Black Feathers by Robert J. Wiersema

So I’m not a very smart person. I say this because I spent a big chunk of yesterday reading this novel instead of studying for my upcoming (and very important) test on Tuesday, which I’m now probably going to fail. BUT I JUST COULDN’T STOP READING!!! So at the end of the day, I have no regrets.

Cassie has run away from home and is struggling to survive on the streets of Victoria. She is lucky enough to find Skylark, who takes her to a community of street dwellers that is led by Brother Paul. Although Cassie begins to find a sense of camaraderie, it isn’t long before her nightmares – or rather, daymares – begin to  appear. When a serial killer emerges, Cassie must question her own role in the murders as the lines between reality and her dreams begin to blur.

This was quite different from the other books by this author. It was far more sinister and dark, and I absolutely loved it. Cassie is someone you feel sympathy for while also fearing her at the same time. I liked how the story jumped from one character’s perspective to another; it kept me constantly guessing the identity of the killer. This was definitely a thriller that I couldn’t put down and I recommend it to anyone who likes murder mysteries!

Happy reading ~

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

I don’t know if you’ve read my post Good Girl but that was Mary Kubica’s first novel! I quite liked that and I was pleasantly surprised to see she had written another one already, so of course I had to read it!

Heidi Wood is an extremely charitable woman: she works in a nonprofit organization, brings in stray cats, and is an advocate for every cause known to man. Although her husband and daughter are used to her random acts of kindness, they are shocked when Heidi brings home a teenage girl with a child. Disheveled, dirty, and homeless, Chris (Heidi’s husband) is sure that the girl is a runaway – maybe even a criminal. But Heidi is insistent that the girl, Willow, and her baby, Ruby, stay in the house. Although the atmosphere is tense, Heidi goes out of her way to help Willow, even though she starts to suspect that Willow may not be the innocent and desperate teenager that she seems. But as time goes on, Heidi begins to realize that her act of kindness may have some serious consequences for her and her family.

This was a really good thriller. I really liked that the story had different viewpoints from all of the different characters. I also liked how my perspectives and views on all of the characters changed throughout the book; characters that I thought were extremely good were despised by the end and characters that annoyed me before were shown sympathy by me in the end. This story actually makes me remember my first attempt at writing a short story back when I was 12 years old, which made it even more of a delight to read. I am definitely going to be keeping an eye out for this author because all of her work so far has been really good. I’m sure she’s only going to get better and better.