Down the Rabbit Hole

Present Day:
Eva has never felt like she belonged… not in her own family or with her friends in New York City, and certainly not at a fancy boarding school like Hardwick Preparatory Academy. So when she is invited to join the Fives, an elite secret society, she jumps at the opportunity to finally be a part of something.

But what if the Fives are about more than just having the best parties and receiving special privileges from the school? What if they are also responsible for keeping some of Hardwick’s biggest secrets buried?

1962:
There is only one reason why Connie would volunteer to be one of the six students to participate in testing Hardwick’s nuclear fallout shelter: Craig Allenby. While the thought of nuclear war sends her into a panic, she can’t pass up the opportunity to spend four days locked in with the school’s golden boy. However, Connie and the other students quickly discover that there is more to this “test” than they previously thought. As they are forced to follow an escalating series of commands, Connie realizes that one wrong move could have dangerous consequences.

Separated by sixty years , Eva’s and Connie’s stories become inextricably intertwined as Eva unravels the mystery of how six students went into the fallout shelter all those years ago . . . but only five came out.

**Don’t Breathe a Word comes out May 18, 2021**

Thank you Edelweiss and HarperCollins for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Don’t Breathe a Word is another successful story that combines dual POVs across different timelines that mesh together in a compelling read. In the present day, Eva finds herself sent off to a private boarding school literally last minute (thanks, mean family). Trying to fit into a crowd that has grown up together since the fifth grade is super tough. Enter a group who IS willing to take her under their wing. Little does she know, this group functions more like a secret society than a regular bunch of friends. The question is, are they harmless or are they hiding something more sinister?

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discussion

Let’s Talk Bookish – Books Based on Games/Shows/Movies/Comics

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

MAY 14: BOOKS BASED ON GAMES/SHOWS/MOVIES/COMICS? (Suggested by DANI)

Prompts: “The book is better” is a common outcry amongst book worms, because the book came first…but what about when it didn’t? How do you feel about book adaptations of movies? Books based on video game worlds? Books that tell alternate stories from television worlds? Or even books featuring your favorite superheroes? Do you have any favorites in these genres? Is the book still better?

Okay, but the book is always better. Hahaha, just kidding. But as a book lover (I know it’s not mutually exclusive), but I don’t tend to watch as many shows and movies. I think I will always enjoy the reading experience more, and that inherent bias is hard to bypass.

I think Star Wars is one of those that existed as a movie first? That’s the only real example that I know. I definitely didn’t really like the books, but perhaps they were targeted for a different type of audience. Other than that, I don’t have enough interest in video games and television worlds to really read a book that was based on them. It’s almost always the other way around for me (books –> movies). And I must say, the book is almost always better.

Only so much can be packed into even a 3 hour movie. So many things have to be subtly hinted, or “montaged” or just explicitly said out loud, in order to fit within the time constraints. With books we can have an intimate look into people’s thoughts and logic, which really forms a large part of a character’s personality. It is hard for such things to come across on screen. Although, I’m sure the visual experience is something that movie lovers are looking for. Personally, I want the emotional connection to the different characters, and the use of my imagination to create these worlds.

With all that said though, I must mention that the case is different for comic books. Do comics even count as books (blasphemy??). I definitely, definitely enjoy the superhero movies based on all these comics so much more than I ever enjoyed comic books. I suppose this is because comic books don’t have the luxury of expressing as many of the thoughts of the characters in the limited speech bubbles. Seeing these characters come to life is much more exciting for me. Although this may also be rooted in my lower interest in graphic novels as a genre.

What do you all think? Books triumph over all? Or not necessarily.

I think when the focus is action and flashy superpowers, the real life portrayal in movie format is what I prefer. However, if it’s back to mysteries and thrillers (my favourite genres), the absence of the visual cues really adds something to the mystique and intrigue, something I find is very different when executed in movie format. Speaking of which, The Woman in the Window, a thriller that Andge and I both enjoyed, has its movie version coming out…today! Stay tuned for our side-by-side review of that soon! I have a funny feeling I will prefer the book, but I’ll get back to you all on that.

3 star, adult

Review: Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke

May 12, 2021May 11, 2021 Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Hannah Swensen #27

Spring has sprung in Lake Eden, Minnesota, but Hannah Swensen doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses–not with hot cross buns to make, treats to bake, and a sister to exonerate!

Hannah’s up to her ears with Easter orders rushing in at The Cookie Jar, plus a festive meal to prepare for a dinner party at her mother’s penthouse. But everything comes crashing to a halt when Hannah receives a panicked call from her sister Andrea–Mayor Richard Bascomb has been murdered…and Andrea is the prime suspect.

Even with his reputation for being a bully, Mayor Bascomb–or “Ricky Ticky,” as Hannah’s mother likes to call him–had been unusually testy in the days leading up to his death, leaving Hannah to wonder if he knew he was in danger. Meanwhile, folks with a motive for mayoral murder are popping up in Lake Eden. Was it a beleaguered colleague? A political rival? A jealous wife? Or a scorned mistress?

As orders pile up at The Cookie Jar–and children line up for Easter egg hunts–Hannah must spring into investigation mode and identify the real killer…before another murder happens!

This is a pretty generous 3 Drink Me Potions rating from me. I would say realistically it’s closer to a 2.5 for sure. That being said, these books are kind of a guilty pleasure for me. Not always the most quality, but definitely an easy and lighthearted read, full of recipes for distractions. So no matter the quality of the writing, I find myself picking up one of these novels once in a while just to satisfy (perhaps that younger) part of me.

I do have my qualms about this one. I recently read one of the author’s first books in the series, and I thought it was so much more well written. Now, I haven’t really read them in order nor have I done an in depth analysis to say whether this is a pattern or not, but I definitely enjoyed that other book (Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder) way more as a lighthearted murder mystery with the amateur detective trope.

This particular book had way too much filler (and seemingly way more recipes, though those I don’t mind), but that reduced the plot to have little essence. Comparing to what I was expecting coming off reading the other book, this one left a lot to be desired.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder follows the amateur detective but expert baker, Hannah Swensen, as she investigates yet another murder in her small town called Lake Eden. When the widely unpopular mayor is suddenly put out of commission, the list of suspects stretches on and on. How will Hannah be able to eliminate all the suspects in order to figure out the killer’s identity?

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