Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: 12th April 2012

Publisher: Orion Books
Format: eBook
Pages: 252
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2014 EBC and 2014 RC 

Summary from Goodreads:

"Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under."

Review:

Overall, I enjoyed this, but I don't think it lived up to all the hype. 

So what did I like? Well, I thought the romance was super cute. I caught myself stupidly grinning to myself after reading something because it was just so. damn. cute. And I liked Eleanor's story. It's not something I've read a lot of, and it was interesting to juxtapose Eleanor's life with Park's. And also super cute that they found that connection, in spite of their different backgrounds. And I thought the ending was very fitting - bittersweet, maybe not what people wanted, but it fit with the story.

So what didn't I like? Well, the romance felt a little instalovey to me. Eleanor and Park hardly knew each other before they were declaring full blown love (well, at least one of them was). They basically started a relationship before they even started talking to one another. It just didn't feel like a natural progression. And on top of that, I was waiting for this OMG moment, which I assumed would happen because everyone raves about this book. And I think I know which moment that was supposed to be, but it wasn't an OMG moment for me. It was completely reasonable and not entirely surprising. Sad, yes, but surprising, no. 

Overall, I enjoyed this, but not as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed the plot and the dual perspective. But, everything was pulled down by the instalovey relationship that the story was centred on.  

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Release Date: 24th May 2012

Publisher: Orion Books
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 399
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY

Summary from Goodreads:

"Marriage can be a real killer. 

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 from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. 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?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around."

Review:

This was a really great mystery. So many twists and turns, you never knew what was coming. But, I did have some issues with it.

So lets start with the pros. For a start, kudos to Flynn for making me feel so certain about one certain character. I wholeheartedly believed everything I read about this character, and felt very strongly about a certain other person. And then, everything gets flipped in the first big twist of the book. How you perceive these characters changed completely, and for being able to dupe me into feeling a certain way and then flipping it so I felt the complete opposite, I have to give Flynn credit. Moving forward with the story, there were quite a few twists and turns in there that you look for in a good mystery. So, for the plot and the fact that it's a good ol' mystery, this gets a thumbs up.

Moving onto the characters, Flynn did a great job at crafting her characters. We have a flawed leading protagonist, Nick Dunne, who of course you're a bit wary of from time to time. Besides talking about Nick, I don't want to get into the other character's too much, otherwise I'd be spoiling. But, overall, Flynn's characters were crafted really well, and they were all quite complex.

But here's the problem I had with this - there wasn't really any resolution. Even though our main character's went through a lot of stuff together, we ended up right back where we began. I didn't feel like there was any uplifting end. I was rooting for one of our characters, really hoping they got their way. But instead, we ended up with our characters in a shitty situation, and I really didn't like that.

Overall, this was a great mystery, one of the best I've read in a while. With so many twists and turns, I couldn't predict what was going to happen, so I'd definitely recommend this one 

Book Review: The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

Release Date: 1st November 2011
Publisher: Orion Books
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 294
Rating: 5.0/5.0

Summary from Amazon:

"London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap - a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place.

Almost unwillingly, Holmes and Watson find themselves being drawn ever deeper into an international conspiracy connected to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston, the gaslit streets of London, opium dens and much, much more. And as they dig, they begin to hear the whispered phrase-the House of Silk-a mysterious entity that connects the highest levels of government to the deepest depths of criminality. Holmes begins to fear that he has uncovered a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society."

Review:
I had my doubts about this book. I had heard that it was really great, but I wasn't sure that Anthony Horowitz could really capture the essence of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing, as the book blurb proclaimed. But I had no need to worry - I absolutely loved this. It was great because it managed to capture the essence of Sherlock Holmes, convert it into a really great story by connecting seemingly unconnectable story lines together with twists and turns left, right and centre. As always, you are left in the dark until the final last chapters, when Holmes starts to bring everything together.

I gave this book a rating of 5/5, which is a full star higher that what I gave 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle {my review here}. The reason why is because Conan Doyle wrote short stories, whereas Horowitz has written a full length novel, giving him the ability to create a really deep and thorough storyline that would otherwise be unachievable in a short story. On top of that, I found it a little difficult to work my way through Conan Doyle's short stories, whereas I had no such problem with this book. I won't go so far as to say that this book surpasses what Conan Doyle wrote (nobody could write a better, and more authentic Holmes storyline), but Horowitz has managed to write a really great, authentic book.

Overall, this is a must read. If you're a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast like me, you will love this book. If you're a mystery and crime enthusiast, then you will love this book. If you just want a good read, then you will love this book.

 

Teaser Tuesday (6)

Teaser Tuesday is a Meme hosted by Mizb @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can join in, as long as they do the following:

• Grab your current read. 
• Open your book to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. 
• Warning:  Avoid spoilers in your teaser as not everyone has had the pleasure to read your current read
• Share the Title & Author so anyone can add your current read to their list if they wish to do so. 
• Note: links go to Amazon
  
  

The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz
Release Date: 1st November 2011
Publisher: Orion Books
Pages: 294

It's the last Teaser Tuesday of the year - enjoy this really interesting and tantalizing teaser below! 

 "There were two figures. One was a young girl whom I recognised at once. It was Sally Dixon, the older sister of Ross, who had been working at the Bag of Nails. She had been shot twice, in the chest and in the head. She was lying on the cobblestones in a pool of liquid which showed black in the darkness but which I knew to be her blood. I also knew the man who lay unconscious in front of her, one hand stretched out, still holding the gun that had shot her. It was Sherlock Holmes" pg 140

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren 
*Note: all links go to Amazon

I wasn't actually expecting to buy any books this week, but when I walked into Dymocks and saw that two books I have been dying to get may hands on were on sale, then I really couldn't say no, could I?

 
The House of Silk (A Sherlock Holmes Novel)by Anthony Horowitz

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory