3 mini book reviews(“not super-mini but I tried” part-3)

Book: Six Of Crows (Six of Crows #1)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Adventure

image source: Goodreads

 

Excerpt from Goodreads summary:

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker….

…Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist…

My take:

I’ve had a mixed feeling while reading the “Grisha Trilogy”.

After wrapping up the first book of this duology, I can concur that “Six of Crows” delivered in the most parts and rest was compensated by Leigh Bardugo‘s captivating writing.

This is the first heist story I’ve ever read and the easy writing and infusion of diversity stood out most (more than the heist).

I doff my hat to the author for breaking so many so many stereotypes (without being explicit)-

• introducing characters of color,
• gay love,
• a beautiful bi-sexual Grisha,
• an asexual protagonist with a limp.

 

This is how the young readers should be accustomed to sex-positivity and body-positivity, I felt. If only the YA authors from my part of the world would have taken the notes…

My rating: 4 / 5

P.S.- In which universe 15-18 years olds behave/think/talk like that? Oh, in the dystopian/paralel one, I forgot..

 

 

Book: The Ghost Writer

Author: Alessandra Torre

Genre: Mystry, Fiction, Contemporary

image source: Goodreads

 

Excerpt from Goodreads Summary

Four years ago, I lied…

…Telling stories is what made me famous…

Now, I have one last story to write. It’ll be my best one yet, with a jaw-dropping twist that will leave them stunned and gasping for breath….

My take:

If my mother would’ve read “The Ghostwriter“, she would say-

“That’s why I say- when it comes to marriage, do a thorough background check first. But this generation, I tell you…”

 

I tried very hard to fall in love with this book. The breezy writing made it easy to rush through. But the buck stopped there.

This is a story of Helena Ross– an acclaimed(read: stinking rich) author of romance ) and bitterness personified.

When Helena came to know that she had only 3 months left due to brain cancer, she hired a ghostwriter (here’s a twist and the only redeeming factor for me in the book) for her last book- unraveling the secret that killed her only child.

The premise was interesting. However, I’m an empathic reader and Helena Ross was a thoroughly dislikeable persona, even while  dying.

It seemed, the author tried very hard to propagate the “mad genius” trope but it produced- a lame-ass protagonist.

Besides, I’m quite tired of the “dirty spousal secrets” as well. I blame Gillian Flynn to get the ball rolling with “Gone Girl“.

Since then, countless books had been woven around this trope. If only they had had half of the finesse of Madam Flynn…

 

My rating: 2 / 5

P.S.- Both the major protagonists in this book made billions  writing romance/ cheap erotica respectively.  It would’ve been believable if they were business gurus or JK Rowling.

 

Book: Through The Woods

Author: Emily Carrol

Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror

image source: Goodreads

Excerpts from Goodreads Summary:

…Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss…

This is a compilation of five little ghost stories with ambiguous endings. Why oh why the author left so much for us to interpret?

I scratched my head and blamed my low EQ.

The glowing Goodreads (again, when will I ever learn?) promised me some spine-chilling, shitting-in-pants moments but alas, they never came.

And I tend to get (embarrassingly) shit-scared by ghost stories quite often.

 

 

So what worked for me?

i) The artwork is out of this world- hauntingly vivid, eerie and beautiful. I want to kiss the hand that drew this masterpiece.

ii) Among the five, “The Nesting Place” gave me real heebie-jeebies, followed by “Our Neighbor’s House”.

 

My rating: 4 / 5 (3 is solely for the artwork)

 

Have you read any of these? Or intend to read? Do let me know.

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