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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings |
date
|
date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read | date added | date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1423171020
| 9781423171027
| 4.17
| 127
| Dec 10, 2013
| Dec 10, 2013
|
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
|
1
| Mar 17, 2013
| Mar 18, 2013
|
Jul 22, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0805094601
| 9780805094602
| 4.39
| 1,799
| Jun 04, 2013
| Jun 04, 2013
|
Sequels are really hard to write reviews for. Mostly because people don’t want to read them for fear of spoilers, but keeping them spoiler free makes...more
Sequels are really hard to write reviews for. Mostly because people don’t want to read them for fear of spoilers, but keeping them spoiler free makes it difficult to properly discuss the book. So now I’m going to have to do this review in code. In Siege and Storm Alina and Mal are on the run from the Darkling. They meet Pumpkin who has the ability to help Alina defeat the Darkling. Problem is, Mal and Pumpkin don’t get on at all. Also, the Darkling can now line dance which adds a level of complication. As well as line dancing, which makes a dark and creepy addition to the novel, the Darling drives a wedge between Mal and Alina by knitting. Also, I think he may be losing the plot a little.  Firstly, Bardugo’s writing has dramatically improved. Siege & Storm is a far smoother novel, both in terms of writing craft and pacing. The tension is always ramped up, the drama meter is set to erupt and before you realize what is happening, it all explodes in your face, leaving you clutching at the tattered remains of your heart and an ego that is no longer ashamed to see you crawl onto twitter to cry on Bardugo’s shoulder. I can’t really talk too much about the characters without giving it away – but Alina kicked butt in this installment. Especially when she got hold of her aardvark. No more doe-eyed victim. She really struggles and grapples with her goiter. What does her goiter mean for her? For Mal? For the future of Ravka? And was the Darkling right about that Chinese finger box between Mal and Alina? Mal struggles the most in this novel as he is a salt mine. And in his salt mineyness he deteriorates and loses a lot of faith. I have a feeling he learned a lot about himself in this novel. Everyone grows and changes, even the Darkling a little and I wonder if he’ll let Alina continue to cross stitch, or if he’s finally going to seriously back stitch her? Or has his line dancing finally started to shake him up? So many questions, so many moral and ethical dilemmas. There is little doubt that Pumpkin stole the show and I applaud Bardugo for his inclusion. He certainly made life interesting and added a great comedic element to the book. Overall, Siege and Storm managed to be a stronger novel than the first. Now I absolutely can’t wait for the next! *This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.* An ARC was provided to me by Macmillan for reviewing purposes. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Feb 20, 2013
| Feb 21, 2013
|
May 22, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0373210639
| 9780373210633
| 4.25
| 4,604
| May 28, 2013
| May 28, 2013
|
Pushing the Limits, excuse my profanity, is a bastard to follow up on. It was such an emotional, powerful book, so neat and well-constructed, that I w...more
Pushing the Limits, excuse my profanity, is a bastard to follow up on. It was such an emotional, powerful book, so neat and well-constructed, that I was wary to pick up the next one. I needn’t have been entirely terrified, Dare You To is still a pretty good book with enjoyable things to reccomend it. I simply didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. I didn’t even cry once. It made me question, for a moment, if McGarry had lost her touch to regularly make me bawl like a little baby who got pricked by their first vaccination.  A big, angry, devastated baby To me, it’s construction and execution didn’t seem as tight and effortlessly fluid as Pushing the Limits. In Pushing The Limits, it really felt like the the characters and their relationships with each other, with the world, with their flawed perceptions were all part of an intricate dance in a wonderful universe where everything made sense. WHY DOESN’T EVERYTHING MAKE SENSE, MCGARRY?! WHY?! MAKE IT BETTER FOR ME! In Dare You To, Beth, Noah’s goth friend from Pushing the Limits, is separated from her drug-addicted mother and forced to live with her rich uncle. This means: New school New town New friends No drugs, drinking or random hook ups. This would be a lot of difficult life changes on their own but then comes Ryan. Perfect awesome school dude who has his own set of problems. Only Ryan’s life isn’t perfect. His brother’s been kicked out of home and his parents hate each other. The unlikely couple is forced together and form a relationship that is sweet and respectful and nothing that Beth has ever had before. So first issue: Dude, what happened with Isaiah? And no disrespect because this author is badass and everything. I just happened to kind of be shipping toward Isaiah/Beth because things just seemed to be driving at break neck speed in that direction. The direction in which my heart sings, double rainbows break out and I get to go live in Equestria with all my pony friends (Rainbow Dash, we would be the best of friends). But, you know, I liked Ryan in the end. He was cool. Real cool. Romantic too. There were some nice gestures there, bro.  In fact, he was so nice, the only real relationship I ended up contesting was Beth and her uncle’s. Ultimately, I could imagine Beth deciding she didn’t love Isaiah. That’s cool. Ultimately I could reconcile Beth’s 180 change in characterization, despite my issues with its story line. But the one thing I struggled with was the relationship between Beth and Scott, because this was a really pivotal relationship for Beth’s character development, and I was totally not feeling it. A good portion of the initial respect and tolerance between them is developed off page. And then it just kind of takes a jagged, cutesy path that I didn’t feel was a natural progression. Of course, it doesn’t help that Beth had to change a lot in ways that I felt were unnecessary. Like you can’t be a good character if you dress like a goth, smoke some weed and like to drink occasionally. I guess I just felt it was hard to watch Beth change to other people’s expectations when a lot of those were a result of needs that didn’t seem to be met. “I need to be there for my mother! I’ll give everything to help her- no wait. I’m cool. Totes seen the error of my ways. Let’s party, aye, Ryan?” However, no matter how you feel, it’s still a well written, nice contemporary romance that made me all squishy inside. Up to individual tastes, but most people will mostly like it, so go ahead! I’m not entirely sure if this review made sense because alcohol, drugs, and dressing in black seem to be a bad combination according to this book. But I guess, what I wanted, was more acceptance of Beth’s actual issues, as opposed to the outward issues. And that never seemed to be addressed fully. Her pain, her issues, were kind of swept aside with platitudes. And, frankly, I was just in the mood for hardcore truths and badass emotional situations. Having a nice, lovely novel was good, but it just wasn’t the awesomeness I expected from McGarry. Because I love her. And I kind of wanted Unicorns and double rainbows, and Rainbow Dash to read me my favourite book. Wait… I can still get that, right? This ARC was provided to me by Harlequin. No money, gifts or favors were exchanged for this review. I mean, I tried to get some but they wouldn't answer my calls and then they were always busy... This review, and more like it, can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Apr 29, 2013
| May 15, 2013
|
Sep 09, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0399162410
| 9780399162411
| 4.11
| 7,650
| May 07, 2013
| May 07, 2013
|
Attention Mister Rick Yancey, I have kidnapped your review. Your review is not harmed and shall be released as soon as you meet my demands. In exchange...more Attention Mister Rick Yancey, I have kidnapped your review. Your review is not harmed and shall be released as soon as you meet my demands. In exchange for giving you back your review, which I am prepared to do, you will first need to provide for me: 1 copy of The 5th Wave #2 – undamaged, complete, unmarked (except for your signature or a stylized message to me). This copy of The 5th Wave #2 must also contain certain characters unharmed and ready for me to snuggle them in my imagination. Characters include: Cassie – Because she’s badass Zombie – Because he’s adorable. Nugget – Don’t ever even think about hurting him. Ringer – She is my hero. The Silencer (I won’t mention its real name here so as not to spoil) – This character is essential. Failure to provide this character will result in immediate disposal of your review. I’m not even kidding. Please leave my requested item in my PO Box. Do not call the police – they can’t help you for I am no longer human at this point but a starved, ghost-like creature dependent on my next hit of The 5th Wave lest I waste away. If I see that you have called the police (or the next best thing, your publisher) then you will leave me with no choice but to kill the review. I’m sorry it had to come to this, Mister Yancey. I had hoped that we could come to some kind of reasonable arrangement. But you had to go and write a wonderful book and the next one is not due for publication until August 2014. August 2014? Now do you see how you have pushed me into a corner here? I’m an every day hero, doing what I must to survive. Once my demands are met, I will upload the review as promised. Think about this, Yancey. Nobody needs to get hurt here. We can all win. Sincerely, Kat Kennedy An ARC was supplied to me by the publisher for the purpose of greater understanding American line dancing. Alas, all I used it for were review purposes that I was in no way paid for. Bummer. This review can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog. FYI, Yancey has responded to my demands:  I'm afraid this is war, Mister Yancey. We will do what we have the heart to do, in order to get this book. You've been warned.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| May 15, 2013
| May 16, 2013
|
May 15, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0373210698
| 9780373210695
| 4.42
| 3,174
| 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
|
1
| Feb 14, 2013
| Feb 14, 2013
|
Feb 14, 2013
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062117289
| 9780062117281
| 3.79
| 1,734
| Apr 16, 2013
| Apr 16, 2013
|
So I really wanted to like this one, but I just didn’t and the more I think about it, the less I like it. For me, the biggest problem was Gray, whose...more
So I really wanted to like this one, but I just didn’t and the more I think about it, the less I like it. For me, the biggest problem was Gray, whose head we experience the world in. If you don’t like a protagonist in a novel that is narrated in the first person then that’s an immediate problem – one that is probably highly dependent on the individual reading. Gray just didn’t feel like a real character to me. It was hard to explain exactly what it was I didn’t like about his personality, but when I made a list of Gray’s characteristics: Angry, impulsive, curious – and realized that was all I could say about him, I figured that was a pretty good indication. Actually, the focus on the novel really is largely on the characters, which was unfortunate for me because I simply couldn’t connect to them. I couldn’t really name my favourite other than a slightly more preferential nod toward Bree. But the others tended to fall under a giant banner of Meh from which none of the actions of plot developments could rescue them. The world building was interesting, and is at least certainly different, though a little M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village for my taste. FULL OF TWISTS MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  But, having said that, at least the world building was interesting. What I did find intriguing is the number of typos. And, yes, it is an ARC so I expect they’ll all be fixed up by the time Taken goes to print. I’m just still not used to seeing that many typos in an ARC. My only real issue with the writing was how often it turned from an engaged narration to a reflective one. And not that that’s bad because different tones represent different kinds of story telling, but it would spend a lot of time in reflective mode which involved a lot of summarizing and musing which kind of stalled it up a bit. When I would have liked to have seen these things, even briefly rather than just hear about them. Particularly at the end where it felt like the reflective tone started just a little too early and spent an inordinately long time wrapping up events that would probably have been better off not being consigned to a summary of their happenings. Also, and this is really weird to complain about but… but… GRAY HITS A GIRL! Like just punches her in the face. Now can I mention that she was being a horrible, nasty person. And my feminist instincts would say that if you’re an equal opportunity douche, then you maybe can get an equal opportunity punch in the face. But… But… DUDE!  She does slog him a good one back, but the thing is, most women can’t hit anywhere near as hard as a man can. So hitting kind of takes it into unfair territory. I know Gray is impulsive and angry and that takes up 2 out of 3 of his personality traits – but wasn’t there a better way to show this than beating up on some girl and putting her in the medical bay?(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Jan 2013
| Jan 03, 2013
|
May 10, 2012
| ebook
| |||||||||||||||
| 1620612941
| 9781620612941
| 3.86
| 347
| 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
|
1
| Mar 13, 2013
| Mar 15, 2013
|
Mar 13, 2013
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1620612429
| 9781620612422
| 3.72
| 2,671
| 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
|
1
| Mar 17, 2013
| Mar 25, 2013
|
Mar 17, 2013
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| B008MWNDQQ
| 3.96
| 73
| 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
|
1
| Nov 24, 2012
| Nov 24, 2012
|
Nov 24, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0062014536
| 9780062014535
| 3.76
| 24,409
| Mar 05, 2013
| Mar 05, 2013
|
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!
| none
|
1
| Jan 27, 2013
| Jan 27, 2013
|
Jun 20, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062117378
| 9780062117373
| 4.12
| 2,226
| Feb 12, 2013
| Feb 12, 2013
|
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
|
Sep 14, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062072064
| 9780062072061
| 4.34
| 9,404
| Jan 08, 2013
| Jan 08, 2013
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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!
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Mar 12, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 1442465328
| 9781442465329
| 3.92
| 525
| 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
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| 1423157370
| 9781423157373
| 4.26
| 5,800
| Dec 18, 2012
| Dec 18, 2012
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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!
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1
| Jan 2013
| Jan 2013
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Jan 01, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0316133973
| 9780316133975
| 4.30
| 16,156
| Nov 06, 2012
| Nov 06, 2012
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Days of Blood and Starlight was always going to be a hard sell after the stark and hauntingly beautiful Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I want to address...more
Days of Blood and Starlight was always going to be a hard sell after the stark and hauntingly beautiful Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I want to address the all-important question of whether Taylor has an obsession with the letters DBS or not. Okay, fine. Not relevant. Really….party poopers. Most of us had to prepare ourselves for the fact that DoBaS, like most middle child books, was probably not going to be quite as good as it’s older siblings. Personally, I always hold out hope for middle child books, wanting to be pleasantly surprised! Well, the pessimistic, miserly old grinches win out this time because DoBaS isn’t quite as good as its predecessor, but it’s certainly nothing to turn your nose up at. But, you know, if you were to turn your nose up at any Laini Taylor book then, my god, have you no soul?! Taylor’s books have intense and varied themes. DoSaB’s themes revolved around perception, love and loss, the pain of emptiness and coming of age issues. DoBaS deals a lot with losing/regaining hope, faith in oneself, forgiveness of oneself and others. In a lot of ways DoBaS is a different creature to DoSaB. DoSaB had limited PoV changes that largely existed between Akiva and Karou (I think – my memory is really dodgy) and DoSaB was really more Romantic up until the very end. And by Romantic I don’t necessarily mean the relationship between Akiva and Karou because I ultimately think DoBaS was more romantic than its predecessor though it may not seem intuitively so. It was more Romantic in the sense that the characters and the story are so much bigger and more mature. There’s these two amazing, independent forces of fate building up behind Karou and Akiva. The more they come into themselves and become wiser, the more they’re drawn together. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a naive, sweet innocent first love. Appealing to many, but I liked the relationship dynamics even more in Days of Blood and Starlight. They’ve both lost that naivette, grown as people. They have more baggage to deal with and the relationship they’re building feels stronger – erected on foundations off a deeper understanding of themselves and the world – and they still can’t help but love each other. After all they’ve seen, all they’ve done, all that’s been done to them – they’re still drawn to each other like moth’s to flame. Laini’s writing is beautiful. If anything she has improved and the inherent poetry to the writing has become sharper and more poignant. Where a lot of people, including myself will get tripped up at is that pacing and structure of the novel. It is very meandering with an excessive number of POV changes. There’s a lot to follow, a lot happening all at once and the cast of characters has expanded exponentially. But, over all, I loved it. I’m so enthusiastic for the next book. I absolutely have to know where this series is going, what’s going to happen to them and whether I’m just as naive and foolish as Akiva and Karou for hoping and thinking that they will eventually have some form of happy relationship at the end of this series. TAYLOR MARRY ME I LOVES YOU! This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Oct 31, 2012
| Nov 03, 2012
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Dec 15, 2011
| Hardcover
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| 0373210574
| 9780373210572
| 4.11
| 7,399
| 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!
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1
| Sep 06, 2012
| Sep 09, 2012
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Sep 06, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0374316414
| 9780374316419
| 3.79
| 4,093
| Oct 16, 2012
| Oct 16, 2012
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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!
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1
| Sep 29, 2012
| Dec 08, 2012
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Sep 29, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0373210582
| 9780373210589
| 4.07
| 6,399
| 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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| Aug 11, 2012
| Aug 13, 2012
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Aug 11, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1250001404
| 9781250001405
| 3.91
| 2,426
| Sep 18, 2012
| Sep 18, 2012
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I need to take a moment to do something before beginning this review.  Stormdancer is a fantasy nerdgasm, written by a fantasy nerd, for the fan...more I need to take a moment to do something before beginning this review. Stormdancer is a fantasy nerdgasm, written by a fantasy nerd, for the fantasy nerds – and if it sounds like I just pilfered some of the Gettysburg address then that’s because Abraham Lincoln riding a grizzly bear was just about the only damn thing missing from this book.  Image by Rando Subsequently my life is now complete. Stormdancer is a world one step removed from our own. Imagined as a Japan with Steampunk technology and alternate history, choking the life out of itself by growing and harvesting the Blood Lotus – which fuels all their mechanical marvels. And then there’s Yukiko. Daughter of the Hunt Master, subject of the terrifying and cruel Shogun, impure yokai-kin sent on an impossible mission to find the mythical griffin and capture it for the Shogun. Things I liked about Stormdancer: Buruu The Writing Yukiko World-Building Buruu Michii Kasumi Buruu Buruu and Buruu Obviously the scene stealer of this novel is Buruu. Proud, funny, vicious, blood-thirsty and beautiful. But characters aren’t enough to breath life into a novel. What Stormdanver has is the near-perfectly constructed prose which transform this beautiful narrative into a sprawling epic. Kristoff’s style is rich, whimsical and near lyrical in his form and structure. Novice’s to fantasy may either get swept away or drown if it’s too deep for their skill level. Clearly a great deal of tender loving care has gone into Kristoff’s stunning debut, as visible from every single page labored with meaty lore, obsessive detail and great imagination. Some may enjoy the subtle, or not so subtle, nods to other fantasy and science fiction that litter this book. The plot and pacing keep up a steady stream of interest and enthusiasm, I felt. Making this book exceptionally readable and enjoyable. And now that I have gotten all the obligatory serious discussion and annoying stuff that I have to do to be taken seriously as book blogger out of the way, may I just mention one, juvenile thing that I rather enjoyed:  Original picture by Cory Doctorow – alteration based on Darkstarz All the jizzworthy toys. Yes! Great characters, writing, world-building, plot, pacing, blah-blah-blah… GIVE ME MY CHAINSAW KATANA, KRISTOFF! The mechanized armor and sky ships and CHAINSAW FUCKING KATANAS and tattoos and the hundred other little Steampunk-y ideas that filled this novel up and made it stand out above the rest! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!  Ah… erm, that is all… Buy this book. Buy it and read it and love it. Then make me a chainsaw Katana. This review also appears on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Jun 06, 2012
| Jun 11, 2012
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Feb 10, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062114875
| 9780062114877
| 3.80
| 4,271
| Sep 18, 2012
| Sep 18, 2012
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I think it's time I admit defeat. I'm clearly not going to finish reading this book, and I don't even know why. The writing or characterisation isn't...more
I think it's time I admit defeat. I'm clearly not going to finish reading this book, and I don't even know why. The writing or characterisation isn't bad at all. There's nothing wrong with it. Marking this one as DNF. (less)
| Notes are private!
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1
| Jan 06, 2013
| May 16, 2013
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Jul 08, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0375870415
| 9780375870415
| 3.97
| 7,152
| Sep 11, 2012
| Sep 11, 2012
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I have a scale for YA books I read, since I’ve read so many. It looks something like this. -I hope this book dies. Right now. And takes a 100km radius...more I have a scale for YA books I read, since I’ve read so many. It looks something like this. -I hope this book dies. Right now. And takes a 100km radius with it just to be sure. -Terrible book -Not my thing -Meh -Yeah that was okay -Hmmm. Interesting -I was pleasantly surprised -Yeah I liked that -That was a great book -Wow I loved that book! -FIZZJERBLEDEEGOOK! That was Freaking AMAZEBALLS! -I will read that book again Allow me to lay down some perspective. At this moment I have no fewer than sixty-three ARCs sitting around waiting to be read. I have specifically enough time to scratch my head in bemusement between reading one book, reviewing it, contacting the appropriate people and picking up the next one. I do not have time to reread books. So whilst there are plenty of books that I greatly enjoy and even love, the pool for the number of books I reread is currently at five. Five. This book makes five books I reread. It is not that it’s a perfect book – but that it is perfect for me. I loved everything about it. Brennan’s writing style, humour, wit and dialogue shines in everything she writes. This book is filled with atmosphere, mood and the perfect level of creepy. It’s characters shine through as it’s strongest advantage. Each independently strong and lovable, Brennan pulls out all the stops in creating a Scooby Gang of epic proportions. Easily the biggest selling point is Kami and Jared. But mostly Kami. Kami was rocking so hard that I had residual whiplash. Strong, smart, brave – a theme with almost all the women in the novel. She was quirky enough to be cute, independent enough to be admirable, vulnerable enough to be loved – strong enough to lead this novel and stand on her own. Jared with his flawed complexity and bad boy characteristics was lovable and pitiable. I know I have a soft spot for bad boys, but it’s hard not to root for him and hurt for him throughout the novel. The pacing and plot were pretty much spot on perfect, never getting boring or easing up on the good times which balanced with the action and suspense. I think this book earned each and every one of those five stars. It earned them hard and I need the next one NOW. **Original Prereview below** So I opened the book and by page five I was like:  And we met Kami and Angela and Ash and Jared and Holy and I was like:  Then I saw that there was a love triangle and for a minute I was like:  But not even two pages later I was just like:  Then the mystery revved up and I was like:  And then the intrigue and danger and relationships started to evolve and I was like:  And every time Kami said something hilarious I was like:  So basically how I feel about this book is that if I had a choice between reading the sequel and a threesome with:  Then I would probably choose Unspoken #2. Yes. I said it. And how I feel about the fact that the next one is so far away:  This is just a temporary review. Keep an eye out for my proper review in August. *Image Sources: http://mylifeingifs.tumblr.com/page/2 http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/no-gif http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz... http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/nicolas... http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/gif-chal...(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jun 24, 2012
| Jul 08, 2012
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Apr 22, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0373210523
| 9780373210527
| 4.06
| 3,243
| Aug 28, 2012
| Aug 28, 2012
|
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!
| none
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1
| Nov 12, 2012
| Nov 23, 2012
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Sep 04, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0803735804
| 9780803735804
| 3.81
| 2,073
| Aug 16, 2012
| Aug 16, 2012
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For me, sometimes I rate a book because, objectively, it's just a really bad book with limited literary quality. This is not an objective rating and I...more
For me, sometimes I rate a book because, objectively, it's just a really bad book with limited literary quality. This is not an objective rating and I need to reinforce that before we continue. It is a subjective reflection on my personal reading experience. Because the first half of the book, that I read, wasn't necessarily a poorly written book. If you like fairy fantasy then you will probably enjoy it. I, for one, enjoy fairies - but not this kind of fairy story, and it's not the author's fault. Long is trying to get back to somewhat old school fairy tale tellings, and in doing so, has returned to many of the themes intrinsic to the fairy mythos - which is moral, physical and spiritual purity of the human which is tested when pitied into the fairy realm where temptations and defilers lurk around every corner. Don't eat their food, don't dance with them (cause you know what dancing leads to...) don't corrupt yourself by lying with the fairy king. The counter balance to that is that through love, moral goodness (restraint for evil temptations) and by having a pure heart - you can triumph over the wicked, corrupt fae. All a lovely story if that's your thing, but it isn't mine. I don't do distressed damsels at risk of having their virginity frisked and proving to all that their mighty heart can not be conquered by evil because she's just so GOOD and PURE. Look at her rescue that baby! Look how vulnerable she is one minute but protecting innocent children the next! It really is my fault. I should have paid more attention to the cover. I mean, take a good look at that thing for a second.  I mean, look at it! She's wearing a white fru-fru dress while walking through a forest, clutching blooming flowers to her lower body and looking flustered and scared. I couldn't have picked a better way of depicting maidenhood if I'd taped a real hymen to the front cover. I need to learn to pay attention! Just about everything that happens to our protagonist, from the moment she steps into fairy, is a sex metaphor she must escape from. And if that kind of repressed expression of female sexuality speaks to you then please try this book. But at the point in which a handsome man kisses her and she LOSES HER SOUL, and Oberon shows up as one of the big antagonists promising to deflower her because she's just so pure and good - well, that's the point at which my upchuck reflex goes into overdrive and I mentally check out. At least I now know why Steph and I have no soul. It's all that dirty, dirty sex and alcohol and bad food and filthy dancing and lack of any kind of repression. And I really wouldn't personally have it any other way. This review can be found on our blog at Cuddlebuggery. *Thanks to the publishers who provided this ARC to me through Netgalley.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Mar 09, 2012
| Apr 28, 2012
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Oct 16, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1423149769
| 9781423149767
| 3.83
| 1,866
| Aug 14, 2012
| Aug 14, 2012
|
This review may contain spoilers. And by may, I mean most certainly will. False Memory by fellow Horde player, Dan Krokos, caught my attention. Mainly...more This review may contain spoilers. And by may, I mean most certainly will. False Memory by fellow Horde player, Dan Krokos, caught my attention. Mainly because, well, FOR THE HORDE! But also, because it looked badass. The basic idea is that Miranda wakes up with no memories and no real clue who she is. She soon discovers that she’s a superhero and part of a team of four Roses with the ability to cause fear and panic to normal people. I mean, it’s an alright ability. Not as good as the ability to burn people with your eyes or use an alien ring to wish anything into existence. But you take what you can get! So what I might have expected was good writing and interesting, action-packed pages. But that author, he has a soft spot the size of the Mariana Trench. This book was a little more saucy than I expected and I liked it! Probably one of the few love-triangles that I’ve truly liked. Miranda gets more action in a few days than I did throughout all of 8th grade!  Miranda was a bit like a rogue sneaking up behind you to stab you in the back. She was fun to read. Then, out of nowhere, BAM! She just kicked the shit out of me and I was left going, “Woah! Woah! Woah!” That sneaky woman just emulsified my cold, withered heart until I was truly rooting for her. Which was a weird experience. I’m not sure how to describe it. There I was thinking I generally liked the book and didn’t mind Miranda, only to suddenly realize that there was no way in hell I was putting the book down and Miranda better live, goddammit! As for the other characters, Peter, Noah and Olive, I was hot and cold on them. Peter was definitely my favourite. I loved the tension between Noah and Miranda. Drama! Beautiful, beautiful drama! So here’s my problem with it, and this part gets spoilery so only proceed if you’ve read the book. (view spoiler)[So I was all cool with Miranda et al being weapons to be sold off to the highest bidder. OF COURSE. That is just the kind of sense-making that I like to see. But then things get a little more complicated. Not just weapons but also clones. And not just one set of clones but another and another. Okay. FINE. Everyone’s a clone. And a clone of a clone. And nobody’s memories are real and everyone’s memories can be replaced and nobody is just a weapon and FINE. Fine, okay? I can deal with that, I guess. I can deal with two Miranda’s and the real Miranda being dead and the real Miranda being only a clone of Mrs. North and Mrs. North being HERSELF a clone. I can deal with ALL of it. Okay?! I’m fine. I’m just absolutely fine. I can handle it, okay?  There are too many truths. So many truths that, whilst I can keep them straight, I’m not sure that I want to. I threw my hands up in the air and yelled for Miranda to go join the fucking peace corps and travel to south east Asia or something. Just get out, Miranda! If you’re reading this, just go. The truth isn’t worth it, sweetie. You know what’s worth it? Spending the rest of your life bumping uglies with Peter. And I guess that destroyed some of my enjoyment of the book. Because them being developed as a weapon was really the only reasonable truth I could imagine for their cultivated existence. And whilst I am practically POSITIVE that Krokos is going to come up with something brilliant, I’m simply too emotionally exhausted after False Memory to summon the will to read anymore. I refuse. In my mind, Peter and Miranda ran off to a tropical island and lived happily ever after. The end. (hide spoiler)] Over all, I really liked this book. I just feel so exhausted by it. Incredibly, incredibly exhausted. I want to pick up the next one because I want to see how Miranda and the others deal with the situation they’re in. But part of me is afraid to. I don’t know if I’m ready for it. With False Memory, I wanted to feel THIS much. But I wasn’t ready to feel THHHHIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS much. And with all those truths revealed in the first book? Well, how else is Krokos going to break my heart in the next one? HOW, HUH?! This review also appears on my blog, (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Feb 21, 2013
| Mar 05, 2013
|
Jan 03, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385741960
| 9780385741965
| 3.61
| 590
| Aug 14, 2012
| Aug 14, 2012
|
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!
| none
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1
| Jun 14, 2012
| Jun 21, 2012
|
Jun 14, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0765328666
| 9780765328663
| 4.00
| 6,091
| Aug 07, 2012
| Aug 07, 2012
|
The following book has been found in an abandoned, run-down house along with a body, a pen, and a worn and tattered copy of Girl of Nightmares. The wa...more
The following book has been found in an abandoned, run-down house along with a body, a pen, and a worn and tattered copy of Girl of Nightmares. The walls have many words and phrases written in blood. It's contents provide the only clues to the events that led to the the death of a person and an increasing string of disturbances in the area. It reads as such: This is a journal of my reading expedition. I have traveled to this remote locale so that I may read Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake in solitude. Rumour has it that this book is cursed and that whosoever reads it is doomed to have their wits scrambled and to be left insensible. Nevertheless I bravely proceed and scoff in the face of superstition. My intention is that others may benefit from the experiences chronicled within my journal and use it as a reference guide in their own reading experiences of Blake's second dip into the Anna Dressed in Blood Universe. Page 1 I have been intrigued and saddened by the beginning. Dearest Anna, it seems, will likely not be a major character in this book, alas. But the writing remains of quality and it seems there are to be some ghost. Page 48 There have been some instances of exciting ghost happenings, but also a great deal of plot set up and relationship dynamics. I rather wonder what the hype is but shall persevere for now. Page 150 It has been a difficult slog. There has been average levels of awesome recorded and long stretches between badassery. I have grown weary of the angst and seek to end the experiment. Perseverance forces me onward and the everlasting hope that I shall one day be reunited with Anna. Her lack of presence in this novel has made it cumbersome and Cas' angst, and the secrecy surrounding him is wearisome. I am starting to doubt the curse. Worse yet, I am starting to doubt Blake. How far I have fallen? Tonight I shall weep tears of disappointment as I sleep with the lights on. Page 235 Hark? Is this the same novel? Surely some great charm has bewitched me. My instruments do not lie, yet surely there has been a mistake. When I documented the levels of awesome, I was forced to notarize in my ledger that it was over 9000 and was unable to take further measurements for I had incidentally crushed my scouter in response. "What? 9000?" I said in shock and awe. "There's no way that can be right!" I am not sure what happened next for I blacked out and was awoken the next day by hazy memories. There are now strange markings on the wall but I know not what they mean. I fear I have put them there. Am I becoming a monster? Can this curse be true and is it tampering with my senses? Page 291 I understand now. I was foolish and ignorant before, but I have been shown the way. There is no human explanation. Yet I realize now that life has no meaning, but for this book. It is my only love. My purpose. It is the reason I have been born. There is no curse. Those who have not read it have been cursed. It is all so clear to me now. I have written a song for Blake that brings tears to my eyes as I sing it continuously throughout the night. It has become my only companion through out my enlightenment. I have written it down so that this knowledge may be passed on through the ages. Blake Blake Blake Blake, Blake. BlakeBlake, Blake Blake Blake Blake Blake, Blake Blake Blake, BlakeBlake. BlakeBlakeBlake...Blake Blake Blake. Blake I hope that I am one day able to sing this song to her in person and that SHE WILL BE PLEASED WITH ME! Page 332 OHTHEMOTHERFUCKINGAWESOMEITHINKICRIEDITWASJUSTSOBEAUTIFULWHYDIDITHAVETOENDCANTTHEREBEMOREHOWCUOLDYOUDOTHISTO MEBUTITWASJUSTSOPERFECTILOVEDITSOMUCHSOMUCHWIN! Snargle half-blabber! JOY! This review and more can also be found at my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| May 03, 2012
| May 05, 2012
|
Oct 14, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| B008RM39IS
| 3.78
| 1,312
| Aug 01, 2012
| Aug 01, 2012
|
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
|
1
| Aug 13, 2012
| Sep 2012
|
Jul 22, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0761388656
| 9780761388654
| 3.78
| 1,312
| Aug 01, 2012
| Aug 01, 2012
|
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!
| none
|
1
| not set
| not set
|
Sep 05, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0373210493
| 9780373210497
| 4.19
| 29,175
| Jul 31, 2012
| Jul 31, 2012
|
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!
| none
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1
| Aug 03, 2012
| Aug 04, 2012
|
Jul 26, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 0062083260
| 9780062083265
| 3.83
| 3,050
| Jul 24, 2012
| Jul 24, 2012
|
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
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