The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock Review

I wanted to love The Devil All the Time. I tried so hard to love it, and I did in the beginning. However, things fell apart pretty quickly.

Set in 1960, Ohio and West Virginia, The Devil All the Time follows a unique cast of characters. Willard Russell returned from World War II tormented by the carnage. But the hardest thing he will ever face is the death of his wife. He prays and offers sacrificial blood, but nothing calms the cancer. Then there’s Carl and Sandy Henderson who travel the country looking for models to feature in their deadly photographs. You can’t forget to mention the spider handling preacher and his sidekick who are running from the law. Finally, there’s Arvin, Willard and Charlotte’s orphaned son, who grows up in the thick of it all.

The Devil All the Time starts well. It’s atmospheric and gritty. It has the promise of a great story. In the beginning I was hooked.

Unfortunately, the more I read the less interested I became. I could care less about most of the characters. I also thought Arvin would be more involved. He really didn’t become prominent until the end.

Basically, everything happened at the end. The pacing felt off and the payoff comes late. It just kept building and build. And frankly, I got bored. In the last few pages everything finally started to come together, but by that point I’d lost interest. I’m bummed that I didn’t like The Devil All the Time more. I had high hopes for it.

My Rating: 2/5

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Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco Review

I’ve wanted to read Kingdom of the Wicked for a long time. I finally sat down and made the time for it. Here are my thoughts.

After the murder of her twin, Emilia is out for vengeance. Emilia and her family are witches who live secretly among the humans. She will find her sister’s murderer at any cost, even if she has to use dark magic. This forbidden magic leads her to Wrath, a prince of Hell. Wrath claims he is on Emilia’s side, but the Wicked can’t be trusted.

The beginning of Kingdom of the Wicked is amazing. I love the world building and magic system. It is everything I look for in a story about witches. It’s full of herbal spells, tinctures, and candles. I love the cottage core vibes.

Plus, the food sounds mouth watering. I was hungry during a majority of the book. I also loved the hustle and bustle of the family restaurant. It was quaint and cozy. Unfortunately, that doesn’t last.

The murder of Vittoria completely changes the book’s direction, obviously. Emilia begins to lose interest in the family business. She only wants to find Vittoria’s murdered and make them suffer. She starts using dark magic, which is where Wrath comes in.

I really liked Wrath. I like the chemistry between Emilia and Wrath. However, their relationship didn’t develop as much as I wanted. I know this is a series, so I hope that comes in the later books.

Another thing I didn’t love was the big reveal. I guessed who the murderer was in the first few pages. Sometimes that can be saved if the motive was fulfilling, but I didn’t feel that way about this one. It just seemed lackluster to me.

All in all, I think this was a decent start to a series. On it’s own I didn’t love it, but I like what it set up for the next book.

My Rating: 3/5

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The Body by Stephen King Review

Stand By Me has always been one of my favorite Stephen King movies. There’s just something special about it. So I wanted to read The Body to see if I felt the same way. I did. It was so good. It’s definitely one of my favorite King stories now.

It’s 1960 in Castle Rock, Maine. When a boy from a nearby town goes missing, Gordie Lachance and his three friends set out on a quest to find his body. This coming of age story explores contrast between loneliness and friendship as the boys face life and death.

I loved The Body. I’m so glad that I finally made the time for it. It gives more depth into the mind of the main character. Years after the event, Gordie became a successful writer and The Body is his memoir. I’m impressed by King’s ability to create an entirely different tone from his own. There are glimpses of Kings style, but it truly feels like this was written by someone else.

While this is considered a coming of age story, it is overwhelmingly nostalgic. We get to see how the events in this story effected an adult Gordie. He shares the good memories along with the bad. King captured the feeling of a late summer day as a kid. I started to miss my own childhood friends.

The Body deserves a ton of love. It shows King’s talent. It’s out of usual style, but it’s wonderful nonetheless.

My Rating: 5/5

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From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout Review

I had to see what the hype was all about. From Blood and Ash has been everywhere. Let’s get to it.

The Maiden is chosen by the gods to bring in a new era. She can’t be touched, spoken to, or interacted with. Poppy’s life is not her own. All pleasure is forbidden until after Ascension. And even then, she doesn’t know what awaits her. Her guard, Hawke, catches her eye. He makes her question….everything…. Poppy’s world will never be the same.

The beginning of From Blood and Ash was slow. There’s no way around it. It takes a bit to build the world, and I still never had a completely clear grasp of it. However, all that will be solved later.

Poppy is hard to get to know in the beginning. I wasn’t convinced that I would like her. Luckily, she develops more throughout the book. By the end, I liked her. I think she’s a great character.

I liked Poppy as a character, and I loved the romance between her and Hawke. They are both so sassy. I love a good witty romance.

Lastly, I expected the twist. It was quite obvious, but I loved the execution. It brought the whole story to a place I loved, and answered all of my question. Not to mention, that cliff hanger was killer. It set up for the next story perfectly. I need it now.

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Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo Review

I finally read Siege and Storm. I’ve wanted to move on with this series for a minute, but I kept procrastinating. Unfortunately, after reading Siege and Storm, I’m not sure if I want to continue this series. Let’s get into my review.

Alina and Mal have fled the Fold, but darkness still haunts them. The Darkling survived that monumental day on the Fold and brought a new power with him. With the help of a charming privateer, Alina chases her new destiny. As her power grows, her connection to Mal suffers. She will have to decide if she wants to save her country, or lose everything she has ever loved.

Ugh, the angst. The whole book was focused around the angst between Mal and Alina. Even during major events. Mal was almost never off of Alina’s mind. Plus, there is a possible love triangle, or square, developing. Let’s just say Alina has a lot of options. It was all very dramatic.

After getting past the angst, the story is mostly filler. A few new characters and plot points were introduced, but it mostly felt like filler to start the next book.

I was disappointed by this. It didn’t give me the sequel I wanted. I loved Shadow and Bone, but Siege and Storm wasn’t great. But it did set up an interesting power change for the last book. I might continue on with the series just to see how it plays out.

My Rating: 2/5

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Needful Things by Stephen King Review

I’m happy to be back in Castle Rock. It’s been so long since I’ve read anything by Stephen King. So the first book I grabbed this year had to be Needful Things.

There’s a new store in Castle Rock. It has something for everyone. Literally. Anyone who enters finds the object of their dreams. In addition to payment, the proprietor, Leland Gaunt, requests that each person performs a “deed” on someone else from town. These deeds soon cause unrest in Castle Rock. Sheriff Alan Pangborn is the only one who begins to suspect the new shop owner.

My Thoughts on Needful Things

I don’t think Needful Things gets the hype it deserves. It was never on my radar until recently. I’m glad I picked it up. I almost liked it more than IT and I know I liked it more than Carrie. It had everything I need in a suspense novel. Plus, King brought back one of my favorite bad guys, Ace Merrill. He was the antagonist in The Body, which was adapted into the movie Stand By Me.

Needful Things is one of the most character driven stories that I’ve ever experienced. There is a lot of backstory and minute details that you have to pay attention to. I personally enjoy that, but if you enjoy plot driven stories it might drive you crazy.

There was a ton of miscommunication in this one. Basically, the whole climax was built on miscommunication with a little nudge from Leland Gaunt. He just set the wheels in motion and then watched the chaos unfold.

Lastly, the imagery at the end was amazing. It was spooky and thought provoking. I do think it wrapped up a little too easily for all the build up, but that was my only negative thought. I’m ready to move on to my next King title. Recommend a few in the comments!

My Rating: 4/5

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The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins Review

The Wife Upstairs was one of my most anticipated winter releases. When I saw it as a December Book of the Month choice I had to have it. It was my last read of 2020, and it was a great way to end the year.

The new dog walker is all anyone in Thornfield Estates can talk about. Her name is Jane and she is new to Birmingham, Alabama. None of her wealthy clients notice that jewelry and trinkets disappear after Jane’s arrival. That’s because no one notices Jane outside of her dog walking duty. That is until she meets Eddie Rochester. He is Thornfield Estates mysterious new widower. All Jane sees in Eddie is opportunity. An opportunity to enter the lifestyle of the wealthy and to finally have the protection she craves. However, only on thing stand in her way. The presence of Eddie’s wife Bea still haunts the home even after her mysterious disappearance.

My Thoughts on The Wife Upstairs

The Wife Upstairs is an imaginative retelling of Jane Eyre. Hawkins done a great job capturing the gothic feel of Jane Eyre in a modern setting. That in itself is impressive.

Hawkins also managed to make characters that were likable and loathable at the same time. Most of them were not great people, but their motives made sense. I knew that Jane was super manipulative, but I still wanted the situation to go her way. The juxtaposition of those two feelings really grasped my attention.

Lastly, the mystery was well thought out. It kept me guessing almost the entire time. And I lovedddd the plot twist. I never saw it coming. There had to be a tiny bit of suspension of belief at the end, but all-in-all I completely loved it.

My Rating: 5/5

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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse Review

Well, we’ve made it to my last review of 2020. Luckily, it’s a good one. I haven’t heard a lot about Black Sun, but it’s so good. It’s book one in a fantasy series inspired by Native American culture. Let’s get to it.

A god will return to the city of Tova under a black sun on the day of the winter solstice. The Sun Priest prophesizes an unbalance in the world. Days earlier, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova. The captain, Xiala, is Teek. Her magic calms the waters. Her only passenger is a blind man name Serapio. His destiny is ahead of him and he will do anything to fulfill it.

My Thoughts on Black Sun

I love the fact that Black Sun is inspired by pre-Columbian America. I think we can all agree that we need a break from fantasy based solely on European culture. It’s time for something new and this gave me everything I wanted.

The storyline is pretty straight forward. The new religion is trying to cast out the old gods. However, there is corruption in the system. There is a steady uprising in the number of cultists that are returning to the old gods. The cultist prophesize the return of the Odo Sedoha. The unrest in Black sun is almost palpable. Something big is about to happen.

Next, let’s talk about characters. For the most part, Serapio is our main character. He is also probably the most developed. However, Xiala and Naranpa are important to the story as well. Some mysteries still remain around each of the characters, but I imagine those will be revealed throughout the series.

I believe Black Sun is the starting point to something epic. There was a lot of world building and unanswered questions, but it left me wanting more. It was an awesome read.

My Rating: 4/5

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The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab Review

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue has to be one of the most hyped books of 2020. It has been everywhere. However, when I first started it in October, I put it down. I found it very slow. I picked it back up this month, and I’m glad I did. Let’s get into my final thoughts.

France 1714: a young woman makes a hasty bargain to live forever. However, she will be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the tale of Addie Larue. She will travel across centuries trying to leave a mark on the world that doesn’t know her name. But after 300 years things suddenly change when she meets a man that remembers her.

My Thoughts on The Invisible Life of Addie Larue

Like I said at the beginning, this book is slow. It’s very character-driven and that takes some time to build. But the writing is gorgeous. Every sentence V.E. Schwab writes is decadent. You will find yourself longing for the river banks of France.

The story picks up when Addie meets Henry. I love his character arc. He added a lot of depth to the plot, which I think was his purpose. I don’t want to say that there was a lot of monotony in Addie’s arc, but there definitely was. It didn’t matter how many centuries she lived her story was always the same. I believe that was Schwab’s intention because meeting Henry felt like a jarring experience that changed everything.

Another character that intrigued me was Luc. I would love to know more about him. He fabricated this whole thing, and I want to know his thought process.

Overall, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue was a beautiful read. It was a twisty, tricky story of the intertwined lives of the main characters. Beauty and heartache permeated every detail. There was also hope and love throughout. If you can overlook the slow development, it is worth the read.

My Rating: 4/5

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Wild Horses on the Salt by Anne Montgomery

Wild Horses on the Salt immediately caught my attention. The author reached out to me and me and offered a copy in exchange for my honest review. Set in the wilds of Arizona, I figured it would be for me. Let’s get to the review!

When Rebecca Quinn flees from her abusive husband, her only option is to head to Arizona. There she meets Gaby, her aunt’s best friend. Becca finds refuge at Gaby’s inn located in the Tonto National Forest. There Becca settles in surrounded by new friends. Becca’s new life is suddenly shattered when her husband tracks her down.

My Thoughts on Wild Horses on the Salt

I enjoyed this one. I loved the whole found family aspect. The main character definitely needed love. She came from an abusive childhood and marriage. Throughout the book, Becca copes with post-traumatic stress disorder because of that.

In one part of the book, a character (I can’t remember who) described Becca as hard to get to know. As a reader, I found that to be true. She did feel a little one dimensional. I would have liked to see a little more character growth, but overall I liked her.

I loved the fact that nature played a large role in this. There were chapters woven in that was set from the perspective of one of the wild horses that live in the Sonoran desert. While the life of the horse and Becca didn’t intersect in a big, dramatic way it did show all of the little ways that humans and nature interact. I loved that the author had a lot to say about the environment and wildlife conservation.

I feel the need to mention that this is very much a slow burn read. However, I found it necessary. Becca was healing from trauma and that takes time. The climax didn’t really happen until Becca’s husband returned near the end.

Lastly, let’s talk romance. It’s obvious that a romance is being set up. While I liked the romance, and her potential partner, I didn’t think it was completely necessary. I wish it had focused more on personal growth and healing.

I really liked Wild Horses on the Salt. It’s not an easy subject to read about, but Anne Montgomery wrote it well.

My Rating: 4/5

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