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Heather Finley's Blog
I write comics including Zombies vs Cheerleaders and Grimm Fairy Tales.
I also write for the website Giant Nerd Robot.
Before going to sleep, I always spend hours reading. It's been a habit since childhood.
Fractured Innocence
I am so happy that I came across this series. The first book did a great job at setting up the sequel. Kaitlyn has quickly became one of my very favorite characters in fiction. She is smart and compassionate plus a total badass. In addition to Kaitlyn being awesome, I loved how much the guys around her supported and believed in her. They were quick to defend her and had total faith in her which made for some interesting relationships. I loved that I could cheer for the whole team.
Not only do you get Kaitlyn but there is a second kick ass girl in this novel called Aaliyah. I don't want to say anything else about her and give anything away but let's just say she is a fighter in a horrible situation.
I would also like to note that this book has some very serious subject matter. Having been an attack victim myself it hit very close to home and the author's way of dealing with the situation was suburb. It was real and gritty. I like that not all of it was fighting the situation. There was logic and mental breakdown which made for a gripping story that felt believable. Well as believable as a robot novel can be.
Absolutely cannot wait to read more of this series.
Freak of Nature
I have found my new favorite series! Or at least one to add to the large list of favorites. The basic idea of the novel is that a girl named Kaitlyn said that it was okay for her body to go to science after she died. Little did she know that she would die very young and her body wouldn't just go to some medical school. It was brought to a private company that made her a robot. That is right, Kaitlyn is a robot. Well mostly.
I absolutely loved Kaitlyn as a character. I even found her relatable which might say a lot about myself as a kind of emotionless person but oh well. Also, how badass would it be to have teal robot parts? I'd rock that look for sure.
The plot was so-so and there was some problem's I had with Lucas' actions at times but overall, everything was good. The book seemed like more of a prequel to the stories to come.
Can't wait to read the next one and hope there is many more to come!
The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids
Alexandra Robbins never disappoints. Yet again she mixes facts with true stories in a way that makes this story come to live.The book circles around a bunch of kids that are currently or about to go to college. They are the type that have to get perfect grades and strive to be perfect at everything. Although I did not relate to the characters, I found them all interesting and couldn't wait to get to the next chapter with each one.
Robbins is also get at drawing attention to important causes. She very much made her point on the pressure schools and parents put on kids today.
Great read!
Unravel Me
While not as poetic as the first book, this one still had very beautiful moments. The development of skills was interesting. The emerging love triangle draw me in as well. Can't wait to check out what happens next.
Under the Never Sky
Dystopian and post apocalyptic? Sign me up! I loved this book so much. The idea of some people adapting to the new environment naturally vs the ones that did it with science is so interesting. Can't wait to see what comes next.
Shatter Me
This book was beautiful. The writing was absolutely stunning. I loved the way the author put us inside the hectic thoughts happening in the main character's head. The prison stuff was all so different and interesting. It drew me in from the start and I could barely put it down.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
I could not quite get into this book. I found most the character's confusing and didn't like the main character much at all. The photo idea is cool though.
The One
I have mixed feelings on this one. While it did keep me engaged, I spent a lot of the time mad at America for being so wrapped up in boy drama. I wanted more from her and the story and didn't exactly get it. Not the worst of books but not my favorite either.
Dark Places
Cults and cold cases; instantly I was sucked into the world of Libby Day. Overall, this book was pretty good. I didn't like it as much as Sharp Object and Gone Girl but still felt this was a very solid mystery. Elements of the story reminded me a lot of the West Memphis Three case which is something I followed for years and completely believe the guys that went to jail are innocent. Sidenote, can't wait for Nicholas Hoult to play Lyle. Perfect casting. I think if the movie does well in theatres, he is likely to win awards. He is a great actor and I see this role being something he can really show off his acting chops.
Hunter's Claim
This book started good. It had it's good points. Sadly it felt like a bunch of ideas barely strung together into a story.
The Elite
I really wanted to love this book after the first one. I wanted political change and the smart thinking, sassy lead we got in the first book. What I really got? A girl that wanted to cry back and forth about two guys and complain about everything. I have high hopes for the third book but this one fell short of being anything but a love triangle with a girl being upset and irrational.
Sharp Objects
Upon finishing this book I kind of want to curl up in a ball and stare at the wall for a while. The events that occurred throughout the books are disturbing and the breakneck speed of how it all came together left me uneasy at the end.That being said, I think this is one of the best thrillers I have ever read. Not every book can deeply effect you mentally and make you shutter. This book does that. The characters are so much different then your typical crime/thriller characters. For one, this is a cast lead almost entirely by females and not your typical brave or delicate ones; these women have bite.
The crime/mystery parts of this book are ghastly but have all the pull of horrible tragedies we see broadcast on tv and can't help but follow out of curiosity on how something that horrible can happen. Clearly, those types of stories were a big influence on this novel (as well as in Gone Girl, I have yet to read Dark Places so can't say if that has the same media feel). Having read that the author worked for Entertainment Weekly, I can see why she wrote the story the way she did.
The portrayal of mental illness reminds me of what you see in Lars Von Tier movies (one of my favorite writers/directors). Actually come to think of it, he would be absolutely perfect for the direct of this movie. Hell, I could even see an aged Nicole Kidman being perfect as Adora.
I can't wait to read more from this author. I sincerely hope she has many more novels in the works.
The Selection
I know I read somewhere else that this book was The Bachelor meets Hunger Games and I really can't think of a better way to describe it. The kind of royalty have arranged marriage is nothing new but I really like the way this was set in a more dystopian setting. Nothing completely groundbreaking but this was a solid and fast read.
Gone Girl: A Novel
From page one I couldn't put this down and it left me studded throughout the whole novel. Flynn's character building is some of the best I've ever seen. These characters are real but with something that makes them the dark. I absolutely loved the way the story unfolded like a mystery then midway changed pace.
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Killing Ruby Rose
Go pick up this book. Seriously go get it. Make sure you have nothing important coming up because you wouldn't want to do anything but read once you start. Alright, that being said, a real review. The book started off feeling like a redo of Veronica Mars. Teen following in her father's career line and tracking criminals. Quickly Ruby became her own character and I didn't compare her to Veronica after that. Ruby reads like a mature high school girl which makes perfect sense when you get all her details about growing up. Her little quirks and social problems make her interesting to read about. The shoe stuff was pretty funny at times.
Humphries creates a non-stop world of danger and mysteries unfolding in ways that I didn't see coming. Despite being a young adult book, this read like a regular mystery. Honestly, the closest series I might compare it to is the Temperance Brennan books. The author's knowledge on things like the law helped make the story very believable. The way Humphries layered new levels of detail and mystery was amazing. Upon finishing the book I actually looked up the author expecting to see a long list of mystery books, thinking maybe she was am established writer that was taking her first stab at young adult. I was shocked to see it was her first book. Excellent debut and I cannot wait to see what comes next from her. This is an author I will follow.
