Can the digital networks that record our footprints hold us steady when dementia threatens to push us off the path? This question has real stakes for data analyst Charlie Sanders. His best hope for a father succumbing to Alzheimerโs comes from assistive technology that Charlie helps design for a scrappy startup. Despite early successes, Charlie has growing doubts about the motives of each of his colleagues – the eccentric CEO in Seattle, the call center guru in India, and the Trump-loving Aussie transplant who keeps the books. His worries grow when the company takes on a clandestine client who occupies the Oval Office. Will Charlie keep his father and his country on track, or turn a whole generation into glitches?
*** Synopsis copied from amazon. ca
Genre:ย Adult | Fiction | Medical Fictionย |ย Technology
3 out of 5 stars!
An interesting concept! The Synopsis really intrigued me.
Take a moment to really think what it would be like to have a technology such as this existing today.
Would it be a game changer? ย
The story starts off with the perspective of Charlieโs father, Barry.ย ย I was immediately pulled into the story! I enjoyed when the story was told from his perspective. Hearing his thoughts and reactions towards this technology his son helped create was stern yet humours at times. I also thoroughly enjoyed Charlieโs interactions with his father. It painted a realistic relationship when connecting with a loved one suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer’s.ย ย The emotional strains are prominent for sure but you will never stop loving and caring for that person and Charlie showed that passion for his father in the story. Working hard not to correct his father when he mixed Charlie up with his brother or trying hard not to feel the hit to the heart when his father would go on with glowing memories and stories about his brother. Charlie knew his father was suffering and nothing was intentional.ย
Unfortunately Barryโs direct perspective and relationship with Charlie was not highlighted enough in the story, in my personal opinion. I would have loved way more from him, but of course that was not the main feature.
I was worried the heavy political aspect behind the story was going to pull my attention away but surprisingly it didnโt. However; I did find that I did get lost in the switching from perspective to perspective and how they all came together in the end. I found with the choppy transitions the story was not as engaging, perhaps I could even say a bit dry and unfortunately lost my focus. That being said John did send me an e-copy for review and when I realised I was running out of time in order to get my review up for the target date, I turned to the audiobook. Perhaps the narration didnโt help in these moments. Again this is just my own opinion. ย
Over all the story was interesting. I would like to see more from John. If he was to write a whole novel on Barry and Charlie, I know I would be right there!
Thank you so much John for sending me a copy to read and review. ย
I enjoy Urban Legends! I find it fascinating to hear stories from all around the world, unique to that culture. Dimas did a great job sharing these stories with the world.
Who’s There is something I would call comfy, cozy horror.
I didn’t find these stories to be overwhelmingly terrifying, you know those reads that leave you crawling in your skin, keep you up at night and looking over your shoulder every where you go? I found these horror tales to be gentle yet very enjoyable and easily consumed . Perfect for a horror newbie, someone looking to dip their toes into the dark fiction world or someone looking to learn more about dark tales from around the world, such as myself.
Although these stories are not overly terrifying they will twist and play with your mind, keeping you on your toes.
Dimas Rio did provide me with an e-copy to read and review, however when I saw it was on audio-book I wanted to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised with the audio version. The narrator did a great job of bringing the eerie feels of the stories together.
My question to you is …. Who’s There? Are you gutsy enough to find out?
Thank you so much Dimas for sending me an e-copy to read and review. I am intrigued and look forward to more of your work.
Black toxic smoke consuming the world one country at a time!
Evil lurking in the dark!
There’s no where to run, no where to hide…..
Monstre is truly the end of the world.
Duncan’s debut novel Monstre: Volume One was unbelievable! I am completely invested in this world and can’t wait for volume two.
I thoroughly enjoyed the format of Monstre. Jumping back and forth between day 0 when everything went down at the research facility to the future. Watching as people lose their minds doing absolutely anything they can to survive but honestly they have no idea what they will be truly facing when the smoke hits. Monstre is also told from multiple perspectives which only gives more depth to an already amazing read.
Dark, gruesome and incredibly detailed! I have read a lot of grim stories but the emotions, feelings and connections between the characters is what made this story much more gut-wrenching. The recognition, seeing your family, friends, neighbours people you cared for ripped apart or mangled so bad almost to the point where they blended in with earth itself! This is where the story will consume you.
I am absolutely impressed with Duncan’s talented story telling. There was not a single moment where I found myself bored while reading Monstre and just when the story starts to slow and you are ready to take that deep breath between the hard moments your beloved characters are blind sided with another horrid, life changing event.
Monstre will devour your mind and soul.
I was completely absorbed from the very first sentence. Not to mention Duncan keeps you questioning what these Monstre’s are in the dark and where they come from. Hoping to get more answers by the end… but do you?
One of my all time favourite reads of 2020 and I highly recommend it.
Thank you so much to Duncan for sending me a copy to read and review.
Sophia has clearly suffered a traumatic event, her behaviour shows it. Trying to pull herself together through the nightmares while a dark male figure with a blurry face follows her around. She’s doing the exact opposite! Sophia is hiding more and more, running from those around who love her.
Arti has written an enthralling psychological thriller with The Colours of Denial. Arti’s writing is absolutely stunning, so detailed. While reading you can’t only picture the scenes in your mind but you can almost smell the scents as well. My one very minor flaw was the story jumps back and forth between different time settings and I found the transitions to be a bit choppy and confusing. This was a read that I needed minimal interruptions throughout or I would find myself having to go back to see what I missed or where I got lost. Although, the quick transitions and jumping all over the place went really well with Sophia, the character herself. Her mind was all over the place, playing tricks on her, absolutely scrambled. So Arti’s wiring style along with these scenes made you feel as if you were in Sophia’s head and experiencing this confusion yourself. This is why I say it was only a minor flaw for me in the story as it all comes together and puts you in the shoes of the character.
The ending of this story will surprise you. I had my predictions, I was bouncing back and forth between two of them but had no clue which way it would go or if I was even correct until the very end. Arti will also have you wondering who this dark male figure is following Sophia around until the very end. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat needing to know, wanting those answers.
I will be honest while I started reading The Colours of Denial I thought I was going to be giving this read a solid 4 out of 5 stars but with the ending and the Arti’s incredible writing style in the end it was an honest 5 out of 5 stars.
A brilliant psychological thriller!
I look forward to what Arti releases in the future!
Publisher:ย ย Independently published (March 12 2020)
Genre: Young Adult | Fiction | Fantasy | Historical Fiction
4 out of 5 stars!
Phenomenal characters and outstanding world building!
Jake and Louie really set the bar in this story, these two will completely warm your heart. Brothers thrown into an awful situation but that’s okay! These two can hold their own and nothing will get in the way of protecting each other. Two extremely strong and forever loyal young men!
Elemental Links is packed full of incredible characters. Each story needs to have those strong main characters which of course this read does, but M.A. Leon truly shows her talent with creating characters when she created just as memorable supporting characters.
Jake and Louie are just starting to become more comfortable with their talents. Jake is becoming more and more skilled with his sword and Louie is learning to control his powers, when their whole world is flipped upside down. Desperate, full of so much unknown and with darkness at their heels they set out to meet their safe location. Packed full of excitement! Full of evil, magic, battles, warriors, friendship and some great humour. M.A. Leon has created this exciting world that reads so smoothly and fast paced you will get swept away.
I love a read balanced with great world building and wonderful characters! Elemental Links has both and so much more. I look forward to reading on in this world and learning more about these brilliant characters in book two: Blood Ties. (which is already out might I add, so you can always binge read!).
Thank you so much to M.A. Leon for sending me this copy to read and review. I look forward to reading on in book two!
What a STRIKING read!…(see what I did there?)…But honestly Striker X is such a colorful, vivid, exciting, yet dangerous world.
Vex is such a powerful, dominate character! Driven to be so much more than his father ever was or believed him to be. He has his guard up, thick skin protecting him from emotions of those around him. Vex is here to do his job and nothing more. However as the story goes on you see Vex grow emotionally is so many ways.
Vex’s day to day work as a Striker in the Interplanetary Galactic Force is dangerous enough hunting and killing these unimaginable beasts but he’s not worried. Vex knows his strength and ranking is well suited and deserved, yet he is completely blind to the corruption happening close to home. Although I don’t know who should be worried more… Vex is truly an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. One heck of an incredible character!
Negus’s world building is so imaginative. The creatures, sights, scents, right down to the almost daily oxygen level checks with Vex’s navigator is so intricately placed to devour the reader into another world.
I would love to see this duology adapted not only into film but a video game as well. This would be absolutely insane and it needs to happen!
I was so lucky to be able to review Striker X by listening to the audio book and let me tell you the story itself is already an impact, let alone an audio-book put together as well as this. The narrator did such a fantastic job, the sound effects and added music was not over powering nor did it take away from the story telling itself.
This is defiantly a read for sci-fi, video game lovers. Thank you so much Negus for sending me a copy to read and review. I look forward to Striker Y.
Genre: Young Adult | Fiction | Horror | Dark Fiction
3 out of 5 stars
Interesting werewolf twist!
Kevin is your typical teenager dealing with life, school, sports, friends and of course a girl! One day a couple wolves escape the local zoo and Kevin doesn’t think there is any chance he will come by them… until he does and one of them attacks!
Shortly after the attack Kevin starts to experience changes with his body. He becomes more aggressive, more agile, he has so much more strength and all of this contributes to being better in school sports. Kevin has an ideal of what is happening to his body but searches for more answers.
I enjoyed Keelan’s concept on werewolves and the angle he took with how they come to be. I also enjoyed the journal/documentation format Keelan put in place with Kevin’s best friend as well as a doctor Kevin comes into contact with later on in the story, discussing and leaning more about the changes his body’s going through. Keelan was extremely bold with the end of this read, this is where the blood and gore truly came out and Keelan was even willing to kill off some strong characters. This is not easy for an author to do because you don’t want to anger your readers but you also need to keep them on their toes and keep that excitement.
Although in the end I was searching for more of the horror aspect. I wanted more werewolf, more blood, gore… more screams! I found the lead up to this to be very long and the majority of the story was around Kevin and his feelings towards a girl he adores who doesn’t see him in that way and is dating other guys.
I wouldn’t say this book is amazing or mind blowing. It certainly has some neat ideas to it and the ending went out with some true intense crazy! However if this is a glimpse into Keelan’s writing from 4+ years ago than I am certainly intrigued to read more of Keelan’s work knowing he will have grown as an author and had a bit more experience with it all.
Two amazing authors with a chilling story and they executed it perfectly!
Charlie is just getting settled into her knew life, learning how to do things differently now that she is bound to a wheel chair for life, she truly has lost all independence. Until she discovers her new ability and connects with another small group of people who also share this same power. Charlie thought her world had already become a lot more dark after the accident but she has no idea what else is out there waiting to control her, keeping her on the ground.
This novella is packed full of eerie goodness, it has a little something for everyone.
This 130 page read is the sit down and devour it in one sitting kind of read.
These characters are so well done! Each of them are overcoming a life changing event while struggling with parts of their past, some with anger, some with resentment and some with remorse. This world is so much darker than it shows itself to be and once the evil is stirred Charlie and her new friends find out who they shouldn’t have trusted, just how much they will have to fight and of course not without loss!
I am wowed by this fascinated story and will need to get my hands on more of Wesley and Somer’s work while following any of their future work.
I also can’t thank Silver Shamrock Publishing enough for sending me a copy to review. The pieces they releasing are incredible and have raving reviews….
I love dystopian reads and Eyes of A Runner did not disappoint!
Eyes of A Runner is this dark world controlled by this over powered, corrupted Government and one tough, resilient young lady eager to take matters into her own hands!
Skyler created this incredible world with such relatable characters. All while incorporating past and current world problems (with his own spin of course). The underlying messages throughout this read are extremely powerful. The realism that parts of this world Skyler has created could potentially become our world or darn close to our world is whats truly terrifying.
Skylers’s writing is wonderful and full of vivid description. There is this one line that really stood out for me “The com-link was suddenly flooded with the sounds of gum popping before the women on the other end chimed in”. I couldn’t only picture this scene playing out in my mind but I could hear it.
Although this is a heavy story Skyler made sure to splash in some humour helping to break the story up and add in some well needed goofy, happy moments.
Skyler’s characters are phenomenal! Main characters stand out but when the supporting characters are just as strong, this really captivates me as a reader. Sarina is stubborn and she wants to change the world but when faced with a tough situation her passion to take charge herself completely takes over, leaving her with absolutely no disregard on how her actions may danger those around her.
Annelise is tough and extremely direct. She has no problem putting Sarina in her place and telling her straight up how it is. (She also has one of my all time favourite lines in the book, you will just have to read it and see).
Daniel is mysterious, flat out dangerous yet you can see his kind heart. He may be one of my favourite characters… I’m not sure just yet.
Honestly, I just can’t wait to read more in this world and to learn more about these characters. Oh and before I go, I have to tell you some of these characters had under gone some extensive alterations by the UDA and have now become some type of “super soldier”….. yeah you heard me right!
Point is I say people should be definitely picking up Eyes of A Runner and giving it a go.
Thank you so much Skyler for sending me a copy to read and review, I look forward to book two!
In The Beginning is Nick’s intense and thrilling story of how heaven and hell became what they are, how Lucifer was banished to hell and the truth that comes forward when two people destined to be in love changing life forever.
I was in shock of how well Nick switched the rolls of God and Lucifer. To feel so many frustration and anger towards God but to feel your heart soften when Lucifer was around. So many emotions to be had in this read!
The second half of this story was written as The New Testament and this is where the two innocent humans who are madly in love come into the picture. Their lives are not overly extraordinary, they struggle day to day as many of us do but they have each other to live for. They strive to do good and to make the world better any little way they can while dealing with their own life problems. Until something awful happens, pulling them apart and one of them feels forced to become bad in the world, do harm themselves and contradicting everything they stood for. I found this part fascinating and yet I found it made me fight with myself and my own beliefs ….perhaps what I may do if faced with this situation myself..
Nick’s writing is captivating, fast and to the point. This is such a quick read and although Fiction it may open your eyes to so many things going on around the world. Such a great underlying meaning in this read.
Thank you so much Nick for sending me a copy to read and review. I appreciate it so much and can’t wait to see what you else you put out into the world with that fascinating mind of yours!
nichi.i_readpastmybedtime 