"The Sister"

“The Sister”

Written by Louise Jensen

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

An interesting premise and a new-to-me author piqued my interest, and I bought a copy of this the other day. Louise Jensen has written four other psychological thrillers after this debut novel.

“The Sister” follows our main character, Grace, who has been in a rocky relationship with her boyfriend, Dan. Grace has not fully healed from the death of her best friend, Charlie. Grace is approached by a woman, Anna, who has said that her sister was Charlie. Grace allows Anna to stay with her and Dan, against his wishes, until Anna can find a new job. Anna’s behaviour grows suspicious, as odd occurrences begin happening at Grace’s house.

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed by this story. The book blurb and logline both hint towards a startling plot twist, which was quite small. We already knew exactly where the story was going, but the small twists hardly impacted the novel to cause the readers to be shocked.

This felt like a very generic thriller, but I can attest that this is the debut novel of the author. I expected more character development, better dialogue, and better twists. The lack of interesting red herrings or tension weakened the plot and the novel overall.

In conclusion, this was a disappointing novel, but it was at least entertaining. I enjoy novels in this genre, and as a thriller goes, it was a worthy entry into the genre. I expect more from this author and plan to continue reading her other books, in hopes that I enjoy them more, as her writing skills strengthen.

"Artemis"

“Artemis”

Written by Andy Weir

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

 

“Artemis” is a very well-crafted, researched, and interesting novel, but unfortunately, I was highly disappointed with the plot, main characters, and most of the dialogue.

Andy Weir, most notable for his first novel, “The Martian” is a writer, scientist, and all-around brain. Weir creates complex and strong science fiction, which cannot always be understood, for those who do not understand complex science. His first novel was easier to understood, because his character, Mark Watney, explained everything that he was doing in his Sol diary. However, Jazz Bashara, main character of “Artemis” explained very little.

Jazz’s motivations in “Artemis” were interesting. Growing up as a poorer individual, whose parents worked their way up into success, Jazz was not particularly motivated to succeed. After she and her parents moved to Artemis, the first colony on the moon, she seems to have fallen a little from grace. As an adult, Jazz is a smuggler, working illegally to move items to the moon from her sources on Earth. Jazz becomes embroiled in a government conspiracy, as she takes on a difficult and highly dangerous mission.

Heist stories are not within the realm of my interest. Space and science fiction are interests of mine, however, I struggle to understand most of the science aspects in this story. This is a “me problem”, but I wish that I was able to understand the story more. Thus, I do understand that to enjoy the extent of the story, you might need to be more science-minded than I am, but I felt that there is a select group of science fiction readers that could understand every aspect of this story.

Elements of “Artemis” are highly interesting and appealing to learn about. I enjoyed learning about the world within this story more than I enjoyed the story. We learn about the currency, locations, laws, politicians, and history that would exist after we humans live on Earth. Catching up on this fantastic piece of science fiction was really enjoyable. The world of “Artemis” was so unique and well-created, especially the different factions of people and the cities in which they lived. Unfortunately, the plot let this story down for me. I hope that Weir continues Jazz’s life in following books, because I did see some potential for sequels. However, if it was created maybe a little less complex and with a different type of story, I think I could really enjoy a continuation.

In conclusion, I was not a big fan of this story. I like reading modern science fiction, and I absolutely plan to continue reading future works of Weir. I rated this book at 3 out of 5 stars. Weir’s comedy and great dialogue still absolutely shone through, and I’d love an adaptation, similar to the film made from “The Martian”.

“It’s Always the Husband”

“It’s Always the Husband”

Written by Michele Campbell

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“It’s Always the Husband” centers around the past of three teens: Aubrey, Jenny, and Kate, and how the past will bring horrible secrets to life in their adult present. The first book written by Michele Campbell was one I needed to read, due to my reading of her two following novels. Going back to the start felt necessary, especially when I saw a very inexpensive and great conditioned copy of this, sitting on a book store shelf, just waiting for me.

“It’s Always the Husband” is told in Campbell’s unique blend of many different characters, perspectives, and time periods. The elements she creates in her novel feel very similar to Ruth Ware, Liane Moriarty, and B.A. Paris, for those who have read those writers’ novels. Out of all her novels so far, I enjoyed this just a bit less than “She Was Always the Quiet One”, but I still enjoyed this well.

When we read the first chapter of this novel, we know that one of these girls will be killed by a mystery assailant, as a forty-year-old pregnant woman. The book declares, that women are often murdered by their husband, but could it have been the best friend? This catalyst launches us into the story, begging us to ask, “Who could have been murdered? And who could have murdered them?”

Aubrey, Jenny, and Kate met in their first year of college, and instantly, their friends started off strangely. Aubrey, a dark soul, had experienced many troubles in her life, and now, she finds family in Jenny and Kate. Kate’s manipulative side manifests very quickly and contrasts with Jenny’s kind but wild side. The girls have a tumultuous friendship, which leads to the death of a fellow classmate. We wonder years later, could this death have influenced someone to hurt our victim?

Campbell plays with many red herrings; her writing leaves us clues, but only to dash them later. This fun manipulation is a common technique in most thrillers, but Campbell does have an excellent mastery of the technique.

This was a very exciting read, and I personally wanted to continue at every given free moment. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I highly recommend it. I am rating it at 5 out of 5 stars, because it was a fantastic read, without any notable elements that I did not like. This book has re-read potential and could be created into a great movie or mini-series. As mentioned prior, I have read the other two books by Campbell and recommend them well.