Unpretty: A Novel of Suspense

I loved Sharon's first book, Sinner, and couldn't wait to dive into Unpretty. She didn't disappoint. Once again, I found Sharon's characters engaging. I liked that I could tie two of the characters back to Sinner and that Galway is mentioned! That being said, you don't have to know anything about the characters from Sinner to enjoy Unpretty. The two stories really don't have anything to do with one another in terms of plot. I expected Unpretty to be a similar type of story as Sinner, a supernatural thriller. I was wrong. Unpretty is very much in the real world without the supernatural element. And yet I found the "monsters" in this story to be more chilling. Other reviewers have detailed the plot so rather than rehash the book again, let me touch on another point. I've heard/read that some think this book is too graphic. In my personal opinion, I don't agree. Yes, there are vivid descriptions, but I think the descriptions are more realistic than graphic. And I didn't find anything in the book to be gratuitous. I think it's a matter of sensitivity. I found a couple of scenes in Showdown (by Ted Dekker) more disturbing in their descriptions than anything in Unpretty. It's going to come down to your personal filter and what triggers you have. All of that being said, Unpretty is an intense story. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next and didn't want to wait to find out. I tried to figure out how everything tied together and what specific motives were behind it all. Sharon Carter Rogers is an author I recommend to others interested in a griping story with great characters!

Sharan Carter Rodgers does it again. First with "Sinner" and again with "Unpretty" As soon as I got the book, I started to read it and could not put it down. Twisted and suspenseful, Rogers keeps up the pace with a terrific story line and wonderful characters. Once introduced to Hummingbird Collins, (the only witness to a horrific bombing) you can't keep from turning the next page to see what happens to her. Can't wait for book number 3...............or should I say number 26...read the book and you will know what I mean.

Unpretty is the kind of book you don't expect to find in a Christian bookstore - scary, real, and surprisingly well-written. It seems like it would stand up well next to any mainstream author like Stephen King or (as other people have suggested) Dean Koontz. It takes you on a wild ride that's full of surprises and complex situations, and is a little bit violent (in a good way). Some scenes in here, like when the villain is torturing a victim while trying to recreate a graphic Michelangelo painting, are not appropriate for kids, but adult readers will be hooked by the story and the interesting characters. I particularly liked the kid, Kinseth, who is a person with a split personality disorder but who also plays a key role in unraveling the secrets of the story. This book is hard to stop, so don't start reading unless you have a few hours to keep going. In the spirit of the recent elections, I vote yes on the Unpretty referendum!

I do a lot of reviews and I really like to pick authors that I have never heard of to see if they are any good. One day I might be that new author out there and I would like someone to try my book, so I like to give others that kind of consideration. So I picked the book Unpretty by Sharon C. Rogers it is her second book. Sharon Carter Rogers is the pseudonym for a former English teacher who now works full time writing fiction. Her debut novel, Sinner, was released in 2007. My Review: Unpretty was about a madman who likes the rid the world of unpretty things. He is a insane artist who works with a cult called the Michelangelus Movement. Hummingbird Collins works in a bookstore near a art gallery and when the madman enters the wrong store things get complicated for Hummingbird. She witnesses the bombing of the art gallery and now has a madman threatening her to keep quiet. She is scare and doesn't know what to do. Detective Barnes knows she is hiding something thought he doesn't think she is involved. He really needs her to help him with this case and he gets his break when she decides to break her silence and enlist the help of her brother T.W Collins and a long time football friend Ready Robinson. Breaking her silence as dire consequences when she is abducted by the madman and it is up to the detective, her brother and long time friend to find out where he has her before she becomes a permanent work of art. It was a great book and it kept me well entertained, the only thing I have bad to say was that I thought the ending was dragged out a little to long, sort of like when you think a movie is about twenty minutes to long. I kept thinking it should be about over but it wasn't, but other than that it is a very good suspense novel and I will give it a five star rating. I look forward to reading more of her books.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down! The plot and characters drew me in and kept me guessing all along the way. If you like suspense that moves at a good pace, you'll enjoy this story with all its twists, turns and unique characters. While the scare-inducing scenes aren't uncomfortably graphic, they are gripping. Yet the message of redemption creates a satisfying ending.