by Muriel Barbery

This Fantasy story has a very fairytale-like tone to the narration and starts rather abruptly, as if in the middle of the story, but the reader soon catches up and the situation becomes apparent. A foundling child, Clara, appears under mysterious circumstances and is adopted into a Christian home to have a normal human childhood, but something about her is very fairy-like.

Another child, Maria, who "talks like most people sing" is adopted in similarly strange circumstances in Italy. The connection between these little girls becomes apparent as the story unfolds.

There is very little dialogue, especially in the early chapters, but the story is told in an adult's version of the fairy-tale storytelling voice with a sort of dreamy quality. It is not an immersive read, yet it is entertaining enough to keep reading, despite sketchy description of what's going on. A lot of new characters are introduced through the story and their non-human nature is often inferred more than made clear.

There are digressions to tell background stories of various characters and sometimes it really is like following a dream, jumping from one sequence to another with only a tentative hold on the connections, but all is made clear by the end. I noted in the acknowledgements that it is translated from French, which explains some of this.

Overall a pleasant Fantasy read, but not one that will stimulate the emotions to a great extent

I think I've reviewed this book about three times now, but I just can't stop coming back to it. 

I'm currently reading Echo which was a Newbery honor book in 2016, the same year Last Stop on Market Street won the medal. I wanted to see if I thought Last Stop really deserved the medal over Echo (which I'm enjoying much more than I ever liked Last Stop). 

This time I really paid attention to the words, and thinking about it, de la Peña does write effectively and evocatively. There is an expansive story conveyed in very little text.

I think after this reading I better understand why Last Stop won the Newbery, though I still don't agree that it should have won. 

MY REVIEW FOR PSYCHO INSIDE ME

Action from the getgo.

The sheriff’s son, Deegan, helps the preacher’s daughter cover up the death of bad boy Bobby. They were friends, but this changed their relationship, brought them closer.

Her instinct was to take his ring for a trophy, but Deegan had a better idea. A tattoo.

The death changed her and now she is on the run. She is fueled by nightmares of Bobby, but determined not to be caught.

Are monster born or raised? That age old question, what creates a monster? I am always curious about what drives people to do some of the most heinous acts to others.

Justice doesn’t always come to the rescue and sometimes taking the matter into your own hand is the only answer. I do believe the world has a lot more grey, than black and white.

I didn’t see the direction Bonnie R Paulson was going to take with Psycho Inside me, but I do love the Bonnie and Clyde vigilante aspect. I can always relate to a vigilante and I guess that says something about me. LOL She is a badass psycho and I love her…and her boyfriend too. I feel her need to take down the bullies and pedophiles that prey on children. They do deserve the worst that can be heaped on them…and her name is Cassie.

She trained. She is only a young teenager, but she becomes a predator, created by those whotreated her as prey. I love how she is changing from her 13 year old innocent ways, forcing herself to become a calculating weapon of justice. Fine by me is she wipes out the perverts. You may feel the same way after reading about the degenerates.

The world is dark, with rays of sun shining through when the clouds lift in her mind.

How will this end? Will she be killed in one of the attacks? I want it to end well for her, regardless of what she has done. I love a characters that can win me over so completely.

Molestation and sexual assault are difficult subjects to face and talk about, but Bonnie R Paulsonwants you to know…YOU ARE NOT ALONE..you can survive.

Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R Paulson….BLEW MY MIND.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R Paulson.

5 Stars

READ MORE HERE

 

MY BONNIE R PAULSON REVIEWS

 

• Dictating Death
• Unbridled Trails
• The Psycho Collection

 

• You can see my Giveaways HERE.
• You can see my Reviews HERE.
• If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
• Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
• I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
• Thanks for stopping by!

The Sheriff Meets His Match came to me back on October 21, 2016. I think I received a copy for following her newsletter, but I put it on my review list, read it, and promptly forgot about it.

I loved the cover and it sounded like a fun read. Plus, being a novella, it would be a quick one. I am happy to be marking this off my review list and sharing it with you.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I was smiling from the getgo. I love a hunky, needy character like Sheriff Jack, who isn’t taking himself too seriously. I feel the humor and fun will be coming in waves and it all starts when he pulls over his sexy new secretary, Laurel Thomas, for driving like a crazy person on the snow covered road…and the mystery begins.

I love when I can relate to the little things, like using my credit card to scrape the ice off my windshield. I left the cold for Florida and Laurel Thomas left Florida for the cold. lol

The descriptive writing made the scenes easy to visualize the car sliding, fishtailing on the slippery snow covered road, the deputy knocking his hat against his leg to clean it of snow, her sexy legs as she slides out of the car, the Charlie Brown Christmas tree…you get the drift.

He comes to her rescue, only to nearly bowl her over, banging her head, with his gun drawn. Even in danger, there is humor.

“Men. You can’t live with them, and you can’t shoot ’em. It’s a felony.”

A snowball flew…I found myself snorting, laughing through it all. I love the little details that make the story feel real.

It’s obvious, the story is a romance, so we will have plenty of that. It’s the journey that makes The Sheriff Meets His Match so much fun. There is danger, but I got so caught up in the characters themselves, that their personalities and antics is what I remember most.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Sheriff Meets His Match by Jacquie Biggar.

4 Stars

• You can see my Giveaways HERE.
• You can see my Reviews HERE.
• If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
• Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
• I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
• Thanks for visitingl!