Review Mash Up

Video Review on "Don't Look Back" and "Before I Go to Sleep"

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Review: "Don't Look Back" by Jennifer l. Armentrout

“Don’t Look Back” was fantastic!  A great suspense, mystery novel with some romance thrown in there.

The book follows Sam, who is found walking down a highway not knowing how she got there or even who she is.  To add to the mystery her best friend Cassie has also gone missing and Sam was the last person to have seen Cassie alive.

The character development was interesting because as the reader you only get what Sam gets.  Armentrout did a great job of not bogging us down with details of Sam’s past but instead she brings us into Sam’s frustration and slowly feeds us information.  I liked that I was just as lost as Sam and it made for a more suspenseful story.  I connected well with Sam and thought her development and acceptance of who she was and who she wants to be made for an interesting sub-plot.

I appreciate that the romance in the book was not so over the top and was not the main focus of the story.  It felt natural and all the feelings Sam describes having brought me back to my high school days of falling in love. I also liked that the friendships that drive the story are not the ones you think will and I cheered Sam on when she tells some of them off.

Overall this book is a must read.  The ending will leave you feeling satisfied in a creepy way and each page will keep you turning way into the night.

 *Spoiler Alert*  turn back now or forever be spoiled…..

Just a few little details that I wanted to go more in depth. 

First, Sam’s love interest.  I was with Scott the entire time with his thinking of Del.  I could tell that Del was hiding something from Sam when he told her the reason why she had taken off the heart necklace.  Del was such a good unlikable character.  You didn’t feel like you were forced to hate him, you just did.   I was so glad when Sam and Carson got together however, I wish that Sam never had doubted him.  I can see how as she gets little snippets of her past life how she could believe that Carson was Cassie’s killer but it just added to some unnecessary drama.  It also made me mad at Carson for keeping the fact that Sam had threatened him about what she saw with Diana.  I liked that he seemed to be the only one who was fully honest with Sam but in the end, he too lied-or withheld valuable information.  Overall though, I am glad that Sam ended up with Carson.  And that she talks about how their relationship is not perfect but they are learning and growing.

Second, I loved how Sam’s visions were described.  How everything goes grey and she loses herself in them and wakes up not fully understanding what is going on.  Then how her hallucinations of Cassie, the shadow man and herself in the mirror are so creepy…you too wonder, is this real?  I don’t really know how I feel about the notes Sam finds being from herself.  It felt a little silly that it did not fit with the rest of the story. 

Lastly, the father being the killer.  I suspected the dad when Sam goes to Cassie’s house and mentions how they have the same music box.  I thought, “Sam and Cassie have the same dad…”  The last scene with the dad and his telling of the events leading up to Cassie’s death was beautifully done.  Although I liked how it ended, It is so hard to grasp a dad doing that to his own child.  It made for a creepy ending. 

Video Review: "Throne of Glass"

Video Review for "Throne of Glass"

Review: "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas

I went into this book full of excitement, anticipation and hope of a story that would blow my mind.  Although, eventually the story picked up and I could not put it down, for me the first 300 pages or so were merely a long journey of laying down all the ground work for what I believe will become an amazing story. 

The first thing that I loved about the book was the way Maas developed each character.  It did not happen all at once but slowly over time, like we too were part of the story getting to know someone new as well.  The result was a depth in the characters and a connection with them that I rather enjoyed.  However, all of the slow get to know you development made for a rather sluggish beginning.  Although I enjoyed every page, the events that occurred did not build in me an anticipation to turn each page.  My heart did not race in wonder of what was going to come next, I merely just continued.

Some of the writing style choices that Maas chose I did not care for such as how she constantly referred to Calaena as “the assassin” almost like you would normally use the word she.  It is not that big of a deal but for me, it was rather irritating.  Or how she would refer to Dorian as “the Crown Prince of Adarlan” or used his full name…again not that big of a deal but it was irksome. 

Overall I enjoyed this book and I will continue the series.  I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure: you won’t be disappointed that you picked it up. 

*Spoiler Alert!  If you have not read the book, don’t continue!!!

There were a few things that I wanted to share that had few spoilers.

The first was I did not care for the love interest with Celaena and Dorian.  I was with Chaol the entire time when he said it was a bad idea and it would go nowhere.  I had no investment in the two as a couple so when they kissed it just felt like, oh okay…not a big deal.  It just seemed silly and unnecessary.  There is just no way that Dorian, being a prince could ever be with Calaena, even with her eventually being the Champion.

I however, loved the relationship between Celaena and Chaol.  I loved the witty love hate banter between the two that grew into actually friendship.  One of my favorite scenes in the entire book was during the last duel between her and Cain.  She was on the ground and Chaol kneels down and is telling her “Get Up!”  And he then inches his fingers as close to hers as he can, without touching her.  That to me was the love scene that I was waiting for the entire book. Then when she sees Chaol after her duel and she clings to him and says, “She didn’t know where she ended and he began.”  This is the relationship I am rooting for. 

I found it highly unnecessary that Maas had Celaena doubt Nehemia’s loyalty.  To me, it felt like Maas was just trying to drive us in one direction, to distract us from what was going on.  It was just too out of left field for it to even make sense. 

The last thing that was rather frustrating was how the ghost or spirt of Elena did not just come out and tell Celaena what was going on when she first saw her.  Seriously there was just some unnecessary mystery and I was with Celaena when she complained about her showing up if she was not going to tell her what was going on. 

I feel like this book truly was just the ground work for what I hope will be a great series.  I look forward to seeing how Celaena works under the King as his champion.  And how the King’s involvement with magic will continue to play out.  Here’s hoping for the second book to be more exciting!!