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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
date
|
date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1620612429
| 9781620612422
| 3.75
| 2,276
| Apr 02, 2013
| Apr 02, 2013
|
If you can’t love Dante Walker then you’re probably not going to love this book. He is cocky, flamboyant, arrogant, hilarious, and sassy. Luckily for...more
If you can’t love Dante Walker then you’re probably not going to love this book. He is cocky, flamboyant, arrogant, hilarious, and sassy. Luckily for me, I absolutely loved him. Victoria Scott has perfectly encapsulated the jerky, arrogant seventeen year old who thinks he’s a straight up badass – and nothing is more satisfying than watching Dante Walker realize that not only does he have a sweet, kind side, but he’s also a good person and a good friend. The book basically went like this: Dante would be all like:  And outwardly I would be like:  But then when I thought the book wasn’t looking, I’d be like:  There’s another character, Charlie Cooper, who I just loved. Mostly because, though Dante is so mean about her at the beginning, Scott wrote her with such empathy and compassion. Even while Dante was waxing poetical about how unattractive and what a loser she was, and even while she was acting like a loser, I still loved her. I think everyone who’s been an awkward teenage girl could see part of themselves in Charlie. Whilst the writing of The Collector was pretty good, it was the slang and dialogue that really got me. Basically, she nailed it. Nailed teenage guy with a great finesse. The plot itself is pretty cool if a little simplistic. Bad Collector dude spies innocent virgin girl. Shenanigans ensue. It was hard for me to grasp the greater moral aspects of the book, the struggle between good and evil etc when I spent the whole book going, “God, girl! Just ride that guy to O-Town already!” As the book progressed, I found myself rocking backwards and forwards begging her to not change. NEVER CHANGE, CHARLIE! I guess this was the only aspect that I found a little less satisfactory than I would have liked. For me, where it really made up for it was the characters. The dynamics between Blue and Dante and Charlie. Between the Liberator and Max and Dante. Between them all. I just couldn’t get enough of those awwwwww moments. And then it ended, and I wanted more. Especially more of teh sexy. Which meant I finished the book shaking my fist at Victoria Scott, saying:  Which is really just my way of saying, “I love you.”(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Mar 17, 2013
| Mar 25, 2013
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Mar 17, 2013
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 9781620612
| 3.86
| 263
| Apr 02, 2013
| Apr 02, 2013
|
Some people are really going to like Prophecy Girl. People who like a very distinctive protagonist voice littered with pop culture references. Fans of...more
Some people are really going to like Prophecy Girl. People who like a very distinctive protagonist voice littered with pop culture references. Fans of Vampire Academy, who are looking for something similar, will also probably at least be interested – if not enjoy it. I don’t think it’s unfair to state that Prophecy Girl is highly derivative of Vampire Academy. Non Academic, rough and tumble protagonist with an intelligent best friend, falls in love with hot young tutor, crazy shenanigans, magical world – it was all very highly reminiscent. Derivative doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, but in this case the comparison doesn’t favor Prophecy Girl. In a Who Wrote It Better? competition, Mead comes out a clear victor.  I would give that outfit a 9/10. Gorgeous, gorgeous job!  I would say… less. The story is heavily focused on the romance between Amelie and Jack, which I felt was a misstep as it rarely managed to run anything but hot (fan yourself, dim the lights, spark some candles hot) and cold (wet, dead, stinky-fish cold). The chemistry was there in a physical sense and I give White props for that – but any real camaraderie, relationship or love were painfully absent or ineffectually handled for me. Mostly because there simply wasn’t time to develop it. But the plot itself was the biggest let down. I feel like by the time the author gets through all her surprise twists, the original motivations and actions of the characters don’t make much sense. I read the ending actions with critical detachment as characters did things that seemed inexplicable to me. The ending was pretty broadly forecasted in a way that sucked enjoyment from the narrative. Early on two characters step onto the page and my initial reaction was, “Well, they’re clearly evil. I don’t know how or why but… EVIL!” And I was kind of sad to see that I was right. That things were so clearly telegraphed. Even a major plot event happened that was so obvious, my brain kind of hurt reading it. I thought, surely, it can’t be this easy. Then it happened, to everyone’s shock but mine. For me? I was just like:  Writing was okay, no real issues there, which is a positive. And if you are looking for something just a bit steamy, then you’re surely going to at least enjoy it. Ultimately, I think this is a good book if you’re looking for something quick, easy and that will give you a couple of laughs. But one of the greats, it is not. This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Mar 13, 2013
| Mar 15, 2013
|
Mar 13, 2013
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0062072064
| 9780062072061
| 4.35
| 8,355
| Jan 08, 2013
| Jan 08, 2013
|
Usually V and I go on random adventures together. Like that time she was a Steampunk airship captain and I was helping her storm a flying fortress to...more
Usually V and I go on random adventures together. Like that time she was a Steampunk airship captain and I was helping her storm a flying fortress to steal back some booty. Or like when we went trekking through an alien jungle to rescue a space whale from some poachers. Ya know, we hang out. Have fun. Repress our strong feelings for each other in lieu of maintaining a platonic friendship. The usual. So I’m pretty used to her taking me on wild adventures. I just don’t think I’m ever going to get used to reading her wild imagination! Through the Ever Night was, if possible, even better than Under the Never Sky. Rossi’s skill as a story teller has only grown and improved, so too has her characters. I don’t usually like to reference character hotness as a selling point in a book – but these two don’t even need to touch to be steaming up the pages which (now that I think about it, is probably a fire hazard). As always, some of the best parts about Rossi’s writing is the litany of secondary characters – Roar being one serious MVP. Once again his wit and personality bring a much needed buoyancy and humour to an otherwise action-packed, edge of your seat, angst fest that left me clutching the book yelling, “What?! WHAT!?!” and “NOOOOOO!!!! NOOOO!! Oh my god howwillieversurvive!?!” You know it’s been a good book when you’re left thinking, “Oh yeah! It is ON, baby!” I read a lot of good books these days, having become exceptionally good at weeding out stuff I’m pretty sure I’ll like – so it takes a special kind of series/book to make my top five of all time. Under The Never Sky certainly does and not just because V would falcon punch me if I didn’t say that. It’s hard not to respect a book that kicks ass from start to finish. Especially the writing which has become smoother. Particularly in regards to the well-conceptualized action scenes which seems to be something that Rossi does particularly well, and everything is really easy to visualize. The Aether, an aspect of this book that exceedingly confused people the last time round, will probably still confuse you. She explains it more in this book but still, what is an Aether? Buggered if I know. And you know what? Two books in and I still don’t CARE. It’s there, it’s awesome. It’s rocking the Casbah. What’s a Casbah? I don’t know either, but it rocks. (Okay, lies. I totally know what the Casbah is. So sue me.) Seriously, I have a very small list of books that I love more than life itself but THIS ONE IS ON IT. Go read now! Because you can’t come with V and I to save the Prince from the Alturi Prison on the third moon of the Kayman system until you do!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| not set
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Mar 12, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 9781743560273
| 3.41
| 34
| Apr 01, 2013
| Apr 01, 2013
|
Okay, at page 156 this crossed over from boring to painful to read. And it's not that I don't understand what the author is trying to do here. Low sel...more Okay, at page 156 this crossed over from boring to painful to read. And it's not that I don't understand what the author is trying to do here. Low self-esteem country girl, bully misogynistic husband, starting a new life and all that. It's probably mostly realistic. I've met enough couples like this - particularly country lads who couldn't wipe their asses without a woman around to help them with it. It's just that nothing happens. It's such a long, drawn out boring tale of lunch meeting after lunch meeting after coffee meet up and then a dinner meeting thrown in to round it off. And whilst I understood why the main character was so painfully, ridiculously, annoyingly dumb, and even felt that her actions were in line with the character - this simply made that novel horrible to read. But I'm nothing, if not, all about the edumacation, folks. So I'm going to provide a list of things to do, that this character definitely should have done, in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation. Things you should do if you're leaving your partner: 1. Make copies of all financial papers. Bank statements, recent sales, deeds, debts, assets, superannuation details, payslips etc. (If you quit work to stay at home for your partner/family - remember to consider the superannuation that you've lost out on when calculating your financial worth.) 2. Seek legal advice. Make sure this lawyer or firm is not representing your partner. If you can't afford a lawyer and don't qualify for legal aid, investigate a mediator. 3. Make note of the date of separation. 4. Close any joint accounts. 5. Get your name off utilities as soon as you leave. 6. Don't sign anything without having it viewed by your lawyer. 7. Fuck everyone else. Seriously, just fuck them. Do what you need to do for yourself.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Mar 2013
| Mar 2013
|
Mar 01, 2013
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0373210698
| 9780373210695
| 4.44
| 2,135
| Apr 30, 2013
| Apr 30, 2013
|
I’m not sure how to proceed with this review WITHOUT resorting to a shit ton of gifs. I just really feel like some kind of crazy wild action would bet...more
I’m not sure how to proceed with this review WITHOUT resorting to a shit ton of gifs. I just really feel like some kind of crazy wild action would better represent how I feel than words ever could. I mean, I could say that The Eternity Cure is one badass tale that left me desperate for more because this story was fucking awesome. Or I could just do this:  Which is, no joke, my exact facial expression upon finishing this book. I think it actually stayed like that for a full two minutes. I could tell you that Allison Sekemoto was such an unmitigated badass that I am prepared to lay my sword down at her badass feet and swear my fealty to her as the god of badass forever. Or I could just do this:  See how much easier that is? I can’t write this bloody review because I’m too busy stalking Julie Kagawa and thinking of ways to beg her to hurry up and give me the next book. I need it. Seriously. And I can’t even talk about this book much, because I don’t want to spoil anyone. But I will let you know some vague things that you can expect: 1) Allison Sekemoto continues to be a stone-cold, kick-ass, awesomely awesome protagonist. 2) There are smoochies. 3) Things need to be killed and Allison is exactly the person to do it. 4) This is a creepy fucking book and I still shiver occasionally when thinking about it. 5) Some people in the book are horrifically horrible and terrifying. 6) Some people in this book are kind of sweet and make me smile. 7) Kanin <3 8) There is a return of a character I didn’t expect and he was fuckin’ ACE, man. 9) Be prepared to want to have everyone’s babies. Just everyone’s. 10) Read it. That is all. I have to admit, like The Immortal Rules, it started out a little slow. Allison’s naivete and willingness to trust scumbags annoyed me. However, it didn’t take long before I fully endorsed pretty much each and every decision she made. She’s just so… cool. Kagawa throws the readers right back into this creepy, desolate, and somewhat hopeless world. But somehow, when the characters in this book teamed up ready to go kick ass, I just felt this rightness. Like, “Hell yeah! It’s ASS kicking time!” For those who don’t know, ass kicking time comes right after Balls-to-the-wall crazy time, and briefly before Cleaning-blood-out-of-your-clothes time. And Read-The-Eternity-Cure time is now, folks. This review can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Feb 14, 2013
| Feb 14, 2013
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Feb 14, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1423157370
| 9781423157373
| 4.25
| 5,123
| Dec 18, 2012
| Dec 18, 2012
|
Steph, baby, honey-munchkin. You are going to love this one. I usually don’t do Dystopians much anymore. Steph still loves them though, so I’m kind of...more
Steph, baby, honey-munchkin. You are going to love this one. I usually don’t do Dystopians much anymore. Steph still loves them though, so I’m kind of excited to see how she’ll feel about it. I didn’t know what to expect because I hadn’t loved Bracken’s previous work, Brightly Woven. Yet this book was getting rave reviews. All I can say is, my god that writer’s done her work. This was a massive improvement on both a technical level and story-telling level. Ruby lives in a world where an entire generation of children spontaneously sprout super-human powers. This results in her being towed off to a concentration camp where she is raised under constant threat of death and inhumane conditions. But when Ruby breaks out of Thurmond, the Dystopian equivalent of an Auschwitz, she finds that life on the outside isn’t much better. She meets up with a group of kids and the adventure goes from there with a lovable cast of characters. The back drop of this hauntingly close dystopian world begins to unfold. As I said, Bracken’s writing has improved dramatically. Her only real issue involves vague writing in connection to action scenes and I would have ideally preferred a smoother, tighter plot. The scene where a van is attacked is a good example. It’s a confusing hot mess to figure out what exactly happened. The writing, uncharacteristic considering the rest of the novel, was not smooth at all and there was a strange disjointed feeling – the same one that had plagued Beautifully Woven. This is a pretty significant development. Almost as good as getting out a near perfect debut novel, is learning and developing and improving so much on the next, which Bracken has clearly done. Especially when I read it thinking, “Is this even the same author?” For this, Bracken, I salute you!  But this is a very character driven novel and as such, the characters are a big part of what makes it a great read. Liam, Chubs, Suz, Clancy – these are the big characters that keep you reading alongside Ruby. If you don’t connect to Ruby or these other characters, then you will struggle to enjoy it at all. The novel races almost from start to finish – though readers will have to excuse a little bit of a bumpy beginning. Darkest Minds seems to have something to say about true freedom, but I can’t actually decide what main theme it’s working on. It’s not a perfect novel, there’s still plenty of improvement to be had in tightening the plot, technicalities and smoothing out some of the narration. The romance between the two leads wasn’t as convincing as I would have liked. It’s never ideal when a reader wonders what even connects them, let alone binds them in love, but I felt it was an enjoyable book. In fact, this would be the one aspect of Bracken’s writing that I feel has been neglected. North and Sydelle had a much more believable connection with a more developed romance than Ruby and Liam got. However, the story manages to move along at a brisk pace without ever really falling into being stagnant or boring. Darkest Minds mostly hits all the high notes and, in my opinion, it’s well worth checking out. People keep saying that Dystopia is a dead genre, but I think Steph and I are very happy to see it fighting the odds! The ARC was provided to me for review purposes. I did not receive any money, gifts, favours or dragons for reviewing it. Though I'd have liked the dragons./> This review can be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Jan 2013
| Jan 2013
|
Jan 01, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 145165801X
| 9781451658019
| 3.93
| 6,363
| Jul 10, 2012
| Jul 10, 2012
|
Regardless of whatever else I say in this book – Such a Rush is a good book. Well-written, funny, smart, heart-touching. I devoured this book in a mat...more
Regardless of whatever else I say in this book – Such a Rush is a good book. Well-written, funny, smart, heart-touching. I devoured this book in a matter of hours. I ignored family on Christmas day to read it – which is okay, because they’re used to that. But this doesn’t mean it was a perfect read. Leah was a brilliant but, other than Mr Hall’s brief appearance, she was the singularly likable character in this book. Smart, focused, complex, interesting – everything you want out of a main character except not a single other character in this book deserved to bask in her presence let alone be her friend or date her. Ready to meet the grand poobah of douchebag love interests? You thought Daemon from Obsidian was bad? You thought Daniel Grigori or any other of those dudes was bad? In my opinion Grayson Hall would probably mop the floor with them. Daemon might have been rude, Daniel Grigori might have been a prick, but at least none of them assumed the main protagonist was a whore and blackmailed her into dating some other guy! Grayson treats Leah despicably. Utterly, utterly despicably and her mercy for him and continued attraction to him was inexplicable to me. His concern with how much of a whore Leah was, was exceedingly frustrating. “I’m really attracted to you. It’s a shame I need to whore you out to my brother and that I’ve convinced myself you’re a filthy creature who has sex with anyone to get her way. Damn shame.” Don’t even get me started on her best friend, who I think I might have cheerfully taken out the back and slapped silly. There is an annoyingly heavy focus on female purity, with the underlying text supporting the importance of not just the abstinence of sex – but the appearance of it too. This was misleading for me because the beginning of the novel didn’t seem like it would head this way. It was refreshingly free of the guilt-burden in relation to how young Leah lost her virginity. Some of the sexual elements were necessary to show the basic facets of Leah’s life. The rest of it was annoying in its persistence in punishing Leah for having a sex drive. This novel, whilst I loved it, infuriated me. I was left yelling at the book – yelling at all the “rich kids” and their stupid faces and how they treated Leah again and again. How she always just let them off. The ending was also a little hodge podge and rushed. Ultimately, though, it was a marvelously thrilling, lovable story. Prepare to want to hug and hold Leah, to bare your teeth at the world and want to try and make things right for her.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Dec 19, 2012
| Dec 25, 2012
|
Dec 19, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| B008MWNDQQ
| 3.94
| 65
| Mar 19, 2013
| Mar 19, 2013
|
You just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be s...more
You just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be something happy? Something heart-wrenchingly sad? Both? Is she just going to straight up gut you and leave your innards lying on the floor at your feet while you hollowly ask, “Why, Hannah? WHY!?” “Don’t know! Seemed like fun to make you give up on humanity and despair for the world!” Marco Impossible is one of those books that will make you laugh, laugh some more, fall in love with all the characters and float around buzzing afterwards. Marco and Stephen are so effortlessly charming and wonderfully fun. Moskowitz has captured that awkward balance between child and teenager. Marco and Stephen are just at the tipping point and the grand Heist in this novel is their last hurrah before life takes them in different directions. The novel perfectly captures that ennui of two friends close to saying goodbye to childhood and each other and their desire to also charge forth and grow older and mature. Throughout the novel there is an intense tug and pull between the two. Between wanting to play and solve mysteries, and looking for something deeper and intransient. As always, Moskowitz’s signature ability to create characters that jump out of the page with their complexity and personality is here on display. From big loud Marco and quietly suffering wingman, Stephen. Two words to describe them and this story? Utterly charming. Words to describe how much I want to lock Hannah Moskowitz in a basement and force her to write 24/7 for my own personal satisfaction: Restraining Order. It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s just about perfect. I’m very likely sneaking it into our local Catholic High School library, and the local council library, and every school library we can possibly get it into. If you’re a teacher, a librarian or a parent – this is a great book that I highly recommend. It’s coming to the end of 2012 and I’ve already read all of Moskowitz’s 2013 books. I can’t express how depressing that is for me. This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Nov 24, 2012
| Nov 24, 2012
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Nov 24, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1105520714
| 9781105520716
| 3.96
| 27
| Mar 12, 2012
| Mar 12, 2012
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Do you know Manny Rayner? Do you? DO YOU?! If you're looking at reading this book then you probably should. This is a collection of his Goodreads revie...more Do you know Manny Rayner? Do you? DO YOU?! If you're looking at reading this book then you probably should. This is a collection of his Goodreads reviews, brilliantly edited and organized into a cohesive, strangely comprehensive narrative. Stop and think about that for a second. What would you come up with if you took your Goodreads reviews and tried to publish them? I know what I'd get and it would probably look like this:  And it would probably end up being a bunch of nonsensical scribbles with incoherent screaming and ranting written in my blood. But that's the thing about Manny. He just spends so much damn time being interesting and intelligent. He almost never throws feces at random strangers. When he writes a review it is intensely interesting and when you put them all together they make sense, and they're excellent. Manny is this Goodreads celebrity of sorts. He's been around the site forever and he somehow continues to be very popular despite not writing popularist material or reviewing big, common books. Interesting things about Manny: -He once convinced me to read Madam Bovary. -When I didn't like it he convinced me to read it in the original French. -When my French was rusty, he sent me a care package of some French books to improve my reading comprehension enough to be able to read it in the original French. -Once wrote a poem dedicated to my boobs (said poem is published in this book) -He creates and propagates some of the most fun, and interesting activities on Goodreads like the Goodreads God Test and the Character Death Match What would Pooh have said to Dante? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Can you reasonably imagine the answer to that question? Do you want to know? Then maybe check this book out. Particularly if you are looking at becoming a great reviewer, and if you want to see fun, wonderful and different ways to approach talking about literature. Because, frankly, Manny does things that nobody else does on this site and he does them brilliantly.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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0
| not set
| not set
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Nov 21, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0374316414
| 9780374316419
| 3.79
| 3,863
| Oct 16, 2012
| Oct 16, 2012
|
It’s been so long since I actively disliked a book that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. The more I tried to separate my dislike for the ch...more
It’s been so long since I actively disliked a book that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. The more I tried to separate my dislike for the characters and storytelling and try to analyze it impartially, the more I found myself saying, “Bugger this! Drink anyone?” to the empty air around me. Crewel is a post-apocalyptic dystopian world in which women are oppressed and tightly controlled. It is a world where matter and people can be weaved and stitched through special looms that Spinsters use. This should have been right up my alley. It was definitely right up something, but it wasn’t my alley. Unfortunately, Crewel is a heavily character-based novel. I say unfortunately because there isn’t a single character with more complexity or depth than a kiddie pool and certainly none of them are even a fraction of the fun. Even the main character, whose head we live in, is so vague and two dimensional that any actions and emotions she displays felt disconnected from the reality of the novel. This story, even in its most intense moments, was emotionless and the opposite of affecting. It was like watching a play only the stage is at the bottom of the cliff and you’re at the top. So far removed that you can see what the actors are doing but engaging in them or the story is impossible. There are a number of characters the narrator expects us to care about: Elanor, Valery, Amie, Jost, Erik, Pryana. However, most of these characters barely even have a role. Most of Valery’s speaking lines come after the Great Tragedy that befalls her – and they’re still only a few lines. Elanor as well, while having a slightly bigger role, is little more than a convenient plot device and represents one of the only semi-positively written female characters. Her role is so tightly packed into being a convenient tell-machine for the narrator to pass information, and to resolve a later plot point that there is nothing else to her. The plot itself is a hot mess with no direction or focus. It flits around distractedly, trying to accomplish everything and achieving nothing. Don’t even get me started on the ending! The main selling point of this novel is the weaving – which Adelice does almost none of since she spends more time making goo goo eyes are boys than she ever does interacting with women or doing the damn thing this book was named after. This is made even worse when you consider the face that the romance in this book is justifiably scoff-worthy. There isn’t even enough material between them for one convincing romance. Since Adelice is about as interesting as wet cardboard, it’s hard to imagine anyone falling for her. Each boy barely fares better. Their personalities combined still wouldn’t save them from being inhumanely dull. They are just two more wooden puppets in a whole cast of wooden puppets. For a novel that is supposed to be about the struggles of women in a highly patriarchal world, this novel was dreadfully sexist. When I spoke to a friend about this issue, they said, “I tend to disagree with a lot of the criticism re: the book being sexist, but think you could probably make a more compelling case.” Well, buckle up your seatbelt, sunshine*! Here’s my case! *Seatbelt not actually required. Readers can and should make a deal about the slut-shaming and complete lack of positive female characters. That’s an issue all in itself. But then, I guess, one could also sweep that aside with justifications. Because there are unpleasant and horrible women out there – because women are people, and people come in a mixed bag. And a society so entirely preoccupied with purity would result in citizens slut-shaming girls for acting outside of those bounds. So there’s obviously an important discussion to be had on those topics, even though they are not definitely sexist on their own, only kind of sexist. For me, the true test came when I considered what my Southern and Imaginary mother always told me and that is, “Honey cupcake, y’all should know that actions speak louder than words.” So true, Southern and Imaginary mother. So true. So whilst this book may have given lipservice to how unfair life was for women and how that TOTALLY wasn’t right or good, what service did the narration and plot actually have to say about women? Put it this way: When comparing the relevance and representation given to male and female characters in relation to their contribution to the novel, what does it say about women? Almost every single male character we meet is important. Cormac, Jost, Erik are the three big ones. There are only a handful of other males with speaking roles in this book and they’re fairly neutral in their representation. People just doing their job. Only one male with a speaking role is depicted badly, which is a drunk, handsy official at a party – and he is still not portrayed worse than the woman trying to vie for his attention. At least, the characters narrating the situation focus on how disgusting she is, while he only gets a passing mention. I think there may be a waiter who has a speaking role for the purpose of showing how segregated and unfair they world is, but that’s it. Compare that to the novel’s complete and utter lack of focus on women – which is pretty disgraceful for a novel that’s supposed to be about women’s struggles in a patriotic society. The only important women in this book are Adelice and the women who torment her. We are introduced to whole batches of women, who are immediately dismissed by the character and text as meaningless and valueless. The girls from Adelice’s hometown? Just simpering morons waiting to get mated. Even her own younger sister cares for little else. It seems no one is as deep and thoughtful as Adelice. Then when she enters Coventry with a large group of her peers, they are immediately shown to be jealous and power-hungry, but ultimately completely inconsequential. We don’t meet any of them ever again whilst Jost, Erik and Cormac receive the large bulk of Adelice’s, and the narrative’s attention. Because they’re what really matters, ya know? What the menfolk are doing. The only exception to this rule, because it is a pattern repeated yet again when Adelice joins the Spinsters who are also cliquey and immediately dismissed from the narrative as pointless and worthless like the literally dozens of other women we meet, is Maela and Pryana. Maela is a power-hungry psychopath and Pryana is a power-hungry, vicious, idiot. Both are stupid and extremely ineffective at what they do. Female solidarity doesn’t exist in this novel. Unless you’re referring to the convenient plot-device that is Elanor. She is the sole exception. Add to this the fact that the women in this novel all act inexplicably irrational. There is evil Cormac, and evil Maela and evil Pryana. Only one of them acts intelligently and with rationale – I’ll let you pick which one. You can depend on the evil women to be emotional, lashing out and sometimes hysterical. Behaviour that is never depicted in the men. For example, Maela asks Adelice to remove a strand from the weave. The strand is a person who doesn’t need to be removed and doing so could harm the weave, so she refuses. Maele takes her scalpel and tears into the weave out of anger. It turns out this was a school where Pryana’s sister lived. So Pryana… blames Adelice?! Because that totally makes sense. And she spends the rest of the novel irrationally tormenting Adelice. Valery, similarly blames Adelice for things that are entirely out of her control. It is so manufactured and senseless that it made the novel ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as the fact that Adelice spent the novel entirely focused on boys. The plot went something like this: Adelice’s family dies Cormac meets horrible girls boy boy Cormac stuff about weaving boy boy boy boy Cormac More horrible girls boy boy boy Cormac Cormac Even Loricel, supposedly the one, decent woman in power in this book is little more than a caricature. You can’t claim a feminist text when the narration itself, despite constantly being surrounded by women, decides that all the male characters are so much more interesting and worth focusing on. When the few male characters are afforded exponentially more important roles than any of the many, many female characters – many of whom don’t even get the honour of a name or mention outside of just Horrible Female #35 who says horrible thing to Adelice. When the rate of decent male character so far outstrips the demonstration of decent female characters that there isn’t even room for comparison, you have a problem. You have a book that wants to say something about women, but ignores them in favor of focusing on men. That is really fucking sexist. So… Bugger this! Drink, anyone?(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Sep 29, 2012
| Dec 08, 2012
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Sep 29, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062117378
| 9780062117373
| 4.11
| 1,866
| Feb 12, 2013
| Feb 12, 2013
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West has a brilliant imagination and she’s jammed packed it into this book like it’s got an expiry date and needs to be used up. What she’s done here...more
West has a brilliant imagination and she’s jammed packed it into this book like it’s got an expiry date and needs to be used up. What she’s done here is weave a lovely narrative of two different realities into one coherent story and I think she’s done that very well. Let’s face it. It’s not easy to mix two completely different but chronologically equal events into one cohesive product. I have to admit to wondering, before I picked it up, if West had bitten off more than she could chew. And to be honest, if a lesser author had taken it on, it’s very likely their head would have exploded. In fact, sometimes I’d be like, “Dude! She just intergrated that plotline from the other story and we’re seeing phases of it here! Awesome!”  Addie was a fantastic character – full of personality, charm and wit. She almost completely won me over and I think her struggles and achievements in this book were well telegraphed. Because she felt so deeply, it helped connect to the story and give it a great emotional investment.  Feelcopter – it’s coming for you. The book explorers to alternate lives for Addie and she has to decide which of two realities she has to chose to go through with. It’s actually really great to watch how she grows in each life – because she grows in two different ways and becomes two kind of different people who just happen to look alike. Mixed in with this coming of age story is a mystery and the overall plot which kind of rocks. Both alternate realities have different boys in them: Trevor and Shitforbrains. Her relationship with Trevor is insanely sweet and refreshingly lovely. They have a complex and understandable friendship and chemistry. As for Shitforbrains, well, the best thing I can say about him is:  All up this is a very proficient book by an insanely lovely author, which you’d know if you saw our interview with her. This was a pretty high concept novel which meant that West didn’t really get the opportunity to fully embrace and lovemonkeyschnuggle with it all as much as it’s obvious she wanted to. What I generally found with West’s writing was that it was a very pragmatic, spartan kind of writing. Almost the opposite to Spooner’s writing in Skylark. There wasn’t anything wrong with West’s writing, but I didn’t necessarily feel inspired by it or in awe of it either. For some people, that’s going to be something they need to consider – for others it’s a freakin’ relief. In the end, if you want to sit down and look into two alternate futures – one where you read this book and one where you don’t, you’re probably going to be favourable to the one where you do. It’s a refreshing, enjoyable change of pace to the usual suspects of Paranormal romances and dystopian Sci-fi. *An ARC of this book was provided to me by the author. No goods or services were exchanged for this review. Not that I didn’t want them too. I have the biggest girl crush on Kasie West. But, you know, she’s married and I’m married and we could never find the right time or place to meet up… This review also appears on my blog, cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Sep 14, 2012
| Sep 21, 2012
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Sep 14, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0373210574
| 9780373210572
| 4.11
| 6,913
| Oct 23, 2012
| Oct 23, 2012
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Look, last time I knew Ethan he was a five years old. Please tell me I'm not the only one conflicted about the boy on the cover! I almost didn't want...more
Look, last time I knew Ethan he was a five years old. Please tell me I'm not the only one conflicted about the boy on the cover! I almost didn't want to read this book because I kept expecting Chris Hansen to come in and tell me to take a seat. Then I'd be like, "I swear! He's sixteen! I just READ about him when he was five! He's totally of age now!"  Then I'd cry dramatically JUST like this. But, facts are facts, folks. Ethan's aged like a fine brandy if brandy had washboard abs and a butt built for spanking. AAAAAAaaaaaannndd, I just reach my creepy quota for the review. Wow. That didn't take long. So Ethan meets up with Love-Interest while trying to avoid the Fae working their darndest to ruin his life. To save his and the Love-Interest's life they escape into Fairyland to track down his sister and solve the mystery and try to save the world. More Facts: you don't need to have read the Iron Fey series to read this book. There's enough back history and explanatory exposition to make it through. I certainly haven't read The Iron Fey series and I managed to enjoy this one as a standalone. Like angst? Ethan's your main dude. Seriously. Kid could bottle that stuff. I'm sure there's a roaring trade in teenage self-pity tears. But he's balanced out so nicely with Kenzie who would, by herself, be kind of a meh character. I might have found them both insufferably frustrating except they seemed to bring out the best in each other. So if teenage hot boy angst is your thing - hit this one up! It has it in spades. Other than that you have all your old friends back. Meghan, Ash, Grimalkin, Puck et all and then you have some newer ones and then you have a pretty decent and solid mystery/action story going on. Julie Kagawa's come along way since the first novel of hers that I read, The Iron King. I didn't get bored, kept eye rolling to a minimum and largely enjoyed the narrative. There's one young man in the book though, I won't mention who he is. But I will say this: Son. SON! Don't go breaking our hearts, m'kay? You've reduced me to quoting Elton John here. It doesn't get more serious than this. So, over all summation is that I want to hunt down the Iron Fey series and read that. Then I want to hunt down the novellas and read them. Then I want to start badgering the Harlequin Teen's publicist to put me on the list for the next one. I'd say that's a ringing endorsement. Wouldn't you?(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Sep 06, 2012
| Sep 09, 2012
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Sep 06, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0761388656
| 9780761388654
| 3.78
| 1,211
| Aug 01, 2012
| Aug 01, 2012
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Skylark is the most technically proficient and well-written novel that I’ve ever struggled to finish. No doubt Spooner is an author to watch. Th...more Skylark is the most technically proficient and well-written novel that I’ve ever struggled to finish. No doubt Spooner is an author to watch. The world building of Skylark is both imaginative and rich. It has a fascinating backstory set in a dangerous and vivid world. By the end of the novel I was rather attached to the characters and invested in Lark’s and Oren’s struggles. I cheered them on and felt a little heart palpitation at the impossibility of their circumstances. Your enjoyment of this novel will hinge on what kind of reader you are. Do you like writing so animated and dynamic that it leaves you feeling as if you’ve reached through the pages and felt everything the author intended you to feel? Do you like a slow and sensual walk through a character’s journey as if you are taking it yourself? Then, by all means, go get this book. Read it. You will love it. I was simply the wrong reader. I don’t typically like journey stories with lots of walking from A to B where every ache along the way is explored. I like fights. I like blood. I like sex. I like action. I like suspense. This novel has a lot of that (Well not the sex) but I wasn’t feeling it due to the plot which simply wasn’t gripping enough to keep me coming back. I enjoyed the book while I read it, but struggled to muster the enthusiasm once it was put down. But I really have to hand it to Spooner. It’s just been so long since I’ve seen writing like this that I almost wish I’d loved it more. “Then I looked up. And saw the sky. The wind had blown the day’s thick cloud cover away, and a bottomless blackness yawned above, pockmarked with stars. A sliver of moon cast the sickly, color-leaching hint of light across the ruined city. There was no end to the sky, nothing holding me down on the ground. I felt it reach down to me, threaten to swallow me. I seemed to fall upward, and threw myself down to stop it, knocking the breath out of my lungs.” I could literarywank to that for hours. I feel the vertigo hit me every time I read this passage. There’s like three passages including this one about the sky and I read them while feeling my lungs constrict in sympathy. I felt her terror like I’ve rarely felt physically for a book character before. I could see that exact sky above me, waiting to drag me up into the nothingness. While reading this book, I often just went back a reread passages of some of the most superb writing I’ve seen in a long time. It was enough to make me shake my head, stare glumly at my own manuscript and start pressing ‘delete’. Truly, I just wish that the story had focused more on the necessary story telling elements instead of covering every missed meal and blistered foot. But that’s a personal thing and it’s going to be different for every reader. I will be desperately looking our for Spooner’s next novel in the hopes that the plot and pacing is more to my speed, but that her wonderful quality of prose hasn’t diminished. *An ARC of Skylark was provided to me by the publisher. No money or favours were exchanged for this review.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| not set
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Sep 05, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| B0085ZHMA8
| 4.28
| 67,521
| Nov 06, 2012
| May 25, 2012
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So somebody told me this book was like Beautiful Disaster but not completely horrible, woman hating and nonsensical. I snorted, thanked th...more
So somebody told me this book was like Beautiful Disaster but not completely horrible, woman hating and nonsensical. I snorted, thanked them for the rec and went on my merry way. So let me express this in the most calm and reasonable way I can. Easy by Tamara Webber is fantastic and wonderful and that person was 100% right. I have to admit, the book and I didn’t get off to a great start. It begins with Jacqueline at college, bummed from getting dumped by her longterm boyfriend, almost getting raped before Lucas rescues her. So, for someone who is adamantly against rape being used and glossed over just to further a plot or have the hero seem heroic, I was decidedly unimpressed. But it soon becomes clear that Webber has taken the topic of rape extremely seriously. In fact, by the end of the novel I was cheering and punching the air because this book was the best I’ve ever read an author handle the subject for contemporary readers.  Normally, in books where the female MC is almost raped and saved by the hero, the rapist gets beaten up and left behind and the heroine goes on her merry way. And sometimes the rapist harasses her and the author covers the trauma for the heroine until the rapist is killed by the hero in the final battle and those two get to run off into the sunset. What a freakin’ relief that Webber takes it really damn seriously – even though the beginning of the novel would lead you to believe that she wouldn’t. There was a point near the end of the novel where Jacqueline has to talk to a bunch of sorority girls about rape and I wanted to cry and cheer and do a little girl power dance.  So I loved Jacqueline, I loved Lucas, I loved most of this book. I thought it was well written and reasonably well-paced and you know what? Seemed like it was actually written about college kids who actually do college things. I’m really glad I picked this one up. It was, indeed, a really fun, lovely read that I highly endorse. Also, Jacqueline’s slap down on Kennedy was epic – right to the end. She kicked serious butt.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Sep 11, 2012
| Sep 12, 2012
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Sep 05, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0373210523
| 9780373210527
| 4.06
| 2,984
| Aug 28, 2012
| Aug 28, 2012
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Some novels are debatable in their quality. Sometimes a novel can be like junkfood, but completely satisfying. Other novels are clearly made of better...more
Some novels are debatable in their quality. Sometimes a novel can be like junkfood, but completely satisfying. Other novels are clearly made of better stuff though less able to hold the simpler demographic. Speechless has the happy coincidence of being made of better stuff, but clearly satisfying on a simpler level. Throughout my entire life, my father has had one reoccuring expression. This doesn’t include his, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right” speech which I’ve heard a thousand times and, YES, DAD. YOU’RE RIGHT. But his other thing that he says to me all the time in the hopes that I’ll eventually listen: “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use them in that ratio, girl!” Now that one I’ve never paid much attention to but I recognize the value in it. However, Chelsea Knot really gets it. One day her gossipy, thoughtless ways deeply and negatively impact another human being and she takes responsibility for it in a story that is worth telling and worth reading. She decides on a vow of silence as punitive response and in doing so learns a valuable lesson about life, friendship and love. Let me just say, firstly, that this novel was very well written. Harrington clearly has a grasp on raw and emotive translations of concepts and she presents them in such a way that they feel natural and simple. I don’t like “Issue” books. Bullying, drugs and sex books that are built around hot topic issues and become something akin to those cheap and nasty 80′s PSAs about sharing and caring. Nobody wants to be symbolically slapped in the face with moralizing and hand-wringing. Especially when it’s stuff we all technically know.  Speechless clearly addresses the issue of bullying, but first it addresses the issue of being a novel with a compelling cast of characters, a great story and a complicated moral playground – something infinitely more interesting. Chelsea is a great character. She’s charismatic, interesting and is given lots of room to grow and change throughout the novel. But it’s her decision to go speechless, not speaking at all for the forseeable future, that really sets her apart and distinguishes her from being an ordinary teenage girl. Her gossiping and thoughtless ways land someone in the hospital and she faces a huge decision – face social pariah by turning in the culprits, or ignore her culpability and keep being a Teen Queen. Chelsea ultimately chooses pariah and takes a vow of silence in the hopes that her big mouth won’t ever hurt another person the way it hurt Noah – but the fallout is harder and more difficult than even she imagined. Faced with finding a new way of life, new friends and a new Chelsea – Speechless shows her journey as she does all three. Sam and Asha, Chelsea’s new and unlikely friends carry the story alongside Chelsea’s hilarious and incisive inner-monologuing and her many amusing attempts to communicate without using words. Sam and Chelsea’s burgeoning romance is made sweeter by the extra roadblocks to communication as he learns who she is by her actions and not her words. This was seriously just a feel good book that occasionally had me feeling a little teary. Very well written, very thoughtful and full of lovely, endearing characters!(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Nov 12, 2012
| Nov 23, 2012
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Sep 04, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 9781617507779
| 3.92
| 618
| Aug 01, 2012
| Aug 01, 2012
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Blade Song is one of those rare creatures. Just when I think I can't possibly take yet another Urban Fantasy, kick ass female investigator working amo...more
Blade Song is one of those rare creatures. Just when I think I can't possibly take yet another Urban Fantasy, kick ass female investigator working amongst pushy, powerful Supes - this one comes in and knocks me around. In an overcrowded market of very similar stories, Blade Song manages to be fun, entertaining and highly enjoyable! Especially for fans of Kate Daniels waiting for another novel. Kit is an intelligent, strong protagonist - Damon's your usual alpha male hunk and there is mystery a'foot! It's SOLVIN' TIME! Seriously, I didn't expect the fun. I didn't expect to enjoy it. Which is not to say that it was perfect. Kit narrates the beginning of this novel like it's been waaaaaaayyy too long between her psychologist appointments. "Leave some mystery, Kit!" I wanted to say. She has some serious shit to get off her chest - but none of it is stuff that didn't already come up later in the novel and could have been revealed to the reader as part of the narrative/character revelations to each other. So the info dump at the beginning is truly curious. I thought I'd have to take a jack hammer to Damon's soft and tender parts at the beginning of this novel - but I didn't have to. Kit sorted him out nice and good for me which is just so satisfying! This is a book for those familiar with UF genre, looking for a light fun read. Those who want original world building will not enjoy this at all. It really is Urban Fantasy Lite - perfect for switching off your brain, enjoying blood, death and sex, and having a good ride. I had an issue with the resolution at the end of the novel, but I shan't reveal it here for spoilers. Basically, I think this is more than worth the price and I would love to read more from this author. A truly delightful surprise. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Sep 04, 2012
| Sep 04, 2012
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Sep 04, 2012
| ebook
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1442465328
| 9781442465329
| 3.94
| 464
| Jan 01, 2013
| Jan 01, 2013
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I make no secret of the fact that I love Moskowitz’s work with the power of a thousand Beiber fans except I don’t need to suspend my disbelief in Mosk...more
I make no secret of the fact that I love Moskowitz’s work with the power of a thousand Beiber fans except I don’t need to suspend my disbelief in Moskowitz’s ability. Teeth is a heartbreaking novel about a lonely boy and an even lonelier magic fish boy. On an island there is a secret. The fish there are magic and they can keep you alive from even the most serious illness. Rudy moves there with his family for is brother’s sake, but things aren’t as simple as they seem when he meets Teeth. As I’ve come to expect from Moskowitz, the writing is nothing short of spectacular and the characterization, Oh! The characterization! Here is a quote from my review of her book Gone, Gone, Gone about her characterization: “Well and truly it is the intense characterization of Craig and Lio that make this novel. Clearly Moskowitz doesn’t just do characterization. She DOES characterization. You know. Like, when she writes a character – that character has been written. That character KNOWS it’s been written. That character will probably tell all it’s friends about that time it was written really well. Then it will compare all other writings to the writing that Moskowitz gave it. Thoroughly.” That is as true in Teeth as it was in Gone, Gone, Gone. Teeth and Rudy are incredibly complex characters – amazingly flawed and dysfunctional. Lonely, desperate, passionate, broken and utterly charming. But the themes in Teeth are significantly darker than they were in Gone, Gone, Gone, making me hesitant to recommend it to those unable to cope with issues of serious and repetitive sexual abuse. Teeth is dark. Teeth is very, very gothic and depressing and sad. Sometimes I wondered if it was too sad, too dark, too emotive. There’s very little cheer and fun to be had in it. But it turns out it’s just the right amount of dark, sad and emotive for me because I still loved it. And if you love Moskowitz, it is likely that her ability to make you feel, to illicit a remarkable amount of empathy for her characters, to bare their soul to you – is one of the biggest attractions. That is what you consistently get with Moskowitz – so if you’re up for another beautifully written tale with a fresh bunch of characters waiting to make your heart bleed, then this is for you. If you’re in the mood for something that will make you laugh and feel good, then maybe you’re better off moving along. And, people, when you do make it to the end of this book, just remember, I’m here for you.  *An ARC was provided to me by the publisher. No gifts, favours or money was exchanged for this review. This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Sep 02, 2012
| Sep 03, 2012
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Sep 02, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| B006G71ASC
| 4.37
| 30,895
| Nov 23, 2011
| Nov 29, 2011
|
Whilst I was aware of this novel before Stephanie read and reviewed it, it didn’t strike me as something that I needed to read until that point. There...more
Whilst I was aware of this novel before Stephanie read and reviewed it, it didn’t strike me as something that I needed to read until that point. There are many unfavourable comparisons to Twilight floating around. This is not an invalid point. -6 inhuman teenagers who pretend to be siblings – 1) the love interest (Edward/Daemon) 2) the delicate best friend of the protagonist (Alice/Dee) 3) The bitch sister who doesn’t approve (Rosalie/Ash) 4+5) Background dudes who we don’t see a lot of – one of which is partnered with Alice/Dee. -New girl MC goes to school and meets asshole who is only behaving that way to protect his family. -New girl is with sole parent who provides highly dubious supervision and new girl acts like the parent – cooking, cleaning, shopping etc. -Love interest is devastatingly, unbelievably, inhumanly hot. Blah, blah, blah – we all know the deal. And I knew this going in – but was willing to go with it anyway because, as Steph repeatedly told me, “It’s like she wrote what Twilight SHOULD have been.” To that I say: maybe, yes, kind of, no, a little – but mostly… I guess? So let’s get this out of the way quickly: If you enjoyed Twilight but found the relationship dynamics, i.e. Bella Swan’s permissiveness and stalkish tendencies to be aggravating, then this is your perfect novel. Go forth and multiply, my friend. You will be in heaven. And I can certainly see how this novel could be as addictive as many of my friends say it is. Katy and Daemon scenes, when he’s not being a complete and utter dick, were exceptionally hot. But, to be clear, by scenes I mean “scene” (because there was only one of them – and he went right back to being a dick afterwards) and that wasn’t enough for me. But I could have put that aside, technically, and given this book a higher rating if I hadn’t found myself, for a not insignificant amount of time, bored with the story. Don’t be fooled by the fact that I breezed through it in a few hours. I was trapped in bed all day with sickness. There were a couple of times where the slightest distraction, had one existed, would have fairly swept me off my feet and away from the narrative. Then I started imagining a drinking game for every time I could have come up with a better comeback than Katy. Not an alcoholic one, because I’m sick, but with actual water in the hopes that I wouldn’t dehydrate – which I didn’t. Some of my favourites included: “Glow-stick-for-a-dick”, “Over-grown Fairylight”, “Skinny, limp Twat-bedazzler” and “You have all the charm of a facehugger and only the half the technique, you extraterritorial welfare-mooch!” (this one, clearly, happened after a certain scene that readers will all know and understand my reaction to.) But, and it must be said, having such a strong reaction to the love lives of the characters was a huge indication that I was at least invested, and after reading hundreds and hundreds of books, the ability to still get invested can sometimes be something of a gift. Ultimately I did like Katy even if, as far as I was concerned, she was far too permissive of Daemon’s behaviour. Sticking around and giving him a break when my personal sense of vengeance would have seen a different, more violent and less polite response. And I did, in true guilty-pleasure style, enjoy enough of the book to at least read the free chapters of its sequel, posted at the back. I decided that I will very likely read the next book, because it seemed much more my thing – and I think that interest in reading the subsequent novel is the highest praise I can give. Extra points* to whoever comes up with the best curses to throw at Daemon in the comments! *Points are completely meaningless, have no value, and result in nothing other than my esteem. This review can be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| Stephanie
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1
| Oct 04, 2012
| Oct 04, 2012
|
Aug 23, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0373210582
| 9780373210589
| 4.07
| 5,866
| Sep 25, 2012
| Sep 25, 2012
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Whether or not you enjoy this book depends on what you were expecting to begin with. No Really. Look at that cover, reread the synopsis and decide...more
Whether or not you enjoy this book depends on what you were expecting to begin with. No Really. Look at that cover, reread the synopsis and decide right now what you’re hoping from this book. Is it: a) A dark, twisted retelling of Alice in Wonderland with zombie creatures? b) A high school melodrama about ghost/zombies with no real Alice in Wonderland connection. If you thought B then good for you. Read this book. If you thought A then back the hell off now. This is not the book for you and you will likely be disappointed. I thought A. From the title and the vague synopsis I believed that this would be an Alice going into zombieland and dealing with a dark, unsettling, gory version of Wonderland with many of the themes and symbolism from the original story modernized and reimagined in this book. I thought this was going to be a book version of American McGee’s Alice.  Now, just to make it clear. It’s not a book or author’s fault if that book was not what the reader imagined. But I do think the title and synopsis is misleading considering a number of people, myself included are probably a little confused about what this actually is. The synopsis is vague, mentioning only revenge and monsters and a bad boy. So let’s clear this up. This is what Alice in Zombieland is: Alice’s entire family die in a car crash. Her father, who always believed in zombies (they aren’t physical zombies. They’re incorporeal, evil spirits that attack and eat your soul) is eaten. Alice, orphaned, goes to a new school where students act strangely. In particular, a student name Cole who is all badass and secretive. Instalove, love triangles, special girl with special powers later, blah blah blah THAT is the story. In fact it felt, while reading, that the Alice in Wonderland elements were shooed in at the last minute and didn’t feel as though they were native or even relevant to the story. Certainly, whilst the author links to a couple of small, inconsequential details like the white rabbit and the Cheshire cat, none of the themes of Alice seemed touched upon or incorporated into the story as a whole. Which is a shame because the coming of age in a strange and crazy world that everyone thinks is normal theme would have worked so extremely well IN A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL ABOUT ZOMBIES! But instead of talking about what I wanted the book to be – what is the actual book like? Well, just not for me. Showalter is transitioning from adult paranormal romance to YA and I don’t think it was successful. She built Cole off the foundation of a romanticized Alpha male – if that’s your thing fine, but I think the effect is lost when the audience is reminded that this is a sixteen year old boy. Like when they’re at the club and intimidating grown men away from the girls by growling. Yeah… Alice is a reasonable character, though not one I had a great deal of interest in. She simply capitulated too much to Cole’s cavemanish tendencies to keep my interest. The general cast is alright but it is quite sizable and burdens the plot with a great deal of what felt like unnecessary posturing and conversing over things the audience already knows. I somewhat expected better from the writing considering this is far from Showalter’s debut novel. The action scenes did not feel well realized and the final battle was amazingly short and anticlimatic. There was a focus on the romance. To be fair, it’s by no means a single-minded focus, simply too much for me considering I had no investment in their relationship to begin with. Instalove is not a plot device that I like. I never felt that I championed the relationship between these two characters because it never seemed to me that they had any chemistry to begin with or even liked each other – at all. My basic advice before buying this book would be to read as many reviews of it as you can by people whose opinion you trust, decide if it is something that’s going to appeal to you and read the sample online before you purchase. Basically, would it have been too hard to have a story where Alice and the Mad Hatter throw down in a knife fight? Really, guys? REALLY?!(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Aug 11, 2012
| Aug 13, 2012
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Aug 11, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0425256049
| 9780425256046
| 4.01
| 1,108
| Sep 04, 2012
| Sep 04, 2012
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The Iron Seas series is exactly my kind of shizzam. It's a buttload of plot, a healthy dose of characterizationion and then just the most delicious hi...more
The Iron Seas series is exactly my kind of shizzam. It's a buttload of plot, a healthy dose of characterizationion and then just the most delicious hint of sexy times - all grilled in some really fantastic world-building. It's almost like Brook is writing these books just for me! The reason is that I struggle with normal romance novels - I need romance novels that don't feel like romance novels because they're too busy being awesome sci-fi or fantasy etc with some sex in it. This is exactly what Brook does. Sure there's sex, and Iron Seas, the first book in this series is far more romance-y than the next two - but, more than that, they're just plain great Steampunk. It's almost enough to make me bow down and her feet and beg her to never stop. To begin with, this book takes places in a different part of the same Steampunk driven world from The Iron Duke and Heart of Steel. But the great thing about this series is that Brook just keep shaking it up! She takes you everywhere and with so many great new characters. For me, Captain Corsair is my true literary love, so Annika had big ass-kicking boots to fill. She took a little while to warm on me, and whilst she can never replace Captain Corsair in my heart, she held her own. Her relationship with David was lovely, sweet and beautiful. Riveted is a bit of a divergence from Brook's other novels. It takes the plot a long time to kick into gear. The first half is solidly centered on Annika and David developing a mutual relationship and trust. There's very little action or plot in that regard. Then the tension and action is ramped up a notch in the second half, and it's back to dodging bullets and mechanical monstrosities. AKA business as usual in Iron Seas world. The writing was, as usual with Brook, solid and well-constructed. The plot progressed well with some interesting twists that I didn't see coming. But as usual, it was the characters, relationships and world that really makes this novel. While reading the Iron Seas series, Brook will take you to every corner of it and introduce so many wonderful marvels. The world, politics, locations and peoples are so fabulously complex and intriguing that it keeps you wrapped up in the continuing story. Annika's home town was one of the things that truly made me fall in love with this novel. The normality of their circumstances, the brilliant and respectful way Brook represented it and wove it into the novel, it was all brilliant. I love this series and I can't wait to see what Brook does next! *A Copy of Riveted was provided for me by the author. No favours, money or gifts were exchanged though I readily offered them for a chance to read this early. My review and opinion remains unaffected.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Aug 09, 2012
| Aug 10, 2012
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Aug 07, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1250003326
| 9781250003324
| 4.16
| 8,382
| May 22, 2012
| May 22, 2012
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I don’t read many books that I would rate 1 star these days. I seem to have mastered my preferences and hit a stride of excellent books – or at le...more
I don’t read many books that I would rate 1 star these days. I seem to have mastered my preferences and hit a stride of excellent books – or at least mostly readable books. Admittedly I only made it fifty-six pages into this book before I threw my hands up in disgust and tossed a pillow at the wall – so I suggest you take that into account when deciding whether to buy this book. Why did I stop reading? First reason: The death of a token character  We didn’t know her long enough, but I’m pretty sure she could play base. Right off a POC character is killed and whilst that would be annoying in its own right, since killing off POC characters is a frustrating cliche in books, TV shows and films, this was even more annoying. Firstly because her description was extremely stereotypical – to the point that she was less of a character and more of a caricature. Perhaps even worse and more degrading is that there was no real lament to her death. It was used as a story progression so that the male protagonist could wax lyrical about how beautiful and brave the female protagonist for trying to save the dying POC character. I kid you not. A girl is dying in a terrifying, violent, horrifying way and this is what he’s thinking: “It’s just that… she doesn’t look as though she needs help. Her pale face is contorted with anger. Not fear. Not distress. Just fury. Her white hair floats like an aura, jerking in delayed reaction with each of her capable movements.”  Like I said – a girl just died and he’s having a hard on for Emma. And even worse, we’re supposed to be having a hard on for how awesome Emma is. The text is all about Emma. In fact, Chloe’s death seems to be nothing but an agent for making us sympathetic for Emma. It felt cheap and dirty. Sure, taking on a bullshark is a seriously awesome thing to do. Almost as awesome as that time I wrestled a crocodile. But let’s not get off track here. When sitting down and planning how to make a main character rock super hard, I could think of a hundred ways that didn’t involve creating a token character, immediately killing her off and then using that death to wank about how awesome the protagonist is. I mean, first of all… gross from an imagery point of view. Second of all, holy flipping duck twat, Batman, way to be offensive! Second reason: The sexism.  There’s nothing wrong with creating a sexist society. However, there is some responsibility when doing so. That the writing doesn’t actually support or romanticize or give tacit approval for the sexism is a good start. Of Poseidon features a heavily misogynistic mermaid society. And as such, the male characters act like a bunch of misogynistic dicks. Once again, completely understandable. But then it’s when everyone else just kind of goes along with that and doesn’t see a problem that my eye started to twitch. And then when some pretty outright paternalistic bullcrap takes place, I started seeing red. Like when a stalker mermaid arrives for a female character, Rayna. They are mated against her will and her refusal and hatred of him is treated as a comical device in the story – just her being a fickle and childish girl – not actually a woman rebelling against a system that doesn’t allow her to choose her mate or even requires her to be present for the ceremony. She’s angry at him because they were childhood friends and he’s always known that she never wanted to mate. He went behind her back, asked her Dad and organized for them to be mated. She’s pissed at him. Naturally. Personally, I would have seduced him out onto an isolated locale and impaled him on a rock. Rayna’s anger and hatred toward him is just laughed off by everyone. Including her brother. Excuse me? EXCUSE ME!? What the ever loving fuck?! Oh, I see. Women in this world don’t know what they want until the smarter, better men come along and show them. Right. RIGHT.  Then there’s Gallen who is just sexist plain and simple. He dismisses his sister, does not discuss the information he’s working on with her – but will with her mate – another man. I am told that he takes over Emma’s life and treats her much like a bit of baggage in the name of taking care of her. I didn’t see any progression toward a less sexist Galen having any kind of revelation that women weren’t all a bunch of objects to be ordered around like sheep. You expect women to be unreasonable barnyard animals too busy masticating and going into heat to do any reasonable and logical thought, fine. But think like that and try to be a romantic interest in a YA novel I’m reading? No way. Sorry, Galen. You are the weakest link. Goodbye. Third reason: The writing.  I truly disliked the writing. Not only was it incredibly telling and flat but the story also jumped awkwardly between the first person narrative for Emma and the third person narrative for Gallen. It did not feel polished or finished at all. “Stop!” she yells. Galen stops. But Emma’s not talking to him. She’s talking to the shark. And the shark stops. Emma wraps both arms around Chloe and hugs her to her chest, leaning her friend away from the attack. “You can’t have her! Leave her alone! Leave us both alone!” The shark turns, saunters away as if sulking. SHARKS CAN SAUNTER?! AND SULK!? I know what she’s doing here and that’s being abrupt and edgy with a tense moment. But I just trip over those sentences every time I read them. And a lot of this book is like this. Part of me wants to take a red pen to it and just clean it up a bit. It’s not like Banks is necessarily a bad writer – but that her writing isn’t smooth. There’s no poetry or rhythm to it. Just these jarring, awkward sentences that hurt my brain. Fourth reason: The characterization  “Hi! My name is River Swan Desmonda Sparkle-Eyes!” Emma was, in my opinion, a Mary Sue – and that is a term I don’t use often. Basically, I felt she was an author insert. Rare compelling eyes, one of a kind in her species, ultra special, father AND friend died to create sympathy. Even Gallen, when not with Emma, only thinks about Emma. He can sense her on land when that’s supposed to be impossible. It’s always the same with Mary Sues. Impossibility surrounds them and they’re just so fucking SPESHAL while being the most boring, repetitive, inoffensive turds around. The problem with Mary Sues is that, if you’ve read one you’ve read them all and the only thing that separates them is the degree to exactly HOW speshul and ewnique they are. And the more Mary Suish they are, the more the other characters spend every fucking moment talking and thinking about Mary Sue – which as far as I could see, was exactly what happened in this book. The only character flaw the author has given her is that she’s clumsy. Clumsy is not a character flaw. I’m sorry, but it’s not. It’s a lazy way of trying to make a young, beautiful female character immediately adorable and relatable to an audience and writers do it all the time. Stop. Just stop it, okay? Even if the story telling explains the clumsiness (she’s not meant to be on land – she’s meant to be in the water) it still makes for a weaker character. Because if you can’t bare to give your MC a more intense flaw than ‘clumsy’ then that becomes ALL you can say about her. “What’s Emma like?” “Oh, she’s just this really clumsy, insecure teenage girl.” Clumsy and insecure? No! Never. That only marginally ties her to like 95% of the YA MC population! Basically, I can deal with bad writing – to a degree. And bad characterization – to a degree. And sexism – to a degree. But throw them all in with the death of a token character and smoosh it into a terrible mess? Then I can’t deal. Then I throw my hands up in disgust, delete the book off my ereader and try to scrub my bloody brain free.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Aug 2012
| Aug 02, 2012
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Aug 01, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0143565680
| 9780143565680
| 3.61
| 113
| May 23, 2012
| May 23, 2012
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There are some things I saw done very well in Giarratano's new novel, Disharmony. Her first mark comes for characterization as she successfully builds...more
There are some things I saw done very well in Giarratano's new novel, Disharmony. Her first mark comes for characterization as she successfully builds and maintains several very authentic, interesting voices. Each with a story that is a little like a crocheted doily in how the pattern touches at the right time in the right places. The second comes from the settings which are engaging and rich. It was like a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed the exposure to her take on the Roma families and the juvenile detention center - both of which were a very welcome break from the now very familiar middle American setting that many books take place in. I should mention that the format that I read it in was different to how I receive most ARCs, making reading difficult and frustrating. It probably interfered somewhat with my ability to relate and engage with the story and contributed to me giving up and being unable to finish reading the novel. Where the story fell apart for me was its painstakingly slow start. The story seems to feel no rush and rambles on, sometimes seemingly aimlessly. You can kind of excuse Bronte for taking more than three chapters to get to the point. The setup felt worth it for the creepy atmosphere. The waffling and slow beginning seemed to fit. But often, while reading Disharmony, I wondered what the actual point of several of the first chapters were. Certainly we were introduced to the characters and settings and early story - but the important parts seemed steeped in superfluous scenes that bogged down the story. Understandably, this could all be explained later and be a brilliant setup to a most amazing story - but if the audience stops caring and reading, is it worth it? I guess I'll never know.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jul 29, 2012
| Jul 29, 2012
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Jul 29, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0373210493
| 9780373210497
| 4.19
| 26,540
| Jul 31, 2012
| Jul 31, 2012
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When trying to find a way to describe this book – I settled on this: Pushing The Limits is the closest I’ve ever gotten to reading a Machetta b...more
When trying to find a way to describe this book – I settled on this: Pushing The Limits is the closest I’ve ever gotten to reading a Machetta book. For anyone familiar with me or Machetta – that is the highest praise I give. Very rarely does a book make me laugh and cry at all – let alone multiple times. But that’s what this book did. And really, what the hell kind of badass reviewer am I when I’m brought to sniveling, snotty tears by a book? Noah and Echo don’t talk at school. Noah is the atypical bad boy and Echo is the former Teen Queen on the verge of reclaiming her former glory. But Noah and Echo have a lot more in common than they realize. They’re both broken. This book is told through both of their view points as they start therapy and their lives start to unravel and they get pushed closer and closer together by their circumstances. What I love is that there are three realities in this book. McGarry takes into account that there is Noah’s truth, Echo’s truth and then there’s this whole other creature we’ll call What Is Actually Happening. I haven’t seen someone show flawed narration this well in a long time. What McGarry captured perfectly is that disconnect while keeping me plugged in an sympathetic. Example. Noah is fighting for custody of his younger brothers. When his parents died, he and his siblings were separated. Noah was placed in a series of very bad and negligent homes while his brothers were placed with a custody family who restrict his access to his siblings and are trying to adopt them. Echo’s father and his new wife (Echo’s old babysitter) have a very rocky, unhealthy relationship. He is controlling, the new wife is pregnant and Echo is desperate to try and make contact with her mother (who has been cut off from contact by Echo’s father). At least – that is how it looks at the beginning. And it’s very easy to think that these adults in Echo and Noah’s lives are horrible. But whilst Echo and Noah continue to see them that way for awhile, and whilst I as the reader remained completely empathetic as to why Noah and Echo saw them that way, it becomes clear that the situation is not as cut and dry as that. By the climax of both Echo and Noah’s stories I was weeping uncontrollably. I still cry when I think about those two parts of the book. McGarry’s writing is powerful, emotive. Her character voices for both Noah and Echo were very well done – reflecting on their distinct personalities and characteristics. The plot contained little action and was largely carried by the myriad of relationships and the mystery of Echo’s past – so fans of more fast paced, active novels may want to steer clear. Mrs Collins, their therapist, plays an almost omnipotent, godlike character in the novel and brought a fresh, lovable addition. She was one of my favourites. Over all, I think most readers are going to love this one. One of the absolute best books of 2012!(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Aug 03, 2012
| Aug 04, 2012
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Jul 26, 2012
| Hardcover
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| B008RM39IS
| 3.78
| 1,211
| Aug 01, 2012
| Aug 01, 2012
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Skylark is the most technically proficient and well-written novel that I've ever struggled to finish. No doubt Spooner is an author to watch. The world...more Skylark is the most technically proficient and well-written novel that I've ever struggled to finish. No doubt Spooner is an author to watch. The world building of Skylark is both imaginative and rich. It has a fascinating backstory set in a dangerous and vivid world. By the end of the novel I was rather attached to the characters and invested in Lark's and Oren's struggles. I cheered them on and felt a little heart palpitation at the impossibility of their circumstances. Your enjoyment of this novel will hinge on what kind of reader you are. Do you like writing so animated and dynamic that it leaves you feeling as if you've reached through the pages and felt everything the author intended you to feel? Do you like a slow and sensual walk through a character's journey as if you are taking it yourself? Then, by all means, go get this book. Read it. You will love it. I was simply the wrong reader. I don't typically like journey stories with lots of walking from A to B where every ache along the way is explored. I like fights. I like blood. I like sex. I like action. I like suspense. This novel has a lot of that (Well not the sex) but I wasn't feeling it due to the plot which simply wasn't gripping enough to keep me coming back. I enjoyed the book while I read it, but struggled to muster the enthusiasm once it was put down. But I really have to hand it to Spooner. It's just been so long since I've seen writing like this that I almost wish I'd loved it more. "Then I looked up. And saw the sky. The wind had blown the day's thick cloud cover away, and a bottomless blackness yawned above, pockmarked with stars. A sliver of moon cast the sickly, color-leaching hint of light across the ruined city. There was no end to the sky, nothing holding me down on the ground. I felt it reach down to me, threaten to swallow me. I seemed to fall upward, and threw myself down to stop it, knocking the breath out of my lungs." I could literarywank to that for hours. I feel the vertigo hit me every time I read this passage. There's like three passages including this one about the sky and I read them while feeling my lungs constrict in sympathy. I felt her terror like I've rarely felt physically for a book character before. I could see that exact sky above me, waiting to drag me up into the nothingness. While reading this book, I often just went back a reread passages of some of the most superb writing I've seen in a long time. It was enough to make me shake my head, stare glumly at my own manuscript and start pressing 'delete'. Truly, I just wish that the story had focused more on the necessary story telling elements instead of covering every missed meal and blistered foot. But that's a personal thing and it's going to be different for every reader. I will be desperately looking our for Spooner's next novel in the hopes that the plot and pacing is more to my speed, but that her wonderful quality of prose hasn't diminished. *An ARC of Skylark was provided to me by the publisher. No money or favours were exchanged for this review.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Aug 13, 2012
| Sep 2012
|
Jul 22, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1423171020
| 9781423171027
| 4.19
| 98
| Dec 10, 2013
| Dec 10, 2013
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I can't review this yet. I quite liked it, yet don't know how to describe it. I know I read it instead of doing Buzz Worthy News, which is a big no-no...more I can't review this yet. I quite liked it, yet don't know how to describe it. I know I read it instead of doing Buzz Worthy News, which is a big no-no for me. But I just couldn't help myself. And whilst I won't give anything away, I finished it like I had a spell over me.  "It was nice, ya know? Just real nice..." Review to come closer to release date.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Mar 17, 2013
| Mar 18, 2013
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Jul 22, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062083260
| 9780062083265
| 3.83
| 2,870
| Jul 24, 2012
| Jul 24, 2012
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Something Strange and deadly had a really rough start with me. There is a divide between the writing of the first chapter and the rest of the novel...more
Something Strange and deadly had a really rough start with me. There is a divide between the writing of the first chapter and the rest of the novel. The first chapter gave me the false impression that this book was flimsy, badly written and suffering from stagnant characters and plot. However, this quickly faded away as Dennard hit her stride – introducing fresh, interesting characters, and intriguing plotline. Dennard creates an interesting and fresh mythology in Something Strange and Deadly that mixes aspects of Steampunk with good ol’ zombie fun. In Elanore we find a fun, willful protagonist – driving the story forward and fleshing it out with wit, humour and a charm. She also makes a perfect balance between what you would expect of well-bred lady of her times, and a strong-willed, intelligent woman eager to prove herself. She certainly makes excellent use of her parasol at certain points in the novel in a way that would make womankind proud. However, I’m convinced that the parasol was its own character in this novel. Parasols make everything better. Parasols are awesome, but I digress…  Everything! Daniel, Jie and Joseph are the icing to a very fun cake. Particularly Daniel, with his abrasive, working class attitude and grouchy personality, which played nicely against Joseph’s gentlemanly persuasions and Jie’s serious case of kickass. Like, she just really kicked everyone’s butt in this novel at least three times and never once complained. I’m one of those people who like steampunk things with monsters. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter sounds like a terrible, stupid movie that is perfect for me. What was extremely refreshing was that whilst there was some romantic involvement, it clearly took a back seat to the more pressing issue of masses of walking undead trying to make mince meat out of your internal organs. Plus there was mystery and intrigue and more mystery and action and butt kicking interspersed evenly and generously throughout the novel. My only real complaint – putting the first chapter aside – was one minor issue and that relates to the simpleness of the mystery. The ending was simply too obvious and came as something of a letdown to realize my suspicions from the very beginning were confirmed.  When you resemble an owl and make this face, you know the mystery has been too easy. Overall, this was a great read and I strongly anticipate the next one!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jul 14, 2012
| Jul 14, 2012
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Jul 14, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0007437285
| 9780007437283
| 3.95
| 1,860
| Jun 05, 2012
| Jun 05, 2012
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For me, there’s two kind of books I give low ratings to. Books that I thought were bad, or books that I simply didn’t enjoy. This is the later of th...more
For me, there’s two kind of books I give low ratings to. Books that I thought were bad, or books that I simply didn’t enjoy. This is the later of those two options. It’s not that Arise was necessarily bad, but that it wasn’t for me. For starters, I believe I mentioned in my review of The Treachery of Beautiful Things, that I need to pay more attention to book covers in order to avoid the whole purity thing. Once again, I clearly should have anticipated a big sex issue with this book based on the puritanical white dress and girl holding some type of greenery. I’m not sure who in our culture decided that white dress and foliage equaled hymen – but they did a really good job convincing everyone else (yes, the ferns represent death, but work with me here, people!). I was thrown off by the ghost part, because I honestly didn’t anticipate a book about a ghost in love with a boy would be all about how to have sex. It just wasn’t my thing – and particularly wasn’t the kind of book I wanted it to be. Which must be really annoying to fans reading this review and going:  It’s not that the writing was bad. I didn’t feel like there were any real technical issues the author suffered from, but the plot took a significant amount of time to kick into gear, which made keeping my interest difficult. Because, you know, if someone isn’t about to have illicit smoochies or die on the very page that I’m reading then I’m bored. And this book started out well because it started out with illicit smooches. Between ghost girl and her boyfriend. So I was simultaneously impressed and disturbed.  There’s a meme for everything, ya know? But then we get to the main source of tension and part of the driving plot – they can’t…how do I put this politely? They can’t seal the deal, understand? It’s over before the cigar’s lit. The party’s started but the guests can’t come. I have no clue what I’m saying. Look, they can’t bone, alright? So whilst other, more involved stuff is happening, in the background there’s all this tension on can they, or can’t they do the horizontal mamba. This is probably going to be very interesting, involving stuff for people who aren’t me. The point was always moot because it’s not my bag, baby. I’m more of a The Ghost and Mrs Muir kind of girl. I like my ghost stories to be all about that insanely secret, entirely emotional/intellectual bond. I want that bittersweet, mournful love where it’s already lost before it’s even started. For a dead girl, Amelia sees a lot of action. For starters, her and her boyfriend can make out and touch. A good portion of his family can see/talk to her and they even go out dancing together at a bar at one point. That felt like cheating a little. Being almost entirely intangible, immaterial and unable to touch or shape the world around you is one stable aspect that makes ghost stories powerful. Take that away and I feel like the whole story loses it’s best, most emotionally stirring aspects. Maybe it’s an obsession YA has with being perfect and getting the perfect ending. When Vampires can come out in the sun and sparkle, when miracles are pulled out of a hat, when ghosts can go clubbing, they start to lose their interest for me. Which is a shame, because monsters and supernaturals, as they are, are the perfect metaphor for the awkward, disturbing, intimidating, frustrating experience that is puberty. Instead you just have pretty people with pretty problems and that’s simply doesn’t hold my interest.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jul 2012
| Aug 2012
|
Jun 27, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062014536
| 9780062014535
| 3.78
| 20,618
| Mar 05, 2013
| Mar 05, 2013
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Requiem. When all good things must come to an end. A horrible, horrible end that didn’t do any justice to the series. But an end nonetheless. Requiem...more
Requiem. When all good things must come to an end. A horrible, horrible end that didn’t do any justice to the series. But an end nonetheless. Requiem is like sitting down to a well-deserved, hot pie and relishing every bite until you get to the last one and die of poisoning without ever knowing why or how. There was literally a moment when I got to the last few pages, realized there wasn’t any more and freaked out. From enjoyment for insurmountable anger.  I am a solid believer that Lauren Oliver is a capable, talented author. I also think she’s brave. Not all authors risk venturing into unfamiliar territory. Think how common it is for an author to be writing their fourth or fifth book in a series and starting spinoffs in the same world when even that gets old. It’s clear from Delirium that Oliver was trying on something new. Uncomfortable at first, but I’d felt that in Pandemonium, she had hit her stride. Requiem, the last part of Lena’s journey, seems to have been a new challenge all in its own. One that I didn’t feel Oliver managed to surmount. The novel is divvied up into Lena’s POV and Hannah’s POV – sometimes done with more success than other times. Overall, it wasn’t a bad series and Requiem wasn’t necessarily a bad book. It simply could never escape from the premise holding so much more promise than the story could deliver. Compared to other series in this genre, it struggled to hold its own candle. I feel bereft and let down after the promise and goodness that was Pandemonium. There are concepts and ideas there. A tale Oliver wants to tell about love – its strengths and pitfalls. The good and the bad. You can see the reaching for it in Requiem. Then a point comes when it seems the tale is abandoned in favour of wrapping it up as soon as possible. Some might call it an open ending. To me an open ending leaves you with thoughtful questions, not a whole lot of blank spaces. To me, Requiem doesn’t have an open ending. It just stops, with little rhyme or reason. I’m not even going to talk about anything else that happens or the characters or themes or writing or anything. I refuse. Debate or not, an ending is an ending is an ending. Just because something ended doesn’t mean you gave it an actual ending. Need further proof? Allow me to illuminate on th- This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Jan 27, 2013
| Jan 27, 2013
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Jun 20, 2012
| Hardcover
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| B0058OMWYU
| 3.96
| 782
| Jun 28, 2011
| Jun 28, 2011
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I put off reading this book for a long time and I’m not sure why. I asked Matt if there was any sexy times in it, and he said not really. That may hav...more
I put off reading this book for a long time and I’m not sure why. I asked Matt if there was any sexy times in it, and he said not really. That may have had something to do with it. But if he’d told me that there was so much chemistry between Chase and Rayna, I might have checked it out faster. Because it kind of had the potential to stroll into bow chica wow wow territory, and probably would have more if they hadn’t all been so busy fighting to survive. Also, Merrick, what are you doing wasting all that potential sexual chemistry?! And have you ever considered writing romances? Exiled is like a diamond in the rough. I see so much of Merrick’s potential as an author. I think given time, attention, and hardwork – his books are going to be pretty damn great. Exiled itself was a difficult book to me to rate. The raw material, itself, was pretty excellent. There was certainly plenty to appreciate about the novel and I had a great deal of enjoyment while reading it. This was Merrick’s first novel, though, so there are always going to be things that an author can learn and improve on. When I said diamond in the rough, I meant it. I got the sense throughout reading it, that it really needed an experienced editor to cut and polish it to help Merrick bring out the best parts, and chip off the parts that were cumbersome or unnecessary.  In case you can’t tell – that’s Aladdin and that’s someone explaining the process of how they perfected his look. Isn’t this, like, the most appropriate GIF for a review ever?! The intro needed to be a little smoother, and the back end of the story contained some unnecessary story telling that I could see was probably setting up for the next novel, but that really punched the pacing in the gut and detracted from the overall plot. The characters were a big positive for this book. Chase was endearing in that way that little brothers are. Overly-confident and just adorable enough to pull it off. Rayna was a great counter-balance, providing maturity and a gravity that Chase could aspire to. Marcus played the ever-patient and ever-ignored father figure while Chase’s mum gave the novel a sweet, grounding, human touch. Then, of course, there’s Vincent if you want a mature romantic lead. And whilst I am eager to follow up on the lives and adventures of Chase and crew, I can’t help but want to take a red pen to this book. I enjoyed it so much but feel like its potential was cut short, like a world-class athlete with no one to train it. Merrick made a couple of astounding female characters, which I’d like to see him do more of. The novel does feel a little unbalanced and overpopulated with powerful men in leadership/destiny roles. I feel like they’re especially necessary to balance out the damsel in distress-heavy plot toward the second half of the book. You’re probably going to like this book if you’re into a younger version of The Dresden Files with a main protagonist who is almost as exasperating. It’s certainly not a perfect novel, but also not without merit. Ultimately, I want to see more from Merrick. This was a really hard book to rate. I feel like it deserved more stars based on my enjoyment, but the issues with the plotting and pacing tripped me up. I think he has the signs of an excellent story teller, though, and I’m eager to read the next in the series, Shift. This review can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Jun 15, 2012
| Mar 12, 2013
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Jun 15, 2012
| Kindle Edition
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| 0385741960
| 9780385741965
| 3.61
| 568
| Aug 14, 2012
| Aug 14, 2012
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I jumped at the thought of this ARC. A girl time traveling back to seduce Shakespeare? That’s awesome! Shakespeare! *Swoon*  I had full on Joseph F...more I jumped at the thought of this ARC. A girl time traveling back to seduce Shakespeare? That’s awesome! Shakespeare! *Swoon* I had full on Joseph Fiennes from Shakespeare in Love flashbacks because, of course, I was 12 when the movie came out. Of course, as an adult I know a lot more about who Shakespeare seemed to be like from what documents we have. But still, I thought, how fascinating? How is this going to go down? But this emphasis on Stephen Langford in the synopsis? After all, the book is called Kissing Shakespeare. So… she’ll just be kissing Shakespeare, right?! There will be people who will enjoy this book, undoubtedly. But before you buy this book, allow me to give you this spoiler in case it’s important. Shakespeare is nothing more than a shadow of a character in this book. Miranda, teenage actress from Massachusetts, gets physically abducted by Stephen and dragged back to Elizabethan England for the express purpose of having to seduce Shakespeare so that he doesn’t turn to the Priesthood. So the romance, up until I read, seemed to be between Stephen and Miranda… the man who forcibly abducted a terrified girl, took her to a place where she’d be friendless and alone, and threatened her unless she seduces his friend. Please allow me a moment to react.  No! NOOOOO! NOOOOOO! Why?! WHY!? Why does our male protagonist have to be someone who abducted her and is literally forcing her into a form of prostitution because he thinks it doesn’t matter since women in the future are all sluts anyway. WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? If that were the only problem with the novel, I MAY have been able to shudder and at least finished the novel. Maybe. Unfortunately, his other reasons for abducting this one particular girl are that she is: a) an actress, b) very familiar with Shakespeare’s works and world and c) supposed to be able to pull this stupid, stupid, ridiculously dumb scheme off. The first problem is that if she is an actress then I am Imelda Marcos – and since I can’t seem to find my impressive collection of designer shoes (I looked) then this first part is rubbish. All three of these foundations have a basis in her supposed intellect which was unfortunately out for dinner throughout any of the book I read. For someone whose main asset was being steeped in Shakespearean plays and culture – she just plain SUCKED. She was mindless. She couldn’t even CURTSY! I know she was supposed to be an audience surrogate, but there’s a balance that needs to be maintained. That balance repeatedly had its feelings hurt and it eventually left to find someone who would treat it properly. Then we get to the writing which was just juvenile, which matched the plot and the characters so at least I can’t say it was inconsistent. One of the worst things about reviewing a book is to be careful not to mix up what you wanted and expected with the actual story. Sometimes that’s just impossible to do. But I don’t think it’s unrealistic to expect a book titled Kissing Shakespeare about a girl supposed to be seducing Shakespeare would actually… be about Shakespeare. And I guess it’s not unfair to expect that one of the most brilliant playwrights of all time would be a little more complex and interesting. Look, I know he wrote to make money and he wrote populist material for the time but his beautiful, beautiful prose! His sonnets! It is technically possible that he could have just been a dumb, shallow useless seventeen year old. But c’mon!  It is also entirely possible that he was a complicated, thoughtful and insightful human being. And if we take a quick poll of people to ask about which Shakespeare they’d rather read about, I’m pretty sure I know which option would come out on top. I certainly know which one I would have rather have read.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Jun 14, 2012
| Jun 21, 2012
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Jun 14, 2012
| Hardcover
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