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)
I commend Meyers for attempting this novel in this way, the screenplay format and keeping the main character's guilt deliberately ambiguous, unfortuna...moreI commend Meyers for attempting this novel in this way, the screenplay format and keeping the main character's guilt deliberately ambiguous, unfortunately it left me feeling too much distance. In truth I felt the author pulled his punches, the horrors of prison were seen vaguely through lens or some kind of distant VoiceOver, and if the boy was guilty let me feel the pain of bad choices, if he's innocent, the burn of false accusation. Instead I just felt slightly frustrated for more.(less)
I was really into this until the end. I know the author researched for years, and I haven't, but the reveal at the climax of this psychological myster...moreI was really into this until the end. I know the author researched for years, and I haven't, but the reveal at the climax of this psychological mystery felt unworthy and frustratingly ambiguous. Did she really suffer cutting and selective mutism because her brother was hospitalized for asthma and her dad drank? I guess I expected something more traumatic. Then again I guess I shouldn't try to "rate" the trauma of a thirteen year old girl, and self-blame can be an overwhelming poison to the soul. Still, after reading Daryl Hammond's autobiography and just the few hints of the psychological trauma he suffered, I expected Cassie's trauma to affect me more deeply. Her Sharing hot cocoa with a fairly nice dad at the final scene just left me blinking in bewilderment... What was the purpose of that whole journey? The most powerful moment was when the anorexic girl came back and couldn't seem to understand how her health affected the whole group. I felt the fear and horror of all the girls, the anger that she didn't take better care of herself, that she didn't try. It's like loving an addict-we are deeply connected to those we love. And as sufferers We are never alone unless we make it so.(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)
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)
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