The 7 1⁄2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton – Review

Published on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books4 Comments

Hello friends, and welcome to my review of The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. I really liked this, but felt like it was a bit confusing in the beginning. I really wanted Aiden to get out, and maybe take Anna with him and was shocked by that ending.

Book: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Author: Stuart Turton

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed–again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend–but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Quote: “How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?”

*Original and Unique plot. I loved the idea of Blackheath. I loved the idea of putting Aiden in different bodies so he can experience the same day through multiple viewpoints which will help him solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. It was unique, refreshing, and something I have not seen before, at all.

*Mystery. The mystery itself was intriguing and all the twists surprised me. However, I think the ending was a bit too grand? Or just, a bit excessive. The mystery was great, and I was in suspense for most of the story. Evelyn’s murder is a whole lot more intricate than it seems.

*Aiden Bishop. I honestly felt so so sorry for him. Blackheath seemed like a barbaric place that only served to make people lose their minds. However, Aiden took it in stride, and it was really amazing how he didn’t go crazy with all the clues, and all the secrets and horrors that he kept discovering. My head was bursting and I wasn’t even experiencing it in real life. Even though we know so little about him and who he really is as a person-besides the few glimpses we catch when he’s trying to control his hosts-he still seemed like a complete and great character.

*Eight Hosts. The way that the hosts influenced Aiden and his actions was really cool, and also how he personally tried to fight some of the urges his hosts felt. I thought that, at the end, he’d taken a bit of each of his hosts personalities with him which was good.

Quote: “Anger’s solid; it has weight. You can beat your fists against it. Pity’s a fog to become lost within.”

*Confusing. I was honestly really slow at getting a hang of the story. I was so confused for about the first 20% of the story while I tried to wrap my head around how the different hosts worked, and what the rules were. It also didn’t help being in Sebastian’s head, but it was still important and I liked it once I understood.

Quote: “Too little information and you’re blind, too much and you’re blinded.”

I really loved this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it! This was at first confusing, but it turned out to be a great historical mystery with a very unique and amazing plot. However, I couldn’t give this 5 stars because my confusion made me not like this story at the start.

One sentence summary: A unique historical mystery with a great main character.

Overall, 4 stars!!

★★★★☆

Have you read The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle? What did you think? Have you read a historical mystery similar to this one? Chat with me in the comments below!

Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci – Reivew

Published on August 5, 2019August 3, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books1 Comment

Welcome guys!!! Today’s review is of Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci. This was an amazing thriller with a political conspiracy that was so twisted, I couldn’t see, let alone guess the ending. I also really liked Oliver Stone, and loved Mary Chapman.

Book: Hell’s Corner

Author: David Baldacci

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: Oliver Stone and the Camel Club return in #1 bestselling author David Baldacci’s most stunning adventure yet.An attack on the heart of power . . . “In sight of the White House . . . “At a place known as . . . “HELL’S CORNER John Carr, aka Oliver Stone-once the most skilled assassin his country ever had-stands in Lafayette Park in front of the White House, perhaps for the last time. The president has personally requested that Stone serve his country again on a high-risk, covert mission. Though he’s fought for decades to leave his past career behind, Stone has no choice but to say yes. Then Stone’s mission changes drastically before it even begins. It’s the night of a state dinner honoring the British prime minister. As he watches the prime minister’s motorcade leave the White House that evening, a bomb is detonated in Lafayette Park, an apparent terrorist attack against both leaders. It’s in the chaotic aftermath that Stone takes on a new, more urgent assignment: find those responsible for the bombing. British MI-6 agent Mary Chapman becomes Stone’s partner in the search for the unknown attackers. But their opponents are elusive, capable, and increasingly lethal; worst of all, it seems that the park bombing may just have been the opening salvo in their plan. With nowhere else to turn, Stone enlists the help of the only people he knows he can trust: the Camel Club. Yet that may be a big mistake. In the shadowy worlds of politics and intelligence, there is no one you can really trust. Nothing is really what it seems to be. And Hell’s Corner truly lives up to its name. This may be Oliver Stone’s and the Camel Club’s last stand.

Quote: “Everyone has choices. You make them and then you live with the consequences.”

*Oliver Stone aka John Carr. I read the last book in the series, without knowing, and yet I was still able to enjoy this. It even made me more curious to learn more about Stone and his past. Even though Stone is old, he is still as sharp and quick as he was in his younger days and I liked that. He didn’t let age get the better of him, and he also didn’t really care about the fact that he upset a lot of important people. He only cared about his friends, his partner, and his back. He was willing to sacrifice himself for them and I really admired that.

*Mary Chapman. I. Need. More. Mary. I was horrified when I found out that this was the 5th book and the current last one, and that it was also published in 2010 meaning that there is pretty much a 0% chance that I’ll get more Mary. She is really sassy, and I loved her amazing British self. She’s also much younger than Stone, but just as seasoned and smart as he. They made an amazing team and she also added a lot of humor in an otherwise humorless book. She’s also from MI6 which is terrific, since I love MI6 (and FBI and CIA…). I also liked how she learned to question orders, and also how, even though she was loyal from the start, she grew even more loyal as the story progressed and was ready to sacrifice herself for Stone and his friends. And that’s really something, because she doesn’t really know his friends but she trusts Stone and he trusts them, and so she trusts and helps them too. It was just uplifting and put a permanent smile on my face.

*Plot. I really liked the conspiracy aspect, and how it was introduced from the get-go. I had a few theories, and was exasperated at first because no one seemed to be thinking about my ideas, but it turned out that my theory was wrong. The plot was intense, the characters were being led all around the place, and I was following right behind them. I also really liked the dynamics between the FBI, NIC, NSC, CIA, ATF, and all the other countless agencies that were involved. It was also hilarious how Mary was baffled at all the politics going on, and the fact that agents didn’t even trust their agencies, and how each agency seemed to be trying to bring the other down.

*The Ending. I was shocked, I was in disbelief and I really believed that (no spoilers!) it actually happened. I was going to cry. It was so amazing, fast paced, and wowing, and it was a really satisfying end, even though I sincerely wish that there were more books with Mary, or that she got her own series. *sighs*

*Restaurant Scene. There is this scene, Chapter 79, page 330 in the hardcover, in which Stone and Mary were arguing at a restaurant, and Mary got up to go, and Stone grabbed her wrist to stop her, and this guy comes over and tells Stone to let her go. And then Mary says:

“We were just arguing over who was going to pay the check. But thanks for coming to a lady’s aid, love.”
Chapter 79, Page 330

I just loved it (And I also loved the “love” part too lol). It’s pretty trivial, and I’m probably over-exaggerating, but I really really liked that moment. It just made me feel so happy and warm.

Quote: “And just because they’re no longer a superpower doesn’t mean they don’t want to be again.”

*Nothing. I can’t think of a single thing that I disliked about this. Maybe it should have been a bit faster, but no, I think it was perfect.

Quote: “Every time I walk with Alex I’m reminded both how lucky I am to have friends like him and also how unworthy I am to have friends like him.”

I really loved this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it! The plot was great, the characters were fabulous, and the ending was totally unexpected and shocked me so much that I couldn’t believe it.

One sentence summary: An amazing political thriller with two spectacular main characters.

Overall, 5 stars

★★★★★

That’s it for this review! Have you read Hell’s Corner? Were you just as shocked by that ending? Do you know any books with amazing female agents from MI6 or another government agency? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland – Review

Published on July 25, 2019July 24, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books3 Comments

Welcome guys! Today’s review is of Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland. This was an interesting and quick thriller with an intriguing conspiracy plot and meh characters. I originally gave this 4 stars, but I’ve reduced my rating to 3.

Book: Keep You Close

Author: Karen Cleveland

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Summary: Stephanie Maddox makes tough decisions every day. She has her hands full heading the FBI’s Internal Investigations division, policing wrongdoers within the Bureau. But, as a single mother, the most important thing in her life is her teenage son Zachary, who’s anxiously awaiting college acceptance letters. So when she discovers a gun concealed in Zach’s room, her world reels. And then an FBI agent on the domestic terrorism squad shows up at her door and utters three devastating words: “It’s about Zachary. . . .”

Has she been wrong about her near-perfect son? Is Zach embroiled in something criminal–something deadly? And, if so, what is her greater duty: To protect him? Or to protect her country?

*Plot. I was completely engrossed in the novel and didn’t want to put it down. The conspiracy plot was intriguing and a lot bigger than a simple terrorist plot. I couldn’t figure out who was or wasn’t guilty. There was a lot of action which also made this a fantastic thriller. Steph’s past helped enhance the story and added a lot of suspects.

*Steph. Stephanie Maddox is an FBI agent who is the head of the Internal Investigations unit. She doesn’t have many friends, and she is estranged from her son, though she likes to believe otherwise. Her world swiftly comes crashing down and I sympathized with her a lot and really wished that there was a way for her to get out of this mess. Her broken relationship with her mother also meant that she didn’t have any real support besides her self.

*The Ending. I, personally, felt as though the ending could have been wrapped up more neatly, or at least an epilogue could have been added so that we could find out what eventually happened to the characters.

*Zach & Steph’s Mom. I didn’t like either of them at all. Zach was annoying, and though I understand why he was drifting away from his mom, I felt like he should have told her what he did, especially after all she’d done for him. Steph’s Mom was kind of judgmental in my opinion, so I didn’t like her either.

*Characters. This book was more about the plot than it was about the characters. That isn’t necessarily bad, but I would have liked the story to explore Steph’s character, and maybe Scott’s as well. But the mystery is great nonetheless!

In the end, I liked this, I would recommend it if you’re looking for a quick thriller, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it! The characters were okay, the plot and mystery intense, and there was a lot of action. It is also relatively short so you can read it quickly. I originally had this as 4 stars, but I’m going to bring it down to 3.

One sentence summary: A quick thriller with okay characters.

Overall, 3 stars

★★★☆☆

Have you read Keep You Close? Did you like it? Have you read any other books by Karen Cleveland? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Trust Me, I’m Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer – Review

Published on July 15, 2019July 15, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books10 Comments

Welcome guys!!! Today’s review is of Trust Me, I’m Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer. This book had a lot of potential but it sadly fell flat. The characters weren’t really likable, and the plot was far-fetched. Overall, I was really disappointed.

Book: Trust Me, I’m Lying

Author: Mary Elizabeth Summer

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Summary: Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Quote: “I can’t say I have much experience with conscience. I wasn’t born with that particular cricket on my shoulder.”

*Humorous? I laughed out loud a couple of times, and it was kind of a relief, or something childish and different to read. That’s the only good thing I can think of about this book right now.

Quote: “When you can be anybody, you become nobody”

*It was just Meh. It had a lot of potential, and it just fell flat. The characters were dull, the plot was not new or surprising, and I didn’t like Julep. The fact that’s a con artist, or a grifter, didn’t help the story, and actually made it worse. One of the major plot twists was something I saw coming from the very first few chapters and I was just baffled as to how she didn’t realize this even though it’s her job to swindle or con people.

*Julep the Grifter. Julep wasn’t really likable. She’s naive and really self-centered and I found it annoying that she couldn’t just think about someone else for a second. She’s also constantly referring to her friends, who are helping her, as her minions and complaining about how she has to spell out everything for them which grated on my nerves. And for a girl who grew up in the world of con artists, she’s horrible at it, ridiculously naive, and way too trusting. There were a few instances in which she used her ‘skills’ to help people out in return for payment, but I wasn’t wowed or amazed by it.

*Plot. I thought the plot was really lame. When Julep comes home to a trashed apartment and a missing father, she’s determined to find him at all costs, and uses clues that her father managed to leave behind to try and find out where he is, or who has him. Her father is supposedly working for a really dangerous gang, yet he still has the time to set up elaborate clues all over the city. It was really far-fetched and hard to believe. The adults in this story were just not there, and even though someone from child services comes after questions were raised about Julep’s father, nothing happens. And there’s another adult who somehow manages to convince herself that it’s okay to let a kid go talk to a gang leader who may or may not have kidnapped her father. It was ridiculous.

Quote: “I guess it’s true what the French say: fortune favors the innocent. Lucky for me, it also favors the moderately dishonest.”

I didn’t like this. I don’t think I would recommend this, but here’s a positive review that might help you decide if you want to read it or not! Initially, I gave this 2.5 stars, but I think I’m going to bring it down to 1.5, rounded up to 2. I hope you enjoy it if you choose to read it! (Kelly’s Positive Review)

One sentence summary: A disappointing read with a naive main character.

Overall, 1.5 stars rounded to 2

★★☆☆☆

I got the idea to include positive reviews in negative ones from Kat @ Novels and Waffles!

Have you read Trust Me, I’m Lying? Did you enjoy it? I’m not sure if I want to give the second book in the series a try. If you’ve read it, do you think the story gets better? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green – Review

Published on May 5, 2019June 25, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books7 Comments

Hey everyone! Welcome to my review of Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. This book was emotional, painful, sad, and an amazing story that deals with mental illness. I loved the main character Aza, and I felt fer her so much.

Book: Turtles All The Way Down

Author: John Green

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: It all begins with a fugitive billionaire and the promise of a cash reward. Turtles All the Way Down is about lifelong friendship, the intimacy of an unexpected reunion, Star Wars fan fiction, and tuatara. But at its heart is Aza Holmes, a young woman navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

In his long-awaited return, John Green shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity.

Quote: “Your now is not your forever.”

*Aza. I loved Aza because of how fragile she was. I loved her because of how real and painful her story was. I just wanted to hug her, to hold her, to make her feel better, to try and help her. She was an amazing main character and I felt her pain so much.

*Mental Health Rep. I loved how the book dealt with such a heavy and sad topic. Aza’s thought spirals were portrayed beautifully and it made me realize how much I don’t know about mental health. I loved how at the end, she wasn’t magically cured or her illness vanished. It was realistic, and I’m glad that this book was so honest in its representation.

*Writing. The writing was beautiful. It made me feel there, it made me feel inside Aza’s head. I understood and felt her pain and that is absolutely amazing. Kudos to Mr. Green for making such a heartfelt story.

*Mystery. To some people, this book may seem centered on a mystery, but it’s not. This book is about Aza and her mental health battle. Sure, there is a mystery and Aza is invested in it, but it doesn’t take up the whole story. It’s just mentioned at the beginning and Aza does do some snooping with her friend, Daisy, but then it isn’t really mentioned until the end. It is definitely NOT the focus of the story.

*Davis and Noah. Davis was adorable. And poor Noah, I really felt so sorry for him. Aza’s relationship with both of them was so sweet and endearing and cute. I loved all of them.

*Philosophical. There were so many great points raised in this story. Questions about the true nature of your existence. Can you control your life, or is someone else controlling your life for you? Does your environment shape who you become? Or has it been decreed? This is a great book for book clubs and to have a serious discussion about after reading.

Quote: “Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.”

*Daisy. I am definitely not a fan of Daisy. At first, I thought she mildly annoying, but at a certain point (if you’ve read it, you’ll know) I was horrified by her. She was so insensitive. She was so hurtful. After that point, I couldn’t sympathize or feel for her anymore. What a horrible friend.

*Legalities. Something happened and the legal side of me was eager to hear what happened afterwards but it was never mentioned. I was disappointed, but it wasn’t anything that seriously detracted from the story.

Quote: “True terror isn’t being scared; it’s not having a choice on the matter.”

This was a painful yet amazing read. It raised a lot of good questions and is amazing for discussions. I would recommend this and I really hope you enjoy it if you read it.

One sentence summary: An insightful, heartbreaking, and amazing read.

Overall 4.75 stars rounded to 5