Braden Dowdy
By this point in the series, I had hoped the author would take things in a different direction. The creativity and inventiveness of expanding the world and the new reserves and magical items isn't enough for me. I almost couldn't finish the series because it just got so boring.
Age range: 10-16
Younger readers may find it a little scary. Older readers may find the tone too juvenile.
The third installment introduces a higher level of conflict among the characters and brings in some exciting new secondary characters. The world of Percy Jackson continues to deliver.
Age range: 10+
Younger readers may find it a little scary.
This was a solid 3-star for the first half of the book. Until he started his conservation efforts, all the traits that made him effective at protecting land made him unlikeable and sad. It was hard to read about the damage that he did to his family by being so hard-line and adventure-minded. But it was incredible to see his determination to protect the wilderness and rewild areas that people had destroyed.
Age range: 14+
No edgy content, but it may be difficult for younger readers to process thoughts about Tompkins' personal life.
Really well written prequel, but it's a hard transition from Seldon the founder/ideal to Seldon the man. It's hard to not feel like his actions are out of character from the first 5.
Age range: 16+
Very little mature content, but there are complex philosophical themes throughout that would be incomprehensible to most younger readers.
I don't have a single complaint about the series finale. For the first prequel, it was difficult for me to read about Seldon as a young man, but old Seldon was perfectly palatable. It was fascinating to read about how he developed into the character he was, how the signs of the Empire's decay became increasingly visible, and about the slow development of psychohistory. Such a good book.
Age range: 16+
The vocabulary and philosophy of this book may be too advanced for younger readers. Read with a dictionary on hand.
Doesn't have the same zing as the original trilogy, but introduces the most memorable characters of the series. The characters are logical and consistent and you can't put the book down for wondering what's going to happen next. Some spice, another thing that makes it not as good as the original trilogy.
Age range: 16+
More mature content than the rest of the series, mostly used as character development for the protagonist, but almost nothing compared to any romance book. There are complex philosophical themes throughout that would be incomprehensible to most younger readers.
This one was a little too meta for me at times. The large-scale conflict of the book (the search for humanity's origins and future trajectory), while compelling, didn't have the same appeal as the original trilogy's conflicts.
Age range: 16+
Very little mature content, but there are complex philosophical themes throughout that would be incomprehensible to most younger readers.
I wondered how the author was going to keep the plot moving for 1000 years of Galactic history without getting repetitive, but he succeeded. The new villain on the scene is fascinating and unpredictable.
Age range: 16+
No mature content, but there are complex philosophical themes throughout that would be incomprehensible to most younger readers.
The sequel does not disappoint. The book was originally published in a periodical, which makes this collection of stories feel completely consistent with the first book.
Age range: 16+
No mature content, but there are complex philosophical themes throughout that would be incomprehensible to most younger readers.
This book was SO creative! The premise: so cool. The characters: fantastic. The suspense: terrific. The fact that it all felt so believable and now I'm lowkey waiting for some of these things to happen in real life and I was entertained the whole time: just awesome.
Age range: 14+
Very little language and basically no violence. Just some intense, high pressure moments. No real reason why it couldn't be read by someone younger.
Hands-down, the best book in the series. It introduces a believable and threatening new villain and actually starts showing the protagonist as a person. Exciting and engaging YA spy book.
Age range: 10-16
May be too violent for younger readers.
Really different from a lot of the other John Grisham books I've read recently. In a lot of them, you've got a main character or villain who is like a genius, they know how to do everything perfectly and they always win. In this one, the main character definitely does not do everything perfectly. You'll have to read it to find out if he ends up winning. I put 4 stars instead of 5 because the story kind of dragged in the middle. The reader isn't given many answers and the characters were just going through the same motions. But I was entertained, and would recommend it!
Age range: 16+
Slight violence, drug references, nothing crazy. As usual, the main issue is it being to challenging/boring for younger readers.
Man, this book is just so good. I love the characters, the world is fascinating, and he does a great job of making you feel like part of the story. You really feel the drama and tension, you're wondering along with the rest of the characters how everything's going to turn out. Plus, there are a few twists that come out of nowhere, but when you look back, it all adds up.
Also, I read another review where they were laughing at how most of the book is pretty standard vocabulary, but then he just sprinkles in the word “maladroitly” 4 times. Still don't know what it means lol.
Age range: 16+
Pretty violent and lots of mentions of class abuse. It's never done in an in your face way, but definitely would be too mature for younger readers.
This is the most memorable book of the series. It involves some of most appealing and interesting character development, surprising twists, and thrilling quests of the whole series. I highly recommend this series.
Age range: 10+
Younger readers may find it a little scary. Older readers may find the tone a little juvenile.
I had low expectations for a prequel after so many years, but I think the author did a great job of recapturing so many of the elements that made the original trilogy such a fan favorite: an interesting and unpredictable main character with serious inner turmoil, a different perspective on an innovative dystopian nation, and a nuanced balance-of-power dynamic (especially for a YA book). Honestly, probably deserves a 3-star, but I'm nostalgic.
Age range: 13+
Maybe too violent for younger readers, plus some really challenging character decisions.
DNF. I was feeling a dystopian science fiction novel, so I picked this one up. I'm not sure what the author's dystopian vision is, however, because I didn't make it past the gross concept of an assembly-line childhood.
Age range: 18+
Mature themes and challenging worldview. Not for younger readers.
By this point in the series, I had hoped the author would take things in a different direction. The creativity and inventiveness of expanding the world and the new reserves and magical items isn't enough for me. It feels like an exact repeat of the originals.
Age range: 10-16
Younger readers may find it a little scary. Older readers may find the tone too juvenile.
The sequel matches the original with ease. Just getting to read more about life as a wizard, classes at Hogwarts, and the friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione would have been great. But introducing Dobby? Top tier.
Age range: 8+
Other than the potential for a few tears from younger readers on their 11th birthday, no concerns here.
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Quando eu leio essa série, eu frequentemente não presto tanto atenção porque eu conheço a história e as personagens há anos. Mas agora, tentando ler em português, é como eu estou lendo esse livro para a primeira vez de novo. Nesse livro, Harry Potter tem um grande jornada de descobrir quem ele é, com um questão de pertencer à Grifinória. Eu achei essa jornada muito mas impactante do que eu lembrava. Enfim, é uma história muito bom e que eu amei ler.
Faixa etária recomendada: 11+
Esse livro tem um peso maior do que o primeiro, porque tem um maior chance de morrer. Também envolve questões de racismo contra as trouxas (pessoas não mágicas). Mas mesmo assim, não houve problemas que impede crianças de ler.
The second book resolves none of my issues with the first book. It remains confusing and the setting is ill-defined. If I had kept reading the series, I may have been able to come back, understand this book, and enjoy it. But I can't. Not worth it.
Age range: 16+
Younger readers may have a hard time with the convoluted plot and shifting setting (older readers, too!).
This is a challenging book to review, mostly because there was just so much of it. The setting was very Robin Hood vibes. I really enjoyed the characters and thought that they were believable, if a little black and white. The good guys always ended up doing the right thing and the bad guys never stopped being terrible, self-serving, and unlikeable. I loved the story, how it carried over the decades that it took to build the cathedral, and getting to see each stage in the process. And the author seemed to do a great job portraying the political and religious environment of the 1100's, which I found very interesting to learn more about. That was my favorite part of the book: getting to see such a detailed picture of life in an ancient era and all of the small differences I would never have considered. I was interested and entertained all the way to the end of the book. Overall, I would definitely say it was worth the read ONLY if you're willing to skip over some parts.
I do, however, have some complaints. I truly HATED reading the primary antagonist's POV. He was vile, completely self-absorbed and using his power to take whatever he wanted from people and do whatever he wanted to people. It was so frustrating, seeing this character without a single redeeming or positive quality continue to maintain power and destroy in moments the hard work of hundreds of others. Maybe that's the point of his character, but I hated reading from his perspective. Connected with that complaint, this book has an unnecessary amount of adult content. I think I probably skipped 10-15 pages total, which is a small percentage of the book, but way way more than was necessary for the author to include. Lastly, towards the end it just felt a little unbelievable that so many major world events happened to connect to one small town in England and a few specific people.
Age range: 18+
Very violent, medieval combat. Graphic depictions of SA, and some non-violent adult content. Strong language that honestly felt a little out of place for a story that took place 900 years ago, pretty modern cursing.
Matches the pace, intensity, revelation, complexity, and excitement of the first book with ease. Paolini seems to have written these books with a very clear gradient of conflict/character capacity in mind. His protagonist does not overpowered too quickly, making later installments of the series seem entirely unbelievable within the rules of the world laid out at the beginning. Each book flows naturally from the other.
Age range: 12+
May be too expansive for younger readers. There is a fairly large cast of characters and a large capacity for memorizing geographic details is necessary.
I really enjoyed this book! Getting to read the author's perspective on life and memories was so interesting. I felt like this book expanded my view and understanding of the world, and made me think more deeply about the suffering and struggles that refugees face all around the world.
Age range: 16+
Even though he wrote the stories from the POV of his 11-year-old self, there is lots of violence and suffering, including domestic abuse. Not for younger readers.
The series finale delivers on a grand scale. The tone of the final battle scenes reminds you that this is still a YA book, but it's still well worth the read.
Age range: 10+
Younger readers may find it a little scary.
A fun and inventive new take on classic fairy tales, the first book in this series is always entertaining. The design and structure of the world keep you wanting more until the last page.
Age range: 10+
Younger readers may find it a little scary. Older readers may find the tone a little juvenile.
I wanted to like this book, I thought the author had a great premise and was uniquely equipped to speak on the subject. But when it got down to it, this was so much more a business book than a personal development book and if you aren't reading it with business intentions, it could have been condensed down into like 40 pages. Just not what I thought it would be when I picked it up.