Tagged: amnesia
Stolen Skye by Nina Loard
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
It’s been years since the car accident, but with every disappointment Evelyn finds herself wondering about her forgotten days in London. After being dismissed from her job, she unknowingly wanders past an old friend who reintroduces himself by breaking into her home. Armed with a photograph and a handful of gems, he convinces her that after dropping out of her study abroad program, she befriended a group of accomplished thieves. Drawn to the handsome stranger in her living room and seduced by the idea of finally knowing the truth, Evelyn travels to London to face her past and understand what could’ve caused her to make such uncharacteristic life choices.
As conflicting memories surface, Evelyn fights her attraction to the Irish rogue, Finn, while sparring with the intimidating group leader, Ari. There’s the added problem of forgetting where she’s stashed a small fortune. Realizing too late that darker forces are closing in on her, Evelyn fights to save herself and the lives of those she’s grown to care for.
I hate to admit it, but the only reason I even considered reading this book is that it was free on Amazon at the time. Normally something like this would scare me off because I’d think “Oh, just another action movie wannabe”. You could say that I’m a little judgmental with these things, but I still did go into Stolen Skye with an open mind. You never know, right? It might actually be good.
The truth is, it’s better than good. It’s great!
I know it sounds like Evelyn has Hollywood Amnesia and she sort of does, but at least Nina Loard justifies it as the rare fugue amnesia (where victims can get their past memories back and don’t lose the memory of how to do basic things like tie their shoes). The main reason why I didn’t throw this book at the wall despite the amnesia cliche is that it wasn’t actually a cliche in this book. Evelyn is significantly hindered by her lack of past memories and she knows it. Sometimes memories come back to her if she’s in a setting from that memory, but it’s not a great big rush just when the plot finds it convenient.
Evelyn was a great character, to be honest. She’s smart and determined when she has a goal, but at the same time she’s still a little unsure of herself. I know I would be too if I was in the place where I lost my memories with these people who knew my former self. The whole art theft ring wouldn’t help either. Ari and Finn are two very different men and no, it’s not a typical love triangle in this case. Evelyn naturally grows attracted to Finn, but then something happens to sort of spoil their relationship. I can’t say anything without giving away a major spoiler, but let’s just say that it both did and didn’t surprise me.
For a character-driven novel, Stolen Skye is quite fast-paced. Of course there’s Evelyn rediscovering her past, but then a lot of the plot consists of her re-training as a thief and helping to plan a theft at one of the most famous museums in the world. (This particular theft not being illegal as they were hired for a publicity stunt.) We also see Evelyn try to learn what led to her accident and subsequent amnesia. Trust me when I say that where there’s lots of money involved, there’s a lot of criminal activity and the people with said money become targets.
What really stood out for me in Nina Loard’s book were her vivid descriptions of the locations. I’ve never been to London (something I plan to remedy in the future) but through her writing I felt like I was right there along with Evelyn. Her descriptive style appeals to me and although it’s not typically what you’d see in an action thriller, it somehow works because she has a good sense of timing. Few authors can both describe the characters’ surroundings adequately and still have lots of action going on. It’s an important skill and Nina Loard certainly has it.
This was definitely one of the best books I’ve stumbled across, paid or free. I’m so glad that I gave it a chance and went into it with an open mind because I’ve found a great new series that I’m dying to read the next book of. So check out the Skye Trilogy, people! It’s hard not to love it!
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Sia by Josh Grayson
(Cover picture courtesy of Always YA at Heart.)
When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
After reading books with plenty of tragedy in them recently (Othello, The Hittite, The Iron Traitor) I saw this book on NetGalley and knew I had to request it. I absolutely knew what I was getting into: a shamelessly inspirational book that helped restore my broken faith in humanity just a little bit.
If you’re feeling down now or just want to see a YA book with a happy ending, Sia is perfect for you. It’s a cinematic story of a young girl who, when given a second chance at life, becomes a better person and changes the people around her for the better as well. Sia used to be a spoiled, bratty rich girl and after losing her memory through the rare fugue amnesia she has to confront the person that she was and all the damage she had done. Instead of letting this revelation destroy her, Sia chooses to move forward and become a better person rather than reverting to her old life.
The thing about Sia is that it’s not just your stereotypical inspirational novel. It’s actually well written! Josh Grayson just has this way of describing the scenery and the people that makes you feel like you’re really there. You can feel the tough reality of life on the streets just as well as you can feel the air of indulgence at the Oscar party in Hollywood. That, my friends, is what you call cinematic writing. It’s very easy to picture this book on the big screen.
Obviously Sia is a well-rounded three dimensional character, but the supporting cast is as well. Kyle felt very real to me as did Sia’s parents. The sort of villain in the end will never go down as one of my favourites, but her motives were believable enough in the context of the story. He won’t get any awards for completely unique characters from Sia, but the way Josh Grayson writes them more than makes up for it.
Overall, if you’re looking for a good light read or maybe even a little inspiration, I’d highly recommend Sia. You can’t go wrong with this book.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Parasite by Mira Grant
(Cover picture courtesy of Orbit Books.)
A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.
We owe our good health to a humble parasite – a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the Intestinal Bodyguard worm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system – even secretes designer drugs. It’s been successful beyond the scientists’ wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them. But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives . . . and will do anything to get them.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
I would have picked up this book for the cover alone, but when I saw it was by Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire I knew I just had to read it. She did write one of my favourite trilogies ever, the Newsflesh Trilogy, after all. But would Parasite live up to my expectations?
It did, but in a way I didn’t expect. There wasn’t exactly the kick-butt awesomeness that made Feed an instant favourite with me, but Parasite channeled that same level of awesome in a different way. The heroine, Sal, is nothing like George from Feed but she is also an amazing character. Having almost died six years ago in a car crash, her parasitic implant from SymboGen saved her life—except that she remembers nothing from her own life and has become a completely different person. Amnesia is difficult to write about in fiction because it’s used quite a bit, but Mira Grant did it in a believable and scientific way: Sal had to relearn everything she knew before, including how to breathe, walk and tie her own shoelaces. Six years later she’s still learning the subtleties of human interaction, helped by her amazing boyfriend Nathan.
This book has been described as a medical thriller and that’s a pretty apt description. There is a lot of scientific jargon in it and so many explanations in typical meticulous Mira Grant fashion. Did I understand all of it? No, science was never my strong point anyway. But did Mira Grant explain it enough that normal people like myself can understand what’s going on? Of course! I’m sure the science in here can appeal to many different people on many different levels, depending upon their interest and knowledge of the subject at hand.
As always, there are incredible plot twists. Some I saw coming from a mile away, others completely threw me off even if looking back on it they made complete sense. The book doesn’t exactly start off with someone poking zombies with a stick, but I certainly wouldn’t call it boring as Mira Grant gradually ratchets up the tension over 500+ pages. Believe me, you won’t be able to put Parasite down. It’s just one of those fantastic books that you won’t put down for anything, including getting a proper night’s rest. If you’re also worried that there’s the old Evil Corporation trope in here, don’t be. If you’ve read Mira Grant’s books before, you’ll know she puts twists on all tropes like that and if you haven’t read her books before, prepare to be wowed.
Three dimensional characters, gross science and a fast-paced plot that throws lots of twists and turns makes Parasite one of my new favourite books. It releases on October 29, so if you haven’t already pre-ordered it, do yourself a favour and go do that now. You won’t regret it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.