Tag Archive | #beathebacklist

REVIEW: Richelle Mead’s The Dark Swan: Storm Born

Richelle Mead's The Dark Swan: Storm Born Book Cover Richelle Mead's The Dark Swan: Storm Born
Dark Swan Comic
Richelle Mead
Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Sea Lion Books
October 2011
Hardcover
120
Blog Giveaway Win
Grant Alter
Dave Haman, Adam Markiewicz
Beat The Backlist, Flights of Fantasy
April 9-12, 2017

Eugenie Markham never asked for any of this. Until now, she's been content with her job as a freelance shaman, battling and banishing Otherworldly creatures. When a prophecy suddenly makes her the Otherworld's most popular bachelorette, Eugenie finds herself fighting off unwanted supernatural suitors, as well as the evils that begin emerging from her past...

My Review

It’s no secret that I don’t care much for comic books or graphic novels. Some people love them, I don’t. For me, they’re graphically over stimulating and lack the details of a novel. They’re just too quick. You don’t get to really experience the depth of the characters emotions like you do in a full novel.

That said, while all of the above is true, Dark Swan was a good “cliff notes” introduction to the Dark Swan series by my favorite author, Richelle Mead. I’ve read 99% of her teen books, but I’m slowly working my way through her backlist.

The dialogue in this graphic novel was funny, and while the illustrations are mostly overstimulating for me, they were nicely done. The sex scene was tasteful and not pornographic, which was good, since I was reading it at work!

I think people who LIKE paranormal romance novels AND graphic novels might enjoy this graphic novel. I mean, the main character is a shaman. She has to travel to the Otherworld to rescue a girl who was kidnapped by faeries. It has a lot going for it. I actually bought the full series “box set” on my Kindle a month or so ago when it went on sale, so I’ll hopefully be reading and reviewing that soon. You know, if I can get through my NetGalley backlist. (Seriously, someone needs to take the mouse away from me when I get to that site! Do NOT let me request any more books!)

So, yeah. Graphic novel and PNR fans, check this out. If you prefer more depth to your stories like I do, check out the full novel series.

 

REVIEW: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Read: April 12 – May 3, 2017

Format: Paperback

My Book Rating: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Broadway Books

Release Date: May 24, 2012

Genre: Mystery / Psychological Thriller

Pages: 555

Reading Challenge(s): Beat The Backlist 2017, TBR 2017


ABOUT THE BOOK

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?


REVIEW

I don’t remember how the topic of this book came about, but my co-worker Jess and I somehow ended up talking about this book one day at work. She said she owned it, but still hadn’t read it, but loved the movie. I told her I hadn’t seen the movie OR read the book, and I really wanted to. So, she brought the book to work and loaned it to me. And I devoured it as quickly as I could. Way too many late nights were spent reading this book. But it was so worth it.

So, if you’ve been living under a rock (as I was) and don’t really know what this book is about, except that it’s absolutely mind-blowing, then I’ll just tell you this:

Nick’s wife Amy disappears. He’s the prime suspect. But did he do it? Did he?

This book is literally mind-blowing. I was constantly texting my co-worker with each new theory I had for what happened to Amy. I can’t even count the number of times I changed my mind.

And the actual ending? Yep, mind-blowing. Like… WHAT? Did that seriously happen?

This review is not going to contain spoilers so, I mean, I literally can’t say much else. I will say this though, this book was amazing. Truly amazing. And this is coming from someone who really doesn’t enjoy reading “grown up” books.

The only reason I knocked half a star off was because the beginning was a little slow and because of the ending. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the ending, but I feel like it went on a little too long. I feel like the author gave the reader too much of an ending, if that makes sense.


Get the Book here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks

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QUOTES

 

My wife loved games, mostly mind games.


It was my fifth lie to the police. I was just getting started.


Just like he jettisoned his parents when they were of no use to him, he’s dropping me because I don’t fit in his new life here.


Right now,
I thought, I am a man who loves his wife and will find her. I am a man who loves his wife, and I am the good guy.