Friday Mini Reviews #79: Justin Cronin, Joe Hill & J.D. Robb
The Passage by Justin Cronin (The Passage #1)
bought on audio
Synopsis from Goodreads
An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage
is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued
and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government
experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast,
the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet
girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes
nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop
society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades,
into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the
mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save
the ruined world.
8/10
The sheer scope of this book forced me to give it a higher rating, but to be honest, I found it depressing, stark and unnecessary long. Not a fan of the writing style as well. Its only saving grace for me was that it was on audio, and I could just switch off. There were some parts where you wanted some extra info and didn't get any, and there were some which were completely useless for the plot development. I was frustrated with it.
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Сам масштаб этой книги настолько широк, что я была вынуждена дать ей более высокую оценку, но, если быть честной, я нашла ей чрезвычайно длинной, депрессивной и блеклой. Не поклонник авторского стиля. Книгу спасло только то, что она была в аудио формате, и я могла временами отключаться когда мне было скучно. А так, есть здесь части, которым не хватает информации, а есть и те, что совершенно не нужны для развития сюжета. Колеблюсь рекомендовать.
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
bought on audio
Synopsis from Goodreads
NOS4A2 is a spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from master of horror Joe Hill, the New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns.
Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.
Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”
Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.
8/10
Did you know that Joe Hill is Stephen King's son? I had no idea. But this book was super creepy on audio. I do not want to read another Joe Hill's book ever again in my life, I am creeped out and don't want to feel that way again. The narrator, Kate Mulgrew, was superb. A stellar job! Overall, recommended but not for me.
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А вы знаете, что Джо Хилл - сын Стивена Кинга? По мне, так это многое объясняет. Ну вот жуть у меня эта книга вызывала, если бы не аудио формат, то я бы её забросила. Не люблю я когда у меня мурашки по коже от отвращения появляются, не моё это, особенно в книгах. Сама рассказчица, Кейт Малгрю, была просто великолепна. В общем, рекомендую конечно поклонникам жанра, однако это было не для меня.
Strangers in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #26)
borrowed on audio
Synopsis from Goodreads
Technology may be different in 2060 New York, yet the city is still a place of many cultures and great divides. And as ever, some murders receive more attention than others - especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed - and strangled - with cords of black velvet.
It doesn't surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders's scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation for the public - and humiliation for his family. While everyone else in the city is talking about it, those close to Anders aren't so anxious to do so. Fortunately, because Dallas's billionaire husband, Roarke, happens to own the prime real estate where Anders's sporting-goods firm was headquartered, she has some help with access. Before long, she's knocking on doors - or barging through them - to look for the answers she needs.
But the facts don't add up. Physical evidence suggests that the victim didn't struggle. The security breach in the highly fortified apartment indicates that the killer was someone close to Anders, but everyone's alibi checks out, from the wife who was off in the tropics to the loving nephew who stands to inherit millions. Was this a crime of passion - or a carefully planned execution?
It's up to Dallas to solve a sensational case where all involved guard secrets from one another - and strangers may be connected in unexpected, and deadly, ways.
"Nora Roberts is cool." - Stephen King
8.5/10
Fantastic plot twist in this book. It was such a classic detective story, I enjoyed it immensely. And for Eve this was a very old-fashioned investigation. Highly recommended!
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Превосходный поворот сюжета в этой книги, прямо-таки классика детективного жанра! И для Ив это было очень старомодное расследование, которым я прямо наслаждалась. Очень рекомендую!