Kathrine

I really wanted to like this book. It's been on my tbr list since it came out. I'd heard so many positive reviews and knew that it had been nominated for numerous awards including the Booker Prize. Sadly, by page 20 I wanted to slap a piece of duct tape over the narrator's mouth. That doesn't leave much room for “liking” a story.

Using a 5 year old as the narrator was a unique but ultimately unwise choice. Jack wasn't precocious, he was over-indulged and annoying. His voice wasn't believable or consistent. Sometimes it seemed like he was 5, other times 25 and still other times maybe 2 ½ at most. Jack knows words like hippopotami but not oven (refers to it as stove's tummy). He can sing along with Lady Gaga and Chumbawumba, talk about the Picasso's Guernica and the fall of the Berlin Wall but doesn't know that you say you turn up the thermostat or cook food? Seriously? Ma created a game where he mimics what he hears on tv so he knows proper speech and Ma corrects him every time he says “brung” instead of brought. Yet he's saying thing like “waterfall the milk” or “hot up the room”. Was that supposed to be cute? It wasn't.

Getting past the inconsistent narrative voice was difficult enough, but then I had to stop nitpicking at the details the author didn't quite get right. I can only assume some of these things were because Donaghue set the story in the US but hasn't spent any amount of time here herself - things like Jack watching Dora the Explorer daily when they only got broadcast stations (Dora is a Nickelodeon show, thus requiring access to cable or a satellite service).

The second half of the book was better, but not by much. It's obvious that Jack has some psychological issues to deal with – at the very least he has OCD tendencies (the constant counting of things, especially his teeth) yet that is never really brought up even though Jack is telling everything that happened to him. The one plus was that we got to meet Steppa, easily my favorite character.

Emma Donoghue deserves credit for attempting to tackle such a difficult, repulsive subject. To get inside the idea of being held captive, of not knowing anything beyond an 11x11 space, of being suddenly thrust into the big, scary world etc, is a huge challenge - a challenge, that in the end the author didn't really succeed at completing. I'm still debating between 1 and 2 stars. For now I'll go with 2, but that could change.

I started out wanting to like this book, but the longer it went on the less I enjoyed it. All Ayla needed was a cape, some tights and a giant yellow A stuck to her chest to complete her superhero status. All of that was over the top. Though not as over the top as her mustache twirling evil nemesis, Broud. His reactions were incredibly predictable and eye roll worthy.

As many other reviews have mentioned, it's obvious that the author did her research (at least the research available when the book was written). And apparently she felt the need to share all of that research with the reader. To the point that it only served to drag out the story more than it needed to be. By the time I got about 1/3 of the way through the book, I was skipping large amounts of prose.

On the plus side I did like Creb (though the whole drug induced telepathy thing was silly)and Iza.

A bit of a slow start and I was starting to wonder whether I'd be able to survive the constant barrage of snarky one liners that inundate the first few chapters. Finally the author seemed to settle somewhere between pages 75 and 100 and I stopped wanting to throw things at Charley. Fun characters, though at times they felt a little vague. I figure that will change as the series continues and we get to know them all better. I did really like the 3 lawyers - they were amusing. Decent plot - crime proceedural with lots of paranormal thrown in. Reminded me a little bit of Janet Evanovich's books.

If I could, I'd actually give it 3 1/2 stars. Cute, fluffy paranormal chick lit but not without some small issues.

Wow. I'm not quite sure how to describe my feelings on this one. The main characters were so incredibly messed up and unlikeable and yet I was drawn in and didn't want to put the book down after a bit of a slow start. It was like watching a train wreck, you want to look away but you can't quite make yourself do so.

Love when an author leaves me guessing and then second guessing.

Good, fast read. For the most part typical Grisham. I know some didn't like the ending, but I was happy that he went for the bittersweet instead of the last minute miracle.

One star for the recipes and one star for all the rest, because wow was this book an absolute mess. The original claim was that this was going to be a Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls story. I did kind of get a bit of a Practical Magic vibe, at least at the beginning. But GG? Nope. Nada. Nothing. Character development was marginal at best and the world building...well...there wasn't much of that either. There wasn't anything to make me understand or even care about these characters.

Sadie, the MC, had the emotional maturity of a 10yr old. Her long lost “love” Jake (I still don't get the long lost part) alternated between doormat and bully. As for Sadie's depressed, emo twin Seth, he's about as interesting as a wet paper bag. With all the other characters - there are a ton of them - the author seemed to be more interested in giving them all specific magical powers (Think Encanto, except the animated Madrigal Family was more 3 dimensional) than making them fulfledged characters.

I have no idea what this book was trying to be: romance? family drama? magical realism? fantasy? It missed the mark on all of the above. And I still don't understand the whole family of practicing witches goes to church. REGULARLY. Like every Sunday morning. Just one more thing that made this story ridiculous overall.

No matter how hard I try, I've never been a big Jane Austen fan. I enjoy the movies (well, most of them) based on her work, but the books themselves? Not so much. I figured at less than 300 pages I'd see if this one could change my mind. Unfortunately no. Still not an Austen fan. I liked the idea of the premise. I liked the fact that her main characters were older (I don't know about more mature. Holding a grudge for 8 yrs isn't at the top of my maturity list). I liked the last 20 pages though the end felt rushed. The rest of the book felt like it took forever to get through. There was way too much exposition - too much summarizing of character thoughts and actions and not enough showing the reader what was happening. In other words a little more actual dialogue would have done wonders to keep boredom from setting in.

It's been almost a week since I finished this and I still can't decide how to define this book. I can't even bring myself to call it a good read. Easy? Yes. Decent? Maybe. But good? No. Unlike with the first two books in the series (there were a couple of slow points in Catching Fire), I found myself suffering from shiny object syndrome. I'd slog through a couple of pages and suddenly remember something I wanted to google or need to check to see if I already had another book on my shelves or go make a peanut butter sandwich.

Full of stupidity and contrived events. Not sure if I was more annoyed or disappointed. Katniss, our once strong, plucky, determined heroine spent the vast majority of this book either sitting in a closet whimpering and sniffling or being unconscious. Because of this choice by the author, she is informed later, along with the reader, of everything that happened. Talk about passive story telling. When something did happen - and rarely did it actually happen to Katniss - she followed it up with another round of guilt and self pity (sob.I'm just a pawn.sob.) I so wanted Haymitch to dump a pitcher of water on her head multiple times.

Contrived scenarios abounded throughout those almost 400 pages. District 13 is entirely on their own. No Allies. No nothing. They barely have enough people to be considered a District (why didn't they change their name like every other newly formed country on the planet does). Did a meteor hit the other side of planet earth? Completely wiping out Europe? Africa? Asia? Even the original 13 colonies had France. Whatever. Supposedly Coin in all her wisdom and none of the friends she needs wanted to save Peeta not Katniss? Huh? Peeta was never, ever the one the hoards followed. Then you have an elite group of soldiers (Think Seal Team) sent on a very specific mission and you send in an unknown, self destructive person to join them. Someone who has the severe potential of getting the whole group captured or killed. I don't care how much you hate one particular soldier, no commander risks the whole elite team like that. It was simply Collins' contrived way of bringing Peeta back to the A story. All so we could overhear the Peeta/Gale late night chat. And don't even get me started on that conversation. How are either of those two even slightly ok with being the equivalent of Katniss deciding whether she wants Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops for breakfast.

Normally I can deal with character deaths. I may not like them, but I deal. I mean this is supposed to be dystopian. They're involved in a war. People will die. It's to be expected. But because this is a story, those deaths need to be important. They need to move the plot in some way, shape or form (unless of course they're the never met them before red shirt characters). I still can't figure out what purpose Finnick's death served story wise. Other than to give Katniss yet another opportunity to beat herself up. Would it really have been a bad thing to give one character an actual happy ending? Heck once again we don't even get to “see” something happen - we're just told. Prim's death was ridiculous. What type of leader sends in the medical/humanitarian aide into what is an active firefight, especially without first making sure the area is secure? And then intentionally drop bombs on that very spot. I thought 13 was a little short on population. The only thing her death allowed for was a reason for the author to shove Gale out of the way. It wasn't like Gale took himself out of the running on his own. No, it was based on the idea that maybe, possibly, Gale might have had the idea that eventually led to 13 bombing the hell out of their own soldiers, thus causing the death of a member of Katniss's family (never mind that he didn't put Prim there). That's nothing at all like Katniss and her actions causing the other districts to rise up and try to rest control from the Capitol which in turn led to the bombing of 12 and the deaths of Peeta's entire family. (Insert Eye Roll HERE)

In case you couldn't tell, I was Team Gale, even though I knew he probably didn't have a chance. However, I wish Katniss had stuck with one of her early statements about not picking either of them and being on her own. That I could have respected. Choosing Peeta because in essence he was the only one left wasn't her making a choice at all.

The one part of the book that got to me? In the last few pages when Katniss finds Buttercup. Not really surprising - I nearly burst into tears during those sappy Sarah McLachlin voice over ASPCA commercials. The idea of Buttercup finding his way home to District 12 through the barren landscapes and past the freaky predators out there...well...just...sniff.

If you've read the first two book in the series, then this one is probably worth reading to. Just don't expect to like it.

I was doing pretty good with this one. It kept me entertained. I wasn't rolling my eyes at every other sentence Lindsay spoke (this is one of those series where I like the supporting characters better than the main one). I was thrilled that the “B” mystery wasn't a nonsensical throw away. Even better - the A and B mystery were actually connected I was even ok with the 2 dimensional, not going anywhere cheesy Marcus Dowling thing.

And then I got to the end. grr. Authors- when you come to the end of the story. It's the end. Stop writing. There is absolutely no need to add to the story. Really, there isn't. If there is a loose end or two, wrap it up quickly or leave it for the next book in the series. Don't add all kinds of melodrama i.e. don't out of the blue put the love interest in perilous danger in the epilogue to pull them right back out of it 1 1/2 pages later. It's not dramatic. It's a cheap trick that only serves to irritate the reader.

I wish I'd stopped reading when the mysteries were solved, I'd have been happier. So...probably 3.25 stars but I'm rounding down on this one.

Meh. Intriguing basis, but not well executed. That seems to be the way with so many James Patterson outlined/written by insert ghost writer name here books anymore. This one suffers from the usual too-many-subplots-itis that has practically become the status quo for his books (especially the Women's Murder Club books, which Paetro used to have a big hand in). That results in all the mysteries being shallow, with little to no detail and an empty who cares feeling when they get wrapped up. The school girl killings was (I think) the big A plot and fantastic A plot it would have been. If it had been actually delved into and paced out. Sadly it kept getting pushed aside for lying, cheating spouses and other soap opera antics. Don't get me started on the Evil!Twin story arc. Could have done without out that one from the start.

Oh and the epilogue? Ridiculous They should be short and wrap things up. Not be multiple chapters (even if Patterson chapters usually aren't more than 3-4 pages.)

I'm sure I'll keep reading Patterson books, because occasionally a gem appears but I don't know if I'll continue with this particular series.

Wasn't impressed at all. I don't think there was one character that I honestly liked. Originally thought the book would flesh out more about the 3 lead females, but by the end I felt that most of the focus ended up being on the main male character.

Have yet to meet a Gabriel Allon story I didn't like (though I don't love all of them). A fleshed out plot that has more to do with art than evil henchmen and powerful oligarchs trying to take over the world allowed most of the focus to center on Gabriel rather than his team. Well paced with interesting locales. All the characters I love have returned, though I do wish Mr Silva would stop using Mikhail as a punching bag.

It's a good thing this was short. And that those annoying web chats ended. They didn't add anything to the story other than make me think the author is considering retelling more fairy tales.

I usually find fairy tale retells interesting. And this one was being told from the opposite point of view (the Beast instead of Belle) Add in the ya genre and I thought it had possibility. Unfortunately that possibility never evolved into anything but sugary sweetness and cheese. I found the author's style, especially the dialogue to be juvenile. The characters were extremely stereotypical - the pretty, popular kids were all vapid and shallow and more concerned with the next party than anything else while the poor/scholarship kids were smart and homely looking all while being naive. And that's pretty much where the character development stopped, even for the main characters. I did like Will - he made Kyle/Adrian slightly more tolerable. Probably because in being more adult and less stilted, Kyle also became that way.

The end was what finally did me in. Everything in a nice neat bow. From Kyle instantly becoming human again without any pain or confusion unlike the initial transformation and Lindy didn't see a thing to Will getting his sight back and a spiffy new job to Kendra being all accepted back in her family that the reader didn't even know existed (terrible plot point) to Kyle and Lindy going back to Tuttle (why? is it the only school in NYC now?)

It's been a long time since I read Robin McKinley's Beauty (it's now on my re-read list), but from what I remember, I'd most definitely recommend it over Beastly.

hmm...I'm truly at a loss as to how to rate this one. Was it great? ummm, not really. Was it terrible? No. Were there places in the book that really did have great potential? Yeah. Did they live up to that potential? No. Some parts were well laid out but then there were other parts where I felt like I was reading the back of a cereal box. Going with the cereal box theme, I'm just going to list what I liked and didn't like. Maybe that'll help me decide how many stars.

Didn't like
-Clary and Jace have got to be some of the most immature, whiney, bratty teen characters I've ever read (though I've read worse coughvampire diariescough). There were times when I wondered how old Clary was supposed to be because she was acting like a spoiled 10 year old.

-I hate the word mundane and how it's used here. Why can't authors (or at least ya authors) just call them normal, plain people? I hated it when a certain british author who shall not be named did it and I hated it here. It always ends up sounding snotty and superior. And it irritates me and becomes a distraction

-my biggest dislike? Clare's extreme over use of similes. Seriously. No need to say fist like iron when you can simply say iron fist. I can't completely blame the author for this. Her editor at Simon & Schuster should have worked to contain those (oh and dear S&S editor...there is no need to both italicize and bold words. One or the other provides plenty of emphasis)

Rolled my eyes at
- the whole that's my dad ridiculous plot point. Wasn't impressed that the author went there, but it's not like this is the first book to go there and I'm sure it won't be the last.

What I liked
-Magnus. He's just cool. His party had an Wonderland feel to it. He's a combination of Chesire and Hatter.

-Luke. granted his character isn't very deep, but there was enough there to keep me interested.

-The demon fueled transportation. Better than brooms or bird like flight abilities.

-the library at the institute

sigh...not sure listing all that helped, but I'm going with 2 stars. Maybe 2 1/2. There was just enough there to entice me to read book 2, but it's way, way down on my tbr list.

Interesting take on the traditional coming of age story combined with slightly twisted fairy tale retellings. Loved the “new” versions of Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. Sleeping Beauty on the other hand seemed rather vague and empty.

Still trying to decide between 3 and 4 stars. Going to have to let this one roll around a bit more.

Wish I could have given 2 1/2 stars. If Sadie the ghost had stopped shrieking or if Lara had spoken up about how it was no longer 1923, I would have given it 3 stars. Other than that it was a typical Sophie Kinsella chick lit novel.

Enjoyable story, easy to read. There were little things here and there in the story that bugged me, but nothing that made me want to throw the book across the room. Will probably pick up another Kristin Hannah book in the future.

Much better than the other Twilight parody that's out there right now. They hit upon just about everything about Bella's character that annoyed me (except the overly exaggerated klutzy-ness). I do wish they'd touched on Charlie's cluelessness a little more.

ok, maybe 1.5 stars, but that's pushing it. And only because the last few pages had a little bit of heart. Mostly because Sukie stopped being one of the biggest drama queens to ever live on the written page.

I originally picked this one up because the title was quirky; the description sounded fun and humorous.as I started to read, I started to question both those ideas. So then I thought maybe the author was going for tongue in cheek. hmmm. No. Maybe over-the-top fairy tale-ness mixed up with a coming of age story? Nope, not really. Mostly it was just painful. Sukie is one of the most selfish, self-obsessed, emotionally absent, characters I've suffered through. The rest of the characters, save maybe Frannie and Jenna, are almost as bad. Even the family dog, had me wanting to scream while throwing my ipod across the room (because at least the audio version has Sara Rue doing a fantastic job of reading this dreck).

The basic story was predictable and dull. The characters were as deep as a torn piece of cellophane. Sukie had a sudden, predictable epiphany in the last couple of chapters and it appears her heart grew two sizes that day, but by then it was too little too late. The story couldn't be saved.

This book really wasn't good. I've only watched a couple episodes of the tv show, but this is definitely one of those times when the tv/movie adaption is better (though apparently it is a very loose adaption). Elena, the main character (can't say heroine - she does absolutely nothing heroic)is snotty, shallow and arrogant. As is just about every other character in her little clique. The two brothers are stereotypical arrogant, dark brooding vampires. The plot rambles and drags and covers all the cliched “heroic” vampire plot points possible. Cliches+cheese+boring does not make for a good read.

Promises, promises. sigh. This books started out so promising. Main characters that didn't start out neurotic. The idea of finishing someone's bucket list because they can't as a plot. Minor family characters that were a little bit crazy but not too crazy.

And then it all went downhill. Sane characters became over the top. The plot that spiraled into a chaotic mess (that's who Buddy Fitch was? Seriously? That's the big mystery? ugh). And me figuring out how all the major and minor storylines were going to be tied up over 150 pages before the end (and it's only a 300 pg book. Well except the Buddy Fitch thing, but honestly that felt completely tacked on, like the author suddenly realized she never provided an answer to the big mystery. I still think the general idea of the story was good, it just needed better execution.

I did like the authors style, so I may give one her other books a try.

Enjoyable read. Not the usual legal thriller stuff but definately better than his other books outside that genre. A couple of the short stories meandered awhile before getting to the point, but a coiple others held my attention from the beginning.

I sat here trying to decide whether to give this book 2 stars or 3. This is the 2nd book in a row where I wished I could give 1/2 stars. While I appreciate McCarthy's decision to use a different type of set up, in the end it was too dis-jointed for me. There were moments that were touching, that I felt connected to - the scene where the father found the underground stockpile - most of the time the questions that kept popping into my head overpowered anything emotional. Fungus grows but nothing else does? Fires are started but everything is already burned? It's snowing all the time but hey look, the beach is all sand? The son was born at the “beginning” of the nuclear winter but he was now old enough to have real conversations (in completely formed sentences) so how long after the incident does the story take place? How long have they been traveling? And after all those years why hasn't any green life returned anywhere?

Then there was the grammar issue. Or should I say lack of grammar. Is McCarthy allergic to apostrophes? It's don'tdont.

Catching Fire is pretty much a mixed bag for me. In some ways I liked it better than The Hunger Games but in others it didn't measure up. I appreciated that the characters were better drawn, had more depth. And not just those we've known for awhile (Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, etc), but also the previous victors, Gale's family, etc. I could see where the emotional stakes were high. And the last 10 pages were great action-wise HA. I knew 13 still existed. Now if I could just figure out where 13 is supposedly located, because the details we know DO NOT work together

The thing is, there was this over all been there, done that, bought the t-shirt feeling that hung over three quarters of the book. Basically from the party at the end of the victory tour on. Oh look. Another round of the games.Cinna creating another set of brilliant costumes. The prep team fawning all over Katniss. Katniss whining. Peeta being the gallant, stage present hero (so, so, so annoyed with the whole baby thing). Haymitch snarking. Ok, this wasn't a bad thing - I like Haymitch's drunken snark but anyway.... Katniss sniffling. And sniffling some more. Seriously at one point I wanted someone to kill Peeta just so she'd find some tree to go sob in and we could get a new narrator. And I realize that Katniss is a somewhat “innocent” 17 year old but boy is she dense. I knew the moment Plutarch thumbed the watch face showing the mockingjay that he was working against the Capitol.

So while I liked parts of this installment, the sum of the whole didn't quite measure up.