Creation by Kat Mellon Book Review

   Creation by Kat Mellon was an interesting 92 page novella. People with different talents are taken to a place called "Creation" and their memories are wiped of anything from the outside world. They know nothing about trees, cities or even children and the elderly. Their creative talents are the only thing they can focus on.

Although I found Creation's concept very interesting, I can't ignore the fact that the story ended right where things were taking a particularly interesting turn. There were too many unanswered questions to have the story feel compete. The last few pages read like the author was forcing emotions that weren't warranted just to bring the novella to an end. I did ask the author if she planned another book on Creation considering all the plot lines that were left unfinished and she said she was not planning on continuing the story. This was a disappointment to hear as I think Creation is a beautiful introduction to a much larger story that we'll never hear.

Overall, I rate Creation by Kat Mellon 3 1/2 stars.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult: Book Review

Amazon Description:

One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice. In short, waiting for a miracle to happen. For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June's eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child. Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish?

My Review:

I am kind of torn when it comes to Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. There are things I loved about the book and things I really hated.

First, I'll get the negative out of the way:

1. There are some elements of this book that are obvious rip-offs of The Green Mile to the point where I even checked to see if Stephen King sued Jodi Picoult. (He did not.)

2. The big plot twist was predictable and the character's reactions to the twist was INFURIATING because no decent person would react in such a way.

3. The lack of information on the crime that landed Shay Bourne on death row was disappointing.


The good aspects that kept me reading on were

2. I enjoyed the relationships that developed throughout the book, particularly between Shay and his lawyer.

3. This novel had me thinking about different religions which I always enjoy. While Change of Heart has a explores a few religions, it was always in a questioning manner and I never felt like any belief system was being shoved down my throat.

Overall, I don't think Change of Heart is Picoult's best novel, but it wasn't awful either so I rate it 3 stars.

The Lonely Mile by Allan Leverone (Review)

It's fairly easy to guess what's going to happen in The Lonely Mile by Allan Leverone right after you read the synopsis on the product page.  A man named Bill Ferguson witnesses and stops a near kidnapping by the "I-90 Killer."  Although the girl is safe, the sociopath escapes and is seeking revenge on Bill and targets his precious, 17 year old daughter Carli.

I am sure if you think about it, you can figure out what happens, or come close to it.  That's okay, it is not what makes this such a great novel.  The intricate details of the story and the way Leverone manages to sneak twists into the story is part of the making of this fantastic thriller.  Bill Ferguson is determined to make his daughter safe and the way he tries to go about it had my hairs standing on end some of the time.  Also, you are put into the mind of the "I-90 Killer" which is incredibly creepy and made my skin crawl.

I do not normally read thrillers because (quite honestly) they aren't that thrilling to me.  I chose to read The Lonely Mile because I live just a few minutes away from I-90 and I thought it would add a little extra thrill factor to the read, but I don't think that extra bit is needed to feel the thrill of this novel.  I literally could not read this book fast enough for my liking.  I had to know what was going to happen next and there's no skipping a paragraph or you might just miss something important.

I am glad I jumped out of my comfort zone of YA fiction and tried out Leverone's suspenseful book.  I would recommend it to any adult who likes to go along with a fantastic thrilling read. I rate The Lonely Mile 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait to read another of Leverone's books!