Hmmm... this kid grew up with one sick and twisted mom. The story was riveting and terribly sad. Werlin does a great job of describing what it would b...moreHmmm... this kid grew up with one sick and twisted mom. The story was riveting and terribly sad. Werlin does a great job of describing what it would be like to live in constant fear from the person who is supposed to look out for you the most. Her writing seems a little forced to me--esp Matthew's own thoughts and dialog. A very troubling story, but I'm glad I read it. I just won't be returning to this world any time soon!(less)
Soooo good! A great combination of historical fiction, fantasy, politics, and the search for one's identity. I couldn't put it down! And it ended with...moreSoooo good! A great combination of historical fiction, fantasy, politics, and the search for one's identity. I couldn't put it down! And it ended with a twist that has me really excited for the next one.(less)
I really enjoyed this book! It's set up as a journal written by a high school bully for the guidance counselor during detention. The bully himself, To...moreI really enjoyed this book! It's set up as a journal written by a high school bully for the guidance counselor during detention. The bully himself, Tod Munn, writes with a great sense of humor and irony about his life. You quickly get the sense that Tod has a lot more going on in his life than anyone would realize. And I felt empathy for him as well. It's a great book to introduce the truth that we can never really understand someone else's motivations completely, especially if we don't take the time to get to know them and their life situation.
The author did a great job of expressing Tod's complicated reasoning for writing what he did. He is writing to the guidance counselor, and lets her know certain things sometimes. But Tod often lets things slip into the journal that reveal a lot more than he may realize. It was a treat to find those little hints about what was really going on.
I speed-read this book, it was so good. I didn't give it 5 stars because there were a few moments when I felt lost and wasn't sure what was going on. All is explained in the end, however.
I read the original Pinocchio back when I could still read in Italian. This graphic novel continues with that story as Pinocchio battles vampires, wit...moreI read the original Pinocchio back when I could still read in Italian. This graphic novel continues with that story as Pinocchio battles vampires, with the help of his conveniently pointy nose. I really thought this book kept the spirit of the original book--very dark and twisted humor, actually. If you look at the cover it's hard to believe, but I was literally giggling with anticipation over what they'd have Pinocchio doing next. Great graphic novel!(less)
I really loved this book. Someone told me it was Harry Potter for grown-ups. It is full of magic, but a much darker, more complicated magic than Rowli...moreI really loved this book. Someone told me it was Harry Potter for grown-ups. It is full of magic, but a much darker, more complicated magic than Rowling's books. There is one character in particular who terrified me. But I like being terrified sometimes. This book is well-written and really feels like the characters are living and thinking. I enjoyed being freaked out by this book.(less)
Another awesome read. The beginning has more bad scenes that I kindof had to skim and the language is worse than the first one. But the story is so en...moreAnother awesome read. The beginning has more bad scenes that I kindof had to skim and the language is worse than the first one. But the story is so engrossing that at about 1/2-way through, I could not put it down. That Lisbeth Salander is so tough!(less)
Yes, I'm a freak. But I read all of these for work, I swear! It's nice to get paid to read YA vampire short stories... I have no complaints!!!
Anyway,...moreYes, I'm a freak. But I read all of these for work, I swear! It's nice to get paid to read YA vampire short stories... I have no complaints!!!
Anyway, these stories for the most part really impressed me. In fact, I had to take breaks between stories since the alternate universes took a while to shake off, in order to move on to another.
Cassandra Clare had an awesome twist in "Other Boys". Shy, sheltered Jennifer finds herself strangely attracted to a new boy who claims to be a vampire. But there's a nasty twist coming...
I thought "Sword Point" by Maria V. Snyder, "All Wounds" by Dina James, "The Thirteenth Step" by Libba Bray, and "Undead is Very Hot Right Now" by Sarah Rees Brennan also had some cool takes on the whole vampire mythos. I was very charmed by their inventive ideas.
The following didn't seem to add much, other than new settings (Vampires...in Spain! Vampires...also thieves!): "Kat" by Kelley Amrstrong, "Passing" by Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigue, and "Falling to Ash" by Karen Mahoney.
Also, I was so bummed out after reading "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" by Holly Black and "Wet Teeth" by Cecil Castellucci that I wanted to slit my wrists!
Anyway, a mixed bag all in all, but the good ones are really worth looking up this anthology!(less)
4.5 stars. This is a beautifully written story of twin boys (Marion and Shiva) who grow up in Ethiopia. They are the children of an Indian nun and a B...more4.5 stars. This is a beautifully written story of twin boys (Marion and Shiva) who grow up in Ethiopia. They are the children of an Indian nun and a British surgeon named Thomas Stone. The story of their birth takes up a huge part of the narrative (told by Marion), but it's absolutely necessary to find out how these boys were influenced by the people who surrounded them and the country they lived in. They saw a lot of beauty in Ethiopia, at the same time they witnessed torture and killing. Female circumcision also plays a role in this story, and I appreciated the cultural setting to help me understand why this kind of thing happens. Since the boys grow up on the grounds of a hospital, they see the healing side of these tragedies, or at least attempts to make things better.
As they get older, a wedge is driven between Shiva and Marion that changes the course of their lives. Marion goes to America to become a surgeon while Shiva stays in Africa. But they find they are still connected, no matter how far apart they are.
I really loved the writing and the emotional depth of these characters. I feel like I know them, no matter how alien their way of thinking is to mine, because Verghese made them so real. There were a few times I wanted to yell at them for their bad decisions, however. But there is real growth and change over the course of the book. The narrator on the audio version is incredible too!(less)
Wallace Stegner writes about 2 couples, the Morgans and the Langs, who are deeply close. They become acquainted as young college professors during the...moreWallace Stegner writes about 2 couples, the Morgans and the Langs, who are deeply close. They become acquainted as young college professors during the Depression. Both wives are pregnant at the time. They form a strong bond that continues throughout the rest of their lives.
Crossing to Safety is narrated by Larry Morgan, and eventually focuses on his understanding of the marriage between Sid and Charity Lang. It's tremendously real and poetic at the same time. I found the beginning a little slow, but the book ended up having a profound affect on me. (less)
Do not read this book! But if you do, it's really good! I'm just saying it's not the most "clean" series out there, so I don't feel great recommending...moreDo not read this book! But if you do, it's really good! I'm just saying it's not the most "clean" series out there, so I don't feel great recommending it to anyone. I couldn't put it down, though.(less)
Very creepy yet entertaining. The story is based on a town that is "prosperous" because every 7 years, one of their children gets stolen and a demon/f...moreVery creepy yet entertaining. The story is based on a town that is "prosperous" because every 7 years, one of their children gets stolen and a demon/faerie baby replaces that child. I put prosperous in quotes because it didn't really seem that way to me. The story is told by Mackie, one of the replacement children, as he discovers the dark secrets behind the town. It definitely kept me guessing. There were some things that didn't quite make sense and some questions unanswered, but overall a very entertaining book.(less)
This is a hard book to rate. It seemed a little bit dated to me, but in some ways that was charming. Zoe's mother is dying and her father is always at...moreThis is a hard book to rate. It seemed a little bit dated to me, but in some ways that was charming. Zoe's mother is dying and her father is always at the hospital. It feels like he is pushing Zoe away just when she needs him the most. To add to all that, Zoe's best friend, Lorraine, is moving. Zoe's loneliness draws her to a poetic, mysterious boy who turns out to be a vampire. Simon also feels drawn to Zoe, and tells her is story for the first time. The romance between them is sweet, sad, and a bit confusing. Zoe sometimes hates him, at other time loves him. She ends up helping Simon in his pursuit to kill the evil vampire who made him. The part I liked best is that in a very real way, Simon helps her let her mom go. Death is a part of nature and it's clearly time for her mom to die.(less)
This was a book that I knew was very much flawed, even while I was reading it, but I could not put it down.
Mary lives in a village surrounded by a fen...moreThis was a book that I knew was very much flawed, even while I was reading it, but I could not put it down.
Mary lives in a village surrounded by a fence. On the other side of that fence live the Unconsecrated--zombies out to infect and kill any human being they can. The Sisters control the village, and as Mary becomes involved with them, she realizes they have been keeping dark secrets about their history and the Unconsecrated. Mary longs for a world far away from the zombies, fantasizing constantly about the ocean, which she has only heard about as the story of the ocean's existence has been passed down through the generations. There is a really messy love square (as opposed to triangle). When the village is breached, and they must try to escape contamination, the survivors start to peal away the secrets.
Mary's obsession with the ocean is difficult to understand, and it ends up tearing apart lives. And the love story is never very satisfying. But the story is fast-paced and intense. I was terrified along with them of the zombies, including villagers they knew and loved. With all of its flaws, I couldn't help but get wrapped up in Mary's world.(less)
It took me a lot longer to finish this one. I think it's because I kept getting angry at Tris. She couldn't think very far in advance, and so many of...moreIt took me a lot longer to finish this one. I think it's because I kept getting angry at Tris. She couldn't think very far in advance, and so many of her choices messed things up. But the conclusion (which took a long time to get to) helped make up for it. Too bad so many people had to die along the way...(less)
I was surpised by how much this book grabbed me. It is the story of a 13-year-old girl named Kyra who has grown up in a polygamist society called "The...moreI was surpised by how much this book grabbed me. It is the story of a 13-year-old girl named Kyra who has grown up in a polygamist society called "The Chosen". At the beginning of the book, she is told that she must marry her 60-year-old uncle. I liked how the story was full of flash-backs, but the action was very intense and exciting. I listened to it on audio and the narrator was great.(less)
A very interesting tale of two children from different time periods. The story of Ben is told in words, while the story of Rose in pictures. I loved t...moreA very interesting tale of two children from different time periods. The story of Ben is told in words, while the story of Rose in pictures. I loved the way these two children's worlds cross at the American Museum of Natural History.(less)
I liked this book, but I found it to be a lot darker than The Graveyard. Coraline goes through a secret passage and finds a world that closely mirrors...moreI liked this book, but I found it to be a lot darker than The Graveyard. Coraline goes through a secret passage and finds a world that closely mirrors her own. She has to battle the "other mother" to be able to return to her normal life. I wanted her to succeed so much, that I was a little impatient with the stuff she has to do. But it was a really exciting and interesting book. I would not call it "fun", but I still enjoyed reading it.(less)
I love Vlad Tod! He's so relatable and normal, even though he's a half-vampire.
My main issue with this series is that Heather Brewer's female charact...moreI love Vlad Tod! He's so relatable and normal, even though he's a half-vampire.
My main issue with this series is that Heather Brewer's female characters really lack depth. Since the major players are guys, it works fine anyway. But sometimes I wanted to shake those girls and yell, "Get a personality, sister!"
Anyway, Brewer does a great job of writing about boy teen angst, family issues, and a deep back-story of vampire-dom. Plus, I think she's such a cool lady!(less)
Karou is a teenage girl living in Prague who really has no idea of her parentage. She travels back and forth between our world and the strange and mys...moreKarou is a teenage girl living in Prague who really has no idea of her parentage. She travels back and forth between our world and the strange and mysterious world of her foster father, Brimstone. Things start to fall apart, though, when she meets someone else from that other world, a Seraph named Akiva.
This book has one of the most inventive stories I have read in years! I really don't know what else to say except that it kept me on the edge of my seat (figuratively, of course. I read lying down most of the time, and I listened to this on audio.) The backstory itself is monumental, but so well-told and inventive, it seems real to me still.
This story takes place in Victorian England, and the protagonist, Sally Lockheart, is a distinctly modern young woman. 16-year-old Sally knows that so...moreThis story takes place in Victorian England, and the protagonist, Sally Lockheart, is a distinctly modern young woman. 16-year-old Sally knows that something mysterious surrounds her father's death at sea. She receives a note from a friend of her father, warning her of the Seven Blessings. When she mentions this to a partner in her father's export firm, he has a heart attack and dies. Sally must figure out who she can trust with this information. Other characters weave in and out of the story, a scary and powerful criminal named Mrs. Holland, and a mysterious stranger who appears to be Chinese, an opium addict who knows a great deal about her father. Luckily, Sally does make some friends, and finds out more about herself than she'd bargained for.
I like the story and it is well-written. The mystery is complicated enough, but it still makes sense in the end. I think that I didn't love it because of the writing style. I kindof had to force myself to read it. (less)
The House of the Scorpion was actually a terrifying book, but I could not put it down. It takes place in the future, in a time when the countries of M...moreThe House of the Scorpion was actually a terrifying book, but I could not put it down. It takes place in the future, in a time when the countries of Mexico and the United States have each given up part of their land to form a new country on the border called Opium. Their goal was to keep drugs and illegals out of both countries (the drugs would only be sold elsewhere). This country was ruled by a dictator called Matteo Alacran.
The story of this book follows another Matteo Alacran, who is the clone of the old dictator. He is born into the world that hates clones--most have no mental capacity at all--for the vanity of the old man. And, as he learns, to replace his heart or anything else that may be needed. The old Alacran is in his 140's in the story and life for young Matt gets more and more dangerous. But he does have a handful of good friends who help him as he tries to escape.
A great, exciting book. I think it resolved a little too easily, but I would definitely recommend it.(less)
I really don't know what to say about this book. It's really the story of a guy (Dr. Michael Beard) who cannot help doing terrible things to women. Th...moreI really don't know what to say about this book. It's really the story of a guy (Dr. Michael Beard) who cannot help doing terrible things to women. The writing is witty and realistic--you eventually see why he is such a jerk--and I was entertained throughout the whole thing. It's amazing that anyone could delude himself the way Beard does. Eventually, he creates such a tower of lies that he starts to believe them himself. Anyway, a very interesting book, but not one I'd like to re-read.(less)
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