Nichole
That was a super quick read. I really loved the black and white drawings with the gold accents, it really added to the experience of this book. I have to say the story was not at all what I was expecting, but it kept my attention nonetheless.
The best part of this book is definitely its aesthetics. It is gorgeous between the cover, the dust jacket, and the illustrations. I also really need to read some other Neil Gaiman books because I really liked the writing style and the subtle humor throughout.
I don't even know how to review this. But I will say it was definitely better in terms of editing than Twilight ever was. I will also say that I found the name/gender changes to be very distracting. Part of it was how ridiculous the names were, at least in the original series the names were semi-common. I think with this she wanted similar but also went way too out there.
Wow! I don't even know where to start with this book. This was definitely one of my most anticipated books (especially in terms of standalones and not continuing a series). I feel in love with the characters in Fangirl. I obviously loved Cath and Levi, but I also loved the bits we got of Simon and Baz. So a whole 500+ page book about Simon and Baz was super exciting.
I loved that this book starts during their last year at Watford where they have already faced many challenges and overcome them. Instead we get as much information as we need as the story goes instead of a crazy summary of the previous years. Rainbow Rowell did a fantastic job of weaving in the past experiences. I also loved the pace of this book. We got straight to the point without a bunch of world building and explanations.
As soon as I started the book, I already felt like I knew the world. I do not think this was because I was already introduced to the world in Fangirl, I think it was just written well enough to not have a learning curve. There are many similarities to HP but I think that is part of The Chosen One trope and the fan fiction meta aspect of this book.
I will admit my one concern going into this book was the fact that this was a book about fanfiction of a fictional book from a different fictional book (and yes it is that complex). So I was worried it was going to be too much meta but I did not feel that way at all. There was really nothing relating to the original fanfiction from Fangirl other than character names.
I already want to reread this book and I really want to read Fangirl now. Both will probably happen by the end of the year so I can revisit these characters. This book is very different than Rainbow Rowell's other contemporary books, but she did a great job with this fantasy story!
This is an extremely loved book. I knew going into it, I was getting an epic survival story. But I have to say it was even more that that. This book was filled with humor, snarkiness, science, and adventure and I loved every minute of it. I really wanted to see the movie for this, but I knew I had to read the book before I could see the movie. So of course I waited until the day before to start the book. It ended up not being a problem because I flew through the book and there was a never a doubt that I would not finish it before the movie.
I do not know how accurate all the science actually is, but it was believable and made sense to me. I loved how well explained all the choices were. We got to see Mark's stream of consciousness through the log of why he was making certain choices and his trial and error process until he got it right.
My favorite part of this book was how often I would laugh or giggle. I loved how sarcastic and snarky Mark was and it really added to the whole idea of being stranded on Mars and coping and surviving. I truly believe the book would have been much different had Mark not had the personality he did.
I do not think there was ever a dull moment in this book. We were constantly moving onward and toward bigger and greater challenges. I think the pacing of this book was incredibly well done and I applaud Andy Weir for making a book that mainly focuses on one guy alone on Mars so fascinating. We did have some scenes from others perspectives which added to the story but they were all necessary and helped break up the solo-Mark time.
I definitely recommend you read this book and then go see the movie because both are fantastic!
I received a copy of this book through BloggingForBooks in exchange for an honest review
4.5 Stars
I need more of Shahrzad and Khalid and now I have to wait until May 2016 to find out what happens and to read more of their incredible story. This was an amazing debut filled with beautiful writing, breathtaking scenery, and strong, determined characters.
This book was beyond hyped when it came out and I contemplated buying it many times in May and June, but I held off and I have to say I'm really glad I waited for the hype to wind down. I still went into this book with high expectations, but I did not go into it with the insane amount of people furiously reading it at the same time.
Right from the beginning, I was pulled into this story. The writing is stunning and entices you right away. This book is a retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights which I'm not really familiar with so I cannot say much on how it matches up or how it compares as a retelling, but I can say that I loved this story. I also really loved the scenery throughout this book. I always knew exactly what was going on throughout the book and could easily picture the setting and that is a credit to Renee Ahdieh's amazing skills.
My only issue with this book was two-fold. At the beginning of the book, there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary eye descriptions. I'm not really sure why I picked up on this, but I feel like a lot of the descriptions related to eyes and it was a bit unnerving. And I know that is weird to say when I loved how descriptive this book was, but there was something about the eye descriptions at the beginning that did not sit with me.
Second, I know we all love the villain (or bad-boy) love story, but I felt like Khalid was not your full villain that he was made out to be. While he seemed like a villain at first, he really was just a tortured soul. I cannot really complain too much because I still loved his characterization but I think labeling him the villain is wrong.
Finally, the last thing I want to say is Thank You, Renne Ahdieh for making this a duology. Way too many YA books think they need to be a trilogy and this can cause series to be drawn out and have way too much filler. And secondly, thank you for not adding a needless love triangle to this duology. You definitely had the opportunity to but, I applaud the lack of executing it!
So as you can tell, I loved this book and it is definitely one of the best I've read this year! I cannot wait for The Rose and the Dagger to come out so I can find out the conclusion to Shahrzad and Khalid's epic story.
Initial Thoughts:I really really enjoyed this book. I know people love Susan Dennard's writing, and I'm definitely one of them. The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was the ending and how it left me wanting more of the characters, but it was also a good ending with tying up a lot of loose ends. I'm definitely going to continue on with the trilogy, I just do not feel like I have to right away at this point.
Full review to come.
This book was amazing and everyone needs to have it on their radar and read it when it comes out in October. The premise alone drew me in, but this book was so much more than an alternate WWII outcome. This book focused on how it is who we are inside that matters and that we are all the same on the inside, we were all created equally.
That being said, this was I'm sure a massive undertaking for Ryan Graudin. This book focuses on a society in the 1950s where Hitler won and took over basically the world other than the Americas. It was fascinating for me to read about this different history where WWII did not end when it did. Added to this alternate reality was this epic motorcycle race across the continents. This was a great plot tool to add adventure and action to the plot as Yael attempts to complete her mission of killing Hitler and ending his reign.
The characters in this book are really great. We get a lot of background on Yael and this strange ability she has but we also get background on this alternate world and how the war unfolded. Yael is such an important character in terms of identity and self-confidence. She was terrorized as a child and physiologically altered (trying not to give away too much), but she still fought for what she believed in and ultimately joining the resistance.
I really enjoyed this book, however, I'm a little bit disappointed by the ending. I have so many questions still and feel unsatisfied with where the characters go from the end and how everything ties up. I can see how ending where it did works though in terms of deciding for yourself how the alternate world as a whole responds to the end of the story, but I wanted more. I feel like a huge plot point was introduced in the last few pages but not fully explained. As far as I know this is a standalone, so there are no future books to further explain the events of this book.
Overall, this is a great book that you need to pick up. It has both amazing writing and an amazing message about identity and being yourself.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Update: Ryan Graudin has now said this will be a duology, so I will actually get all my questions answered!
3.5 Stars
Everyone absolutely loves this book and is always talking about the amazing characters and the writing. As such, I went into this book with extremely high expectations. I honestly think this slightly dampened my enjoyment. I still really enjoyed this book, but I was slightly disappointed. I was expecting a thrilling amazingly written story with so many details and plot intricacies . In many ways this book lived up to that. But I also found the plot to drag in the middle and I definitely did not enjoy the middle 1/3 of the book as much as the first and last third. However, I am still highly invested in this series and eager to pick up the second book.
By far the strongest part of this book is its characters. These characters are unique and each on has their own peculiarities that add to the story. I absolutely loved the snarky, sassiness to the characters. The Raven Boys (Gansey, Adam, Noah, and Ronan) are this tight-nit group that Blue just easily fits into. The friendship between this group is one of my favorite aspects of this book. They each have their issues that they are dealing with, but still somehow come together over the quest of ley lines and their meaning. The other cast of characters that added to this unique group was the aunts and family of Blue. They were so quirky and constantly predicting things and giving “advice” and I loved it. I think if I had to actually deal with it like Blue does, I would absolutely hate it, but I loved reading about it.
As for my “issue” with this book and I use that word loosely. This book definitely dragged as I have said. But luckily it did pick back up. I think the main reason I struggled with this book is solely do to it being overhyped for me. I have not had this issue before, but I think it did play a role in my ability to fall in love with this book the way others have. That being said, I did still thoroughly enjoy the book and cannot wait to continue.
Finally, this book left me with so many questions. There is so much more I want to know. Whether it is more about Blue's fate, the ley lines, the Raven King, or even more about the Raven Boys.
I have finally finished this massive book. I'm now left with this gaping hole and these raw emotions that I need to process. That being said, I did absolutely love the book! I cannot say it is my favorite in the series simply because I absolutely loved Crown of Midnight and it holds a special place in my heart, but this one is definitely number 2.
I may or may not write a more formal review later, I just do not want to give away anything about the book and my thoughts/emotions until more people have the chance to finish it.
4.5 Stars
Initial Thoughts: I really love Victoria's writing. It just pulls you right into the plot and the characters. Also I need the next book like now!
Review:
“Love doesn't keep us from freezing to death, Kell, or starving, or being knifed for the coins in our pocket. Love doesn't buy us anything, so be glad for what you have and who you have because you may want for things but you need for nothing.”
Victoria Schwab is one of those writers that you cannot help but love. She is quirky and eccentric and has an amazing ability to write amazing worlds. I had only read The Archived and Vicious by her but I knew going into this book that I was not going to be disappointed in terms of writing or character development. I do not even know why I put off reading this book. I should have read it as soon as it came out.
Parallel universes are a very interesting topic and recently there has been a increase in these kinds of books. But what I love about this topic is that every book is different. The genre itself is vastly different because the parallel universes each author creates can vary in so many different ways. I loved how this book focuses on four different Londons each with varying levels of magic and power. I also appreciated that it was not just those who could travel from universe to universe that knew about the alternate Londons. It was interesting to see how other people reacted and lived knowing this information.
This book focuses on Kell and Lila who meet during one of Kell's trips “abroad.” Immediately I loved their banter and the connection between them. Both are very independent and capable individuals, but you could see they worked better together.
This really has nothing to do with the quality of the book itself, but Kell's reversible (reversible isn't even right because it appears to have an infinite about of sides) jacket is pure genius. I loved how everywhere he went he would have to switch his jacket around to find the right style for his current project. The jacket just added to the quirkiness and the oddity that is Kell and his ability.
There is so much left to explore in this trilogy especially with all four Londons. This book really only focuses on two of them. I would really love to see more of the other two, which I think we will get. I also have so many questions about Lila and how she was able to help for the whole book and if there is more to her than we are being told (which I highly suspect there to be).
I really had no issues with this book. It was a fascinating tale in other Londons filled with magic, power, and secrecy. I cannot wait for the next book to see where Kell and Lila's story goes next. One last thought, this is considered an adult book, but I would say it is one of those books that is really fine for everyone. It is definitely a good book for people just starting to go from YA Fantasy to Adult Fantasy.
The fact that SyFy Network is making a show out of this trilogy is the main reason that I chose to pick up this book and I have to say I'm fairly disappointed. I was expecting this magical world that was a mix of Hogwarts, magic, and Narnia. However, that is not at all what I got with this book.
The book started out great with Quentin learning about the secret world of magic and the magic school in NY. However, from there the story seemed to either drag as he learned, or jump so far into the future that I felt like I was missing so much of this story. This book takes place over many years but I still felt like the pacing was off. It was either too fast or not fast enough.
I also really did not like Quentin as a character. He was extremely brooding and annoying. Nothing seemed to appease him and while he described himself as this nerdy, over-achiever, I did not get that vibe from him. I also did not like how little we learned about other characters. I would have loved to have more perspective on the other characters and their journey throughout the story.
I know this sounds like I really did not enjoy the book and that is only partially true. I still enjoyed this world and the idea of magic in our modern world. But the characters and the writing really dampened my ability to become fully engrossed in this novel. For a fantasy novel, this one took me way longer than others do.
I have no idea if I'm going to continue on with this trilogy or not. I can say it is nowhere on my current radar. I may continue if the show seems to be heading in that direction or if enough people convince me that the sequels are better than this first one was.
4.5 Stars
I finally finished it. This book was so great. I love the world, the magic system, and the characters. I still have so many questions that I need answers to but this was a great first installment. I was completely surprised by how this story went and I was not at all expecting the outcome that did occur.
Many sequels, more specifically second books in series, can have what is called a sophomore slump, where the second book is a let down after the first. I was a little bit concerned about Beastly Bones being a victim of this, but luckily I did not have to worry. This book was full of just as much quirkiness and strangeness as Jackaby. This book picks up right where Jackaby left off, following Abigail and Jackaby on their adventures in New Fiddleham inquiring after paranormal cases. We still get Abigail's witty narrative and information throughout the story.
In this book, we are introduced to even more charming and quirky characters, such as Nellie and Hank, and I loved getting to meet each on of them as Jackaby and Abigail worked to figure out what was going on at the dig site. But what really stood out to me in this book is the introduction of what I assume is the “main” villain. He/She I assume is the the Moriarty of the series. I definitely am eagerly anticipating the next book to find out more about this character and what they are up to. There was so much foreshadowing to this character and how they were involved from the beginning. I really need to know more about them as we go forward .
With Jackaby, one of my main issues was feeling like it did not quite match the time period of the late 1800s. I still felt that way with this installment, however it did not bother me as much as it had in Jackaby. That is probably because this book had less character introductions and instances where we were learning more about Jackaby, Abigail, and Charlie. Instead we got to be put right in the action with only minor character introductions. This installment was definitely more fast paced and action heavy than the first.
Without giving too much away, I also just want to comment on what the “beast” turns out to be. I was not at all expecting that, but it just made so much sense and I loved it.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Book 5 of the #booktubeathon
Initial Thoughts:
The writing in this was absolutely stunning. I love the use of three different narrators to tell the story as we moved along. However, the story was lacking to me. While the writing was beautiful and poignant, I'm do not feel like there was a clear story being told. It was more a showcase on Nadia and her difficulties. I also feel like the ending was lacking with little closure. I feel like something was missing.
booktubeathon Book 4
Initial Thoughts”
This was a very different genre than what I typically read and I'm surprised that once I got used to it that I was intrigued. This definitely did remind me of a female Dexter and it was interesting to see how Deanna hid herself from society until she believed she was the only one who could help.
Book 3 for the #booktubeathon
Initial Thoughts:This definitely had a more important message to me than Anna and the French Kiss did, however, I prefer Anna and Etienne. Lola and Cricket are important though because their story focuses on finding and believing in yourself regardless of what other people think or believe.
I loved seeing Anna and Etienne in this and definitely picked up on the foreshadowing for everyone being present for Isla and the Happily Ever After.
Review:
Even though I had only ever read Anna and the French Kiss, I knew when I picked this up I was picking up a book I would fly through and really enjoy. I got more than I expected with this book. I loved Anna and the French Kiss, especially Anna and Etienne and I loved seeing them in this book. They had a much larger role int he story than I thought they would which was a pleasant surprise.
For me, Lola and the Boy Next Door definitely had a more important message to me than Anna and the French Kiss did, however, I still prefer Anna and Etienne, as a couple. Lola and Cricket are important though because their story focuses on finding and believing in yourself regardless of what other people think or believe. I loved how both Lola and Cricket had their quirks that made them different and unique.
My one issue with this book that was also somewhat present in Anna is the borderline cheating that goes on. When Lola and Cricket start to get close, Lola has a boyfriend and I'm still slightly bothered by this because it is not fair to the boyfriend when Lola suddenly falls for someone else. While this may be realistic with regard to what really happens, I do not care for it in the book.
I also definitely picked up on the foreshadowing for everyone being present for Isla and the Happily Ever After. This book was exactly what I needed at the time due to its cute story and ease of reading. There is something about reading a book where you know the characters end up together that really lets me fly through the book.
This book gets off to an incredibly slow start. There is a lot of finding out about Kaye and her life and learning a little bit about the Faeries. Other than that, the part of this book fails to pull you into the story. I love Holly Black and her writing, so I was invested from that standpoint, but I was not feeling this book at first.
What I did appreciate about the beginning of this book is the dark Gothic aspect of the story. Many of Holly Black's books focus more on the happy, good fae then the dark ones of this story. This is definitely a darker and more mature faerie novel. I really appreciated this different side to faeries that we got to see. It showed how fae are not always the charming, cute beings we imagine them to be.
Kaye is one of those characters that make you cringe with their bad choices, she smokes, drinks, does not go to school, and is all around a poor role model. While Kaye is this despicable character, she does have some redeeming qualities that keep you on her side. And she also had definite character growth throughout the novel.
The other big issue I had with this book was the lack of information, I feel like a lot of new fae words were used but never truly explained. I would have liked to have had more background information on the faeries and why the compact was the way it was during the story. For me the world building was lacking in terms of explaining the fae world.
While this novel got off to a slow start, it definitely picked up and pulled me into the story. I started to really care about what was happening to the characters and how everything was going to turn out for them. So while a lot of this book was very “meh” for me, it definitely redeemed itself toward the end. I'm now invested in these characters and seeing where the story takes us next in Valiant. Also, I really love the new covers in the box set! While the originals do not have characters on them, in this case I prefer the use of people on the cover.
Finishing this book has left me with more questions than when I first started it. I absolutely love the characters and the world that Vincent has created. At first I was a little thrown off when the reality of the romance was explained, but it definitely grew on me and had me intrigued to see how it would work out. There were many unexpected aspects of this book that always kept me guessing and waiting to see what would happen next.
As many of you know, I'm a huge sucker for demons so this book interested me right from the beginning with Demons possessing people in this post-war world led by the Church. The society in this world was complex, but also well explained and made sense. Vincent did a great job of world-building.
In terms of actual plot, this is a clear first in a series book that focuses mostly on world-building and realization. The meat of this book is Nina finding out who she is and finding other like her. With that comes saving her sister as well. I'm really looking forward to future books with both Nina and Finn and their group of rebels as they find a way to destroy the demons.
