Caged - Onaiza Khan

Synopsis:

"Keep your mind right, put your body in action and let your spirit guide you.”

These are the words keeping her sane after her husband takes her from India and into isolation in northern Canada. But after three months with only a servant, a television and the screams of another captive keeping her company, she begins to lose touch with reality - even forgetting her own name.
With the help of an unexpected ally, she discovers an inner strength and powers previously unknown; changing her perspective and realigning her past, present and future.

Review:

Our protagonist Noor, is being held by her husband, she hasn't left the house in 3 months, and longs to be free. Her days are consistent, the routine she is used to is suddenly broken when her captor begins to break It in unusual was that seem nice  us but make our character weary which turns my feeling of the actions being nice into being suspicious. After all he has beaten and abused her over her time as his prisoner.

After her routine is broken in small, subtle ways she finds the other human who she has been hearing being tortured and abused. However he is kept differently to her, Noor finds him chained to a chair and in the dark. To anyone normal this is suspicious.
In short they both plot escape, and it works, but she has moments of panic as to whether she can actually trust him, or will she find herself worse of. It turns out that all is not as it seems and it causes Noor to call in toe question the whole 3 months she was held captive in her own home by her husband Daniel.

I felt really odd about this book, at the beginning I was really into it, there was a beautiful and well described dream scene which really had me interested but pretty much everything from there on out wasn't exactly brilliant. The plot itself was actually a very smart and cunning one, you're lead to believe one thing when in fact its something, not entirely but somewhat different. I felt like the story was rushed, that the ending was important and you were needed to get there urgently. The book has potential, it really does, I really thought I'd be absorbed into this book and have emotions and connections to the places and people but I didn't, I felt very little towards each character, I just didn't click with them and I was unable to care for them as much as I usually would.

Its classed as a supernatural thriller, psychological thriller but I'm not really sure I feel comfortable using those genres with this book. I mean it works as s psychological thriller I suppose, but I don't feel like it really emphasised the psychological state of Norah's character.

I really appreciate receiving a copy of this book and that I was asked for an honest review. For those who like fast pace books that you can get through really quickly his is one for you. Though I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would I give this book a 3 out of 5 and I wish Onaiza all the best with the success of Caged and all of her projects in the future.

INKITT LAUNCHES IOS APP

Inkitt empowers readers and publishers to discover world’s next best sellers

In less than 2 years from launch, Inkitt has attracted over 700,000 unique readers: the iOS app will give book lovers and publishers greater access to Inkitt’s digital library of over 80,000 stories by up-and-coming authors.

BERLIN, NOVEMBER 16, 2016: Inkitt, the world’s first algorithm-based book publisher, is introducing an iOS app for iPhone and iPad available to readers globally today.

“As more people read digitally we want to make it easier and faster for people to access great literature wherever they are, whether on the go or relaxing at home,” says Inkitt’s Founder and CEO, Ali Albazaz. “Inkitt’s iOS app will better enable emerging authors to share their work with test readership groups and give readers globally the opportunity to turn the page on one of the world’s

next best sellers.”

Key features include:

• Access to 80,000 stories in every genre: fantasy, sci-fi, romance, thriller, horror, adventure, action and more
• Personalized suggestions: hand-picked novels based on reader’s preferences
• App customization according to user preferences (e.g. font size, colors)
• Online/Offline: readers can save novels to their offline library to access them without an internet connection

Beyond being a platform connecting authors and readers, Inkitt has developed an in-house algorithm that analyzes reading behavior to determine if a novel has the potential to become a bestseller. Using this unique data-driven approach, Inkitt aims to help emerging writers achieve their dreams of getting published by becoming a point of reference for publishers looking to uncover the world’s next best sellers.

Back in April, Inkitt announced the signing of the platform’s first algorithm-chosen novel, Bright Star, a Young Adult fantasy novel written by Texan author Erin Swan and signed for publication with Tor Books. Since July, Inkitt has published another 3 novels: Catalyst Moon: Incursion by Lauren L. Garcia (Fantasy), Just Juliet by Charlotte Reagan (YA Romance) and I Was A Bitch by Emily Ruben (YA Romance Mystery). Both Just Juliet and I Was A Bitch became bestellers in their respective categories upon launch.

Inkitt’s iOS app was released in beta in Australia and Canada earlier this year and is now available for download globally here

About Inkitt

Introducing Inkitt for iOS: Read great novels by up-and-coming authors on your iPhone and iPad from Inkitt - The Hipster's Library on Vimeo.
On the surface, Inkitt is a platform where budding writers can share their novels and inquisitive readers can unearth fresh content. But under the hood, we are democratizing publishing: Inkitt is built on an algorithm which analyzes reading patterns to predict future bestsellers. Using this unique data- and readers-driven approach to uncover highly addictive stories, Inkitt’s goal is to remove the middle person so that a blockbuster book is never rejected by a publishing house again. In other words, if readers love it, Inkitt publishes it.

All information provided by;

MEDIA CONTACT

eleanna@inkitt.com

Top Ten Tuesday - All Time Favoutire Movies of 2016

    Suicide Squad

X-men Apocalypse

The BFG

The Conjuring 2

The Purge: Election Year

Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children

Alice Through The Looking Glass

Deadpool

Zootopia

The Legend Of Tarzan

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish

The Two O'clock Boy - Mark Hill

Synopsis:

TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS...ONE BECAME A DETECTIVE...ONE BECAME A KILLER...

One night changed their lives
Thirty years ago, the Longacre Children's Home stood on a London street where once-grand Victorian homes lay derelict. There its children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the home's manager.

Cries in the fire and smoke
Then Connor Laird arrived: a frighteningly intense boy who quickly became Tallis' favourite criminal helper. Soon after, destruction befell the Longacre, and the facts of that night have lain buried ...until today.

A truth both must hide
Now, a mysterious figure, the Two O'Clock Boy, is killing all who grew up there, one by one. DI Ray Drake will do whatever it take to stop the murders - but he will go even further to cover up the truth.

Discover the gripping, twist-filled start to a fantastic new London-set crime thriller series starring morally corrupt DI Ray Drake - the perfect new addiction for fans of Luther.

Review:

I don't quite know where to start with this except for with the statement. This completely blew my mind.

Kenny Overton is a petty criminal trying to do right. He has a job working the night shifts in a supermarket and is trying his best to do the right thing to make up for a life made up of mistakes and bad choices, but it is a life of which begun in a grim and poor children’s home many years ago. But someone doesn’t want to give Kenny the second chance he wants. Someone has been watching him all this time, waiting for the right moment to make him pay for all he has done in his past, to deny him of his happy ending. And the time has come.

When DI Ray Drake and the newly promoted DS Flick Crowley are called out to the scene of a brutal multiple murder, they sense that it is not going to be a straight-forward case. Three members of one family are slaughtered, the fourth escaping only by having left his phone at home that night. But who would want to kill them all, and in such a personal and gruesome way?

Drake knows instinctively that this is a message. That secrets which have laid buried for years are about to be exposed. Secrets which link back to the Longacre Children’s home, its manager, Gordon Tallis and one of the former residents, Connor Laird – a boy who harboured such anger and intensity within, that he terrified anyone he ever met.

With Drake fearing for his family’s safety and with the knowledge that so much depends on keeping the truth hidden, he knows he needs to find a way to prevent Crowley from following her instincts and investigating the children’s home with its ill-fated history and residents. But the killer, the ‘Two O’Clock Boy’, begins to taunt Drake, reminding him that no matter how much he denies it, their pasts, and their futures, are linked. The killer wants the secrets exposed and the question Drake has to ask himself is – how far is he willing go to stop the murders, protect his daughter and cover up the truth?

‘The Two O’Clock Boy’ is an extraordinary piece of work from author Mark Hill. Moving between the present day investigations and weeks in 1984 after Connor Laird first went to Longacre, Hill gives the reader a thrill, a ride full of twists and shocks. It brings up the questions of are the characters simply victims of their past, driven to poor life choices by a difficult and abusive start in life? or is it merely an excuse to justify their crimes? What is it that creates a criminal? A killer? it really gets you thinking about the answers to all of these questions and to begin with you have your mind set on the path the story is going to take but with me it went nowhere close and nearing the end I was pretty much re thinking all of the events and trying to figure it all out before I got to see if I was right or wrong.

The killer known as the ‘Two O’Clock Boy’ is an emotionally complex character. As his past is slowly comes out to the reader, you are put in a strange position where you feel a little sympathy for him as you do for all of those who he targets. What happens at the home is something which does make victims of them all emotionally and, ultimately, physically. Whether as a result you can forgive his actions or not is really up to the reader and how they feel about it all.The truth is complicated and isn't easy to simply condemn. For sure Hill’s writing messed with my emotions to a point where I couldn’t really,truly hate him, no matter what, and yet I still feared the execution of his plans.

When it comes to Ray Drake, you have an almost impossible character. A guy who doesn't really like to be a hero. He is driven by love for his family, and the need to keep them safe, which you can't help but respect. I can honestly say that I didn’t know how to feel about him. I liked his character at first, but as the story unfolded I found myself wondering how he was involved and what it was that the killer had over him. I didn’t trust him, then his past was unveiled, scene by scene, he became bit by little bit an even more complicated character. My feelings mirrored those of his partner DS Crowley; confused by Drake’s change in character, his determination to avoid the truth and to derail the investigation. He shocked me and made me go gah! in frustration. But I still liked him. A lot. I wanted to hate his character but found myself rooting for him instead.

Flick Crowley is a well written character. She has her own demons to battle, a poor relationship with her father and a is over reliant upon her sister, she is a very likeable character, I took to her almost immediately. Willed and determined she follows her gut and carries on with her investigations, in spite of Drake and l see her being a character with so much to give and more way for her to develop. She is certainly no pushover and a strong believer in acting on instinct. You can’t help but like her. Well I couldn't help liking her.

The writing is paced, the tension gradually builds up until the dramatic end as, chapter by chapter, more of the past and motivations are revealed. The twists in the story, the deception, are so well hidden that I didn’t see the majority of them coming until they were staring me right in the face. I thought I knew, but I was so very, very wrong. The thrill of the chase, the developing sense of danger, all driven by a truly great narrative, making this a literal page turner. And the ending just blew me further away than the rest of the book already had.

The murders are grizzly, the perpetrator without remorse and the protagonist divisive.I was pushed to keep reading. I wanted to learn all of the secrets of each character and the identity of The Two O'clock Boy and try to understand why the killer was so hell bent on such a vicious revenge. I want to know what the heck happens next for Drake and Crowley. What they have been though is definitely going to make for an interesting and complex dynamic in future books. I can't wait. its most definitely a 5/5. I must get a physical copy just so I can revisit it and experience the whole thing all over again. I received a free copy of the book from Netgalley in return I should give an honest review.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I've Added To My To-Be-Read List Lately

What I'm basically going to do is list all the books I have that I want to read as soon as possible.

Esper Files - Egan Brass

Cardiac - Jeffrey Monaghan

The Unadjusteds - Marisa Blagden

The Rest Of Us Jist Live Here - Patrick Ness 

Atlantis Gene Trilogy - A.G.Riddle

Always With Love - Giovanna Fletcher

Maze Runner Series - James Dashner

Am I Normal Yet and How Hard Can Love Be? - Holly Bourne

On The Other Side - Carrie Hope Fletcher

Eden Summer - Liz Flanagan

The Girl on The Train - Paula Hawkins

Books 7-10 in the True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse series - Charlaine Harris

New Guard - Robert Muchamore

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Synopsis:

Today, F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his novels, but in his lifetime, his fame stemmed from his prolific achievement as one of America's most gifted story writers. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a witty and fantastical satire about aging, is one of his most memorable stories.

In 1860 Benjamin Button is born an old man and mysteriously begins aging backward. At the beginning of his life he is withered and worn, but as he continues to grow younger he embraces life -- he goes to war, runs a business, falls in love, has children, goes to college and prep school, and, as his mind begins to devolve, he attends kindergarten and eventually returns to the care of his nurse.

This strange and haunting story embodies the sharp social insight that has made Fitzgerald one of the great voices in the history of American literature.

Review:

So I actually listened to the audio book version of this book which lasts for literally just over 1 hour. It's read by the wonderful Mike Vendetti. I watched the film along time ago so all I could envision was Brad Pitt in his roll of Benjamin Button. It is defiantly a curious case and I really love how it all works.

So it all begins in 1860 with the birth of Benjamin to Roger Button and Mrs Button who have a high worth in the community so when his father turns up to the hospital and the doctor demands he never sees any of the Button relatives again Roger is left confused. Once experiencing 2 very blown away nurses, Roger and Benjamin finally meet. Its clear from the outset that Benjamin is not the normal child, he can talk and looks 70 yet alone a few hours old.

His father doesn't seem to treat him badly, just treating him how its best for him to blend in and have a somewhat normal life. When Benjamin reaches 12 it becomes apparent that he is actually ageing backawards and by the age of 18 he is kicked our from College after being thought to be a 50 year old man posing as a 18 year old.

In 1880, Benjamin is 20 years old and his father gives him control of Roger Button & Co. Wholesale Hardware. He meets the young Hildegarde Moncrief, a daughter of General Moncrief, and falls in love with her. Hildegarde mistakes Benjamin for a 50-year-old brother of Roger Button; she prefers older men and marries him six months later, but remains ignorant of his condition.

Years later, Benjamin's business has been successful, but he is tired of Hildegarde because her beauty has faded and she nags him. Bored at home, he enlists in the Spanish–American War in 1898 and achieves great triumph in the military, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He retires from the army to focus on his company, and even receives a medal.

In 1910 Benjamin is now looking like a 20-year-old and turns over control of his company to his son, Roscoe and enrols at Harvard University. His first year there is a great success: he dominates in football and takes revenge against Yale for rejecting him years before. However during his junior and senior years he is only 16 years old, too weak to play football and barely able to cope with the school work.

After graduation, Benjamin returns home to learn that his wife has moved away to Italy. He lives with his son Roscoe, who forces Benjamin to call him "uncle." As the years progress, Benjamin grows from a moody teenager into a child. Eventually, Roscoe has a child of his own who later attends kindergarten with Benjamin. After kindergarten, Benjamin slowly begins to lose memory of his earlier life. His memory fades away to the point where he cannot remember anything except his nurse. Everything fades to darkness shortly after.

It's such a great concept of the version of time, experiencing life backwards but properly at the same time. as Mike read it I was so absorbed by the story, it was like I was in ever chapter watching it unfold in the corner. Mike's voice was also very soothing and fitted the tale perfectly.

It was a great short story read well by a grest man. it's a 5.out of 5 for both elements and I hope that someone else out there has enjoyed the story not only film and book but also audio book.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books To Read If Your Book Club Likes _______________

Unfortunately I'm not an active part of any Book Club although I really would like to be; so I can not create a list for this weeks topic, I cant even change the topic around a little bit to even give myself a chance of a list which is unfortunate. Please check out other lists linked at the bottom of todays TTT list on the host's ( The Broke And The Bookish ) blog.

Come back next week for 10 books I have recently added onto my TBR.