Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Author: Gillian Flynn
Release Date: June 10th 2010
Publisher: Phoenix
Pages: 424
Format: Paperback
Buy on: Waterstones, Barnes and Noble
Add to: Goodreads, Leafmarks

Rating: 5 stars

Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother behind bars.

Since then, she had been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben's innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her brother's? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?

She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day... especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.

Who did massacre the Day family? 

My Thoughts:

Dark Places is one of those books that linger in your brain for a while. You keep thinking about it again and again until your brain bleeds from the feeling of: That was fucking amazing.

I think this is my favorite book of the year, highly disturbing and dark with a pitch of macabre and thrilling detailing of the most chilling events.

It all starts with Libby Day a survivor from the Day family massacre back in the 80's. All these year she lived off the money people donated to her because they felt sorry for her, but money run out and she is in need of those, although, not too willing to either hear her lawyer or do something about the situation.

One day she is being contacted by a guy who participates in the Kill Club. A group of people who research various murders throughout time and they believe that her brother – who is in jail for her family's murder – is innocent. At first, Libby seems reluctant enough to go there and see what all this is about, because she is sure that her brother did it but soon enough those people will make interested because they are willing to pay for any information she can provide -and she needs the money- and also because they have some interesting theories about the real killer. And that's where the awesome story takes starts.

I was thrown in a world so complex and twisted and macabre that I could not believe what I was reading. Everyone seemed like the perfect killer. The story was told in alternative points of view, from present day Libby to deceased mother and brother back in the 80's before the murders. What unraveled in front of me was a mystery so mesmerizing that had me turning the pages like crazy.

The book covers everything from Satanism and sacrifices to drugs, to child molestation, to teenage pregnancy. It covers the theme of abuse and how a troubled teen can hide so much rage inside of him but at the same time be the most quiet and shy child out there. How someone can be completely paralyzed from fear that cannot even defend his own self and can easily be manipulated to do things he doesn't want to do or seem right to him. I love the fact that people who are afraid, are not actually afraid to point fingers to people they consider to be somehow weird and turn someone innocent into a murderer, a child molester etc etc, I like how the book shows you that nothing is what it seems to be and judging by fear is the worst one can do.

The characters are all really complex even the supportive ones play a role in the story and while reading this book you need to be really careful of details because they play a huge role in the development of the story. Libby was unique to me. The complexity and development of her character was truly fascinating and the same applies to her brother Ben. I felt like the characters reached their goal in the end and found peace.

The writing was magnificent. I could not put the book down, I felt every agony, every fear and every confusion in this book because every scene was so vivid, like I was in the book. You wont see the ending coming thats for sure, it was so unpredictable and jaw dropping that I was asking where it was coming from and did not see it. It gave a great closure to the book.

If you love mysteries and suspense then Gillian Flynn is the author for you and its sure my new favorite author.

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: February 28th 2012
Series: Divergent #1
Pages: 485
Buy on: Amazon
Add on: Goodreads, Leafmarks

Rating 3.5 stars

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 

My Thoughts:

I was avoiding this book since it came out in 2012. I was seeing it everywhere, I heard about it everywhere, I even recommended it to customers at the bookstore because everyone was reading it. I was avoiding it mostly because, when a new book is coming out I usually refrain from reading it, and the reason? None at all. Its like a bad reflex.

Despite all the raving reviews for Divergent and the two sequels, I dont particularly think this book is 100% dystopian. I would rather categorize it under Young Adult Fantasy with a lot of futuristic and Hunger Games elements – minus the slaying of teenagers.

Meet Tris, a girl from the fraction of Abnegation who's life changes completely when a test categorises her as something abnormal – Divergent. She decides to leave her fraction for Dauntless. A group of people that mesmerized from a young age, when she realized that she is not selfless enough in order to belong to Abnegation. What struck me while the book progressed, was the fact that Tris became amazingly selfish. It seemed that she cared about her previous fraction but not enough. And that was kind of annoying. I liked that Tris decided to challenge herself and chose Dauntless, something that was completely different from what she was before. Although, selfish, she evolves.

Meet Four, a guy that is very intriguing and quiet but absolutely fit, and Tris's instructor. We get a lot of glimpses of him, until he becomes something more to Tris and although, the romance was not that sizzling, I cared for both of them deeply and I wanted (and want) to read more. I'm sure we will get a lot more of Four in the upcoming books.

The plot was okay, pretty simple in my opinion, and there were some subplots and things for consideration that ended up playing a major role in the progress of the book and the series. I am not crazy about it but I care enough to inhale the next two books in the series AND the book about Four.

At last, what struck me as odd is that people target this book towards teens of 12-17 of age but the violence in it is kind of much and at times shocking. From attacks, to catcalls, to suicide to extreme violence and fights. So I am not so sure if you would like your kid, cousin, niece whatever reading that if they are below 14 (again in my opinion).

So, yeah, dystopian or not this book is really good and it would appeal to the fans of The Hunger Games.

Book Review: Raw by Belle Aurora

Author: Belle Aurora

Release Date: January 2014

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pages: 358

Rating: 5 stars

Buy on: Amazon

Add to: Goodreads , Leafmarks

***Author Note: This is not a love story. This is a story of love gone wrong.*** Growing up the way I did, you'd think I'd be more screwed up than what I actually am. Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street. Best decision I ever made. Now, at the age of twenty six, I'm educated, employed and damn good at my job. My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it's like to grow up unloved. But the saying is true. The world makes way for those who know where they are going. That's me. I know where I'm going and I'll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace. But then there's him. I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me. He makes me feel. It's unconventional. But it's real. I'm sure you're wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker. So am I. This isn't a story. This is my life. ***This book includes situations that some may find uncomfortable.

My Thoughts:

DISCLAIMER: This book contains mature context,drugs, violence and foul language.

Raw is one of those books that talk about hard stuff. It is one of those books that attempt to change the readers view on a specific topic while some fail some others succeed. Raw is one of the books in the later category.

This is not a love story, this is love story gone terribly wrong. The book is written in an alternative pov that makes it even better, at least for me.

Everything starts with Alexa, a child of the system who made it big in Australia as a successful case worker, she is dedicated to her job, she loves the people she is responsible for and she has a stalker. Normal stuff.

I liked Alexa since page one, she is smart, and careful and leads a pretty normal life like every other person until one night everything she considers normal will wash away, she will come face to face with danger, recklessness and she will find her self in a world so much different that he own. But she is not afraid to just jump in and get the best out of it.

Meet Twitch, the stalker. The guy who has been watching Alexa for a year, an unstable psychopath, who needs anger management lessons and he is a bad person in general, from whatever point of view you decide to take it. To be honest, I loved Twitch because he is not your normal anti-hero. The guy is dark and twisted and literally he has no heart. He has nothing inside him that can love anyone or anything. He is scary, terrifying and he is real. A real stalker.

These two, are so much different, yet they have something in common. A memory that has defined both of them differently.

This is a book that shows us that labeling people can be deceiving, because looks don;t always matter. A book about finding your dark side and embarrassing it, a book that will tear your heart in little pieces and throw them out of the fucking window.

While reading this book I came to realise that no one is truly lost until you try till you drop to save him, to help him, to show them that you care. The book was twisted, and sad, with a lot of ups and downs and fucking twists that made me pull my hair out of my skull one by one. When you feels sure that you know something there comes the twist that makes you look at the page like an alien. Like you dont understand what you are reading. I loved that, because its been some time since I read a book that I actually did not want to turn the page because I was terrified of what will happen next. Raw is not an emotional roller coaster is a roller coaster ride gone terribly bad.

To be honest, I dont; know how I feel about stalkers right this moment, but it may have changed my view more than I am anticipating. These are people too that something went wrong in their lives at some point that made them who they are. Everyone goes through something that defines us as humans it is just some people tend to not take it that well and end up on the other side, the dark side.

While the book was exceptionally well written and it had its doses (apart from sadness, terror, mind blowing sex) of (surprise) humor that had me rolling on the floor with tears in my eyes and some romantic scenes (that were followed by pain) the ending was bloody awful. Literally.

I feel that its a cliffhanger so it better be a second book on the way. So, for people who hate cliffhangers and promising endings this book is not for you.

I recommend this book, because it is dark, twisted and something different from what we are used reading on the erotica genre.

this book reminded me of this song: Whore by In This Moment