The colors grabbed the attention of the children. The .pictures interested the children, especially the bees with the red eyes. The words bored the children. .

I had high hopes for this book, and I was SO excited when I was given an early reader e-copy, I just wish I had finished it sooner! This is how I summarize Descendant of the Crane: Hessina, a reluctant and yet capable Princess is forced into ruling her kingdom. She finds out that her kingdom has many MANY secrets, and she must decide if she wants to rule the kingdom as it has been ruled for hundreds of years, or if changes should be made. I love her growth as a character throughout the book. I love her vulnerability and strength as well as her willingness to learn and sacrifice for others. I truly connected with Hessina. I also enjoyed the twists and turns that the story took. Unexpected things happened, and even when I wasn't happy about the events, they made for wonderful plot twists! This is a book that I want to own in physical form asap! Thank you SO much NetGalley and AWTeen for the opportunity to read this book!

Merged review:

I had high hopes for this book, and I was SO excited when I was given an early reader e-copy, I just wish I had finished it sooner! This is how I summarize Descendant of the Crane: Hessina, a reluctant and yet capable Princess is forced into ruling her kingdom. She finds out that her kingdom has many MANY secrets, and she must decide if she wants to rule the kingdom as it has been ruled for hundreds of years, or if changes should be made. I love her growth as a character throughout the book. I love her vulnerability and strength as well as her willingness to learn and sacrifice for others. I truly connected with Hessina. I also enjoyed the twists and turns that the story took. Unexpected things happened, and even when I wasn't happy about the events, they made for wonderful plot twists! This is a book that I want to own in physical form asap! Thank you SO much NetGalley and AWTeen for the opportunity to read this book!

I received A Small Zombie Problem by K.G. Campbell from NetGalley to read and review. This book will be the first in the Zombie Problems Series. I loved it! The character of August was interesting, different, and very likable. I want to know what happens to him in the next books! I loved the story of August and his "small zombie problem". I think it was inventive and different from other children's books I've read. The lessons learned by August are tough but true, and the way they were told and explained was comforting. I appreciated how the tough, painful lessons about friendship were portrayed in this book through August's story. I'm looking forward to reading more "Zombie Problems" in the future.

This book made me FEEL so much! The characters were raw and real and I empathized with them on a level that made me laugh and cry! I really enjoyed understanding each of the two main characters individually, through their own words, thoughts and emotions.This book was all about friendship, understanding yourself, and understanding how you fit into the world around you. The only negative is that I felt these two Seniors in Highschool were a little more mature than I would think they should be. Then again, they both lived in lives that tested their maturity on a daily basis. Maybe they were just more mature than I was at that age? I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a GREAT FRIENDSHIP STORY!

I listened to this book with Libro.fm and it was read by Michael Crouch... so, i don't know if it was the way the book was read, the voices given to the characters, or the voice of mr. crouch... but something didn't quite let me LIKE this book. The story was interesting and the story kept me engaged, but it took about 75% of the narration to go by before the VOICES didn't grate against my ears. The main character, Noam, was someone I didn't fully understand throughout the book. I didn't quite know what to think of him, since he made choices I didn't expect one moment, and then was completely predictable the next... but that could have been because of the MIND INFLUENCE of the Minister so I'm just unsure there. Also, the politics in the book are not my cup of tea. I chose to read a lot of fiction that is NOT realistic, and that is because I don't like reality all the time... and politics are one part of reality I like to avoid. I don't think I'll be reading anymore of this series. I was also given an e-book version from Netgalley but chose to listen because I don't have enough hours in the day!

This book reminded me why I don't usually read murder mysteries. I know this was more a psychological thriller, but I don't like being able to guess what's happening, what's about to happen, how it will all pan out... and get it all right. I want to be surprised! Maybe I entered into this at a super busy time of my life so I didn't thoroughly engage with the story, or maybe the writing inconsistencies pissed me off (seriously, he took a BROOM out of a closet, then MOPPED, then returned a MOP... ???? Page 120, in case you don't believe me). But I hate when I know something that the main character should know, and they don't know it because they're being naive. Ok, he wasn't being naive, he was dealing with a broken brain, but still. I may sound callous about it all, but this is MY review... so....
I would recommend this book though. If someone wants to read something that changes from one emotional climate (part 1) to another climate (part 2) then try it out. Part 2 was better than part 1, so it does get better as you go on. I could have been a quick read (it's only 270-ish) pages but I took 20 whole days (LIFE!).

I didn’t like all the stories but a few were excellent.

This is the first book I've read from Famed author V.E. Schwab. I was not disappointed. The story was different and new from many others I've read. I did not really know what the story would be about when I started, so I was happy to read about a world that was like the "real" world, and yet had its subtle differences. I enjoyed ALL the main characters in this story. Schwab's way of introducing and explaining each character was thorough enough that i understood each of them individually. There was no preference as to "the hero" or "the villain" or even "the victim(s)". This was a story that let ME decide who was what and allowed me to empathize or not with each individual. The only reason this didn't get 5 stars, is because I didn't connect enough for that "special" feeling of "MUST READ THE NEXT PAGE". I don't know how else to explain it. And I took longer to read this novel than per usual. I'm not sure if that is because LIFE has been busy, or because I didn't have that "special" connection. I will read the 2nd book in this duology, and I am very much looking forward to reading it!

This was such a great, descriptive, and imaginative book. I Love Neil Gaiman's writing style. This story was satisfying. I enjoyed following Bod's life, finding out about the mystery of his family's death, and the satisfying resolution. I highly recommend this book!