* One of them is a mini Sydney-Bristow-in-training, whose family has been falsely accused...moreAlso posted on STRANGEMORE.COM.
Who is in the Heist Society?
* One of them is a mini Sydney-Bristow-in-training, whose family has been falsely accused, and she's armed with a big attitude and huge problems.
* Then there is the handsome and debonair millionaire thief who compares dancing to navigating through a laser grid.
* There is also the beauty who is literally electrifying in high heels and a skirt. At least, when she gets too close to priceless works of art.
* Two of them are the ones who've been blacklisted for stealing from a nun. Because whoever you are, that's just wrong.
* Another is a pickpocket and a newbie, with a British accent and mysterious eyes.
These are the people who make jokes about the time so-and-so ransomed The Queen's prized pooch. They are the teeny-bopper versions of Ocean's Eleven, but with less crew members and an even bigger job.
They are also the ones who take on the biggest heist job in the world. Their story isn't heart-wrenching or gut-churning, but it's fast, fun, and full of intrigue.
I feel like I should tell you more, but the first rule of Heist Society is that you don't... Well, if you don't already know, then I probably shouldn't tell you. (less)
Summer. It doesn't always have to be about mermaids and unicorns.
Sometimes, it just about a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him not to smash...moreSummer. It doesn't always have to be about mermaids and unicorns.
Sometimes, it just about a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him not to smash her sandcastle. And sometimes, that boy smashes it anyway.
But not in this book - in this one, they frikkin build sandcastles. One of them: a replica of the Sydney Opera House. Damn right.
In her small beach town, Anna meets and falls fast head over heels for Will, the boy from the city. She gets wrapped up in the magic of spending summer with her new squeeze and nearly forgets that he will be leaving by the end of the season. But he will leave. She knows she will have to deal with that and starts to pull away from him. Somehow, Will manages to win her over with his wiley charms, anyway.
The love interest's name is Will Cooper, which of course made me think of Will Grayson and Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson Will Grayson. If there are any "regular people" fictional characters out there that I loved, it's them. So then I got all nostalgic and junk.
Sixteenth Summer is fairly basic, not a lot of melodrama, but it evokes the feel of summer and perfectly captures the mind of a teenager during the season of short-lived-sappy romances. At one point in the book, the MC spent about 5 pages talking about a bathing suit wrap to wear to the beach, but with the voice she used, she managed to make it at least slightly interesting, or at least not as outright boring as it could have been. So that, in and of itself, is a feat. Especially coming from me, who has zero interest in fashion. A graphic tee and jeans for me, please.
Sixteenth Summer is perfect for those out there that go giddy and googly-eyed over the sap. This was sappy as Pooh's honey tree.
There are longing stares over campfire, scoops of ice cream galore, and a LOT of happy love thoughts. This felt too much like a generic relationship. Girl sees boy across the way. Boy meets girl's eyes. A few days later they see each other again. Boy asks girl out. Boy and girl get to know each other. I guess I am just more of a fan of slow developing relationships: Anti-generic relationships, best friends that become lovers, or a love-hate relationship. Not like-at-first-sight romances.
The one thing that I really liked was the fact this book told a clean, angst-free summer romance. The truth is that not all relationship are Dr Phil-worthy. And not all teens only think about to who and when they are going to lose their virginity or dwell constantly on the fact that they are virgins. In fact, I don't think this book ever mentioned sex. It may be rare, yes. But it is entirely possible.
Sometimes, relationships are just about learning to be. Or learning to be together. That's what this book is. It isn't fantastical or epic or even highly dramatic. It's just simply about a connection between two people.
What I didn't like
• A little too perfect until the last 50 pages or so • Too much lovey-dovey, not enough grit • Generic summer romance
What I liked
• Little baby sea turtles hatching and venturing into the ocean • Möbius strip bracelet • Nearly angst free • Strong female with her own separate life and sense of purpose
All in all, it was just too perfect. If you are looking for a perky and uppity summer romance with very little angst, then I really think you would love this. Very cute. Liked it, didn't love it.
This is a perfect book for younger teen girls, I think. If you constantly find yourself singing, "Huh. Tell me more, tell me more. Was it love at first sight?" and wishing that Danny Zuko was a good boy and that Grease was about the summer before Sandy transferred to Ridell High, then this book would be your let's-go-for-a-midnight-roll-in-the-sand-while-giggling-and-watching-sea-turtles-babies-run-free DREAM.
(Thanks to S&S for letting me read this as an ARC!)(less)
Okay FINE. This book isn't actually about a blonde chick with a door to an alternate universe in her head, but the plot line is just as equally contri...more
Okay FINE. This book isn't actually about a blonde chick with a door to an alternate universe in her head, but the plot line is just as equally contrived.
Gwen and Vic are our two protagonists, and they are also "twin" cousins. This means that their dads are brothers, and their moms are sisters. Yeah - two brothers married two sisters and each couple had a child. I'm not sure if I should be creeped out by that. In fact, I found myself thinking about it often throughout the book and whether or not it should be weird. I don't think it should, but for some reason it seems like it would be.
So, the kids inadvertently stumble into their Uncle/Dad's alternate universe machine and discover a whole new world. The inhabitants of this world are at war with a race of beings called Merlons. Dun, dun, dun...
When I was in middle school, I loved the Young Jedi Knights series (which would make an amaaaaazing TV show!!) that was written by the same authors. It's fair to say that I was obsessed. Now, I'm not sure if I was just to blinded by thoughts like "COOL JEDI TRAINING!!" to see the sad truth about it. The writing is rife with overused and unnessecary words and breaks off topic so easily that it's ridiculous. Maybe this was fine for me during my peak ADD years, but now I need a lot more.
Obviously a juvenile book, The Crystal Door is full of cliches, adjectives, adverbs, words like cerulean and magenta being used to describe the sky and the ocean, evil things, cheesy dialogue, and many other marks of books targeted to younger readers.
In it's entirety, it was fun, cute, and quick, but not a world where I would want to spend a huge amount of time. So it's a good thing that these books are short.
However, it was funny at times and might make a good choice if you are in the mood for a middle grade book!(less)
Yeah, that is a fairly decent representation of what I thought when I first saw the title for this book.
After I got...moreSleeping Beauty: VAMPIRE SLAYER?!?!
Yeah, that is a fairly decent representation of what I thought when I first saw the title for this book.
After I got over my shock, I was like "AWESOME!"
Then my eyes glazed over as I went "click happy" on Netgalley, requesting everything in sight, all because of this book. That's what the term "Vampire Slayer" does to me. It turns me into a consumer zombie.
Although, I'm not quite as legendary with my zombie wardrobe selection.
I feel like an addict who wakes up surrounded by drugs and passed out women, except that in my case - I'm now surrounded by ARCs that I have to read and review. Wonderful. When did being an addict become so much damn work? Fortunately, I love ARCs!
This was actually a fairly interesting take on the classic Sleeping Beauty myth.
Lucette is born to her mother and father, the King and Queen. A curse is placed on her and her people by the queen of vampires. The curse will trigger if Lucette pricks her finger on anything - but preferably on a rose, the flower with fangs.
If the curse is triggered, their daughter will only wake at dusk and fall asleep at dawn, while all her people will wake at dawn and and fall asleep at dusk, leaving Lucette all alone in an eternity of night. The fairy council places a counter spell upon the girl, protecting her from the curse until she is 16. The only way to reverse the curse, once triggered, is if Lucette can prove that she has found true love.
But how can she possibly find true love if all the men are asleep while she is awake?! Hmmmmm, I might have a suggestion:
I think the operative word for this book is.... Charming.
I want to say that this is more middle grade and I probably would have really enjoyed it around age 10 or 11, but it just feels too juvenile for me, now. Maybe it's because I'm not in the right demographic for this book, but I felt that characters didn't have quite enough depth.
The prose is simple and to the point. It was a fairly inventive modern fairytale, yet not all that enthralling.
At the time of requesting this, I didn't realize that this was a choose-your-own-adventure type book. I don't think I'm all that cut out for it. I seem to be much too curious a person, as I ended up just reading all the different "options" for the adventure and pretended I was reading alternate universe perspectives or something.
So if you are looking for a choose-your-own book, I think this would be one of the better ones. But I'm probably biased because of the vampire slayer part of it.
Although I semi-kinda-sorta-enjoyed it, I can't say that I would recommend going out of your way to read this as an adult reader. If it falls into your lap at the bookstore or you have "vampire slaying" addiction like me, then go ahead and give it a try for nostalgia's sake.
Because since when did turning Sleeping Beauty into a Vampire Slayer sound not-awesome?!
Vampires may get old, but vampire slaying is pretty much ALWAYS good! I sometimes wonder if anyone could change that...
(I received this book as a free review copy from Netgalley. Thanks Netgalley and Silver Dolphin Books!)(less)
The hottest novella from Carina Press today is Baaaaadlands. This book has everything: technology a la steampunk, airship battles, a strangely named h...moreThe hottest novella from Carina Press today is Baaaaadlands. This book has everything: technology a la steampunk, airship battles, a strangely named heroine, and "hafnawawo".
What's "hafnawawo" - you ask?
Well, the thing every good action flick needs (or at least, usually seems to have). Half naked warrior women!!
The badlands are a desolate land of crime and fighting. Criminals are sent north away from the populated areas. A tribe of warrior women patrol the borders, fighting off the criminals to keep them from crossing back over.
The queen of the tribe is murdered, Ever (our main character) is tasked with finding the princess to assume the queen's duties. Right at the start of her quest, she is injured and picked up by an airship.
Onboard the Dark Hawk, she manages to catch the eye of the men. It wasn't a difficult task considering she was half naked at the time she boarded, since the warrior women usually fight in various stages of undress.
Seriously though. What women, in their right mind, would want to fight battles half-naked, with their goods hanging out...
Well, there's Xena and Gabrielle:
And of course, the girl contestants of survivor:
But why actually fight naked when you could get the same effect with these Boob Scarves?
Anyway - an exciting airship battle ensues, with Ever manning the military turret. After taking down the enemy for them, she enlists the crew of the Dark Hawk to help on her mission.
I am absolutely fascinated by the way the author set the mood of the book. I saw everything so clearly in my mind. Our heroine, Ever (yes, I'll get to the name in a minute) and her comrades are the female version of Spartans. The bleak setting blends flawlessly into the background against the stark contrast of gore, creating a 300-esque vibe in the beginning.
I would love to see more of the world in Badlands. Most of this novella took place onboard the airship, instead of on the battle grounds of the women.
As pretty as the name Ever is, it can also cause confusion. It can easily be mistaken for the word "even" at the beginning of a sentence or as part of the sentence instead of as a name. It certainly took some getting used too.
The one big gripe that I have is over the perspective. Clarity on this subject isn't exactly the authors strong point. Because of the way that some sentences are phrased, it came across at times as "head-jumping" and I was left wondering who's perspective we were supposed to be getting.
Fav quote: He laughed, and the sound touched her in places far more intimate than her ears.
Decent romance, sexual tension, and love scenes. There is a love triangle. (No way!) Great battles. Not too shabby writing. The thing I liked is that it didn't feel like a "romance" novel right from the first word, as so many do.
Overall, this was a very good short novel. The steam technology wasn't all that present but it was obviously being used as a backdrop. Beautifully toned and shows great PROMISE, but I wouldn't call this great just yet.
A strong 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
I'm very interested to see more from this author and even more in this world. A full length novel with more based in the tribe of women would be very intriguing.
Oh and I almost ignored another tribe of women who fight half naked!
Can't forget the girls of "Jersey Shore."
(I received this as a review copy from Netgalley. Thanks Netgalley and Carina Press!)(less)
The first book, Poison Study, was awesome and gave you that happy-go-lucky feeling at the end and you want to yell "weeeeeee". The second book, Magic Study, was "eh". It felt somewhat disconnected from the original but still good. This third one, Fire Study, was just plain worn-out and over done, too much going on without much really happening. It had it's moments but mostly it was "blah".
So if we are going according to the chart, the next book in the Study series should involve zombies!! Let's face it - everything is better with zombies. But sadly, that epic has never been written and probably never will be. To sum up, the Study series in descending order: weeeeeee, eh, blah, zombies!!
In Fire Study, epic fantasy combines with action in the tale of Yelena, a young woman who has recently discovered her magical abilities and (shocker!) needs to use them to help save the world!
When you find a book with an insightful horse that communicates telepathically with it's rider and gives advice while still managing to avoid preaching and be nothing like Ishmael, then normally you would think that you had hit the jackpot!
Things I enjoyed about the book:
1) Kiki - Insightful and hilarious telepathic talking horse.
B) A very batty spirit guide for your journey.
3) Making nice with giant snakes!
Things I didn't like:
A) The endless disguising and playing dress-up.
351) All the rehashing and recycling of events.
I found myself bothered by one of the character's story lines and much to my surprise, I was annoyed by his absence. Cahil had begun to grow on me and I don't like it when fluff characters or those who provide comic relief turn into the bad guy, if you can really even call him that. It just doesn't work for me unless they are absolutely diabolical or pull some kind of switcharoo. A good example that comes to mind is (Beware! Harry Potter spoiler - Are there still people who haven't read Harry Potter?)(view spoiler)[Mad Eye Moody (hide spoiler)]. Now that was a head spinner. Cahil just doesn't work as a villain. In fact, his character could easily have been explored to a much deeper level and used to make the story more interesting.
The villains didn't seem to have a face either. The entire book was just kinda of "Yelena against the man". Who's the man? You ask. That's the question, isnt it? The big bad "they". There was so much mistrust and flip flopping by the characters. Most of the book, it just wasn't clear who the ultimate evil was or who exactly it was we were fighting against.
Now, my answer to the question: Who's the man? JANCO. JANCO IS THE MAN! My man, at least. So where was he?? I absolutely hated the near disappearance of my two favorite characters, Ari and Janco. Now that is a spin-off I would love!!
I absolutely enjoy a good spinoff. I mean what would life have been without the TV show Angel? But near the beginning, I felt like the circumstances with Opal Cohen were contrived specifically with the intent to launch the spin-off series. These parts were very interesting; I just wish that we could have seen a greater effect overall on the story. Although, I really did enjoy the way Opal's ability came into play at the end.
Throughout a good portion of the book, Yelena's is accompanied by her storyweaver and official guru, Moon Man. He is funny, wise, and great - but only to an extent. His impact is lessened when he is around soooo much, especially near the beginning. Did Yoda follow Luke Skywalker around throughout the entire original trilogy? No, because he's too damn smart for that. Also, was Yoda constantly naked? No. Because he's too damn smart for that. Or - maybe it was just because he was out of his prime.
When 900 years old I reach, look as good I will not.
Really though. Moon Man is always naked. Geez, Moon Man, what do you think this is - Frikkin Survivor? Should I call you Richard Hatch? Don't worry. No visual aid for that one. Your welcome!
My favorite quote from this book is a simple but adorable one by Leif: "What are you scheming, little sister?" And I was glad that the two of them were finally bonding.
Valek was hardly around at all in this one as well. But it didn't bother me anyway because his character had basically become mush. He used to be gruff and masculine, now he's all "blah blah, lovey dovey". I know - I have a way with words, don't I? He was not at all the Valek I loved in the first book. I miss him. And if I hear the words "My love" ONE MORE TIME...
The audio was very good although sometimes unintentionally funny. Sound quality was beautiful and professional. The narrator's voice was usually very smooth; I just got a kick out of the various voices. But I am "easily giggled."
Like I said before, I felt there was too much explaining of past events that wasn't necessary or relevant at the time. But overall, an enjoyable series. The best of which is the first book and I would definitely recommend you read Poison Study.
For a very long time, the great conundrum of the world has been this: Zombies? Or unicorns?
It seemed something had come along to finally resolve this issue: ZOMBIE UNICORNS!! But things are not as they seem. Dun, dun, dun.
By the way, this book is a free download from John Green, just click on the book page and hit 'download ebook'. Then par-tay!!!
I had a conversation, albeit somewhat imaginary, with Mia Featherstone, the protagonist of this John Green novella entitled Zombicorns.
Me: Zombie unicorns, you say? Mia: Well, no, actually it's NOT zombie unicorns. Me: Whhhhhhhhhat? No Zombie Unicorns??!! Noooooooooo! Goodbye, cruel world! Mia: No, no. This is even more awesome because it's zombie "corn". Get it? Me: Errrrrr? *tilts head* Mia: You know, corn? Like the food. It's yellow, with rows of kernels. Me: Aaaaand that's better than zombie unicorns how? Mia: Because the zombies care for and plant the corn. They're like undead uncoordinated zombie corn farmers. Me: Uh-huh. Mia: But it's good, because corn is awesome. Me: Zombies plant corn? WHY THE FRAK DO THEY PLANT CORN?! Mia: They've been infected by a virus through eating corn and they want to bring that corn to everyone because of said virus. Me: Ah. So it's not zombified unicorns! It's zombies eating corn?. Mia: Uh, kinda. It's just - they don't actually eat the corn once they are infected. They either eat people or force the people to eat corn. Me: They don't eat the corn, they just plant it? Mia: Yep. Me: Well, regardless. I really did enjoy your story - really entertaining. Oh, I loved your dog, Mr. President. Mia: Gee thanks. Me: As much as I liked it, I'm glad you kept your story short because I just don't know how long zombies planting corn would stay interesting. Mia: Understood. Me: Are you sure there aren't any unicorns? Mia: No unicorns. No rainbows. Sorry. Me: Frak! Oh, on a side note. It seems that you like to use the term "frak". Is John Green a fan of Battlestar Galactica? Mia: Who's John Green?! *eyes start to glaze over* Me: What do you mean? He's the guy that wrote yo... Oh, uh, never mind. Forget I said anything. Mia: What are talking about?! Who the frak is John Green? *roars and goes dead behind the eyes* Me: No one. No one. Uh, interview over!! *runs away screaming* I'm never eating corn, EVER AGAIN!(less)
Considering how often Yelena was injured, captured, and beat-to-a-pulp in this follow-up to Poison Study - I felt this picture summed it up best:
There...moreConsidering how often Yelena was injured, captured, and beat-to-a-pulp in this follow-up to Poison Study - I felt this picture summed it up best:
There are considerably more DOH! moments in this book, as opposed to the zero in the last book. Quite a few times, I felt myself wanting to smack some sense into Yelena. Especially toward the beginning of the book, she didn't seem to be her reliable calculating and resourceful old self.
Instead of reading, like I did with Poison Study, I listened to the audiobook for Magic Study. The narrator was good, although not the best. She had great inflections and tone to her voice and never became tiresome.
However, I found her choice of individual voices a great source of amusement. Some males had a distinct femininity and some females sounded much too masculine. There wasn't always consistency with accents as well.
Two of the side characters, Bain and Reyad had what sounded like a mix of Irish and Scottish accents with Bain sounding much too feminine. I actually thought he was a woman for quite a while. Valek, Yelena's love interest, had a slight female sounding voice as well with a mix of a British and Australian accent. Cahil, Yelena's frenemy, came off as a surfer-slash-stoner. The student Gelsie sounded just like the horse Kiki. That's right. A talking horse!! (who I love!) But it's not what you might think. She's no Mister Ed. And Irys, Yelena's mentor - Well, she had about as feminine a voice as Al Green. Like a Russian body building Cher (now that's a mental image). Ari and Janco, however, sounded exactly how I felt they should. In fact, it made me want to listen to Poison Study just to hear some of their hilarious exchanges.
The voices also got me thinking about how the narrator decides who gets what voice. Do they consult with the author or just make it up as they go? Do they even read the book first? If memory serves me right, it seems like she started out pronouncing Dax as Dox, then switched halfway through the book. Was she corrected or had she just forgotten how she pronounced his name before?
In this book, Yelena refers to her tactics against her foes as her "rush into a situation and hope for the best" method, but I don't think she gives herself enough credit. As her relationships with various new characters progress, she takes on a new role. Team member. Often, she at least seems to be thinking ahead but mostly she relies heavily on others, as opposed to her old self, who trusted and counted on no one. This doesn't come off as a strength or a weakness, she just tends to find herself in need of help more often. All of that is an inevitability with the expanding cast of characters and friends.
Valek wasn't in this book nearly as much. I felt their relationship went from "summer lovin" to "you're the that I want" a little too fast. In the Poison Study, their relationship developed slowly. It seemed they were a little too connected in this one. A little more than I believed, at least since it's common knowledge that he would easily kill her if asked to by his Commander. "Oh my love, you're the only one for me. Now come closer, so I can slit your throat because I was commanded to." I didn't get that part of it.
I really wished the storyline with Ferda had been completely wrapped up. I was looking forward to a new big bad in Fire Study, because this guy creeps me out. That's the mark a good villain, though.
Overall, Maria's prose is lovely. No out of place descriptions or metaphors this time. The character development was decent and mostly believable. This one just didn't draw me in the way the first one did. I felt a lot of disconnect. I am still looking forward to the next, mainly in hopes of more Ari and Janco time!
First off: I am not generally a thriller/suspense reader. I love it in movies and TV, but I have yet to find an amazing suspense author capable of kee...moreFirst off: I am not generally a thriller/suspense reader. I love it in movies and TV, but I have yet to find an amazing suspense author capable of keeping me fully-immersed in a crime story and it's characters. Though, I do plan to read the books by "Richard Castle" whether they are any good or not, just because I love him so much. I'm not sure what that says about me.
I watch quite a bit of crime TV and perhaps I have become way to accustomed to the fast pace at which the episodes progress. This book moved too slow for me, slower than I would have preferred. The characters were interesting but didn't blow me away. I will say that the ending caught me off guard and I thought it all came together very well, which says a lot. I definitely think that American mystery lovers would enjoy the change of culture offered by The Devotion of Suspect X.
If not for the ending, this would have been a 2 star. Mainly just because of the pacing. The fact is that this was just really not my thing.
I received this book free as an ARC from the Goodreads Firstreads program. Thanks!(less)
Space is awesome! I say that like I've been there. For all you know, I have. I could be a certified astronaut in the U.S. Space Program who took time...moreSpace is awesome! I say that like I've been there. For all you know, I have. I could be a certified astronaut in the U.S. Space Program who took time off from being in space to write fiction about being in space and that's why I've been on Goodreads so much. I could be.... You don't know.
Okay, so I'm not. I haven't nor probably never will go to outer space, but that doesn't stop me from thinking it's the coolest and most awesomest thing in the universe. Which as a matter of fact it actually is the "coolest" natural thing in all the 'verse; that is presuming you can call it a thing. Really space is the absence of things. As the absolute absence of anything, is it really a thing? Should it even have a name? Maybe we should just call it ________. That might be a more accurate description. (view spoiler)[Shhhh, no one is supposed to know this. Space isn't actually completely "void." There are still particles up there somewhere, which is why even space never reaches Absolute Zero. But no one needs to know that we actually know so much about The Void, mmmkay? (hide spoiler)]
Where was I? Oh yeah, space is cool. It can be approximately as low as negative 454.765 degrees Fahrenheit if you want to be specific. Which, unfortunately, is about as cold as the characters and the "romance" in this book. This book doesn't make space cool; it makes it ridiculous.
Let me break it down, now.
-Huge society lives in and operates spaceship, with cryogenically frozen peeps in tow, destined to start a colony on a new planet. -Everyone awake on the ship is dark-olive skinned with brown hair and brown eyes. -The society doesn't have any sort of religion or superstitious beliefs. -Their appearance seems to be of Asian decent, but they speak and act distinctly American. -They are supposedly all descendants from the original earth-based crew of many different ethnicities.
Even with the backstory we get later on in the book, I just don't see a set of circumstances unfolding logically that would follow these lines, leading to that sort of society, especially since no useful background information is given as to how or why it might have happened. After 300 years, they only have a couple new words (brilly and frex)?! Everything else is the same? And after 300 years, no religions or superstitions were passed down or even created? And how did they all become mono-ethnic? They weren't originally.
They have the technology to use cryogenics and build a humongous space ship, larger than the entire island of Iwo Jima, capable of flying across the galaxy, but they still use pencils and paper? They don't even have tablet computers.
And mostly, why WHY would you need an entire society to keep an eye on the ship. Wouldn't it make more sense to have shifts of people woken from cryogenics to keep an eye on the star charts, instead of an entire society that needs to be fed, watered, and continuously breeding just to keep the ship running? Wouldn't the engines have been more efficient if they didn't have to support an entire city and farmland and a ginourmous artificial sun?
But even though they have this huge society, they still tons of people in cryogenics.
And now, some of the cryogenically frozen are being murdered. So, all this technology an all these essential people and they don't have ANY better security? No cameras? No A.I.? And all you have to do is unplug those in cryo to kill them?!
Oh, and also, they only breed every once in a great while and when it happens, they do IT everywhere. (view spoiler)[ Because of hormones in the water. Seriously. They'd have to be some pretty strong hormones to make people strip down and get it on in the stairwell of a mental facility/hospital. And why does it only effect twenty-somethings? If it's in the water supply, wouldn't it effect those who aren't in their twenties too? And why are there even people who are younger than 20? And supposedly there are twenty-somethings and forty-somethings, so do they only have a Season every twenty years? If that's the case, then there shouldn't be anyone under 20 until after this season and then they would all be newborns, not young like the girl who Amy talks to about rabbits or a teen like Elder. I guess there are exceptions to the Seasons? But how? If birth control is distributed in the water supply? Did I miss an explanation somewhere? (hide spoiler)]
Space kids playing CSI. That's all this was. Aaaaand the plot line made about as much sense as David Caruso's lines.
*husky voice* "I think it's about to get real cold in....." *puts on sunglasses with dramatic pause* "SPACE"
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!
Some books I like to take my time with. I revel in the beautiful language or study the composition of the sentences. Some I reread passages just for the heck of it. Then, some books I inhale because I can think of nothing else. I can't stop reading as fast I can, because I just can't get enough.
This was none of the above. Across The Universe was easy to put down and not feel compelled to pick back up. I didn't take my time with it either though because I just wasn't that intrigued by the details or descriptions and didn't feel invested in the mystery. So I got through it quickly, but not because I was consumed by it. Rather the opposite. What is the opposite of consumed? Ummm, vomited? Expelled!! Expelled sounds better. This book expelled me from it. It said "read me and be done with it already."
The person who we are, I think, supposed to see as a bad guy, doesn't seem as bad as the main characters seem to see him. The murderer was so obvious that it makes me laugh.
Also, the cover is VERY misleading. It looks like a romance, does it not? Yeah, there is pretty much ZERO romance in this book, which I actually might have appreciated if I hadn't already been expecting romance. But I almost didn't notice the lack of lovey-dovey, because I was so distracted with questions and vehement disagreement with the ridiculous world-building.
What happened to the books that surprise and astound me with the answers to the questions they raise? I want a book that SHOCKS me with a capital Lightning Bolt.
Am I so jaded of a reader that nothing shocks me anymore? Or is it the books that are jaded from an over-sold and over-saturated YA market?(less)
If you can get past the ick factor, the story itself is captivating. With just a touch of fantasy (a really really slight touch), the author conveys s...moreIf you can get past the ick factor, the story itself is captivating. With just a touch of fantasy (a really really slight touch), the author conveys so much with very little. She weaves words in such a way that you get what she is saying without her actually ever saying it. It makes for a fascinating read, but I did feel that something was lacking.
However, I liked that fact that it was slimmed down from your usual fantasy or romance. It only took about an hour and a half to read all the way through. I was in the mood for a novella, and this one really told a strong story in a short time.
I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers as the subject matter is somewhat disturbing. Don't expect a high fantasy setting with this one though. Like I said, the characters never actually confirm any sort of paranormal goings-on, they just hint at it.
I definitely would have liked more closure on the fantasy part of the story. I guess I would just like to know if my assumptions are correct. That's the difficult thing about how she chose to tell her tale, you are never really sure. I think maybe a prologue or an epilogue would have been just enough to tie it all together.(less)
Aden has four souls living inside his body, not to mention his own. Sound confusing? Well, it is. But also strangely engaging.
There is so much going o...moreAden has four souls living inside his body, not to mention his own. Sound confusing? Well, it is. But also strangely engaging.
There is so much going on in this book. Within the first couple chapters there was foreshadowing, red herrings, background stories, and multiple subplots. If your looking for something quick or easy, this isn't the one. It is definitely not a skimmer.
Towards the end, it became a bit of a supernatural orgy fest with ghosts, goblins, zombies, witches, psychics, empaths, werewolves, vampires and demons (or rather half human/demon hybrids and their even more complicated spawn). Shall I go on? Because I could probably think of more. Oh yeah, time traveler!
As much as reading that list makes me think "awesome!", it also sometimes causes an involuntary "wait, what??".
The world building is decent. It offers a new version of vampires (Really? There are more versions?), but not a lot else is new. Warring factions of supernatural beings who all suffer from megalomania and want to rule the world. Why cant the pretty monsters all just get along? It seems like no matter what, they are always hating and fighting each other. Is it too much to ask for something different? This isn't a gripe about this book in particular, just the massive amounts of fantasy novels that seem to rely on the same formula. There's just too much of the same.
I prefer updates of classic mythos, and some would probably say this falls into that category. But the supernatural part of the story just felt like "Okay, I've heard it all before". Maybe because i actually watch too much of CW's Supernatural, but who can say?
The thing that most impressed me was the main concept. Five souls inhabiting one body. When I first read that, I thought that there was no way an author could pull that off. But she certainly did! The characters really all seemed unique and mostly genuine. It became fairly easy to separate them from each other, and I could almost picture what I think they all would look like if they looked like anything or anyone. What do they look like to Aden, I wonder? Maybe glowing balls of light inside his mind? I wonder if he even has an idea of what they are supposed to look like.
As it went on though, I started to care less and less about what happened. I still liked the characters but I just felt like the story got way to complicated and too far out there. It needed to just get on with the main storyline about Aden.
I am excited about the sequel, I just really hope that she focuses more on the main plot about the souls and less on the war of attractive beasts.(less)
Considering this book is called Spook, I was expecting a little more "spooky". I appreciate that she focused on what could be called the more scientif...moreConsidering this book is called Spook, I was expecting a little more "spooky". I appreciate that she focused on what could be called the more scientific side of the afterlife, but I assumed there would be at least some discussion about paranormal activity, namely ghosts or other supernatural occurrences. There wasn't much involving those, except for the chapter on Mediums.
I would have liked to see her investigate claims of hauntings, demonic possession, or angel encounters, because in a sort of round about way, that would prove the concept of an afterlife or at least some sort of spirit world. Then again, there are so many claims and frauds out there. It would have been difficult to sort through, but certainly would have been interesting.
For me, there was a little too much in between chat, little bits of discussion in between the necessary paragraphs, that I could have done without. Other than that, the book was laid out very well. I like how each chapter represented a different investigation.
Though the "evidence" is slim, this book was strangely calming with what it did hold. I'm glad to see that she mostly had an open mind and her opinion changed slightly as she uncovered more information. I certainly look forward to reading more of her work.(less)
The truth is that the paranormal is normal. It's just a normal that we don't understand yet.
So the main character of this book, Charlotte, composed a...moreThe truth is that the paranormal is normal. It's just a normal that we don't understand yet.
So the main character of this book, Charlotte, composed a song and wanted me to sing it to you.
*cue Fresh Prince music*
Now this is the story of about how My life got spooky turned inside out. I'd like to take a minute - so sit right there. And I'll tell you how I became the princess of Ghost-busters extraordinaire.
In deeply haunted houses where I was born and raised, A ghost's playground was where I was filmed most of my days. They chill you out, max you out, relax you - NOT. Cool. So I tried shootin' some B-rolls and making friends at school. When a couple of critics, who were up to no good, starting castin' doubts about my parenthood. They said my parents shouldn't chase ghosts and I should be scared. Then all the sudden I'm moving again to be a Ghost-buster extraordinaire.
I called to a ghost and something came near. It felt like seeing the world through a fun house mirror. If anything, I thought that this could be rare, But I thought "Man, forget it. It must have been a glare."
I. Pulled. Up to new house and it must have been fated. I yelled to my parents "New home smell! Who could hate it?!"
I looked at my kingdom and I was finally there To sit on my throne as Ghost princess extraordinaire.
Charlotte's parents are Ghost-chasing skeptics who film documentaries about strange phenomena that sometimes even they can't dispute. Charlotte tries to be normal but always ends up getting picked on, until they move and she becomes accepted in her new school. But they didn't move alone - some "energy" has followed Charlotte. She finally accepts her role as a ghost chaser and starts to unravel the mysteries that surround her.
This book really captivated me from the beginning and on through 'til the end. It was the first time in a long time that I have held my breath while reading. The first time in forever that both the imaginative and logical parts of brain have been forced to work in tandem.
A lot of talk about "energy" and such. But I thought it was incredibly interesting. The author did a great job of including a mix of the science and the fantasy.
It does kind of go along with the whole ghosts-only-care-about-love-and-relationships thing there for a while. That always makes me curious about the uh, limitations, of ghosts:
What is that on your head? Do I even want to know what it's used for?!
But if you really need the answer to that - watch the movie Ghost. Because there is no hokey "pokey" going on in this book. No romance as of yet.
Short and fun. Mysterious and easy to feel for characters. I just wish that the entire book held the same suspense that the beginning did.
Rating: A steady 3.5 stars!
I am very much looking forward to reading more from this author! And maybe some ghostly lovin'.
You know when you see yourself in a picture and think, "Ahhhhhhhh! Is that me?"
You just don't look right because you're used to seeing yourself from a...moreYou know when you see yourself in a picture and think, "Ahhhhhhhh! Is that me?"
You just don't look right because you're used to seeing yourself from a different angle in the mirror. That's how this entire book felt because I thought I was seeing it all wrong. Something just seemed off. But more on that later *long drawn out dramatic pause*............ Dun, dun, duuuuuuun.
Beware! Minor Spoilers are afoot (and tagged). That's if you can spoil something that's already 'Rot'ten and 'Ruin'ed to begin with. Haha. Oh, and Major Ranting *salute* runs wild, crazy, and naked all over this review like a mad man on a football field.
Let me start off by saying that this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year so perhaps I went in with much-too-high expectations. I went into it expecting to LOVE it, but often found myself rolling my eyes at what felt like preaching and dumbing-down to a younger audience.
So, the first couple chapters of this book were the most tremendously creative and in depth look at what it takes to survive a zombie apocalypse.
Benny and Chong just turned 15, and it is time for them to start looking for their zombietown survival-related jobs. The jobs were highly original and realistic, well as realistic as you can get for a book about people with Mad Human Disease. As far as this part of the book goes, I was as twitterpated as squirrel with a huge mug of coffee.
Well, Benny ends up becoming a zom hunter. Big surprise there, right? Because a book entirely about a boy who makes his living bottling dead-flesh scent for the hunters to use as zombie repellant would have been awesome! Too bad Benny didn't go for that job. It's also too bad they didn't have a factory for making this drink:
Right from the get go, the characters come alive. Even the dead ones! Har har. But, I suppose that's the point of a zombie book, after all. There are so many intriguing supporting roles in this story. There's a big problem though; they're stagnant characters. They change by the end but only because we are told they've changed, not shown. I didn't feel it, and it didn't seem genuine. They don't have much chemistry together, and the beginning is as good as it gets. At first, I was excited about the characters, but very soon I became annoyed with them.
Thing is: we are introduced to two charming yet ignorant characters, who Benny sees as heroes. You start out convinced to really like these guys and then it's all turned upside down when they become the center of a vast network of crime and villainy. As unintelligent as they are, simpleton zom hunters Charlie and Hammer are, at first, hilarious side characters/antagonists. I found this part at the beginning with Charlie and Hammer very funny:
"You boys have to be rich as Midas by now." "Midas?" asked Hammer. "Who's he?" "I think he sold mufflers," offered Norbert, one of the traders who used armored horses to pull wagons of scavenged goods from town to town, "and then bought a kingdom." "Yeah," said Charlie, nodding as if he knew that to be the truth. "King Midas. Definitely from Detroit. Made a fortune outta car parts and such."
Kinda funny, right? Unfortunately, it's also the only funny part I actually remembered.
Here I was, thinking these guys would be the Ari and Janco (from Poison Study series) of Rot and Ruin, but Noooo. Soon after, we are supposed to hate them and want them dead as quickly as our protagonist does.
Benny's older brother, Tom, is the zombie hunter who begins training him. But for these guys, it isn't about the gore or adrenaline. It's about closure. People hire them to slay their zombified loves ones so they can rest in peace at last. A good twist on the usual zombie slayage but I missed the massive mayhem usually associated with zombie books. Plus, A LOT of the book was told after-the-fact with other people relating stories to Benny through dialogue. Looooong stories.
Within the stories told to Benny by his brother is another fascinating concept that I actually wish the story had been centered around. There's a place called Gameland where mercenaries pit people versus zombies arena-style, or have them compete in other horrific zombie-themed games and mazes.
The storytelling, namely how much "telling", was really taking a toll on my psyche. Tom would start an important story and ramble on about slightly related things and then say "let's save the rest of the story for later" or "I'm not sure I'm ready to tell you that yet" or "maybe if I trusted you more". Oh my God! Shut up and talk!!! The banter between the two was ridiculous, in a very very bad way that made me want to spank myself just so I could hit something!
This is an embellished version of a conversation between Benny and Tom. Remember, Benny is the whiny younger brother. And Tom is the self-righteous zombie killer.
Benny: I effing hate zoms. I want to kill them!!!! Tom: But why do you want to kill them, little brother? Benny: Because they are EFFING zoms and I hate them! Waaah! Tom: Okay kiddo, but WHY are they zombies? Benny: Because they EFFING died!!!! Gahhhh! Tom: And what, little man, were they before they died? Benny: They were people, you EFFING idiot! Tom: And knowing that they were once people do you still want to kill them, little brother? Benny: EFFING yes I do! Ahhhhh! Idiot! Tom: Are you sure about that, buddy? Benny: Yes I'm EFFING sure? Why are you all up on me like this? Tom: Don't you at least want to kill them nicely, little bro? Benny: EFF Yes! As long as you will shut the EFF up! Tom: That's not very nice, Benny! Don't you want to be nice? Benny: Why the EFF are you so EFFING mean to me?!
Yeah, annoying isn't it? Okay, so Benny never actually uses the "eff" word but that was just for dramatic effect.
There are also alot of scenes involving main characters and chaos where all the characters can do is scream each others names. They go a little something like this: TOM! Miscellaneous mercenary mayhem. BENNY! Zombie Mayhem. NIX! Mercenary and zombie mayhem. TOM! Mayhem. BENNY! Mayhem. NIX! You get the picture. We don't really get any inner dialogue or see any foresight from them in these situations, whatsoever. Yes, theres some bashing and slashing. But way too much yelling out names.
I think part of the problem is that my brain is descending into sexual tension oblivion. Almost to the point that I just can't read something where there are no characters who have some sort of underlying physical chemistry together.
This book was interesting, funny at times, and tried to be action-filled but for at least the first half, pretty much ALL of the main characters were male. With the exception of the one girl, who all Benny does is talk about how he doesn't look at her THAT way, while at the same time mentioning how tight her t-shirt is. Huh? How does a teenage boy not look at a hot teenage girl who fills out her shirt in THAT kind of way? Whatevs. Oh, then after all the talk about him not liking her as anything but a friend for what seemed like 3/4 of the book, (view spoiler)[by the end, they are making out. ??? No real build-up, no tension. Just kissing. (hide spoiler)]
And every once in a while, the perspective would jump to a completely random character for like two paragraphs with unnecessary passages. Why? I don't understand.
Among the stories told to Benny, most center around a mysterious kick-ass character called the Lost Girl, whose heart-pounding stories are all related to Benny in past tense and involving way to much hearsay. It's like what the movie Kick-Ass would have been if Hit-Girl was just always talked about in passing by the characters and then didn't show up until like the last 15 minutes. Who wants that?
There were countless incredible ideas in Rot and Ruin. It just never seemed like we were getting the story from the right perspective. I'm not even sure that Benny was necessary to the story at all. All the backstories would have been better experienced first hand. I would have much rather have seen the story told from the perspective of the Lost Girl starting from the time she was two years old, (view spoiler)[watching her mother die on First Night, up until she is taken captive by mercenaries planning to put her in the games at Gameland (hide spoiler)].
There were a few really good quotes though, and this was one of my favorite:
"People need something to blame. If they can't find something rational to blame, then they'll very happily blame something irrational."
I also really like this one:
"There are moments that define a person's whole life. Moments in which everything they are and everything they may possibly become balance on a single decision. Life and death, hope and despair, victory and failure teeter precariously on the decision made at that moment. These are moments ungoverned by happenstance, untroubled by luck. These are the moments in which a person earns the right to live, or not."
I'm still rating higher because I liked the concept and loved the beginning. But by the end, I hated the fact that I didn't love ANY of the main characters.
I'm really torn up over the fact that I didn't like this more. But not too torn up. As far I can tell, all my limbs are still attached and my flesh isn't hanging off, so that's a good sign. I haven't officially been a victim of zombism yet as far as this book is concerned. The story itself just didn't grab me as much as I expected. I was hoping for the Hunger Games of zombies and I think I got more of the Matched of zombies.
So, after all this frustration, I really need something to cheer me up. And all I found was this.
Truthfully, I think that is more unnerving than is it awesome - and a lot like Rot and Ruin now that I think about it.
Ahhhhh, much better! Now I can rest easy knowing that if zombified felines exist, at least some of them are ADORABLE! (less)
Moves like Buffy as sung to Lyndsey by Evie, set to Moves like Jagger by Maroon 5
Do you see these scars? I can go all night You know in your heart That y...moreMoves like Buffy as sung to Lyndsey by Evie, set to Moves like Jagger by Maroon 5
Do you see these scars? I can go all night You know in your heart That you aren't right I'll take you away To the IPCA Yeah, you better behave
You're in my control So don't fight me Now let's take a stroll Don't you bite me You say I'm a sheep Well, I think you're a creep I don't give a BLEEP
And it goes like this...
Take me by the the hand And I'll go with you Through the faerie lands And I'll show
I got them moves like Buffy I got them MOVES like Buffy I got them mooo-oo-oo-OOO-oo-oo-oo-ooves like Buffy.
I won't even try to control you I already know that I'll OWN you
I got them moves like Buffy I got them MOVES like Buffy I got them mooo-oo-oo-OOO-oo-oo-oo-ooves like Buffy.
__________________________________
So Evie is back. This time she has all-but-disappeared from the radar of her former employer, the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency), and is now living a semi-normal existence and attending a regular high school. Or so she thought. When unusual activity with paranormals starts cropping up all over the place, they need her to help solve the mystery. She is assigned a new and mysterious escort named Jack who begins to cause all sorts of problems for Evie, even though she already has enough problems of her own, including the relationship with her paranormal boyfriend, Lend. What sorts of surprises does Jack have in store for Evie? (view spoiler)[Well, apart the fact that he is a complete douche, which isn't really that much of a surprise. (hide spoiler)]
Lend was a refreshing character in the first book and I enjoyed the seemingly natural progression of his relationship with Evie. But, um. *sigh* Well, he's just so.... vanilla. A teeny bit of vanilla can make a drink like Dr Pepper taste THAT much more awesome. But too much vanilla can overpower the rest of the 23 flavors and leave a bitter aftertaste.
So this book, instead of being "bag and tag", was more like "nag and tag". I thought Lend was charming and snarky in the first book. Here, all he does is nag nag, nag. With good reason? Yes. But still. It's no fun to read about someone being tirelessly berated. He was intriguing in Paranormalcy, but in Supernaturally, I just didn't see the appeal.
"Best. Boyfriend. Ever."
No, that wasn't a quote from Sweet Valley High. That was an actual line in the book, Supernaturally, by Evie about Lend. Really, Evie? You just went there.
Where's my Evie? Where is the girl who would have Tasey'd the crap out of this new douchbag Jack?! Where's the girl who would have kicked a troll-kid-killer in the face with her pink leopard print boots?
Overall, this book was less Roswell High more Sweet Valley High. Or I'm assuming, since I never had the pleasure of reading or watching it for myself.
Things this book may have in common with Sweet Valley High: Annoying blonde guy. Group sports! Jealous boys!! Long distance relationship angst!!! Characters who can literally suck the soul right out of you. (Wait - that doesn't sound right.... No, actually, I think it still fits)
I think that one of the things I enjoyed so much about Paranormalcy was that it was almost a sort of dystopia with Evie herself being contained at the Center and that mysterious air about the facility and it's goings-ons. I also loved the Whedonesque banter between Evie and her IPCA victims, but that was, sadly, less prevalent in this sequel.
Well, I still love Evie's adventures and will read the next one. I just probably won't be quite as fangirly. Don't get me wrong either: the first book, Paranormalcy, was tons of fun.
The part of this book that I enjoyed the most was near the end when we learn more about the realm of Faerie and the faerie doors... but then I got nostalgic over the Fever series.
Then I remembered that I first read The Fever Series after my friend, Jillian, compared it to Buffy... and then I got nostalgic about Buffy.
There is one thing that's really been bothering me about this book. I read it a while ago but not so long that I shouldn't be able to remember. I reme...moreThere is one thing that's really been bothering me about this book. I read it a while ago but not so long that I shouldn't be able to remember. I remember the characters and storyline but even after racking my brain, I can't remember any of the characters names or most importantly how the story ended. I have always thought that the ending is the most important part of a book and this one was just not memorable. I know that it was entertaining in parts and mildly suspenseful but it just didn't really make an impact on me. I also remember thinking that it reminded me of Crichton but in no way did I think it was better. I find it hard to compare authors in general though, so if you do enjoy Crichton then Preston is not too far off.(less)
I felt like there were just a few too many stereotypes in this book. It became tiring after a while. Actually, I take that back. It became tiring almo...moreI felt like there were just a few too many stereotypes in this book. It became tiring after a while. Actually, I take that back. It became tiring almost immediately but filtered out as story progressed.
If you can look past the stereotypical characters, the character interactions and dialogue was good. My main problem was that I actually read the dust jacket blurb for the sequel before I even started the first one, so I had a good idea of how this one ended up. I highly recommend NOT doing that. My preconceived notions definitely affected the way I perceived the story.
Apart from that, there were a ton of horrendously cheesy lines. Many of which came from the male lead character. Most of the time it was obvious that a woman had written it and that really took me out of the story.
I did start to fall for Alex, just like Brittany did. I really looked forward to their scenes together. They really do have great chemistry. Although not the most riveting romance, it was overall a fairly entertaining read. But I'm not sure yet if I will read the next one.
The best thing about the book was the message, however. There's always hope for a better future no matter where you're from or what you've done. Cheesy, yes. But also very, very true.(less)
How many of you little sisters out there have come to a point in your life when you look at your older brother and think "Yeah, I...moreSo... *awkward pause*
How many of you little sisters out there have come to a point in your life when you look at your older brother and think "Yeah, I'd hit that," and not in the punch-you-in-the-arm kind of way?
Raise your hand. No one? Oh - you haven't?! Really? Are you sure?!
Well, maybe it's for the best that you've never thought about your sibling like that. And maybe you wouldn't be interested in this book. Or maybe you still would... Let's see, shall we?
Now, I'm going to be very blunt about the premise of this book. This book involves incest. It is a graphic depiction of a brother and sister who struggle with their personal lives as a result of Disappearing Parent Syndrome. They begin to fall for and explore each other, physically and emotionally.
There is actually a condition called "genetic sexual attraction" that can lead to relatives (most commonly, those who meet as adults) to be sexually attracted to each other and may possibly be a result of attraction to similar facial structure. You might know a famous almost-couple who may or may not have suffered from this condition...
And, of course, there are the Royals who would take a look at their first cousin and think "Man, I need to get me a piece of THAT."
Or rather... more accuratly, "Cheerio! I say I shall fancy a bit of the rumpy pumpy with that lass."
Incest has a very long and sordid history. As long as there are relatives, there will be incest. Unless humans soon evolve into a Vulcan-like race that suppress their emotions and always base their decisions upon logic. Which sounds most illogical.
Who should read this:
Let's just say that "brotherly love" or "sisterly love" is not for everyone. In fact, it's not for most people. Firstly: The large majority of siblings just aren't interested in each other. Second: If everyone participated in it - the human race would quickly devolve and be lost into genetic disorder. That's just genetics.
Sorry, I just seriously can't stop with the Star Wars thing.
I suggest that only MATURE teens read this.
It would be completely accurate for me to say that I have NEVER read a book like this in my life. Forbidden is the very definition of sexual tension.
Let's face it. Teens have raging hormones. I know I did. I would have in NO way been able to handle this book as a young teen. I already wanted to do all kinds of naughty things without having an influence like this in my life, and I know that if I had read it before I had matured hormonally - I would have rushed out and tried to seduce the first "off limits" guy I could find. And I could have done a lot of damage to myself and other people. I was not emotionally mature enough to handle this book then and many young girls will be in the same situation that I was.
It is difficult to say for sure how or to whom this book should be marketed. This is a young adult book with ADULT content. I am in no way an advocate of censorship, but honestly some teens are just NOT ready for the material in this book. It's just my recommendation that this book not be taken lightly. This isn't the new generation's Princess Bride. This book deals with things that not every teen needs to or would want to read about. All I'm saying is please, please - use discretion. Teens need to decide whether they are really interested and prepared for this book; they may even need help making their decision.
Obviously, if a teen wants to read about certain issues, they will probably find a way. But I get the feeling that a lot of people wouldn't necessarily realize just how graphic this book turns out to be without researching beforehand.
Personally, I really enjoyed it and couldn't put this book down. But I am an adult. Not to mention an only child.
Sometimes discouraging teens from doing something can lead to more curiosity on their part. But you could always use reverse psychology. If a parent said something like, "Oh, all my friends are reading that in book club, Hun," what teen wouldn't immediately put that book back on the shelf without even opening it. Just sayin'.
If you have a sibling close to your own age and never want to think of them as anything other than a sibling, maybe you should avoid this book. I have zero brothers and sisters, so I can't speak to whether or not this could change the way someone sees their brother or sister.
What I got out of this book:
I liked the book and story, apart from almost all of the characters being absolute douches most of the time, particularly the mother. The pace was involving and addictive, but I'm still rather disturbed by the whole thing. Maybe that's the point?
Mostly, I'm left wondering what the message of this book is. That sex is bad and bad things happen because of it? Or that incest shouldn't be illegal?
I guess what I took from it was that perhaps if people weren't so intolerant and judgmental, others wouldn't be driven to self-destruction so easily. Judgement not only hurts those it is directed toward, it can also hurt those doing the directing. Intolerance is a slow-working parasite, draining the empathy and joy out it's host and replacing it with it's own fear and discontent.
Intolerance is just fear in disguise. And you know what that means. Fear leads to anger... Anger leads to hate... Hate leads to suffering.
I'm not a big fan of judgement. I was judged most of my adolescent life, so I'm going to skip over any morality issue. No one is taking advantage of anyone else in this book. There isn't forcefulness or blackmail. It is just an anomaly of love. Or an anomaly of lust.
Despite the blunt statement at the beginning of this review, honestly, I don't think this book is about incest. It's about making the best of a bad situation. It's about overcoming the struggles of abandonment and loneliness.
Sadly, it is all too common an occurrence. Disappearing fathers, mothers chasing their youth and social lives instead of their children, and the kids, left to pick up the pieces of their broken family.
________________________________________
On a lighter note: apparently, this book has already awakened non-existent latent desires in me, an adult in a committed relationship, because the other night I had a dream that I had a step-brother and that I was totally making out with him in public. Not quite as awkward as a biological brother, but still pretty damn awkward. Then, of course, there is the possibility that my latent desires had nothing to do with the step-brother and everything to do with being in public. Yeah, that sounds much better...let's go with that.(less)
This one was really difficult to decide on a rating. Like the others, I definitely don't think it lives up to the hype.
If you aren't a dog person then...moreThis one was really difficult to decide on a rating. Like the others, I definitely don't think it lives up to the hype.
If you aren't a dog person then I wouldn't really recommend this for you because it was my interest and attachment to the pups, not to Edgar himself, that got me through this book. I started to read it but it just didn't hold my attention well and I ended up finishing it as an audiobook.
It's been a while since then, and I've actually grown to appreciate it more than right after I finished. It's one of those endings that stays with you even though the plot wasn't exactly wrapped up nicely with a bow on it. If you are interested, then I would really only be able to recommend listening to the audiobook. The reader was somewhat monotone but still more engaging than just reading it in the book.
The ending scene has really haunted me and is strangely redeeming to the less than stellar execution of the plot, but I only felt that way after it had been a while. At first, I felt a little jilted over the ending. Hopefully others can appreciate it more right away.(less)
This book was (I imagine) what it might be like to down a spoonful of sugar that was, unbeknownst to you, laced with Meth.
What is IN this shi-at, Mary...moreThis book was (I imagine) what it might be like to down a spoonful of sugar that was, unbeknownst to you, laced with Meth.
What is IN this shi-at, Mary?!
The sugary spoonful sounds like a great idea in your head. "A house full of strange locks and doors with many keys that perform different astonishing feats. One door that can force your consciousness out of your body, while your body appears to be dead. A special key that can open any door and take you anywhere." Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, you get some disturbing surprises along with it. A lot of disturbing surprises.
In fact, I almost think that this book was actually a spoonful of Meth laced with a dash of sugar.
Meth is my favorite thing!
I absolutely loved the little boy, Bode. As well as the storyline involving the creepy woman who lives in a locked-up well and calls herself an "echo". And the ripping-your-concious-out-of-your-body-for-fun door.
But EVERYTHING else, I didn't care for. And there's a lot going on. A little too much going on in fact.
I didn't appreciate the non-linear storytelling in this instance. Or the POV of the killer. Or even the art for the most part (except for Bode, his sister Kinsey, and the "Echo", which were really well done).
I probably would not recommend this to non-graphic novel readers. Not until you are more experienced in the genre, at least.
It had a bit of adventure and a lot of fantasy. No romance and a lot of creepiness. There were definitely some very intriguing and awe-inspiring concepts but overall it was just a little too twisted.
Too much Meth and not enough sugar.
Like a crazy heat-seeking murdering alien maniac singing "These are a few of my Favorite Things."
You know how with some books, every few words you're like,"Ooooh, ostentatious, that's a good word. Oh, guttersnipe, that's another good word."
Well, t...moreYou know how with some books, every few words you're like,"Ooooh, ostentatious, that's a good word. Oh, guttersnipe, that's another good word."
Well, this isn't one of those books.
Not like that's a bad thing. I just mean that it's a very quick and easy read. Prose that's not exactly lyrical, but also not anywhere near boring.
The Rundown
"Into every generation she is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness reapers; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number capture of human souls. She is the Slayer Preliator."
Chosen One who battles darkness with the help of her "Angelic" love interest and nerdy friends. Does the plot of Angelfire sound familiar at all? It should.
Fire - Bad. Angel - Preeeeetty.
Now just throw some angels and some stuff about Heaven and Hell and battling the forces of Hell.
New rule. You steal my storyline, you get punched!
Oh, that sounds familiar too?
The World-building
This seems to be heavily influenced by Buffy, which in my case... well, I just can't freaking help it: I love it. I drink it up like chocolate from a chocolate fountain. If there is a chosen one and beastie fighting, I am all over it. Yet, Angelfire lacks the humor and refinement of Buffy, so it ends up being more similar to Mortal Instruments in tone and maturity.
With the exception of my absolute love of the show Supernatural, I've never really gotten into the whole heaven-vs-hell thing. Luckily, this one appears to be easy on the preach. I know some people zone out when God and Lucifer get brought out, but I felt this on was lighter on that aspect than most. It focused much more on the angels and the Fallen, instead of "Heaven, blah, blah, blah. God, blah, blah, blah."
The Characters
Very cliched, very typical YA. Yes, our main character, named Ellie, is a bit of a Mary Sue and her guardian Will has a major Hero complex, but (God help me) maybe that isn't always the worst thing in the world. Especially when you just want to escape for a while.
Will, whom Ellie looks at with "a certain fondness deep in her heart," is older than most YA hero types as an early twenty-something. Being in my mid-twenties, this was much appreciated and made me feel like less of a Pedobear than usual.
The Verdict
If you weren't a fan of Twilight or the original Mortal Instruments, then you may not like this either. But if you loved those (and I know many of you do), then you'll probably love this series too. In the end, I liked it but wasn't overly impressed.
It's a zombie page-turner. The kind where you zone out and can't believe how little time seemed to go by in so many pages. But maybe that's just me. Any mention of a "chosen one" and I'm gone. Simple language, simple story but it's all simply fun. I was underwhelmed by the character development but overwhelmed with enjoyment for this world that feels so familiar.
My not-very-reliable theory about how this book came into existance: Buffy and Supernatural had a baby who ended up being raised by Seventh Heaven after it's parents were killed by demons. Sounds believable, right?
Loading...
