Showing posts with label Poisoned. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poisoned. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Book Review - We Thought We Knew You by M. William Phelps

 


It was July 2015 and it was an ordinary day for Mary Yoder and her husband, Bill. Mary had returned home from their chiropractic center and was felling unwell. Mary was known for being very health-conscious but, today she was suddenly unwell with bouts of vomiting and sweating along with feeling very weak. 

Bill took Mary to the ER to help diagnose her illness. However, the doctors in the ER and ICU were baffled by the cause of her rapidly progressing illness. Bill and their children gathered around Mary in shock as they say goodbye to their beloved mother.

In the weeks after Mary's sudden death, the family received startling news from the medical examiner that Mary was deliberately poisoned. They found trace amounts of colchicine, which is a lethal substance that is very toxic if it isn't used as prescribed. The chemical is typically used to treat gout and Mary doesn't have gout.  The case takes a strange turn when the local police department receives an anonymous letter that claims Adam Yoder had poisoned his mother.

Kaitlyn Conley is Adam's ex-girlfriend and she works at the Yoders' clinic. Katie is pretty and popular but, some people speak of her ability to lie and manipulate people for her own benefit. She has been known to exhibit behaviors fueled by rage because someone had rejected her. Katie had spent time by Mary's bedside during the last few hours of Mary's life.

This was my second true crime novel and it was an interesting read. I liked that the author include the backstory and the trial proceedings. I wasn't fond of the layout of the book. I felt that some of the same information was being told multiple times and it felt like the author was jumping around a few times. However, the author  did a good job showing the compelling evidence of the murder of Mary along with showcasing Mary as beacon of the community.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Monday, October 19, 2020

Book Review - Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly + Giveaway

 

 

 

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a girl named Sophie went into the forest with the Queen's huntsman. Her lips were the color of cherries, her skin is soft as fresh snow, and her hair is midnight dark. When they stopped to take a break, the huntsman took Sophie's heart.

She wasn't surprised by the turn of events. She knew what everyone at the palace thought of her. They believed that she was too kind and foolish to rule. She wasn't a good candidate to rule the kingdom. Sophie believes all the harsh and unkind things people said about her. The spoken poisonous words were used to keep Sophie from realizing her true potential.

Sophie laid abandoned on the forest floor when seven strangers come across her body. They help nourish and protect her. However, Sophie wants to regain her kingdom and punish her jealous stepmother. As she begins to find the courage for her mission, she realizes that someone else might be pulling strings and their magic might be too strong for Sophie. Will Sophie be able to recognize that her kindness is her true form of strength?

The story was a wonderful retelling of a classic fairy tale. It encourages girls and young women (or grown adult women in my case) in believing themselves. I liked that it showed the different sides of each character and that not everything is black and white. I can't wait to read more books by the author.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

 

About the Book:

Title: POISONED

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Pub. Date: October 20, 2020

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, AudibleB&NiBooks, KoboTBD, Bookshop.org

 

From Jennifer Donnelly, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Stepsister, comes a fairytale retelling that'll forever change the way you think about strength, power, and the real meaning of "happily ever after."


Once upon a time, a girl named Sophie rode into the forest with the queen's huntsman. Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman took out his knife . . . and took Sophie's heart.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule -- a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she'd heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong . . .

With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can't extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength. 

 

 


About Jennifer:

Jennifer Donnelly is the author of A Northern Light, which was awarded a Printz Honor and a Carnegie Medal; Revolution (named a Best Book by Amazon, Kirkus ReviewsSchool Library Journal, and the Chicago Public Library, and nominated for a Carnegie Medal); the Deep Blue series; and many other books for young readers, including Lost in a Book, which spent more than 20 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

Giveaway Details:

 

3 winners will receive a finished copy of POISONED, US Only.

 

Rafflecopter link:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21161/?

 

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2020

The Book Nut : A Book Lovers Guide

Review

10/2/2020

oddandbookish

Review

10/3/2020

popthebutterfly

Review

 

Week Two:

10/4/2020

A Backwards Story

Review

10/5/2020

Fictitiouswonderland

Review

10/6/2020

Kait Plus Books

Interview

10/7/2020

The Book Rookery

Review

10/8/2020

History from a Woman’s Perspective

Review

10/9/2020

Momfluenster

Review

10/10/2020

Thindbooks Blog

Review

 

Week Three:

10/11/2020

The Momma Spot

Review

10/12/2020

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review

10/13/2020

Bookhounds YA

Review

10/14/2020

Seeing Double In Neverland

Review

10/15/2020

Book-Keeping

Review

10/16/2020

Nays Pink Bookshelf

Review

10/17/2020

Lisa Loves Literature

Review

 

Week Four:

10/18/2020

Two Chicks on Books

Interview

10/19/2020

The Pages In-Between

Review

10/20/2020

Two Points of Interest

Review