City of Night by Dean Koontz and Ed Gorman

Goodreads synopsis: They are stronger, heal better, and think faster than any humans ever created–and they must be destroyed. But not even Victor Helios–once Frankenstein–can stop the engineered killers he’s set loose on a reign of terror through modern-day New Orleans. Now the only hope rests in a one-time “monster” and his all-too-human partners, Detectives Carson O’Connor and Michael Maddison. Deucalion’s centuries-old history began as Victor’s first and failed attempt to build the perfect human–and it is fated to end in the ultimate confrontation between a damned creature and his mad creator. But first Deucalion must destroy a monstrosity not even Victor’s malignant mind could have imagined–an indestructible entity that steps out of humankind’s collective nightmare with one purpose: to replace us.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: R. Violence and sexual references (sometimes as the same thing).

(major spoilers below)

Thoughts: Really, my only complaint is Randal Six. I don't understand why they killed him, or what that did for the story. The authors. I understand why the characters killed him. I'm just not sure why the authors escalated the situation to that point to kill Randal Six in the first place. Seriously wound, sure. Kill? The chapters of two books that were spent following him just feel pointless now, since there was no reason to include his story in the first place. I can hope maybe it'll make more sense in the next books, but I'm not sure it will. I guess we'll find out.

One thing I really appreciate about these books is how well the authors do the creepy/scary story, without relying on excessive gore and shock value for things. There is violence, and there is gore, but it's used with purpose, and never feels gratuitous. And I respect that a lot.

This book felt a little less packed than the first one. I think the action only took place over a day, maybe two, so even though it was 80 chapters, it was a very fast read, and it feels like not a whole lot actually happened between the beginning and the end. Which gives me hope that the series as a whole isn't going to drag, but makes me wonder if the individual books aren't drawn out a little more than necessary for "run time."

Either way, it's a fast read, and still definitely worth it. The ending on its own is a little less satisfying, and I'll probably read the third book sooner than I did between the first and second books, but I'm still really invested in the world and the story (even though my favorite POV is gone now), and I still want to see where this all goes.

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Goodreads synopsis: A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same title, he shares the deeply personal meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. This Lent course, which has been adapted from the book, helps us to reflect on the meaning of the parable for our own lives. Divided into five sessions, the course moves through the parable exploring our reaction to the story: the younger son's leaving and return, the father's restoration of sonship, the elder son's resentment and the father's compassion. All of us who have experienced loneliness, dejection, jealousy or anger will respond to the persistent themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation.

My rating: 5 stars.

Content warnings: G. None.

Thoughts: It's a lot shorter than I expected, but packed with powerful meditations, and well worth taking the time to read slowly.

Nouwen's thoughts on the Prodigal Son story, combined with his own experiences and reflections on the three main characters within it, are thought provoking and deeply touching. His words are gentle, but they can be convicting, and he speaks into many places in life a person might need to hear about the Prodigal Son story.

There were a few places I disagreed with what was said. Mostly I think in one place it wasn't worded as well as it could have been. But that happens with any theologically-oriented book I read.

Sometimes it does feel like it could be a little over-analytical. Like the common jab at English teachers for the "the curtains are blue because she's sad" thing. But at the same time, even if it was a bit over the top on the author's part, the observations about Christianity are still valid, and often times it is even supported in the painting he's analyzing.

I'm definitely going to reread this one. There's too much to be reminded of that I don't want to forget.

The Light Thief by David Webb

Goodreads synopsis: THE SUN IS DEAD.
Humanity has moved deep underground.
The Lightbringers have reinvented electricity.
Their presence offers reassurance.
But some believe it's safer in the shadows.

Aniya Lyons has never forgiven the Lightbringers for the abduction of her brother. She’s overjoyed when he escapes and returns three years later, but he comes bearing a dark secret. Before he can share it with her, the Lightbringers steal him away again and murder their parents. Aniya is devastated, and she knows that she’s next.

So Aniya plunges into the dark tunnels of the Web, where savages and mutated beasts lie in wait. She despairs that there is no safe place to hide, that she will be running for the rest of her life. But there is a glimmer of hope. If she can make it to the Lightbringers’ Hub before they hunt her down, she may be able to sneak in and rescue her brother.

But the closer Aniya gets to the Hub, the closer she gets to discovering the horrible truth that led to the destruction of her family. The dark secret the Lightbringers would do anything to protect. And if she chooses to use this secret against them, it may carry unimaginable consequences and a great cost that Aniya may never be ready to pay.

My rating: 2 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Some violence, making out, and a scene of foreplay.

(spoilers ahead)

Thoughts: I read this book in two days, but it was still hard to get through. If that makes any sense. The only thing that got me through it was ranting to a friend about it every chapter or so.

The world itself seemed like it could have been really neat. I wanted more understanding of that world itself, and more of that world being a part of the story than it seemed to be. But the basis of the world was cool enough.

But that was about the only thing I thought was good about the story. Giving the benefit of the doubt, I do think it started off as an interesting idea. But the book as a whole seems like it could have benefited a lot from a good, professional editor, and a rewrite of a chunk of the book.

There were several times through the story that different characters would hallucinate, or have flashbacks, and these instances were almost impossible to distinguish from the actual action of the book, to the point that I was convinced a few characters had died, several different times, when it was just another character panicking and envisioning what would happen if they died. It was uncomfortable and jarring, and it made the rest of the book hard to figure out, since it was difficult to be sure when was reality and when was just in someone's mind. And this started from the very first paragraph, when it was written in a way that made it seem like the main character was seeing something she actually wasn't.

The characters themselves were all pretty one dimensional. The only one I eventually found someone intriguing was the love interest, and that only because he was working for the bad guys, and still was by the end of the book even though he had appeared to change. Even so, all of the characters only seemed to do what the plot demanded, because it demanded, and not because it was internally motivated by them in any way.

And the dialogue. Oh sweet mercy, the dialogue. I don't care what the fancy future setting is, real people do not talk like that, and especially not in situations like those the characters were in. That was almost worse than anything else.

Most of the time the flow and pacing of the story felt like the first draft of one of my stories, and that's not a comparison I had ever thought I'd make with a published story. The issue is it seems like just a bunch of stringing together bad things to happen, because they're bad things that can happen and it would "up the story tension," but without any real reason, or furtherance of the story other than things keep happening and characters keep moving. But in the end it's pretty directionless, and feels like a bunch of scenes just strung together for no reason other than they can be.

But all that being said, on some level I did kind of have fun reading it. I think it's right on the cusp of being so bad it's good, and that made some of it amusing to read.

I don't plan to read further. But if it wasn't self published and I could get a copy from the library, I would probably take a few hours to read the next books, just because on some level it was very amusing.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Goodreads synopsis: Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius, and above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Fantasy swearing, some bloodless fantasy violence, references to alcohol use and drugs to knock someone out.

Thoughts: I think the story is probably pretty fun, and it's an interesting world with some characters who could be developed into pretty neat people, probably as the series progresses.

But the narration made me want to give up so many times. A personal pet peeve of mine is when narration talks down to the reader, like when things such as "and little did he know that this thing was never going to happen again" are said. I'm not an idiot. I'll be able to realize that for myself. You don't need to tell me. And it's not a factor of it being for a younger audience. I've hated that narration technique for as long as I can remember and its always made me roll my eyes.

And in this book, the narration like that is rather constant. There would be times without it, but the narration would take that tone more often than not and that really drew my enjoyment away from the rest of the story.

I have heard that the narration gets better in the next books, and I may be curious enough to read them at some point. The story is fun, and seems like there's a lot of cool stuff that can be done with it, as long as the narration does improve. 

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads synopsis: In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

My rating: 2 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Brief mention of nudity, dialogue about lovers, implied sex, and brief scenes of violence.

Thoughts: I thought I'd appreciate this story. I really did. But I was just so, so bored the whole time I couldn't make myself like anything about it.

If there had been any new information in the story, I think it could have held some more interest for me. But all it was seemed to be drawn out scenes of information we already knew from the other books, and some fan service by mentioning almost every main character from the main series, but they were babies here.

Levana wasn't even very clever, or even honestly that evil. I kept expecting to watch her descend into madness or something, but she was entirely bland, and it felt like she only did the things she did because the plot demanded it, not because she was very well developed or expounded on as a character with real personality. Which is disappointing, based on how well Meyer wrote Winter.

I can see why people may enjoy it, and I can understand why people hate it. But for me, it was just so boring and uninteresting it wasn't worth my time or energy to put forth an opinion either way, and I just settled on "meh." 

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

Goodreads synopsis: Set in the Soviet Union in 1953, this stellar debut from British author Smith offers appealing characters, a strong plot and authentic period detail. When war hero Leo Stepanovich Demidov, a rising star in the MGB, the State Security force, is assigned to look into the death of a child, Leo is annoyed, first because this takes him away from a more important case, but, more importantly, because the parents insist the child was murdered. In Stalinist Russia, there's no such thing as murder; the only criminals are those who are enemies of the state. After attempting to curb the violent excesses of his second-in-command, Leo is forced to investigate his own wife, the beautiful Raisa, who's suspected of being an Anglo-American sympathizer. Demoted and exiled from Moscow, Leo stumbles onto more evidence of the child killer. The evocation of the deadly cloud-cuckoo-land of Russia during Stalin's final days will remind many of Gorky Park and Darkness at Noon, but the novel remains Smith's alone, completely original and absolutely satisfying.

My rating: 5 stars.

Content warnings: R. Violence, sometimes gruesome, some swearing, one sex scene (not graphic).

Thoughts: I was excited and nervous to reread this story when it came up. Excited because I remembered it being really good, but I also know my memory has lied about a lot of things I read a while ago, so there was no telling.

That was unfounded. The story was still incredible.

The plot does take a while to get going, and it can be a little dense before things start actually happening. That could make it difficult to get into. But the information is interesting, and it sets the stage very well for what kind of world Soviet Russia was, especially for those less familiar with the setting.

But once the story does get going, it doesn't let up until it's over. The foreshadowing is so clever, and there's enough that the twists make sense, but not too many that it's annoyingly easy to figure everything out before it's revealed. It's one of the few books that genuinely surprised me with something, and on a second read it was very interesting to be able to analyze how story elements were used for the build up.

It was a book that was maybe even better reading a second time through. Definitely worthy of the reread, and it kept its spot firmly as an amazing mystery/thriller and solid work altogether.

I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

Goodreads synopsis: John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it.

He's spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.

He's obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn't want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he's written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.

Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don't demand or expect the empathy he's unable to offer. Perhaps that's what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there's something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.

Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can't control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

Dan Wells' debut novel is the first volume of a trilogy that will keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: R. Many people die in gristly ways, and their injuries are described at length.

(possible spoilers below)

Thoughts: To start off with, John was a pretty fantastic character, narrator and POV character*. He was pretty much everything I had hoped he would be.

That being said, the rest of the story wasn't that interesting to me. After the monster was revealed pretty early on, things just weren't as complex or psychological anymore. And the sudden addition of supernatural monsters seemed to deflate a lot of the personal stakes where John was concerned. It would have been much more interesting to me with a real, human killer who mirrored John in his mindset and mental framework, instead of an inhuman monster who didn't really mirror him. Then again, that did bring around some interesting thematic elements as well. It just wasn't the same.

Even so, the supernatural elements came out of nowhere, and who the monster was was revealed so early it wasn't really that intense after that. Sure there were moments, especially when it seemed the monster was about to strike again, but only once was someone the reader cared about threatened, and then you didn't even know until it was too late. What could have been an intense mystery and chase was instead turned into a boring bloodbath while the protagonist waited on a time to make a move and more people died.

I did find interesting though, how in the series' progression, John is most likely going to be able to bypass his rules to protect humans by... killing demons. Which is both an interesting way to handle it, and a little disappointing.

And I did love John's therapist. Dr. Neblin was the real MVP here. Plus just showing therapy as something good and helpful and supportive, rather than showing Neblin as dumb or harmful or that it's weakness to seek therapy like a lot of stories tend to do.

Overall it had great characters with little interest to the plot. I'm tempted to look into reading the next books just because I love John as a character so much, but the rest of the story did very little for my tastes.

*As a side note, I do have a problem with the notion that anyone with APD/sociopathy is more destined to become a killer than other people. Although the link between that and serial killing is much stronger than a lot of other trends people may point to about various crimes. But for this character and this story, I think it worked and was done well.