[Book Review] Baby Doll

Baby Doll

by Hollie Overton

Psychological Thriller, Suspense,
Contemporary Fiction

Links:
Amazon / Goodreads

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review a few years back, and it's only now that I've gotten around to reading it. 

The beginning of the story made me feel like I was dropped in the middle of something important happening, so I was initially confused about everything. However, once the story progressed, everything quickly made sense, and I'm absorbed into the nightmare that Lily, the protagonist, had to go through. 

Unlike most psychological thrillers, this one happens after the victim escapes the clutches of her abductor, and explores the grim effects of the victim's disappearance on the people around her, especially her family.

[Book Review] The Naturals

The Naturals

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

November 5, 2013

Young-Adult, Mystery, Thriller

The premise and book description were interesting. These were what drew me in. I love serial killer books, have been a long time fan of Criminal Minds, devoured The Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay (all seven books) with gusto, and even breezed through the Dexter TV series (all eight seasons of it). This is the reason why I gave this book 4 stars.

The protagonist is likable enough, even though she could be a little too ideal. Sometimes, she's a bit bland, or mundane, but when she starts doing her thing, that's what sets her apart from all others. I would have loved to see her with more layers of personality though.

The serial killer aspect was a nice twist. I totally did not predict who was aiming for Cassie until it was revealed. I had a gut feeling it was within the group, but I had no way of knowing if it was one of the teens in the program, or not. This added to my enjoyment of the story.

I also like how being a teenager complicated things for the major characters. There were personalities clashing, hormones raging, and emotions flaring between the teenage game-players. This is even aside from the attractions that were slowly building up between characters. Admittedly, I belong to #TeamDean on this one.

What bothered me though, was the reason why these teenagers had these preternatural abilities. Are they really just THAT talented? Why? Genetics, maybe? Bio-lab experiments? What's the cause for these abilities? I need a credible and plausible back story for this.

All in all, I really enjoyed the mystery-thriller bit. #TeamDean all the way!

LINKS: Goodreads // Amazon // Barnes & Noble

[Book Review] The God's Eye View

The God's Eye View

By Barry Eisler

February 2, 2016

Thriller, Fiction, Suspense

Let me start by saying that I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was interested to read this story because of its synopsis. And truth be told, it felt like Christmas came in February when I got this book, because I have been a fan of Barry Eisler since I read John Rain. That being said, I'll admit being guilty of slightly fan-girling on Twitter. That is all I'm going to admit.

Be warned. This is a very scary book. It will make you uncomfortable, but it will make you think. It is not scary in a horror, or paranormal kind of way, but scary in a conspiracy-theory-and-paranoia kind of way. If some aspects of the fiction in this book turned out to be real, the implications are astounding. And you have to read the whole story to understand that the fictional aspect of this book might not be that far-fetched from reality.

While reading this book, Sir Francis Bacon's famous quote kept leaping up at me. The quote says: "Knowledge is power." This quote probably sums up the whole story pretty well. The core issue in this story is this: how much government intrusion into private rights is enough and when is it too much?

I love that this book effectively weaves reality and fiction. It was so effective in doing so that many times throughout reading the book, I kept asking myself which parts are real and which parts are not. At the end of reading the whole story, I was reeling because I was effectively absorbed in a world that was not much different from reality, and learned a few things along the way. This book doesn't only tell a story, it also educates. This is what I really appreciate in this book.

The writing was steady, as was the pacing. I love that the author did not hold back on the gore, and was consistent in tying up together the intricate events one by one. The characters were dynamic, and there was growth for both Evie and Manus as the story progressed.

It was interesting to read about a really advance monitoring system that could have been the perfect surveillance tool if not for the people who run it; the ghosts inside the machine. Also, there was one persistent thought that kept occurring to me while I was reading about God's Eye. Essentially, the government leaders may change, and the name of the project/machine may change, but it's all just semantics really. At the heart of it all, knowledge really is power. And it is definitely better to know more rather than less.

Lastly, I really loved the list of resources and reading materials at the end of the book. I was thinking of researching people and events after reading the story, and the resources listed within the book was really, really helpful.

Kudos to the author for writing such a thought-provoking masterpiece! I highly recommend this book for those who are interested in an intellectually-charged suspense thriller.

[Book Review] The Last Kiss Good-bye

The Last Kiss Good-bye

by Karen Robards

August 13, 2013

Ballantine Books

Mystery, Suspense, Paranormal Romance

Links:

Goodreads // Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Stone has dedicated her career as a psychiatrist to exploring the darkest territory of all: the hearts and minds of serial killers. It’s a job she’s uniquely suited for, thanks to the secret talent that gives her an uncanny edge—Charlie can see dead people, whose tormented spirits cry out to her for the justice only she can provide. This blessing—or curse—gives Charlie the power to hunt down and catch madmen and murderers. It’s also turned her love life upside down by drawing her into a hopelessly passionate relationship with the lingering ghost of charismatic bad boy Michael Garland. 

But there’s little time for romance with her supernatural suitor when murder comes pounding at Charlie’s door in the form of a terrified young woman fleeing a homicidal maniac. Saving her life places Charlie squarely in the cross-hairs of a sadistic predator nicknamed “the Gingerbread Man,” notorious for manipulating his victims like pawns in a deadly chess game. And now the queen this psychopath’s bent on capturing is Charlie. Refusal to play will only put more innocent lives in danger. Matching wits with this cunningly twisted opponent will require all of Charlie’s training and expert skills. But even with her devilish “guardian angel”—not to mention her favorite flesh-and-blood Fed, Tony Bartoli—watching her beautiful back, the Gingerbread Man’s horrifying grin might be the last thing Charlie ever sees.

[Book Review] Sedition

Title: Sedition
Author: Tom Abrahams
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Politics
Source: ARC from Author
Rating: 4/5


Links:
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

Blurb:

The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place.

As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power.
They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives.

Standing in their way is a woman who listens to conversations not meant for her to hear. She reads mail not intended for her to see. She knows their intention. But can she stop them in time?
SEDITION is a smart, fast-paced, modern day political novel woven in reality and based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

It navigates the thin line between good versus evil and patriot versus traitor, proving there’s always a reason behind treason

“Being a patriot and a terrorist were 
not mutually exclusive propositions.”

Review:
A riveting modern political-thriller with a smart heroine at its helm!

If I had to say just one thing about Sedition, I would say that the author of this book clearly knows his stuff, and he knows them very well, too!

When I began reading the book, I was literally mind-blown by what was written within the first few pages. The political, as well as the socio-cultural references in this book really hit my tickle spot, and I was hooked in no time!

So what is this book all about?

Well, Sedition is a synthesis of real US politics and written fiction, weaving them both in such a way that could make the reader take a pause to think critically. The story, being a slice of reality, actually gives the reader information about stuffs that matter, but which are mostly overlooked and ignored.

As for the characters, I really liked the fact that each member of the Daturan had his own distinct personality which made it very easy for me to distinguish one from another. They were like this group of intellectual gentlemen with extreme superiority complexes, which is actually only a coping mechanism for their inferiority complexes. I’d have to admit that they were largely the reason why I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

On the other hand, I haven’t really quite warmed up to Matti. She seemed a little too perfect for me. I mean, her guilty pleasure was watching hilarious videos on YouTube. Sure, it’s definitely a quirk, but there has got to be more to her than just being a mid-level intelligence analyst, with an eidetic memory and poor self-esteem.

Moving on, while this book may not be as action-packed as so many spy novels, what it lacks in action, it makes up for in intellectual stimulation and well-planned twists. The suspenseful pace was also consistently maintained throughout the story.

Also, fans of stories featuring conspiracy theories are going to love this book! Not only is it a smart read, it is also insightful and a definite brain teaser!