Book Review- Todd Strasser- Home Alone

Todd Strasser- Home Alone (Scholastic 1990) 1 Star

When Kevin said he wanted to make his family disappear, he had no idea that it would actually happen. Now his family is in Paris and he is left alone at home. Two crooks are ransacking the whole block and Kevin is the only one left to protect his home. This will be a true test of his growing up.

I was appalled by the terrible parenting skills of the McCallisters. I had watched the movie and was appalled then, but seeing it written down seems so much worse. What they allow to happen in their home and their nonchalant attitude is exactly what is wrong with too many parents these days. I thought that the plot was weak and could have used something better to work with, which is probably more the fault of screenwriter John Hughes. The characters were also kind of shallow and I would have liked to have seen them filled out more. The best part was where Kevin is destroying the two crooks, but sadly this is an extremely small portion of the book. I would have liked to have seen that part filled out. Overall it was kind of a pointless read.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Reversal

Michael Connelly- The Reversal (Vision Books 2011) 4.25 Stars

Mickey Haller has been handed a case, only this time it is not on the defence side, it’s on the side of the prosecution. He has been asked to be an independent prosecutor, to keep things away from the DA’s office. He has only agreed to take the case as he truly believes that the man is guilty. Jessup has just been released from prison after DNA evidence has overturned his sentence in the murder of a young girl. Now the DA’s office wants him retried and they cannot be the ones in the driver’s seat. Mickey Haller has agreed as long as he can use his ex-wife Maggie and investigator Harry Bosch. Little does he realise just how dangerous things can get.

This one had a little bit of a slower start, but it was interesting to see Haller being presented with a case out of the norm for him. I love how Connelly brings in characters from his other series’ as it is always great to get an update on how they are doing and what they are up to. Connelly does such a great job with all of his characters. They are so full of depth and show emotion like I could imagine they would in real life. I love seeing Haller at work in the courtroom, even though I don’t normally like courtroom books. The plot was also pretty good and flowed smoothly. It had some good twists, but was not completely unpredictable. I must also say that I loved the ending, as it was not your average conclusion. Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good instalment in both the Lincoln Lawyer series and the Harry Bosch series.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Harlan Coben- Hold Tight

Harlan Coben- Hold Tight (Signet Books 2009) 3.25 Stars

Afraid of losing their son, Mike and Tia Baye began to monitor Adam’s computer and phone activity. They never dreamed that it could lead them into so much trouble. After a haunting message leaves them racing to find their son who has suddenly disappeared, they now must fight to save both his life and theirs.

I never really was drawn into this book. The introduction kind of fell flat for me and the book never really grabbed my full attention. It had just enough to keep me reading, I was hoping for more oomph. The overall plot was actually really good, but should have been assisted by improving on the aforementioned fault. Harlan Coben did do a very good job at creating the characters, and I loved seeing Hester in the novel. Her hardnosed-no-nonsense lawyer attitude makes for an amusing character. The ending was really good; I thought that it wrapped things up nicely. Overall it was an okay one time read, but I have read much better by this author.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Jeffery Deaver- Roadside Crosses

Jeffery Deaver- Roadside Crosses (Pocket Books 2010) 3 Stars

When crosses start appearing in Monterey Peninsula with future dates on them, people are suddenly being brutally executed nearby. Now it is up to CBI agent Dance to put an end to this killing spree, even though her mother has been arrested for a mercy killing at the hospital. It looks like this all could be the result of a blog, which leads her to believe that these killings may be the result of cyberbullying pushing a young boy over the edge. She has a lot to learn about a cyber world she doesn’t feel comfortable in.

This book had an interesting start. It was different, but I would not say that it grabbed my attention. I found it difficult to get into this book. At no point did I sit back and say, “Wow. That was a good book.” It had just enough in it to keep me reading. It was cool to learn a lot more about the cyber world. I felt that it had a lot of fluff and could have been trimmed down to make it a lot more gripping. That being said the characters were very well done, assisting the storyline and plot. The overall plot was also very good, and you could tell that it was well thought out, with a lot of research. I know as an author that it is difficult to write a book and not include as much of your research as you can, but in this case it should have been trimmed down. It did have some good twists in it though, as you always expect with Deaver. Overall it was an okay book.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Brad Meltzer- The Inner Circle

Brad Meltzer- The Inner Circle (Grand Central Publishing 2011) 3.25 Stars

Beecher is an archivist in Washington and has just reunited with an old school crush. They have just stumbled upon a secret that has killed a friend and may just get them killed. Not sure who to trust or whom he is fighting against, he must try to sort through the murky details. Running for his life, he will make history, rather than just reading it.

This book was just okay for me. It never really had a “Wow, this is a good book,” moment. It was interesting enough to keep you reading and had an excellent twisting plot that kept you on your toes. I did find that it was kind of like a couple of his other books. It also had some very interesting historical details. I found the characters were pretty good, but did not have the same strength I have seen in his other books. It was also cool that it tied in the last book I read by him and set it up for another book. Overall it was okay for a one time read.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/