Review: The Life of Elves

The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm still not sure what to make of this book.
I've read Muriel Barbery's "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" and "Gourmet Rhapsody" and absolutely loved them, but struggled to finish this book. Is it a fairy tale? A fantasy? An allegory? None of the above?

Two little girls are born on the same day and hour. One is adopted in France the other one in Italy. We later find out that they were taken to this countries to protect them. One is half elf half human and the other is an elf, but with human characteristics. They will have to fight a terrible enemy that wants to destroy the elf world... or at least that's what I understood.

There is much description about the land and some of the characters, but then there are others that barely merit description and the stories are confusing. I read somewhere that this is the first part of a 2 book series, and maybe there will be a bigger xplanation in the next book, but for now, all I can say that the elf world needs much more in depth description.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3, because even if it's a confusing book, Muriel Barbery is an amazing writer

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

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Review: I'm Still Here

I'm Still Here by Clélie Avit
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I din't know what to expect from this book, as the subject could be either very depressing: a girl in a coma or very weird: a guy that falls in love with her while she's in a coma and without even knowing her.

Instead, it's a beautifully written book about love, emotions, family and grief.

While Elsa lies in her bed, she starts to hear what people around her say. Thibaut enters by mistake into her hospital room and starts talking to her and then visits her often. Elsa starts, very very slowly, to experience other feelings. What we don't know (yet) is if she'll ever wake up, as her doctors feel it's a lost case and the best thing her family can do is disconnect her.

This is an amazing book written by a very young -and very good-writer.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Brontë Plot

The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nice, cozy book.
Lucy Alling works in a gallery/decorating shop. When she meets James, a wealthy lawyer, it would seem we are looking at a very conventional romance, but Lucy has a serious problem: She will lie, cheat and even forge to make the people she loves happy.

We learn that both her father and her grandfather were quite dishonest, but Lucy does realize she has a big problem.
When her lies makes her lose both her relationship and her beloved work, she knows she has to make drastic changes.

Though quite enjoyable as a whole, I found the "touristy" parts of the book distracting and long. Too much description of London and the Lake District.
Maybe I've had too much of the Brontë theme?


I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: As White as Snow

As White as Snow by Salla Simukka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked book 1 in the series, but this one I loved.

Lumikki is a more complex and developed character and the author starts to give us more information about her, something I found missing in book 1. The description of her love story is one of the saddest things I've read. I know this is a fictional character in a book, but I hope she and her lover get together in Book 3.

In vacation in Prague, trying to relax and forget all the events we read of in the first part of the series, Lumikki is approached by a young woman who claims to be her sister. Though doubtful at first, there is something that tells her that she once did have a sister.

But nothing is what it seems, and the young girl is part of a violent and possessive cult. Will Lumikki lose the sister she now thinks she found to it?

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: As Red as Blood

As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love all Scandinavian authors and Nordic Noir is one of my favorite genres.

The first in the Lumikki Andersson trilogy, "As Red as Blood" introduces us to Lumikki (Snow White), a young girl who has been through a bad time at school at home. She now lives alone in the city of Tampere, where she studies.

We know something bad happened to her at home, but we'll have to wait until the end of the book to find out what it is.

When she finds thousand of euro banknotes hanging to dry in the school's photo lab, her curiosity plunges her into a series of violent events complete with Russian mobsters and corrupt cops.

This is a well written and translated book, but although I love YA books, it felt a bit too light for me.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Die of Shame

Die of Shame by Mark Billingham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is just my favorite kind of crime-mystery book.

A group of very dissimilar people have a weekly group therapy session. They talk about their addiction problems (eating, shopping, drugs) and the shameful things they have done because of it.
When one of them is murdered, it seems obvious the death is related to the group.
When DI Nicola Tanner starts investigating, it seems she will get nowhere as the confidentiality rules that the group has, give her no leads.

This is a fast paced very well written book. It's set in London, with a variety of well defined characters and has a strong female police investigator.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book still has me shivering. I read it in one go, and believe me, it's not a light read.
First of all, the subject is awful: a little girl, living in dire conditions and the love story she slowly creates with a man much older than her.
I now that there are no gray areas in child abuse, but the book is so well written you can't but wonder why two people who nobody else loves, can't be happy with each other.
Wavy is 8 years old when she first meets Kellen. He's more than 20 years old, works for her meth dealing father and is a complete loser. He's been in jail and has hardly any schooling. Yet he "adopts" Wavy, takes her to school, buys her clothes and makes sure she is safe.
What starts as an unlikely friendship slowly develops into a love story that although creepy at times, had me rooting for a happy ending.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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