Stiefvater blew me out of the water with every character, every page. Loved being in Gansey's head in particular. Great portrait of a wealthy teen wit...moreStiefvater blew me out of the water with every character, every page. Loved being in Gansey's head in particular. Great portrait of a wealthy teen with an elite education who doesn't mean to offend, but can't quite help it because money just doesn't mean as much: inadvertently making others feel inferior with the big words and upper-class speech patterns inherited from his upbringing. I enjoyed his moments of self-check: "Dammit, I said something wrong again." Not so much vulnerability as a desire to truly be perfect and personable to all. And Noah!? awesome-sauce on that little twist. Totally savoring every lovely word. That is, until the fairly abrupt non-ending. I have to agree with other reviewers out there, the ending left me blinking a bit, flipping back to read again slowly to see if i missed something. But I'm talking 99% perfection. AND it's setting up a series, so I'm gonna liken Raven Boys to another book with an abrupt non-ending- Fellowship of the Ring- and start counting down the moments until I get to read this whole kick-ass series. 'Cause with what she's set up here I'm entirely optimistic that it will continue to kick ass. Until then I'm immediately racing out to get Scorpio Races. (less)
I loved that this book never unfolded in the way I expected. I loved the vivid, torturous, bizarre setting and I love loved the main character; the wa...moreI loved that this book never unfolded in the way I expected. I loved the vivid, torturous, bizarre setting and I love loved the main character; the way his past unfolded, the mystery, the lurking dread, his innocence and honor, and the fact that the 'legally blind' kid was the only one in the family who could see clearly. The indulged cruelty of the football hero should ring true for anyone who's been paying attention. The termites rising from the ground to gnaw at the facade of the planned community constructed above a mountain of buried secrets and lies, the endlessly burning muck fires that can't quite be ignored, and Luis's dream of the Golden Dawn tangerine as an alternative to this horrific master-planned 'progress,' the dad who's the director for civil engineering but can't see his own hand in front of his face... I could go on and on. Just wow. I will seek out more from this author.(less)
This was a fun, fast middle grade read that I would easily recommend to kids. Quick paced and action packed, great for reluctant boy readers, and girl...moreThis was a fun, fast middle grade read that I would easily recommend to kids. Quick paced and action packed, great for reluctant boy readers, and girls will love it too. I loved the magic of the starstuff, the mermaids, talking dolphins and the multiple pov as the adventure unfolded. The giant bra sail on Captain Hook's ship was a Dave Barry-esque humor moment that kids will undoubtedly find hilarious.(less)
This book took me somewhere I have certainly never been before. Futuristic Zimbabwe? Kudos to the author for even attempting it. After initial difficu...moreThis book took me somewhere I have certainly never been before. Futuristic Zimbabwe? Kudos to the author for even attempting it. After initial difficulty getting into the world of robot maids and flying cars in Zimbabwe, I was soon sucked into to one of the most original middle grade worlds i've ever encountered. Pretty rad.(less)
I loved being in Christopher's head. If the voice of a book haunts me after I'm done then it has done its work. I thought this was lovely and echoes...more
I loved being in Christopher's head. If the voice of a book haunts me after I'm done then it has done its work. I thought this was lovely and echoes of Christopher will stay with me for some time.(less)
Totally fantastic. With The first few small chapters my initial reaction was 'oh no, what is this?' But then it Immediately picked back up with Karou...moreTotally fantastic. With The first few small chapters my initial reaction was 'oh no, what is this?' But then it Immediately picked back up with Karou and her glorious chimaera and whoosh! Off again into one of the most fun, engaging, enchanting, heartbreaking worlds I've encountered. Oh how I love these sweet hideous monsters, beautiful sinister monsters, blazing glorious angels, and gorgeous devilish angels. Happy to hear that the first book has been picked up for a movie, then maybe all the people I've been telling to read this will actually pick it up. If you like YA read this! It rocks.(less)
My first of Hopkins' books. Will not be my last. To write such topics in verse for teens is so ambitious I'm in awe. And the miracle is how well Hopki...more
My first of Hopkins' books. Will not be my last. To write such topics in verse for teens is so ambitious I'm in awe. And the miracle is how well Hopkins pulls it off. I love her writing! I attended an author event for her at Tattered Cover and not only did she kick ass as a woman and a speaker, her reading took my breath away. Usually I space out during the read aloud because I prefer my own voice in my head or something, but writing in verse means each section, each scene, each word has to be perfect. There's no wasted language. Love Pattyn and the questions in her head about the role of women in the church. Equally as relevant to conservative Christianity as it is to Mormonism, in my experience. And something teen girls need to consider in this weird pendulum age where people for some reason want to swing us back to the dark ages. My only gripe is why, whyyyyyy did it have to end that way? (less)
Hell yeah! Fun Paranormal post-apocalyptic YA romance novel. This book needs serious repackaging, because when my friend handed it to me I took one l...more
Hell yeah! Fun Paranormal post-apocalyptic YA romance novel. This book needs serious repackaging, because when my friend handed it to me I took one look at the cheesy horrible cover and thought she'd lost her freaking mind. And the title??? That was two nights ago and once I opened it I couldn't put it down. Haven't enjoyed a proper page turner like that in awhile. Well-drawn characters, a cool twist I've never seen (the major arcana) and some hot sexual tension. The zombies seemed superfluous, but I'm always down for some zombies... (less)
Comparing this to Harry Potter as if it is some 'adult' wizard rip off is so off-base. This book was clearly informed by Potter and Narnia the way Wi...more
Comparing this to Harry Potter as if it is some 'adult' wizard rip off is so off-base. This book was clearly informed by Potter and Narnia the way Wicked was by the Wizard of Oz. And that was the point. His whole life the brilliant, high-achieving main character, Quentin, escaped a perpetual sense of anomie through Fillory and Further--basically Narnia. For anyone like me who self-medicates with literature, the idea of frequently re-reading favorites as a deliberate escape should be familiar. Also familiar is Quentin's chronic melancholy as he navigates a world he doesn't particularly like, but still wishes he could fit in a bit better. Grossman blends these realities beautifully as Quentin learns that all of his escapist fantasies are true, he gets to attend magic school and even travel to Fillory, but he still can't escape his own unhappiness. What if all your dreams came true and you had to face the fact that you were still YOU? That is the point. So yes, the characters are hard to like-- and nothing like Harry Potter-- but they serve the soul of this story. This isn't an heroic adventure with sparkly spells and unicorns--THAT'S what makes this an adult story, not the sex and drugs. This is a story that goes beyond the good vs. evil fantasy and explores how we formulate our own beings--and that journey is much harder than even the most complex magic. (less)
This book side by side w/ The Forest of Hands & Teeth really highlights the difference between male & female YA authors. Carrie Ryan spent a l...more
This book side by side w/ The Forest of Hands & Teeth really highlights the difference between male & female YA authors. Carrie Ryan spent a lot of time internally with character development, which made Forest of Hands & Teeth sort of a 'chick' zombie book, though the series seriously ramps up on the zombie gore by book 3. Rot & Ruin wastes much less time internally, and the backstory dump in the first 50 pages annoyed, as did the main character's cliched 'angsty teen' voice. Thankfully his brother is a samurai zombie bounty hunter badass and there's a Mysterious zombie hunting badass Lost Girl out in the woods somewhere, so I was compelled to keep reading. And I'm glad I did. This book was fun to read, riveting to the last, and did have something to say about how the zombies aren't the worst threat in a world where fear and lawlessness rules. I'm already plowing through the next one and loving it as well.(less)
Wow. This book will echo in my head for awhile. I usually avoid realistic fiction about heavy subjects, (I'm sure there's some kind of psychological r...moreWow. This book will echo in my head for awhile. I usually avoid realistic fiction about heavy subjects, (I'm sure there's some kind of psychological reason that I prefer to ignore) but Speak is one of those books you must read if you are a fan of YA. Unsurprisingly it was worth the dark trip. Beautiful, haunting, gut-wrenching~ with a cool well-drawn characer. It made me want to keep my eyes open for those kids who are locked in protective shells. It made me wish there were more teachers like my husband, who sees the hearts of his kids and reaches out at his own peril to help open them up. It made me sad. It made me mad. And somehow it made me feel better. (less)
Loading...
