Liz

A little slow, very predictable but wasn't a terrible read.

This book was a bit of a disappointment. I was excited to read it and there was a lot in the story that had it been developed more would have made the story so much better. The characters were dull, predictable, and had awful names! The storyline was predictable and there wasn't any suspense or building of tension because the way everything played out was so obvious. And it really took forever to get to the point because we had to waste so much time listening to Rio plan getting to the Above.


If you really want a well done under-water dystopia story, play the video game BioShock. It has all the interesting elements of Atlantia but done so much better.

This book was an easy read. I finished it in about a day. But I didn't love it. Some of the dialogue was incredibly cheesy and made it feel like the author was definitely out of touch with they way teenagers speak with one another. However, my biggest criticism is the ending. Early on I guessed that Lizzie had actually been raped. But I hoped I was wrong because I hoped this book was going to be an interesting look at the way the word Slut is used in our society and the damage it does. But I feel like the authored coped out by including rape in the story. Because now Lizzie's not a slut because that is a term we shouldn't be using anyway, Lizzie's not a slut because it wasn't her choice to have sex.

In the end it was an interesting read and good enough for me to make it to the end but I was disappointed that it really didn't address the issue it claimed to.

I read this book in one day. I loved the dual perspective. I loved that the author chose to include both the perspective of the character who committed suicide and the perspective of someone who cared for her.

I know there is some criticism that Hannah's reasons behind committing suicide were too petty. And I agree to a point. Most of what happens in the book is not far outside of the high school norm. There's not one big, traumatic event but there doesn't have to be. Depression makes you see the world differently. One set of events can affect people so differently that I have to disagree with the criticism that Hannah's motivations are too petty or that they just characterize her as a hysterical woman. So although the 13 reasons why aren't what you would probably guess are motivations for suicide doesn't mean they couldn't be.

Jodi Picoult is not the author for me. I knew that when I picked up this book, having already not been a fan of 2 previous books of hers. But I won this one in a give-away, my kindle broke, and I had this laying around so I decided I should actually read it. So here are my criticisms:

1) Luke's Chapters - So boring! The first few were interesting, I liked getting his back story told from his perspective, but after awhile I just started skimming them because none of it was really essential to the plot.

2) Cara - She's awful. Very much the “nobody understands me!” whining teenager attitude through the entire book.

3) Georgie - Pretty much useless.

4) This book (and I feel this way about all the Picoult books I read) tries so hard not to be predictable but of course it is. Picoult always does some sort of twist ending, it's formulaic at this point. So from page one I'm always thinking in the back of my mind “What's the twist?” This one was especially easy.

The only character I really enjoyed was Cara's step-father, Joe. Edward, Cara's brother, was annoying in the beginning (this family thinks nobody could ever understand them) but toward the end was just meh.

Also, apparently a lot of the wolf stuff Picoult included is totally bullshit which is annoying if only because she wasted so much time on it in the book.

Short, easy read. Interesting enough to make me want to read the rest.

The plot of the book wasn't too bad but unfortunately the main character is incredibly boring. Her love interest (and other characters as well) constantly say how amazing and driven and unique she is. Never does she do or say anything to make me feel that way about the character. The author, instead of developing the character, just had other characters tell the reader how to perceive her.

The romance felt like Twilight without the vampires. It was over the top cheesy and creepy at times.

I did really enjoy the characters of Luke and Claire. They are why I kept reading and I wish they had gotten more development.

Overall, the book had potential but that was lost in cliches, lack of character development, and way to much repetition. But I'll still probably read the second book in the series because it had a cliff-hanger ending and I don't like leaving series unfinished.

I downloaded this book free because it's description intrigued me and I always enjoy modern day re-tellings of fairytales. I think the series definitely has potential. The book really got off to a slow start but by the end I was really drawn into the story. The premise of the story is fantastic. It possibly could have been written better but I'm reserving judgement on that until reading further into the series since the first book seems to barely scratch the surface of what the author is planning.

It's a great easy read for while you are traveling. You can put it down and walk away but it keeps your interest while you are reading it.

This book was hard for me to get into because I didn't find many of the characters very likable. But the author does an amazing job with the development of each character and by the end I was invested in each one. I also enjoyed that the story was from the perspective of those waiting at home during WWII. It's one that certainly isn't seen as much.

So many of my friends love Picoult so despite the fact that I've never loved one of her books, I keep picking them up to see if the next one will make me like her as much as others do. This is probably the best of hers that I've read. It was interesting, there were likable enough characters, but the story was a bit predicable and began to drag on after a bit.

This book was gripping from the first page. The style can be a bit difficult to wade through at times because the author's vocabulary seems to be pulled from a SAT vocab. word list but this adds to the character of Eva (Kevin's mother who narrates the story through letters to her husband). I'll admit that I saw the plot twist coming early on in the book but it didn't ruin the book for me at all, in fact going into the chapter I knew would bring the dreaded twist I still kept hoping I was wrong and was horrified at being right. The only reason I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that I felt so disturbed by the book by the final pages that I couldn't bring myself to give it a 5 although the fact that I felt so strongly just proves authors powerful writing.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading a book that isn't a happy story and deals with some disturbing subject matter. It isn't for everyone but for those who can appreciate the talent it takes to write such a gripping story despite it's dark subject it's the type of book that's not easy to put down that is until you get to the final words and are only all to happy to be done.

This book was a surprise. I did not expect to enjoy it or find it interesting but in truth I have really enjoyed reading this book. In fact, after the first few pages I had to put it down to go find a pen and a highlighter so I could start making notes (always a good sign).

It is definitely not a light or easy read but well worth the effort. Lewis's exploration of failure and the role it plays in mastering a skill, art, subject, ect. is captivating. Her approach could be considered a collection of short stories about various people's lives with her own insights written throughout. I would absolutely recommend this book.

I haven't quite finished this book yet, but I believe I've read enough to give a solid review. As a communication scholar I was intrigued by this book and was not disappointed. Battistella gives so many wonderful examples and dissects all of them in an insightful, unbiased, and thorough manner. I've really enjoyed reading about the many successful and failed public apologies throughout history. He draws his ideas from so many different disciplines that the reader truly feels as if he/she is getting a very comprehensive guide to public apologies. In addition to being an excellent book for communication scholars, linguists, and sociologists there is a fun historical element to the book as well for those who enjoy history and politics.

This book was okay. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I enjoyed it a lot in the beginning but after her arrest I felt like it became repetitive and much less reflective. I often found myself wishing she would just get to the point. I think had she waited to write this book, given herself more time to gain perspective, and waited until her legal issues were 100% over then it would've been more intriguing.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book. The plot was interesting, the characters were well developed and relatable, and it kept just enough mystery throughout to keep you wondering.

My biggest issue with the book was the inclusion of the plot with the elderly neighbor. It just felt really unnecessary. It didn't add anything extra to the story except to be an extra depressing plot line. I'm not opposed to sad stories but in this case it just wasn't needed and I felt the book would have been a more enjoyable and satisfying read without it.