Samantha Cook's Blog, page 11
November 21, 2016
Book Review: The Shock of the Fall
THE SHOCK OF THE FALL by Nathan Filer
2 Stars
Verdict: Not worth it.
It took me 307 days to get through this book, which I’m sure is not the intended reading span. It just didn't grip me like I hoped it would.
From early on, I already felt like I knew Matt’s story enough to guess what wasn't said. It made it difficult to keep reading, and so I kept putting it down. Maybe I would have got
2 Stars
Verdict: Not worth it.
It took me 307 days to get through this book, which I’m sure is not the intended reading span. It just didn't grip me like I hoped it would.
From early on, I already felt like I knew Matt’s story enough to guess what wasn't said. It made it difficult to keep reading, and so I kept putting it down. Maybe I would have got
November 14, 2016
Book Review: The A to Z of You and Me
THE A TO Z OF YOU AND ME by James Hannah
4 Stars
Verdict: Depressing but addictive
This is a book about Ivo, who has made a lot of bad decisions in life for not enough reasons. It's about drugs, and illness, and death; ruined friendships, lost love, and forgiveness.
It's a depressing book, misery throughout, from rough beginnings to the very end. Somehow I blazed through it like fluff on fire
4 Stars
Verdict: Depressing but addictive
This is a book about Ivo, who has made a lot of bad decisions in life for not enough reasons. It's about drugs, and illness, and death; ruined friendships, lost love, and forgiveness.
It's a depressing book, misery throughout, from rough beginnings to the very end. Somehow I blazed through it like fluff on fire
November 9, 2016
Book Review: Slated
SLATED by Teri Terry
4 StarsVerdict: Like Delirium, but erasing memory instead of love.
Just like every young offender, Kyla has been stripped of her memories for a second chance at life. With her old life forgotten, she must relearn the world around her and of course stay happy, happy, happy, or the device on her arm will render her unconscious. This is her last chance to prove to
4 StarsVerdict: Like Delirium, but erasing memory instead of love.
Just like every young offender, Kyla has been stripped of her memories for a second chance at life. With her old life forgotten, she must relearn the world around her and of course stay happy, happy, happy, or the device on her arm will render her unconscious. This is her last chance to prove to
November 3, 2016
Book Review: The Petrified Flesh
THE PETRIFIED FLESH by Cornelia Funke
3 Stars
Verdict: Imaginative storyline, distant prose
Once upon a time, Jacob discovered a fairy tale world through a
mirror and became a treasure hunter. When his brother is cursed with jade flesh,
he promises to find a cure before the jade consumes him.
My favourite thing
about this book was the magical items Jacob acquired from his treasure [...]
3 Stars
Verdict: Imaginative storyline, distant prose
Once upon a time, Jacob discovered a fairy tale world through a
mirror and became a treasure hunter. When his brother is cursed with jade flesh,
he promises to find a cure before the jade consumes him.
My favourite thing
about this book was the magical items Jacob acquired from his treasure [...]
October 29, 2016
Book Review: Shadow and Bone
SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo
4 Stars
Verdict: Enjoyable if you don't overthink it
Alina Starkov is a lonely orphan who lacks energy, until she releases a dormant power, one that could destroy the creatures that plague Ravka. She's torn from her best and only friend Mal and forced to learn the ways of the magically elite known as the Grisha.
Alina’s transformation is a beautiful
4 Stars
Verdict: Enjoyable if you don't overthink it
Alina Starkov is a lonely orphan who lacks energy, until she releases a dormant power, one that could destroy the creatures that plague Ravka. She's torn from her best and only friend Mal and forced to learn the ways of the magically elite known as the Grisha.
Alina’s transformation is a beautiful
October 24, 2016
Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir
5 Stars
Verdict: Beautiful. Brutal, but brilliant.
Laia is a slave, spying on behalf of the resistance in order to rescue her brother. Elias is a soldier, facing trials to become the next emperor in a broken kingdom.
I’d heard a lot about this book beforehand, but I never thought it could live up to the hype. Maybe that helped manage my expectations, as [...]
5 Stars
Verdict: Beautiful. Brutal, but brilliant.
Laia is a slave, spying on behalf of the resistance in order to rescue her brother. Elias is a soldier, facing trials to become the next emperor in a broken kingdom.
I’d heard a lot about this book beforehand, but I never thought it could live up to the hype. Maybe that helped manage my expectations, as [...]
October 19, 2016
Book Review: The Universe Versus Alex Woods
THE UNIVERSE VERSES ALEX WOODS by by Gavin Extence 5 Stars
Verdict: Endearing, funny, thoughtful
I’ve already pestered my significant other and he enjoyed it too. It’s the type of book you just have to share with others to find out what they think of bits here and there. So much to think about, so many funny observations delivered in a way that made me smile throughout and almost cry in
Verdict: Endearing, funny, thoughtful
I’ve already pestered my significant other and he enjoyed it too. It’s the type of book you just have to share with others to find out what they think of bits here and there. So much to think about, so many funny observations delivered in a way that made me smile throughout and almost cry in
October 14, 2016
Book Review: The Girl on the Train
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins
5 Stars
Verdict: More captivating than Gone Girl (controversial, I know!)
I like characters to be a bit messed up in the head. I need them to do things I wouldn’t dare to, and get caught up in avoidable messes. This is definitely one of those books.
Rachel. Pains me to even think of her. She’s miserable, living to regret, barely getting by. She’s
5 Stars
Verdict: More captivating than Gone Girl (controversial, I know!)
I like characters to be a bit messed up in the head. I need them to do things I wouldn’t dare to, and get caught up in avoidable messes. This is definitely one of those books.
Rachel. Pains me to even think of her. She’s miserable, living to regret, barely getting by. She’s
October 10, 2016
Book Review: Delirium
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver5 Stars Verdict: A dystopian romance with prose to die for
Imagine a world where love is a disease, one that you’re cured of when you graduate. A disease you live with for years and years, watching others get cured before you, their lives boxed off into neat little ‘compatible’ categories. That’s what Lena is facing, and it all seems a normal-but-scary part of life,
Imagine a world where love is a disease, one that you’re cured of when you graduate. A disease you live with for years and years, watching others get cured before you, their lives boxed off into neat little ‘compatible’ categories. That’s what Lena is facing, and it all seems a normal-but-scary part of life,
October 7, 2016
Book Review: The Fifth Wave
THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey
5 Stars
Verdict: Utterly immersive
I picked up this book knowing it will be a rough ride, and so the opening didn’t disappoint. The concept isn’t actually original, but it pulled me in and kept my heart racing. I felt the setting immediately, and became immersed within a page.
The blurb is melodramatic, vague , and utterly gimmicky. This book is actually about
5 Stars
Verdict: Utterly immersive
I picked up this book knowing it will be a rough ride, and so the opening didn’t disappoint. The concept isn’t actually original, but it pulled me in and kept my heart racing. I felt the setting immediately, and became immersed within a page.
The blurb is melodramatic, vague , and utterly gimmicky. This book is actually about
