Book review and 50 Books 2013 Challenge: August update

Alone – Robert J Crane

Another one of my random ebook freebies, this was actually a good choice.  I couldn’t work out whether it was a young adult book due to the more futuristic genre of the book, or adult reading.  Given the violence, I’d opt for adult.

Again, it wasn’t the usual type of book I’d go for.  Initially I thought it was going to be about kidnapping, and in a way it was, but mostly it’s about superhuman powers or ‘meta’ humans.  Not usually my thing (as I found when I read a similar book by James Paterson a while back), but I did enjoy it.

It was hard to clarify much about the main character – I couldn’t work out how old she was etc, and I found it annoying that nothing was really done to find out where the mother had gone to.  Presumably because where the story ends means it leads straight into the second book.  I’m not sure I found that book interesting enough to want to read another in a similar way, but maybe I will just to find out what happened to the mum, and then what happens next.  I wasn’t expecting the ending, so in a way the author’s done a clever thing in using cliff-hangers to get the next book bought by readers.

What was good was to see the more human side to her, compared with the harsh well trained, hardened meta human trained by her mother.  We’ll have to wait until the next book to see how the relationship between her and the directorate member develop and how she starts out the book given the cliff-hanger in book one.

NYPD Red – James Paterson

Back to my classic favourite author, this is one of a new series – the first one.  Interesting relationship between the 2 lead detectives (isn’t there always), and fast moving as ever.  Set in the film world, there’s enough big characters to keep you amused, and the killer is involved, but in what capacity.  I enjoyed this, it’s good to find a favourite author back to consistent level.

Stay close to me – Helen Warner

Chicklit novel, talking relationships between parents and children, sisters and husbands.  You go from believing Amy is very weak and not really up to much, then after a personal family upheaval, she comes good with the support of her family.  Pretty standard chick lit in that everything turns out right in the end, but there’re lots of intertwined relationships that keep you jumping from one to the other.

I’d read more by this author, even though some of the additional men were a bit creepy.

I’m now on book 40 of the 50 books challenge, so not many to go before the end of the challenge, even though August has definitely been a slow book month (thanks to a toddler who keeps waking me at 5.15am, and getting up to do exercise when my alarm goes off instead of reading for 45 minutes).