Review- The Accident Season (Moira Fowley-Doyle)

Synopsis

It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.


But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?                     - Goodreads.com

My Review 

Every October the ‘Accident Season’ arrives and with it brings, bruises, scrapes, broken bones and sometimes even death. When Cara’s best friend Bea, warns her via a Tarot reading that this Season will be the worse, Cara already has other concerns on her mind. A fellow class mate Elsie has gone missing and none seems to know where she is, but Cara is determined to unravel the mystery, but she may end up uncovering more secrets than she expects. 

This book was not what I was expecting, but it also didn't disappoint. There was definitely a WTF did I just read look on my face after finishing. 

It’s hard to find a way of describing the book, as the author does a wonderful job of playing with the boundaries of realism to the point where you're often wondering if things actually do exist or if it’s just the characters imagination.

There were some awesomely creepy scenes that despite a lack of actual blood and gore gave me shivers merely due to the amazing imagery the author provided with her words. The characters were interesting. While they don't necessarily develop much throughout the story, they do have their own tales of guilt, shame and love that add to the eerie, sadness and melancholy of the story. The story itself is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, and with its stunningly hypnotic prose it kept me turning the pages all the way through.

My only grievance is at times I felt the idea of the ‘accident season’ was just an afterthought added into the writing. There was an explanation as to what it was, and hints at the devastating effects of disasters during the previous ‘accident seasons’.  However the story veered off near the middle with only intermittent reference to the current accident season, with its focus diversifying on to other mysteries. For the most part though everything was wrapped up in the end. Although you’re likely to have some lingering questions still, but to have answered them would have taken away the eerie, magical qualities of the story and writing.

My rating: 4/5

Review - Linger (Maggie Stiefvater)

 

Synopsis

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. 

 - Goodreads.com

My Review 

So this is Maggie Stiefvater’s 2nd book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. In all seriousness I think she could have stopped after book 1. The ending to Shiver, was perfect (big fat full stop). However I am truly glad she decided to continue with this series. While this book was not as good as its predecessor- Shiver. It was still a great read which kept me engaged throughout and wondering what the hell is going on with Grace? 

The ending was what really struck me the most. Throughout the whole story I had convinced myself that something bad was going to happen to Grace, but honestly didn’t think that the author would be so daring to go there...but she did. She really did!

With only one book to go, Miss Stiefvater is going to have to pull one hell of a Houdini act, to get out of that one.... and I can’t wait for what she comes up with.

Overall Maggie Stiefvater, has a beautiful way of narrating the story. The prose is delightful, and opens the imagination wide to all the senses around you. Personally I get restless, when there is too much description and not enough action. But in Linger it works well adding dimension to the world that’s been created. 

Overall 4/5

 The main thing that let it down, nothing was really achieved in this book. It was more of a lead up to the big finale in Forever #3