I thought this was okay -- well written and well characterized, but not really enough of a narrative thread to keep me that invested. As a side note,...moreI thought this was okay -- well written and well characterized, but not really enough of a narrative thread to keep me that invested. As a side note, I also thought the book description was fairly misleading. It makes it sound like it's mostly about the mother, when in reality, it really focuses on four people fairly equally -- if anything, I'd say one of (or possibly both of) the daughters was more of the main character. (less)
I liked this. Some actually new-to-me information, mostly around supplements and amino acids. Most of the food recommendations were pretty similar to...moreI liked this. Some actually new-to-me information, mostly around supplements and amino acids. Most of the food recommendations were pretty similar to paleo / primal recommendations, which I liked. Overall, the main supplement protocol seems designed to help you into that method of eating without going through the crazy sugar / carb withdrawal, but there's also additional advice for people who deal with other metabolic conditions like adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues, and hormonal imbalances.(less)
I thought this was good, although it suffered from the same problem most paleo stuff does, which is that it seems to cater entirely to total type-A, a...moreI thought this was good, although it suffered from the same problem most paleo stuff does, which is that it seems to cater entirely to total type-A, athletic- (or aesthetic)-minded people who are in search of THE PERFECT BODY. There doesn't seem to be a lot of room in paleo for people who come to it for other reasons.
I did like that it tackled some of the stuff you need to get right in your mindset, and I could see rereading that section again down the road. It also had some genuinely funny bits, and some things to chew on. Mostly your typical 'how to go paleo' book though. (less)
**spoiler alert** I don't know people, this book just did not do it for me. Took me forever to get into (in fact, the first time I started reading it,...more**spoiler alert** I don't know people, this book just did not do it for me. Took me forever to get into (in fact, the first time I started reading it, I abandoned it.) The second time I picked it up, it went a little better, at least until Alaska died. After that, I hate hate hated the main character. He was so obnoxious with his, "But she said 'to be continued'! Why'd she go and die when we were supposed to make out some more?? LIFE SUCKS." Very strong dislike.
That said, I'm always a bit torn about these books when I just don't like the story or the characters, but do think the book was well done -- which is the case here. I gave it 3-stars, only because I think it's a 4-star based on quality of writing -- but for how much I liked it, it was more like a 2-star. It's really only that I didn't personally connect with the main character. So YMMV and all that. (less)
I thought this was very good, but about 30% too long. (Although I also found myself wanting to know a lot more about what happened to Cameron later --...moreI thought this was very good, but about 30% too long. (Although I also found myself wanting to know a lot more about what happened to Cameron later -- so maybe it needed to be the same length, but cover more ground.) Mostly I feel like I just really, really, really wanted Cameron to get her happy ending, so I guess it's a testament to a good writer that I felt that invested in the character's outcome. (less)
I don't think I've ever read a book written in third person present before. I found it quite jarring in the beginning, and I kept tripping over how aw...moreI don't think I've ever read a book written in third person present before. I found it quite jarring in the beginning, and I kept tripping over how awkward it made some of the phrasing seem. I did get used to it though. (Or maybe it just got easier to read since there were fewer flashbacks towards the end.)
Overall I found the romance only so-so. I liked the part about Hadley and her parents better -- it hit a nerve for me personally, which is why I ended up giving it 4 stars instead of 3. (less)
**spoiler alert** Okay, so I thought this was a beautiful, vivid, heartbreaking book, with gorgeous writing and, as Nova Ren Suma does so well, some o...more**spoiler alert** Okay, so I thought this was a beautiful, vivid, heartbreaking book, with gorgeous writing and, as Nova Ren Suma does so well, some of the best and most memorable and evocative imagery I've seen in YA. That said, I found it nearly impossible to connect with the main character. In fact, I only made it past the first 100 pages because I flipped to the back to look at the acknowledgements and read the 'spoiler' notes about schizophrenia. So then I kind of went "ohhhhhhh now I get it." Because after reading Imaginary Girls, I had no idea if this was going to be "real' or some kind of 'magical realism' again.
Still, even after realizing this was more a book about mental illness, I found it impossible to connect to the main character. I would normally say that I 'found it hard to get into her head', but in this case, I spent the entire book in her head. So maybe my problem was that there was no connection between 'her head' and 'the real world'. Which I guess is maybe the point, what with the schizophrenia and all, but I still found it challenging, as a reader, to dive in and just enjoy the story. (less)
Oh lord, this book. I liked the slower pacing, didn't mind the story or the flowery writing (in fact, I quite liked the writing in a lot of places.) B...moreOh lord, this book. I liked the slower pacing, didn't mind the story or the flowery writing (in fact, I quite liked the writing in a lot of places.) But every single time one character had to interact with another character, I wanted to scream. Not just bad dialogue, but weird interactions, gestures that felt completely out of character (butt-swatting and whatnot), and overall serious annoyingness. I won't read the other two books in the trilogy, but I'd give the author another shot. (less)
This book is pretty much your typical YA paranormal romancey type thing, which is not usually my jam, but I really enjoyed this. I'm a sucker for that...moreThis book is pretty much your typical YA paranormal romancey type thing, which is not usually my jam, but I really enjoyed this. I'm a sucker for that whole Southern gothic mythos, and this book was filled with crumbling plantations, sprawling libraries, old cemeteries and even a Civil War reenactment. It also dealt in a kind of magic (witches, basically, or "casters" as the book calls them) that isn't totally played out, or at least I haven't really read much of it, so it's not played out for me. I thought the ending was a bit weak, but overall, I was happy to be along for the ride on this one. (less)
Despite my best intentions, I actually liked this. The second half was totally over the top melodrama, but the romance in the first half was very well...moreDespite my best intentions, I actually liked this. The second half was totally over the top melodrama, but the romance in the first half was very well done -- I laughed, I swooned, I fanned myself with my Kindle a little. And I don't even normally like romances that much! The second half had me rolling my eyes a bit BUT overall I think the author did a very good job on delivering what she set out to do.
I will say this could have used a more thorough line edit -- not a lot of typos, but some words were misused, AND holy crap how many times can one book contain the word 'scoot'? I mean, it's a weird word to begin with so when it shows up twenty times in one book it kind of stands out. (less)
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