RaveThe Nerd DailyLauren North’s second novel One Step Behind is sure to make an impact on readers who enjoy a suspenseful thriller. North is an up-and-coming suspense author who has an amazing foundation when it comes to her work ... North keeps the reader in the dark until she wants the reader to learn something new and because of that she creates an excellent air of suspense throughout One Step Behind. There are so many twists and turns throughout that the reader will have a difficult time trying to figure out what is really going on, which is perfect for a suspense novel. North has written yet another brilliant novel that is bound to keep readers entertained and guessing what is going to happen next ... One Step Behind is an easy to read novel that most readers can fly through in a weekend because you’ll just want to know what is going to happen next. This up-and-coming suspense author is bound to make an impression on readers and have readers lining up to check out what she does next.
Kristin Harmel
RaveThe Nerd Daily... Harmel’s The Book of Lost Names takes a WWII historical fiction book and turns it into something incredibly unique for a genre that can often seem overdone ... Even though some characters names change a few times throughout the story, Harmel manages to keep the reader in the loop of what is going on without causing confusion and without missing a beat. Each of the characters in The Book of Lost Names is well developed with solid storylines and keeps the reader guessing what’s going to happen next. Eva and Rémy have a close connection throughout the story and Harmel does an excellent job at pulling at the reader’s heartstrings as the potential love story evolves ... a brilliant historical fiction novel ... It is clear to the reader that a lot of research has been conducted, which in turn has made for a wonderful piece of historical fiction with facts sewn in.
Diane Zinna
RaveThe Nerd DailyThe author does an absolutely beautiful job capturing someone who is stuck in their own grief and is unable to find the means to be able to let go and move on. What is so captivating about this is that grief is so different for everyone yet Zinna is able to create Lauren, a character that readers can empathise with and understand the pain she is feeling ... research has clearly been done as Midsommar is described effortlessly while also sprinkling in Swedish words, phrases, and other parts of Swedish culture to make the reader feel like they know exactly what is being described, even if they aren’t sure of what it is themselves. The juxtaposition between grief and the use of Midsommar is brilliant as Zinna puts these two topics side by side to create endlessly exquisite and melancholy scenes with feelings of hope and heartache. Zinna knows exactly how to pull on the reader’s heartstrings ... an ode to grief from beginning to end that Zinna has written both brilliantly and breathtakingly. The author’s powerful prose paints picture after picture for the reader as they make their way through this phenomenal piece of literary fiction. It is clear to the reader the time has been taken to not only do the research about Sweden and Midsommar, but that Zinna has also effortlessly written a story that ebbs and flows so naturally ... It is clear to the reader that The All-Night Sun is a labour of love that Zinna put her entire soul into. Personally, this is the first book in over ten years that had me in tears in the end and not because I was sad, but because of how powerful, gorgeous, and ethereal the entire novel was. I cried because everything came together with precision and poise and I could feel the emotion and tears that Zinna clearly put into this work of art. I cannot wait to see what Zinna writes next, she has instantly become an author that I will automatically buy from when I hear she has written a new novel ... truly is a work of art.
Nicola Maye Goldberg
RaveThe Nerd DailyGoldberg deconstructs the traditional novel by using the plot to connect each of the characters with little to no communication between each other. She forces the reader to rethink what they know and to learn a fresh new way of reading and comprehending a novel ... The writing style is incredibly unique and Goldberg is able to create scenery and characters using stunning prose that is as fluid as a rushing stream. Not once throughout her novel does something feel out of place; everything that Goldberg writes is meant to be there. It leaves the reader thinking, and after letting the entire novel sink in, the reader will understand what it is that Goldberg wants to across in her novel ... if you are a fan of psychological thrillers and feminist writings, then you need to get a copy of Nothing Can Hurt You. After finishing the novel I had to take a couple of days to process everything that happened because it is so out of the ordinary. I am not saying that this is a difficult read, but the reader needs to go into this novel with an open mind and trust that Goldberg knows what she is doing, because she does. She essentially has reinvented what a novel is and how it’s meant to be comprehended. This was a bold move for a debut novel and Goldberg has written Nothing Can Hurt You brilliantly.
