Simon - Michael Mullin

                Simon is a fast paced novel that had me hooked from the very first page. A mass murder has occurred in a well-to-do New England community and five people are dead. How they died and who they are is slowly revealed throughout the book as the narrative moves back and forth from the present day news reports about the murders to the past events that led up to the crimes. Simon is a young man who lost his father and had to watch his mother marry his uncle. Scheming to get a hold of Simon’s share of his father’s company, Simon’s uncle weaves a wicked web that results in tragedy. Somewhat based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, this book is a thrilling read from the beginning to the end. The writing is gripping and keeps the reader wanting to turn the pages. The characters are well thought out and multifaceted, especially Simon, as the reader witness’s his descent into understandable madness. The dialogue is well written and believable. The writing is so good and the book full of so many twists that I didn’t have the entire story figured out until the author revealed it at the end. It has a unique ending and the lack of predictability made it a very enjoyable read. Aimed at young adults, it will also be enjoyable to older age groups as well. I read the book on my ereader and it formatted well. The cover didn’t really catch my eye at first but upon closer look it is quite unique. This is a really excellent read!

Oedipussy - Solomon Deep

                It was the cover of Oedipussy as well as the odd name that drew me to reading this book. I’m not particularly a fan of grunge music but the idea of a coming of age story set in the ‘90s sounded like a good read. Todd is almost out of high school and his sole dream in life is to be part of a famous grunge band and tour the world with his girlfriend by his side. The first half of the book is about just that and I can’t say that the writing style really held my interest. It’s heavy on the music side of things, a bit of adolescent sex, and not too big on character development. About half way through, there’s a major twist in the story that is somewhat easy to figure out but from that point on I found that the story really picked up. Todd’s character becomes more fleshed out and his relationship with others is interesting. Without giving anything away, Todd’s growth as he tries to realize his dream and deal with his reality makes for interesting reading and the book was much better reading. A pure music fan will probably enjoy the entirety of the book because they’ll appreciate Todd’s obsession with his music. The digital form of the book worked well on my ereader. As I said above, the cover definitely draws the eye to it.

Forests of the Fae: Devlin's Door - Kristine Kibbee

                Forests of the Fae: Devlin’s Door is the first book of a very promising series written by Kristine Kibbee. Suitable for young adults and up, this book has the perfect amount of action and adventure to keep the interest of this age group. From the first page the author grabs the reader’s attention, teasing about the mysterious abandoned town named Nowhere Town where, decades ago, all of the inhabitants vanished seemingly overnight.  Anne, spending the summer with her redneck aunt and uncle and nasty cousin Lexie, stumbles upon the secrets of Nowhere Town, including ghostly inhabitant Grace, evil fairies, and Grace’s diary which brings the town back to life. This book is very well written and has wonderfully detailed characters and creative settings, both in this world and the fae world. Devlin’s Door is definitely a fun and entertaining read. All of the characters are realistically written, in particular the teenagers who are very believable in their actions and dialogue. The description of the way of life of the fae and their world is imaginative and well thought out, sometimes drawing from well-known fae lore and sometimes with some new concepts of this fantasy world. I love reading a book where one can tell the author has spent a lot of time developing a brand new world and that is quite evident in this book. I hope to enjoy the second book in this series soon. I read this book on my ereader and it formatted well. The cover is very well done, both interesting and eye-catching.

Her Charm Was Contagious - DH Markov

I really enjoyed this book but I can honestly say that I was questioning whether I would or not. The synopsis was a bit vague about what the story was about but as soon as I started reading I knew I would enjoy it. I love a book that grabs me from the beginning and the style of writing is always important in doing this for me. This author writes in a way that caught my interest from the beginning. Without “talking down” to the reader, he/she immediately opens up the world of an ER from all perspectives, including the doctors’ and nurses’ thoughts about various situations that can occur. The medical terminology used throughout the book is explained in layman’s terms without interrupting the flow of the book. The pace is steady the whole way through with twists that lead to the excellent heart-stopping ending (not what I was expecting but in a most deliciously exciting way). There are no cracks in the story, even when there is a time jump. It was never confusing as to what has happened or who is who. The author made the story believable, even if I didn’t like the actions or thoughts of the medical staff, and it seems obvious that the author has knowledge of how a hospital and medical practice is run. Sometimes with so many characters it is hard to remember who is who but in the case of this book they are each written with such individuality that there is no problem remembering who they are and investing in each one, whether it’s to wish them well or wish them thrown through a window. I love the fact that each character has both bad and good qualities, which is important for me because I need to care about them, for good or bad. Keith is a perfect main character. He has some bad qualities but for the most part is a good guy, just flawed like all humans. That made him human for me and hoping he survived it all. The part of the book with the murder/suicide was brilliantly written. Like many readers, I run a movie in my mind of what I am reading and this scene was heart-wrenching. The wife’s pain of her husband’s betrayal was written with so much realism that the ensuing violence didn’t seem gratuitous, rather it seemed needed so as to express her twisted hurt. The egos of the doctors is written in a believable way, heinous as they may be. The editing, punctuation and grammar were all perfect.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and, sadly, almost didn’t choose to read it because looking at the cover and title I assumed it was just a romance. After reading the book I understand the title but the cover is a bit misleading and may compel non-romance readers to ignore an entertaining read. I was genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and glad I read it.