Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

An avid reader whose current interest lies in mysteries and thrillers. Line 'em up! Also personally love fantasies and any stories to do with magic, and a sucker for the occasional (good) romance.
2 star

Review: What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door in a chilling story of murder and intrigue set in a well-to-do DC suburb.

Sometimes the darkest acts occur in the most beautiful houses…

When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.

In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.

Desperate Housewives does meet The Couple Next Door in this novel, but mostly just Desperate Housewives, in my opinion. Everything about the premise gave me the sense of your average thriller, but unfortunately, it was anything but. Read on to find out why.

What the Neighbors Saw is an apt title, as it does revolve mostly around what the residents of a secluded but very grand and affluent neighbourhood all see out their windows. One of the main protagonists, Alexis, has just barely made ends meet to reach and live in a nice new neighbourhood, which has long been her goal. Blair, the other POV we get to see, is already a resident, and is Alexis’s neighbour. Shortly after Alexis arrives though, a man is found dead, and more suspicious things start happening. Was Alexis wrong to choose this seemingly lovely neighbourhood to move into?

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Let’s Talk Bookish – Favourite Female Protagonists

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

March 8: Favorite Female Protagonists

Prompts: It’s International Women’s Day! Who are some of your favorite female protagonists? What makes a female protagonist feel genuine to you? Share some recommendations!

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! Also, happy International Women’s Day! In honour of that, today’s topic is all about female protagonists, a topic I can definitely relate to, since on the whole I tend to prefer reading from the perspective of female protagonists whenever possible. Accordingly, my favourite protagonists often come from my favourite books.

My favourite book in my younger days was Memoirs of a Geisha. Recently, one of my favourite books has been The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Both of these feature a female protagonist who really go through the gamut of unfortunate things in life and still manage to find their way. They are forced to grow up as they face their world full of disadvantages yet smartly manoeuvre their way through it in order to reach their goals. It’s just one of my favourite tropes and will continue to be, I think.

The protagonists in both of those books definitely feel real to me, and are inspiring in a way. It isn’t that I would have necessarily followed their path exactly or even have chosen to do all the same actions. However, I do recognize the courage it takes to be able to execute on the plans you have for your own life, and it can be hard in the face of adversity or things not going your way. I really had a respect for these characters, and I think that’s what makes them some of my favourites. I also prefer to read in the POV of female protagonists in the YA stories, though they may not necessarily be as relatable. Some of my favourites include the Caraval, Ninth House, and Legendborn series.

I am never to sure how “genuine” a protagonist in a YA novel really is, as there are usually elements of exaggeration that I find appropriate for the story, but perhaps not genuine to real life. That being said, the conflicts they face are often real, and I really enjoy the books where big themes like family, betrayal, or forgiveness are explored within the story, and I find that female protagonists (written by female authors) tend to have the most authentic feel to their characters. I also really enjoyed the protagonists in The Ivory Key duology, for those interested.

Also, I really enjoy Kate Quinn’s historical fictions. They are always very well-researched and captivating in their story. I also heard from the author herself recently that she chooses these historical eras to place her female characters, and will write them to overcome and carve out a sphere of power in a time where women were not allowed to have power. In that way, I also find the stories that she writes to have very empowering female leads, so check those out too! I particularly enjoyed The Rose Code myself.

Who are some of your favourite female protagonists? Do they always come from your favourite books? Let me know in the comments below!

4 star

Review: The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology.

Angrboda’s story begins where most witches’ tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love.

Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life—and possibly all of existence—is in danger.

With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family…or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age

I remember when this book was on one of my anticipated lists, and I distinctly remember thinking the theme and the cover were really good and that I ought to read it. And finally I did! The cover still speaks to me, and after having read the book, the title and the artwork are definitely very appropriate. I always love a good myth-based retelling, even if I’m not too familiar with Norse mythology. It was a good read though, and I can definitely recommend this. If you enjoyed The Song of Achilles, I think you would enjoy this one too.

The Witch’s Heart revolves around our protagonist, Angrboda, who is a witch who survives three burnings. As she tries to turn her life around living in isolation instead, she meets the Trickster, Loki, and together they make a life and bear children that will change the destiny of the entire world. This is simultaneously an adventure where Angrboda must learn to navigate the world without the full memories of her past, and a story of how the new world came to be after the fall of the gods and giants.

Continue reading “Review: The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec” →