Samantha Cook's Blog, page 10
March 13, 2017
Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky
4 stars
Verdict: Very 'readable'.
It's my favourite type of narrator, the naive in a broken world. Charlie (if that is in fact his real name) watches, listens, and both understands more than others as well as fails to comprehend what is obvious to the reader. He's very different from others his age, more honest, possibly slightly autistic,
4 stars
Verdict: Very 'readable'.
It's my favourite type of narrator, the naive in a broken world. Charlie (if that is in fact his real name) watches, listens, and both understands more than others as well as fails to comprehend what is obvious to the reader. He's very different from others his age, more honest, possibly slightly autistic,
March 6, 2017
Book Review: Ruin and Rising
RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo
2 stars
Verdict: Didn't really enjoy it.
The author has all the signs of an awesome writer, but I just didn't think it was an awesome book.
There’s a fantastic twist which links all three books together, and while it was amazing it doesn’t change the fact that I only enjoyed reading bits of this series. It didn’t seem so bad at the time, but I couldn’t read
2 stars
Verdict: Didn't really enjoy it.
The author has all the signs of an awesome writer, but I just didn't think it was an awesome book.
There’s a fantastic twist which links all three books together, and while it was amazing it doesn’t change the fact that I only enjoyed reading bits of this series. It didn’t seem so bad at the time, but I couldn’t read
February 27, 2017
Book review: King's Cage
KING'S CAGE by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #3)
4 Stars
Verdict: Good but long.
Or at least it felt very long to me.
I almost tapped out at book two. If I'm honest, my main complaint of book 2 – that it’s overwritten – still holds true for this book, except for everything else works so much better this time around. The plot could have turned any which direction, and that made me read on eagerly
4 Stars
Verdict: Good but long.
Or at least it felt very long to me.
I almost tapped out at book two. If I'm honest, my main complaint of book 2 – that it’s overwritten – still holds true for this book, except for everything else works so much better this time around. The plot could have turned any which direction, and that made me read on eagerly
January 23, 2017
Book Review: Siege and Storm
SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo
3 Stars
Verdict: Starting to lose interest
As much as I wanted to love this series, this felt like a second book to me in every way. Battles are lost, relationships are sunk and mended, but none of the events were particularly surprising. I've read other reviews and I'm just not on the same page.
I'm at a slight loss already as I hear the main appeal of this
3 Stars
Verdict: Starting to lose interest
As much as I wanted to love this series, this felt like a second book to me in every way. Battles are lost, relationships are sunk and mended, but none of the events were particularly surprising. I've read other reviews and I'm just not on the same page.
I'm at a slight loss already as I hear the main appeal of this
January 16, 2017
Book Review: Ink and Bone
INK AND BONE by Rachel Caine
5 Stars
Verdict: For the love of books
I found this a slow burner, but once it got going I absolutely adored it. Set in the Great Library of Alexandria, this book offers a historic fantasy feel as well as speculative fiction vibe as it asks what would have happened if the Great Library grew in power and controlled the use of books. There's even a bit of steampunk
5 Stars
Verdict: For the love of books
I found this a slow burner, but once it got going I absolutely adored it. Set in the Great Library of Alexandria, this book offers a historic fantasy feel as well as speculative fiction vibe as it asks what would have happened if the Great Library grew in power and controlled the use of books. There's even a bit of steampunk
December 20, 2016
Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic
A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V. E. Schwab
5 StarsVerdict: Slow to start, totally worth it
Kell is a blood magician who can travel between the four worlds, each with a different affinity for magic but sharing the anomaly of the name 'London'. When Kell finds a dangerous artefact, he must return it to the darkest form of London before it falls into the wrong hands.
I found the beginning slow
5 StarsVerdict: Slow to start, totally worth it
Kell is a blood magician who can travel between the four worlds, each with a different affinity for magic but sharing the anomaly of the name 'London'. When Kell finds a dangerous artefact, he must return it to the darkest form of London before it falls into the wrong hands.
I found the beginning slow
December 14, 2016
Book Review: Homecoming
HOMECOMING (The 100 #3) by Kass Morgan
3 Stars
Verdict: Not much to say.
The dropships have landed, and now the colonists are being led by the old Vice Chancellor, who I pictured as Governor Ratcliff from Pocahontas. He’s pretty thick, arrogant, with not enough to him to be redeeming. It’s a mystery to me why he’s in charge, but there you have it. Let’s start a war.
It’s quick and light
3 Stars
Verdict: Not much to say.
The dropships have landed, and now the colonists are being led by the old Vice Chancellor, who I pictured as Governor Ratcliff from Pocahontas. He’s pretty thick, arrogant, with not enough to him to be redeeming. It’s a mystery to me why he’s in charge, but there you have it. Let’s start a war.
It’s quick and light
December 13, 2016
Book Review: Day 21
DAY 21 (The 100 #2) by Kass Morgan
3 Stars
Verdict: It's okay.
Oops, I forgot to write a proper review for this one when I read it last December, so this might be a bit short.
In truth, I read it quickly and moved on. Nothing really stood out, good or bad, that I haven’t already said for book one.
It’s an easy read and it's written in a straightforward manner… plus with further
3 Stars
Verdict: It's okay.
Oops, I forgot to write a proper review for this one when I read it last December, so this might be a bit short.
In truth, I read it quickly and moved on. Nothing really stood out, good or bad, that I haven’t already said for book one.
It’s an easy read and it's written in a straightforward manner… plus with further
December 7, 2016
Book Review: The Sun Is Also A Star
THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon5 StarsVerdict: Loved it!
This story is about one momentous day. It’s Natasha last day to stop her deportation back to Jamaica, the place she was born but feels little connection to. It’s also Daniel’s day to shine in an interview for Yale that he couldn’t care less about, but his first-generation Asian immigrant parents believe it is the best thing for
This story is about one momentous day. It’s Natasha last day to stop her deportation back to Jamaica, the place she was born but feels little connection to. It’s also Daniel’s day to shine in an interview for Yale that he couldn’t care less about, but his first-generation Asian immigrant parents believe it is the best thing for
December 5, 2016
Book Review: Gambit
GAMBIT by C. L. Denault 3 Stars Verdict: An unexpected romance novel
It started out strong, with lifelike characters and a rich, warm setting for the tale of the lost heir with genetically amazing powers. It felt a lot like Red Queen in a good way, with enough differences for it to stand out.
Our main character Willow starts out naive and rude, but full of spirit, and I hoped she’d grow
It started out strong, with lifelike characters and a rich, warm setting for the tale of the lost heir with genetically amazing powers. It felt a lot like Red Queen in a good way, with enough differences for it to stand out.
Our main character Willow starts out naive and rude, but full of spirit, and I hoped she’d grow
