They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall – Review

Published on August 19, 2019August 18, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books1 Comment

Hello my dear ladies and gentlemen! I hope you are having a great start to your week. Today, I will be reviewing They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall. This was great at parts and boring at others. The plot was interesting and the characters were definitely not what they seemed.

Book: They All Fall Down

Author: Rachel Howzell Hall

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary:

It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime.

Delighted by a surprise invitation, Miriam Macy sails off to a luxurious private island off the coast of Mexico, with six strangers—an ex-cop, a chef, a financial advisor, a nurse, a lawyer, a young widow.

Surrounded by miles of open water in the gloriously green Sea of Cortez, Miriam is shocked to discover that she and the rest of her companions have been brought to the remote island under false pretenses—and all seven strangers harbor a secret.

Danger lurks in the lush forest and in the halls and bedrooms of the lonely mansion. Sporadic cell-phone coverage and miles of ocean keeps the group trapped in paradise. And strange accidents keep them suspicious of each other, as one by one . . .

They all fall down

*Miriam. I really liked how Miriam seemed like an okay person who just did a few wrong things. But by the end of the book, I despised her and half wished that she would pay for her crimes, while I also half wished that she could get a second chance to learn from her mistake. She’s also a very unreliable narrator which made it hard to discern whether she was telling the truth, or she was sugar-coating or lying about whatever she said.

*Plot and Setting. The plot was okay. Slow at the start, but once things picked up, most of it didn’t slow down. There were parts which were boring, and others which were exciting. The setting definitely helped enhance the story and added an extra level of despair for the characters.

*Ending and twist. The ending shocked me, and I don’t want to spoil it by telling why. There was a twist that I did not see coming, and the way things ended was brutal but also realistic. A few people have said that this is like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, but I haven’t read it, and I think that made me enjoy TAFD more since I wasn’t comparing the two.

*Characters and their pasts. I think this aspect was rushed and not done well, especially with Wallace. There was a lot of reveals happening at once, and a bit of info-dumping which helped increase the shock factor, but also took away from the thriller aspect because I spent a few minutes trying to process what I’d just read.

*Miriam’s POV. It was a bit annoying and hard to be in Miriam’s head the entire time because she constantly tried to portray herself as the victim, while she was also not what she seemed. The way that she also only cared about money and was really self-centered made it even worse.

I liked this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it! Miriam can be annoying, the plot was at first slow and then a bit choppy, but in the end, the twist and revelations saved the book for me. After reviewing it however, I think I’m going to give this 3.5 stars rounded up instead of 4.

One sentence summary: An okay thriller with an interesting plot and an unreliable narrator.

Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

★★★★☆

That’s it for this book review! Have you read They All Fall Down? What did you think? Did you initially support Miriam too? Have you read And Then There Were None? Do you think that I should give Christie’s book a try? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Look For Me by Lisa Gardner – Review

Published on July 29, 2019August 3, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books1 Comment

Hello and welcome to the last week of July. Can you believe that 7 months of the year are over already??? Today, I’m going to review Look For Me by Lisa Gardner. The characters were great, I liked the mystery and the ending surprised me. However, I did skip some parts to try and hurry the story along.

Book: Look For Me

Author: Lisa Gardner

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: In #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s latest twisty thrill ride, Detective D. D. Warren and “Find Her”‘s Flora Dane return in a race against the clock to either save a young girl’s life . . . or bring her to justice.

The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four of them savagely murdered, one—a sixteen-year-old girl—missing. Was she lucky to have escaped? Or is her absence evidence of something sinister? Detective D. D. Warren is on the case—but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane. Seeking different types of justice, they must make sense of the clues left behind by a young woman who, whether as victim or suspect, is silently pleading, Look for me.

Quote: “It takes a villain to make a hero. And it took a monster to make me.”

*D.D. and Flora. Both were amazing characters and I loved their relationship. Flora’s vigilante work and her past made the story more interesting and also explained her peculiar relationship with D.D. I loved D.D. because even though she was a great detective, she was also a mother and a person outside of her work. Her annoyance at Flora meddling in the investigation and her grudging respect for her made them a great pair.

*Mystery. The mystery was intriguing and there were a lot of possible guilty suspects. I had no idea who it could be. The Baez family also had so many secrets that they were hiding which didn’t help. The ending and the identity of the killer surprised me, but in a good way. I also really liked the police procedure aspect of the book and learned a few things.

*Struggles. The Baez family went through so much and the story lightly touched on the effects of alcohol addiction and foster care. It was really saddening and I felt so pained after it was revealed how much they had turned their life around just for it to be ended. Roxy’s essays were amazing and I wished so much that they could go back in time to stop the murder.

*Side plots. I really liked the parts in which D.D.’s son and her husband went to get a dog and also the moments in which the mystery wasn’t the main focus. It was just sweet and a chance to step back and breathe.

Quote: “Bad people don’t want to deal with the powerful. They prey on the weak.”

*Impatience. I found myself skipping some portions so that I could hurry and find out who the murderer was, but I think that was more because I was impatient and nervous, than because the story was boring.

Quote: “Being a survivor didn’t just mean being strong. It meant being lonely.”

I really loved this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it! The mystery was engaging, and the topics that the story lightly touched on were heart-breaking while also being realistically portrayed. D.D. and Flora were both really amazing.

One sentence summary: A great mystery with strong and amazing main characters.

Overall, 4.5 stars rounded up!

★★★★★

That’s it dear friends! Have you read Look For Me? What did you think? Have you read any other books in the Detective D.D. Warren series? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – Review

Published on June 10, 2019June 25, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books8 Comments

I’M BACK!!!! I’m so happy to announce that I am back after my month long hiatus! I’ve missed blogging, and blog hopping and commenting and just seeing everyone’s amazing content and I can’t wait to jump right back in. I apologize in advance if I begin to bombard your posts with a lot of comments and likes but there is so much for me to catch up on!

Now it is time for my book review! The last book I was reading before my hiatus was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This was slow, a little hard to read at times, but still magical and beautiful in its own way. I love ‘coming-of-age’ stories, and this one was just as awesome as some of my favorites.

Book: Where The Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

Quote: “I wasn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”

The Good:

(Two branches surrounding the phrase: The Good:)

*Kya. Over the years, she was slowly abandoned by those she loved and those she thought were always there for her. First it was her mother, then her siblings, and then her dad. She grew up mainly alone, learning the ways of the Marsh to feed herself and hide from the authorities, befriending the animals, collecting mussels to sell to her only friend and companion, Jumpin’, and avoiding the town. She was a quiet and broken child who was so used to being alone that she didn’t know how to interact much with other people. It was sad reading her story as she grew older, how she fell in love twice, had her heart broken by both men, and her humiliation and pain. She was a strong and amazing main character.

*Jumpin’ and Mabel. Those two brought a smile to my face because of their kindness and sympathy for Kya. They were there for her when no one else was and were the only form of parents that she had after her family left.

*Two storylines. The story is told in two parts, the first steadily going through Kya’s life from the age of 6 onward, and the other in the present after the body of Chase Andrews was found. It was interesting to see how Kya fit into the story and what role she had to play and how her past also influenced the present.

*Setting. The beauty of the Marsh was told amazingly. At times, I could vividly imagine what it was like for Kya to live there, and I wanted to be there and join her in discovering the Marsh’s secrets. However, at times, it was tedious and boring since the first around 2/3’s was quite descriptive and there was a lot of scenery. I admit, I did skip parts when I was tired of reading it.

*Chase Andrews’ Murder. This was not what I envisioned it to be. I expected the story to revolve more around the murder, but it was more about Kya, the Marsh, and her first two loves. The trial and the accusations against her were interesting and I loved the legal part of the book. The revelation at the end was also a little surprising.

Quote: “A lot of times love doesn’t work out. Yet even when it fails, it connects you to others and, in the end, that is all you have, the connections.”

The Bad:

(Two branches surrounding the phrase: The Bad:)

*Slow. This was tedious. It was slow, and I was not into it at the beginning. I had to push myself to just finish it and it was still slow until the last half/third. Too much description and not enough action or dialogue. This is in part because of Kya’s isolation. I feel like the book would be a lot better if some of the descriptions of the Marsh were removed, however, it would still be a vital part of the story.

Quote: “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”

The Wrap:

(Two branches surrounding the phrase: The Wrap:)

Overall, a great coming of age tale with a murder mystery thrown in. It was sweet, and sad, and though it was really slow at times, I still loved it. I would recommend this, but do not expect a thriller or fast paced murder mystery. I hope you enjoy this if you read it!!

One sentence summary: A slow coming of age story with an interesting murder mystery.

Overall, 4 shining stars

★★★★☆

Have you read Where The Crawdads Sing? Did you enjoy it? Did the revelation at the end shock you? Let’s chat in the comments!

P.S. I’m so glad to be back, and I’ve missed a lot. Any blog posts or books you think I should check out? Suggestions or things you’d like to see on the blog? Be sure to share in the comments!

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson – Review

Published on March 4, 2019June 25, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books3 Comments

Welcome to another book review! I hope you are having a fantastic start to this new and wonderful month. Today’s review is of Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. This book was okay. I liked the mystery and there is diversity and representation, but I felt like the new mystery overshadowed the Ellingham kidnappings and murder.

Book: Truly Devious

Author: Maureen Johnson

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Summary: Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

Quote: “When you have enough power and money, you can dictate the meanings of words.”

The Good:

*Mystery. If ya’ll haven’t realized it yet, I love a good murder mystery. Especially ones that are cold cases and the killer has come back to commit more murders. And this story delivers that. I loved the idea of the Ellingham Murders and I was super excited to join Stevie on the quest to solve them. Tiny hints were given through-out the story and I was engrossed by the two timelines, one from 1936 when the kidnappings happened, and the present day. I loved it, and I was super disappointed that this ended up more about the new death than the Ellingham mystery, but I was still super intrigued and immediately picked up the second book.

*Representation. You do not know how happy I was to see some diversity/representation in this book. Janelle, Stevie’s best friend, is described as a person of color and is also a lesbian. During their initial tour of Ellingham, we also meet a girl who’s in a wheelchair and a hijabi. Stevie suffers anxiety and has panic attacks. It was just so nice to see a group of people who aren’t perfect, who are from different backgrounds, and who are still awesome amazing people.

*Characters. I liked Ellie. She was so vibrant, confident, and cool, but beware of being in her company for too long. Janelle is perfect. She’s a builder and super handy with tools, yet she dresses up and wears make-up and perfume. It’s nice to see her not being a stereotypical female mechanic character who wears overalls and doesn’t even know that makeup exists etc. Nate is probably my favorite. I loved the fact that he’s socially awkward, pale as a ghost, and loves to write. The way he doesn’t know how to communicate, is forever grumpy and pessimistic, and who would do anything to help Stevie even though it goes against his better judgement just made him an amazing character and a super loyal friend.

*Setting. To be honest, I liked the setting of the story. Ellingham Academy is located on top of a mountain in Vermont. There is only one road in and it is very very rough. The remoteness of the place made it seem more surreal and also narrowed the cast of suspects down to whoever was staying there. The description of mountain air and the beauty of the woods was amazing and I loved it.

Quote: “You have to take things as they are, not how you hear they’re supposed to be.”

The Bad:

*Writing style. The beginning of the book and I aren’t best friends. I just thought it felt a little off and a little bit more telling than showing. But it got much better and I ended up enjoying it.

*Character voice. I didn’t feel like Stevie was a teenager. She sounded a bit childish. I didn’t feel like the characters in general were teenagers but more like fourteen/fifteen than seventeen.

*New Mystery. I was honestly disappointed that this was more about the new mystery than the Ellingham case. The only reason I probably finished this was because of the new secrets being revealed about the Ellingham mystery throughout the story ~~and maybe because I needed more Nate, Ellie, and Janelle~~.

Quote: “Where her books were, she was. Get the books right and the rest will follow.”

The Wrap:

All in all, I liked this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it.

One sentence summary: An okay book with an intriguing mystery, and great characters.

Overall, 3 stars

Have you read Truly Devious? What did you think? Am I the only one that was a little disappointed that the mystery wasn’t that focused on the Ellingham murders? Let’s chat in the comments!