BOOK REVIEW: "The Mirror Stage" by J.J. Stone

When Ada Brant was a little girl, she witnessed the murder of her mother by her father's hands and has never been the same. She still bares the emotional scars twenty-five years after the incident.
She's a crime novelist and professor when her uncle, an ex-FBI agent, brings in two colleagues who need Ada's help as a local analyst. A serial killer is on the loose in Seattle, and if Ada doesn't face her demons and do something, who knows why might be next?

In J.J. Stone's first novel, The Mirror Stage, you're immediately tossed into Ada's messed up world of hurt and death. You meet Ada, and she seems like a pitiable character...until you get to know her. She's strong, stubborn, resilient and deeply scarred...but also deeply clever. She's a leading lady with a brain instead of great boobs, and that's what I liked most about her.
Then you've got Agent James Deacon, who's the biggest jerk you could imagine, but he has his own demons, which you'll learn about as the book goes on. He's a jerk, but he's a kind, good-looking jerk, and that makes him an unlikely but excellent male lead.
Even the killer has a story, one you'll have to read to understand.
The supporting characters, like Brenda and Dade, are great. Even the dog, Tiny, is likable. There's also a character that only makes a small appearance, Janice, that I think we need to look out for in the next two books.
The plot is straightforward, at first. It then begins to take a road so winding you'll need a map to follow. No one is safe, and the killer is on the run. I love thrillers and crime novels, and this one is one if my favorites now. The cliffhanger at the end will keep me on my toes till book two is released.
While there were some editing errors, I loved this book. A great, fast-paced read!

5/5--you need this on your TBR list!

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BOOK REVIEW: "The Board" by William Bos

The Board is the story of five kids who inherit money, power, technology - and with a little help along the way - try to take over the world. Set in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1995, Jennifer and Brian are two kids who aren't part of the popular set. But they do know the difference between right and wrong. After the two fall in love, together they devise a plan of action to fight back and stop...The Board.

I can't say I liked this book and I can't say that I didn't, either.
The plot is very inventive, and I could actually see some of these things happening in real life with the amount of rich, powerful and very heartless young adults out there now.
The problem is, the plot is a bit confusing as you start to read the book. It doesn't become clear until chapter three exactly what the characters are up to. There is little description, and the dialogue is vety plain. No college kid, even the type A kids seen here, talk like Mr. Bos made his characters speak. There are very few conjunctions, making them seem foreign instead of American and the personalities are all very flat.
What I did like is that it's fast-paced, and the story was original. I can say there is no other plot out there similar to that of The Board. The plot could be a TV show. In fact, I think CBS would pick this up if they read this. (Any executives reading this right now?)
My problem is with the narrative. As I said, there is very little passion behind the writing. I know it wasn't meant to seem that way, but it does. The characters are very bland and the narration could've used more spark to engage the reader's senses a bit more. I think that this actually should be a screenplay instead of a book. Yes, that's a compliment!

I want to read more from Mr. Bos and see how his writing matures and grows.

3/5--needs work, but has a lot of potential!

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