Stephon
CONTAINS SPOILERS
I don't have words to describe how I feel like this book was written by a drunk 17 year boy who has massive personality issues. First off please tell me how the word “shank” came to describe people in the book. The broken english did not at all add to the underdeveloped and nonsensical story line. While it had it's moments I felt lost most of the time and even had to re-read some parts to make sure I had an idea of where it was going. Thomas and Theresa's story makes no sense. Plain and simple. You introduce these two characters, don't at all explain how they came to play the role that they did, then go oh by the way you two have the keys to sharing everyone...have fun. This is total garbage. I could go on and on, but we'd be here all day. Overall I did enjoy the character development though. There wasn't one person I felt didn't develop in an appropriate manner to accommodate the story. Would I read this again, maybe.
Love the series so far. Still very predictable most of the time. Story is solid and very engaging.
“Love isn't how you feel. It's what you do. I've never had a feeling in my life. As a matter of fact, I matter only with earth people.”
This is the second book in L'Engle's Time Quintet. As a follow up to A Wrinkle in Time it picks up with Meg and Charles Wallace continuing to discover the connection that they seen to share. While slow to start they story quickly gets interesting and wastes no time at all introducing quirky, but memorable characters to journey with the group. Towards the middle of the book there is a slow down in story progression and the expected character development of Meg takes over. She at times can be quite off-putting due to her whining and immature nature. While I do understand that she is young I did expect a little bit more out of her considering the events of the previous book.
This read is definitely geared towards a teenage audience and deals with some pretty heavy concepts that one around those ages maybe be experiencing or dealing with.
Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter “H”.
Harry Potter has never heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The book opens to the most boring, perfectly normal family in all of Great Britain. Quickly their world is turned upside down when Petunia Dursley's baby nephew shows up on their doorstep after the murder of his parents in what Harry is lead to believe a car crash. After multiple attempts to deliver letters to Harry which are destroyed by Uncle Vernon, Hagrid personally comes to inform Harry about his acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He tells Harry that he is really a wizard and takes him off to Diagon Alley where Harry is introduced to the wizarding world. Over dinner Hargid tells Harry about Lord Voldemort, what really happened to his parents, and the origin of his scar. The rest of the holiday passes and Harry boards the Hogwarts Express and eventually makes his way to Hogwarts where he is sorted into Gryffindor House and embarks on the first year of his Hogwarts journey. Through all his classes and making the quidditch team, Harry finds himself working to uncover the plot behind a mysterious stone that someone seems to be after. With the help of his friends Harry uncovers the plan to steal the stone and confronts one the teachers who is trying to steal it in order to bring Lord Voldemort back to life. Harry barely defeats the Dark Lord again and keeps the stone from falling into his hands. At the end of term because of their bravery Gryffindor is awarded extra points to win the house cup. Harry heads off with his uncle back to the plain house on Privet Drive.
I love Harry Potter! Now that it's out of the bag I can get on with this review. This is probably my 9th or 10th time reading the book and each time reminds me of my first. Barely 6 years old I remember trying to read this completely struggling and it taking me forever to get through it. Each page more captivating than the last allowing you to put yourself right along Harry each step of the way. What I find most enthralling about this book is the the level of depth each character possess, even the ones with less impact on the story.
If you are a fan of traveling to other worlds, adventure, magic, and wonderfully described feasts this is your book.
This book is literally one of the best selling books of all time. There is a link to the author's bio account at the top of the page. I humbly thank J.K. for gifting me with the world of Harry Potter and hope that everyone takes the time to read this at least once.
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
In the post apocalyptic story that could almost be a reflection of current times what we find is a representation of how far control and power will take us. In short this story is a nightmare of the world we currently live in. One Party controls all that happens and trust is something that can not be afforded to another, but it has been made as a weapon against the inhabitants of that world. In this sick twisted fantasy everything that defines humanity is used as a weapon against itself. To wage war against a people you need not use weapons, but their very essence against themselves to make them conform. This is exactly what Orwell uses to show how easy it is to get the outliers to buy in. Man can be destroyed, but ideas live forever. Kill man's ability to think and you direct his footsteps.
Harry is once again barely managing to get by when home for the summer holidays with the Dursleys. After a nasty run in with Vernon's sister Marge and a rash choice to run away from home, Harry finds himself in front of the Minister for Magic who is just happy to see Harry safe and in one piece. On his own for the rest of the holidays and confined to Diagon Alley, Harry is for once blissfully happy until finding out that a dangerous convict by the name of Sirius Black is after him for defeating Lord Voldemort 12 years prior. Harry finds out that Black is his godfather and was his parents best friend before handing them over to Lord Voldemort. Harry operates under the intention to make Black pay until he learns the truth for himself. Ron's rat is really Peter Pettigrew the Potter's secret keeper who betrayed them to the Dark Lord. While Harry did manage to prevent Sirius from being executed by the Dementors of Azkaban, Pettigrew was allowed to escape.
This is without a doubt my favorite book in the Harry Potter series. First and foremost it's the only book in the series that does not complete revolve around a plot to kill Harry. It also gives the first glimpse into the deep rooted lack of trust between even friends that the presence of Voldemort had cultivated. This book definitely has a darker tone at times than it's predecessors due to it revolving completely around the betrayal of Harry's parents and the cause of his miserable life with the Dursleys. Personally I love Sirius! His mysterious introduction is perfect and although he's not your conventional parenting figure, he is still presented to deeply care about Harry. I am also a huge Lupin fan! He's gentle, yet prepared to protect Harry while avenging his best friend. I was rather displeased that J.K. chose to have his condition revealed forcing him to resign from his post. I completely understand the necessity of the choice, but Lupin is one of the best characters introduced thus far.
As with the previous two reviews this was my first time listening to the Stephen Fry version of this book and he makes the story not only engaging, but too thrilling to even put down. I listened to this particular book twice because I love every moment of it especially when Sirius finally is on the scene.
Harry's back, back again, tell a friend...okay terrible joke, but he really is back in another adventure that as with any Harry Potter book leaves more questions than answers. As if you need anyone more reason to go out and pick up the third book in this enticing series.
Avatar for the ages
I don't even know where to begin but wow. Another great addition to the expanding lore of this world.
The character's growth, stories, and the overall journey of Kyoshi are just outstanding. The story is well paced, and keeps in mind the heart of the challenge that is being the Avatar. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Amazing addition to the lore
What an amazing telling of Avatar Kyoshi and filling in so many lore gaps that couldn't be completely covered in the show.
Overall I loved the pacing until the last couple of chapters that felt a bit rushed.
All any hard working man could want these days was a little piece of land to call his own and to live off the fat of the land. That was always the plan for George and Lennie save for the face that Lennie was always getting into trouble. George being the brain always found them work and Lennie who for all purposes is an overpowered child in a man's body. They are on their way to the next job with one goal in mind, to work hard enough to buy their own place so they never have to work for anyone again. When they arrive at the new job they are immediately challenged by the boss's son Curley and have a run in with his flirtatious wife. George and Lennie make a plan with old man Curley to pool their money together and buy this little piece of land. All they have to do is make it to the end of the month. One day while the other guys are out playing horseshoes, Curley's wife catches Lennie alone lamenting over the puppy he accidentally killed while playing with it. She takes advantage of Lennie's like for soft things and offers to let him touch her hair. She starts screaming at Lennie and he panics, held holds tight to her and in his panic accidentally kills her. Lennie runs for it and when the others discover what he's done they chase after him with one goal, to put him down. George finds Lennie first and kills Lennie himself because he knew there was no saving him from this situation.
I have been taking the time to throw a classical book or two into my reading lineup whenever the feeling is set upon me. While the story is short it is so powerful for this tale. Lennie is all George has and it is established rather quickly that without him Lennie would not be able to survive on his own. George plays two roles for Lennie being both a father and a brother to him. Steinbeck was able to paint such an amazing picture very quickly of the dynamic of their relationship without taking the time to explain every detail of it. When reading I think the death of the puppy really struck me, but showed exactly what the reader was supposed to gain which was Lennie's pattern of behavior. As with previous incidents Lennie never meant any of the trouble he caused, but that does not mean his actions did not have disastrous consequences for the time period. I feel for George because he really does all that he can to protect Lennie without chaining him down like an animal, but in the end it wasn't enough with what was bound to happen. The day when Lennie went too far and it was something he just could not be saved from.
Although I read this book over 5 years ago a fresh wave of emotion him me while reading again. It really is a true tale of love and friendship even in the end. George was not going to let Lennie suffer or fall into anyone else's hands. He took the only opportunity he could to protect Lennie one last time. It hurt as I got to those final pages knowing exactly what was going to happen and knowing that like George there was nothing I could do to protect the lovable Lennie. I love this story and it really pulls at my heartstrings as I could see this being a real thing even today.
If you are looking for a short classical read then I suggest putting this at the top of your list. This can easily be read in a day or two days at most if you're taking your time. Grab a box of tissues or at least be ready for some feels when going through this.
**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
I am so unsatisfied with how this book ended. I really don't understand why the characters are developing at such a slow pace. I get the time passing in and between each book isn't very great, but come on. Also I understand that the actions of Valentine are supposed to constant and emotionless, but everything he's doing is motivated by very clear emotion. Lets not even get on to Luke who is not better than an emotionally challenged teenager who puppy sick with love (dog reference not intended). Clary is just there, that's it. Mangus has done the most developing out of all the characters all due to his care for Alec. I am forcing myself to continue reading the series because I'm hoping more will be explained and I'll finally be satisfied with the story. Overall I'm enjoying the story line and the writing style while strange is very captivating.
CONTAINS SPOILERS
OMG the amount of plot twists in this book are absolutely unreal. The Jace and Clarey thing I always knew was garbage, but Sebastien caught me completely off guard with his role in the story. I am totally pissed about Max dying because that was completely unnecessary. Overall I think the character development in this book was so much better than the previous ones and I am so much more satisfied with the ending. I must say that Clare's writing style is very confusing at times to the point where I'm not always sure who's point of view that I'm reading from. Also sometimes during the story I feel like she was just very lazy or ran out of motivation because she develops a scene so quickly, almost like she just wants it to be over and done with. The whole scene with Jocelyn waking up was quite possibly the laziest writing I have ever seen, and even further when she finally decides that she wants to go after Luke. Even the Valentine scene, the one we've all been waiting for made me feel so empty inside because it was over so quickly. While I enjoyed the story overall, there are some very obvious plot holes and noticeable points where the story is lacking.
A mortal alchemist. A faerie king. A bond that transcends death. Betrayed by a trusted mentor, Sylvie Imanthiya hides on the fringes of society, caring for half-fae orphans and trading her alchemical creations on the black market. She lives for the one night each season when she can see her dearest friend—a man whose destiny is far above hers.King Taylan Ashkalabek knows better than to exchange halayda vows with a mortal. Even their friendship is a risk; love is an impossible dream. Then a brutal alchemical attack poisons his realm, unearthing a dark power within him—and leaving Sylvie with the ancient mark of Faerie's savior.Manifesting unpredictable abilities and aided by allies with their own secrets, Sylvie and Taylan journey into the wilds of Faerie to heal the damage and confront Casimir, an invincible star-fae determined to claim the realm as his own. But only their enemy knows Sylvie's true capabilities—and Taylan's weaknesses—and how to use them in his vicious schemes.Her fate is life. His fate is death. With Faerie in the balance, Sylvie and Taylan must stand together before reality as they know it is destroyed.
This tale starts with quick introductions to most of the major characters who in one shape or another are connected to the realm of the fae. As the story progresses it becomes quite clear that the land of Faerie is not at all what Sylvie thought it to be and even worse it's success depends on her. She is brought into a dark and poisoned world, content with it's own destruction. Little does she know Casimir, a star-fae of legend is seeking to re-write the reality of Faerie using her powers. In the end Sylvie must overcome her own fears and self doubts to save her world and Faerie as well.
While reading this book I really struggled because so much of it felt like it was borrowed from another well known author, Sarah J. Maas. I feel like a good portion of the material in the book was copy/pasted, abet very poorly. The book dragged on un-necessarily without developing the plot at all in multiple areas. I also struggled to even write this review due to my string feelings towards the concepts and ideas used. I'm not sure whether the author forgot to change the names of some things, or was just trying to branch off of ideas established by another author, or wanted to expand on Sarah's world. In all I've very disappointed by this blatant use of another author's material so openly.
If you are a fan of fantasy novels or enjoy magical worlds with far away places then this book might be for you. Again I found it dull, drawn out, and using what I consider stolen material. That is a word that I do not use lightly at all.
This book can be picked up from the Amazon link above. There is a link to the author's bio at the top of the page. I humbly thank NetGalley and the publisherUncommon Universes Press for this ARC copy of the book to review prior to release. I wish the author the best of luck with her future writing endeavors.
I rated this book a 2/5. I'm not extremely hopeful about the next book in the series to be honest, but time will tell if I give it a chance.
The year is 2221, and humans have colonized a planet called Thetis in the Silver Foot Galaxy. After a tragic accident kills dozens of teenage colonists, Thetis's leaders are desperate to repopulate. So Earth sends the Mayflower 2―a state-of-the-art spaceship―across the universe to bring 177 new homesteaders to the colony. For Jonah Lincoln, an orphaned teen who has bounced between foster homes and spent time on the streets of Cleveland, the move to Thetis is a chance to reinvent himself, to be strong and independent and brave, the way he could never be on Earth. But his dreams go up in smoke when their ship crash-lands, killing half the passengers and leaving the rest stranded―not on Thetis, but on its cruel and unpopulated moon, Achilles. Between its bloodthirsty alien life forms and its distance from their intended location, Achilles is a harrowing landing place. When all of the adult survivors suddenly disappear, leaving the teenage passengers to fend for themselves, Jonah doubts they'll survive at all, much less reach Thetis―especially when it appears Achilles isn't as uninhabited as they were led to believe.
The story revolves around young teenager named Jonah who we first meet aboard the Mayflower 2 journeying towards a new Earth like planet. The story quickly dissolves into chaos when the ship experiences some sort of failure and crashes on Achilles, a moon of Thetis. Half of those aboard the ship are killed on the initial crash and the survivors try to deal with the crippling loss. Very soon though it's revealed that the crash was not as accidental as it appears and the group begins to struggle with trust. When people start mysteriously turning up brutally murdered sides are chosen. As one group splits up and decides to journey across the moon, it becomes apparent that something is not quite right about the moon or the planet Thetis. As more and more starts to go wrong a plot unravels that pushes all the teenagers to the very brink of their humanity.
This book was basically The Maze Runner meets Lord of the Flies meets The 100. It's such a well written tale that really took me through some strong emotional turns. There were some people, sad to say that I'm glad didn't make it. There were others who I felt deserved to survive and grew quite attached too. The loose sense of law and order was my favorite part of the story because it didn't feel forced or out of place given the situation. The best part I would say is that Jonah was a very well rounded character who I feel had a part that everyone could connect to.
If you are a fan of dystopian novels or enjoy the idea of a bunch of kids lost together trying to just survive then pick this book up. I really struggled with putting this book down once I started it. I feel like many would have the same issue.
This book can be picked up from the Amazon link above. There is a link to the author's bio at the top of the page. I humbly thank NetGalley and the publisherDiversion Publishing for this ARC copy of the book to review prior to release. I wish the author the best of luck with his future writing endeavors.
I rated this book a 4/5. I'm eagerly waiting for the next book to be released whenever that happens. I'm sure we ca expect great things from this author.
This book took me way longer to read (over a month) then it really should have. I found myself struggling to stayed consistently engaged which concerned me more than anything else. I immediately began to doubt the research of Dr. Brown and started to form my scathing review of how lacking her book was. As I am not one to not finish a book no matter how terrible it is I persisted, and I can say it was one of the best choices I've made recently. While the beginning is slow to start and in some areas Dr. Brown drones on, I began to feel the genuine parts of her spirit that she poured into her writing. I realized that as she wrote she is not seeking attention nor acceptance, but is simply making herself vulnerable in order to offer herself on the path less traveled.
As I'm mentioned in previous reviews I am not a sucker for self-help books, yet lately I've been drawn to a distinct selection of books meant to empower the human spirit. I can say for sure that Dr. Brown does this here. While she challenged some of my notions for how the world is, she also opened my eyes to be willing to accept a certain level of responsibility for the way I choose to interact with the world around me. Dr. Brown offers four unique approaches to walk in the wilderness:
People Are Hard to Hate Close Up. Move In
Speak Truth to Bullshit. Be Civil
Hold Hands. With Strangers
Strong Back. Soft Front. Wild Heart
I won't spoil the approaches because Dr. Brown takes the time to paint such a unique and effective picture in explaining each of these. My only advice is to read her book with an open mind and be ready to have your way of thinking challenged. I did not agree with every point she made, but I did understand the perspective and angle she was writing from. This is the first book I have read of her's but I do intend to read her others.
Thank you Dr. Brown for your work and continue to be one who blazes a path in the wilderness. While we each need to walk our own path it allows us to take heart that someone has been there and is offering to be a guide on the path.
I rated this book a 3/5.
Author: Lissa Marie Redmond (Bio) Expected Publication:February 8th 2018 by Midnight Ink Series: Cold Case Investigation #1 Length: 397 pages Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Crime ISBN:N/A Source: NetGalleyLauren Riley is an accomplished detective who has always been on the opposite side of the courtroom from her nemesis, slick defense attorney Frank Violanti. But now he's begging to hire her as a private investigator to help clear his client of murder. At first Lauren refuses, wanting nothing to do with the media circus surrounding that case—until she meets the eighteen-year-old suspect.To keep an innocent teen from life in prison, Lauren must unravel the conflicting evidence and changing stories to get at the buried facts. But the more she digs, the more she discovers that nothing is what it first appears to be. As Lauren puts her career and life in danger, doubt starts to lurk on every corner . . . and so does her stalker.This story quickly jumps into the career and life of Lauren Riley, a successful cold case detective who is well known throughout the Buffalo Police Department for her work. She is a approached by a shifty defense attorney who wants to hire her despite his track record of calling her incompetent on multiple past cases. As she tries to balance her professional and personal life, some lines start to blur. As the tale unravels Lauren must decide who she can trust in this cat mouse game that some how ends up with her in the center. In the end Lauren must decide between following her cop mind or her heart to do what she feels is right. What I find most captivating about this book is how real it is. Lauren is portrayed as a real character that some people, both men and women might be able to identify with. Not only is she a single mom twice divorced, but also battles with feelings of abandonment as her daughters are off to college. Lauren's life depiction is not some story of a perfect female cop and all is right in her world without any complications. Instead her her strengths and weaknesses are equally laid out there for everyone to see and multiple characters in the book call out these things which makes Lauren seem even more touchable. It is not often a book in this genre captivates me enough to stay up all night to complete. I find that crime novels are often easy to figure out and for that reason they tend to bore me. Not this one, the reveal at the end somewhat blindsided me because I couldn't quite make up my mind. One thing to keep in mind as I read was that not everyone in the tale is as they seem. Redmond did a great job with playing to multiple audiences with the way she wrote her novel and for that I applaud her and her work. If you are a fan of crime novels or just looking for a new read, this is definitely worth picking up. The chapters are quick and the story transitions quite well from scene to scene. This is basically your most complicated Law and Order episode you can think of except better and in book form. This book is not yet release. There is a link to the author's Goodreads account at the top of the page. I humbly thank NetGalley and the publisher Midnight Ink for this ARC copy of the book to review prior to release. I wish the author all the best and hope to see this on shelves early next year.
Let me start off by saying that this was the first Mitch Albom book I'd ever read, so I had pretty high expectations based on what I had heard. I try to write all my reviews without spoilers!
The book starts off pretty slow with a pretty unclear trail of what's going on. As the book starts to dive into the thick of the plot my attention was drawn in by the narrative that was used. It was like an out of body experience and as the reader I found it hard at first to really connect to the main character of the book. With that aside the premise and plot of the book started to really pick up as it went on and what I found was that by placing myself in the shoes of the narrator it became a lot easier to read and I became entwined as if I myself were the character. By the end of the book I felt very connected to the main character and felt the message that was being projected by the author.
Although some claim that Mitch Albom pretends to be some enlightened prophet, what he really asks us to do is take a deeper look within ourselves as we read to connect to the message. One of the bigger problems with people today is being able to honestly self-reflect in truth. I believe that while reading this book anyone can connect to it in some way.
“Only you can decide what breaks you, Cursebreaker. Only you.”
I don't even know where to begin with this book. First and foremost curse you Sarah to the deepest pits of oblivion for the emotional ride I was just taken through. In all seriousness, well done Mrs. Maas. I was not ready for any of this.
Fayre is ever the valiant in this latest of the Court series. Watching her develop into the strong character she is has been such a pleasure. To think this poor, young woman would end up being the first High Lady and then the savior of all Prythian. The chemistry created with all the characters introduced is wonderfully crafted in this story and even more so seems so natural. I can not even begin to explain how easy it was to place myself on the streets of Velaris or watching the horrors unfold on the steps of Adriata. Maas's words are powerful and deliberate on each page making it so easy to immerse yourself in her world.
If you have the heart to stomach such a tail I would rush to obtain a copy, but have a box of tissues close by. There was more than one time where I caught myself tearing up during some pretty hard sections of the book. No on will judge you for closing and just walking away for a few minutes.
All in all this book is an amazing installment in the series and I can not wait until the follow up next year. Putting this book down was incredibly hard and I found myself running behind more than once caught up in it's pages.
“No one is truly honest,” Nigel answered. “Even if we don't lie to others, we often lie to ourselves. And the word good means different things to different people.”
To say I was completely enticed by this book with the turn of every page would be an understatement. Much like the story in the book your senses and feelings will be toyed with. Scarlett shows that the love for a sibling can transcend all reason and logic when it comes to protecting the ones we love. While Donatella may be seen as the “wild child” she to processes a very real love for her sister so much so that she risks all that was dear to them both to save them from their nightmare. While Caraval is only a game the lines between real and fake are often blurred. While the story was enticing at times it was very predictable, more often than I'd like.
“It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength”
For such a short book, it deals and communicates the message of dealing with loss so well. The story in short is about a young man who finds a friend in an unlikely girl who moves in next door and how he copes with her loss when she is gone. Although it's done rather quickly I like the overall theme of remember those who have gone on before us and how we choose to carry on their memory. This book helped be cope with a loss the first time I read it and seems to do the same thing each time I pick it back up. It's a quick read that can actually be done in a day with very minimal interruptions.
So I quite literally just finished this book and in all honestly I'm left in extreme wanting. The biggest reason for my four star rating has to do with the section of the book, “The Black Hole.”
The characters in this book seemed almost too over prepared for someone in their age group facing the end of the world. The constant POV changes were slightly confusing at times because I wasn't always sure who's part of the story I was reading until some very obvious hints gave it away. I throughly enjoyed Cassie, out of all the characters she really seemed to have the best grasp of what was going on. While I'm glad that Ben was reshaped, I slightly wished he didn't resurface. His presence doesn't really seem to make sense other than the fact that he's a love interest for Cassie and possibly Ringer. Why we were told the story from the POV of a five year old child seems odd to me, an extremely advanced five year to be exact. I would have spent more time with any of the other characters if I had the choice, I don't know like Evan. The short section that was dedicated to him was not enough at all.
Overall it was a great read and I will defiantly be picking up “The Infinite Sea” so I can find out where things go next. You will definitely have that review to look forward to.
“The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable, even when it serves a just purpose. Does it not have material and spiritual evil as its consequences which far exceed whatever good might result? When will our moralists give us an answer to this question?”
When reading this book it's really hard to imagine the pain and suffering that a whole culture had to and in a way is still dealing with based on the choice to drop the bomb. Whatever one's feelings may be about the situation this book is truly thought and emotionally provoking. It clearly calls out the long lasting effects of making uninformed and uneducated choices in situations when giving no thoughts to what could be the long term effects. With all that aside onto the actual review.
If you like learning about history or deeper moral concepts, this book is definitely for you. It really challenges us to think what people are capable of and what can be overcome in the worst of situations. It is a short read and can be tackled in a day or two at the most. The author does an amazing job of obtaining from any bias when delivering the thoughts of those who lived through this tragic event, but still delivers what I believe is a defining moment in our world's history. I would say this is not for the faint of heart and you want to set the time aside to really get into this book so that the full force of the message it's trying to communicate is absorbed.
THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS
I don't understand some of the negative reviews on this book. I guess I must start out by saying that I saw the movie before I read the book so my view was a little skewed, but that was two years before I read the book. The main characters seem more like they have personality issues than anything else. It is also important to observe that the story is about a few already emotionally disturbed teenagers.
Well my biggest and only issue with the book is that there was ZERO suspense in it at all. I feel like the writer attempted to convey that there was and it didn't work. I was able to guess ever single thing that happened even those that weren't discussed in the movie. I felt that the plot was very generic. Also it kind of seems like Clare ripped off a good portion of the Star Wars plot when thinking about what she was going to write. The whole brother sister kiss thing, then find out they're related could've been totally avoided.
Aside from that I'm a huge fan of the book. I really did enjoy the whole idea of another take on the Eternal Conflict between angels and demons. The action scenes during the story were well placed and very entertaining. I am excited to read the next book and see wear the story goes. So happy there's not a movie to ruin it for me this time
“Nothing is more tragic than loving someone to the depths of your soul and knowing they cannot and will not ever love you back.”
What happens what an all powerful immortal empowers his son to revive the immortal enemy of his father and does nothing to stop him? He gets put in timeout, duh. Except timeout for a god of Olympus is being sent to Earth with none of his godly powers and completely unrecognizable. Enter Apollo, and this time there's nothing any of the other gods can do to protect him from the wrath of Zeus. Alone and with an unlikely friend Apollo must set to undo all the damage the was caused by his lack of inattention while he adored the praises from his son. We return to Camp Halfblood where the totality of Apollo's deeds are revealed and as a mortal he must atone for his actions if he ever expects to return to his immortal state on Olympus. As usual Riordan takes readers along for a quirky and hilarious ride as Apollo seeks to get back what was taken from him.
Author:Han Nolan Published: May 1st 2003 by HMH Books for Young Readers Series: N/A Length: 293 pages Genre: Historical Fiction ISBN:9780152046798 Source: Amazon (Book)Hilary hates Jews. As part of a neo-Nazi gang in her town, she's finally found a sense of belonging. But when she's critically injured in an accident, everything changes.Somehow, in her mind, she has become Chana, a Jewish girl fighting for her own life in the ghettos and concentration camps of World War II.Han Nolan offers powerful insight into one young woman's survival through the Holocaust and another's journey out of hatred and self-loathing.This chilling tale revolves around two young women and their desire to live beyond their circumstances. Hilary is a young teenager who gets recruited into a neo-Nazi group as an outlet for the hate, anger and rage she feels as a result of how her life has gone up to the point of the accident. Chana is a young Polish Jew who describes the trials her family and friends face at the hands of the Nazi's during the course of World War II. Hilary ends up living the life of Chana through a series of dreams/visions as she fights for her own life in a hospital bed in her home town. As Chana recounts the evils she had to face over the course of about 5 years Hilary comes to realize that her and Chana have much in common and together these young women battle death itself.I don't know where to begin about how this book took me on a roller coaster of emotions. First and foremost I read it twice back to back to make sure I absorbed the pull impact of the story. There are so many topics that are touched on here. From postpartum depression to feelings total abandonment and despair this story really captures the hopeless that could potentially dwell in each one of us. On the other spectrum it also touches on a strength that we all have to not let the circumstances of our life be an excuse to not push on for better. As I read this tale I found myself questioning my own relationship with God and my faith. As I did so I began to think about where I am in life and as a result of any circumstance could easily be in a different place.I started off stating that this book is about two women who make the choice after gaining understanding and perspective to live beyond the hand that was dealt to them by life. It really is so much more than that. It is a dark tale of two women finding strength to get to their next in life instead of succumbing to the overwhelming odds stacked against them.I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of history. While it is geared toward readers 14+ I would say those who have an understanding of World War II and possible some knowledge of Jewish culture will fare much better with this read. As always a link to the book has been added in the book information section at the top of my review.I rated this book a 5/5. Everyone should take the time to read this.