My Book Reviews

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll be honest: I went into this book having great expectations, seeing as I've been hearing how supposedly terrifying the Netflix version was.
And well, you know I'm always up for a good scare... reading-wise.

So imagine my confusion when I only had about a quarter left of the book, and there was still nothing terrifying. Spooky, sure, but nothing remotely terrifying .

That isn't to say that this had been a total fluke, of course. The plot was very immersive, and on more than one occasion, I found myself reading further than I had planned.
When we were first introduced to Eleanor, we were told that she was 32 years old. However, her imagination seemed to be that of a child, almost - daydreaming about fairies and another world. She even seemed a bit immature, almost, in her way of thinking. But she reminded me a bit of myself in her shy, socially-awkward ways, so I suppose I sort of related to her in a way. Mrs Dudley, on the other hand, was a peculiar character. And for a while, I was sure she had something to do with the haunting and/or goings-on in Hill House. But then there was a scene where Mrs Dudley seemed to actually be talking properly, to another character I've grown a dislike for, instead of her usual monotonous patter. So apparently she's one for normal conversations too eh?


Upon finishing the book, I was even more confused.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a complete wuss when it comes to horror movies; I hate them, because I get scared so easily and it tends to stick with me for longer than it should. But the reaction people gave to the Netflix version and my reaction upon finishing the book was two completely different ones!
And then I searched it up and turns out that the Netflix version had been different; for one, it referred more to the Crain family (I had been wondering why people were saying they 'felt for Theodora' when the book plot never referenced anything that might suggest that), Luke, Elanor and Theo had also been made 'Crains', and Doctor Montague is not in the picture.

Overall the book was okay. There were parts that were... I'd say eerie/creepy. But definitely not scary.

View all my reviews

The Dead Ex: HE CHEATED. HE LIED. HE DIED. by Jane Corry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not happy with how long it took me to finish this. In fact, I had half a mind to give it up; but the nagging in my brain told me to just finish it and be done with it... and in part because the stubborn side of me just hates ditching a book - and I only do so if/when I find that I just really, really can’t seem to latch on to the story.

For a good half of the book, it had trouble piquing my interest. I was disappointed, as the synopsis sounded promising. But it was emotionally heavy from the off - not in the sense that it makes you cry, but the story heaps on so many negative emotions that I felt mentally drained... and I mean that in the highest praise possible.

The story initially goes back and forth between the protagonist Vicki’s point of view and a little 8-year old girl called Scarlet. I knew that their stories would eventually coincide with each other (as they do), but when they’re first introduced, they couldn’t have been more different characters. And you soon learn that the little game that Scarlet and her mother plays is actually more sinister than Scarlet is aware of.

Halfway into the story, one character’s point of view ‘disappears’, and another takes its place out of the blue. That initially confused me too.

I mentioned earlier that I just couldn’t seem to latch on to the story. Fortunately, it eventually did rather later on.

And then came the punches.

Along the story, I kind of suspected what had happened and the whodunits. And I was proved right.

And then I was proved wrong.

Yes, the author messes with your mind and makes you think your assumptions were right... and then she throws a curveball.

Oh I’m sorry, I mean several curveballs.

Now you may wonder, why a 4-star rating then instead of a 5?
Well... as amazing a book as this was, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Corry is an amazing writer, as this book proves - no doubt about that. But plot-wise, it’s just not my thing.

I think this is the first book I’ve ever read that wasn’t my cup of tea, but I’m still able to appreciate the undeniable talent of the author.

A first for everything, eh?

View all my reviews

Just One...: Includes Just One Day, Just One Year, and Just One Night by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit I was initially a bit intimidated to start this book. Given how thick it is and the fact that I've not read anything by Forman before this (especially since this is 2 books in one), I was a bit worried that I might not finish it if I found that I didn't like it.

Turns out I didn't have to worry, because it was so easy to fall into the characters' stories. To cut a long story short (in case anyone needs it), in the first book (aka first part of this book), the story is told in Allyson/Lulu's perspective. After all the turmoil and unanswered questions, we go to book/part 2, which tells the story from the climax in Willem's perspective. Then, everything starts to fall in place, and beautifully so.

In the last bit, Just One Night (I wouldn't call it a third 'book', because it's only about a chapter long. It's more an epilogue than anything if you ask me), you can almost feel the tension as Allyson and Willem meet again after a year. Then as both parties explain their sides of the story, the tension dissolves as everything falls in place.

The ending leaves room for speculations, but this time, it doesn't sound quite as bad.

View all my reviews

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. The plot is not complicated, and the storyline is not too confusing; though I did have some trouble with connecting the names and what their roles were in the story, for some reason.

Since getting struck by lightning, Harper Connelly has been making use of her newfound ability to make a living.
What is this ability of hers?
Finding dead bodies and knowing how they died. Along for the ride is her half-brother Tolliver Lang, who also plays a huge part in relieving Harper’s severe separation anxiety.

But when things begin to happen to Harper and Tolliver after taking a job in Sarne, they begin to suspect that they may have uncovered and disclosed more than they were welcome to.

View all my reviews

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit that the first quarter of the book was a bit boring to me, and I fell asleep while reading it on a few occasions.

But when it got good, IT WAS BLOODY GOOD

The moment you think you know what’s going on, it’s almost as if Lehane does a detour and fucks you over. I definitely did NOT expect the twist, and when that happened, I had to re-read that part for it to actually sink in.

The only reason this is not 5 stars is because it bore me at the start.

But definitely pick this up if/when you can!


View all my reviews

So Cold the River by Michael Koryta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eric Shaw, a former filmmaker down and out on his luck and confined to making videos for events, is paid a hefty amount to go to French Lick/West Baden to do a documentary on billionaire Campbell Bradford. While there, Eric had been tempted to drink from a bottle of what looks like unnaturally cold water. He decides to take a sip out of the bottle of Pluto Water; an old brand of mineral water that had been hugely renowned for curing almost all ailments.

That's when shit slowly starts hitting the fan, because let's face it: what do you expect from drinking out of a bottle of water that old??

The progression of events is very gradual; Eric's slow addiction and his increasing symptoms made for a very interesting read. The way Koryta connected the flow of events leading to the buildup was great. After everything, it definitely piqued my interest when Koryta mentioned in the Author's Notes in the end how the places (the West Baden Hotel & French Lick) are in fact very real places. I looked the hotel up and there it was on Booking.com, and HOLY SHIT THE PLACE IS FREAKING GORGEOUS! Go look it up and tell me it isn't impressive!
All the details I read about in the story made more sense then, and quite honestly, it is grander than I ever imagined it to be. (Then again, you can't say much about my imagination... Also, my geography is horrible)

The climax is intense, and I find myself almost skimming through the pages in a hurry (as I often do when reading interesting/intense scenes) in a bid to find out what happens next. All in all, I would definitely pick up Koryta's other works and give them a go.

View all my reviews