Month: October 2021

Madness – Paityn E. Parque

~ Eden Haslam ~ Leave a comment

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Synopsis: When Ezra dies, she thinks that will be the end. What she does not expect is to wake up in the Battles, a twisted game where people must kill to earn blood points in order to escape. In the Battles you have unlimited lives, the only way to truly escape the game is death by suicide.

As she figures out to survive, Ezra must decide whether to trust those around her. Allies are lost and gained as time goes on but, as she begins to find her place in this brutal world, Ezra starts to lose herself. When it is kill or be killed morality and humanity seem to become less important and as Ezra gets stronger, the harder it is for her to keep control.

Review: This book is dark, it’s the Hunger Games meets Alice in Borderland with a real sense of hopelessness. Although it does have similarities with various survival game narratives, the plot does not feel too derivative, likely because of the acceptance that there is no escape. The chances of buying your way out of the Battles are so slim, that people need to find a new purpose.

Continue reading “Madness – Paityn E. Parque” →

Could You Survive Midsomer? – Simon Brew

~ Eden Haslam ~ Leave a comment

CAN YOU AVOID A BIZARRE DEATH IN ENGLAND’S MOST
DANGEROUS COUNTY?

All is not well in the beautiful county of Midsomer. On the eve of its first Villages In Bloom competition, a man lies slain, smelling of damson jam. Who could have done it?

Well, that’s where you come in. Step into the shoes of Midsomer CID’s newest recruit, choose your own path and decide which way the story goes.

Could You Survive Midsomer? sets off on an engaging pick-your-own adventure format to challenge the reader to solve a crime or succumb to the county’s suspiciously high death rate. Set in television’s most celebrated and murderous county, the book allows readers to see if they can get to the bottom of the mystery and bring the perpetrator to justice, avoiding an untimely, and possibly bizarre death, along the way. Your task is to make the right choices, solve the case and – most tricky of all – stay alive!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Review: I’m a huge fan of murder mysteries and love Midsomer Murders so was really excited that this book gave you the chance to make decisions to try and solve the murder yourself. The interactive element to it is similar to some children’s books where you get to make your own story and it just makes it so fun to read. I love that you are not just passively reading what the author has written, instead you are taking an active role and so you have to pay attention to avoid a disappointing ending.

Continue reading “Could You Survive Midsomer? – Simon Brew” →