Peter Jones

I found the conclusion to the Hunger Games trilogy to be a grand disappointment. Gone is the strong, resourceful Katniss. She is replaced wholly by a whiney, self-indulgent teenager. That would have been fine at some point of the story arc, but not after all the life changing experiences she has been through. The deaths and violence often felt unnecessary, like they were just thrown in there to make the story more dark and grim. They didn't seem to.really serve much more of a purpose. Particularly the deaths of Finnick and Prim. Both of these felt like deaths thrown in there just to manipulate the reader.

Finally, the end left a really bad taste in my mouth. First off, the entire series starts off with the goal to protect Prim, and Collins doesn't even give that to Katniss. Second, I really didn't get the feeling at the end that the world was any better off than it was at the beginning. All in all, I don't plan to go back to this series again and am glad that I used the library.

A decent first novel. The idea is fun and engaging. I think it will be a particularly enjoyable read if you have an understanding of 80s pop-culture and an appreciation of gaming. The references come fast and furious, perhaps a bit too fast. At times it seems the references are just being thrown out there to show how many can be crammed in there. I think I would have enjoyed the book more had there been some restraint in that regard.

Also, given the author had an entire virtual universe to create, the story felt rather predictable. Enjoyable, but not really much in terms of surprise along the way.

I have been an avid fan of Jack McDevitt since reading Omega years ago. I have been in love with his work, particularly the Alex Benedict/Chase Kolpath novels. Very few of his books have disappointed me (Ancient Shores and Eternity Road being my least favorite). Time Travelers Never Die is one of his latest, and actually is one that I don't plan on reading again. It is a fascinating, fictional look at some historic events and figures. That aspect is well done. However, there was little tension in the events. The ability to instantly jump out of whatever situation the characters were in hindered the building of meaningful tension and conflict. I also found that the novel didn't really address the idea of the paradoxes of time travel satisfactorily. Enjoyable and worth reading, but only once. Not one I will go back to again.

I struggle somewhat giving this book a score. It was interesting and exciting. However, when all was said and done, I just don't know If there was enough to the story to make me want to come back. Perhaps as the larger story unfolds I will find more substance. Overall an enjoyable read though.

It took a while to get going, but once it moves, American Gods is a fun, intriguing romp through the varied beliefs that make this “melting pot” such a great place to live. Shadow, the main character, is an intriguing main character. Stoic, yet still surprisingly vulnerable throughout. The climax was interesting, but not quite as fulfilling as I had hoped. Nevertheless, a fine read.