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4.16
100
Apr 16, 2013
Apr 16, 2013
This book... I have been following the series ever since book one. I've always been a fan of the series, and I feel that Kessler did an exceptional jo...more
This book... I have been following the series ever since book one. I've always been a fan of the series, and I feel that Kessler did an exceptional job with each one by exploring issues teenagers (and even adults) suffer with on a daily basis. BREATH is no different.
I've noticed a theme throughout each book: the idea of hope. Things can get better. Things will get better. Never give up. It's a strong message, and this is one series I wish I had when I was a teen. I think if my high school friends read these books, people would have turned out a lot differently.
As for the story itself, I enjoyed it. And while Xander's character was well written and one I enjoyed, I felt (dare I say it) a little cheated. I wanted MORE of Death's character. Don't get me wrong; you get lots of Death in this book. He becomes humanized in a way--someone who is Other, but is still someone you can relate with on some level. I loved connecting with him. I'm just greedy and wanted more of him, but if the entire book was based on his character? Well, it would have been completely different story, wouldn't it?
BREATH is not a standalone. I highly suggest you read the previous installments in order to 1) get a better sense of Death's character; 2) to learn about the other Horsemen. If you don't, you won't appreciate the characters/world as much as you should.(less)
I've noticed a theme throughout each book: the idea of hope. Things can get better. Things will get better. Never give up. It's a strong message, and this is one series I wish I had when I was a teen. I think if my high school friends read these books, people would have turned out a lot differently.
As for the story itself, I enjoyed it. And while Xander's character was well written and one I enjoyed, I felt (dare I say it) a little cheated. I wanted MORE of Death's character. Don't get me wrong; you get lots of Death in this book. He becomes humanized in a way--someone who is Other, but is still someone you can relate with on some level. I loved connecting with him. I'm just greedy and wanted more of him, but if the entire book was based on his character? Well, it would have been completely different story, wouldn't it?
BREATH is not a standalone. I highly suggest you read the previous installments in order to 1) get a better sense of Death's character; 2) to learn about the other Horsemen. If you don't, you won't appreciate the characters/world as much as you should.(less)
Notes are private!
none
2
1
Mar 03, 2013
Apr 10, 2013
Mar 03, 2013
Paperback
0345523342
9780345523341
3.80
782
Sep 25, 2012
Sep 25, 2012
I could not finish the novel in its entirety... which breaks my heart. Alas, I would take my review with a grain of salt, for many people did enjoy th...more
I could not finish the novel in its entirety... which breaks my heart. Alas, I would take my review with a grain of salt, for many people did enjoy this title, as we can see on the GR page.
A bit of background: I was/am a huge fan of Dearly, Departed (DD) when it came out; in fact, I was a raving lunatic, and lent my copy to any and everyone willing to give the novel a shot. Suffice to say, I managed to convert a lot of people to become zombie fans this way.
While DD blew me away with its characterization, breathtaking descriptions, and its intense plot that was overflowing with tension, DB fell flat for me. It seemed to lack the spark that DD contained, which ultimately made me fall in love with the piece.
I am not against politics, however, I felt like this book focused a bit too much on the political aspects of zombies and humans living together, which simply is not my thing. It overwhelmed the plot for me, bogging it down and slowing the action and drama I craved.
Bram and Nora's relationship made me happy, but it did not feel as special this time around for me. Probably because of the other issues I have mentioned.
Alas, I think what also influenced my reading experience is something the author mentioned at a panel that I attended. I will be giving this series another shot at a later date, and hopefully I will be able to enjoy DB then, but as of now, I have it on my DNF list.(less)
A bit of background: I was/am a huge fan of Dearly, Departed (DD) when it came out; in fact, I was a raving lunatic, and lent my copy to any and everyone willing to give the novel a shot. Suffice to say, I managed to convert a lot of people to become zombie fans this way.
While DD blew me away with its characterization, breathtaking descriptions, and its intense plot that was overflowing with tension, DB fell flat for me. It seemed to lack the spark that DD contained, which ultimately made me fall in love with the piece.
I am not against politics, however, I felt like this book focused a bit too much on the political aspects of zombies and humans living together, which simply is not my thing. It overwhelmed the plot for me, bogging it down and slowing the action and drama I craved.
Bram and Nora's relationship made me happy, but it did not feel as special this time around for me. Probably because of the other issues I have mentioned.
Alas, I think what also influenced my reading experience is something the author mentioned at a panel that I attended. I will be giving this series another shot at a later date, and hopefully I will be able to enjoy DB then, but as of now, I have it on my DNF list.(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
Aug 19, 2012
Aug 19, 2012
Aug 19, 2012
Hardcover
0375866566
9780375866562
4.09
13,326
Sep 01, 2011
Jul 10, 2012
I am so depressed that I finished this book.
I wasn't expecting to have such a strong reaction to SERAPHINA; in fact, ask any of my friends the first d...more I am so depressed that I finished this book.
I wasn't expecting to have such a strong reaction to SERAPHINA; in fact, ask any of my friends the first day I started reading it and they could tell you that I was not impressed with this novel. The writing at the beginning reminds me of DoSaB By Laini Taylor, or anything by Maggie Stiefvater--not in how poetic it is, because I did not find SERAPHINA to be very poetic--but in how...different it is from the typical YA novel. I believe that, because this is a fantasy, the foreign names contributed to this "eccentric" writing style, if you will.
It was not until Seraphina met Lucien that I really took an interest in the book, if I'll be completely honest. I've been craving a good old romance, and once I realized that there was the potential for one between these two, I was hooked. I am still hooked now, and am desperately awaiting the second book in this series. Yes, there is the potential for a romance. Does one ever blossom? Maybe. Either way, I'm satisfied...for now.
I will say that Lucien is certainly not the typical romantic interest that I would squeal over. He's not dark and not an ass (well, not without good reason, anyway)--not that I support either of those qualities. He's very bubbly and cheerful, and I think he is like that in order to draw Seraphina out of her shell. I didn't see myself swooning over him like I would some other YA or adult heroes, but I liked him. He needs to grow on me more.
Seraphina was peculiar. I liked her as a character, but she kind of fell flat for me. I felt engrossed in her trials, felt myself tearing up at one particular scene, was cheering her on as she developed and grew a pair, and at the same time, I was apathetic about her. I can't describe it. I suppose I felt some sort of disconnect when it came to all the characters. They didn't pop, but I would not go so far as to say they're 2D.
There was another factor that kept me reading, even before I caught on to the potential for a romance: the dragons. I found this entire world, and how the dragons play a role in it, to be incredibly fascinating. Even when I felt myself growing tired of Lucien at some points, the dragons and my curiosity of them made me continue on. Then that curiosity shifted to the half dragons, and all the illusions inside Seraphina's head. When those creatures were first introduced, I had no interest... But leave it to Rachel to suddenly make them so important--and in turn, so mysterious--that I'm dying to learn more about them! Especially the girl who was sealed away (won't say anything more, you'll just have to read the book to know what I'm talking about).
Does this novel end with a cliffhanger? Yes and no. No, you will not be screaming and threatening the air because the story was suddenly cut off at an important scene. Yes, there are plenty of loose ends that have not been acknowledged because there is a second book in this series. I am content with how the story ended and will be able to survive the wait for book two, though I would be pissed if the series was suddenly discontinued.
Do I recommend? Well, you're either going to love it right away, you'll love it eventually (like me), or you'll probably feel apathetic. I don't think many people will hate it, but I do see people DNFing it because of the slow start. Honestly, this is one book that I'm wary of recommending because I had such an unexpected response to it.(less)
I wasn't expecting to have such a strong reaction to SERAPHINA; in fact, ask any of my friends the first d...more I am so depressed that I finished this book.
I wasn't expecting to have such a strong reaction to SERAPHINA; in fact, ask any of my friends the first day I started reading it and they could tell you that I was not impressed with this novel. The writing at the beginning reminds me of DoSaB By Laini Taylor, or anything by Maggie Stiefvater--not in how poetic it is, because I did not find SERAPHINA to be very poetic--but in how...different it is from the typical YA novel. I believe that, because this is a fantasy, the foreign names contributed to this "eccentric" writing style, if you will.
It was not until Seraphina met Lucien that I really took an interest in the book, if I'll be completely honest. I've been craving a good old romance, and once I realized that there was the potential for one between these two, I was hooked. I am still hooked now, and am desperately awaiting the second book in this series. Yes, there is the potential for a romance. Does one ever blossom? Maybe. Either way, I'm satisfied...for now.
I will say that Lucien is certainly not the typical romantic interest that I would squeal over. He's not dark and not an ass (well, not without good reason, anyway)--not that I support either of those qualities. He's very bubbly and cheerful, and I think he is like that in order to draw Seraphina out of her shell. I didn't see myself swooning over him like I would some other YA or adult heroes, but I liked him. He needs to grow on me more.
Seraphina was peculiar. I liked her as a character, but she kind of fell flat for me. I felt engrossed in her trials, felt myself tearing up at one particular scene, was cheering her on as she developed and grew a pair, and at the same time, I was apathetic about her. I can't describe it. I suppose I felt some sort of disconnect when it came to all the characters. They didn't pop, but I would not go so far as to say they're 2D.
There was another factor that kept me reading, even before I caught on to the potential for a romance: the dragons. I found this entire world, and how the dragons play a role in it, to be incredibly fascinating. Even when I felt myself growing tired of Lucien at some points, the dragons and my curiosity of them made me continue on. Then that curiosity shifted to the half dragons, and all the illusions inside Seraphina's head. When those creatures were first introduced, I had no interest... But leave it to Rachel to suddenly make them so important--and in turn, so mysterious--that I'm dying to learn more about them! Especially the girl who was sealed away (won't say anything more, you'll just have to read the book to know what I'm talking about).
Does this novel end with a cliffhanger? Yes and no. No, you will not be screaming and threatening the air because the story was suddenly cut off at an important scene. Yes, there are plenty of loose ends that have not been acknowledged because there is a second book in this series. I am content with how the story ended and will be able to survive the wait for book two, though I would be pissed if the series was suddenly discontinued.
Do I recommend? Well, you're either going to love it right away, you'll love it eventually (like me), or you'll probably feel apathetic. I don't think many people will hate it, but I do see people DNFing it because of the slow start. Honestly, this is one book that I'm wary of recommending because I had such an unexpected response to it.(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
Aug 17, 2012
Aug 18, 2012
Aug 17, 2012
Hardcover
0062107496
9780062107497
3.50
815
May 29, 2012
May 29, 2012
DNF: read the first 50+ pages and could not get into this story. I'm just going to list what didn't work for me:
* not a very interesting start in my e...more DNF: read the first 50+ pages and could not get into this story. I'm just going to list what didn't work for me:
* not a very interesting start in my eyes. I don't make a huge deal about the first sentence of a story (though I do appreciate it when an author writes something funny or interesting), but the first sentence in this book was just so boring and monotonous, and really set the stage for how the remainder of the chapter was like.
* not a very interesting heroine. I still can't remember her name.
* too much telling, not enough showing. You're told about the "love" the siblings share, told about the dedication, but you're never shown it. The brother and sister have each other's backs? Well, how heartwarming... But if you can't PROVE it, then why should I care?
* not a lot of action, and when things do finally pick up, I honestly did not care. By the time our "hero" appears, I was bored out of my mind and couldn't take the book seriously.
* the heroine doesn't have a lot of spunk. The part where the "hero" snaps that he is her master, and then she turns around and calls him master so easily... Ugh I don't know, it just rubbed off on me the wrong way and my amusement dissipated. Mind you, she was giving him an attitude not moments before him snapping at her, so I don't know why she would suddenly give in without a fight.
After my initial disappointment with the pacing of the story and my lack of interest, I tried to continue reading... I really did, but the only way I was able to do so was by NOT taking what I was reading "seriously." I do enjoy books that I never intend to review, and I have read plenty of books that I thought was a joke, but this one just had one thing after another that simply did not work for me.
There are, however, plenty of other reviewers who have read this story and who seemed to enjoy it. If you're looking for a review gushing about this title, then I suggest you look for those. As for me, I can't recommend this book if you have similar tastes to my own.(less)
* not a very interesting start in my e...more DNF: read the first 50+ pages and could not get into this story. I'm just going to list what didn't work for me:
* not a very interesting start in my eyes. I don't make a huge deal about the first sentence of a story (though I do appreciate it when an author writes something funny or interesting), but the first sentence in this book was just so boring and monotonous, and really set the stage for how the remainder of the chapter was like.
* not a very interesting heroine. I still can't remember her name.
* too much telling, not enough showing. You're told about the "love" the siblings share, told about the dedication, but you're never shown it. The brother and sister have each other's backs? Well, how heartwarming... But if you can't PROVE it, then why should I care?
* not a lot of action, and when things do finally pick up, I honestly did not care. By the time our "hero" appears, I was bored out of my mind and couldn't take the book seriously.
* the heroine doesn't have a lot of spunk. The part where the "hero" snaps that he is her master, and then she turns around and calls him master so easily... Ugh I don't know, it just rubbed off on me the wrong way and my amusement dissipated. Mind you, she was giving him an attitude not moments before him snapping at her, so I don't know why she would suddenly give in without a fight.
After my initial disappointment with the pacing of the story and my lack of interest, I tried to continue reading... I really did, but the only way I was able to do so was by NOT taking what I was reading "seriously." I do enjoy books that I never intend to review, and I have read plenty of books that I thought was a joke, but this one just had one thing after another that simply did not work for me.
There are, however, plenty of other reviewers who have read this story and who seemed to enjoy it. If you're looking for a review gushing about this title, then I suggest you look for those. As for me, I can't recommend this book if you have similar tastes to my own.(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
May 24, 2012
May 24, 2012
Apr 26, 2012
Mass Market Paperback
0062064649
9780062064646
3.49
1,002
Jun 12, 2012
Jun 12, 2012
I simply could not get into this one, despite multiple attempts. Honestly, I'm not even sure what I didn't like about this story, just that it did not...more
I simply could not get into this one, despite multiple attempts. Honestly, I'm not even sure what I didn't like about this story, just that it did not work for me. The writing is good, the worldbuilding is solid, but I suppose the world itself did not get me hooked. I also felt a sort of disconnect between the characters and myself. (less)
Notes are private!
none
1
not set
Jun 08, 2012
Nov 16, 2011
Paperback
0062059939
9780062059932
4.10
42,054
Apr 24, 2012
Apr 24, 2012
Got this from Amazon Vine to review. It was an enjoyable read, and I was honestly thinking about rating it higher because I could not put the book dow...more
Got this from Amazon Vine to review. It was an enjoyable read, and I was honestly thinking about rating it higher because I could not put the book down... BUT, there were a lot of elements that screamed debut author. There were so many, and they happened so often, that all of it dampened my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.
First things first: love triangle haters, beware. You get one ASAP in this book. I wouldn't take issue with this, except for the fact that both romances were poorly developed and barely convinced me that America should be friends with Aspen or Maxon, let alone viewing either as a love interest. At least America's relationship with Maxon developed a little bit more than what she had with Aspen. We, as readers, are expected to accept that America and Aspen are madly in love right away, and then shortly after, Aspen goes and messes all that up....I know it's to advance the plot, but COME ON. If you're madly in love with a girl like you claim, why would you do what you did? Aspen's actions made me dislike his character immensely.
Okay, so maybe you can tolerate a poorly constructed love triangle. I mean, most YA readers do whenever they crack open a book nowadays. Well, if you're the type of person who cannot stand info dumping and dialogue dumping, then prepare yourself. About halfway into the novel, Cass relies heavily on dialogue and the ignorant heroine in order to enlighten readers of this world. I let it slide the first time, but after the fifth time this happened... I was just not enjoying myself anymore and found that I did not care about the world Cass was attempting to animate.
Alright, so maybe you're okay with those two issues I just mentioned? Well listen up! There are clichés. Lots of clichés. America is essentially the perfect heroine who can do no wrong. She is perfect and selfless. And this conveniently saint-like persona is exactly what everyone starts to adore, of course.
Now that Im thinking about this, there really weren't a lot of positives in the book. There was no drama or conflict that truly made the book feel alive. The characters were not memorable, and neither were the romances. Our two heroes feel like 2D cutouts, and unfortunately, I didn't want to gush about either. The violence is laughable and is clearly an attempt to showcase America's sainthood amongst royalty. And speaking of royalty, America is NOT royalty. I find it laughable that she feels she can stomp around and act like she's a princess and not suffer any consequences for her insolence.
For the life of me, I can't figure out WHY I couldn't put this book down. It was certainly not a dystopian by any means, imo. And yet, despite all the flaws, I enjoyed myself while reading this book. I read it on the train and was mad when I had to put the book away at my stop. It's almost 3am now, and I'm writing my review after finishing THE SELECTION in one night.
What?
I think the pressure from finals has finally made me looney. I'm just going to pretend that this book was a guilty pleasure and leave it at that.
Oh, and by the way, there's a cliffhanger at the end. Of course I want to see what happens next, and I wish I had book 2 right now, but I'm sure by tomorrow I'll have moved on to a new novel for my entertainment.
I suggest you borrow this title from a friend or from the library if you're that interested in reading it. THE SELECTION doesn't really have anything new, and I can tell you right now that normally this sort of book would not hold my attention for very long. (less)
First things first: love triangle haters, beware. You get one ASAP in this book. I wouldn't take issue with this, except for the fact that both romances were poorly developed and barely convinced me that America should be friends with Aspen or Maxon, let alone viewing either as a love interest. At least America's relationship with Maxon developed a little bit more than what she had with Aspen. We, as readers, are expected to accept that America and Aspen are madly in love right away, and then shortly after, Aspen goes and messes all that up....I know it's to advance the plot, but COME ON. If you're madly in love with a girl like you claim, why would you do what you did? Aspen's actions made me dislike his character immensely.
Okay, so maybe you can tolerate a poorly constructed love triangle. I mean, most YA readers do whenever they crack open a book nowadays. Well, if you're the type of person who cannot stand info dumping and dialogue dumping, then prepare yourself. About halfway into the novel, Cass relies heavily on dialogue and the ignorant heroine in order to enlighten readers of this world. I let it slide the first time, but after the fifth time this happened... I was just not enjoying myself anymore and found that I did not care about the world Cass was attempting to animate.
Alright, so maybe you're okay with those two issues I just mentioned? Well listen up! There are clichés. Lots of clichés. America is essentially the perfect heroine who can do no wrong. She is perfect and selfless. And this conveniently saint-like persona is exactly what everyone starts to adore, of course.
Now that Im thinking about this, there really weren't a lot of positives in the book. There was no drama or conflict that truly made the book feel alive. The characters were not memorable, and neither were the romances. Our two heroes feel like 2D cutouts, and unfortunately, I didn't want to gush about either. The violence is laughable and is clearly an attempt to showcase America's sainthood amongst royalty. And speaking of royalty, America is NOT royalty. I find it laughable that she feels she can stomp around and act like she's a princess and not suffer any consequences for her insolence.
For the life of me, I can't figure out WHY I couldn't put this book down. It was certainly not a dystopian by any means, imo. And yet, despite all the flaws, I enjoyed myself while reading this book. I read it on the train and was mad when I had to put the book away at my stop. It's almost 3am now, and I'm writing my review after finishing THE SELECTION in one night.
What?
I think the pressure from finals has finally made me looney. I'm just going to pretend that this book was a guilty pleasure and leave it at that.
Oh, and by the way, there's a cliffhanger at the end. Of course I want to see what happens next, and I wish I had book 2 right now, but I'm sure by tomorrow I'll have moved on to a new novel for my entertainment.
I suggest you borrow this title from a friend or from the library if you're that interested in reading it. THE SELECTION doesn't really have anything new, and I can tell you right now that normally this sort of book would not hold my attention for very long. (less)
Notes are private!
none
1
May 15, 2012
May 15, 2012
Nov 10, 2011
Hardcover
0345523318
9780345523310
3.89
5,177
Sep 29, 2011
Oct 18, 2011
See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
A hilarious, spine-tingling novel, DEARLY DEPARTED has completely blown my mind....more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
A hilarious, spine-tingling novel, DEARLY DEPARTED has completely blown my mind. I was expecting a so-so 3-star book when I requested this on Amazon Vine. The back cover summary made it sound fairly interesting, and I figured zombies, steampunk, and some sort of dystopian-ish storyline might be the perfect change of pace from all the YA love triangles I've been drowning in. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision that this book and its characters would capture and hold my undivided attention for 400+ pages. I willingly stayed up until 3AM to read the first 300 pages, and only pure exhaustion had the ability to pull me away. But not for long! Once I woke up, I was reading again. I am amazed, and I cannot speak highly enough of Lia Habel's sheer genius.
The voice in DEARLY DEPARTED (DD) is fairly unique and takes some getting used to. While we are catapulted into the future, it would seem that society has progressed backwards in some ways, while also making advances we could only dream of living with. The United States no longer exists; Britain and numerous other countries have also perished as nature evicted humanity, forcing survivors to band together into tribes and relocate closer to the equator. Now, instead of cultures and nationalities, we have people like Nora who have reverted back to a Victorian-ish society... and then we have the Punks. You'll have to read the book to learn more about both.
I absolutely loved the contrast between Nora and Bram. I'll admit that as the novel progressed, it was sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two POVs and I think some may take issue with this. However, in the beginning, before the duo grow used to each other, this contrast--the way Bram viewed Nora--completely enamored me. While Nora sounds like a typical teenage girl, upon viewing her through Bram's eyes we see a sophisticated young woman. It doesn't sound like such a big deal, but I loved the contrast and I thought that the differences between these two cultures and characters shined beautifully in this regard. I wasn't too bothered by the similarities in voices further into the novel because I viewed it as a kind of... merging. Think about it: when one falls in love with a significant other, when that person spends almost every waking moment with his or her lover, it's almost impossible not to adopt certain behaviors, attitudes, or tones that were unique to that other person.
The humor in DD was another element that pleasantly surprised me. It wasn't a consistent occurrence; instead, random lines shocked a laugh out of me throughout the entire story. Even when shit hits the fan, I still found something to laugh about.
Another thing I loved were the characters--both primary and secondary. Each and every individual in DD is exactly that: an individual. And boy are there a lot of characters. It may take some time adjusting, but you will learn who each person is, and if you're anything like me, you'll learn to love them all. Nora and Bram are of course my favorites, but someone who completely took me by surprise was Pam. Here we have a nit-picky, semi-annoying best friend. Secretly, I was hoping zombies would kill her because she seemed so superficial.
But then something happened. As I was bemoaning my fate of having to read in Pam's POV, she transformed before my very eyes and became someone I could relate with--someone I wanted to defend. And as I kept reading, my respect for her continued to grow and grow until I realized that she transformed into a kick ass young woman. Ohh the imagery when you see her in her home and confronting her family... I loved it!
And now while I'm talking about imagery, I must say that Lia did a wonderful job with descriptions. Every so often, there was a line that jumped out and resonated with me (I posted one on my Goodreads status). These brief moments truly made my reading experience that much more enjoyable. I also loved the way Lia described the circumstances for both the characters and their environments. I could feel how desperate and desolate Pam's situation was becoming as more and more time passed. The stark contrasts in atmospheres took everything to a whole new level, and captured/displayed a uniqueness that a lot of debuting and established works lack.
What impressed me the most, however, was the way Lia handled the dialogue in this book. Each character has a unique way of speaking and interacting with those around him or her. I particularly loved the banter between Nora and Bram--it was not only hilarious, but also moving. Speeches, which I normally detest in novels, were actually interesting. Upon delving into science, I felt like I was listening in on an interesting biology lecture about proteins. When listening to a political speech, I actually felt as if a politician--or some sort of government official--was addressing me. Me, not the characters.
I don't think that's ever happened in a novel before.
There aren't many weaknesses in DD, but I thought I would mention two things: one is an issue that weakened the book in my eyes, and the other is something that may make readers initially lose interest. The story did not pick up for me until chapter 4, which is about 50 or so pages in. I thought that the Prologue in Bram's POV was excellent and caught my attention, but setting up Nora's world may bore some. Please do not give up until you at least finish Chapter 4. If, by that point, you are still not interested, fine. You'll regret it if you stop any sooner.
As for my issue... well, I was not happy with the Epilogue. Here we have a novel that was so incredibly witty, fun, dark, dire, and heroic that I would be silly not to fall in love with it. Ending DD at the last chapter left me satisfied. By including the epilogue, which focused more on the HEA-for-now (happily ever after), I felt that I stumbled into foreign territory. It did not ring true with the rest of the novel... and what purpose did it serve, aside from simply setting the scene for book 2? (and not too strongly, at that).
I can't complain too much about it because I cannot properly voice my dissatisfaction with it, but I will say that in this case, I believe the novel would have ended on a much stronger note if there was a cliffhanger. Instead, I was kind of let down, as this seemed more like an afterthought than anything else.
Aside from that minor complaint, I will proudly declare that Lia Habel is now one of my top authors. While DEARLY DEPARTED did not outshine Ann Aguirre's ENCLAVE, I feel that this is the second best book I have read in 2011. I will auto-buy any and all of her books--in fact, I just pre-ordered this particular novel from Amazon so that I could keep a HC on my bookshelf. DEARLY DEPARTED deserves all the praise and hype it gets, and then some. Cannot wait for book two, and I HIGHLY recommend this zombie novel to everyone who loves YA, Steampunk, Romance, or Dystopian novels!(less)
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
A hilarious, spine-tingling novel, DEARLY DEPARTED has completely blown my mind....more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
A hilarious, spine-tingling novel, DEARLY DEPARTED has completely blown my mind. I was expecting a so-so 3-star book when I requested this on Amazon Vine. The back cover summary made it sound fairly interesting, and I figured zombies, steampunk, and some sort of dystopian-ish storyline might be the perfect change of pace from all the YA love triangles I've been drowning in. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision that this book and its characters would capture and hold my undivided attention for 400+ pages. I willingly stayed up until 3AM to read the first 300 pages, and only pure exhaustion had the ability to pull me away. But not for long! Once I woke up, I was reading again. I am amazed, and I cannot speak highly enough of Lia Habel's sheer genius.
The voice in DEARLY DEPARTED (DD) is fairly unique and takes some getting used to. While we are catapulted into the future, it would seem that society has progressed backwards in some ways, while also making advances we could only dream of living with. The United States no longer exists; Britain and numerous other countries have also perished as nature evicted humanity, forcing survivors to band together into tribes and relocate closer to the equator. Now, instead of cultures and nationalities, we have people like Nora who have reverted back to a Victorian-ish society... and then we have the Punks. You'll have to read the book to learn more about both.
I absolutely loved the contrast between Nora and Bram. I'll admit that as the novel progressed, it was sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two POVs and I think some may take issue with this. However, in the beginning, before the duo grow used to each other, this contrast--the way Bram viewed Nora--completely enamored me. While Nora sounds like a typical teenage girl, upon viewing her through Bram's eyes we see a sophisticated young woman. It doesn't sound like such a big deal, but I loved the contrast and I thought that the differences between these two cultures and characters shined beautifully in this regard. I wasn't too bothered by the similarities in voices further into the novel because I viewed it as a kind of... merging. Think about it: when one falls in love with a significant other, when that person spends almost every waking moment with his or her lover, it's almost impossible not to adopt certain behaviors, attitudes, or tones that were unique to that other person.
The humor in DD was another element that pleasantly surprised me. It wasn't a consistent occurrence; instead, random lines shocked a laugh out of me throughout the entire story. Even when shit hits the fan, I still found something to laugh about.
Another thing I loved were the characters--both primary and secondary. Each and every individual in DD is exactly that: an individual. And boy are there a lot of characters. It may take some time adjusting, but you will learn who each person is, and if you're anything like me, you'll learn to love them all. Nora and Bram are of course my favorites, but someone who completely took me by surprise was Pam. Here we have a nit-picky, semi-annoying best friend. Secretly, I was hoping zombies would kill her because she seemed so superficial.
But then something happened. As I was bemoaning my fate of having to read in Pam's POV, she transformed before my very eyes and became someone I could relate with--someone I wanted to defend. And as I kept reading, my respect for her continued to grow and grow until I realized that she transformed into a kick ass young woman. Ohh the imagery when you see her in her home and confronting her family... I loved it!
And now while I'm talking about imagery, I must say that Lia did a wonderful job with descriptions. Every so often, there was a line that jumped out and resonated with me (I posted one on my Goodreads status). These brief moments truly made my reading experience that much more enjoyable. I also loved the way Lia described the circumstances for both the characters and their environments. I could feel how desperate and desolate Pam's situation was becoming as more and more time passed. The stark contrasts in atmospheres took everything to a whole new level, and captured/displayed a uniqueness that a lot of debuting and established works lack.
What impressed me the most, however, was the way Lia handled the dialogue in this book. Each character has a unique way of speaking and interacting with those around him or her. I particularly loved the banter between Nora and Bram--it was not only hilarious, but also moving. Speeches, which I normally detest in novels, were actually interesting. Upon delving into science, I felt like I was listening in on an interesting biology lecture about proteins. When listening to a political speech, I actually felt as if a politician--or some sort of government official--was addressing me. Me, not the characters.
I don't think that's ever happened in a novel before.
There aren't many weaknesses in DD, but I thought I would mention two things: one is an issue that weakened the book in my eyes, and the other is something that may make readers initially lose interest. The story did not pick up for me until chapter 4, which is about 50 or so pages in. I thought that the Prologue in Bram's POV was excellent and caught my attention, but setting up Nora's world may bore some. Please do not give up until you at least finish Chapter 4. If, by that point, you are still not interested, fine. You'll regret it if you stop any sooner.
As for my issue... well, I was not happy with the Epilogue. Here we have a novel that was so incredibly witty, fun, dark, dire, and heroic that I would be silly not to fall in love with it. Ending DD at the last chapter left me satisfied. By including the epilogue, which focused more on the HEA-for-now (happily ever after), I felt that I stumbled into foreign territory. It did not ring true with the rest of the novel... and what purpose did it serve, aside from simply setting the scene for book 2? (and not too strongly, at that).
I can't complain too much about it because I cannot properly voice my dissatisfaction with it, but I will say that in this case, I believe the novel would have ended on a much stronger note if there was a cliffhanger. Instead, I was kind of let down, as this seemed more like an afterthought than anything else.
Aside from that minor complaint, I will proudly declare that Lia Habel is now one of my top authors. While DEARLY DEPARTED did not outshine Ann Aguirre's ENCLAVE, I feel that this is the second best book I have read in 2011. I will auto-buy any and all of her books--in fact, I just pre-ordered this particular novel from Amazon so that I could keep a HC on my bookshelf. DEARLY DEPARTED deserves all the praise and hype it gets, and then some. Cannot wait for book two, and I HIGHLY recommend this zombie novel to everyone who loves YA, Steampunk, Romance, or Dystopian novels!(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
Sep 26, 2011
Sep 27, 2011
Sep 16, 2011
Hardcover
0385740166
9780385740166
3.64
5,231
Aug 09, 2011
Aug 09, 2011
See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Since I am running on zero hours of sleep as I write this review (woo hoo all ni...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Since I am running on zero hours of sleep as I write this review (woo hoo all nighter!!), I'll leave the "intelligent" blabbering for another day. It's bullet point time.
**PLEASE NOTE: There are some spoilers mentioned in this review, but I have made it obvious where these points are so you can skim past and continue reading the non-spoilery segments**
PROS
1) The cover and back cover blurb intrigued me enough to actually *want* to read this book without researching it in advance (read: checking any and all available reviews before requesting it).
2) I stayed up all night to finish reading JULIET IMMORTAL. There was a reason for me pulling an all-nighter--I found candy at about 1AM, got a super bad sugar rush, and the next thing I knew, I was 3/4 done with the book and it was 4:30AM. Awesome that time flew by, and it was even better that JI was a quick and relatively painless read.
3) The writing redeemed the weaknesses of the book. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future works by Stacey Jay.
CONS
1) The logic in this world is severely lacking. I won't reveal any spoilers, but Juliet's death raised a red flag for me. Likewise, Juliet's ability to see auras (or not see them at certain times), could have been developed further. By the end, I was left feeling incredulous... Juliet is how old? Shouldn't she be a bit more experienced with seeing this kind of stuff by now?
2) There were a few cop-outs--particularly by the ending, which I was not entirely satisfied with. (view spoiler)[What was the point of the story if the "gods" could simply transport the characters to an alternate universe in the end? That was too convenient for me. (hide spoiler)]
3) Too many "I love yous." If I had to read that line one more time... (view spoiler)[To make it worse, the "instant connection-that's-more-like-I-LOVE-YOU-EVEN-THOUGH-I-JUST-MET-YOU" I dread in books played a prominent role in JULIET IMMORTAL. Juliet and Ben's relationship wasn't very convincing for me. An instant connection at first sight, followed by true love after three days with minimal interactions between the two? Romeo and Juliet interacted more than Juliet/Ben did. And then by the end of the book where she remembers Ben, but he doesn't remember her... and yet he can't keep his hands off her, despite the fact that he knew she married Romeo? My head is spinning just thinking about this. (hide spoiler)]
4) Romeo would have been more interesting had he been kept a villain. I wasn't entirely convinced of his transformation into a "redeeming" character. The ending was also... I suppose it set the scene for a second book in this series, and while Romeo was an intriguing character otherwise, I'm not buying his sudden swap.
Despite the complaints, JULIET IMMORTAL was not a bad read; Juliet was a great character to follow, which I think was more important for me. Because I was able to connect with her, I breezed through the novel at a supersonic speed. I also loved how the author took Romeo & Juliet's story and made it her own. Some parts of the execution could have been better, but this YA was a lot more enjoyable compared to a lot of the other releases out in the market right now.
I'd recommend this book to most fans of the YA genre. JULIET IMMORTAL is a fun twist on the Romeo & Juliet story that I think a lot of readers will enjoy. As for those who are a bit more... critical of YAs as of late, if you can overlook the cons I listed, you may enjoy this; otherwise, I would suggest borrowing a copy from a friend or from the library if you want to read it that badly.(less)
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Since I am running on zero hours of sleep as I write this review (woo hoo all ni...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Since I am running on zero hours of sleep as I write this review (woo hoo all nighter!!), I'll leave the "intelligent" blabbering for another day. It's bullet point time.
**PLEASE NOTE: There are some spoilers mentioned in this review, but I have made it obvious where these points are so you can skim past and continue reading the non-spoilery segments**
PROS
1) The cover and back cover blurb intrigued me enough to actually *want* to read this book without researching it in advance (read: checking any and all available reviews before requesting it).
2) I stayed up all night to finish reading JULIET IMMORTAL. There was a reason for me pulling an all-nighter--I found candy at about 1AM, got a super bad sugar rush, and the next thing I knew, I was 3/4 done with the book and it was 4:30AM. Awesome that time flew by, and it was even better that JI was a quick and relatively painless read.
3) The writing redeemed the weaknesses of the book. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future works by Stacey Jay.
CONS
1) The logic in this world is severely lacking. I won't reveal any spoilers, but Juliet's death raised a red flag for me. Likewise, Juliet's ability to see auras (or not see them at certain times), could have been developed further. By the end, I was left feeling incredulous... Juliet is how old? Shouldn't she be a bit more experienced with seeing this kind of stuff by now?
2) There were a few cop-outs--particularly by the ending, which I was not entirely satisfied with. (view spoiler)[What was the point of the story if the "gods" could simply transport the characters to an alternate universe in the end? That was too convenient for me. (hide spoiler)]
3) Too many "I love yous." If I had to read that line one more time... (view spoiler)[To make it worse, the "instant connection-that's-more-like-I-LOVE-YOU-EVEN-THOUGH-I-JUST-MET-YOU" I dread in books played a prominent role in JULIET IMMORTAL. Juliet and Ben's relationship wasn't very convincing for me. An instant connection at first sight, followed by true love after three days with minimal interactions between the two? Romeo and Juliet interacted more than Juliet/Ben did. And then by the end of the book where she remembers Ben, but he doesn't remember her... and yet he can't keep his hands off her, despite the fact that he knew she married Romeo? My head is spinning just thinking about this. (hide spoiler)]
4) Romeo would have been more interesting had he been kept a villain. I wasn't entirely convinced of his transformation into a "redeeming" character. The ending was also... I suppose it set the scene for a second book in this series, and while Romeo was an intriguing character otherwise, I'm not buying his sudden swap.
Despite the complaints, JULIET IMMORTAL was not a bad read; Juliet was a great character to follow, which I think was more important for me. Because I was able to connect with her, I breezed through the novel at a supersonic speed. I also loved how the author took Romeo & Juliet's story and made it her own. Some parts of the execution could have been better, but this YA was a lot more enjoyable compared to a lot of the other releases out in the market right now.
I'd recommend this book to most fans of the YA genre. JULIET IMMORTAL is a fun twist on the Romeo & Juliet story that I think a lot of readers will enjoy. As for those who are a bit more... critical of YAs as of late, if you can overlook the cons I listed, you may enjoy this; otherwise, I would suggest borrowing a copy from a friend or from the library if you want to read it that badly.(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
Aug 21, 2011
Aug 22, 2011
Aug 21, 2011
Hardcover
0373775431
9780373775439
3.96
2,542
Jan 25, 2011
Jan 25, 2011
See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UNVEILED's first chapter started off somewhat slowly for me,...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UNVEILED's first chapter started off somewhat slowly for me, but once the hero and heroine locked eyes, I was sucker-punched by the intense desire to see what would happen next in this historical.
Milan is a new author for me. I've heard some positive things about the author and her writing, including how hilarious her stories can be... and I was not disappointed. Scene after scene had me either smiling knowingly, snickering, or laughing long and loud. A certain amount of mischievousness has been layered into the story, thus lending the otherwise angst-filled story about discovery a new level of excitement and fun for the reader.
Speaking of angst, this isn't your typical romance. There's drama, of course, but remember that humor I just mentioned? It nearly eradicated the disquiet lurking in the background. But Milan doesn't let you forget it's there; in fact, she'll remind you every chance she gets--when the characters are alone. Usually with the romances I read, it's all adversity, all the time. It can get quite tiring, but I suppose that comes with the tortured hero, right?
The only point in time where I started to lose interest is towards the end of the story. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's obvious the two will hook up at some point (it's a romance, after all). The question, then, is when will they? My problem was, once the two did get together, my enthusiasm began to wither away. I began to lose focus and interest in what would happen next, and I'm not sure why.
Like another reviewer, I found it fairly hard to believe that Ash didn't figure out Margaret's identity sooner--especially since he had this "intuition" when it came to people.
Aside from those two complaints, I found UNVEILED to be a fun and engaging read. Anyone who enjoys historicals must check out Milan's Turner series. I will definitely be checking my library to see what other books are available there.(less)
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UNVEILED's first chapter started off somewhat slowly for me,...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UNVEILED's first chapter started off somewhat slowly for me, but once the hero and heroine locked eyes, I was sucker-punched by the intense desire to see what would happen next in this historical.
Milan is a new author for me. I've heard some positive things about the author and her writing, including how hilarious her stories can be... and I was not disappointed. Scene after scene had me either smiling knowingly, snickering, or laughing long and loud. A certain amount of mischievousness has been layered into the story, thus lending the otherwise angst-filled story about discovery a new level of excitement and fun for the reader.
Speaking of angst, this isn't your typical romance. There's drama, of course, but remember that humor I just mentioned? It nearly eradicated the disquiet lurking in the background. But Milan doesn't let you forget it's there; in fact, she'll remind you every chance she gets--when the characters are alone. Usually with the romances I read, it's all adversity, all the time. It can get quite tiring, but I suppose that comes with the tortured hero, right?
The only point in time where I started to lose interest is towards the end of the story. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's obvious the two will hook up at some point (it's a romance, after all). The question, then, is when will they? My problem was, once the two did get together, my enthusiasm began to wither away. I began to lose focus and interest in what would happen next, and I'm not sure why.
Like another reviewer, I found it fairly hard to believe that Ash didn't figure out Margaret's identity sooner--especially since he had this "intuition" when it came to people.
Aside from those two complaints, I found UNVEILED to be a fun and engaging read. Anyone who enjoys historicals must check out Milan's Turner series. I will definitely be checking my library to see what other books are available there.(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
May 07, 2011
May 11, 2011
May 07, 2011
Paperback
0439895979
9780439895972
3.57
19,294
May 01, 2011
May 24, 2011
See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
I tried to enjoy BEAUTY QUEENS, I really did. I guess my problem was I lacked th...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
I tried to enjoy BEAUTY QUEENS, I really did. I guess my problem was I lacked the appropriate mentality while reading this satirical-ish piece about beauty queens.
The formatting of this book is unique, and I enjoyed how fun it was. Unfortunately, the book follows pretty much all the characters at the same time, which was reminiscent of Battle Royale. Unlike Battle Royale, the superficiality overwhelming the pages makes even the intelligent characters difficult to relate with.
I guess I'm just too serious for this sort of book, which explains why I didn't get very far in it. I was looking for a quick, fun read, but instead received a book that was dense and difficult to get into.(less)
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
I tried to enjoy BEAUTY QUEENS, I really did. I guess my problem was I lacked th...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com
I tried to enjoy BEAUTY QUEENS, I really did. I guess my problem was I lacked the appropriate mentality while reading this satirical-ish piece about beauty queens.
The formatting of this book is unique, and I enjoyed how fun it was. Unfortunately, the book follows pretty much all the characters at the same time, which was reminiscent of Battle Royale. Unlike Battle Royale, the superficiality overwhelming the pages makes even the intelligent characters difficult to relate with.
I guess I'm just too serious for this sort of book, which explains why I didn't get very far in it. I was looking for a quick, fun read, but instead received a book that was dense and difficult to get into.(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
May 05, 2011
May 13, 2011
May 07, 2011
Hardcover
1442417617
9781442417618
3.61
4,884
Jun 07, 2011
Jun 07, 2011
Despite how many attempts I made to sit down and read POSSESSION (at least five different times and couldn't make it past page 20), I simply could not...more
Despite how many attempts I made to sit down and read POSSESSION (at least five different times and couldn't make it past page 20), I simply could not get into this story.
Perhaps it's burnout again. It's possible that I'm getting sick of the same typical dystopian societies in YA now. The girls are either baby makers, zombies are eating brains, or love is forbidden and girls are paired up with boys they're initially madly in love with... until they meet "the bad boy." Then all bets are off.
I thought I had quite some time before I began complaining about dystopians, but apparently, POSSESSION was the final push to make me wary of yet another YA genre.
Honestly, I think the more likely culprit was the fact that the heroine's voice left me uninterested. I had no idea what the hell was going on in the world, and frankly, I could not get myself to care--even within the first ten pages.
I'm not one to give up on a book without at least getting through 50 pages, but I couldn't make myself continue. If I'm flipping back and counting down until I'm done with a book, I already know the author's lost me; it's like reading high school US history books all over again.
Unfortunately, this one's a DNF for me.(less)
Perhaps it's burnout again. It's possible that I'm getting sick of the same typical dystopian societies in YA now. The girls are either baby makers, zombies are eating brains, or love is forbidden and girls are paired up with boys they're initially madly in love with... until they meet "the bad boy." Then all bets are off.
I thought I had quite some time before I began complaining about dystopians, but apparently, POSSESSION was the final push to make me wary of yet another YA genre.
Honestly, I think the more likely culprit was the fact that the heroine's voice left me uninterested. I had no idea what the hell was going on in the world, and frankly, I could not get myself to care--even within the first ten pages.
I'm not one to give up on a book without at least getting through 50 pages, but I couldn't make myself continue. If I'm flipping back and counting down until I'm done with a book, I already know the author's lost me; it's like reading high school US history books all over again.
Unfortunately, this one's a DNF for me.(less)
Notes are private!
none
1
May 28, 2011
Jul 28, 2011
Oct 10, 2010
Hardcover
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