Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Started February 3d, 2014 with the free sample on my Kindle PW1.
On finishing the sample (I think the first about 3 chapters, the sample ended in between), bought the book without further checking, wether it would be cheaper at a different shop or as a 3-1 Trilogy-complete bundle.
Very good world-building integrated in the story, as we know as little or as much as the hero, Thomas.
While I guessed the first twist (the next newbie), the beginning is entirely gripping.
So far, a page-turner and I am not too sure how long I can do other things before reading on.
Reason for starting now, I had the sample on my kindle for some months now - as I do have free samples of other books.
And lots of unread books, both freebies and paid for.
So, the reason to start now is the trailer for the upcoming movie. Dark and gritty.
Had to pause a few times, reading other things during the pause.
Am now close to the end, and one of the reasons to pause is that I do not like to see it end.
There was a built-up to a short, devastating battle. While that was as bloody and deadly as expected, it was rather short and a bit of a letdown for the long built-up to it. As I have skimmed a few of the reviews, I know what to expect, no real explanation, but I am currently not sure wether I will read the other books (0.5, the prequel, #2 and #3 in the trilogy) soon.
Currently I guess it will be a solid 4star recommendation.
Later after lunch and reading all: Yup.
Just finished. A sort of explanation what happened (the Flare) and why (Maze) is there, I wonder why so many reviews gripe about there being none.
Nice, evil twist in the Epilogue, after all went to sleep after the ordeal.
Also the ending is setting the stage for the second book, but also offers bit of breathing time and closure. Bodes well for the film, as it can be filmed without the need for a change in the ending, in case the second film is not made. Being that this is one of many YA-Dystopias in cinemas last year and this, I hope this does not fail and sink.
Regarding the book, 4 stars it is and a recommendation, I will read the other books, but probably not soon, having a huge backlog of bought (mostly e-)books.




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Review: Enslaved By the Others

Enslaved By the Others by Jess Haines

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Had this preordered for Kindle.
Great story. Maybe 5 stars is a bit too much, but a nice sex-szene at the end and good fighting scenes where worth it.
No long review, but then I do that for books I do not like (3 stars or less), like I have to justify me...



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Review: You're Next

You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is the July 2014 BOTM read of the Goodreads Group "Psychological Thrillers".
The opening (Prologue) is quite interesting, something I am surprised parents don't do more often.
For a while the timeline jumps between chapters titled "Now" and "Then", so you get a glimpse what happens as the child from the Prologue grows up and some explanation how he became what he is (and also his friend who helps him later).
Currently on page 197 - 36%. And I am staying away from the discussion thread on the group to avoid spoilers.
Had some personal stuff to do, or I would have finished it sooner, this is a real good page-turner, realistic, good persons ( William Burrell !), technology used in both good and bad ways, very up-to-date on surveillance by the powers that be.
And while not outright criticising this surveillance it should make you think wether it is good or bad to compile all these facts about everyone, free to be abused as it is shown in the book. A few years ago (even as it was published) I would have said that was not possible, but the still ongoing revelations showed us all how it is in fact quite possible.
Also the technology was used by both the bad guys and the good, and sometimes it bites back, as in the case when a connection with the internet is traced back to the hotel room.

The persons where believable and deep, their decisions well explained and for me feel real and understandable, not produced out of thin air, also, the action felt real. Even Kat the child was not bad, a first for me, who usually finds children whiny and childish and would gladly do as in the Prologue (that is one more reason I will never have a child). And no Deus ex machina, nothing felt constructed.
Still, my favorite person in this book is William Burrell, a really good bad guy, with a disease very detailed and realistically described, a professional torturer who knows pain himself knows how to inflict pain (although Dodge does the work).

Beware: a few people are tortured, and some die rather bloody deaths.
This book is highly recommended, and I am glad we chose it as a Book-of-the-month (see above). I will probably read more of his books.



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Review: Shaken

Shaken by J.A. Konrath

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Lend this with Amazon Prime for free, as I needed a short break from [b:You're Next|10148340|You're Next|Gregg Hurwitz|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393104022s/10148340.jpg|15046649]. Gripping beginning.
And it is a short read.
A few different timelines are chapter wise swapped and tangled. As it is obvious from the beginning, that Jack (not Daniels the whole time) is alive till the last timeline (2010), not all of it is very suspenseful. But great writing. Be aware, quite a lot of detailed torture.
A few different serial killers pop up in the book, some playing major parts.
As with some of the other books by Konrath I read, a few unbelievable escape scenarios.
So 4 stars might be a bit much, but I recommend it, and read it out of order, which, given the different timelines was ok, I do not think it would have helped a lot read all Jack Daniels books in order to understand this one.



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Review: The Reckoning

The Reckoning by Jane Casey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Not totally 5 stars, the ending was too neat in the romance department.
Great police-procedural and up until near the ending I really like Meave as a strong female botching her relationships and keeping alone some of the time. Bad idea for keeping me interested to end it this way.
Quite a few twist as the different stories meander together. Torture, pedophiles, not one but two insider-informants, and everything in the UK, not USA, great language, a few new words I had to look up, even then the meaning was clear from the context ( norks ).
Will take a break and read the July 2014 BOTM for the Goodreads-group Psychological Thrillers [b:You're Next|10148340|You're Next|Gregg Hurwitz|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393104022s/10148340.jpg|15046649].
Highly recommend, and except for the ending, not too much romance and then often going wrong, so the main character can focus on the job and her career. Just that the ending makes me fear about the next book in the series.



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Review: The Burning

The Burning by Jane Casey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Started after reading the novella introduction [b:Left For Dead: A Maeve Kerrigan Story|18073669|Left For Dead A Maeve Kerrigan Story (Maeve Kerrigan, #0.5)|Jane Casey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375601596s/18073669.jpg|25375860].
Great opening chapter, with a nice twist, setting the stage for a great story.
Despite me giving 5 stars to the book, it looses steam somewhat at 80 to 90%.
And I guessed the whodunit rather early on, it was just too obvious.
But the how and why was written very good also the different pov's (the two female leads and later on Rob) make it interesting, where a lesser writer would have spoiled it, here it is written in an expert way to function in a thriller-suspense-way.
The setting is in the UK, mostly London and Oxford (!) at least a place visited for a day with my parents some 30 years ago on a sunny vacation day.
Very highly recommended, with a few nice twists, even though some where too obvious.
Also the by-the-book police procedures with a nearly totally botched undercover-bait operation where very good.
And you get an inside look in to the mind of a professional liar and killer.
There are some disturbing scenes, in some way even the starting chapter with the twist-ending.

The writer who reminds me most of her is [a:Val McDermid|5672|Val McDermid|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1241725522p2/5672.jpg], one of my favorite writers.
Hopefully the next books are just as good.
Even before getting to the end of the book, I bought the next on my Kindle PW1. OK, it had to be fast as I set my Wi-Fi on the router to turn off at 11 pm, and it was already after 10 pm, and then I decided to sleep before the last chapter (the minutes left-display on the Kindle helps with the decision, it was just too long a time), only reading the last chapter this morning at breakfast.



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Review: CyberStorm

CyberStorm by Matthew Mather

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



As I looked through my wishlist (Wunschzettel) on my Kindle for the Prime-Sign to show that I can borrow a book, I read that this was in development for a movie.
Will start today, but try to finish [b:The Maze Runner|6186357|The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1)|James Dashner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375596592s/6186357.jpg|6366642], as I am at 67% there and want to finish it soon.
The Cyber-Attack is paired with really bad weather and the story concentrates not on the reason for the attack, but on the conditions of a little group of people who have one prepared prepper. A winter storm (a few days later a second one threatens) makes things worse.
Nothing is really known, wether it was an attack from a foreign nation or hackers from within.
Disinformation, paranoia and conspiracy theories are rampant.
This is not so much a book about a Cyber-Attack, but rather a disaster-novel with a bit of technology-breakdown thrown in.
As fuel for backup-power-generators runs out, TV/CNN/Radiostations shut down.Much of the story would have happened without the hacker-attack, as systems depend on power and connectivity between each other for maintenance and to the internet.

At the current reading speed, I hope to finish it soon. It is not so much that it drags, but rather that I wanted more cyber, less normal life. And some of the people, I could care less wether they died or not.
So far not recommended. May change hopefully when an explanation is given or with the ending.

OK, so three stars it is, some discussions and warnings in the book are true and the explanation in the ending is good, but as expected, nothing too fancy - the conspiracy theories bandied about during discussions in the book and from private selfmade-radio-stations are better, well some of them. This is set to be a film? Big Yawn!!! Just another update on disaster-movies with a bit more realism regarding the Cyberattack-part thrown in.

Could be shorter, could have done with less personal issues and more suspense. Conclusion is no recommendation from me for this book, except that I gave 3 stars and they are solid, no faults I could detect, meaning I overlocked them or the tech is getting better in books like these.



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