Featured Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

                                                                
                                                              The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

This review was written by my good friend at Armchair by the Fire!

"I actually had to read this book for school. And surprisingly, for once, it was pretty good.

Liesel Meminger is the main character in the book, and her story is told through the perspective of "Death" in Germany during the 30's and the Second World War. She is a young German girl who is fostered by two poor parents and as the story goes on, Liesel grows into a teenage girl. Along the way, she develops family relationships, makes friends, learns valuable lessons, and develops her own values, all while the horrors of Hitler's rise and the war occur. It's a coming-of-age novel that will strike a chord with readers.

Let me start by saying that this book is bursting with literary devices. The entire book is quite literally one giant metaphor, as "Death" tells the story. Every page has a metaphor somewhere, used in some way. You could be talking about poop and there would still be some deep metaphor made by the author. This is really great for analyzing and interpreting the multiple meanings. When I was discussing this book in a seminar, we all interpreted the book differently, and our answers were all reasonable. The descriptions are so detailed and the language used is not complicated and not too easy, which I like in a book."

That's not all! You can continue reading this review at Armchair by the Fire! Stay tuned, she will be uploading more reviews very soon!

Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters

                                                       Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters 
                                                                                     ★★★☆☆

I am a huge fan of Eric Walters, and when my friend said that this book was her favourite novel ever, I knew I just had to read it! (Check out her blog called Rafia Tasneem, you won’t be disappointed!) 

I’ll admit, I was intrigued from the start, but a few chapters in I was kind of losing interest due to the constant talk about football! I find that since Walters is a Canadian author, he could have somehow incorporated a little bit of ice hockey instead! That would have kept me interested, but to each his own! Nevertheless, when all is said and done, the sport of football should not take away from the main message of this book, and it most definitely did not.

Overall, this book was interesting, although I was left with tons of questions when I finished the book. It was a quick read, as I finished it within two days. I would recommend that you guys read this book and then comment below what you thought of it. Also, let me know whether or not you were left with unanswered questions.

Aside from questioning a few components of this novel, I believe that the message of this book was clear. The message is that there are always two sides, or perspectives, to a story and one needs to hear out both sides before coming to a conclusion, hence the title of this novel. I felt as though the characters could have been further developed to add to the message, and the book would in fact benefit from being a few pages longer than it actually was to have more substance. However, the alternating perspectives of Jay, who is a high school football player, and Haroon, who is a member of the school's trivia team, definitely added to the storyline and made it more interesting.

I do believe that the content in this book is quite relevant to what is going on today in Western countries, such as racial profiling. This novel does shed light on this issue, which I appreciate. Overall, it was a decent book, for which I have mixed feelings about.

Happy reading! 

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

          
                                                                Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben 
                                                                                     ★★★★☆

Harlan Coben never fails to impress me. His writing skills are top-notch, and every single book I have read by him is a total page-turner. There are quite a few of his books that I have read, but never got the chance to write a review for. Nevertheless, here goes a quick review for a book that I highly recommend if you are interested in murder mysteries / thrillers, or if you're interested in the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on an individual, which I find that this book effectively captures.

This story follows Maya, who was a military pilot, and is trying to uncover the truth regarding her husband’s murder. This novel delves into a twisted web of lies and mystery, and it ultimately leads to a stunning, bittersweet conclusion that will most definitely leave you speechless. Coben makes you believe one thing, but then throws a curveball, which makes for an excellent book. This novel allows the reader to experience the various emotions Maya feels after she has come back from war, and how even though she is no longer on the battlefield, every decision she made back there and everything she experienced still follows her in her current life in the US. As you truly get into the book, you begin to gain a liking for certain characters, and then suddenly you longer like them anymore for one reason or another. I personally did not like Shane throughout the book, but I won't go into my reasons as to why I didn't like him. You read the book and be the judge of which characters you like or dislike, and then feel free to leave a comment below!

I truly admire Maya throughout the book. Her perseverance and the fact that she served in the military makes me admire her so much more, as well as the way in which she is doing whatever it takes to solve the mystery. I truly respect military veterans, who leave their homes and risk their lives to serve their country. They are the bravest individuals and deserve as much support as they need when they get back from their deployment. 

I found myself carrying this book around with me whenever I left my room. If I was going to grab a coffee, I brought this book along with me and read it while I drank some java! When I went to eat breakfast, I still had this book with me! It was one of those books that you get into right from the start, and you won't be able to put it down until you have read the last page.

As with all the the Coben books I have read, I would suggest this book to anyone with a liking for crime / mystery novels. It was a quick read, and overall did not require much analysis, as everything was thoroughly explained close to the end of the book if you had trouble understanding what was going on. Please leave a comment if you would like to chat about this book! I am more than happy to have a discussion about this one! Happy reading! 💜

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay

                   

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay

What a phenomenal book! A stunning debut novel for Roz Nay! I’m so glad I got the chance to read this book right when it got published. This book truly met, and exceeded, all the expectations I have for a psychological thriller. Not only did I finish this book within two days, but it actually left me thinking and wondering what just happened, as I finished the last page. Honestly, I had to contact the author, Roz Nay, for clarification and I have no shame in saying this. I believe that a good book really does leave a reader questioning what just happened, and it just so happens that I was not reading in between the lines. I took the last few chapters a bit too literally, and failed to make an important connection, and once Roz Nay clarified the ending, it gave me a new perspective on the book.

We follow a love-stricken woman named Angela who is being interrogated regarding the disappearance of another woman. This woman is none other than the current wife of HP, who is Angela’s ex-boyfriend. After the first few chapters, one would simply conclude that Angela must have committed the crime due to jealousy, but once you truly get into the meat of the book, you realize that there is something more sinister, and psychologically confusing, at work, all leading to an INCREDIBLE ending.

The characters are very well developed, and I truly felt a connection with each and every one of them. As the book progresses, we delve into Angela’s past and see how HP and Angela met in high school, and we follow their lives as Angela moves to England for university. Once HP visits her in England, everything takes a drastic turn. Turn for the worse? Or a turn for the better? Well, you’ll have to read this book to find that out!

I’ll leave this review with my favourite quote from this novel.

“Put a crowd of a hundred people in a room and wait. Eventually the psychopaths will emerge, and I'm telling you now, they won't be who you first suspected and there'll always be more than one.” (Nay, 2017)

This quote intricately outlines the basis of this novel and has stuck with me ever since reading it. Leave a comment regarding which quote is your favourite! There are a few lessons one can learn from ‘Our Little Secret', and I encourage you all to read it!

Gone for Good by Harlan Coben

                                                         

                                                        Gone for Good by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is honestly one of the best mystery novelists ever! I have read quite a few of his books, such as Stay Close, The Stranger and Six Years. 'Gone for Good' kept me at the edge of my seat at all times, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed when reading this book. It's the kind of book that'll keep you awake until the late hours of the night, turning page after page non-stop, hoping to figure out the mystery. Once you feel as though you've figured something out, you come upon a bump that discredits what you originally thought.

Even though I've heard people tell me that the characters aren't well-developed in this novel, I beg to differ. I felt as though I knew the characters personally, and felt connected to them in some way. I highly recommend paying close attention to the descriptions of the characters. I felt like I skimmed over some important character descriptions, which actually proved to be incredibly important later in the novel. Honestly, the setting may be important, but the characters truly shape the nature of this book.

Will Klein is such an intriguing character. He's the protagonist who has just found out that his older brother is in fact alive, after thinking he was dead for over a decade. This proof is all he needs to set off a roller-coaster of a ride, in which Will stops at nothing, in a bid to find out the truth. Chapter after chapter a new mystery is thrown Will's way, and he does whatever it takes to solve the mystery. Does Will ever find out where his brother has been all this time? Why did Will's brother disappear in the first place? Read this book and find your answer to these questions! Comment below what you thought of the book once you read it! Thank you to Coben for an incredible book, cannot wait to read more of his novels!

The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey

The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey

I'll start off by saying that this is probably one of the best books I have ever read, and I'm not just saying that. I really enjoy mystery books with cliff-hanging suspense, and this novel had it all. Jane Casey has written an amazing nail-biter that I am very glad I read. It kept me on the edge of my seat (or bed) and I just couldn't put it down. I finished it within two days which is quite the record for me. The characters are well-developed and most are quite likable. To be honest, I never expected this book to end as it did, but that's exactly what makes it a real thriller.

This novel follows Maeve Kerrigan, a police officer, on her quest along with her team to find the Gentlemen Killer accused of killing women in the most horrific way. This killer is known to not leave any evidence behind and is always one step ahead of officers and detectives. Kerrigan's dysfunctional team of officers makes the task of finding the killer all the more challenging. 

Suddenly, evidence starts to mount against Kerrigan's partner, DI Josh Derwent but Kerrigan is having a hard time believing that Derwent is the killer, even though he is very self-conceited and has issues.  Kerrigan finds herself trusting Derwent, despite the pleas from her boss and her instincts. As some troubling secrets come up from Derwent's past, Kerrigan is having a hard time figuring out who to believe. 

As the days go by, another women is found murdered but the team still hasn't solved the previous murders. More and more evidence piles up and it all points to Derwent, or so the team wants to believe. The description of the killer is an exact match to Derwent's personality, but Kerrigan still does not believe that Derwent is the murderer. 

With Kerrigan watching her back from previous uncomfortable encounters, and trying to find the killer, will she ever accomplish the task? Is the killer from Derwent's past or is he the killer? To what lengths does the team have to go in order to uncover the truth? The truth will trouble you and leave you wishing the book never ended! 

I don't think my review does the book justice because I have so much to say but I do not know how to put it into words. All I will say is that you have to read the book and comment below what you thought of it!

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

Another excellent book written by the talented, Michael Connelly! Connelly truly knows how to write a book with suspense as well as that moment at the end where everything comes together!

In The Fifth Witness, we follow Michael Haller as he takes on foreclosure cases and is suddenly contacted by a client, named Lisa Trammel, who has been accused of murdering a businessman. This book shows how defense lawyers are, on occasion, manipulated by their clients. 

In this novel, the case invites a lot of media attention, but Haller does not appreciate the media at all. He does find them to be a source of possible income since he can sell the case stories if the client does not have enough money to pay, but that does not overrule the fact that he is not a huge fan of journalists and news reporters since they twist stories and words to their desire. 

This story clearly shows how a web of lies ultimately leads to the demise of a character but it is so well written that you are not able to put the pieces together until the last few chapters. I find that this suspense is what makes a great page turner and captures your attention right from the start.

It delves into the lucrative, yet complicated, business of mortgages and foreclosures and how citizens do not always get what they bargained for in the end. Through the ups and downs of the case, Mickey Haller never ceases to amaze with his eloquence and expertise in the courtroom, as well as his street smarts and intelligent thinking.

I find that the element of involving his daughter as well as the family issues that goes along with it seems to connect the reader to Haller as well as help them understand what he is going though.

The surprising twist at the end was a fantastic way to end the book and leave the reader really questioning Haller's life choices. What does the title of the book, The Fifth Witness, really mean? The answer will surprise you and you'll find out only if you read the book! Please comment on this post what you thought of the book since I would love to hear you opinion!