The Belles (The Belles #1) by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Initially I wanted to give myself at least a day before writing this review, but I have this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach and decided it’s best to get this over with and move on. The story started out relative well, sadly it didn’t end that way, at least for me.
The characters came across as uneven and inconsistent. I understand what the author tried to accomplish with them, mostly create a sense of mystery and intrigue, but they were nothing more than stiff, 2-dimensional entities that meant to move the plot along.
The plot or rather the main idea that got me interested in the book in the first place was good enough, but through the unfolding of the story I grew more and more frustrated with little inconsistencies, details that didn’t add up and scenes that appear to only exist as an attempt to keep the reader’s attention. The story, which should have created mystery, which then slowly unfolds, went from mildly entertaining to a tangled web of confusion mixed in with many borrowed ideas and themes that are meant to stimulate discussions.
The writing improved as the story continued, although the dialogue between the main character and her “love interest” remained stunted with poorly executed efforts at flirting that felt like a disaster in slow motion. In the first 100-150 pages were more than a few awkward sentences that I had to read few times over. Further along in the story I came to my attention that various lines of description, which were unnecessary this far into the story, were simply copied and pasted.
Overall, I tried to like it. I tried to be patient. But in the end, I can’t recommend it and I honestly can’t wait to return it to my library.

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Wither by Amy Miles

Wither by Amy Miles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! And where can I get the second installment, if one exists? A post-apocalyptic, horror, creepy, sci-fi story that captures the reader’s attention and includes such depth is a rare find among books.
The characters are complex, and the author keeps most of them shrouded in mystery, which adds to the eerie atmosphere surrounding this story. The main character is not the typical hero/anti-hero and shows a good range of strengths and weaknesses that make her believable and likeable in her own way.
The plot is straight forward, but the author takes good care to create a sense of mystery and adds elements of horror.
The writing is excellent. The reader feels present and a part of the story. It includes the right amount of internal dialogue from the main character but enough is left unsaid to keep the reader’s curiosity.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and was delighted by the author skill to weave in just the right amount of horror that had me bury myself a little deeper beneath my blanket. I would recommend it to anyone, who enjoys zombie, post-apocalyptic and horror stories.

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Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter

Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Crystal S. Chan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was auto-approved by the publisher Udon Entertainment through NetGalley to review this title.
Truth be told, I was never able to get into the story The Scarlet Letter; I started the book about 10 years ago, but quickly lost interest. I even tried watching a movie version, but again lost interest.
Having said that, I did make it through this version of the story and I even enjoyed it. The art work was great. The story itself will never be one that I favour, but at least this time I was able to get a good overview of the classic story.
Overall, this was my second manga comic in the Manga Classic series and I’m looking forward reading other installments in this series. I would recommend it to anyone, who enjoys comics and retellings of classics.


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Manga Classics: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe

Manga Classics: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe by Stacy King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was given this title by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The only Poe story I ever read was The Cask of Amontillado about 20 years ago, so I’m not that familiar with his original works. However, I enjoyed the collection of stories in this manga comic.
The artwork was magnificent and I appreciated the use of only black and white, which made the stories just that much more eerie.
As my first experience reading manga, I got the hang of it fairly quickly and finished the comic in one sitting.
Overall, I’m glad I found this collection and I would recommend it to anyone, who enjoys comics and retellings of classics.


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