Time for some mini-reviews! What are mini-reviews, you ask? As the title suggests, these are short reviews, consisting of one paragraph tops, about a book. It’s a way to catch up on the books I’ve read a while ago, but never got around to reviewing.
The Door That Led to Where
Tite: The Door That Led to Where
Author: Sally Gardner
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
AJ Flynn has just failed all but one of his GCSEs, and his future is looking far from rosy. So when he is offered a junior position at a London law firm he hopes his life is about to change – but he could never have imagined by how much.
Tidying up the archive one day, AJ finds an old key, mysteriously labelled with his name and date of birth – and he becomes determined to find the door that fits the key. And so begins an amazing journey to a very real and tangible past – 1830, to be precise – where the streets of modern Clerkenwell are replaced with cobbles and carts, and the law can be twisted to suit a villain’s means. Although life in 1830 is cheap, AJ and his friends quickly find that their own lives have much more value. They’ve gone from sad youth statistics to young men with purpose – and at the heart of everything lies a crime that only they can solve. But with enemies all around, can they unravel the mysteries of the past, before it unravels them?
A fast-paced mystery novel by one of the country’s finest writers, THE DOOR THAT LED TO WHERE will delight, surprise and mesmerise all those who read it.
Review: An enjoyable book that mixes a lot of different genres into a surprising, unique tale. The main downside is how slow the story is at the start. The writing just didn’t really impress me, and sometimes I even glanced past some of the plot developments because they happened so casually. While the book had a great concept (I love time travel in just about any shape or form), the writing needed some work and the plot wasn’t entirely believable. I don’t need the time travel to be believable, I just need the character’s reactions to be believable, and that was lacking here.
Greythorne
Title: Greythorne
Author: L.M Merrington
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Gothic
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
How did Lucy Greythorne die?
From the moment Nell Featherstone arrives at Greythorne Manor as a governess to eight-year-old Sophie, she finds herself haunted by the fate of the mistress of the house, and entranced by the child’s father, the enigmatic Professor Nathaniel Greythorne.
When a violent storm reveals Lucy’s body is not in her grave, Nell becomes suspicious about the Professor’s research. But what she discovers in his laboratory will turn all her ideas about life and death, morality and creation on their head.
Enthralled by a man walking a fine line between passion and madness, Nell must make an impossible choice between life, death, and life after death, where any mistake could be her last.
Perfect for fans of Daphne DuMaurier, Susan Hill and Kate Mosse.
Review: Despite the overused plot of a governess stuck in a haunted house, I did enjoy this book. I love gothic ficton, and “Greythorne” is an excellent addition to the genre. I saw most of the twists coming, but that didn’t take away from the plot, or how much I enjoyed the book.
Undertow
Title: Undertow
Author: K.R. Conway
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Eila Walker knows luck is not a friend, so she is downright shocked to inherit a million-dollar Cape Cod home. And yeah, her new town isn’t perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to repeat itself.
When Raef O’Reilly becomes her friendly, yet weirdly protective shadow, Eila thinks life is pretty darn perfect – until she is hauled beneath the waves by an unnatural undertow. Revealing coal-black eyes and iron-like strength as he rescues her, Raef can no longer hide what he is . . . or what she can do. Eila, last of her kind, can supposedly channel the power of human souls, while Raef is more adept at stealing them. Even worse, the legend about her ancestor isn’t such a myth, since Eila’s grandmother was one kick-butt warrior until her lightning-like power backfired. A power that is written all over Eila’s DNA.
Determined to stay one step ahead of a dangerous clan that is hunting her, Raef, along with three unlikely allies, will do all they can to protect her. But as hidden pieces of their brutal histories unravel, Eila begins to understand just what went down in the harbor square. She soon realizes that following in her grandmother’s fearless footsteps may be the only way to save those she loves . . . including Raef.
Review: Although I figured out early where this book was heading, I still loved it. The moment Eila moves into a million-dollar Cape Cod home, she starts having visions of sorts, and whenever she’s around local bad boy Raef, she feels fear, although she can’t explain why. Eila is an amazing character with a great personality. She acted like a real person, and her friendship with Ana and MJ seemed genuine too. I can’t wait for the sequel.
Glad to hear you had such a great time with Undertow. I’m not sure the first title is right for me, although your “an enjoyable book that mixes a lot of different genres into a surprising, unique tale” got me intrigued. As for Greythorne, it sounds like the one I’d go for!
While I’ve never heard of any of these before, the last one sounds really interesting! I’m not so sure about the first one, it sounds like one I might not pick up – slow beginnings never work out for me 🙁 But I’m glad you enjoyed the rest!
I’ve actually heard of Untertow, but the one that really catches my eye is Greythorne! The cover and the synopsis definitely sound like my kind of read. I’m definitely going to be checking that one out!
Tracy @ Cornerfolds