"Still" by Camilla Monk is a captivating mystery novel that keeps readers guessing until the very end. Following the story of Detective Teddy and his canine partner Peaches, the novel unravels a compelling mystery surrounding a missing girl and a dark secret buried in the past. Monk's writing is sharp and suspenseful, weaving together twists and turns that keep readers eagerly turning pages. With its engaging characters, intricate plot, and atmospheric setting, "Still" is a thrilling read that will leave mystery enthusiasts thoroughly satisfied.

I was psyched for this book but unfortunately it fell flat. I ended up DNF’ing it about 80% through. I wanted to continue but couldn’t go on any longer. The pacing is my issue with this book, the writing is really great so there’s no complaints from me. I personally didn’t enjoy this but I’m sure other people would!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it’s not the book for me. DNF @ 19%.

"It always started like this: a pulse inside me, like a warning before the tide surged, roared... and froze everything. The bum had raised my beer to his lips; golden drops remained still in the air above his open mouth. The tourists stood paralysed mid-stride. The children's grins were empty masks; their legs were coiled, ready for a jump that wasn't coming, like birds about to fly away. The cars and the buses had stopped. Over the suffocating silence, all I could hear was the blood drumming in my ears, my neck. I staggered back, buried my face in my hands."

Emma has a secret: sometimes time stops around her, and she is the only person aware of what is happening and able to move while everyone else is frozen. She doesn't know why or how it happens and as she grows up she stops telling people about it so they don't think she is crazy. At the age of twenty, she is a high school dropout working as a waitress. She saves up her wages to go to Rome and meet her estranged father but instead she runs into her perfect half-sister, Lily, who is there working on an archaeological dig for a mysterious organisation called Katharos. She also keeps running across a blind hobo named Faust, who seems to know all about Katharos and the stone table they have unearthed, which is covered in symbols they seem desperate to translate. Faust also might be the key to explaining Emma's strange experiences with time.

Still is an original young adult fantasy novel. It makes a change to read a story like this set in Rome, and I liked the interesting spin on Faust's story: minor spoiler- he is the Faust, of Goethe and Marlowe, though this is a different version of his tale in which he bargained not with the devil, but with Chronos the titan.

The characters are engaging and the dialogue is fun. The plot drags a little in the middle, but it gets there eventually. Don't expect a neat and tidy ending, because Still is the first in a series, to be followed up with Still 2: Bride of Tartarus, which is expected to be released in October 2018.

3 stars for "Still". It was neither here nor there for me, so it gets the most "lukewarm" amount of stars. I think it was mostly Em herself that made the book interesting.

Gave this book 50 pages to get my attention tuned in, it didn't happen had to dnf it. So not my cup of tea at all, so sorry! :(

I have not read anything from this author before. But I did really enjoy this book. I enjoyed the main character, Emma, this was a character I could understand and relate too. This book was exciting and I was on the edge of my seat. The humor was a real treat in this book for me as well. I loved it all! *This book was given to me for free at my request from Netgalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Emma has run into someone she hasn't seen in years. It's her step-sister, Lily. It's a strange place to see her, some she is in Rome. Does she want to reconnect with a sister who stole her mother from her? No, not really.
This book is about relationships, finding yourself. Knowing who you are. Emma, is sure wanting to know who or maybe, what she is. Why does time stand still at times?
This will be figured out with new friends that she meets along the way.
5 Stars

I was so surprised by this book. As I read it, I fell so hard into the storyline. Emma is an amazing character and I really get upset when she isn’t treated right! If you like fantasy, titans and adventure, you are going to love this book!

I freaking loved this book. It was amazing. Everything flowed endlessy. I loved heroine. One word: LOVED!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a refreshing change on the tropes used in urban fantasy. The main character didn't start out very likeable and seemed out of control for much of the book, but there was an underlying hopefulness that shone through that made her someone the reader could care about. When I think back on all the horrible things that happened to her, (some self inflicted, but many inflicted by her family) I am amazed that she and the book has the rather upbeat tone that it does. This book could have been a real downer to read, but instead the first person internal dialogues don't become maudlin.
There are a lot of pop culture references in the book, some of which had me hitting google to find out what they are, having never played pokemon or had playmobil when I was a kid, but overall this was a very engaging book and I look forward to reading the sequel.

Still is the first Camilla Monk book I've read, but there is a nice light touch to her writing. I'm a sucker for mythology and gods so I sped through the pages. I did struggle to like Emma, as I found her hard to relate to, but I enjoyed the worldbuilding and most of the other characters except for Ryuuko.

Charlene F, Reviewer

I received Still by Camilla Monk through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Still is about Emma, a girl wwho goes to Rome in search of her father who left her and her mother during her childhood. Emma sometimes freezes everything around her.
This was a well written novel, but unfortunately it just didn't seem to have a point to me. I would recommend this book to other readers.

Still is a mysterious, breath-taking novel that is far from interesting—it’s more than that—it’s very fascinating, well-written and a timeless piece that you will love from beginning to end.

It took me three hours to finish this book—after I find myself creating a review and emailing the author to ask permission—all in just half-a-day. Yup, that’s how good this book is. I’ve got a very bad habit of reading a book until I finished it, with no regards even if I’m at work, or inside the fast-food chain—especially if I find the book very interesting—and this book is far from interesting—it’s more than that, it’s very fascinating, well-written and a timeless piece that you will love from beginning to end.

Well, the story was written in the eyes of Emma, a teen who flew to Rome to look for her dad. Apparently, she met her step-sis there named Lily, who is a smart kid, appreciated and loved by everyone around her, unlike Emma. So, I think it is safe to say that Emma is unwanted, and just like any normal teenager, she wanted to be loved and appreciated, too… Unfortunately, Emma is not your typical teenager—there were moments in her life where she felt the things around her stood still, like the time around her stopped. Yeah—the title itself depicts one of the mysterious scenes in the story—and that is where, my dear friends, the story begins.

The author had an ability to describe the characters and the setting flawlessly that reading this book feels like you are walking into her book. So, let’s talk about the characters, the characters were a handful, but given that they all exist for a reason and they play important roles, I assure you that you won’t get confused or get lost.

In terms of the plot, well, the author was able to highlight some mythology in the story, and unfortunately, I didn’t know who is Faust, and according to Google, Faust is a character in a German legend that made a pact with the devil. So, I’m thinking that the author tweaks the history of Faust for this book and relates it to Greek mythology. Uhm, I’m not sure, really. (feel free to correct me, guys, even to our loving author— feel free to!) And if I’m correct about that, the author had skillfully created a new Faust—and it’s perfect.

And speaking of Faust, this is the only story that I was able to read that one of the protagonists is a hobo. A blind hobo that is well, I’m not sure if I can call him handsome or hot because, from the former books I read, the criteria for getting hot is being naked. lol Just kidding! Hahaha. This book is free from those bed scenes and honestly, a blind hobo who takes good care lot of cats is already good-looking for me. What kind of man these days take good care of cats? Lol. Haha 😊

Another thing I would like to appreciate in this book is that yes, there were some innuendos, playful jokes but still, there is no sex or fuckery in this book. I mean, yes, I read erotica books but this book—this novel just proves that a book doesn’t need sex to be good for crying out loud! That is one of the best things about this book, and with that, I would gladly recommend this book to everyone.

DISCLAIMER: I requested for an ARC of this book in NetGalley and I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review. The description and the cover of the book had caught my attention.

I received a free copy of Still by Camilla Monk in exchange for an honest review. This book tracks the story of a disenfranchised youth slowly working her way into mainstream society. As part of her journey, she seeks to make human connections; she goes to Italy to find her father who abandoned her as a child and left her alone with an uncaring mother. She runs into her mother’s stepdaughter and begins to make the connection that was missing in her childhood. This is interrupted when her stepsister’s employers turn out to be bad actors. The journey ensues to rescue her perfect stepsister from the bad guys.

I was excited to see a new novel by this author because I enjoyed the Spotless series. That being said, I had problems connecting to the characters in this book. I only liked one character, Ryuuko, who was mean, but funny. Though I probably won’t read any more books in this series, I look forward to the next series by Camilla Monk.

#Still #NetGalley