Category: Fiction

S. D. Perry – Resident Evil: Nemesis [REVIEW]

Title: Resident Evil: Nemesis

Author: S. D. Perry

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 288

Rating: 3.5/5

Okay, so the first thing to mention is that this is, of course, a novelisation of the iconic video game. S. D. Perry has actually written a ton of books in the series, and this one falls about halfway through, which makes a lot of sense when you look at the timeline for the games.

The second thing to mention is that I only read this because the Resident Evil YouTube channel happened to upload an audio book of it, and so I figured, “Eh, what have I got to lose?”

I’m pretty glad that that’s how I consumed this one, because while I’m not going to say it was terrible, it also wasn’t exactly great. Even with the story and characters all fully fleshed out for them, Perry does a pretty workmanlike job of things. That’s not to say that it’s a bad book, but it’s one that you can devour quickly and then forget.

I also found that it struggled to keep the tension as high as the game does. One of the great things about the Resident Evil games is that you never quite feel safe, except perhaps for in the save rooms. You don’t get the same sense while reading or listening to the book, because the danger only rears its head from time to time.

Still, considering that there’s a copy of it that you can read for free, it’s hard to get too mad. And I did enjoy the time I spent with the book, just maybe not as much as I would have enjoyed watching someone play it.

Learn more about Resident Evil: Nemesis.


Sophie Hannah – The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets [REVIEW]

Title: The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets

Author: Sophie Hannah

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 272

Rating: 4/5

I’ve read a bunch of Sophie Hannah’s books by this point, but this one is probably my favourite and I guess it shows that she shines the most when she’s working with shorter forms. That also makes me want to check out some of her poetry.

The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets is a short story collection with a bunch of great little tales inside, often using a non-traditional approach to short fiction that doesn’t necessarily leave you with a tidy little ending that’s all wrapped up with a bow. Some of the endings are ambiguous, and that’s just fine by me.

The titular story here is about a disgraced former literary type who used to arrange literary festivals and things like that but who accidentally kidnapped Ian McEwan and ended up as the black sheep of the industry. She’s now working in a hotel while she gathers anonymous stories from people about their secrets.

The collection kicks off with another story that literature lovers will enjoy, featuring a married couple being stalked by someone who shows up in the background of all of their photos and ending with a delicious little twist.

With short story collections, I often find that we get a mixture of hits and misses, but I’m pleased to report that Sophie Hannah only has hits. If you’re new to her work then I’d suggest starting here, unless you’re particularly interested in her thrillers. But this is where she shines.

Learn more about The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets.