Divergent by Veronica Roth

Admittedly I am late to this series, but hey better late than never.  I actually bought all the books in the series for one of my children. I have just never found the time to read them.

I can definitely see the influence this book has had on other authors and vice versa. Also the obvious parallels to the Hunger Games (HG was released first). It's an eclectic mix of dystopian and sci-fi.

The inevitable romance element kind of messed up the intricate dystopian idea a wee bit, but then it's become an 'expected' part of YA books.

Society is split into factions, each being known for certain personality aspects. Being selfless, not telling lies or being recklessly brave. Then at a certain age they have to choose their life faction, after being accessed which one they are most suited for.

There is also another option, however it is also the option that pegs people as possible rebels.Those with no clear affiliation can think beyond boundaries and rules.They question the norm. It makes them a danger to leadership.

Aside from the huge secret Tris carries around with her she also has to deal with the violent and competitive ways of her new faction. Not good enough and you end up a nobody, too good and the others want to get rid of you. It isn't exactly a welcoming environment. Friends become enemies and trust is a thing of the past.

An interesting start to the series, although I hope the emphasis is on the dystopian element rather than her love life.

Buy Divergent at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Read Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth.

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison

Aubrey has been distraught since the disappearance of her husband five years ago. Her mother-in-law blames her and thinks she has killed her son. Aubrey is subjected to the bitter attacks and suspicions, even after so many years.

A court of law decided there wasn't enough evidence to convict Aubrey, but the shadow of suspicion still hangs over her every day.

There were a few things that didn't gel for me. Chase turns up and a few days later he is the boyfriend. Seems a little hasty for someone apparently so upset about the disappearance of her husband. Perhaps the mother-in-law isn't so wrong after all.

The whole Chase connection was a little daytime soap opera for my taste. A pity really, because it is kind of the weakest link in the plot.

This is one of those stories where you have to be careful how much information you reveal or it spoils the plot for other readers, so with that in mind less is more on this occasion.

The twist was good and the end a little unexpected. Not sure who I believe deserved to be punished the most though.

No One Knows has a good premise, but the delivery could have been much better.

Buy No One Knows at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Night Study by Maria V. Snyder

If you are new to Maria V. Snyder then it might help to know that Night Study is the second book in the Soulfinders series and that it is a spin-off from two other series, the Study series and the Glass series or the Chronicles of Ixia.

Yelena is in the most difficult position she can be in. She is incapable of defending herself without her powers. She isn't welcome in one place for being a magician and just as unwelcome in the other for being a magician without power. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

On top of that someone has decided to mess with her personal life in an attempt to get rid of Valek. Unfortunately it has far-reaching consequences for the two of them. It makes each step the two of them take so much more important.

Integral to the series is the relationship between Valek and the Commander. It's taken a turn for the worst to say the least, and finally Valek is forced into making a bold statement and choice between the man he swore to protect and the woman he loves.

I have to say the Commander could definitely get lost if it were me, regardless of whether he is being manipulated by Owen or not. Valek needs to smell the roses and get the heck out of Dodge already.

Night Study isn't Snyder's best, not by a long shot. She is a spectacular fantasy writer, which is certainly evident in her earlier books. Not so much in this one.

Buy Night Study at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander

Essentially The Art of Not Breathing is about guilt, grief and loss. The focus is on Elsie and the way she deals with the death of her brother.

Everything revolves around water, because that is how Ethan disappeared. In the sea with plenty of people around, and yet he is still gone without a trace.

Elsie can't really remember what happened that day. She is drawn to the water and the flashbacks she gets when she is at the last place Ethan was seen.

There is some element to being submerged, to diving under water and being unable to breathe, which initiates the flashbacks and memories. This realisation drives Elsie to push herself to the point of dangerous excursions and even beyond that.

The story is strangely compelling without being overly dramatic or too young adulty. It is interesting to note that the author hasn't put much of an emphasis on the missing child. Instead it's more about the family left behind and how grief can destroy relationships. Regardless of whether it is via neglect, anger, guilt or just overwhelming sadness.

I liked it, it was subtle and heartfelt without a lot of squee.

Buy The Art of Not Breathing at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Sneak Peek: The Long Drop by Denise Mina

This mini review is based on the Sneak Peek of The Long Drop.
You have to be at the top of your game to be able to pull in the readers with literally just the first chapter of the book to go on.

A sample of goods, a taste of what is yet to come, and leaving the reader with a burning need to know what comes next.

It's almost like opening the door just a smidgen and letting you peer round the corner at the unfolding story, only to be yanked back and have the door shut in your face rather abruptly.

The Long Drop is based on the true crime story about an American born Scottish serial killer called Peter Manuel and the man accused of three of his crimes. In 1956 William Watt was accused of killing his wife, daughter and his sister-in-law. He would have been tried and executed for the crimes, if the police hadn't cottoned on to the fact they had a serial killer in their midst.

Mina turns a meeting of the two men into a cat and mouse game between killer and accused. A literary thriller with the dark city of Glasgow as a backdrop. A city on the brink of change, just about to take a step into literally a lighter brighter time, well at least optically. The black stones of buildings were cleaned, trees planted, whole neighbourhoods ripped down and rebuilt. A massive health and x-ray initiative was launched to combat and eradicate tuberculosis.

It will be interesting to see whether Mina draws parallels between the meeting of Watts and Manuel, and the essence, core and subsequent change in Glasgow.

Mina's writing is expressive, sharp and memorable. Her knowledge of Glasgow and it's people is filtered into her stories in an almost subconscious layering. Mina writes noir with a twist, the psychological tear-downs between her characters is what sets her stories apart from the rest.

The Long Drop looks as if it's going to be an interesting read.

Pre-Order The Long Drop at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

The End of Law: A Novel of Hitler's Germany by Therese Down

Down does one thing really well in this story, she says it how it was. Regardless of the upsetting details, the horrific truth, the despicable depths humans were willing to go to just to get rid of unworthy humans.

Instead of the focus being on Karl and his crisis of faith, which is what I believe Down intended, the surrounding drama of domestic abuse drowned out that particular part of the story.

Aside from the personal family drama I think there could have been more focus on the struggle or indeed non-existent struggle of any of the perpetrators.

Guilt or lack of guilt, how do they or did they deal with their unimaginable cruelty, and the design and testing of their calculated killing machinery on a day to day basis?

The efficiency, the structure, the planning and the sheer scale of annihilation is still quite inconceivable, and yet it happened. Not only did it happen, but it took far too many years for other countries to intervene and stop it. Mass murder executed with the precision of a military siege. It's what makes the Holocaust different from any other genocide or mass murder in history.

The research was sound and the details were remarkable, despite the gruesome and atrocious nature of said details. I especially enjoyed the trivia about a certain high ranking Nazi's brother. Very interesting indeed.

Buy The End of Law at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Predator by Wilbur Smith with Tom Cain

I have been reading Wilbur Smith since I was a very young girl. The Hector Cross series isn't one of my favourites. I am at heart a Courtney and Ballantyne gal, when it comes to the Wilbur Smith novels.

The Cross series is more of a modern action adventure thriller, as opposed to the beautiful landscapes and family drama laced with history and politics of some of his other books.

This certainly isn't the best example of Smith's work. I put that down to this particular series and not the collaboration with Cain. It is definitely worth reading some of his other work to get a better overall view of Wilbur Smith's writing style.

Predator is fast-paced, graphic and brutal. Personally I think Cross should have just fed Congo to the crocodiles to save himself and everyone else a lot of trouble.

In the end there isn't much difference between Cross and Congo. Both are willing to kill, torture and inflict great pain to achieve their end goal. The only apparent difference is one is a bad guy and the other a so-called good guy.

If you're looking for action packed scenes with a stereotypical hero and villain then this will be right up your alley.

Buy Predator at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.