Title: Captive Rebel
Author: Erin McDermott
Rating: 3/5
Series: The Allegiance (Book 1)
Captive Rebel is a mix between dystopian and action with some romance sprinkled in, and it was pretty good! The main character, Marylyn O'Conner, starts of with this this go-with-the-flow personality that gets her into a few spots of trouble, but turns into this tough, strong character after she is captured. I love protagonists with spines (it's a pet peeve of mine when they don't), and every time she reminded her captors that she had a name I did an internal backflip. I also loved the fact that she was honest and didn't let people try and sugar-coat the situation, since it made me like her a lot more.
Honestly, my biggest complaint is that I wanted more. I would have loved to hear the backstory behind the division between the rebels and the Allegiant, what the wars were, and where the United States went. What was Ian's deal, how did they pick Charles, Ian, and Marylyn for the mission, I just have questions. One of the things that I look for in a book is for it to make me want more answers, to know more, and Captive Rebel definitely achieved that.
LIKES:
+ Marylyn's transformation, because she went from "whatever you say" to "I'll do it myself." I really liked how she figured out that some things she just had to take into her own hands, and I definitely liked captured Marylyn better than pre-capture Marylyn.
+ Marylyn's spine, as explained above
+ The Greek mythology ties, because I was interested enough that I had to go Google some stuff, and that means I have to find some books on Greek mythology and start reading
+ Marylyn's constant worrying actually made it easier to relate to her, because she was worrying about everything and I was worrying about everything, and we were able to worry together!
+ The character of Fanny was really well written. 3 words into her dialogue and I already hated her, which I'm pretty sure was the intent. Charles was really well written as well, I felt like his actions and the writing really fit with his character.
DISLIKES:
- I really would have liked to see more backstory, and some explanations regarding the wars, temples, Ian, the mission, etc. That was my main complaint, I just felt like I needed more of the story.
- There were a couple grammatical errors (I say this as my computer spell-checks grammatical for me because I can't spell, nor can I use commas) that didn't necessarily detract from the story but interrupted my flow a little. Also, as a fan of longer (and, as others describe them, flowery) sentences, I would have liked to see more of those.
- I felt like the pacing was a little too fast, but I think this relates back to the wanting-more-backstory thing. That would help slow the pacing, draw the story out, and make it not feel as rushed.
- Overprotective Ariston because I have issues with overprotective romance but that's probably just me.
I can honestly say that this was one of the few romance-type novels that I actually approved of the amount of romance included. Normally the romance overpowers the rest of the book, but this was actually more action and then a few romance scenes sprinkled in, but nothing that made me want to skip 5 pages ahead like I've had to do in some books. I liked this book, but I feel like I could have liked it more had it been more fleshed out.
Disclaimer: I was contacted by the author and asked to read and review this book. This has in no way impacted or altered my review, which is solely based on my feelings toward this book and its content. I did not receive any compensation (monetary or material) for this review and procured a copy of the book on my own.
See this review on Goodreads.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Book Review: A Gathering of Shadows
Title: A Gathering of Shadows
Author: V. E. Schwab
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Shades of Magic (Book 2)
Reread Count: 3
This is, once again, one of the most perfect piles of magic and pirates and thieves and MAGIC that I have ever read. It's like Schwab took the best of the best and squished them together and called it the Shades of Magic series because I'm in LOVE. I didn't think it was possible to love a book this much on your third reread but I was wrooonnggg. And it's the second book of a series which is normally my least favorite but not this one because my heart.
Lilia has gotten more kick-ass, Rhy has gotten more wild, Kill has gotten more overprotective, and Alucard is like the best captain/boss/privateer (not pirate, mind you, privateer) ever because he's so sneaky and sly and just *insert flailing motions here*. Words cannot describe him. He's probably one of my favorite characters in this series, if not my favorite. And 10/10 would have picked the Night Spire too because those sails... ugh <3.
Probably one of my favorite things is that the Essen Tasch is like the Hunger Games but on steroids, with magic, and like a gazillion times better because magic. I also really liked the symbolism behind it, like on one hand it's this excuse to party (not that I'd party because... parties) and have a good time watching people whack each other with colored air and water and fire and jazz but on the other it's soooooo much a political power play/display thingamabob that it's just *boom* mind blown.
On an unrelated note, I've decided that the king and queen are inconsiderate little balls of [insert something you dislike here, I'm gonna go with broccoli because I hate broccoli] broccoli because if there is one lesson I've learned from books it's the harder you hold on to somebody the less likely it is that they will stay because boom deep life lessons from books but seriously you put all these rules into effect and are all icy and stuff and then you're like "why is he unhappy?" like there's a mirror go look in it. Seriously.
If you haven't read this book or this series or whatever just do it it's so totally worth it and it's just... *happy sigh*
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: V. E. Schwab
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Shades of Magic (Book 2)
Reread Count: 3
This is, once again, one of the most perfect piles of magic and pirates and thieves and MAGIC that I have ever read. It's like Schwab took the best of the best and squished them together and called it the Shades of Magic series because I'm in LOVE. I didn't think it was possible to love a book this much on your third reread but I was wrooonnggg. And it's the second book of a series which is normally my least favorite but not this one because my heart.
Lilia has gotten more kick-ass, Rhy has gotten more wild, Kill has gotten more overprotective, and Alucard is like the best captain/boss/privateer (not pirate, mind you, privateer) ever because he's so sneaky and sly and just *insert flailing motions here*. Words cannot describe him. He's probably one of my favorite characters in this series, if not my favorite. And 10/10 would have picked the Night Spire too because those sails... ugh <3.
Probably one of my favorite things is that the Essen Tasch is like the Hunger Games but on steroids, with magic, and like a gazillion times better because magic. I also really liked the symbolism behind it, like on one hand it's this excuse to party (not that I'd party because... parties) and have a good time watching people whack each other with colored air and water and fire and jazz but on the other it's soooooo much a political power play/display thingamabob that it's just *boom* mind blown.
On an unrelated note, I've decided that the king and queen are inconsiderate little balls of [insert something you dislike here, I'm gonna go with broccoli because I hate broccoli] broccoli because if there is one lesson I've learned from books it's the harder you hold on to somebody the less likely it is that they will stay because boom deep life lessons from books but seriously you put all these rules into effect and are all icy and stuff and then you're like "why is he unhappy?" like there's a mirror go look in it. Seriously.
If you haven't read this book or this series or whatever just do it it's so totally worth it and it's just... *happy sigh*
See this review on Goodreads.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic
Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V. E. Schwab
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Shades of Magic (Book 1)
Reread Count: 4
So, as you can tell by the fact that I have read this book four times and have given it 5 stars each time even though I normally lower the ratings of books that I reread, I LOVE this series. And this book. But especially this book. My cousin, who introduced me to the Red Queen series and the Lunar Chronicles, is actually the one who got me into this series as well. Basically, she is the reason why I have no money any more (jk but seriously books are expensive). But this book is just perfection in 400 pages. It makes my heart happy 💙
This is basically kingdoms mixed with magic mixed with beached pirates mixed with thieves and it is WONDERFUL. Rhy and Kell together just have this awesome brother relationship that I wished I had with my sibling who I am currently trying to butter up because he who holds the Tolkien books must be convinced to let me borrow them. Or I can just casually sneak in and take them I'm sure he won't notice. Anyway, I just loved their banter and the fact that they know (almost) everything about each other and can tell all their moods and complement each other and I just love reading about their interactions...
And Lilia. This cut-throat thief who is actually really sensitive but tries to hide it with all her spikes she's like a pineapple... She's also so impossibly stubborn which speaks to me because when everyone tells you to go right you go left, obviously. Also, she has single-handedly validated my theory that large books can be used as weapons which is good because if someone breaks into my house all I have are large hardcovers to defend myself with... I mean I have a puppy but he will just lick the intruder to death so now I just have to decide if Harry Potter or Lady Midnight would be the best weapon...
I know Holland is supposed to be this evil dude that you are meant to hate and I did hate him the first two times I read this book but honestly I'm starting to like him more because if you think about it the poor guy is forced to serve these creepy evil twins and cut himself so they can drink his blood and who can blame him for being all angry and frustrated and all that jazz. I certainly would be if some pysco siblings bound me to them for all of eternity to serve as their evil minion.
I'm not going to make a likes/dislikes chart for this book because it is just so awesome and I can't handle it. Plus there isn't anything for me to hate. I mean I'm sure I could think of something if I focused hard enough because I'm a grumpy, crabby individual but I don't want to because I'm going to hold on to that happiness.
Read this. Just do yourself a favor and read it.
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: V. E. Schwab
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Shades of Magic (Book 1)
Reread Count: 4
So, as you can tell by the fact that I have read this book four times and have given it 5 stars each time even though I normally lower the ratings of books that I reread, I LOVE this series. And this book. But especially this book. My cousin, who introduced me to the Red Queen series and the Lunar Chronicles, is actually the one who got me into this series as well. Basically, she is the reason why I have no money any more (jk but seriously books are expensive). But this book is just perfection in 400 pages. It makes my heart happy 💙
This is basically kingdoms mixed with magic mixed with beached pirates mixed with thieves and it is WONDERFUL. Rhy and Kell together just have this awesome brother relationship that I wished I had with my sibling who I am currently trying to butter up because he who holds the Tolkien books must be convinced to let me borrow them. Or I can just casually sneak in and take them I'm sure he won't notice. Anyway, I just loved their banter and the fact that they know (almost) everything about each other and can tell all their moods and complement each other and I just love reading about their interactions...
And Lilia. This cut-throat thief who is actually really sensitive but tries to hide it with all her spikes she's like a pineapple... She's also so impossibly stubborn which speaks to me because when everyone tells you to go right you go left, obviously. Also, she has single-handedly validated my theory that large books can be used as weapons which is good because if someone breaks into my house all I have are large hardcovers to defend myself with... I mean I have a puppy but he will just lick the intruder to death so now I just have to decide if Harry Potter or Lady Midnight would be the best weapon...
I know Holland is supposed to be this evil dude that you are meant to hate and I did hate him the first two times I read this book but honestly I'm starting to like him more because if you think about it the poor guy is forced to serve these creepy evil twins and cut himself so they can drink his blood and who can blame him for being all angry and frustrated and all that jazz. I certainly would be if some pysco siblings bound me to them for all of eternity to serve as their evil minion.
I'm not going to make a likes/dislikes chart for this book because it is just so awesome and I can't handle it. Plus there isn't anything for me to hate. I mean I'm sure I could think of something if I focused hard enough because I'm a grumpy, crabby individual but I don't want to because I'm going to hold on to that happiness.
Read this. Just do yourself a favor and read it.
See this review on Goodreads.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Book Review: Blackbirds
Title: Blackbirds
Author: Chuck Wendig
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: Miriam Black (Book 1)
I think I'm just on a disappointing-book reading spree right now. I saw this book on the "new arrivals" shelf that I have begun stalking at my library, and I thought that it looked like an awesome series. Protagonist with the ability to tell when people are going to die? It sounded like a nice action/thriller, and then I read it and it... wasn't.
First things first, Miriam was one of the most irritating protagonists that I have read in a long time. I understand the angle that Wendig was going for, but it just seemed extremely overdone, like he was intentionally trying to make her the most irritating, irrational, annoying character that he possibly could. And I'm not sure that he meant her character to be like that. Also, her entire character can be summed up in like 5 words, which is really frustrating. When I talk about a character I want to be able to go into an in-depth analysis of their personality and not just be like "yeah she smokes and cusses and..." because I've just summarized 40% of her personality.
Also this book is just really gross. Like really gross. I don't normally have a problem with descriptions that other people cannot handle but this was way over the top. Just reading it made me feel ill. There were brains getting blown everywhere, people getting shoved down garbage disposals, knives going through eyes, it was just disgusting. And there were other details about more... romantic... things that were just yuck as well. Seriously, I don't want to read about that.
And linear plot that makes sense? Nonexistent. It was like jumping around on a trampoline half the time, I couldn't tell what the heck was going on. One second we are in X location, the next we are some random place that I don't know. And names. I am so bad with names but Wendig kept throwing names out there that I was supposed to know but didn't.
LIKES:
+ The snippets where we get to find out how people will die were actually pretty interesting and, in my opinion, some of the better-written parts of the book. They were still pretty gruesome and over-the-top, but at least they weren't pogo-sticking all over the place.
+ There were certainly plenty of plot twists, and I was surprised by a ton of the twists and turns. In this way, the confusing plot actually helped with the suspense because I was so lost that I couldn't predict anything.
DISLIKES:
- Miriam, because of all the reasons listed above
- Confusing plot that made no sense at all
- Miriam's relationships with other people, because she seemed to gravitate towards the people who would treat her horribly. And then when there was someone who would actually treat her in a decent manner she realized what a bad influence she would be, ran away, and changed nothing about her life.
- Gross details. Over-the-top gross details.
- Ending that made zero sense considering all the stuff that Miriam spews during the book about fate.
I just can't finish this series. I mean I could, but I would just be dragging myself through 3 more books of yuck, and I've decided by TBR is too big for that. I will, however, be trying Wendig's other book Zer0s, because maybe it's better?
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Chuck Wendig
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: Miriam Black (Book 1)
I think I'm just on a disappointing-book reading spree right now. I saw this book on the "new arrivals" shelf that I have begun stalking at my library, and I thought that it looked like an awesome series. Protagonist with the ability to tell when people are going to die? It sounded like a nice action/thriller, and then I read it and it... wasn't.
First things first, Miriam was one of the most irritating protagonists that I have read in a long time. I understand the angle that Wendig was going for, but it just seemed extremely overdone, like he was intentionally trying to make her the most irritating, irrational, annoying character that he possibly could. And I'm not sure that he meant her character to be like that. Also, her entire character can be summed up in like 5 words, which is really frustrating. When I talk about a character I want to be able to go into an in-depth analysis of their personality and not just be like "yeah she smokes and cusses and..." because I've just summarized 40% of her personality.
Also this book is just really gross. Like really gross. I don't normally have a problem with descriptions that other people cannot handle but this was way over the top. Just reading it made me feel ill. There were brains getting blown everywhere, people getting shoved down garbage disposals, knives going through eyes, it was just disgusting. And there were other details about more... romantic... things that were just yuck as well. Seriously, I don't want to read about that.
And linear plot that makes sense? Nonexistent. It was like jumping around on a trampoline half the time, I couldn't tell what the heck was going on. One second we are in X location, the next we are some random place that I don't know. And names. I am so bad with names but Wendig kept throwing names out there that I was supposed to know but didn't.
LIKES:
+ The snippets where we get to find out how people will die were actually pretty interesting and, in my opinion, some of the better-written parts of the book. They were still pretty gruesome and over-the-top, but at least they weren't pogo-sticking all over the place.
+ There were certainly plenty of plot twists, and I was surprised by a ton of the twists and turns. In this way, the confusing plot actually helped with the suspense because I was so lost that I couldn't predict anything.
DISLIKES:
- Miriam, because of all the reasons listed above
- Confusing plot that made no sense at all
- Miriam's relationships with other people, because she seemed to gravitate towards the people who would treat her horribly. And then when there was someone who would actually treat her in a decent manner she realized what a bad influence she would be, ran away, and changed nothing about her life.
- Gross details. Over-the-top gross details.
- Ending that made zero sense considering all the stuff that Miriam spews during the book about fate.
I just can't finish this series. I mean I could, but I would just be dragging myself through 3 more books of yuck, and I've decided by TBR is too big for that. I will, however, be trying Wendig's other book Zer0s, because maybe it's better?
See this review on Goodreads.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Book Review: Flame in the Mist
Title: Flame in the Mist
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: Flame in the Mist (Book 1)
Well that was disappointing. I honestly should have given up after the first 20 pages but I had been waiting so long to read this book that I figured I would give it another shot... and another one... until I finished the book and just felt let down.
This was probably one of the most boring books that I've read in a while, and a lot of other people really liked it so I'm not sure what went wrong with me when I was reading it... I just couldn't make myself be interested in Mariko's story at all. I felt like I was dragging myself through the book, I wasn't excited to read it at all, and actually decided to edit my essays instead of reading (which I guess I needed to do since I had put them off while reading The End of the Day but still). I also spent way more time on my phone than I normally do, just to avoid picking the book up.
It basically follows Mariko, the future bride of the son of the emperor, as she gets attacked, joins a group of bandits called the Black Clan, and realizes that her life has been wonderful at the expense of others. She also learns how to fend for herself, and just how sheltered she has been. We also get some glimpses into the lives of her brother and the emperor/his wife/his consort, but those were really rare. My issue isn't necessarily with the plot, but just the execution. It seemed to drag on and on and I just lost interest 20 pages in.
Besides the whole instalove thing and slow plot there wasn't really anything I could put my finger on and go "this is why I didn't like the book," I just can't find a reason to like it, if that makes sense.
LIKES:
+ The premise of the book was quite interesting, and with the blurb I really wanted to read it. I almost felt like the blurb was more exciting than the actual book though...
+ When Mariko wasn't complaining she could actually be kinda tough. And she was super inventive, which was nice!
+ Semi-suprising plot twist at the end
DISLIKES:
- Mariko complained A LOT. About everything.
- Instalove
- Really slow plot, and Mariko was really hard to connect to/care about
- It was impossible (for me) to keep track of the characters. I didn't know who was who half of the time.
Now I just have to decide if I am reading Ahdieh's other series... It is supposed to be good, but then again so was this book.
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: Flame in the Mist (Book 1)
Well that was disappointing. I honestly should have given up after the first 20 pages but I had been waiting so long to read this book that I figured I would give it another shot... and another one... until I finished the book and just felt let down.
This was probably one of the most boring books that I've read in a while, and a lot of other people really liked it so I'm not sure what went wrong with me when I was reading it... I just couldn't make myself be interested in Mariko's story at all. I felt like I was dragging myself through the book, I wasn't excited to read it at all, and actually decided to edit my essays instead of reading (which I guess I needed to do since I had put them off while reading The End of the Day but still). I also spent way more time on my phone than I normally do, just to avoid picking the book up.
It basically follows Mariko, the future bride of the son of the emperor, as she gets attacked, joins a group of bandits called the Black Clan, and realizes that her life has been wonderful at the expense of others. She also learns how to fend for herself, and just how sheltered she has been. We also get some glimpses into the lives of her brother and the emperor/his wife/his consort, but those were really rare. My issue isn't necessarily with the plot, but just the execution. It seemed to drag on and on and I just lost interest 20 pages in.
Besides the whole instalove thing and slow plot there wasn't really anything I could put my finger on and go "this is why I didn't like the book," I just can't find a reason to like it, if that makes sense.
LIKES:
+ The premise of the book was quite interesting, and with the blurb I really wanted to read it. I almost felt like the blurb was more exciting than the actual book though...
+ When Mariko wasn't complaining she could actually be kinda tough. And she was super inventive, which was nice!
+ Semi-suprising plot twist at the end
DISLIKES:
- Mariko complained A LOT. About everything.
- Instalove
- Really slow plot, and Mariko was really hard to connect to/care about
- It was impossible (for me) to keep track of the characters. I didn't know who was who half of the time.
Now I just have to decide if I am reading Ahdieh's other series... It is supposed to be good, but then again so was this book.
See this review on Goodreads.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Book Review: The End of the Day
Title: The End of the Day
Author: Claire North
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: N/A
All I can say about this book is...wow. I will admit that I didn't have super high expectations for this book. I had read about the whole lack-of-linear-plot and the fragmented-ish style of writing which is normally a huge warning sign for me because if there's one thing I need in my life it's structure (I don't do well with spontaneous. I hate spontaneous. And change.). So I picked up this book with the expectations that I a) would probably not like it and b) would probably not retain any of the story because for these past two days I haven't even been able to tell you what time it is or what day of the week it is but this book blew my metaphorical socks off! I loved the plot (or lack there of), Charlie was amazing, and I do love myself an apocalypse story. Hence why I liked X-MEN: Apocalypse so much.
There really is no organized plot. It kinda follows a linear progression, but there are also some random loops that you aren't exactly sure when it happened. However, you can generally tell when these are coming because either a) considerate Charlie gives you a heads up or b) it takes place in a totally different location so it's fairly obvious that it's a tangent-type escapade. I think this was part of the reason that I could handle the non-plot, because unlike some books that are just like "whoooo TANGENT!" (that darn beltway...) this one was like "btw tangent coming up" so you could prepare yourself.
Also, there were a ton of random fragments and snippets of conversations which would normally drive me NUTSO but I didn't care and I cannot figure out why. I need to find this insanely calm human being and ask them their secrets because I stress about everything and yet this didn't stress me out. At all. How. Why. Teach me your secrets calm reader. They actually gave you this little insight into current events/happenings and some of them also addressed social issues? Like that random conversation in the drugstore would be talking about people feeling pressured by others to change their bodies but you wouldn't realize it if you skimmed the dialogue?
And now I'm really disappointed because I wish that North had written a book like this for each Harbinger but she didn't and now I get to sob in a little puddle of disappointment as I casually add 6+ of her books to my monstrous TBR.
LIKES:
+ THE BELTWAY. Because 99.99% of highways that I have ever been on are like this. Please, put the exit signs farther back. It would be extremely helpful, especially when that monstrous SUV is blocking the sign. And I also loved how EVERY SINGLE PERSON had to deal with it it was wonderful and I was smiling and (almost) laughed but didn't because I didn't want to have to explain it to other people who were around and yeah...
+ Charlie. Charlie was just the best. He was sufficiently awkward enough that I could connect with him yet also kind and hardworking enough that it just made me really happy inside. He was just so patient (what is patience?) and could give the same speech 20 million times and was completely cool with that.
+ Getting to know snippets/stories for all of these minor characters that you got to see a million of and it just made me the happiest puddle of stress ever because everyone knows I love secondary character development
+ The non-plot was a non-issue. I didn't care, and that was awesome because this book was a HUGE step outside my tiny comfort zone and I loved it!
+ The beltway. I still love the beltway.
+ Also, you got to see all the objects given to the people Charlie visited and sometimes it was explained and sometimes it wasn't and life was OKAY!
DISLIKES:
- Obligatory romance complaints here. (But being honest there wasn't that much romance so I REALLY DIDN'T CARE)
This book makes me want to do happy cartwheels up and down the from lawn but with the current weather I would probably either get soaked or hit with a flying tree branch or something so I'll settle for doing internal cartwheels. My heart is very happy right now. I would recommend this to literally anyone (except maybe small children) it was so far out of my comfort zone but it was SO AWESOME. One of my new favorite books.
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Claire North
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: N/A
All I can say about this book is...wow. I will admit that I didn't have super high expectations for this book. I had read about the whole lack-of-linear-plot and the fragmented-ish style of writing which is normally a huge warning sign for me because if there's one thing I need in my life it's structure (I don't do well with spontaneous. I hate spontaneous. And change.). So I picked up this book with the expectations that I a) would probably not like it and b) would probably not retain any of the story because for these past two days I haven't even been able to tell you what time it is or what day of the week it is but this book blew my metaphorical socks off! I loved the plot (or lack there of), Charlie was amazing, and I do love myself an apocalypse story. Hence why I liked X-MEN: Apocalypse so much.
There really is no organized plot. It kinda follows a linear progression, but there are also some random loops that you aren't exactly sure when it happened. However, you can generally tell when these are coming because either a) considerate Charlie gives you a heads up or b) it takes place in a totally different location so it's fairly obvious that it's a tangent-type escapade. I think this was part of the reason that I could handle the non-plot, because unlike some books that are just like "whoooo TANGENT!" (that darn beltway...) this one was like "btw tangent coming up" so you could prepare yourself.
Also, there were a ton of random fragments and snippets of conversations which would normally drive me NUTSO but I didn't care and I cannot figure out why. I need to find this insanely calm human being and ask them their secrets because I stress about everything and yet this didn't stress me out. At all. How. Why. Teach me your secrets calm reader. They actually gave you this little insight into current events/happenings and some of them also addressed social issues? Like that random conversation in the drugstore would be talking about people feeling pressured by others to change their bodies but you wouldn't realize it if you skimmed the dialogue?
And now I'm really disappointed because I wish that North had written a book like this for each Harbinger but she didn't and now I get to sob in a little puddle of disappointment as I casually add 6+ of her books to my monstrous TBR.
LIKES:
+ THE BELTWAY. Because 99.99% of highways that I have ever been on are like this. Please, put the exit signs farther back. It would be extremely helpful, especially when that monstrous SUV is blocking the sign. And I also loved how EVERY SINGLE PERSON had to deal with it it was wonderful and I was smiling and (almost) laughed but didn't because I didn't want to have to explain it to other people who were around and yeah...
+ Charlie. Charlie was just the best. He was sufficiently awkward enough that I could connect with him yet also kind and hardworking enough that it just made me really happy inside. He was just so patient (what is patience?) and could give the same speech 20 million times and was completely cool with that.
+ Getting to know snippets/stories for all of these minor characters that you got to see a million of and it just made me the happiest puddle of stress ever because everyone knows I love secondary character development
+ The non-plot was a non-issue. I didn't care, and that was awesome because this book was a HUGE step outside my tiny comfort zone and I loved it!
+ The beltway. I still love the beltway.
+ Also, you got to see all the objects given to the people Charlie visited and sometimes it was explained and sometimes it wasn't and life was OKAY!
DISLIKES:
- Obligatory romance complaints here. (But being honest there wasn't that much romance so I REALLY DIDN'T CARE)
This book makes me want to do happy cartwheels up and down the from lawn but with the current weather I would probably either get soaked or hit with a flying tree branch or something so I'll settle for doing internal cartwheels. My heart is very happy right now. I would recommend this to literally anyone (except maybe small children) it was so far out of my comfort zone but it was SO AWESOME. One of my new favorite books.
See this review on Goodreads.
Book Review: The Song Rising
Title: The Song Rising
Author: Samantha Shannon
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: The Bone Season (Book 3)
Spoilers for the Divergent Trilogy ahead!!
While this book was slightly more interesting than the previous installment, it didn't really necessarily speak to me or capture my attention or anything like that. I almost felt like the story got stuck in a rut, or like that movie with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt that I can't remember the name of... (Edge of Tomorrow. It's Edge of Tomorrow. Thanks Google.) You had this really interesting series of events that just kept getting repeated over and over again until, news flash, it wasn't interesting anymore. Plus, as I've mentioned in my past two reviews, my brain is a bag of mush right now so I kept getting confused, like hasn't this happened already...?
I feel like the second half was much more interesting than the first half, but both were pretty repetitive. In the first half it was all "Paige is Underqueen, now here are a million reasons why she might not be Underqueen for very long..." and that just didn't work for me. You can have a protagonist be interesting without constantly reinforcing how hard the journey ahead of her is going to be, her struggles, etc. I understood it the first couple times it was said! And then the second half of the book went all Mission Impossible on me, and if anyone has EVER talked to me about the Mission Impossible movies then they know that I have a grudge against those. A very big one. Also James Bond. Those guys are dead! You can't wack your head against the side of a building that hard and be totally okay afterwards. Sorry. And some of the stuff Paige did reminded me of that. Which made me really mad.
I'm going to be completely honest here--you really gotta know your orders for the last half of this book. And if you have, say, no idea as to what order is what then the whole suspense part of it is ruined because you are too lost to understand what is going on. And that's not kinda-sorta lost, it's majorly lost. And there's a chart and all in the back of the book but flipping back and forth all the time is just a pain. Major pain.
LIKES:
+ Yay for backstories! Nothing makes me happier than secondary character backstories, and you've got that here! Even though I had no clue as to who some of these people were (still iffy on who Tom was. I feel like I should know him and where he was from but again, brain = mush) I still got to learn their stories and that was cool
+ Jaxon backstory and story reveal and HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING?!? Paige is putting it all together and I'm like pshhh how did she not know that and then I'm sitting there like aiflfdujhsf well you didn't either.... (as you can see, did not see that coming. At all. Good job me.
+ Paige is finally using her gift more and although there was still a large amount of can'tdoitcan'tdoit that went on I feel like we actually got to see the dreamwalker, ya know, dreamwalk a decent amount.
+ The fact that she kinda pulled a Tris, but in a good way. You'll see.
DISLIKES:
- You know the outcome of her pulling a Tris, because there are 4 MORE BOOKS in the series.
- There seemed to be a lot of her acting like she was dying/dead but then she's not every time and just repetition...
- See rant about repetition above ^^
- I was really lost at certain points during this story. Like really lost, and I don't think I ever found my way again.
It wasn't awful, I just wasn't in love... I'm not sure if it was the repetition or slow build or what was going on, but it just didn't click for me, which was really disappointing. I still haven't decided if I'm reading the rest of the series when it comes out...
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Samantha Shannon
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: The Bone Season (Book 3)
Spoilers for the Divergent Trilogy ahead!!
While this book was slightly more interesting than the previous installment, it didn't really necessarily speak to me or capture my attention or anything like that. I almost felt like the story got stuck in a rut, or like that movie with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt that I can't remember the name of... (Edge of Tomorrow. It's Edge of Tomorrow. Thanks Google.) You had this really interesting series of events that just kept getting repeated over and over again until, news flash, it wasn't interesting anymore. Plus, as I've mentioned in my past two reviews, my brain is a bag of mush right now so I kept getting confused, like hasn't this happened already...?
I feel like the second half was much more interesting than the first half, but both were pretty repetitive. In the first half it was all "Paige is Underqueen, now here are a million reasons why she might not be Underqueen for very long..." and that just didn't work for me. You can have a protagonist be interesting without constantly reinforcing how hard the journey ahead of her is going to be, her struggles, etc. I understood it the first couple times it was said! And then the second half of the book went all Mission Impossible on me, and if anyone has EVER talked to me about the Mission Impossible movies then they know that I have a grudge against those. A very big one. Also James Bond. Those guys are dead! You can't wack your head against the side of a building that hard and be totally okay afterwards. Sorry. And some of the stuff Paige did reminded me of that. Which made me really mad.
I'm going to be completely honest here--you really gotta know your orders for the last half of this book. And if you have, say, no idea as to what order is what then the whole suspense part of it is ruined because you are too lost to understand what is going on. And that's not kinda-sorta lost, it's majorly lost. And there's a chart and all in the back of the book but flipping back and forth all the time is just a pain. Major pain.
LIKES:
+ Yay for backstories! Nothing makes me happier than secondary character backstories, and you've got that here! Even though I had no clue as to who some of these people were (still iffy on who Tom was. I feel like I should know him and where he was from but again, brain = mush) I still got to learn their stories and that was cool
+ Jaxon backstory and story reveal and HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING?!? Paige is putting it all together and I'm like pshhh how did she not know that and then I'm sitting there like aiflfdujhsf well you didn't either.... (as you can see, did not see that coming. At all. Good job me.
+ Paige is finally using her gift more and although there was still a large amount of can'tdoitcan'tdoit that went on I feel like we actually got to see the dreamwalker, ya know, dreamwalk a decent amount.
+ The fact that she kinda pulled a Tris, but in a good way. You'll see.
DISLIKES:
- You know the outcome of her pulling a Tris, because there are 4 MORE BOOKS in the series.
- There seemed to be a lot of her acting like she was dying/dead but then she's not every time and just repetition...
- See rant about repetition above ^^
- I was really lost at certain points during this story. Like really lost, and I don't think I ever found my way again.
It wasn't awful, I just wasn't in love... I'm not sure if it was the repetition or slow build or what was going on, but it just didn't click for me, which was really disappointing. I still haven't decided if I'm reading the rest of the series when it comes out...
See this review on Goodreads.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Book Review: The Mime Order [Mild Spoilers]
Title: The Mime Order
Author: Samantha Shannon
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: The Bone Season (Book 2)
Warning: Mild-ish spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
I finished this yesterday but my brain is apparently a big bag of mush and I cannot retain anything so apologies in advance for yet another rambling and disorganized review. One day I will be completely on top of things, probably the same day that I can look at my TBR without getting short of breath.
I feel like this book was, in a way, pretty forgettable. I mean, I read The Bone Season 11 days ago and remember the events of that much better than I remember the events of this book, which should really tell you something. I feel like the last couple chapters of this book should have turned into the first couple chapters of the third book and then this book should have just...not existed...
Basically it picks up where the last book left off, and the first like 40% of the book is Paige deciding if she should go back to Jaxon or not. For some reason I imagine this as Paige pacing back and forth wearing a track in the ground but that's not what happened there was some other stuff thrown in there as well but it obviously wasn't interesting enough for me to remember... and then the last 60% is Warden-filled but also probably the most interesting part of the book. Not the Warden part. But the action part because betrayal, tension, mystery, all that jazz.
LIKES:
+ The last part of the book was awesome. Lots of action, mystery, etc. as well as some betrayal and subversive plots because why not chuck that in there too? I loved it, it reminded me of why I decided to continue reading the series even though the first one made me a puddle of uncertain mush. (I have issues when reading a series. As in, once I read the first one I feel obligated to read all of the others even if they were supremely terrible. Because you can't just abandon a series, who does that?! I have gotten better as my TBR has grown though, because no one has time to read an awful series with that monstrous pile staring straight at you...)
+ Excluding the first 40% of the book, I felt like the book moved the plot along quite nicely. There was actually a reason for everything/what was going on, I was drawn into the story, AND I chose to read it instead of studying for my tests because what is studying. All I know how to do is put it off and read books because... TBR lists...
+ I really liked how we got to know some of the secondary characters better, as well as their backstories. Because if there's one thing I hate (besides romance, love triangles, etc.) it's flat secondary characters
DISLIKES:
- The first 40% of the book because what was that even. I'm an indecisive person (MAJORLY indecisive) and even I was getting frustrated. PICK PAIGE, PICK.
- Warden because why does he have to get involved in EVERYTHING.
- Romance
-Some of the events at the end were confusing, and maybe it's just because my brain = mush but I got lost.
- Still upset with the slang. And the whole order-tree although there was a helpful guide in the back of this one probably because a lot of people didn't understand the slang in the first one!
I know a couple people who really liked this book, it just wasn't my cup of coffee (not tea because I hate tea). I feel like the first part of it was just way too slow for me to get interested, and the second part had to work overtime to make it up.
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Samantha Shannon
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: The Bone Season (Book 2)
Warning: Mild-ish spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
I finished this yesterday but my brain is apparently a big bag of mush and I cannot retain anything so apologies in advance for yet another rambling and disorganized review. One day I will be completely on top of things, probably the same day that I can look at my TBR without getting short of breath.
I feel like this book was, in a way, pretty forgettable. I mean, I read The Bone Season 11 days ago and remember the events of that much better than I remember the events of this book, which should really tell you something. I feel like the last couple chapters of this book should have turned into the first couple chapters of the third book and then this book should have just...not existed...
Basically it picks up where the last book left off, and the first like 40% of the book is Paige deciding if she should go back to Jaxon or not. For some reason I imagine this as Paige pacing back and forth wearing a track in the ground but that's not what happened there was some other stuff thrown in there as well but it obviously wasn't interesting enough for me to remember... and then the last 60% is Warden-filled but also probably the most interesting part of the book. Not the Warden part. But the action part because betrayal, tension, mystery, all that jazz.
LIKES:
+ The last part of the book was awesome. Lots of action, mystery, etc. as well as some betrayal and subversive plots because why not chuck that in there too? I loved it, it reminded me of why I decided to continue reading the series even though the first one made me a puddle of uncertain mush. (I have issues when reading a series. As in, once I read the first one I feel obligated to read all of the others even if they were supremely terrible. Because you can't just abandon a series, who does that?! I have gotten better as my TBR has grown though, because no one has time to read an awful series with that monstrous pile staring straight at you...)
+ Excluding the first 40% of the book, I felt like the book moved the plot along quite nicely. There was actually a reason for everything/what was going on, I was drawn into the story, AND I chose to read it instead of studying for my tests because what is studying. All I know how to do is put it off and read books because... TBR lists...
+ I really liked how we got to know some of the secondary characters better, as well as their backstories. Because if there's one thing I hate (besides romance, love triangles, etc.) it's flat secondary characters
DISLIKES:
- The first 40% of the book because what was that even. I'm an indecisive person (MAJORLY indecisive) and even I was getting frustrated. PICK PAIGE, PICK.
- Warden because why does he have to get involved in EVERYTHING.
- Romance
-Some of the events at the end were confusing, and maybe it's just because my brain = mush but I got lost.
- Still upset with the slang. And the whole order-tree although there was a helpful guide in the back of this one probably because a lot of people didn't understand the slang in the first one!
I know a couple people who really liked this book, it just wasn't my cup of coffee (not tea because I hate tea). I feel like the first part of it was just way too slow for me to get interested, and the second part had to work overtime to make it up.
See this review on Goodreads.
Book Review: The Bone Season
Title: The Bone Season
Author: Samantha Shannon
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: The Bone Season (Book 1)
Quick disclaimer, I finished this book ages ago (and by ages I mean 11 days ago but my memory is not that good) so my review might be a little sparse/sketchy because I made the mistake of reading the second and part of the third book before I wrote this review and I don't want to spoil anything so... yeah.
First of all, the blurb for the book really got me excited because it said it was about crime, and there were people with gifts and it just sounded like my kind of book! You know, the kind with lots of action and crime and all that jazz and little to no romance. Boy was I wrong... this was really not my kind of book. It wasn't awful or anything, hence the 3 stars instead of 2 or 1, but I was kinda disappointed. In hindsight I really should have realized that Warden taking up like half the blurb signaled some elements that I wouldn't like but I was just too excited...
I almost feel like I enjoyed the book more before Paige got captured by Scion, because after that it was all Warden all the time and I just wanted to punch a brick wall and I would have, but then I would have probably broken something because I'm talented like that and one bone was enough, thank you very much. It was all "Warden-does-this" and "Warden-does-that" and "what is Warden up to" and by the end I really just wanted to chuck the book but couldn't because it's considered rude to ruin borrowed books even if you are super frustrated. Long story short, waaaay to much Warden.
LIKES:
+ The premise itself was up my alley. Gifted protagonist (who happens to be part of a crime syndicate type thing) in dystopian-type society gets captured by otherworldly group that is secretly super powerful and tries to escape. That's totally my type of book, especially if there are some action/fighting scenes involved.
+ I didn't hate Paige (until the whole Warden thing) and she was actually kinda cool. She wasn't whiny like some certain other female protagonist that I won't mention (but secretly hold a grudge against), she was tough, and honestly I admired the way she dealt with a lot of things like I'd just be a melted puddle of stress on the ground.
+ The Rephaim were really brutal and nasty and all that jazz but their powers were actually really cool. Like normal powers on steroids?
DISLIKES:
- The slang/language/whatever-the-heck that was. It was practically written in another language, and half the time I was lost because I didn't know what the heck they were talking about. You practically need a dictionary just to translate.
- The whole order thing because I'm pretty sure there was a chart but that was confusing as heck.
- Warden. See previous rants above.
- The whole captor-captive relationship thing Warden and Paige had going on. No thanks, and also I wouldn't be nearly as nice to him as Paige was because I don't care how "nice" he is... he still made Paige go through a ton of crappy stuff.
- My phone had a tendency to win out over this book, which is a pretty big indicator of how interested I was at some parts.
- This is one book out of seven. Seven! And I feel like if some fluff had been cut out you probably wouldn't need seven.
All in all this really wasn't a bad book--except for the Warden scenes, which really killed my happiness and ruined my view of the book. I'm still reading the rest of the series (for now) but I don't think I'm going to read all seven...
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Samantha Shannon
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: The Bone Season (Book 1)
Quick disclaimer, I finished this book ages ago (and by ages I mean 11 days ago but my memory is not that good) so my review might be a little sparse/sketchy because I made the mistake of reading the second and part of the third book before I wrote this review and I don't want to spoil anything so... yeah.
First of all, the blurb for the book really got me excited because it said it was about crime, and there were people with gifts and it just sounded like my kind of book! You know, the kind with lots of action and crime and all that jazz and little to no romance. Boy was I wrong... this was really not my kind of book. It wasn't awful or anything, hence the 3 stars instead of 2 or 1, but I was kinda disappointed. In hindsight I really should have realized that Warden taking up like half the blurb signaled some elements that I wouldn't like but I was just too excited...
I almost feel like I enjoyed the book more before Paige got captured by Scion, because after that it was all Warden all the time and I just wanted to punch a brick wall and I would have, but then I would have probably broken something because I'm talented like that and one bone was enough, thank you very much. It was all "Warden-does-this" and "Warden-does-that" and "what is Warden up to" and by the end I really just wanted to chuck the book but couldn't because it's considered rude to ruin borrowed books even if you are super frustrated. Long story short, waaaay to much Warden.
LIKES:
+ The premise itself was up my alley. Gifted protagonist (who happens to be part of a crime syndicate type thing) in dystopian-type society gets captured by otherworldly group that is secretly super powerful and tries to escape. That's totally my type of book, especially if there are some action/fighting scenes involved.
+ I didn't hate Paige (until the whole Warden thing) and she was actually kinda cool. She wasn't whiny like some certain other female protagonist that I won't mention (but secretly hold a grudge against), she was tough, and honestly I admired the way she dealt with a lot of things like I'd just be a melted puddle of stress on the ground.
+ The Rephaim were really brutal and nasty and all that jazz but their powers were actually really cool. Like normal powers on steroids?
DISLIKES:
- The slang/language/whatever-the-heck that was. It was practically written in another language, and half the time I was lost because I didn't know what the heck they were talking about. You practically need a dictionary just to translate.
- The whole order thing because I'm pretty sure there was a chart but that was confusing as heck.
- Warden. See previous rants above.
- The whole captor-captive relationship thing Warden and Paige had going on. No thanks, and also I wouldn't be nearly as nice to him as Paige was because I don't care how "nice" he is... he still made Paige go through a ton of crappy stuff.
- My phone had a tendency to win out over this book, which is a pretty big indicator of how interested I was at some parts.
- This is one book out of seven. Seven! And I feel like if some fluff had been cut out you probably wouldn't need seven.
All in all this really wasn't a bad book--except for the Warden scenes, which really killed my happiness and ruined my view of the book. I'm still reading the rest of the series (for now) but I don't think I'm going to read all seven...
See this review on Goodreads.
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Book Review: Front Lines
Title: Front Lines
Author: Michael Grant
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: Front Lines (Book 1)
I was not in love with this book. I read Grant's other series (BZRK) and actually enjoyed it, so I was hoping that it would be the same with this series. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I feel like the premise/idea behind this book was actually pretty cool, but I just couldn't get behind the writing.
One of my main issues was that all the characters seemed to blend. I could never remember who was who, where they were stationed, their backstories, etc. Their chapters were all written in the same type of voice, so it wasn't super obvious who it was (at least to me) until you came across some detail like they are an intelligence officer, and then I would go searching for the character who was the intelligence officer. However, it's really hard to read when you keep flipping back and forth to figure out who's who. Everyone had really unique and different backgrounds, but they still seemed to blend so I don't know how that happened.
Also, I never really got into the story. At first it seemed kinda interesting/cool but about a quarter/halfway into the book I started dragging my feet. I found myself reaching for my phone or laptop more than I did for this book, which is the opposite of how it normally is when I am reading. Plus, it took me 3 days to finish this book which, page-wise, I could have finished in one (it was only 548 pages). I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the book, unless the other option was studying for my math test because that's not going so well and I'm just trying to avoid it.
I really wasn't a fan of this book, I was planning on reading the second (and even the third when it came out), but I think I'll just end here. I'm curious as to who the hospital writer is, but not enough to keep reading.
LIKES:
+I like reading about wars (this sounds awful, but it's the tactics/strategy that interests me, not the whole killing part) and this book had women soldiers in a war, so I thought it was going to be good! (Basically--good premise, not-so-good execution)
+ I really want to know who the hospital writer is, every time I forgot about them all of a sudden they had a chapter and that itch would come back and I couldn't scratch it!
+ It wasn't the worst book ever, there was action and some strategy and all that, I just wasn't interested...
+ The first part of the book (where all the characters are introduced) was really interesting! It just kinda went downhill from there though...
DISLIKES:
- All the characters blended because all their chapters were written the same way... also, way too many different characters who had their own chapters. I love dual narrators, I can tolerate 3 (normally), but 3 characters with similar voices made my head spin
- There wasn't anything really drawing you into the story. Half the time I couldn't even remember why I was reading it! The only thing I can think of is that there was not a lot of showing and a ton of telling (this is bringing me back to my junior high days...)
- It was really hard for me to connect with the characters because, like I said, they all blended. So I had no clue who's chapter I was reading.
- Love triangles. Gack. Also the romance seemed really oddly placed, and interrupted the story. I would have just taken it out all together.
I would recommend reading BZRK over this series, it's a totally different story but much more interesting.
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Michael Grant
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Series: Front Lines (Book 1)
I was not in love with this book. I read Grant's other series (BZRK) and actually enjoyed it, so I was hoping that it would be the same with this series. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I feel like the premise/idea behind this book was actually pretty cool, but I just couldn't get behind the writing.
One of my main issues was that all the characters seemed to blend. I could never remember who was who, where they were stationed, their backstories, etc. Their chapters were all written in the same type of voice, so it wasn't super obvious who it was (at least to me) until you came across some detail like they are an intelligence officer, and then I would go searching for the character who was the intelligence officer. However, it's really hard to read when you keep flipping back and forth to figure out who's who. Everyone had really unique and different backgrounds, but they still seemed to blend so I don't know how that happened.
Also, I never really got into the story. At first it seemed kinda interesting/cool but about a quarter/halfway into the book I started dragging my feet. I found myself reaching for my phone or laptop more than I did for this book, which is the opposite of how it normally is when I am reading. Plus, it took me 3 days to finish this book which, page-wise, I could have finished in one (it was only 548 pages). I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the book, unless the other option was studying for my math test because that's not going so well and I'm just trying to avoid it.
I really wasn't a fan of this book, I was planning on reading the second (and even the third when it came out), but I think I'll just end here. I'm curious as to who the hospital writer is, but not enough to keep reading.
LIKES:
+I like reading about wars (this sounds awful, but it's the tactics/strategy that interests me, not the whole killing part) and this book had women soldiers in a war, so I thought it was going to be good! (Basically--good premise, not-so-good execution)
+ I really want to know who the hospital writer is, every time I forgot about them all of a sudden they had a chapter and that itch would come back and I couldn't scratch it!
+ It wasn't the worst book ever, there was action and some strategy and all that, I just wasn't interested...
+ The first part of the book (where all the characters are introduced) was really interesting! It just kinda went downhill from there though...
DISLIKES:
- All the characters blended because all their chapters were written the same way... also, way too many different characters who had their own chapters. I love dual narrators, I can tolerate 3 (normally), but 3 characters with similar voices made my head spin
- There wasn't anything really drawing you into the story. Half the time I couldn't even remember why I was reading it! The only thing I can think of is that there was not a lot of showing and a ton of telling (this is bringing me back to my junior high days...)
- It was really hard for me to connect with the characters because, like I said, they all blended. So I had no clue who's chapter I was reading.
- Love triangles. Gack. Also the romance seemed really oddly placed, and interrupted the story. I would have just taken it out all together.
I would recommend reading BZRK over this series, it's a totally different story but much more interesting.
See this review on Goodreads.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Book Review: Lord of the Flies
Title: Lord of the Flies
Author: William Golding
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: N/A
Reread Count: 2
Look at that, I actually decided to complete my summer reading assignment a whole week before it is due. I am so on top of things and I didn't procrastinate at all. Not like my younger brother, who still hasn't finished his assignment! (Although, to be fair, he did start like a week ago... so he might be more on top of things than I am...) Obviously the fact that this was for a school assignment means that my view of the book is slightly negative because I had to focus on every single little detail and didn't get to enjoy the story (if one can enjoy this story, in my opinion it's kind of grim...). Fun fact, I have read this book twice, and both times have been for school as I did an entire unit on this book about 4 years ago.
Long story short, this book is about a group of preteen/younger children who crash-land on an island in the middle of nowhere. And then have to try and survive. Which, as you can probably predict, goes wonderfully because at 12 everyone is fully prepared to survive on a random island while being responsible for a ton of other people. Totally normal. But one of my favorite things about this book is actually how responsible and intelligent and calm some of these boys are. If I crash on an island, 2 days (minimum) will be spent freaking out because I crashed on an island. I'm not going to be thinking about making a fire or hunting for food, much less coming up with all these rules and regulations and structures...
I loved how this book approached the ideas of power struggles and self-government and how self-interest can overrule the greater needs of an entire group because power. And instead of demonstrating this with a bunch of adults, Golding uses children which really just shows how deeply imbedded some of these instincts/habits are and how power struggles can turn deadly even with a bunch of preteens. It reveals the darker side of human nature which is always interesting to read about.
LIKES:
+ The deeper meanings/truths behind the writing are really thought-provoking, and it makes you question human nature in a way and why we are so obsessed with obtaining power and having it right now.
+ The message about power struggles and self-government can be translated into our lives today, but is even more obvious/shocking because in this case it is played out by children, showing just how deep that desire for power is.
+ Even though Ralph and Jack seemed like the main-ish characters, I really liked that side characters like Piggy and Simon still were developed and played pretty large parts in the story.
+ I have to admit, I really liked Piggy. He was treated really poorly by everybody else but still tried to help out with what he could.
DISLIKES:
- My main complaint was the almost disjointed style of writing, I kept having to re-read because it felt like I was missing pages. It made it a lot harder to read and keep up the flow of everything.
- I really didn't like Jack. At all.
I will say, 4 years later I have a new appreciation for this book and actually like it a lot more than I originally did. I think some of the deeper meanings/truths went over my head and I was just too young to understand the message behind the writing. I hated it when I was younger, but I'm actually happy that I have a copy now!
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: William Golding
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: N/A
Reread Count: 2
Look at that, I actually decided to complete my summer reading assignment a whole week before it is due. I am so on top of things and I didn't procrastinate at all. Not like my younger brother, who still hasn't finished his assignment! (Although, to be fair, he did start like a week ago... so he might be more on top of things than I am...) Obviously the fact that this was for a school assignment means that my view of the book is slightly negative because I had to focus on every single little detail and didn't get to enjoy the story (if one can enjoy this story, in my opinion it's kind of grim...). Fun fact, I have read this book twice, and both times have been for school as I did an entire unit on this book about 4 years ago.
Long story short, this book is about a group of preteen/younger children who crash-land on an island in the middle of nowhere. And then have to try and survive. Which, as you can probably predict, goes wonderfully because at 12 everyone is fully prepared to survive on a random island while being responsible for a ton of other people. Totally normal. But one of my favorite things about this book is actually how responsible and intelligent and calm some of these boys are. If I crash on an island, 2 days (minimum) will be spent freaking out because I crashed on an island. I'm not going to be thinking about making a fire or hunting for food, much less coming up with all these rules and regulations and structures...
I loved how this book approached the ideas of power struggles and self-government and how self-interest can overrule the greater needs of an entire group because power. And instead of demonstrating this with a bunch of adults, Golding uses children which really just shows how deeply imbedded some of these instincts/habits are and how power struggles can turn deadly even with a bunch of preteens. It reveals the darker side of human nature which is always interesting to read about.
LIKES:
+ The deeper meanings/truths behind the writing are really thought-provoking, and it makes you question human nature in a way and why we are so obsessed with obtaining power and having it right now.
+ The message about power struggles and self-government can be translated into our lives today, but is even more obvious/shocking because in this case it is played out by children, showing just how deep that desire for power is.
+ Even though Ralph and Jack seemed like the main-ish characters, I really liked that side characters like Piggy and Simon still were developed and played pretty large parts in the story.
+ I have to admit, I really liked Piggy. He was treated really poorly by everybody else but still tried to help out with what he could.
DISLIKES:
- My main complaint was the almost disjointed style of writing, I kept having to re-read because it felt like I was missing pages. It made it a lot harder to read and keep up the flow of everything.
- I really didn't like Jack. At all.
I will say, 4 years later I have a new appreciation for this book and actually like it a lot more than I originally did. I think some of the deeper meanings/truths went over my head and I was just too young to understand the message behind the writing. I hated it when I was younger, but I'm actually happy that I have a copy now!
See this review on Goodreads.
How To Deal With Your TBR
I have decided that, as someone who has added 716 books to their TBR in 2017 alone, that I am somehow qualified to give recommendations about how to deal with that daunting mountain of books that must be read. So, without further ado, this is how I manage my TBR (Do not be like me)
- Create Your TBR
- I feel like this goes without saying, but if you are struggling on finding books to read I would recommend going on Goodreads and spending exorbitant amounts of time scrolling through lists containing the best books of 2016, 2015, 2014, etc. as well as those handy recommendations on your homepage sidebar. I would recommending getting at least 100 books to start with because who wants to be reasonable?
- Locate Books
- The library is a great resource, unless you become one of those people who always puts in interlibrary loan requests and then feels slightly judged. Or if you are one of those people who maxes out their hold requests because their library has the 1st and the 3rd book but not the second? Why... eBooks are great, and physical copies are WONDERFUL but expensive and also then you have "too many books" which is ridiculous but anyway...
- Start Reading
- Because you are a diligent, committed reader who is going to read all those books like planned and nothing is going to get in your-- ooo look recommendations!
- Add More Books
- That book looks good! So does that one! I really did like that author's other books, I'll add this one too...
- Retrieve Your TBR Books
- This involves a 20+ minute drive for me (depending on traffic) which means I'll put 10 books on hold (the maximum allowed) and then go pick them all up at once...
- "Just Look" at the Other Books
- It can't hurt, right?
- Come Home With 10 More Books Than Planned
- It's fine, your TBR wasn't that long anyway
- Write a TBR List
- Lose TBR List
- Forget You Have a TBR
- Write a TBR List
- In a notebook this time. Notebooks are harder to lose!
- Lose TBR Notebook
- Find TBR Notebook
- Read TBR Books
- Preferably in a random, nonsensical and illogical order
- Repeat Steps 2-14 Endlessly
- Stress
- About how long your TBR is and how you will read all these books before you die
This post is a joke by the way, I would NOT recommend this approach to reading. I've just seen a lot of posts about TBRs recently and figured I would give some "helpful" advice because my approach has totally worked so far.
How do you approach your TBR?
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Book Review: This Monstrous Thing
Title: This Monstrous Thing
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: N/A
Just to be clear, when I fail my required reading assignment I am totally blaming it on this book. Because I was supposed to be reading Lord of the Flies and read this instead (even though yes, I should have read my required reading a long time ago, I'll get to it eventually, it's fine). This was one of those books where I wasn't exactly sure why I was happy, and I can't exactly point and go "THIS is what made me love it," but the whole package just made me a very happy and very sleep-deprived little bookworm because why sleep when you can read an extra 100 pages? What is sleep?
This is basically another Frankenstein retelling/remake kinda deal, but I'd have to say that it's my favorite out of all the ones that I've read so far. It's probably one of my favorite retellings, which is saying something because I read A LOT of retellings since they are awesome and because why not. However, this version focuses almost less on the actual monster part of the story and more about the fact that just because other people are different doesn't mean that they should be treated as "lesser than." This conflict was able to go hand-in-hand with the main conflict of the story, and helped explain some of the later-on events and also helped portray a universal-type conflict. Obviously the whole bringing-people-back-to-life thing played a role in the story, but coupled with the Shadow Boys and those with clockwork and I think it really improved the book because it was thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
On a totally unrelated note, I also loved the fact that there was only the teensiest bit of romance because if you have read any of my other reviews you know that romance is not my thing. Underlined for emphasis in case you missed the bold type. But in this book Alasdair doesn't run around falling in love with every single person he meets which is really nice AND it turned out that this story wasn't focused around two people fighting over the same person because that gets old really quick.
LIKES:
+ Clemence because I just loved her character and while I would have liked to learn a smidge more about her backstory I really loved her friendship with Alasdair and her personality and all that. At first I was kinda ehh towards her but then I started to really like her and I looked forward to the parts she was in.
+ Only a little romance! This was one of those books that didn't use a gallon when a cup would do and it was wonderful. The little romance there was actually helped explain/justify parts of the story so I couldn't get angry that it was there. I think that any more romance would have spoiled the tone of the book so I'm glad that there wasn't a ton.
+ The story. I was drawn into the world that Alasdair lived in and the struggles he faced and I loved it! I cared about the characters and what happened to them, I was on the edge of my seat, AND I sacrificed sleep to read more and seeing as I'm currently sick that's a big deal for me. I couldn't put it down and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
+ The fact that a universal conflict was tied in there and it made sense and didn't feel forced at all, which I sometimes have a problem with
+ Scott Westerfeld wrote a nice quote on the front. As a fan of Afterworlds that's a plus for me. (And it's true! It was a "compelling and brave retelling," just like promised)
DISLIKES:
- I would have like to learn more about Clemence and her story, because she was super interesting but sometimes parts of her story were brushed over?
- I wish some of the flashbacks had been slightly clearer because I did get confused sometimes.
I really, really, really liked this book. I'd recommend it to anyone, especially if they like retellings.
I also just realized that Mackenzi Lee wrote The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue which is a book I wanted to read before and I REALLY want to read now.
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: N/A
Just to be clear, when I fail my required reading assignment I am totally blaming it on this book. Because I was supposed to be reading Lord of the Flies and read this instead (even though yes, I should have read my required reading a long time ago, I'll get to it eventually, it's fine). This was one of those books where I wasn't exactly sure why I was happy, and I can't exactly point and go "THIS is what made me love it," but the whole package just made me a very happy and very sleep-deprived little bookworm because why sleep when you can read an extra 100 pages? What is sleep?
This is basically another Frankenstein retelling/remake kinda deal, but I'd have to say that it's my favorite out of all the ones that I've read so far. It's probably one of my favorite retellings, which is saying something because I read A LOT of retellings since they are awesome and because why not. However, this version focuses almost less on the actual monster part of the story and more about the fact that just because other people are different doesn't mean that they should be treated as "lesser than." This conflict was able to go hand-in-hand with the main conflict of the story, and helped explain some of the later-on events and also helped portray a universal-type conflict. Obviously the whole bringing-people-back-to-life thing played a role in the story, but coupled with the Shadow Boys and those with clockwork and I think it really improved the book because it was thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
On a totally unrelated note, I also loved the fact that there was only the teensiest bit of romance because if you have read any of my other reviews you know that romance is not my thing. Underlined for emphasis in case you missed the bold type. But in this book Alasdair doesn't run around falling in love with every single person he meets which is really nice AND it turned out that this story wasn't focused around two people fighting over the same person because that gets old really quick.
LIKES:
+ Clemence because I just loved her character and while I would have liked to learn a smidge more about her backstory I really loved her friendship with Alasdair and her personality and all that. At first I was kinda ehh towards her but then I started to really like her and I looked forward to the parts she was in.
+ Only a little romance! This was one of those books that didn't use a gallon when a cup would do and it was wonderful. The little romance there was actually helped explain/justify parts of the story so I couldn't get angry that it was there. I think that any more romance would have spoiled the tone of the book so I'm glad that there wasn't a ton.
+ The story. I was drawn into the world that Alasdair lived in and the struggles he faced and I loved it! I cared about the characters and what happened to them, I was on the edge of my seat, AND I sacrificed sleep to read more and seeing as I'm currently sick that's a big deal for me. I couldn't put it down and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
+ The fact that a universal conflict was tied in there and it made sense and didn't feel forced at all, which I sometimes have a problem with
+ Scott Westerfeld wrote a nice quote on the front. As a fan of Afterworlds that's a plus for me. (And it's true! It was a "compelling and brave retelling," just like promised)
DISLIKES:
- I would have like to learn more about Clemence and her story, because she was super interesting but sometimes parts of her story were brushed over?
- I wish some of the flashbacks had been slightly clearer because I did get confused sometimes.
I really, really, really liked this book. I'd recommend it to anyone, especially if they like retellings.
I also just realized that Mackenzi Lee wrote The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue which is a book I wanted to read before and I REALLY want to read now.
See this review on Goodreads.
Monday, August 7, 2017
Book Review: The Valiant
Title: The Valiant
Author: Lesley Livingston
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Series: The Valiant (Book 1)
This book was kind of like a roller coaster. It starts kinda slow and you are thinking about maybe getting off but then all of a sudden the action starts and you are super into it only for it to slow back down and then you wonder why you were excited... long story short I don't know how to feel about this book.
After the first 12 pages or so I was ready to bang my head against a wall and/or chuck the book at said wall simultaneously. A couple pages in and there was already some slightly random romance going on and I didn't know who any of the characters were or what they were doing but they were in love. And then some other stuff happened and then Fallon gets captured like the blurb promised and then it was ehh again (you can tell how interesting this part was for me, I remember so much). I think it only started to get interesting around page 120-150 or so?
But when it got interesting, it got interesting! Fallon's time at gladiator school was a really good spot for character development, and there were a couple of nice plot twists thrown in there. I felt like the writing got so much better around this point, I was drawn into the story and I actually cared! And when I start off not liking a book it's really hard to get me to care I just kinda wind up wandering off and then I realize that I just read 50 pages and don't remember who so-and-so is and what they are doing there.
And then... the end happened and it was like the middle never existed. It was a let-down, to be honest. I found myself not caring again and just skimming the last couple of chapters to see if it would get interesting again or not (it didn't). Even the end, which was supposed to be super action-packed and engaging and all that jazz fell flat for me. It was like being promised an big ice-cream sandwich and getting one that you could eat in one bite. Not that I'm bitter or anything. There is a sequel coming out in 2018(?) but with the end of this book it could have easily been a standalone. There was no cliffhanger, everything was tied in this really pretty bow. So there wasn't anything to hook me in for the next one.
LIKES:
+ Gladiators. Because who doesn't like reading about fight-scenes all the time?!
+ The Roman Empire because it was one of my favorite things to learn about in class and I also liked reading about it in this book because sword and chariots and now I'm on a tangent.
+ The middle of this book was amazing. I couldn't put it down and may have put off writing an essay or two but it's cool procrastination is wonderful and, for the middle of this book, worth it. It took a while to get there but once all the action got started I felt like I was in the arena with Fallon but also glad I wasn't because coordination is not my strong suit and I would not have made it
+ Fallon's character development, because she turned from someone I really didn't like to someone that I thought was actually pretty cool! She was kinda irritating at the beginning but then turned into this strong, determined warrior who had a plan. Plans are good.
DISLIKES:
- Ack the romance. I didn't even get 10 pages before I was bombarded with the random romance and then Cai and I didn't like either of them. I felt like it was either an instalove type deal or that I didn't have all the answers because I was confused as heck.
- The beginning and end of the book. Because frankly they were kinda boring and I was disappointed because the premise was so good but I was not a fan of the execution.
- I don't feel obligated in any way to pick up the sequel because it was all wrapped up nice and pretty for readers at the end. No cliffhanger, no nothing. Like I said, it really could have been a standalone and I wouldn't have known the difference.
- The plot twist in the middle did not make sense. I mean it kind of did, but at the same time not? The pieces just didn't line up for me.
I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone, it wasn't my kind of book. It had the potential to be, but didn't live up to my expectations.
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Lesley Livingston
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Series: The Valiant (Book 1)
This book was kind of like a roller coaster. It starts kinda slow and you are thinking about maybe getting off but then all of a sudden the action starts and you are super into it only for it to slow back down and then you wonder why you were excited... long story short I don't know how to feel about this book.
After the first 12 pages or so I was ready to bang my head against a wall and/or chuck the book at said wall simultaneously. A couple pages in and there was already some slightly random romance going on and I didn't know who any of the characters were or what they were doing but they were in love. And then some other stuff happened and then Fallon gets captured like the blurb promised and then it was ehh again (you can tell how interesting this part was for me, I remember so much). I think it only started to get interesting around page 120-150 or so?
But when it got interesting, it got interesting! Fallon's time at gladiator school was a really good spot for character development, and there were a couple of nice plot twists thrown in there. I felt like the writing got so much better around this point, I was drawn into the story and I actually cared! And when I start off not liking a book it's really hard to get me to care I just kinda wind up wandering off and then I realize that I just read 50 pages and don't remember who so-and-so is and what they are doing there.
And then... the end happened and it was like the middle never existed. It was a let-down, to be honest. I found myself not caring again and just skimming the last couple of chapters to see if it would get interesting again or not (it didn't). Even the end, which was supposed to be super action-packed and engaging and all that jazz fell flat for me. It was like being promised an big ice-cream sandwich and getting one that you could eat in one bite. Not that I'm bitter or anything. There is a sequel coming out in 2018(?) but with the end of this book it could have easily been a standalone. There was no cliffhanger, everything was tied in this really pretty bow. So there wasn't anything to hook me in for the next one.
LIKES:
+ Gladiators. Because who doesn't like reading about fight-scenes all the time?!
+ The Roman Empire because it was one of my favorite things to learn about in class and I also liked reading about it in this book because sword and chariots and now I'm on a tangent.
+ The middle of this book was amazing. I couldn't put it down and may have put off writing an essay or two but it's cool procrastination is wonderful and, for the middle of this book, worth it. It took a while to get there but once all the action got started I felt like I was in the arena with Fallon but also glad I wasn't because coordination is not my strong suit and I would not have made it
+ Fallon's character development, because she turned from someone I really didn't like to someone that I thought was actually pretty cool! She was kinda irritating at the beginning but then turned into this strong, determined warrior who had a plan. Plans are good.
DISLIKES:
- Ack the romance. I didn't even get 10 pages before I was bombarded with the random romance and then Cai and I didn't like either of them. I felt like it was either an instalove type deal or that I didn't have all the answers because I was confused as heck.
- The beginning and end of the book. Because frankly they were kinda boring and I was disappointed because the premise was so good but I was not a fan of the execution.
- I don't feel obligated in any way to pick up the sequel because it was all wrapped up nice and pretty for readers at the end. No cliffhanger, no nothing. Like I said, it really could have been a standalone and I wouldn't have known the difference.
- The plot twist in the middle did not make sense. I mean it kind of did, but at the same time not? The pieces just didn't line up for me.
I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone, it wasn't my kind of book. It had the potential to be, but didn't live up to my expectations.
See this review on Goodreads.
Friday, August 4, 2017
Book Review: The Crimson Crown
Title: The Crimson Crown
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Seven Realms (Book 4)
This book made me happy. Very, very happy. The Grey Wolf Throne was a disappointment due to pacing issues and the fact that the last 12 chapters of the book were just... eh. I was kinda nervous to pick this one up because it was 600 pages long and 37 chapters and I didn't want to have to drag myself through the last half of the book (or all of the book) just because I felt like I had to hear the series out. Luckily, this one felt like a flashback (in a good way) to The Demon King!
I was super into the story, I liked Han's chapters a lot better than in the previous book, and still liked Raisa's chapters as well! I felt like there was the appropriate amount of action in the right amount of time, and there was no drag or super boring parts where I lost interest. All in all, I felt like this series really redeemed itself with the final installment!
LIKES:
+ Han's chapters were much more interesting than in the last book! They focused less on being super obsessed and in love and all that and more on the actual plot and interesting details and stuff like that. Although he did get kinda gushy again in the last 7 chapters or so but we will just pretend that never happened.
+ Betrayal. Twists. Turns. Suspense. I was on the edge of my seat! (I wasn't actually, because there wasn't enough space, but if I could have been I would have!)
+ There was a lot more action in this book than the last one, but the pacing was slower, so it was pretty much perfect.
+ There was still more character development, which made me super happy. I hate it when characters become stagnant halfway through the series, and then just get super flat.
DISLIKES:
- Micah Bayar. If I had to describe him throughout the entire series it would consist of shortest paragraph ever. He said the same couple things over and over again and I was hoping there was some super deep reason to his evilness but it never got fully explained?
- I am secretly kinda evil and was hoping that at the end a certain character would die because it would be somewhat out there but they survived... (I haven't figured out a way to hide spoilers on this yet so bear with me as I work this out)
- Poor Han just cannot catch a break. I'm just saying
- The series ended. Which made me sad. Also the last 3 chapters really confused me, although it may have just been the sleep deprivation.
- I really didn't like that some characters were really rigid and unwilling to change, but then all of a sudden were still good friends with Raisa? They would have these diabolical plans and then Raise was totally cool with them still hanging around.
Overall I really liked this book and I felt like it pulled the series back together! I am definitely going to read Chima's other books, and hopefully they will be just as good! I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in fantasy and looking for a good read! Just plow through the third book and you will be good to go.
See this review on Goodreads. (Spoilers are hidden but included in my Goodreads review)
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Seven Realms (Book 4)
This book made me happy. Very, very happy. The Grey Wolf Throne was a disappointment due to pacing issues and the fact that the last 12 chapters of the book were just... eh. I was kinda nervous to pick this one up because it was 600 pages long and 37 chapters and I didn't want to have to drag myself through the last half of the book (or all of the book) just because I felt like I had to hear the series out. Luckily, this one felt like a flashback (in a good way) to The Demon King!
I was super into the story, I liked Han's chapters a lot better than in the previous book, and still liked Raisa's chapters as well! I felt like there was the appropriate amount of action in the right amount of time, and there was no drag or super boring parts where I lost interest. All in all, I felt like this series really redeemed itself with the final installment!
LIKES:
+ Han's chapters were much more interesting than in the last book! They focused less on being super obsessed and in love and all that and more on the actual plot and interesting details and stuff like that. Although he did get kinda gushy again in the last 7 chapters or so but we will just pretend that never happened.
+ Betrayal. Twists. Turns. Suspense. I was on the edge of my seat! (I wasn't actually, because there wasn't enough space, but if I could have been I would have!)
+ There was a lot more action in this book than the last one, but the pacing was slower, so it was pretty much perfect.
+ There was still more character development, which made me super happy. I hate it when characters become stagnant halfway through the series, and then just get super flat.
DISLIKES:
- Micah Bayar. If I had to describe him throughout the entire series it would consist of shortest paragraph ever. He said the same couple things over and over again and I was hoping there was some super deep reason to his evilness but it never got fully explained?
- I am secretly kinda evil and was hoping that at the end a certain character would die because it would be somewhat out there but they survived... (I haven't figured out a way to hide spoilers on this yet so bear with me as I work this out)
- Poor Han just cannot catch a break. I'm just saying
- The series ended. Which made me sad. Also the last 3 chapters really confused me, although it may have just been the sleep deprivation.
- I really didn't like that some characters were really rigid and unwilling to change, but then all of a sudden were still good friends with Raisa? They would have these diabolical plans and then Raise was totally cool with them still hanging around.
Overall I really liked this book and I felt like it pulled the series back together! I am definitely going to read Chima's other books, and hopefully they will be just as good! I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in fantasy and looking for a good read! Just plow through the third book and you will be good to go.
See this review on Goodreads. (Spoilers are hidden but included in my Goodreads review)
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Book Review: The Grey Wolf Throne
Title: The Grey Wolf Throne
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: Seven Realms (Book 3)
I'm not going to lie, this book seriously disappointed me. The pacing problems that irritated me at the end of The Exiled Queen were prevalent and kind of ruined the story for me. I felt like there was way too much action crammed into this tiny stretch of time, and all the twists and turns were way too much for me. I felt like if the book had progressed at half the speed it actually did that it would have been much better. My hope is that in the next book these pacing issues are resolved and that it slows down to a safer speed.
I also really didn't like the fact that, despite all the action, nothing seemed to really happen in the book. People debated one action for 20 chapters, then made a certain decision. Then they debated another issue for 17 chapters and just kind of left it there to be addressed in the next book. I didn't feel nearly as drawn into the story as I did with the previous two installments. All in all, it felt like the pacing was too fast with not a lot of actual change or content.
LIKES:
+ Despite all the issues I had with it, I still felt attracted to the story. I still cared about what happened to the characters, and I still want to finish the series. Most of the time when I have similar issues with books I want to abandon the series altogether, but not with this one.
+ I liked Raisa's chapters a lot more in this book! I felt like I got to know her better as a character and got to see her develop more, and, besides the last couple of chapters, there was more emphasis on her feelings towards things other than guys.
+ I just liked Raisa more in this book in general. A lot more. I actually like her as a character now, versus being unsure about it earlier in the series. She seemed stronger, and more sure of herself and the actions she wanted to take. I also really liked her actions in the very end of the book.
+ The epilogue. Because it redeemed at least part of the book because in those very short 4 pages the writing seemed more like the first book (which, so far, has been my favorite). I also hated the ending of the book (it was super anticlimactic) but then the epilogue came and everything was kind of okay again.
DISLIKES:
- Han's chapters. After the "big reveal" that Rebecca is Raisa (which was kind of spoiled in the blurb?) he puts his blinders on and wallows in his anger/other negative emotions and it made me not like him as much. Hence why I preferred Raisa's chapters to his.
- The pacing of the book. I already touched on this, but I felt like it was much too fast, but not a lot actually happened in the action-packed chapters.
- The last 12 chapters of the book. Because this is when Raisa being obsessed with all the boys and Han being (kinda?) obsessed with all the girls comes back in full force and I wilted a little inside because I'm really not a fan.
- The cliffhanger because WHY. (I don't know if this is a valid dislike or not because it was part of the epilogue that I loved but...)
So, despite being seriously disappointed, I'm going to continue with the series and really hope that it returns to the awesomeness level of the first and second books. Because I checked out books 1-3 of The Heir Chronicles with my precious limited checkouts from Hoopla so...
See this review on Goodreads.
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: Seven Realms (Book 3)
I'm not going to lie, this book seriously disappointed me. The pacing problems that irritated me at the end of The Exiled Queen were prevalent and kind of ruined the story for me. I felt like there was way too much action crammed into this tiny stretch of time, and all the twists and turns were way too much for me. I felt like if the book had progressed at half the speed it actually did that it would have been much better. My hope is that in the next book these pacing issues are resolved and that it slows down to a safer speed.
I also really didn't like the fact that, despite all the action, nothing seemed to really happen in the book. People debated one action for 20 chapters, then made a certain decision. Then they debated another issue for 17 chapters and just kind of left it there to be addressed in the next book. I didn't feel nearly as drawn into the story as I did with the previous two installments. All in all, it felt like the pacing was too fast with not a lot of actual change or content.
LIKES:
+ Despite all the issues I had with it, I still felt attracted to the story. I still cared about what happened to the characters, and I still want to finish the series. Most of the time when I have similar issues with books I want to abandon the series altogether, but not with this one.
+ I liked Raisa's chapters a lot more in this book! I felt like I got to know her better as a character and got to see her develop more, and, besides the last couple of chapters, there was more emphasis on her feelings towards things other than guys.
+ I just liked Raisa more in this book in general. A lot more. I actually like her as a character now, versus being unsure about it earlier in the series. She seemed stronger, and more sure of herself and the actions she wanted to take. I also really liked her actions in the very end of the book.
+ The epilogue. Because it redeemed at least part of the book because in those very short 4 pages the writing seemed more like the first book (which, so far, has been my favorite). I also hated the ending of the book (it was super anticlimactic) but then the epilogue came and everything was kind of okay again.
DISLIKES:
- Han's chapters. After the "big reveal" that Rebecca is Raisa (which was kind of spoiled in the blurb?) he puts his blinders on and wallows in his anger/other negative emotions and it made me not like him as much. Hence why I preferred Raisa's chapters to his.
- The pacing of the book. I already touched on this, but I felt like it was much too fast, but not a lot actually happened in the action-packed chapters.
- The last 12 chapters of the book. Because this is when Raisa being obsessed with all the boys and Han being (kinda?) obsessed with all the girls comes back in full force and I wilted a little inside because I'm really not a fan.
- The cliffhanger because WHY. (I don't know if this is a valid dislike or not because it was part of the epilogue that I loved but...)
So, despite being seriously disappointed, I'm going to continue with the series and really hope that it returns to the awesomeness level of the first and second books. Because I checked out books 1-3 of The Heir Chronicles with my precious limited checkouts from Hoopla so...
See this review on Goodreads.
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