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sarah_amy's reviews
52 reviews
The Marriage Act by John Marrs
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Minders by John Marrs
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found The Minders a little harder to follow than The One or The Passengers, and it just didn't seem to hold me in as much suspense. However, me mixing up characters may have had something to do with listening to the audiobook and only having 2 narrators for all 5 characters, (one for the 3 females and one for the 2 males) as opposed for a separate narrator for each character. Or it could be that I'm on heavy pain meds for my sore back and can't pay attention...who knows?
ANYWAY the premise of this one was interesting. On one hand the concept of implanting the government's biggest secrets and cover-ups into a handful of human brains seemed a little ridiculous as I feel anyone would be far too easy to manipulate or compromise once they were found to be a person to hold all that knowledge...
On the other, it certainly gave way to a lot of pondering in regards to the number of conspiracies and cover-ups that ARE probably out there that most of us aren't privy to, that would change the state of the world in a big way were the information released...
Might listen to again at some stage to try to keep up with who is who, but not in a rush. The need for anonymity with the characters made it difficult to connect with them, but was intrigued enough by the premise to want to finish & see whether the government or the hackers would prevail.
ANYWAY the premise of this one was interesting. On one hand the concept of implanting the government's biggest secrets and cover-ups into a handful of human brains seemed a little ridiculous as I feel anyone would be far too easy to manipulate or compromise once they were found to be a person to hold all that knowledge...
On the other, it certainly gave way to a lot of pondering in regards to the number of conspiracies and cover-ups that ARE probably out there that most of us aren't privy to, that would change the state of the world in a big way were the information released...
Might listen to again at some stage to try to keep up with who is who, but not in a rush. The need for anonymity with the characters made it difficult to connect with them, but was intrigued enough by the premise to want to finish & see whether the government or the hackers would prevail.
Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A re-read from about 13 years ago, and oddly, I think I loved it more this time around! Marsden has a magical way of describing the environment the teens are in and all of their surroundings to make it feel like you're among them, trying to survive the invasion. Even though these books are marketed towards young adults, I feel they could be enjoyed by the older crowd too. Great mix of adventure and suspense as well as a lot of funny moments of teens just goofing around like the kids they still are. From memory, I enjoyed the series even more as it went on (though I only read up to the 4th book), so I'm looking forward to reading through the rest!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Body Positive Power: How learning to love yourself will save your life by Megan Jayne Crabbe
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
A beautiful book on loving yourself - all the time and at all sizes! Not just when you've reached your ideal weight...because even then you'll probably still find something you want to change about yourself. Challenged my own perspective on myself, as well as on my own misconceptions on fat, and my own judgements on fat being 'bad' or even equating to 'unhealthy.' Some bits of advice I'll have to research a little more into nutrition-wise (at least on a personal level), particularly surrounding weight not actually leading to a number of diseases as I have been taught all my life, though Megan has resources in her book to back up these claims. On a personal note, I've had to take some of that with a grain of salt, as being on the very short side and having disabilities, I know more weight does actually impact my physical health. HOWEVER, what I love most about this book is the declaration to love yourself at ALL sizes, shapes, abilities and forms. That we should celebrate ourselves and the body it comes in just for letting us experience this life, and to stop punishing it for not fitting into one ideal that very few can and will fit into! And that we all deserve to be seen in our rolls, pimples, freckles, stretch marks, scars, hairs, veins and all! This book changed my late sister, Chloe's, entire outlook on her body and life, and for that I could not be more thankful that it was written for her to discover and to pass on copies as a gift to encourage all of those she loved. Thank you Megan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
The Passengers by John Marrs
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A re-read after finishing The One for the first time recently. Equally as fantastic the second time around. Marrs' speculative fiction books give off very Black Mirror vibes, where it feels like a very possible near-future if technology advances just the slightest. I love how this book dared to deliver on some of the threats, which kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, not actually knowing whether good would prevail as expected. A great cast of characters, all very diverse, and the story twisted in ways you didn't expect. After reading The Passengers and The One, it's certainly given me a lot to think about regarding just how much of my information is available online & how much someone could find out about me if they really dug deep - not just personal details such as location and financial, but even niche things...such as my taste in books! One things for certain...I don't think I'll ever trust self-driving cars after reading this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The mystery kept me interested enough, but I didn't seem to like this one as much as McFadden's other books, most of which average a 4-star rating at least. Perhaps because there were so few characters and I disliked them all, so didn't really care what happened to any of them? I think I prefer either a diverse cast that keeps me guessing, or if it's a smaller set of characters, ones that have a few redeemable qualities among their flaws, so theyre more human and I cant decide how I feel about them in the end. Again though, the plot was intriguing enough to have me power through this in 2 days so it was still time well spent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting
The One by John Marrs
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Really enjoyed listening to this one. Narrated by a great cast of voice actors that made up the 6 characters featured in this book. It gave very 'Black Mirror' vibes of a future that feels not too far off with technological and genetic advancements not too far-fetched. Loved how it showed the different moral and safety predicaments that genetically-matched coupling could bring. I was drawn in by all the characters, who were both charismatic and incredibly flawed, which made it difficult to know how to feel about them, making them more human. If any flaw, a couple of the endings felt a little rushed. I devoured all 11 hours of this in 2 days. Looking forward to rereading The Passengers next, now that I know it's somewhat part of a series (though both books serve well as stand-alones!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Torture, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment