Flash Reviews | #7 | April 18 - May 9, 2016

034. The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
I loved this book and I was really surprised at how much it sucked me in. I knew nothing of this book going into it - I didn't even know that it was young adult - and I think that that really helped my reading of it because I had no expectations. I thought that Hesse did a good job with keeping the intrigue moving throughout the entire story; even when the titular girl was found, there was still so much more to develop. I found myself deeply rooting for these characters and their well-being. You can read my full review here. ★★★★½

035. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
I found that while I wanted to love this book, there were sections that left me disinterested and wanting more. This was my first experience with Kristin Hannah's writing and it certainly left me wanting to try more, however. I thought that the occasional switch between time periods was almost unnecessary and took me out of the story because I didn't really have an interest in those chapters. I appreciated the hope and humanity that Hannah weaved throughout the horror of that time. You can read my full review here. ★★★★

036. The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre
I devoured this book. I thought that there was a really good balance between the erotic elements and the thriller elements. It's so weird to be rooting for a character that has such a need and desire to kill, isn't it? I loved that we got to have a look at all sorts of different clients that Deanna deals with and was really happy with how things played out throughout the story. This book (and series) has a readability to it that is undeniable - I read the three books in less time than it took me to read The Nightingale. You can read my full review (eventually) here. ★★★★½

037. Do Not Disturb by A.R. Torre
While this second Deanna Madden installment had the same addictive quality of the first, I was quite disappointed in how it focused less on her online life and more on her real life. I think this is mostly because I am not a fan of Jeremy. I also found it incredibly hard to read the chapters that were from the perspective of the bad guy - too much racism, sexism, sexual violence. No, thank you. The saving grace of this book, for me, was Mike. I love Mike. I loved the online aspect of the first book so I was disappointed to see that this one didn't feature so much of that. You can read my full review (at some point) here. ★★★½

038. Legend by Marie Lu
After wanting to start this series for a very long time, and after loving The Young Elites and The Rose Society, let's just say that Legend was... very underwhelming. It may be because I'm over dystopia or it may be because this one just isn't particularly special but reading this book was a chore. I thought that the world left a lot of questions to be answered - who is this Elector person? - and I didn't really understand how things came to be. The characters weren't anythning special to me and the romance was meh at best. Nothing was captivating or unique, really, and that hurts me to say because I love Marie Lu's writing. You can read my full review (one of these days) here. ★★

039. If You Dare by A.R. Torre
While even more removed from the camgirl aspect of Do Not Disturb, I enjoyed this book more. I thought that the change in setting was really interesting and I think it worked well in relation to the "having to be locked up" aspect of book one. Again, Mike was so wonderful here, and I really, really am into the idea of him and Deanna together - is that an unpopular opinion? I'll be honest, I was happy that Jeremy wasn't really in this one. There's just something about him that doesn't click with me. Just as readable as books one and two, and I'm left wanting so much more from this series. You can read my full review (I'll get there eventually) here. ★★★★

040. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
One of my most anticipated books of the year, I was absolutely ecstatic when this arrived. Upon finishing it, though, I was left sadly underwhelmed. I still really enjoyed parts of the book, but other sections just didn't work out for me. Andie wasn't the best main character that Matson has ever written. I much preferred to read about Bri and Toby and their friendship. Clark was a fine love interest, and I did think his and Andie's earlier interactions were adorable and awkward and some of my favorites. I thought that the fantasy excerpt elements were kind of pointless and I just wasn't sold on that plot - especially when there was the excerpt at the very end which included the book's characters in Clark's fantasy world. Secondhand embarrassment all over the place. I have more thoughts, which I will write up and post here (at some point in time). ★★★½