Gut reaction is 4.5 stars. But that may be bumped up to 5. We'll see. But dude...so good. (Full and more coherent review to come once I've processed fGut reaction is 4.5 stars. But that may be bumped up to 5. We'll see. But dude...so good. (Full and more coherent review to come once I've processed feelings.)...more
Waffling between 4.5 and 5 stars. As I think about it more, it will probably wind up being 5 stars. This was magnificent. The writing, as always, is iWaffling between 4.5 and 5 stars. As I think about it more, it will probably wind up being 5 stars. This was magnificent. The writing, as always, is incredible. I love the story, I love the characters, I love it all. More thoughts to come....more
Hmm. Well. It was definitely a wild ride, but many a thing happened in this installment I was not quite pleased with, sooo...2.5 or maybe 3 stars? UndHmm. Well. It was definitely a wild ride, but many a thing happened in this installment I was not quite pleased with, sooo...2.5 or maybe 3 stars? Undecided right now. Full review to come....more
This is one book I definitely had a love/hate relationship.
On the one hand, the story itself was a lot more compelling and iOfficial Rating: 3.5 stars
This is one book I definitely had a love/hate relationship.
On the one hand, the story itself was a lot more compelling and intriguing than the first four books in the series. Because we get out of the wash-rinse-repeat plot cycle that we had in books 1-3 at the end of book 4, there's a lot more "what if" that kind of goes down in this fifth book. On top of that, the territory Bobby winds up on this time around is so vastly different from anything else he's experienced before, so on top of the usual figuring out where Saint Dane is and what he's up to, Bobby also has to adjust to a cultural paradigm that is completely foreign to anything he's ever experienced before.
I really enjoyed how Mark and Courtney became more prominent throughout this installment and I liked how their story interwove with everything else that was happening with Bobby and the other Travelers.
All that being said, Bobby still kind of drove me crazy in this one. He felt even more whiny than he has in some of the previous books, which is a tad frustrating when you consider that he's been doing this for longer and is getting older and, theoretically, should be getting more mature/used to everything. But I spent a lot of my time rolling my eyes at him and thinking about how ridiculous he was being in his reactions to everything. And as y'all know, I'm a character-driven reader, so general frustration with Bobby dragged this down from 4 to 3.5 stars despite a much more compelling and engaging plot....more
After reading the Lunar Chronicles last year, I've been wanting to explore some more fairy tale retellings, so I was excited to jump into this retelliAfter reading the Lunar Chronicles last year, I've been wanting to explore some more fairy tale retellings, so I was excited to jump into this retelling of Aladdin.
Overall, this was a pretty solid read for me. I enjoyed the writing style, I enjoyed the character development, and I found the plot to be engaging well-paced.
The development of Aladdin and Zhara as individual characters was solid and I really enjoyed getting to know Zhara in particular, as she's so different from the genie most of us associate with the Aladdin story thanks to Disney. She was a rather complex, layered character who struggled with motivations and emotions and a whole slew of other things and I felt Khoury did a wonderful job developing and portraying the struggle Zhara goes through as the story progresses.
One of my absolute favorite things about this book was Princess Caspida and her Watchmaidens. I have always loved seeing strong female friendships portrayed in books and lately have been leaning toward stories that prominently feature those kinds of relationships instead everything being love and romance. And let me just tell you, these women were baller. Fierce, loyal, and strong, they love each other and their city and their kingdom and in so many ways they completely made this story for me.
My biggest struggle with the book was the relationship between Aladdin and Zhara. Partly because it felt rather insta-lovey to me and partly because I have some major issues with all these stories where a hundreds-year-old immortal something or other falls in love with a teenager. Even though we know from the beginning that Aladdin and Zhara are gonna fall in love (because it says so on the dust jacket), I would've like there to be more of a slow development of feelings. Yes, Zhara fights against her instincts and struggles to come to terms with her feelings for Aladdin, but from the beginning there's the whole "connection" thing and yea. I'm sort of okay with the hundreds-year-old jinni falling for a teenager because of the fact that the hundreds-year-old jinni was basically frozen in time as a teenager herself and has spent the last 500 years just chilling along in her lamp, but I still just struggle with that whole concept and I wish writers would stop doing it.
Though I can't necessarily think of a better way for it to end, the ending bothered me. It all felt very tied up, neat and pretty, in a lovely bow and I get that that's what fairy tales are, but I don't know...it felt too sweet and sappy and happy. Mostly because of the last line. If that had been taken out, I might've been more okay with the ending.
Overall, like I said, a pretty solid read with some wonderful characters. Just a few things that irked me a bit, but very much a "it's me, not the book" kind of things....more
In this fourth installment, Bobby heads to the planet of Veelox, where he discovers Saint Dane has apparently already done hOfficial Rating: 3.5 stars
In this fourth installment, Bobby heads to the planet of Veelox, where he discovers Saint Dane has apparently already done his job and the territory is on its way to ruin. Naturally, this concerns him since, according to Uncle Press, once one territory falls, they all fall. Teaming up with Aja, the Traveler from Veelox, Bobby learns the population of Veelox spends most of their time in a virtual reality program called Lifelight that uses your own memories and thoughts to create your perfect reality. The problem is, people are now spending more time in Lifelight than out because they don't want to deal with the difficulties of actually living a life. As a results, the entire territory is on the verge of self-inflicted collapse. Aja has developed something she calls the Reality Bug, which she hopes will fix the problem and get people out of Lifelight. But, of course, Saint Dane does stuff and things get a little crazy.
So this series is definitely picking up. Coming into this fourth book, I was a little wary, as the first three has been feeling very wash, rinse, repeat. On the whole, this story was a lot more intriguing with far more twists and turns that kept me on my toes more often.
As a character, Bobby is starting to grow and become more comfortable with his role as a traveler, which means as a narrator he's getting far less whiny and annoying. And thank goodness. We bring back one of my favorite characters, Loor, in this book, which made me quite excited. She was a total BA on Denduron and we see more of that plus a different side of her character in this book that I really enjoyed.
I also liked that after three books of effectively sitting on the sidelines and reading about Bobby's adventures, Mark and Courtney finally start to get their own story and I'm quite interested to see how the larger role in the greater story.
The writing is still a little rough at points, particularly at the beginning of the story when MacHale is doing the somewhat necessary "here's how we got to where we are" kind of stuff.
Overall, the most enjoyable story so far and I'm intrigued to see how the events of this book affect the upcoming adventures....more
Really, I think the only way to describe this book is 'delightful.' Because that's truly what it is. The story, the characteOfficial Rating: 4.5 stars
Really, I think the only way to describe this book is 'delightful.' Because that's truly what it is. The story, the characters, the world, the writing. It's all just delightful.
It took me a few chapters to wrap my head around the writing style. On some level, I was captivated by it from the start, but Valente's writing style is incredibly whimsical and unique and that's the kind of style that just takes a bit to get used to, no matter how much you do or don't like it. After three or four chapters though, I settled in and so enjoyed the turns of phrase and language choice and lyrical whimsy of the story she spun and how she spun it.
We get thrown right into the craziness of this magical world with little-to-no context, which is a bit jarring at first, but as we went along and September learned things about the world from the other characters, it was all presented in such a way that I never questioned any of it and it never felt too slow or info dumpy or anything like that.
All the characters are wonderful and I absolutely adored September as a heroine. The story itself was a fascinating one with so many unique and lovely tidbits threaded in piece by piece. I love how it all developed and wove together as we progressed and those last several chapters definitely grab you.
In essence, this is the kind of book you read when you want to escape the world and just be delighted by imagination and I cannot wait to see where Valente's imagination takes us next. ...more
This second book was definitely better than the first, but the beginning was rooooough.
We last left Bobby as he and his UncOfficial Rating: 3.25 stars
This second book was definitely better than the first, but the beginning was rooooough.
We last left Bobby as he and his Uncle Press had just saved the territory of Denduron from plunging into chaos and watched as their arch nemesis ran off to another territory to presumably wreak havoc there. Sure enough, they follow him to Cloral -- a territory completely under water. The inhabitants live on habitats that are basically like giant floating cities.
In many respects, it's the same 'ole, same 'ole as the first book was. They show up on a territory, they have to figure out where Saint Dane is and who he's disguising himself as, figure out his evil plan, and somehow thwart it. And well, something tells me that's how every single book will be until the end. But, when the dude's goal is to throw all the territories into chaos and the Traveler's job is to prevent that from happening, I guess that's what'll happen until Saint Dane either succeeds or straight up fails. Anywayyyyy.
Like I said, this one was better than the first, but it still wasn't amazing. The story was more intriguing, the writing didn't feel quite as clunky, and the character development improved. However, the book almost lost me in just the first 20 pages -- the section where McHale attempts to bring us up to speed on what happened in the first book. But since everything's written in a first person narrative, it just felt super awkward and contrived and I know why the author has to do it, but I really hope that part of the novels improve as the series continues, because man, those first 20 pages were rough.
Also, I'm hoping due to some things that happened near the end of this book, Bobby finally starts to grow up. Because, omigoodness, dude was suuuuuper whiny in this book and I kind of wanted to just slap him across the face and be like, "Grow up, dude!" So hopefully that'll get better.
I am intrigued and also said I'd give it until at least book 3 before I decided if I wanted to finish the series or not. This one was a slight improvement over book 1, so hopefully things will continue in that upward trend as the series progresses....more
9/30/15 I picked up this series on the recommendation of one of my closest friends. She warned me that the first couple of books are not the best but t9/30/15 I picked up this series on the recommendation of one of my closest friends. She warned me that the first couple of books are not the best but the series gets way better. I'm certainly hoping she's right.
This is the first in a (I believe) ten book series about a kid named Bobby Pendragon. He's 14-years-old, star of the basketball team, your typical all-American popular kid. One day his Uncle Press shows up, cryptically tells him there's some people they have to save and takes him on a crazy adventure. He then learns he's a Traveler and basically has to save the universe. No big deal or anything.
The premise is intriguing and I'm curious to see where the series goes, but this first book was pretty meh.
We flop back and forth between first person perspective as Bobby writes journals about his experience and third person perspective of his two friends, Mark and Courtney, whom he sends the journals to. The third person perspective was okay for me, but I had a hard time getting into the first person sections of the books. Which is unfortunate because, you know, that's where the main chunk of the action happens.
On the whole, this book was pretty average. Because I had a hard time connecting with the first person stuff and therefore the majority of the action, I had a hard time connecting with the book as a whole. I don't particularly love any of the characters yet, though there are a couple of pretty BA ones that we've met thus far.
I'm trusting Katelyn that these books will get better, so I'll continue on through the next couple in the series before I make the determination as to whether or not I want to dedicate time to all ten....more
First things first, I really do like the story, the world Maas is building. CelaenOfficial Rating: 2.5 stars Video Review:https://youtu.be/PjXQGBXFDz0
First things first, I really do like the story, the world Maas is building. Celaena drives me up a freakin' wall most of the time. I'm hoping she will get more likable once the series actually starts. I mean, I get it, she's the best assassin or whatever. But her arrogance is super irritating.
I am confident I would've like this better had it been written as just one story, instead of five novellas. They all lead one right into the other anyway, and she could've easily written a transition chapter between each one (a lot of that info is given as the next novella progresses anyway). But that's partially a personal thing, because I'm not a huge fan of novellas. And most of the novellas I've read and enjoyed are at least 150 pages, so most of these just felt SO short. Especially The Assassin and The Healer.
And the number of crooked smiles in this book? Literally EVERYONE has a crooked smile. EVEN Celaena. I get that it's supposed to be like the endearing YA thing, but seriously, not that many people in this world have crooked smiles. At least not that I've encountered.
(view spoiler)[I was super pissed about Sam. I mean, I could see it coming. It was all too perfect, too easy. And based on what I know about the start of the setting for Throne of Glass, I knew something was going to have to change. But I pretty much adored Sam and at this point I only tolerate Celaena. So even though I saw it coming, I was still super pissed. Because he was wonderful. (hide spoiler)]
So basically, this gets 2.5ish stars from me because I did like the story, but the main character drives me up a wall, and I did not enjoy the novella format really at all.
Also, can we please stop talking about how pretty she is?...more
This was, without a doubt, my favorite in the series so far, but considering my feelings on the previous books, that's not nOfficial Rating: 3.5 stars
This was, without a doubt, my favorite in the series so far, but considering my feelings on the previous books, that's not necessarily saying too much.
It's a hefty book with a lot going on, especially considering the crap ton of reveals that we got in the last 100 pages or so of Crown of Midnight. There were certain elements of the story I really enjoyed, like the further development of Dorian, and the pacing and twists/turns were pretty solid, but there is a fair amount that still irked me.
Plot and pacing-wise, it struck a weird balance between being super intriguing/engaging and meandering. Going back and forth between what's happening with Chaol/Dorian, what's happening with Celaena, and what's happening with these new witches made the story drag at certain points as it often felt like it took forever for certain things to happen. And while I understand that one of the biggest points of this book was Celaena coming to terms with who she really is, learning to control her powers, etc., we just spent too much time working through all that.
I did appreciate the growth Celaena goes through in this book and she irked me the least thus far, though there were still moments where I was like, "Girl, you're being an idiot. Stop it."
Dorian was one of my favorite parts of this book and I really loved seeing him develop more and more into his own man, apart from Chaol, apart from Celaena, apart from the influence of his father. He wrestles with a whole lot of big stuff in this book and has definitely increased my affection for him. I also really enjoyed Chaol in this book (no surprise, considering he's the only character I liked in Throne of Glass), watching him wrestle with losing Celaena and losing Chaol and the implications of all the stuff we learned at the end of CoM.
As an individual character, I really like Rowan. He's obviously had a long, hard life that has made him into an epic warrior but not the most feeling person. But he pushed back at Celaena and didn't take any of her crap, which I appreciated, because seriously...someone needed to knock that girl's arrogance down a couple of notches. I love the idea of them basically being magic BFFs, as to the other stuff that's hinted at as a "this is probably coming"...not a fan.
Then there's the witches. I did not understand the point of them, was not interested in them really at all, and every single time they showed up on the page, I groaned because it just meant it took longer for us to get back to stuff that was happening with the characters I cared about.
In hindsight, it looks like there are a whole lot of things I really didn't enjoy about this book, which is kind of true. But the actual reading experience was fairly enjoyable. Mass does has an engaging writing style that makes it easy to get through the books quickly, so it's not until I sit down to process after the fact that I identify the issues I had with the book.
In short, Dorian and Chaol are my favorites. I love Rowan as a magical BFF and Celaena is slightly less irritating. I don't understand why we should care about the witches. But I'm still curious where it's all going, so I'll continue with the series....more
5/6/2016 Can we talk about that ending? Because goodness gracious.
So if you saw my review for Throne of Glass you know that IOfficial Rating: 3.5 stars
5/6/2016 Can we talk about that ending? Because goodness gracious.
So if you saw my review for Throne of Glass you know that I was somewhat underwhelmed by it and really didn't enjoy it. I'm not yet ready to declare my eternal love for the series as a whole, but this second installment was a vast improvement on the first.
Overall, I think the biggest thing this book had that ToG didn't was a focused plot. ToG felt all over the place when it came to the story, but CoM was much more compelling in that regard. And a focused plot just improved everything. The story felt tighter, the writing felt tighter, the pacing picked up, the characters became more developed and compelling, and thank goodness we spent less time talking about the detail on Celaena's dresses and more time on things that were actually relevant to the rest of the story.
I still don't love Celaena, but she definitely grew on me in this book. I'm beginning to see there's a lot more complexity to her character and, in many instances, the arrogance is a facade or a defense mechanism. That doesn't stop me from wanting to shake her for being such an idiot sometimes because for a BA assassin, she sure does wind up in some really idiotic situations quite often. So there was a lot of, "GIRL, YOU ARE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED. STOP BEING DUMB." but I didn't have the same rage for her as I did in TAB and ToG.
Chaol was my favorite from ToG and I had a feeling he was a much more complex character than we got to see in ToG and I was right. I love him even more in this book than I did in the first and I swear, if Sarah J. Maas does anything to hurt him, I will end her. (I already don't trust her with my feelings after TAB, so, yea.) Dorian also grew on me a lot in this book, I think largely because his character was developed a lot more and, like with Celaena, you begin to see there's a whole lot more under the surface than just a charming prince with a crooked smile (which, I'm pleased to report, did not make an appearance!).
I was intrigued by the magic system and all the Fae stuff when I read TAB and I'm even more intrigued by how it all works now, which is why it's entirely possible that even if my love for the series doesn't continue to grow in other regards, I will see it out to the end because I just want to know where the heck it's all going.
The beginning was a little slow, but the change in focus and writing was still enough to hold my interest pretty early on. When it comes to the plot, there were a whoooole lot more twists and turns throughout with a crap ton of WHAT THE HECK reveals at the end that should make for a really interesting next installment. And like I said already...can we just talk about that ending? Because goodness gracious, what an ending.
Sarah J. Maas has won me over for now and I am quite eager to see where she takes the story next. (Though I truly don't know if I will be able to handle the feelings I've been told to prepare for.) ...more
As I mentioned in my Fellowship review, it's been over a decade since I read the series for the first time and there was so, so much that I didn't remAs I mentioned in my Fellowship review, it's been over a decade since I read the series for the first time and there was so, so much that I didn't remember.
This is my least favorite of the series, but it still gets 4.75 stars. So that's saying something.
My biggest issue with Two Towers is the same issue I have with Return of the King which is that, because the Fellowship is split at the end of the first book, this whole book (and ROTK) is split into two completely separate narratives. We get everything that happens to Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Merry, and Pippin...and then we hop over and find out what was happening to Sam and Frodo that entire time.
I understand to some degree why Tolkien did it that way, but it makes it harder to understand the chronology of everything and how the various events of what happened to Frodo and Sam line up with what was happening with everyone else.
Also, because this book is a whole lot more of the non-stop action kind of situation, the pacing is the slightest bit slower than Fellowship.
That being said, this book is still incredible. Tolkien introduces a few of my absolute favorite characters in this book -- specifically Eowyn, Faramir, and Treebeard.
His plot and description is excellent as always, his character development is impeccable, and his world just gets more complex and more wonderful, while still making complete and perfect sense. It's just delightful.
I first read "The Phantom Tollbooth" in elementary school and immediately fell in love.
The story follows a little boy named Milo, who never really doeI first read "The Phantom Tollbooth" in elementary school and immediately fell in love.
The story follows a little boy named Milo, who never really does much of anything. One day, he comes to find a box containing a tollbooth in his room. He drives through the tollbooth and finds himself transported to a land where he encounters all sorts of fascinating and hilarious people and creatures as he goes on a journey to help rescue Rhyme and Reason.
Tollbooth is one of the most imaginative, clever, and witty books I've ever read, which is why I think children and adults alike love it so much. The turns of phrases and plays on words he uses, in conjunction with the characters and such are so wonderful and his writing style is terribly engaging.
I recommend this to anyone and everyone. If you don't love it...something is wrong with you....more
This is my second read of The Hobbit -- I read it for the first time in high school, I believe, right after the first movie in the LSimply delightful.
This is my second read of The Hobbit -- I read it for the first time in high school, I believe, right after the first movie in the LOTR trilogy came out -- and I must say, I enjoyed it immensely, and probably far more than my initial read.
Tolkien's narration is splendid, his description is wonderful, and the world of Middle Earth is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating and thoroughly prepared of any in literature....more
Fellowship is without a doubt my favorite of the series. This was my second read and the first time I'd read the series in over a decade, so in some rFellowship is without a doubt my favorite of the series. This was my second read and the first time I'd read the series in over a decade, so in some respects it was like reading it for the first because there was so much I didn't remember.
I know some people don't love it because of the intense amount of description and history that Tolkien uses in this series, but that's one of the things I absolutely adore about it. His world building is second to none. When he says you can read more about such-and-such thing in such-and-such book...you can actually read more about it in the other book because he wrote those others books. It's insane.
The character development is wonderful. His description is so captivating. The plot is complex and so intriguing. It's just delightful.
Some of my favorite characters are Tom Bombadill and Samwise Gamgee. I'm also a particular fan of Aragorn, though he's less of a favorite in this book and stands out more prominently in the others.
A big part of why this is my favorite out of the series is because, for the most part, everyone's hanging out together, so the whole story is on solid narrative. Whereas, when we get to Two Towers and Return of the King, since the Fellowship is split, the narrative is split.
I love these books even more now than when I read them for the first time and I can guarantee they will be a beloved series for years and years and years to come....more
Oh, Return of the King, I had forgotten so, so much about you.
Second to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this is, without a doubt, my favorite coOh, Return of the King, I had forgotten so, so much about you.
Second to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this is, without a doubt, my favorite conclusion to a book series. I feel like I've read so many series recently where they start of strong and just go downhill from there and that is not the case at all with this incredible book.
My one issue with this one is the same issue I have with Two Towers, which is that the narrative is split for more of the story. We learn all about what's happening to the rest of the fellowship, then learn about how Sam and Frodo get on in Mordor and it's only once their mission is completed that everyone comes back together.
Tolkien does do a fairly good job of making references throughout Sam and Frodo's journey into Mordor to help you keep an awareness for how their days lined up with what was happening to everyone else, but I still would've like it better if the whole story was just meshed completely together.
That being said...this book still warrants 5 stars from me because it's just amazing. Some of my absolute favorite moments in the series happen in this book. Some smaller characters that were introduced in Two Towers step to the forefront with shining moments of victory and valor. Sam continues to prove that he's the best friend that any person could ever ask for. I just...there's so many good things I could say about it.
Like I've been saying for the whole series...plot, character development, world building. It's all just amazing.
I think one of my absolute favorite things about this book though is the ending. I know a lot of people who only like books with happy endings. And yes, this story does end mostly happy...eventually. But when Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin get back to the Shire, it's not all well and good just because they destroyed the ring. And even after they take back the Shire, things are never fully wonderful for Frodo.
It's a wonderful reminder that just because a big war ends doesn't automatically mean all evil has been vanquished from the land and that life just goes back to normal.
The short version is that I adore this series from start to finish....more
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