaras' brother, Bear, went missing in these very same woods almost fourteen years earlier and was never found. What follows is a fast-paced, emotional, gripping tale of family, loss, love, grief and self-reliance.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Pros: The ending was absolute perfection/The character of Judyta was genuine and driven, I liked her.  Cons: The Van Laar's were a despicable group of people/It took me a bit to get used to the alternating timelines but I eventually got used to it.  Full Review:  Camp Emerson has existed on the Van Laar Preserve, a large stretch of land in the Adirondack mountains for decades. It's a two month long summer camp that caters to the child...

"An intriguing, page turner that picks up right where the first book left off and never lets the reader go."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: The deception of some of the characters is truly gut wrenching, you want to believe that they're good then Ness just takes that theory and turns it on its head, it really keeps the suspense up/All the interwoven intricacies of each characters journey and how everything fits together perfectly Cons: Mayor Prentiss, though undeniably evil, began to be a bit stereotypical villain at the end, monologuing, claiming that he and Todd would be great together, very Darth Vader/Luke Skywalker, "rule the galaxy together as Father and Son" feel, felt unoriginal and forced by the end of it. Full Review: ***Disclaimer*** - If you haven't read The Knife of Never Letting Go, please do so and then come back and read this at your leisure. That way you'll know what I'm talking about. Starting off right where The Knife of Never Letting Go  lea...

"James Willoughby has traveled to Edinburgh and enrolled in the University, in hopes of becoming a pioneer in the new Enlightenment. When he attends a demonstration at Malstrom's surgical school, he's fascinated and knows immediately that Surgery is his calling, only, the tuition is far more than he could ever afford. Fortunatley for him, Aneurin, Malstrom's assistant is willing to offer James a job, since his lodgings are just what Aneurin needs. When Aneurin's "line of work" is revealed, James is both horrified and fascinated and finds himself eager and willing to assist Aneurin in his duties. He becomes a body-snatcher. This was a quick, dark, eerily entertaining read and though not for the faint of heart, it was quite a change of pace and I enjoyed it."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros:  I liked when James finally took a stand against his overbearing family.  Cons:  The constant italicized text for emphasis.  Full Review:  Jack Willoughby is the third son of a promi...

​“Magic is real but can only be summoned by the spells held within certain books. Joanna has spent her entire life protecting the small collection that her father has compiled over the years. Esther, her older sister, left home when she was 18 and has spent the last 10 years moving from place to place, never staying in one spot for more than a year. And across the pond, Nicholas, is the last remaining Scribe of the Library, someone gifted with the ability to create spells, ones that must be written in his own blood. This was a complex, intricate and overall entertaining read. It touched upon family, loyalty love and loss and was definitely a unique and interesting take on magic.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros: It was definitely a unique and interesting plot.  Cons: At the beginning of the book, it’s explained that technology is weird in the house in Vermont yet later, when they write the spell to break the NDA, Joanna has a printer and a desktop computer. It seemed like a bit of a continuity error...

"Set in the magical world of Belterra, Louise is a witch but she's been hiding her magic. She's on the run from her terrifyingly powerful and dangerous mother and her "plans" for her only daughter. When she gets herself involved with the Chasseurs, those sworn to the Church and whose sole mission is to hunt witches, Lou, as well as Reid, her reluctant Chasseur husband, will learn that there are gray areas in life, not everything is black and white. It's a riveting, emotional, complex and complicated read."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  Lou is foulmouthed, opinionated and brash but likable. And Reid is honorable, complicated and torn by duty and love. It's a bit saccharine but I really enjoyed the love story. And all the other characters, even Beaureguard Lyon, all had their charms and quirks/An interesting take on witchcraft and the different "arts", magic of the land, blood magic etc. I'm looking forward to seeing how Mahurin expands upon it.  Cons:  ...

"If you've ever felt that the ability to hear other peoples thoughts would be enlightening, this book takes that idea and destroys it. In a town where everyone can see into each other's minds, Todd Hewitt discovers a secret, one that turns his entire world, his entire life, upside down. It's an intense, edge of your seat thriller that grabs you from the first page and never lets you go."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: It’s obvious that New World and Prentisstown are settlement’s from space travelers, though Todd’s life is one is simple farm work. Ness keeps the reader hooked by giving away small clues that Prentisstown is not as rural as it seems nor even on the planet Earth by mentioning the twin moons in the night sky and other subtle hints/ How Ness really packs on the suspense by letting the reader know that turning into a man in Prentisstown is a very bad thing but he doesn’t outright say why, the reader is always guessing. Cons: Though it’s understood that Todd i...