In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press, April 2016

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Paperback, 352 pages

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary (from goodreads.com):

Sometimes the only thing to fear…is yourself.

When reclusive writer Leonora is invited to the English countryside for a weekend away, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But as the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, an unnerving memory shatters Leonora’s reserve, and a haunting realization creeps in: the party is not alone in the woods.

Review:

I would have given this book a full 5-stars but felt like there was a bit of an issue with pacing... just some parts that were either a bit too slow or maybe had more detail than necessary. However, WOW... what a ride!!

Have you ever picked up a book because it was either blurbed by someone you really like (either another author, an actor or perhaps a magazine)? That's how I stumbled across In a Dark Dark Wood... it was blurbed by Reese Witherspoon, whom I love, so I felt as though I HAD to read it. When I first started it, I was a little worried that I had fallen victim to the hype and it took about 80 pages before I can honestly say that I was completely, 100%, hooked!

What I found most appealing about this story was the way that it was told. Going from the present, where you know something horrible has happened, back to the past, where you are getting the 'bigger' picture, was brilliant. I found that I was devouring the pages as I yearned to learn more... wanted to know what happened... NEEDED to understand.

The characters were... okay. I didn't love any of them but found Nora a great lead to follow. However, she's an extremely unreliable narrator so if that's not your thing, be warned! I, personally, really enjoy that type of story so found it part of the appeal of the story.

Overall, this was a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thriller that I would recommend to anyone who doesn't mind missing out on sleep! You will be up reading until the very last page.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Publisher: Berkley, July 2014

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Paperback, 494 pages

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary (from goodreads.com):

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Review:

It's not often that you come across a chick lit book that is also a mystery/suspense novel... in fact, I can't actually say that I have ever read a book that combines those two elements and I FULLY believe that I would, almost exclusively, stick to the genre because it was fantastic.

One of the things that I found most enjoyable about Big Little Lies was that, while still holding an element of mystery and intrigue, it really felt like a light read. So many times, when you pick up a murder mystery, there is a heaviness with the story... lots of angst and sadness but with this story, I didn't really have that feeling. Now, that's not to say that there wasn't a certain part of you that sympathized with the characters because each of them had their own struggles and hardships that really would hit you in the gut and make you feel for them.

Following each of the three main characters, both the public and personal side of the story, was so interesting. I loved how it really brought to light the struggle that parents can go through to put on a brave face for others. As a mother of a young child, I don't know that I would have been able to be as brave as Jane... she was one kick-ass mom!! Each of the women in this story deal with such different life 'issues' and while that can sometimes get confusing and feel as if it's just too far-fetched, Liane Moriarty was able to weave each of the stories together so that, while vastly different, it didn't feel like you were burdened with too many details. All three of the main characters were extremely easy to relate to and I just enjoyed them all so very much (I can see why this is now a TV series on HBO!)

I feel like a broken record when I talk about how I love when an author leaves me guessing to the very last minute... but, once again, that happened! While you spend the entire story knowing that a murder has taken place, you don't find out (or for me, even guess) who the victim is/was or who did the deed (how it was done) until the end. I found myself gripping the pages as I was reading and wanting to skip ahead so I could just take a peek and see who it was... I didn't because BORE! The mystery was top-notch and I love how everything wrapped up very neatly in the end and left the story without any missing details.

Overall, a great read and I am now looking forward to watching the TV series as well as reading more from Liane Moriarty!