limabean74's review
4.0
I received this book from Netgalley. I have never heard of an Active Fiction Title so I wanted to try it out and see if it was something I like.
I’m still not 100% sure what it is but it’s been such a long time since I was able to read a Choose your own adventure book. I was very excited, when I was a kid they use to be my favorite and my son who is 8 is starting to read them in school. I do wish they had more choices throughout the book. I think you had to do it about 3 or 4 time.
Celia is a young girl who moves from her home in San Diego to New Orleans after her father is killed in Afghanistan. Her mom thought it would be good for her to finally setting down in New Orleans where her dad was from and to meet his family since they had a very strained relationship. She finds a mailbox in a tree and a letter about a murder in the past. So Celia and her new friends (is one a ghost?) try to find out whom the murderer is with a murder that takes place in the present.
The characters were very interested in really enjoyed reading though the adventure with Celia, Luc, Tilly and Donovan. I loved choosing the link that went against what she was suppose to do. Just made it a lot more fun. I liked the love triangle that was hinted in the book. I wish it was a little bit more but it was enough to make you wonder whom she will pick. One is a little harder to be in a relationship with then the other
The story was really interesting. It’s hard to explain the entire story since I only read through the book with the options I chose I’m not sure if the story changes at all if you chose to go a different way. I actually enjoyed the story. I was a little confused how the story from 1870 had anything to do with the murder that happened in the present. I almost would have rather have made it about the murder in 1870 I think it would have been more interesting and a lot spookier going back in history. Don’t get me wrong I did think the story was interesting. I did have a lot of question left by the end. Like why her? What is the mailbox in the tree? Why can she see dead people?
I’m hoping the next book Post Mortem will have answers to my questions. I also received that book from Netgalley…YAY!!!
I would recommend this book if you are looking for a fun and adventurous read. Also if you loved Choose your own adventures as a kid you will really like this book :)
I’m still not 100% sure what it is but it’s been such a long time since I was able to read a Choose your own adventure book. I was very excited, when I was a kid they use to be my favorite and my son who is 8 is starting to read them in school. I do wish they had more choices throughout the book. I think you had to do it about 3 or 4 time.
Celia is a young girl who moves from her home in San Diego to New Orleans after her father is killed in Afghanistan. Her mom thought it would be good for her to finally setting down in New Orleans where her dad was from and to meet his family since they had a very strained relationship. She finds a mailbox in a tree and a letter about a murder in the past. So Celia and her new friends (is one a ghost?) try to find out whom the murderer is with a murder that takes place in the present.
The characters were very interested in really enjoyed reading though the adventure with Celia, Luc, Tilly and Donovan. I loved choosing the link that went against what she was suppose to do. Just made it a lot more fun. I liked the love triangle that was hinted in the book. I wish it was a little bit more but it was enough to make you wonder whom she will pick. One is a little harder to be in a relationship with then the other
The story was really interesting. It’s hard to explain the entire story since I only read through the book with the options I chose I’m not sure if the story changes at all if you chose to go a different way. I actually enjoyed the story. I was a little confused how the story from 1870 had anything to do with the murder that happened in the present. I almost would have rather have made it about the murder in 1870 I think it would have been more interesting and a lot spookier going back in history. Don’t get me wrong I did think the story was interesting. I did have a lot of question left by the end. Like why her? What is the mailbox in the tree? Why can she see dead people?
I’m hoping the next book Post Mortem will have answers to my questions. I also received that book from Netgalley…YAY!!!
I would recommend this book if you are looking for a fun and adventurous read. Also if you loved Choose your own adventures as a kid you will really like this book :)
jljaina's review
4.0
Dead Letter Office is an interesting mystery novel. Yet this is unlike most mysteries one may have read. In this book the reader helps decide the course of action for the story. For those who enjoyed the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books as a child (or even teen/adult), then this is the next step up!
Teenage Celia has just moved to New Orleans with her mother. Trying to settle in, getting to know her grandparents, finding new friends and grieving the loss of her father all at the same time. Celia's character is easy to connect to as she tries to fit in to her new life. She is very down-to-Earth. At least, with the choices that I made she was...
There are many opportunities to help Celia in what she does. Who her friends and contact choices are to even her dreams... every couple chapters you are given a choice to help steer her life and solve a murder mystery.
I had fun running through this to have another go at it to see other aspects of the story and to see if the ending is different. Most endings are okay. One is good and One is bad. But not matter the choiceat I was able learn more about Celia.
In addition to Celia meet a Luc, Tilly and Donovan. Tilly is a practicing witch, Donovan is a detective's son and Luc is a ghost. My guess is each choice you make might give new insight to each of these characters as well. And there is just a hint of romance between certain characters. Not too much and certainly not a detraction to the story. Just enough to add character development.
This paranormal mystery is a light, easy read. Great for teens and adults. While not very deep it is still lots of fun. From what I have seen, it almost seems to me more of a intro the the next book which is longer. I look forward to seeing what happens with Celia and her friends!
Teenage Celia has just moved to New Orleans with her mother. Trying to settle in, getting to know her grandparents, finding new friends and grieving the loss of her father all at the same time. Celia's character is easy to connect to as she tries to fit in to her new life. She is very down-to-Earth. At least, with the choices that I made she was...
There are many opportunities to help Celia in what she does. Who her friends and contact choices are to even her dreams... every couple chapters you are given a choice to help steer her life and solve a murder mystery.
I had fun running through this to have another go at it to see other aspects of the story and to see if the ending is different. Most endings are okay. One is good and One is bad. But not matter the choiceat I was able learn more about Celia.
In addition to Celia meet a Luc, Tilly and Donovan. Tilly is a practicing witch, Donovan is a detective's son and Luc is a ghost. My guess is each choice you make might give new insight to each of these characters as well. And there is just a hint of romance between certain characters. Not too much and certainly not a detraction to the story. Just enough to add character development.
This paranormal mystery is a light, easy read. Great for teens and adults. While not very deep it is still lots of fun. From what I have seen, it almost seems to me more of a intro the the next book which is longer. I look forward to seeing what happens with Celia and her friends!
runin's review
4.0
i first read this on wattpad and let me just say i love it. honestly, i wont read the rest of the series maybe because i have a feeling it would drag on and on and on. but i love the plot, the characters, and the whole book. and i love the plot twists like when
Spoiler
i found out luc was dead and that the bus driver is the murdererSpoiler
so if you like mystery, witchcraft, and paranormal stuff then read this!mtnofbooks's review
1.0
I received this book for an honest review.
The concept of this book sounded interesting... like the old Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books from elementary school. I've not seen one of these for an older crowd so I had to read it!
Unfortunately, it feels like there is too much going on in this book. I'm okay with a teen shirking her teen-responsibilities to ignore the law and try to solve a case that she has no business with. I can get down with a book about a teen who talks to a ghost that helps her through a difficult time. I'm good with a book that chronicles the changes a young lady goes through after a family member dies and she has to move to a new town/school. But all of these things mixed together in one book that was ALSO a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure was too much to follow for me.
The concept of this book sounded interesting... like the old Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books from elementary school. I've not seen one of these for an older crowd so I had to read it!
Unfortunately, it feels like there is too much going on in this book. I'm okay with a teen shirking her teen-responsibilities to ignore the law and try to solve a case that she has no business with. I can get down with a book about a teen who talks to a ghost that helps her through a difficult time. I'm good with a book that chronicles the changes a young lady goes through after a family member dies and she has to move to a new town/school. But all of these things mixed together in one book that was ALSO a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure was too much to follow for me.
amburhostyn's review
5.0
I don't actually read very many mysteries, but whenever I do, I remember just how awesome they are. It's kind of neat to have everything slowly unveil before you as the main character figures everything out. :D Dead Letter Office definitely did the whole mystery element well, and the fact that it is an active fiction title made it even better! Instead of being a passive reader experiencing everything as the character makes choices, you get to make the choices for them and that was fantastic!
I made sure to read all of the possible alternatives so that I could review this title fairly, and I really liked that the differences between paths were subtle, but they also stood out and did take the story in different directions. :D I definitely loved that you get to choose how it all unfolds though because that was a really interesting experience. :)
Along with the mystery element, Dead Letter Office was also shrouded in the paranormal, and since the main character, Celia, was pretty curious, she worked hard to try and figure out everything that's going on. I really enjoyed Celia! She was curious, and I liked the honest relationship she had with her mother. :D Donovan, Tilly, and Luc were also really interesting characters. I'm gonna try to spoil too much, but there is definitely a love triangle going on in this one...and boy is it a strange one. :P haha I loved that each character provided a different element to the story through their relationship with Celia, too. Through Donovan, you get to see the whole Detective side of uncovering the truth, and through Tilly, you get to see magic and all that fun stuff! :D Luc also brings a very interesting perspective, but I'm going to let him remain a mystery until you read Dead Letter Office yourself! ;D
Overall, I loved Dead Letter Office! The active fiction aspect of the story brought a whole new element to the story, and made the mystery even more fascinating. The characters were great, and the writing was descriptive and kept me riveted until the last page...in every version of the story that I tried! I'd recommend this one to mystery fans, and even to those who aren't a fan of mysteries. I think you'd really enjoy this one if you like crime stories on TV, too. All in all, I thought Dead Letter Office was fantastic, and I can't wait to read the sequel, Post Mortem! :D
I made sure to read all of the possible alternatives so that I could review this title fairly, and I really liked that the differences between paths were subtle, but they also stood out and did take the story in different directions. :D I definitely loved that you get to choose how it all unfolds though because that was a really interesting experience. :)
Along with the mystery element, Dead Letter Office was also shrouded in the paranormal, and since the main character, Celia, was pretty curious, she worked hard to try and figure out everything that's going on. I really enjoyed Celia! She was curious, and I liked the honest relationship she had with her mother. :D Donovan, Tilly, and Luc were also really interesting characters. I'm gonna try to spoil too much, but there is definitely a love triangle going on in this one...and boy is it a strange one. :P haha I loved that each character provided a different element to the story through their relationship with Celia, too. Through Donovan, you get to see the whole Detective side of uncovering the truth, and through Tilly, you get to see magic and all that fun stuff! :D Luc also brings a very interesting perspective, but I'm going to let him remain a mystery until you read Dead Letter Office yourself! ;D
Overall, I loved Dead Letter Office! The active fiction aspect of the story brought a whole new element to the story, and made the mystery even more fascinating. The characters were great, and the writing was descriptive and kept me riveted until the last page...in every version of the story that I tried! I'd recommend this one to mystery fans, and even to those who aren't a fan of mysteries. I think you'd really enjoy this one if you like crime stories on TV, too. All in all, I thought Dead Letter Office was fantastic, and I can't wait to read the sequel, Post Mortem! :D
ltg584's review
4.0
Awww! That was such a sweet read!
Full review to come.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.
Full review to come.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.
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