Ismerene

This is one of those novels in which the synopsis posted above is really all you can go on.

Genesis had me actively guessing up until the very last pages. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. The format of writing never gets stale, the story itself is rich, and the ending will surprise you. At 150 pages, its an afternoon well spent.

All my reviews can be found at The Tiny Reader's Reference! Come on over and say hello!Short & Sweet: The Family Plot is a ghost story better told over the crackle of a campfire, rather than slotted with other novels of its genre. The background of the haunting is terribly clich??, with slow-moving story progression; coupled with the rich characterization and well-painted environment, makes this better suited as a quick read during hot summer nights.Like a moth to the flame (or a teetering salvage company to a hundred-year-old house???) the large synopsis pulled me right in. For the most part, it delivered as promised, and I enjoyed the story.First and foremost: [a:Cherie Priest 221253 Cherie Priest https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1617225879p2/221253.jpg]???s writing style is fantastic. She weaved me right in from the very first page; descriptive enough to paint a picture, but vague enough to allow for reader-filled gaps. The technical side of their demo was fascinating. There were features and materials I???d never heard of before, and it was fun to google (dutch doors!) and find out exactly what they were prying from the wall, or salvaging from the backyard.But where [b:The Family Plot 25543181 The Family Plot Cherie Priest https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431700446l/25543181.SX50.jpg 45335275] shines is in is not story or environment, but characterization ??? five full stars for Cherie Priest on that front, and the reason why this novel even worked in the first place. Had this story been set against the grey backdrop of weak cardboard characters, my rating would???ve been much, much lower. There simply isn???t enough here to maintain a story without them.Each person had a voice, a personality, and they shined through in every interaction. Each decision made was reasonable and expected. They truly jumped from the page itself, and this story was propelled because of them, rather in spite of them. We rooted for Chuck, we sided with Dahlia, we laughed at Bobby. Every interaction felt genuine.The only character I took issue with was Augusta Withrow. Her personality was clear, yes, but some of her decisions and statements to Dahlia were puzzling, and her last sentence after everything was over felt??? odd. Weak, even. It was a small crack in the foundation of characters Cherie Priest worked so hard to create, but as her presence is obviously a prop, it didn???t affect the story.The paranormal situations began to occur early on, but things didn???t begin truly rolling until later. To be expected, but as a result, the novel slogged down. Once revealed, the haunting itself, and the backstory behind it, checked nearly every single cliche box that exists. Some of the experiences and situations turned far-fetched, and degraded the ???horror??? element of the narrative. Honestly, I can see this novel working much better as a movie or show, rather than in text.Why three stars? Because it wasn???t extraordinary, but not terrible either. It???s a fun read with some creepy moments, great characters, and a satisfying ending, but little else. Much like Disappearance at Devil's Rock, a huge chunk of the story is already in the synopsis. I don???t hate The Family Plot, but I also don???t love it either, which made this review so frustrating to write.Would I recommend this? Not if you???re going in expecting genuine fright. This is a light book, good if you???re looking for something quick and easy, with rich characters and setting descriptors. A palate cleanser, if you will. Not amazing, but not bad either.

It pains me to put down this novel, as the synopsis and opening has incredible promise. However, I just simply don't have the drive to continue due to numerous issues, and I will tell you why. Where [b:Sleeping Giants 25733990 Sleeping Giants (Themis Files, #1) Sylvain Neuvel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459785141s/25733990.jpg 42721200] struggles is in two things - characterization and infodumps. Each interview didn't feel like an interview - it felt like a exposition, like I'm being talked at rather than with. The flow of conversation was unrealistic, and the characters themselves are flat, with little to distinguish between them. For example, we are told (several times, in fact, sound familiar?) that one particular character is “combative” and has “a problem with authority”. In the next interview, she's making friends all over the facility and chumming it up with the interviewer/narrator. In yet another interview, she's torn up to pieces about an incident that occurs. No consistency. She felt labeled, as they all do, with one-hundred percent telling and absolutely zero showing.The narrator/interviewer is, for lack of a better term, annoying. At times, they speak more than the interviewees, which completely negates the entire point of interview-based storytelling. I think the interviewer's identity is a mystery to be solved in [b:Waking Gods 30134847 Waking Gods (Themis Files, #2) Sylvain Neuvel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462736382s/30134847.jpg 50566357] and [b:Only Human 35820656 Only Human (Themis Files, #3) Sylvain Neuvel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1502999023s/35820656.jpg 57322413], but the aggressive flexing, the excessive talking... Quite frankly, I don't care who it is, only that he/she needs to chill.I eventually gave up around p82, when discussion over the discoveries is glossed over and described without any real life credibility - they're discussing (or rather infodumping) a massive discovery, and it's like the character is talking about a car or a blender. I skipped forward, and found it only got worse. The ending seemed really good, but it wasn't enough for me to trudge through 238 more pages.No stars as I didn't finish, but I unofficially give a 2 star rating to [b:Sleeping Giants 25733990 Sleeping Giants (Themis Files, #1) Sylvain Neuvel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459785141s/25733990.jpg 42721200] based on what I did read. Someday I may pick this book back up, as the sequels are well rated - but for now, I will have to DNF it. I am quite disappointed.

When I first begin a novel, no matter what genre, author, or length, I will know within three to five pages whether or not I'm going to have a good time. With [b:The Line 6494966 The Line (The Line, #1) Teri Hall http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348228871s/6494966.jpg 6686411], I knew, and I wasn't happy. We are roughly introduced to Rachel, her mother Vivian, and their world: The US, now a police-state, has placed an unyielding barrier around the border that is referred to as the Line. The land across is dubbed “Away” and the sightings of strange people and creatures across the Line are called “Others”. My frustration with this book stemmed purely from the writing. The whole book is in a telling form. The whole thing. It really served to yank me from the narration and beat me over the head with the fact that I was, indeed, reading a story. So why three stars and not one? I found discussion questions in the back. This is a book that is not geared for anyone near my age range. I realized that I was using an adult set of expectations to review a book geared way more toward children. To me, it seemed unfair. Yes, I took stars off because the writing was that frustrating to wade through. But Rachel is a pleasant protagonist to deal with, her relationship with Vivian was beautiful to see, and the plot itself is a great one. This is a review of of execution, not idea. I also took off a star for that ending: When Rachel Crossed, why did Vivian and Ms. Moore not follow? Both of them really had nothing else going for them in the US. Ms. Moore had Jonathan, but she could have what, written a note or something? Neither had ties to the US as it was, so why did they stay behind to jeopardize Rachel's safety as well as their own? IDGI.Overall a good book for readers much younger than I. Though the writing itself was difficult, I will most likely be reading the next installment [b:Away 7732360 Away (The Line, #2) Teri Hall http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311705255s/7732360.jpg 10515363], as I do want to see what happens next.