The Watcher by Ross Armstrong

Minggu, 12 Februari 2017

HQ | December 2016 | 384 pgs

Source: Library

The cover quoted this as The Girl on the Train meets Rear Window. As I haven't read the latter I have no idea what it is about but I did read the former and it was an intense read. With this in mind I began my reading journey with some expectations and hoping that it would surprise me and turn out nothing like TGOTT (not that it is not good, just hoping for something different) and I wasn't disappointed, at least the writing style is concerned.

Set in East London with a new-build apartment and an estate marked for demolition, we see the social divide amid the neighbourhood and the opposite feelings of some of the residents living there. However, this is not about the apartments but one particular woman named Lily Gullick. A keen birdwatcher, she loves looking for them through her binoculars at her apartment until her observation begins to shift to her neighbours. And when she sees something suspicious in a neighbouring block, she decides it's best to keep the information to herself, at least temporarily. But the following day, an elderly woman is found dead in her flat. Lily has spoken to the elderly woman once the previous night and she couldn't help but to link what she saw at the next block might have something to do with the elderly woman's death. And this prompts her to do some investigation of her own until she thinks of nothing but this unsolved case; not even her husband Aiden could deter her from doing so.

As intriguing as this may sound, I found myself disappointed with the story but first I will focus on the things I liked about this book. Lily is an unreliable narrator to start with, and as old as this may sound I haven't gotten tired of unreliable narrators, yet. They are the main thing that keep the story moving and not to mention keep readers on edge. Plus, the writing style is a bit different here. Told from Lily's perspective, the chapters read like a journal yet they connect smoothly and didn't really feel like journal entries.

Onto the disappointing note, I found the story going towards another direction and lacks credibility after reading more about it. At times I found some parts confusing but I persevere, hoping there would be a turn but sadly it still didn't spark my interest. Lily was an interesting character, but I didn't really feel connected to her (maybe in the beginning but then she got on my nerves; plus the story direction may have killed it). That said, I still find there is potential with the author's writing. This book simply wasn't a good fit to me.

� 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Good as Gone by Amy Gentry

Kamis, 29 Desember 2016

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | July 2016 | 288 pgs

Source: Library

Eight years ago, Julie Whitaker was kidnapped from her own bedroom when she was thirteen years old. Her mother, Anna, was unaware of the kidnapping as she was sleeping downstairs. Jane, who was ten then was the only witness but given her age and her confused state of mind due to shock, it is natural to dismiss what she witnessed as unreliable. Julie is never found and the Whitakers started to move on with their life slowly until one day a young woman knocks on their door. Julie seems to be miraculously alive and is now back home, finally. As Anna tries to reconnect with Julie she begins to find loopholes and her lies. When a former detective turned private eye starts contacting Anna and shares with her some information he has gathered, Anna begins to wonder about Julie's identity and what does she wants from them if she is not their daughter. 

Good as Gone has a great intrigue opening with the fateful night of Julie's kidnapping. The story then progresses with the Whitakers picking up their life and focuses on Anna's sorrow and guilt despite eight years have passed. While Anna's husband, Tom, is ecstatic and his faith in Julie never wavers after they have found her, Anna begins to show signs of doubts and unease. It is this moment when the author begins to play with Anna's mind as well as the readers. Anna's perspective begins to intertwine with a various of flashbacks which would lead readers into wondering if Julie is who she claims she is. Personally I felt it was a good concept but the writing style was a bit tricky but if you break away from the story for a while and think about it, it is not difficult to figure out the whole picture. 

I couldn't say this is a fully suspenseful story though and is more to unlocking-a-mystery kind of story with a family dynamics theme as background. This book will also question readers how well they know their family members and that some things may not seem as what they are. There are some scenarios which I found to be a bit unbelievable, but I presume this was the author's intention to create more intensity and mystery to the storyline. I enjoyed reading the book, but it wasn't enough to captivate me from the suspenseful angle. 

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Drama Review: Sweet Stranger and Me (???????)

Sabtu, 17 Desember 2016

Also known as Man Living at My House, this drama is a story about family, first love and finding one's loss. 

Hong Na-Ri (starring Soo Ae) works as a flight attendant. Her mother passed three years ago, leaving her a land and she's been living all on her own with no other family members except her uncle, whom she rarely contact. 

As a city girl and with a job which requires frequent travel, she only returns to her rural hometown to visit her mother's grave during her death anniversary. That day is no different, except she spots a young man at her mother's grave, who later introduces himself as Go Nan-gil (starring Kim Young-kwang). He also informs her that he married her mother a few years back and that the land is his after his wife's passing. Thinking that he conned her mother into marriage and the land, Na-Ri decides to move into the countryside house and find out more about this man who claimed he is her stepfather. 

Go Nan-gil, on the other hand, is someone more than he claimed. He definitely has an agenda but no one has to know that, and of course he has every reason to do so. As the story progresses, we see a new side of Nan-gil and his past, as well as his relationship with Na-Ri. I'd my doubts about Nan-gil initially, but I knew my impression on him wouldn't lean towards the negative considering his honest attitude towards his customers being a dumpling restaurant owner and how he genuinely acts towards Na-Ri whenever she encounters some problems. 

Their relationship is further complicated by an entrepreneur who has been eyeing for their land for ages; and on top of it his estranged son, Kwon Deuk-bong (starring Lee Soo-hyuk) is interested in Na-Ri and he will do everything to fight the battles for her, even if he has stopped practising law for a while. 

Sweet Stranger and Me is a perfect drama for audiences who go for the romance genre; and even though there is some intensity regarding the land disputes they are considered mild in my opinion. I think female audiences would be wowed by Nan-gil's charismatic character because he portrays quite an alpha bad boy image but yet he isn't entirely one to speak of due to his simple mannerism. Overall it was a sweet romantic comedy and a great distraction to me considering I've been reading a few thrillers lately. 

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Drama Review: Wanted (???)

Rabu, 02 November 2016

Jung Hye In (starring Kim Ah Joong) is one of Korea's top actress. She has a eight-year-old son but he was kidnapped on the day she announced her retirement. She is estranged with her current husband although they appear blissful in the eye of the media. After her son's abduction, she is being contacted by the kidnapper to carry out a mission on a live reality show as per his demand. The reality show would have ten episodes and she is required to fulfil each mission given out by the kidnapper until the last episode. She would only get to see her son alive should she reaches that stage.

I couldn't even imagine how scary this is should it happen in reality. And being a mother myself I could totally relate to Hye In's fears and guilt. "Would this not have happened if we're being more observant and careful?" How many times have we asked ourselves this question should anything happened to our children, even if sometimes it was only a spill of drinks or if they have fallen with a minor scrape?

While I felt the plot was intense based on the thrill angle, what I found lacking is the credibility and the confusion at some point. While I got the whole idea why it happened and why some characters are involved, this story requires one's full attention to understand what's really happening and who's involved with who. However, I did find the characterisations interesting and Detective Cha Seung In (starring Ji Hyun Woo) stood out among the rest because of his relentless and his intelligence. Having lost his mentor while investigating a case a few years back, Detective Cha still feel the loss and remorse for not catching on more of his senior's movements. Due to that incident, he is more inspired and determined to solve this kidnapping case (which they are connected). The production crew who put the reality show together is also another highlight of this story for without them everything would be impossible.

While I was quite taken aback by the kidnapper's identity, it didn't come as a surprise once you understand his concerns and the whole picture of it. Overall it was satisfying but I thought some parts would have done better (yep, including that ending.)

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel

Minggu, 31 Juli 2016

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | April 2016 | 272 pgs

Source: Purchased

The story begins with Charlie Price's funeral in Paris, and among the mourners are our two protagonists - Aubrey Boroughs and Lena Whitney. Both girls didn't know each other but they have one thing in common, and that is they are both Charlie's girlfriends. When the two girls found out this shocking truth about Charlie's two-timing them, they decided they should find out more things about his death and the Charlie they didn't know. After all, Aubrey and Lena's personalities differ and it seemed Charlie took on different roles to suit their personality. Aubrey is pretty and cool as a cucumber, while Lena is wild, spontaneous and clingy. 

As much as Aubrey and Lena dislike the idea of "working together", they also knew that they need each other to fill in Charlie's "loopholes" (as in his timeline dating them) and what they have missed by comparing notes. Their search for answers take them across Europe and Asia; their journey becoming more complicated and risky as they find themselves in situations which question not only Charlie's true self but each other's credibility too, for it seemed each girl harbours secrets of her own. 

Charlie, Presumed Dead is a YA suspense and it tells a tale about deception and revenge. The plot is filled with intensity but not fully believable in some circumstances. I found Charlie's method of "death" to be the most far-fetched among all, but I won't elaborate for the risk of spoilers. However, what makes this book a page-turner is the voices of the two girls (we get their narrative alternatively) and the exotic settings as they take readers to places like Kerala, Bombay and Bangkok. While the suspense was great, there are certain parts that are dubious or improbable to believe in my opinion. Still, it was an entertaining read and I've learned something about the various lifestyles and cultures through the protagonists' journey.

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The Fireman by Joe Hill

Rabu, 27 Juli 2016

William Morrow | May 2016 | 768 pgs

Source: Publisher

I have to confess I'm not really a chunkster reader. Thick volumes intimidate me in general. Imagine how many good books I might have missed given this silly mentality, but I have heard so many good things about The Fireman and plus I have the ARC and the Fireman Readalong as motivations, I figured it was time to read it. 

Now as much as I hate to admit it, I have mixed reactions about The Fireman. I suppose I shall start with the things I liked about the story. For starters, I think the idea of a new plague - Dragonscale (or Draco incendia trychophyton, to be exact) is brilliant. Dragonscale is a highly contagious and deadly spore that tattoo its hosts with black and gold marks across their bodies before causing them to burst into flames. I liked the uniqueness of this theme and most of all, our protagonist, Harper Grayson, who is both brave and remarkable not only in her profession (as a nurse) but also her own righteous self too. I also thought that the opening was very intriguing and introduce readers to the scary world the author has created. Then, there are issues about humanity and survival, which I felt is the core of this story and thought-provoking in many ways. 

Now a few things which I didn't like and/or baffled me: While I liked the idea of this new disease and the scary world, the plot seemed to come to a halt towards the middle of the book. This is where it was focused on too many dialogues with little actions and at times I found myself distracted, which also had me skimmed through some pages. There are also a cast of characters here whom Harper would befriend with given the circumstances, and though some of them aren't likeable, they do contribute some highlights to the story. And finally, there is the Fireman, a mysterious and compelling character based on the title though I didn't understand why this story is focused more on Harper than him, until I got to the end and wondered if that was it. And that ending. To be fair, I think I may have expected too much from this story (or perhaps it is the chunkster issue, which is my bad) and given the glowing reviews I have seen around, it appears that I am in the minority. That said, The Fireman has a refreshing theme unlike others and I will continue to check out Joe Hill's future releases. 

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Troublemaker by Linda Howard

Selasa, 07 Juni 2016

ISBN-13: 9780062418975
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: May 2016
Format: Hardcover, 400 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Morgan Yancy is an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group. During a break after a mission, someone ambushed him and nearly had him killed. Determined to find out who is after his squad member, his supervisor, Axel, decided it would be best if Morgan stays in a low profile while he discreetly track who is behind the attack. That "low profile" place happens to be Axel's ex- stepsister's house which is situated at a remote location at Hamrickville, West Virginia. 

Isabeau "Bo" Maran is the part-time police chief at Hamrickville. Her life is simple, blissful and she's a few good friends and a lovely, devoted dog named Tricks. When Axel called her one day about "housing" his mate, she couldn't say no because as much as she hates the idea of sharing her house with a stranger, Axel's offer for financial assistance to her house loans seems too good to be true; plus Morgan has already showed up on her doorsteps looking quite sickly. 

Bo knew something is up with Morgan's situation since he barely talks about his job and when he does they are usually vague. However, she trusts Axel's decision despite they are not the closest step-siblings. And the more Morgan gets close to Tricks and her as the days go, she realises that Morgan isn't entirely a cold and secretive person as he looks and there might even be a future with him if she decides to accept his job and all. 

Troublemaker begins with a big bang with someone targeting Morgan but the thrill and suspense ended once he lived in with Bo and there begins his recuperating days. However, that intensity is shifted more towards the romantic and warmly side as readers get to read more about his interaction with Tricks and getting to know more of Bo and the Hamrickville residents. As much as I enjoyed reading the interaction between Bo, Morgan and Tricks, there are times I find they are a tad too much, especially how Bo fussed over Tricks (although it's a joy to read from a dog lover's perspective and I really learned a lot more about a dog's behaviours here.) Other issues such as a domestic brawl of one family clearly demonstrated Bo's and Morgan's abilities of solving an intense situation (it was a complicated family with power, wealth and all) but instead I was expecting something more surrounding Morgan's killer and his/her motive. The suspense part did come eventually but it was towards the last two chapters which I felt was too quick and well, a bit anti-climatic. 

While this isn't Linda Howard's best, it was still considered a good read in the romantic department (and then there's Tricks who's adorable and intelligent.) 

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Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw

Rabu, 10 Februari 2016

ISBN-13: 9780062424792
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: February 2016
Format: Hardcover, 336 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Told in alternating voices between the two lead characters, this psychology suspense tells a story about a long-lost brother convicted of a horrifying crime and a lawyer sister's fight in clearing his name. 

Iris is a single mother and a lawyer. She has a young son, Alex, who has behavioural issues and while her relationship with her mother is lukewarm, she needs her help at times in taking care of Alex when she is busy at work. She loves Alex, well which mother doesn't love their children, but Alex isn't an easy child to manage and sometimes, she blames herself for being a bad mother and wish she could do something more for Alex. She knew Alex loves fishes and thus, she didn't question about the aquarium in her mother's house until an incident that leads her into questioning it. That incident is knowing she has an older brother, Ray, and why her mother didn't mention him all the while. 

However, the news of having a sibling isn't as shocking as hearing that Ray has committed a crime and is now put in a mental institution for the criminally insane considering he is autistic. Although Iris doesn't know Ray very well, she believes there must be something amiss behind that hideous crime; surely Ray wouldn't murder his neighbour and her little girl for an unreciprocated love? Plus, he is mentally challenged so that adds on to her doubts. Curious about Ray as well as the case, Iris decided to search for answers to this mystery and of course, why her mother has hidden Ray�s existence from her from the beginning. 

As much as I was intrigued by the mystery, unfortunately this psychology thriller fall short to me due to the credibility part. The thrill and the mystery had me flipping through the pages quickly but I just didn't buy the part about Ray's hidden existence and the motive of the crime; overall it didn't make sense to me. I won't go further expressing my thoughts as I don't want to spoil anything but I was just disappointed that the reason behind was simply that. Still, this story portrayed a descriptive tale about family ties, lies and secrets which I think might appeal to readers who enjoy reading these issues. 

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Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

Senin, 03 Agustus 2015

ISBN-13: 9781509814800
Publisher: MacMillan
Publication Date: 16 July 2015
Format: Hardcover, 352 pgs
Source: Purchased

Is Ani FaNelli the luckiest girl alive? After all, she has a glamorous job, a designer wardrobe and most of all, a handsome and rich fianc�, Luke. Based on what she has, everyone would agree that she's definitely the luckiest girl alive. 

However, what she portrays is all lies and secrets. Her teenage years isn't something she'd like to brag or even talk about; she'd mixed with the wrong group of people, had given herself a bad reputation and now that past is going to catch up on her after she's agreed to do a documentary; a show that she'd tell her side of a chilling tragedy that took place when she was studying at the prestigious Bradley school. 

This story is told in Ani's perspective, switching between the past and the present. To be honest, I don't know what to describe my feelings towards Ani; she is not a likeable character right from the start. She is manipulative, vain and shallow. Her teenage years is no better as we often see her bitter and full of angst. One couldn't blame her considering she has both parents who don't understand her; and attending to a new school could be scary where you didn't know anyone and there are cliques everywhere. 

Not giving the plot away, I could only say I'd difficulty reading the first half of the book. Part of the reason is I couldn't connect to Ani, since she was such an unlikeable character. Plus, the pacing was somewhat slow and was spent describing how Ani had come about from her school days and her profession being a writer with The Women's Magazine to her relationship with her fianc�. I held onto the book waiting for the big moment to arrive and that happened after the second half of the book. 

I've to admit the ending did surprise me but not to the extent of shocking. There are talks that this book is compared to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl but I couldn't see the similarity except that both protagonists are flawed and they are bitter with their lives. While I felt empathy towards Ani at some point of what she'd encountered, that didn't make me like her more. Overall it was a good read but it didn't 'wow' me as I'd hoped. That said, this book would make a great book club discussions for the (dark) issues and what happened to the characters here. 

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