The Fixer (The Fixer #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.

And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.

I'm not usually drawn to books with such a focus on political intrigue and veiled threats from powerful figures. They tend to bore me because I find that I need more action in a book rather than a lot of talking between characters. That being said, I have loved Jennifer Lynn Barnes's other books that I have read so I decided to give The Fixer a chance. I'm so happy that I did because this book was fantastic! 

In typical Jennifer Lynn Barnes fashion the book was thrilling from beginning to end with the main character unsure of what she was getting herself into and who she could trust with information she uncovered. I knew that I loved Tess as soon as she stood up for someone else regardless of the repercussions to herself in the beginning of the book. She had an inner strength that I really enjoyed right away. She genuinely cared about others and how they were treated. I also liked her sister even though they seemed to be opposite of each other. I found myself wanting to know more about Ivy and how her views on issues became so gray rather than black and white. 

The story itself was well done with perfect pacing. I loved how the author kept me guessing the whole way through as to who was behind the conspiracy. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of the only authors who can do that which is exciting for me. There is a sequel to The Fixer so the ending leaves some questions unanswered but it excited me rather than bothering me. I'm looking forward to reading The Long Game to find out how the story continues. 

American Gods (American Gods #1) by Neil Gaiman

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Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident.

Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.

He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same…

American Gods is a unique, well written novel depicting how much importance society puts on things like media, sex, and religion. It seems to symbolize how the focus has shifted from religion to more worldly ideals. I thought that these ideals were interesting but not enough to keep me invested in the book. 

The book starts off well enough but it soon becomes difficult to understand the direction that the author is going with it. I kept asking myself when Neil Gaiman was going to get to the point rather than continuing to add new information to sift through. I felt like I was on a ride that keeps going in circles rather than having thrilling twists and turns and an eventual end to it. I grew tired of the book by page 200 and then only read until the end because I had already invested so much time into reading it. I also began watching the TV show and didn't want to be confused by anything that happens in it. 

I think that the author was trying to put readers in Shadow's place by having us be just as confused and out of the loop as he was. It was frustrating enough to have to cope with being confused and unsure of where the story was going. Neil Gaiman adds another element of confusion by having side stories of other characters from the present and past that I don't feel added anything to the story at all. It seems like all the side stories added was more of a sexual component to the book. I'm not a prude or anything but all of the sexual scenes felt odd and made me somewhat uncomfortable. I know that the Gods were supposedly very sexual beings but enough is enough! Each of the side stories distracted from the main story and only served to confuse and stall the story as a whole. 

I was really disappointed by American Gods because I thought that I was going to love it because it seemed to have all of the elements that I enjoy in a story. It was unique, had interesting characters, included gods, and was written by an author that is known world wide. I felt that I had to give the book three stars for some of those reasons alone not to mention that the writing is well done. 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

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Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming. 

Sharp Objects is my first Gillian Flynn book. I became interested in her writing after seeing the movie adaptation of her novel Gone Girl. I wasn't sure what to expect from her writing other than it being dark and thrilling. 

I really enjoyed the tone of the book. It was, in fact, very dark and twisted. The characters are all flawed in some way especially the main characters. I sympathized with Camille even though I didn't agree with her actions half of the time. She seemed to bring about some of her issues because of the choices that she made. I couldn't blame her though since we get to meet her mother during the book and she is lucky she turned out as well as she did with a mother like that train wreck. I thought that Gillian did an excellent job of weaving the story and casting suspicion on different people. She reminded me of a darker Agatha Christie in a way. I was able to deduce who the murderer was fairly early on in the book but that didn't deter me from devouring the book. It was interesting to see the inner workings of a small town and family life in a small town that Gillian portrayed. It added quite a bit to the novel in that people in the town reacted differently whether they were born and raised there or not.

Like I said earlier, I haven't read any other books from this author but I believe that she is a lot like the director of Gone Girl (David Fincher) in that she doesn't necessarily wrap things up with a pretty bow. The endings of her stories seem to be different from the norm which makes them intriguing but hard to swallow. I see myself reading more of her work in the future due to the darkness and unique style that is all her own. 

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

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On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in a sky filled with dancing shapes; the wind, water, and trees shelter and protect those who live there; when the nine children go to sleep in their cabins, it is with full stomachs and joy in their hearts. And only one thing ever changes: on that day, each year, when a boat appears from the mist upon the ocean carrying one young child to join them—and taking the eldest one away, never to be seen again.

Today’s Changing is no different. The boat arrives, taking away Jinny’s best friend, Deen, replacing him with a new little girl named Ess, and leaving Jinny as the new Elder. Jinny knows her responsibility now—to teach Ess everything she needs to know about the island, to keep things as they’ve always been. But will she be ready for the inevitable day when the boat will come back—and take her away forever from the only home she’s known?

Initially, I thought that I was going to like this book. It seemed so different in the beginning that I became curious with the direction that the author would take the book in. Will Jinny fight her fate? Will she make the same choice that Deen did? I wasn't sure what was going to happen but I was excited to find out. I found that as the book progressed I liked it less and less. I found Jinny to be selfish and impatient. I didn't understand why she seemed to only think of herself even though there were so many other children on the island with her. I also did not like how whenever something happens all of the characters sound like broken records. They don't offer up any new dialogue. They just say the same things over and over.  I think that one of the things that annoyed me the most about the book was the ending. I don't feel like there was one. I wanted answers and some sort of closure. I have read in other reviews that that wasn't the point to the story. That it was supposed to be a metaphor for growing up but that just isn't enough for me. The book was fine for what it was but I don't think that it was for me. 

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) by Agatha Christie

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What more can a mystery addict desire than a much-loathed murder victim found aboard the luxurious Orient Express with multiple stab wounds, thirteen likely suspects, an incomparably brilliant detective in Hercule Poirot, and the most ingenious crime ever conceived?

I know that I had said that I probably wouldn't be reading any more Agatha Christie books due to the dated language but I changed my mind. I became curious about her other books because of just how good I found And Then There Were None to be. I'm not going to lie. I found this book for a dollar at a thrift store as well so it didn't take much to convince me to buy it and read it. 

Even though I found that I didn't like Murder on the Orient Express as much as And Then There Were None, it was still a well done book. It had an ending that was delightfully unexpected due to the well crafted nature of the story. Christie does a great job casting her set of characters and plotting out details well enough to have a reader guessing until the end. I enjoyed the smallest details that she put in the story for each character and how she was able to cast suspicion on many of them. There came a point about halfway through the book when I was able to figure out who did it but was still able to thoroughly enjoy the experience. I love a great murder mystery and she checks all of my boxes! She may have converted me to her writing after all!

Balance (Off Balance #1) by Lucia Franco

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Adrianna Rossi is no stranger to the rigorous demands required of her body. Years of pain and determination make her one of the best. Olympic glory is the ultimate goal, and she'll do anything to achieve it. Even if that means leaving home to attend World Cup Academy of Gymnastics, a training center that serves one purpose—producing champions. 

Perfection, precision, and dedication are required of his athletes. When two time Olympian Konstantin Kournakova is persuaded into training the young hopeful, he immediately regrets it. She doesn't come close to his high standards. As the relentless pursuit of her dream keeps her striving, a passion is ignited within him.

Kova's power and domination, coupled with Adrianna's fierce tenacity, reveal there is more for her body to learn. Every interaction can be misconstrued, but there’s no mistaking the darkening of his gaze, the lingering of his touch, or the illicit image of his bare skin pressed against hers. Integrity is on the line. One toe off the beam and their forbidden desires could ruin everything they’ve worked for, throwing it all off balance. 

I originally picked this book up due to it being recommended to me after I read From Lukov, With Love by Mariana Zapata. I thought that it might be similar to that or better which made me feel that I would really enjoy it. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. I have tried and failed to finish this book for over a month now. I finally decided to just throw in the towel. I should mention that I don't think that it is a poorly written book but I had too many problems with it to be able to finish it. 
I'll start with the characters. I didn't like either one of the main characters which made it hard to care or empathize with them. Each of them clearly have issues especially Kova. I felt that Adrianna was naive, selfish, and ignorant. She doesn't seem to care about how her actions affect others  or maybe she doesn't comprehend the gravity of said actions. Frankly it was hard to tell which it was as I was reading. She didn't strike me as the mature type even though I think that is exactly what the author was trying to convey with this character. I liked Kova even less than Adrianna. He was cruel and seemed to be driven by lust alone. I'm guessing that readers of this book are supposed to see that he cares for Adrianna and she for him but I didn't buy it. He seemed to get off on her pain and the control that she gave him. 
This leads me to my next problem with the book. I didn't buy into the relationship between the two of them. I felt some of the chemistry between them physically but there was nothing else there. I needed more from both sides of it. I have trouble reading a book wherein each party within a relationship is only hurting the other regardless of seeing what this does to the other. In my opinion, that isn't romance it is abuse. 
I was disappointed because I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't get into it. I had too many issues with the direction that the author took it in as well as the characters. I didn't feel that either of them had any redeeming qualities. 

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

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I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

I meant to read this book years ago when I first heard about it. I thought that it was an interesting premise in that each of the characters in the story appeared to be flawed from the get go. I am a sucker for flawed characters because I find that it makes them more relatable and realistic. 

I enjoyed each of the characters and being able to get both of their points of view in the book because it added depth to each of them. The author was able to present things in such a way that when one of the main characters was thinking about the other readers were introduced to the character in a different way. It showed the way that they were not only perceived by others but also the small details that the other character was able to notice that others may not have seen. I especially liked Nastya and that may be due to her being the main focus of the story. I found her reactions to her issues to be fascinating. Every chapter felt like discovering another layer to her and how she has changed as a result of her trauma. Josh was no slouch as a character either but I think that his purpose was to be a balance regardless of his own issues due to the extreme nature of Nastya's problem. I have not read a book with a character that goes through what Nastya did which helped the book to feel more novel than others. 

I appreciated how the author did not have the characters heal and/or fix each other. This seems to be a theme in a lot of books out there and I don't feel like that is realistic. It can happen for some but I think that in many of the relationships with people with issues a relationship can add stress to their lives rather than healing. There were no magical fixes in the book and I loved that. I'm not saying that the book is depressing or has an unsatisfying ending. I feel that the ending of the book was appropriate and showed the respect that this particular author has for readers.