I was sent a copy of The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne and The Ghost Shift by John Gapper in my October’s BookCase.Club package. I was offered the chance to review this subscription box and I chose to get the Thrill Seeker Case, which came with two mystery/thriller novels. I had reviewed this subscription box in the past and I received two books and another gift. This time, there are only the two books and a card that gives you details about each one. I don’t mind just receiving books, but sometimes it can be nice to get something a little extra.
Also, the books I received weren’t new releases so if you’re going to pick a certain case to receive, I suggest going with a genre you want to read more of but don’t really own books in. This way you are likely to get books you don’t already own, and hopefully haven’t already read. I love mystery and thriller novels, but I don’t own that many, so it was a good choice for me. I got two titles that I had not read. I’d heard of The Ice Twins, but not the other title. In order to properly review this box, I thought I’d share my thoughts about one of the books so I read The Ice Twins, as my review below shows! I loved getting new books in the mail and being able to try something a bit different to me.
To get your own box, you pay $9.99 month-to-month (or look into a subscription plan) and $5 shipping each month. I think this is a really good price, especially for the books I received as they were both hardcover. Buying just one of these would be more than the price of this box, so you’re definitely saving money. If you don’t want mystery/thriller novels, there are other case options such as Teenage Dreams (YA books), Read To Me (4 children’s picture books), and more! There really is a case for almost anyone, so check it out.
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| The Two Books in my BookCase.Club box for October |
The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne
Review by Lauren
source: copy from BookCase.Club subscription box
Official Summary: A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcraft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.
But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity—that she, in fact, is Lydia—their world comes crashing down once again.
As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past—what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died?
Review: The Ice Twins, the name given to the twins in this book as they were born on the coldest day of the year, follows a broken family. There is the father/husband, Angus, the mother/wife, Sarah, and their daughter, Kirstie. The trio have moved to a house on Torran Island, left to Angus by his grandmother. It’s a remote place that needs a lot of work, but Sarah and Angus are hoping that getting away and living somewhere new will help them reunite as a family. The reason being that a year before, Kirstie’s sister and identical twin sister, Lydia died.
There is a lot of drama and questions surrounding the twins. Right before the move, Kirstie insists to her mom that she is in fact Lydia. That Kirstie was the one who died that night. This is obviously very upsetting to Sarah and she starts to wonder if perhaps they got it wrong. After all, there are no physical features that distinguish one girl from the other. Maybe Kirstie did die, and Lydia survived. Sarah is actually quite happy about the idea, though she’s still upset by the fact that she now has to mourn the other child. The reason she’s a bit happy about the idea, though, is that Lydia was always her favorite. She was more quiet and loved to read, like Sarah. Kirstie was more of Angus’ favorite.
I found it really interesting that Kirstie would suddenly say she was Lydia. She’s definitely haunted by her sister’s death, seeing her in mirrors and talking to her on the playground at school. More stories come out as the book goes on, adding to the questions and the overall suspense. It’s definitely a book that makes you think and you’ll want to read to the very end to have everything put together.
Despite liking this one overall, I did have a few complaints. First, I didn’t find Kirstie/Lydia’s dialogue to be all that believable. Sometimes it seemed to fit her age, but sometimes I just felt like it was stilted or not something a young girl would actually say. That might just be me though. Another, while Torran Island and everything that surrounds it is almost like another character in the book, I have to admit that I got tired of the endless description. It worked in certain scenarios, like the big storm near the end of the book, but overall, it was a bit too much for me.
I've always been curious about The Ice Twins. It looks creepy and the story chilling (pun intended). I love that you're able to choose a format for your box. That's so cool.
Looking forward to your next batch of goodies!
Ooh this sub box sounds incredible – I love how affordable it is! As for The Ice Twins…it sounds like a fantastic premise; but perhaps wasn't executed as well as one would hope. I'll probably skip it.
xx
I've always wanted to try one of these subscription boxes (I mean, who doesn't like getting fun surprises in the mail each month, right?) that kind of sucks that this book was a bit disappointing–I'd probably feel the same way re: endless descriptions, but thanks so much for a great review anyway!
Hope you have a great week 🙂
I love the idea of getting "surprise" books in the mail (who wouldn't!). Too bad these weren't better ones for you though, that is disappointing.
I've found that most of these boxes aren't for me, because I like to pick out my books, but it's good that this one offers real value. A lot of the book boxes are pretty expensive!
This is the first I've heard of Bookcase Club but it sounds like a great subscription service. I like that there are options as far as genre goes. And the price is right! I only subscribe to one box, Colleen Hoover's Bookworm Box, but if I ever decide to get another this might be the one.
There used to be the Book of the Month Club. I subscribed for years, but had totally forgotten about the excitement of receiving a book in the mail.
Dialog is so important to make the characters come alive. And it's challenging.
Good tip on choosing a genre that you want to read more of rather than one that you've read lots from Great review, I've heard good things about The Ice Twins but I can see why stilted dialogue marred your enjoyment a bit in this one.
What a fun idea. Unfortunately, I am drowning in books and I want to cut back so I am not acquiring any more at the moment.
What a great little box!
I'm going to have to check out BookCase.Club! I love trying subscription boxes 🙂
There is a subscription box for BOOKS?!??! Whaaaaaat?! – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
I'd love a book subscription box but to be honest, I'd also want one or two bookish accessories in there to make that little bit special. I'd loved the books that came with yours though as both are on my tbr.
Hmm, stilted and unrealistic conversations are no fun. I read a book recently where I was like what teen talks like this? Couldn't get through the book!
This is the first I have heard of this subscription box – Sounds great!!! Glad you mostly liked the book too 🙂
This sounds like a great, well priced subscription box. And although you had a few complaints, The Ice Twins sounds like a good read.
The premise for this sounds super interesting! I'm always worried that I'll end up not liking "surprise" books in bbook subscriptions, but I like that you can choose the genre for this one!