Review: The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Release Date: November 8, 2016
Purchase: Amazon

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realises it's her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

My Thoughts:
Okay let me first say, I liked this...a lot.  Am I surprised, yes and no.  I truly loved the Twilight series and it will always have a special place in my heart.   Stephenie Meyer will hold a place as well because she brought me like so many others to the world of YA and for that I am forever thankful.  I wasn't sure what to expect with The Chemist though.  I mean she's gone rogue before like with The Host, but this one sounded completely out there and with little to no publicity I wasn't sure what I was in for.  I should have had more faith in Meyer.

So the elephant in the room for me is where was all the publicity???  I try and stay up to date on most bookish things and believe me when I tell you there wasn't hardly any hype surrounding this book. It was just kinda thrown out there one day and I am completely baffled as to why.  Normally we readers know at least a year beforehand that a book is out there being written, but I had NO IDEA about this one.  I have to wonder if I am losing my bookish knowledge or did the publisher truly keep this one on the downlow and if they did keep it quiet why?  Did they not have faith??  I guess I will never know, but I hope in the future Meyer receives the publicity she deserves.

On to the book!  Alex was everything Bella was not so have no fear my friends.  Alex is overly prepared, beyond intelligent, and borderline obsessive.  I loved everything about her.  She was a great character that could incapacitate her opponent with one drop of her crafted poison.  So cool!!  She truly earned her name as the chemist!

Meyer always  knows how to write secondary characters and The Chemist had a wonderful cast. I honestly enjoyed reading each and every one of them.  Kevin, Daniel, and Val were amazing and to be honest I wish this was a duology.  I am not ready to let these people go just yet.

And of course there is a romance, but unlike with Meyers other books, this one makes sense!  It does have its flaws, but it made sense and I loved it.  Daniel was so great with Alex and he gave her what she needed which was time and space.  He understood she wasn't used to personal intimacy and he let her navigate their relationship without expectations.  I love him!  Plus he said all the right things was totally described as being a chef/teacher/nerd with soft curls I mean come on!  Meyer knew what she was doing when she created Daniel. 

The dogs!!  I have to admit I am not a fan of animals in books because I am always afraid one will die and I even had to text my blog roommate to get spoilers!  I won't say what she told me or if any die, but I do have to give a special mention to Einstein, Kahn, and Lola.  I am a true dog person at heart and these three were amazing.  Love love love how Meyer thread them through the story.

If you love Meyer I know you will love this.  It is a survival story wrapped up in a thriller and it was so fun.  I have realized I will read anything this woman writes and I hope we don't have to wait as long for that one because 8 years is WAY too long!

Oh I would have given this 5 stars, but the epilogue wasn't what I wanted and yes I am pouting.  It was a bit weird, but it fit I suppose I just wanted more.  That's my one peeve!

4.5 snowflakes

Review: Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (Twilight #5) by Stephenie Meyer

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (Twilight #5) by Stephenie Meyer

Published: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Little, Brown

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.

Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover “flip book,” this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.

Twilight has enraptured millions of readers since its first publication in 2005 and has become a modern classic, redefining genres within young adult literature and inspiring a phenomenon that has had readers yearning for more. The novel was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a #1 USA Today bestseller, a Time magazine Best Young Adult Book of All Time, an NPR Best-Ever Teen Novel, and a New York Times Editor’s Choice. The Twilight Saga, which also includes New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella, and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, has sold nearly 155 million copies worldwide.

Arlene's Thoughts

Wow! I can believe it’s been over seven years since Twilight came to its conclusion with Breaking Dawn. It’s no secret that I loved the first three books and absolutely hated the last installment. Not to mention, the movies messed up my fictional image of Edward in my head, so when I did tried to re-read Twilight, it was Pattinson and Stewart invading my thoughts and not my first imagination of what I pictured Edward and Bella to be.

Overall, the entire Twilight experience had its ups and downs for me… a horrible finale, a campy first movie, a cast that messed with my imagination and a longing to read the coveted Midnight Sun that might never see the light of day.

Setting all of that aside, I decided to read Twilight Reimagined and realized it was just more of the mind-f*ck I’ve been experiencing since Breaking Dawn. However, not in an absolutely horrible way like some of the other Twilight disasters. This book had its… charm… yes that’s the right word... charm. I didn’t hate it or love it, but I found myself constantly trying to figure out who was who.

In Twilight Reimagined, Bella now becomes an ordinary boy named Beau and the vampire is Edythe, who plays the part of Edward. All other characters, with the exception of Charlie and Renee are gender swapped. For quite a few chapters, I thought Meyer’s simply did a quick and simple “find/replace” job in Word, but there were moments and scenes that were redeveloped, which were fun to read.

Overall, I liked the original Twilight much better with Bella and Edward, but I much preferred the ending that Stephenie Meyer crafted in this book. I wish she would have taken this route over seven years ago. Perfect ending having been given a second chance.

3 Snowflakes

Tina's Thoughts:

Okay, I'm gonna be totally honest here. When I first saw the interview with SM introducing the new bonus material for the 10th anniversary edition of Twilight, I was both excited and disappointed. For those who know me, know it's no secret that I want Midnight Sun written, bound and in my greedy little hands. It would have been the ultimate gift SM could have given her fans, but, instead, we got Life and Death-Twilight Reimagined. So, no, it wasn't the Midnight Sun I was hoping for, but lets face it, I'm not going to complain since I've been so desperate for anything new from SM that I would have still jumped at the chance to read any book she writes.

Now, don't get me wrong here, I thought this book was actually pretty great, it was different, ok, really different, meaning strange to be reading this story and be so familiar with everything in it but in a totally different light. For one thing I had the hardest time getting the voices straight in my head without thinking about the original characters. Beau (Bella) is now a human male and Edythe (Edward) is now a shiny female vampire. Besides the ending of the book (which I loved) every moment and everything said between the two was pretty much the same, and while it was a fun and even an entertaining story, I think I'm more of a traditional kinda girl. I like my male leads to be more masculine and my female leads, independent, sure, but not ashamed of accepting help when needed. Bella and Edward had (for me) off the charts chemistry, you could feel the power of first love, but sadly Beau and Edythe didn't seem to have that same chemistry, connection or romantic spark. 

With that said, I still thought this was a really great and quirky treat for any fans who wanted a little something twilight-related to add to their collection. The Twilight Saga will always have a special place in my heart and I'll forever be waiting and hoping for Midnight Sun, but for this respect, I still think Bella and Edward had the better story.

                                                                    3 Snowflakes