Tag: #Kelly Charron

Wicked Fallout by Kelly Charron

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wicked fallout

Wicked Fallout by Kelly Charron

Published: July 17th 2017 by Dark Arts Publishing

Convicted of six murders when she was just fifteen, the notorious Ryann Wilkanson hasn’t been able to act on her darkest, deadliest urges for twelve years. She’s exhausted her appeals and has little hope of ever getting out of prison and back to hunting.

Until a media-hungry legal team mounts a campaign to do the impossible—get her immediately released with a commuted sentence.

Forensic psychiatrist Nancy Clafin has mere weeks to evaluate Ryann’s current mental state against her grisly past to determine if she’s changed. But under the shadow of her own questionable history, it’s not easy to separate her personal life from her professional duty.

At least that’s what Ryann is counting on.

Behind the cold steel doors of a Colorado maximum-security prison, will Nancy find a cold-blooded killer or a newly redeemed woman determined to right her past wrongs?

Note: I received a copy of this from the author. This in no way influences my opinion.

When I checked my inbox to see that this had landed in it – I was so excited! I absolutely LOVED Pretty Wicked and I was so stoked to read this. This is the sequel to Pretty Wicked, but it can also be read as a standalone without reading PW first. However, I have mixed opinions about this book. I enjoyed the second half more than I did the first.

This book is set 12 years after the events of Pretty Wicked and follows Ryann further as she tries to get a commuted sentence for her crimes. What I enjoyed about this book was that we got 2 POVs – Ryanns and that of the Forensic Psychiatrist (Nancy) who has to determine whether Ryann has rehabilitated or not. I enjoyed watching the way that Ryann thought and acted and what Nancy was also thinking and whether she was believing what Ryann was saying to her etc. I definitely feel that Ryann has changed some from PW (I don’t want to give too many spoilers out) and it is interesting to see her thoughts and the way that she does certain things.

I think a big issue I had with this book was the fact that I felt like the first half was just rehashing the events of PW. I don’t feel like enough happened outside of that and there were times were I was feeling a little bored because I already knew what had happened. I did enjoy watching Nancy’s reaction to the way that Ryann was describing the events and whether or not Nancy was believing her.

The second half of the book definitely had me more gripped. I HAD to know whether Ryann’s sentence was going to be commuted or not – especially with the way our characters were around each other. I enjoyed the way that the drama unfolded in the prison with Ryann and the other inmates and the way that things got more and more heated the closer they got to making a decision about Ryann’s sentencing.

I would have liked to have seen various aspects of Nancy’s past shown in a little bit more detail. I feel like the issues that she had regarding members of her family were resolved a little too easily and quickly, whilst the other mistake that she made in her past (and still struggles to deal with) wasn’t shown enough. I would have liked to have known more about the case and the person etc.

The ending was AMAZING! It is very unclear right up until the very end what decision Nancy is going to make! I also love the way that things were left off! I am not sure whether there will be another book in the series, but the ending is definitely open to the possibility, or the reader is able to decide what is going to happen next themselves! If there is going to be another book, I am so on it! I absolutely have to know what the author would have in store for our characters next!

I think my favourite thing about this book is the way that the psychology of Ryann’s actions and the way she does things. There are not very many books that focus on the killer themselves, and those that I have read have nothing on this book. The psychology is so easy to get sucked into, with the reader feeling conflicted because you know that what Ryann has done and is doing is wrong, but you just have to know the way that she thinks and acts. It’s fascinating…

All in all, I had mixed opinions about this book. I definitely enjoyed the second half more than the first and I am excited at the idea of another book in this series! I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday

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toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT. This week is freebie week because they have been unable to refresh the list due to personal reasons (let’s be honest, a break after 6,5 years is deserved!). So, I thought I would go through the previous topics and chose top ten authors who deserve more recognition! There are so many amazing authors out there who I feel definitely need to be seen and heard more purely because their writing and their books are just AMAZING!! So, without further ado, and in no particular order:

10. kate Katelyn Anderson – Kate is the author of the Tainted Souls trilogy which starts with Everlasting Flame! I absolutely love the first book in the series (she is currently wrapping up book 2!) and I definitely feel like this book needs more love! It is absolutely amazing and the MC is so sassy!

9. karen Karen Tomlinson – Karen is the author of A Bond of Venom and Magic (which Debuted last year), which belongs to the Goddess and the Guardians series! Book 2 is currently in the works (but I have already Beta read and it was FANTABULOUS!!) and I think any fantasy lover really needs to be reading this book!

8. candy-atkins Candy Atkins – Candy is the author of The Lost Knight series, which I fell in love with from the very first book! The first two books have been published and, lets just say, I read book 2 in one sitting it was THAT GOOD!!! Her work is definitely underrated and, can we just mention that the covers are so PRETTY!

7. kelly-charron Kelly Charron – Kelly is the author of Pretty Wicked which takes a unique view of serial killings! I say unique because, instead of being written from the view of the victim, it is written from the view of the Killer!!! It was definitely interesting to see the psychology behind the killer…

6. luke Luke Taylor – Luke is the author of quite a few different things, but I have personally only read Vault of Dreams which I adored! He has a very lyrical style of writing and I am so looking forward to some of the other works he is currently working on!

5. martina Martina McAtee – Soooo, I literally only finished Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things on Sunday, but it was SOOOO GOOOOOD and I feel like everyone should be reading this book!

4. melissa Melissa A. Craven – The Emerge series (whilst still being released etc.) is one of my favourites out there! I absolutely loved the first two books and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for book 3!

3. andrew-toy Andrew Toy – I have only read These Great Affects but it was just such an emotional ride!!

2. dyllin D. T. Dyllin – I read Somniare a while back and I still need to read the second book! However, it is a book set in a dreamworld state and it was so well executed and so unique!!

1. maria-padian Maria Padian – I read Wrecked quite a while back now which is about  college rape! It is so true to todays society and it definitely needs to be read by everyone!

That’s it! I love all of these authors and I definitely feel like their books need some more love going around!

Top Ten Tuesday

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toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT! This weeks topic is top ten books I liked/disliked more than I thought I would. I decided to go with book that I liked more than I thought I would! Without further ado and in no particular order…

10.forbidden Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – If you read the blurb… I think most people automatically go NOPE based purely on the subject matter. However, I had heard some amazing things about this book, and I went into thinking that they can’t even be remotely right because…incest?!? However, this book broke me and my poor little feelings in all the right places and I would definitely recommend it!

9. rites of passage Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley – I really detest this cover and it is a book that I really would never have even considered if I hadn’t seen a glowing review first. I still went into this book thinking I wasn’t going to get along with it and I absolutely loved it!

8. only ever yours Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill – I was expecting to like this book, but I was not expecting it to blow me away the way that it did! I was left speechless and I had no idea how to even form words – let alone write a review!

7. Dangerous Girls Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas – Anyone who knows me knows that I love myself a good whodunnit. I think this one is absolutely my favourite and I think after everything that happened and the feelings etc. If you’ve read it, you’ll understand – I loved this book more than I ever thought I would!

6. follow-me-back Follow me Back by A. V. Geiger – Admittedly, I finished reading this on Saturday… I went into this book with the usual expectations of a book of this nature… but I was left reeling by the end and I just NEED THE SEQUEL!

5. pretty-wicked Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron – I actually lowered my expectations for this one because it’s really difficult to get the perspective right from which this book is written – and usually it’s done completely wrong! However, I was absolutely blown away by this and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

4. this is where it ends This is Where it Ends by Marieke Niejkamp – I am always on the search for books of this nature, however, half the time, I’m left disappointed. This book, however, exceeded my expectations and I cried for so long afterward!

3. spelled Spelled by Betsy Schow – I have definitely read my fair share of Fairytale retellings, so I wasn’t expecting much different from this book. However, my poor ribs!!! I’m pretty sure I cracked one laughing!

2. everlasting-flame Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – I went into this expecting to like it because the blurb has everything I look for. However, Joan and Dane definitely have a special place inside of me and I could re read this 1,000 times over and never get bored!

1. the girl with all the gifts The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey – I was unsure about zombies in this. I doubted how well it could be portrayed considering all of the zombie films/ programmes there are out there. However, the way in which this is written etc. was absolutely amazing!

That’s it! I loved all of these books more than I was really expecting to and I am so glad that I picked these up! Have you read any of these? Did you enjoy them?

Top Ten Tuesday

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toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It has been a while since I did one of these, but I am definitely excited to be joining in again – especially because this week is all about hidden gems! This weeks topic is top ten hidden gems (I’m going to go for hidden gems that I have read in general, rather than in the past year). Without further ado, and in no particular order:

10. these-great-affects-cover-2 These Great Affects by Andrew Toy – I read this a few months back after receiving an ARC from the author, and I absolutely loved it! It was extremely emotional and it is a book that will always stay with me!

9. everlasting-flame Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – There are literally no words to describe just how much I love this book!! The MC is witty and hilarious – and it will rip you apart at the same time… I need the next book like now!

8. spelled Spelled by Betsy Schow – Anyone who knows me, knows my love for this book. It is absolutely hilarious and is definitely a unique twist on all of the fairytales you know! In short… go read it!

7. emerge- The awakening The Awakening by Melissa A. Craven – This is a series that hooked me last year! The second book came out recently and I loved that one even more than the first! It is definitely book that more people need to be checking out!

6. abovam A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – This book. I just… This was my favourite book of 2016. Let’s put that one out there. This book needs more love and attention because it is AMAZING!!!!

5. pretty-wicked Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron – This was a complete unique take on a murder book… told from the perspective of our murderer, instead of someone trying to figure out who the murderer is!!

4. forbidden Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – Ok, I read this book way back in 2014. A lot of people have read, there is a lot of ratings on Goodreads, but I still feel like this is, in a way, a hidden gem. The subject matter is so taboo, that I can imagine a lot of people won’t read it based purely on the subject matter. This book should be read, though, by absolutely everyone. This book broke me in all the best and worst ways possible and, despite the fact it has now been three years, I could bawl my eyes out just thinking about this book. Therefore… I am going to move on…

3. somniare Somniare by D. T. Dyllin – I went into this book pretty cautiously, but I absolutely loved it! There was always something happening which kept me on the edge of my seat!

2. dear Charlie Dear Charlie by N. D. Gomes – I am always on the lookout for unique books on school shootings, and this one was one of those! It was interesting to read from the perspective of the family of the shooter and what they deal with after such a horrific incident takes place!

1. vault of dreams Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor – This is another book that I read last year and I absolutely adored it!! I cannot wait to read more from this author!

That is it from me! Have you read any of these? Did you enjoy them? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out!

September Wrap Up

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Hey guys! It is time to wrap up the month of September! I managed to read a total of 9 books this month! Which is more than I thought I had read. One of those books did not get reviewed on my blog because I was so angry with it. It was insulting. Anyway, lets do this!

Read:

Books I acquired in the month of September:

Physical:

Kindle:

Special posts:

Spotlight: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Cover Reveal: Emerge: The Judgement by Melissa A. Craven

That’s it for me this month!! *Phew* I thought this post was never going to end!

How was September for you guys?

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Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron

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pretty-wicked

Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron

Expected Publication: September 30th 2016 by Dark Arts Publishing

The daughter of a local police detective, fifteen-year-old Ryann has spent most of her life studying how to pull off the most gruesome murders her small Colorado town has ever seen.

But killing is only part of it. Ryann enjoys being the reason the cops are frenzied. The one who makes the neighbors lock their doors and windows on a hot summer’s day. The one everyone fears but no one suspects. 

Carving out her own murderous legacy proves harder than she predicted. Mistakes start adding up. And with the police getting closer, and her own father becoming suspicious, Ryann has to prove once and for all that she’s smarter than anyone else—or she’ll pay the ultimate price. 

Written in a mature YA voice. Some graphic content.

Note: I received an ARC of this through Netgalley. This in no way influences my opinion.

When I saw this on Netgalley, I just had to request it! We often see books like this, but they are written from the perspectives of people who are being hunted, people who are on the outside etc. But never actually the killers themselves! It was interesting to see what the author did with this and which mentality she took for our favourite serial Killer here!

I think the most enjoyable thing about this book was the fact that it raised the question of Nature vs Nurture. Are we born evil or are we made evil? Our MC had a pretty good upbringing and home life, so our author took away the normal stereotypes we have for people who commit crimes such as these. We, as a society, are always looking to place the blame onto something – video games, violent films, terrible upbringing etc. But what about the people who don’t play video games, who don’t watch films like this… who have had a pretty normal and good upbringing? The author questioned this through the style of the book and the mentality of the MC and it was a great thing to watch!! The question really is, can we be born with the DNA of a killer?

What I also loved about this book was the fact that this wasn’t a mystery!! We knew all along who it was, but the others didn’t! It was like being in on a secret! For me, Ryann began to show the many traits of a serial killer – at least what we know about them!! She started off really well, and then became sloppy. She wanted the kill, and began to leave marks behind! She became jumpy etc – which, if you look at any other serial killer, is exactly what happens! I read once somewhere that serial killers want to be caught because they want the recognition of what they have done…

It was a really weird feeling, as a reader, to be inside the head of a character like this. It feels wrong. Which was another thing I really enjoyed about this book. As someone who doesn’t go around killing, I enjoyed reading and looking inside the psychology behind what it takes to be a serial killer, but at the same time, my mind was telling me to abort because the thought process behind it is abhorrent! I think any book that can create those kinds of feelings is just fantastic!

I think this book is definitely for the higher end of YA, with the kind of content that it has within it. While this kind of thing doesn’t actually disturb me, it may disturb others, especially younger readers – so its a good thing that this book comes with a warning!

I really enjoyed this book and apparently there is going to be a sequel, which should be interesting! I can’t imagine how the author is going to top that, so I guess we shall find out! I am definitely going to be buying a physical copy of this book to put on my shelf because I loved it! I can’t wait to read more from this author 🙂 I gave this book 5/5 stars!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book?

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