Elizabeth’s Comments (group member since Feb 01, 2013)

Elizabeth’s comments from the 2013 Hub Reading Challenge group.

I agree with Diane--Auggie's voice about drove me nuts. I thought it was puzzling that they included so many viewpoints (Justin??) but Julian didn't get his say. I know he's the villain-in-chief, but knowing why he is the way he is would have helped a lot. Maybe he's just a good person with a bad situation? His mother certainly sounds like a piece of work. I would have liked more dimension to his character.

Definitely see the reluctant reader appeal, but I wanted more of what happened after.

Definitely a good read-alike for Ellen Hopkins fans!

I agree! I'm not much of a graphics person (full disclosure: up until this point I had never read a Spidey book ever), but I like Miles as a character, especially his freak-outedness with this new powers. I loved the art here, too.

I don't think it's horror in the classic sense, but it is truly creepy, particularly the audio (narrator January LaVoy is a new favorite of mine). It also deals deeply with the occult, the Rapture, the return of the Beast/final battle of good and evil. I was surprised to see it on the Stoker list, but it is a great book.

Loved, Loved, Loved this one! I mixed media, so to speak, because I owned the book but the audio was on the Amazing Audios list. The audio was truly fabulous and creepy (perhaps not quite the thing for late-night long commutes?!), but as I got closer to the end I needed to know how it ended, so I finished the last 75 pages in print rather than drive around my block making my neighbors suspicious. Fantastic world-building and can't wait to see where the series goes next.

I actually got an ARC of this book and it got passed around my office, but somehow I never read it myself until it popped up on the challenge list. I'm not a huge fan of Lyga's work in general (Hey--quit throwing those tomatoes at me!) but this one I did like. Most kids don't want to grow up to be like their parents, so I think teens will relate to this. I'm excited to see where he takes this series next.

I read this when it first came out, and loved it! When the sequel comes in, I may take a challenge break to read it. May not be able to help myself.

I totally agree about the Bomb/Trinity pairing, Pam! Your comment actually got me thinking about a fiction/nonfiction pairs display, too. Thanks!

I hate math and science, but between this book and Bomb, I have a better understanding of the Manhattan Project and the science behind atomic weaponry than I gleaned from years of history classes. Mad props to this author--and what a perfect pair with Bomb!

I have to say I wasn't as repulsed by this one as I thought I would be. For such a heinous, unthinkable topic, it's handled nicely. A lot of cautions that will make me think before I order this--my community is super-conservative--but I think it could be used as a discussion starter, perhaps for people who work with at-risk youth or at an anti-bullying workshop. I'm curious: If you own this book in your library, where is it shelved?

So maybe I've had the wrong approach to nonfiction for a really long time, because both books I've read in the nonfiction category so far have blown me away. This one in particular made me think a lot, and I liked that it didn't romanticize anything. I'll be going back to this book whenever I doubt my own power to change the world.

Read this one for the Morris challenge and loved it. I couldn't get enough of the rich, creepy atmosphere. I also really admired that the author was able to manage so many narrative voices authentically.

I actually listened to this before the Hub Challenge began, but it's a series I love (especially on audio) so I grabbed it the minute the challenge started for a re-listen. I've loved this audio series all the way down the line. I also really liked how Colfer brought his series full-circle in this final book. Still very much a favorite.

I'm the first to admit that I hate math and science, but this book reads more like a spy thriller than any book I've ever read about the Manhattan Project. I love that it brings the story full circle and tells about the reaction of the scientists when the "gadget" actually worked. A human spin on a scientific topic--awesome!

Having been a music and theater geek ever since middle school, I truly loved this book. I don't read a lot of graphic novels, so this was a good one to cut my teeth on, so to speak. The story was fun and the art was beautiful.

Having come from a small, rural town, I totally agree with you about the small-town and conservative-Christian attitudes, Karl. Danforth really nailed those aspects of the story. Take out the ranches and insert miles and miles of soybean fields, and the book could have been set in my hometown.

This was a strange read for me. I kind of felt like it was too long, but at the same time I wanted more when I finished. Anyone else feel this way?

How can we add new folders (or do you have to be admin for that)? I finished Bomb and Artemis Fowl The Last Guardian audio over the weekend, but those award folders (Nonfiction/Odyssey) haven't been added yet. I'm happy to do it, but can't figure out how.