Five Book Reading Wrap-Up For March 2022
Join me for my five-book reading wrap-up! March 2022
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(There is an Amazon link to each book. If you are interested in more information, click on the link. I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on the link and buy anything at all, I get a percent of the sale at no cost to you...thanks:-)
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Book 1
"Stranded"
by Sarah Goodwin
Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Survival
Good Reads Rating is 4.26
My Rating is 4/5 stars
(click photo below to go to Amazon)
Overview I found on GoodReads.
Eight strangers.One island.
A secret you'd kill to keep.
When eight people arrive on the beautiful but remote Buidseach Island, they are ready for the challenge of a lifetime: to live alone for one year.
Eighteen months later, a woman is found in an isolated fishing village. She's desperate to explain what happened to her: how the group fractured and friends became enemies; how they did what they must to survive until the boat came to collect them; how things turned deadly when the boat didn't come…
But first Maddy must come to terms with the devastating secret that left them stranded, and her own role in the events that saw eight arrive and only three leave.
A gripping, twisty page-turner about secrets, lies and survival at all costs. Perfect for fans of The Castaways, The Sanitorium and One by One.
My Thoughts After I Read the Book
The story is told by Maddy. She is a single young woman selected to be on a reality TV show. The selected eight strangers are taken to a remote island to establish a community and live off the land for one year. Each participant will have a camera, and there will be photographers on the island filming them as well.
There are many challenges and ups and downs in this book. The relationships among the group seem fine in the beginning, and soon they begin to fracture. Cliques are formed, and the drama begins. Everything negative escalates even further when the boat that was supposed to come to take them home fails to arrive.
I did enjoy this book. Maddy did not have it easy. She did her best to survive in all the problematic scenarios in which she found herself. I liked her character. I thought she was level-headed and made many good choices. I would get frustrated with her when she would blame herself for situations that she did not cause, but aside from that, she was wise and a survivalist.
I thought the ending was appropriate and satisfying. The outcome of another good decision by Maddy.
Book Trailer/Movie/Book Trailer
I could not find a book trailer or anything on an upcoming movie.
A 5-star and 1-star reviews I found on Goodreads.
5-star review...
With a fascinating and chilling setting, a twisty plot with surprises I never saw coming and a dash of tragedy in the main character's history, Sarah Goodwin has written a classic castaway thriller. The end is a shocker and some of the reveals on the way will haunt me for quite a while (the crew ewwwww). I loved every bit of this book. Lots of tension and suspense, with the story never dragging for even a moment. Very well written. I couldn't put it down...All. The. Stars.
1 Star Review
This was a DNF from me well written but for me horrible characters and really dragging ….life is too short to waste so dropped in charity shop and moving swiftly on.
Me
I do agree more with the 5-star review. I can relate to the 1-star review in that it did become a bit slow and repetitive at times. But overall, I thought it was a very good read.
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Book 2
Audible Read
"The Marriage"
by KL Slater
Audible Read
Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Psychological Thriller
3.96 stars on Goodreads out of 5 stars
I give this book 4/5
The Amazon link is below. Just click the photo.
Overview From Good Reads
Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.Ten years ago my darling son Jesse was murdered and our perfect family was destroyed. My strong, handsome boy, so full of life, became a memory, a photo I carried with me everywhere.
But today I'm finally close to finding happiness again. My ash-blonde hair has been curled into ringlets. Carefully placed white flowers frame my delicate features. The small, drab chapel has been prettied up with white satin, and there are tiny red hearts scattered on the small table where I will soon sign the register with my new husband.
The man who killed my son.
My friends and family can't understand it. My neighbors whisper in the street whenever I walk past. How can I love a man like Tom?
They don't really know me at all…
Quote
"Karma has no menu. You get served what you deserve."
My Thoughts After Reading the Book
I thought the premise was a bit odd in that a woman marries a man that is 20 years younger and who killed her son. I thought there had to be more to the story, and she was covering something up.
Bridget marries Tom. In the past, Tom was best friends with Bridget's son Jessie. Tom kills Jessie and goes to prison. Bridget marries Tom. Tom's mother, Jill, was best friends with Bridget when Tom and Jessie were growing up. Bridget and Jill became estranged when Jessie was killed. Jill is upset that Bridget and Tom marry and is suspicious of the entire relationship. Confused yet? This is the perfect setup for this domestic thriller.
I liked the book. The narrator on Audible did a great job. There were times I thought I had it all figured out, only to be hit with twists and turns. It is worth the read.
Is there a Movie or Book Trailer?
I could not find anything on a movie or a book trailer.
5-star and 1-star reviews I found on Goodreads.
5-Star Review-"The Marriage had me gripping on for dear life in the need to discover the truth. My mind was working overtime as to how this was all going to play out and I couldn't have been more wrong. The last part of the book blew me away with the revelations. This has to be up there with some of the most jaw dropping twists I have read. LOVED IT!!!"
1-Star Review-"Wow, this book was awful. I am so surprised by the decent reviews for this book. I found it incredibly boring, and every character in it is just so whiny and annoying. I found myself literally rolling my eyes at certain parts. I also found it extremely creepy the way this book has a woman who marries a guy so young that he used to be friends with her child. That's just gross."
Me-I was not "gripping on for dear life," but I did want to discover the truth. I did not find the book boring. I really enjoyed the book. I do agree more with the 5-star review.
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Book 3
"I Let You Go"
by Clare Mackintosh
Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime
4.05 stars on Goodreads out of 5 stars
I gave this book a 3.75/5
Click the photo below for the Amazon Link...
Book overview as found on GoodReads
A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn't have prevented it. Could she?In a split second, Jenna Gray's world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever.
Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . .
Book Quote
"The grief I feel is so physical it seems impossible that I am still living;
that my heart continues to beat when it has been wrenched apart."
My Thoughts After Reading the Book
The story starts with the death of a child who lets go of his mother's hand and runs into the street only to become a hit-and-run victim.
There are multiple points of view in this book. You have many characters, the mom, the detectives and their families, and many others that I can't mention without giving too much away.
The first twist for me was confusing. I thought I knew what was happening, but I clearly did not. The other twists were more acceptable to me even if I did not like them.
I do have to warn you that some topics are disturbing. The most worrisome is domestic abuse against women which was hard for me to read. There is also disturbing sexual content, not graphic for most but too graphic for me. The book is slow at times, and I did nearly DNF it, but I pushed through and finished it.
Book Trailer or Movie
I found a book trailer. It does not give you any information on the storyline, only that there is a twist. I was not impressed with this trailer but here it is if you want to watch it.I could not find anything about a movie based on this book.
A Five and One Star Review as Found on Good Reads
One Star Review- Great if you enjoy reading about women being brutalized over and over. The main character, Jenna, is weak and totally brainless. The detectives are a bore, especially ho-hum Kate who comes off as weak and just going with the flow. The other detective, Ray, has problems at home with his wife and son. (Yawn. Totally pointless.) The only thing about this book that compares to Gone Girl is there is not one person to like in this book. They ALL suck. No wonder it took me over two months to read it. Pass.
Me-I can relate to both reviews. As in the 5-star review, I did lose my footing at one twist, this was a twist I did not like, so it lowered my final rating. The one-star review speaks of abuse of women, and there should be a trigger warning for abuse because it is difficult to read.
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Book 4
"Deep Water"
by Watt Key
Genre- Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction,
4.10 stars on GoodReads out of 5 stars.
I gave this one 4/5 stars
Amazon Link Below, just click on the photo...
Description as Found on GoodReads,
A middle grade survival story about a scuba dive gone wrong and two enemies who must unite to survive.It's the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don't feel right, don't go down.
So after her father falls ill, twelve-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat. When the clients, a reckless boy Julie's age and his equally foolhardy father, disregard Julie's instructions during the dive, she quickly realizes she's in over her head.
And once she surfaces, things only get worse: One of the clients is in serious condition, and their dive boat has vanished--along with Julie's father, the only person who knows their whereabouts. It's only a matter of time before they die of hypothermia, unless they become shark bait first. Though Julie may not like her clients, it's up to her to save them all
A Quote I Like
"Before I even lowered my head, I knew. Underneath me I saw the sleek gray body gliding below.”
My Thoughts After Reading the Book
Twelve-year-old Julie and her dad head out to sea to take a father and son duo on a scuba diving trip. Julies dad has been down on his luck both physically and financially and they need the money they will make on this trip. Even though one rule they always follow is not to dive if your gut tells you not to they do anyway. The problem is that once they get to the dive site Julies father is not well enough to dive, Julie must go down alone and the two people she is taking into the depths have little respect for anyone let alone the leadership of Julie.
You can tell from the book description that things go horribly wrong and when they surface from the deepwater below there is not a boat to be found.
I enjoyed this book. I thought the character development was well done. I could feel the tension as this survival story unfolded.
Easy to read with an edge-of-your-seat experience.
Book Trailer/Movie
There are a ton of book trailers out there on this book. I watched a few of them and I could not find one I liked or the official book trailer.
I could not find anything on a movie based on this book.
A Five Star and A One Star Review as Found on GoodReads
The Five Star Review- "Once again, Watt Key has delivered a fast-paced, exciting middle grade book. I have read every one of this author's books and was excited to receive an early copy of this latest one. I love that all his books are set in the Gulf area. Having visited there several times, his books come to life even more. Make sure to read the author's note at the end of the book."
The One-Star Review-"Really just hated this book, how it was written the pace, the style, not a fan, felt like a movie I’ve seen three times before"
Me-I totally disagrees with the one-star review. I thought the 5-star review was spot on and that the book was fast-paced and exciting.
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Book 5
"The Hush"
by Sarah Foster
Genre-Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Mystery,
4.08 out of 5 stars on Good Reads
I give this book4/5
Click on the photo below to go to amazon.
Book Description found on GoodReads
A multigenerational, female-led thriller, and a terrifying conspiracy that goes right to the heart of the British Government.Six months ago, in an English hospital, a healthy baby wouldn’t take a breath at birth. Since then there have been more tragedies, and now the country is in turmoil. The government is clamping down on people’s freedoms. The prime minister has passed new laws granting authorities sweeping powers to monitor all citizens. And young pregnant women have started going missing.
As a midwife, Emma is determined to be there for those who need her. But when her seventeen-year-old daughter Lainey finds herself in trouble, this dangerous new world becomes very real, and both women face impossible choices. The one person who might help is Emma’s estranged mother Geraldine, but reaching out to her will put them all in jeopardy …
The Hush is a new breed of near-future thriller, an unflinching look at a society close to tipping point and a story for our times, highlighting the power of female friendship through a dynamic group of women determined to triumph against the odds.
Quote
“The system that supports you can also be used to control you,”
My thoughts after reading the book
In this book society is facing a new crisis, seemingly healthy babies are dying. Everything seems fine with mom and baby until the birth of the baby when they are born looking perfect yet they are dead. How does the government deal with this new problem? With mandates and the removal of people's rights. Everyone is being watched and monitored. Some pregnant women go missing sometimes along with their families.
Emma is a midwife and has to deal with these tragedies at the hospital in which she is employed. She knows that something is drastically wrong with not only the issue at hand but with the governments' response to the crisis. Emma's daughter becomes pregnant and this throws their world into even more chaos.
You will follow Emma, her daughter, and all their friends and family on this dangerous ride.
Enjoyable fast-paced read.
Book Trailer
I could not find a book trailer.
Movie
I did not find anything on a movie or tv show on this book.
A Five and One Star Review as Found on Amazon
A Five-Star Review- "Anyone who knows me, knows this is not my normal genre - I only found out about this after proofing a colleague’s blog post review - finished in a day so clearly I enjoyed it! Dystopian thriller with hints of what could quite easily become the new normal, gripping and fast paced, I only wish there was more to read!"
One-Star Review-"This was boring, full of plot holes and predictable as far as I was concerned."
Me-I agree more with the five-star review. As far as the one-star review I do agree it was slow at times but all in all, I enjoyed this read.
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I would love to know what you are reading. If you have read any of the above books, did you enjoy them? Please drop me a note in the comment box.
One-Star Review-"This was boring, full of plot holes and predictable as far as I was concerned."
Me-I agree more with the five-star review. As far as the one-star review I do agree it was slow at times but all in all, I enjoyed this read.
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I would love to know what you are reading. If you have read any of the above books, did you enjoy them? Please drop me a note in the comment box.
Take care and happy reading!
KathieyV:-)
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