Book Review: The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Title: The Merciless

Author: Danielle Vega

Series/Standalone: The Merciless Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Horror

Pages: 279

Publisher: Razorbill

Year Published: 2014

Format: Hardcover (Own It)

"Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied and gagged. No one outside these dank basement walls knows she's here. No one can hear her scream. 

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn't have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn't realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn- but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can't go against the other girls... unless she wants to be next."

My Rating: 3.5/5

I've had this book on my physical TBR for a while, and I'm glad I got to it. It was an intense read, and for people looking for horror with that 2010s kind of young adult style this was perfect. I was honestly surprised by how intense the body horror was and the horror scenes overall. The characters were interesting, but I don't see myself reaching for the next book in the series at this time.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Rule Of The Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli

Title: Rule of the Aurora King

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Series/Standalone: Artefacts of Ouranos (Book #2)

Genre: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance,

Pages: 512

Publisher: Indie Published

Year Published: 2023

Format: Kindle (Kindle Unlimited)

"'I am not his conquest. I am not his to claim. I am my own castle.' Freed from the golden clutches of the Sun King, Lor now finds herself in the hands of Nadir, the Auror Prince. Convinced she's hiding something, he's willing to do whatever it takes to make her talk. But Lor knows the value of secrets- she's been keeping them her entire life- and she's not letting hers go without a fight. When Lor and Nadir team up to search for a lost item that holds the keys to her past and her future, she isn't sure she can trust him. All she knows is she won't fall for another royal fae's promises again. With the Sun King determined to reclaim her, Lor must keep on the move, but nowhere is safe. Not until she destroys him and the Aurora King. But she soon learns that the future of Ouranos depends on much more than avenging her shattered legacy."

My Rating: 3/5

I want a little more from this series. It's pulling from so many other fantasy tropes that I can't help but see it as a discount version of other series that I've enjoyed. It's fun, the spice is good. I do think I'll continue and read the next one, but I'm not in a huge rush to get there. The plot isn't surprising in the way I hoped, so it's hard to be motivated to keep reading when you can see exactly where it's going. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Malibu Rising

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Series/Standalone: Reidverse (Book #3)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Historical Fiction

Pages: 369

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Malibu: August, 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brother Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer, and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over, especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva. 

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud- because it is long past time to confess something to his brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own- including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface."

My Rating: 4/5

There is something so impressive about Taylor Jenkins Reid's work. It feels so close to our reality that you can picture the famous characters, you can almost "remember" the events, even though they are fictitious. It makes you want to meet these people or watch documentaries about them. Her ability to create characters is what I truly love about her work. This was no different. My only complaint is that it felt a bit odd to not have any sort of epilogue, and the plot wasn't entirely based on fame as others in this series had been. I liked it and look forward to listening to the next novel in the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

Title: The Way I Used to Be

Author: Amber Smith

Series/Standalone: The Way I Used to Be Duology (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Pages: 385

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Year Published: 2016

Format: Audiobook (Own Physical)

"All Eden wants is to rewind the clock. To live that day again. She would do everything differently. Not laugh at his jokes or ignore the way he was looking at her that night. And she would definitely lock her bedroom door.

But Eden can't turn back time. So she buries the truth, along with the girl she used to be. She pretended she doesn't need friends, doesn't need love, doesn't need justice. But as her world unravels, one thing becomes the only person who can save Eden... is Eden."

My Rating: 4/5

This was a hard read. The subject matter deals directly with sexual assault and rape, along with the aftermath. This is an important book for anyone and everyone. But I would be hesitant to recommend it, as this isn't a topic that many people open up about. Telling people your history is always your choice, but you do not have to keep other people's crimes secret. Their secrets don't have to live with you; you can tell your truth. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny