Take a photo of a barcode or cover
btwnprintedpgs's Reviews (1.3k)
I'm going to start with this statement: This book took me WAY too long to finish. Honestly, about 2 months. It was only 180 pages in epub format. Yes, I did read other books in between but honestly, The Hereos of Olympus took me three days, for three books. And those books are like 500 pages a piece. Why did this book take me so long? I think it's time for a list.
First, let me tell you what I didn't particularly like:
1.The Number of Characters
Alright, so the book started off with 5-6 characters, then the number started going up, higher, and higher, and higher. By the end of the book I couldn't remember who was who, what species of mammal (or... not mammal) they were, and argh. It was just confusing. There's the herd of Halfses, a bunch of Nomeds, some rabbits, badgers, 6-7 Bertholds, some fairies, a number of birds, a mouse, I think there was a dolphin and maybe a turtle, and a bunch of water warriors that I just remembered existed. It was impossible to keep track of every character in the book, as many had the same kind of formal voice. I remember like 6 of the 100 I was introduced to throughout the book, and that really isn't a good sign. Either the author needs to pay a little less attention to ALL the characters, and focus on maybe 10, or she needs to find a way to give every character a voice, because by the end of the book, I could just hear a collective mumble (save for Grace's voice).
2. The Repetition
I know this is a Middle Grade novel, but that doesn't mean I have to lower my expectations. There are a number of Middle Grade books that I'd be down to read, even now at the age of 19 (Magyk by Angie Sage, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan), but this just wasn't one of them. I found that the repetition in both the narrative and the dialogue was author's way of dumbing down the novel and little bit. You do not have to repeat "The Great Prophet" 5 times in one paragraph. I'm not going to forget him within 30 words. Something that happened throughout the book would be that one person, or the narrator, would explain something and then another person would repeat it:
"We were under attack so we didn't see if he retreated back to the swamp or... or... if he exited via the gate," said Francis. "And worse still, when we arrived, the gate was already ajar; it is possible that other Nomeds may have escaped before we arrived.""OH NO! So Adramalech and possibly other Nomeds, too, may have gotten into the Human world!" Hazel cried.
Note that we already know where the gate goes at this point. Note that I typed that exactly as it shows up in the book. Yes, the ellipses are indeed there, as are the capitalized words. But that's a different point. While I liked the repetition of names, I felt like the repetition of the plot and story was too much. It took up too much of the book, and honestly wasn't necessary. "Oh, but Alicia, you may be able to understand it, but what about the children." Honestly? Even as a kid, I understood Magyk fine, and half of that book is spelt wrong on purpose. I don't know if this whole repetition thing was intentional or not, but as a kid, I still would have been annoyed at this book.
3. The Ellipses and Capitalization
I admit, I use ellipses a lot. Granted, that habit's gotten better (now I excessively use the word "so" and "anyways"). I know I also use capitalization a lot too (as you might have noticed at the beginning of my review). However, when you do that in books, I just feel like the book is lacking something. You shouldn't need to capitalize something to make the dialogue or narrative sound more intense. I should get that from the writing, the description, etc. You also shouldn't need to use an excessive amount of ellipses to add suspense (hesitations alright, I guess, as long as it's not excessive). Unfortunately, the author used this method of writing throughout the novel and lost a little bit of credibility with me as a reader as the book when on. Two examples of this:
"NOOOO!" cried Zavier.
and
"It was therefore decided: the magic MUST remain hidden from the Humans... FOREVER!
I think I should add "excessive use of exclamation marks" to the list too (though they didn't bother me as much as everything else did). Back to the point. As you can see, it's just doesn't work that well. It makes the book sound silly, and the suspense she seems to be trying to aim for ends up falling flat on its face.
4. Over Explanation
Going hand in hand with repetition, it was just so much telling and very little showing:
Brinsop, the chief dragonfly, was a good friend of Zavier's. He knew him very well and he had sensed the urgency and panic in his voice.
You don't really need to go that far with the explanation. If they're good friends, then of course they'd know each other well. LIKE.
5. The Lack of Consistency
There are these magical creatures that guide us throughout the book, one of which is name Zavier. If you didn't see it in the synopsis up there (^^^) then I'll give you a run down of what Zavier's like. He's the leader, the head of one section of this animal realm called Liberty. He is very formal and supposedly has a very strong presence amongst the animals and generally, this is how he speaks, generally:
"...If any of you are willing to embark on such a journey and face its many dangers with me, then put yourselves forward now."
And this is what he said that bothered me later:
"Oh my God! Yes, I think it is and it's still alive!"
Um, don't get too excited. You kind of sound like a 15 year old girl now.
I'm sorry, some of these phrases throughout the book just didn't fit and threw me off. Are these people formal, not formal? I mean, somewhere in the book they used the word "dude" and while the character might have been young, it just didn't fit at all into the story. And when Grace's grandparents said "fancy dress party" that bothered me too. These are older people. They would say "party" or "get together". It just didn't fit and UGH -flails-
-Breathes-
Now for the things I did like:
1. The Human World
Every time they flashed to Grace's world, life was good. Aside from the grandparents saying "fancy dress party," these parts was pretty consistent. I really liked Grace's character. She was adorable, as were her pets, and just her behaviour in general was cute. I loved this part because everything flowed well, and there wasn't anything that really bothered me during these parts. I loved learning about her family and the relationship she had with those around her. As mentioned in the novel, she had a kind of innocence about her that was enduring and sweet. It was these parts that really helped me get through the book.
2. The Nomeds
Despite the author's supposed attempt to dumb down the novel a bit, she didn't cut down on the horror-ish parts throughout the novel. I loved these parts because of the action and the intensity of the moments. Some parts honestly freaked me out a little and I liked that it wasn't censored for any middle grade readers. They also are an interesting force. In all honestly, I think the whole good over bad thing works really well in this book, almost as if the Nomeds are the bad within human kind, while everyone is the good, and the bad, in both their world and theirs, in taking over. Maybe I'm over thinking this, or maybe I'm thinking that maybe this is a message to kids to do what we haven't: find the good, find the innocence in mankind and make something of it.
3. The Plot
While it kind of dragged on, I felt that the plot, overall, was really interesting and the concepts that Faerydae puts on the table are really interesting. It really gets me thinking, as a teenager, basically adult, and I really wonder how kids will look at this (if any kids actually will). I'd love to see what they'd think of the book when it comes down to it.
4. World Building
While I really couldn't appreciate the names of each part of Liberty, I really loved how Faerydae created the world of Liberty. From her descriptions, I could picture a world without humans, a world in which animals of all kinds flourish and co-exist. It's amazing how well the author put together the world of Liberty. Even the Human World, in which Grace lived, I found was created well.
-End of compliments and rants-
Overall, I really liked the ideas that Faerydae had. However, I wish Faerydae'd done a better job of putting them together and executing the story that they wanted to tell. I think the part that was hardest to get past was the writing within the story. Hopefully that can be polished in the next book. Aside from that (though it was a fairly large obstacle for me to get over, as a reader), the story was captivating enough to keep me reading. Note that I do have a high tolerance, and a great amount of determination when it comes to finishing books. This one, I almost quit on multiple occasions. While it was hard, I did liked the story and the world that was created. All in all, I hope that the next book is better than this one, at least writing wise.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 1/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Overall: 2/5
eBook copy received from Troubador Publishing Ltd via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
First, let me tell you what I didn't particularly like:
1.The Number of Characters
Alright, so the book started off with 5-6 characters, then the number started going up, higher, and higher, and higher. By the end of the book I couldn't remember who was who, what species of mammal (or... not mammal) they were, and argh. It was just confusing. There's the herd of Halfses, a bunch of Nomeds, some rabbits, badgers, 6-7 Bertholds, some fairies, a number of birds, a mouse, I think there was a dolphin and maybe a turtle, and a bunch of water warriors that I just remembered existed. It was impossible to keep track of every character in the book, as many had the same kind of formal voice. I remember like 6 of the 100 I was introduced to throughout the book, and that really isn't a good sign. Either the author needs to pay a little less attention to ALL the characters, and focus on maybe 10, or she needs to find a way to give every character a voice, because by the end of the book, I could just hear a collective mumble (save for Grace's voice).
2. The Repetition
I know this is a Middle Grade novel, but that doesn't mean I have to lower my expectations. There are a number of Middle Grade books that I'd be down to read, even now at the age of 19 (Magyk by Angie Sage, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan), but this just wasn't one of them. I found that the repetition in both the narrative and the dialogue was author's way of dumbing down the novel and little bit. You do not have to repeat "The Great Prophet" 5 times in one paragraph. I'm not going to forget him within 30 words. Something that happened throughout the book would be that one person, or the narrator, would explain something and then another person would repeat it:
"We were under attack so we didn't see if he retreated back to the swamp or... or... if he exited via the gate," said Francis. "And worse still, when we arrived, the gate was already ajar; it is possible that other Nomeds may have escaped before we arrived.""OH NO! So Adramalech and possibly other Nomeds, too, may have gotten into the Human world!" Hazel cried.
Note that we already know where the gate goes at this point. Note that I typed that exactly as it shows up in the book. Yes, the ellipses are indeed there, as are the capitalized words. But that's a different point. While I liked the repetition of names, I felt like the repetition of the plot and story was too much. It took up too much of the book, and honestly wasn't necessary. "Oh, but Alicia, you may be able to understand it, but what about the children." Honestly? Even as a kid, I understood Magyk fine, and half of that book is spelt wrong on purpose. I don't know if this whole repetition thing was intentional or not, but as a kid, I still would have been annoyed at this book.
3. The Ellipses and Capitalization
I admit, I use ellipses a lot. Granted, that habit's gotten better (now I excessively use the word "so" and "anyways"). I know I also use capitalization a lot too (as you might have noticed at the beginning of my review). However, when you do that in books, I just feel like the book is lacking something. You shouldn't need to capitalize something to make the dialogue or narrative sound more intense. I should get that from the writing, the description, etc. You also shouldn't need to use an excessive amount of ellipses to add suspense (hesitations alright, I guess, as long as it's not excessive). Unfortunately, the author used this method of writing throughout the novel and lost a little bit of credibility with me as a reader as the book when on. Two examples of this:
"NOOOO!" cried Zavier.
and
"It was therefore decided: the magic MUST remain hidden from the Humans... FOREVER!
I think I should add "excessive use of exclamation marks" to the list too (though they didn't bother me as much as everything else did). Back to the point. As you can see, it's just doesn't work that well. It makes the book sound silly, and the suspense she seems to be trying to aim for ends up falling flat on its face.
4. Over Explanation
Going hand in hand with repetition, it was just so much telling and very little showing:
Brinsop, the chief dragonfly, was a good friend of Zavier's. He knew him very well and he had sensed the urgency and panic in his voice.
You don't really need to go that far with the explanation. If they're good friends, then of course they'd know each other well. LIKE.
5. The Lack of Consistency
There are these magical creatures that guide us throughout the book, one of which is name Zavier. If you didn't see it in the synopsis up there (^^^) then I'll give you a run down of what Zavier's like. He's the leader, the head of one section of this animal realm called Liberty. He is very formal and supposedly has a very strong presence amongst the animals and generally, this is how he speaks, generally:
"...If any of you are willing to embark on such a journey and face its many dangers with me, then put yourselves forward now."
And this is what he said that bothered me later:
"Oh my God! Yes, I think it is and it's still alive!"
Um, don't get too excited. You kind of sound like a 15 year old girl now.
I'm sorry, some of these phrases throughout the book just didn't fit and threw me off. Are these people formal, not formal? I mean, somewhere in the book they used the word "dude" and while the character might have been young, it just didn't fit at all into the story. And when Grace's grandparents said "fancy dress party" that bothered me too. These are older people. They would say "party" or "get together". It just didn't fit and UGH -flails-
-Breathes-
Now for the things I did like:
1. The Human World
Every time they flashed to Grace's world, life was good. Aside from the grandparents saying "fancy dress party," these parts was pretty consistent. I really liked Grace's character. She was adorable, as were her pets, and just her behaviour in general was cute. I loved this part because everything flowed well, and there wasn't anything that really bothered me during these parts. I loved learning about her family and the relationship she had with those around her. As mentioned in the novel, she had a kind of innocence about her that was enduring and sweet. It was these parts that really helped me get through the book.
2. The Nomeds
Despite the author's supposed attempt to dumb down the novel a bit, she didn't cut down on the horror-ish parts throughout the novel. I loved these parts because of the action and the intensity of the moments. Some parts honestly freaked me out a little and I liked that it wasn't censored for any middle grade readers. They also are an interesting force. In all honestly, I think the whole good over bad thing works really well in this book, almost as if the Nomeds are the bad within human kind, while everyone is the good, and the bad, in both their world and theirs, in taking over. Maybe I'm over thinking this, or maybe I'm thinking that maybe this is a message to kids to do what we haven't: find the good, find the innocence in mankind and make something of it.
3. The Plot
While it kind of dragged on, I felt that the plot, overall, was really interesting and the concepts that Faerydae puts on the table are really interesting. It really gets me thinking, as a teenager, basically adult, and I really wonder how kids will look at this (if any kids actually will). I'd love to see what they'd think of the book when it comes down to it.
4. World Building
While I really couldn't appreciate the names of each part of Liberty, I really loved how Faerydae created the world of Liberty. From her descriptions, I could picture a world without humans, a world in which animals of all kinds flourish and co-exist. It's amazing how well the author put together the world of Liberty. Even the Human World, in which Grace lived, I found was created well.
-End of compliments and rants-
Overall, I really liked the ideas that Faerydae had. However, I wish Faerydae'd done a better job of putting them together and executing the story that they wanted to tell. I think the part that was hardest to get past was the writing within the story. Hopefully that can be polished in the next book. Aside from that (though it was a fairly large obstacle for me to get over, as a reader), the story was captivating enough to keep me reading. Note that I do have a high tolerance, and a great amount of determination when it comes to finishing books. This one, I almost quit on multiple occasions. While it was hard, I did liked the story and the world that was created. All in all, I hope that the next book is better than this one, at least writing wise.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 1/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Overall: 2/5
eBook copy received from Troubador Publishing Ltd via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
This was the first Sarah Mlynowski book I have ever managed to finish, and it wasn't even that hard, surprisingly. In the past, I've never been able to force myself to get through it. Maybe getting out of a not so great book helped, but I honestly enjoyed reading this one.
Let's look at the not so great things concerning this book, first. What I liked the least was the pace. The plot was really fast at the beginning, not rushed, but it jumped into the plot pretty well and I was glad to be pulled along for the ride. Then it became pretty stagnant by the middle of book, with a lot of wallowing and inner turmoil that was pretty public. At the end, everything just hit the fan, where one thing was going to happen, but then something else happened, and it was just rushed. That was probably my biggest issue with the book. There were a number of petty issues that were featured in the book and I honestly just wasn't that invested in finding out what happened in most of them, which was probably why the plot seemed so slow to me. There was a lot of back and forth and "does he love me or doesn't he?" -insert depression and teenage angst here-
HOWEVER, I really liked the character development, as well as the writing and narrative style.
We meet the characters before the flu shots. We have Olivia, a shy girl who always worries about everything, especially about what other people think of her. Then there's Mackenzie who harbors a secret and numerous insecurities with regards to said secrets. There's Pi, who's obsessed with becoming number one in her class. Then there's Tess who's in love with her best friend and not sure whether he feels the same way. As you can see, this book took all the archetypal teenage problems and rolled it into one book. However, Mlynowski used the whole paranormal aspect of the book to helped them sort through their problems.
I loved the way she spun the character development. Through the use of the whole telepathy concept, it really opens people eyes to see that human kind is in fact more selfish than we thought. It's hard to explain this without spoiling everything. I'll just say this: it was really well done, and it would really help some people who have similar problems to give this a read though 'cause it honestly gives you a lot of perspective.
Writing and narrative wise, I thought it was really interesting. The book is narrated as a collective "we". It would often be like, "We thought this ..." or "We agreed/disagreed with them..." but then there was also a third person omniscient type narrative for the book overall. It was intriguing and I really think that it added to the book's character, as well as the characters themselves. This aspect of the book really peaked my interest, as a writer. It's always cool seeing what other people have come up with (then again you sit there fore days wondering why you didn't think of it), and then using it as potential inspiration for your own work.
All in all, this was a fun read, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The characters held my interest and the plot and writing, together, was enough to keep me reading. Did it blow me out of the water? No, but I have to say I am definitely happier with this book than I've been with her others.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.56/5
eARC obtained via Random House Children's via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
Let's look at the not so great things concerning this book, first. What I liked the least was the pace. The plot was really fast at the beginning, not rushed, but it jumped into the plot pretty well and I was glad to be pulled along for the ride. Then it became pretty stagnant by the middle of book, with a lot of wallowing and inner turmoil that was pretty public. At the end, everything just hit the fan, where one thing was going to happen, but then something else happened, and it was just rushed. That was probably my biggest issue with the book. There were a number of petty issues that were featured in the book and I honestly just wasn't that invested in finding out what happened in most of them, which was probably why the plot seemed so slow to me. There was a lot of back and forth and "does he love me or doesn't he?" -insert depression and teenage angst here-
HOWEVER, I really liked the character development, as well as the writing and narrative style.
We meet the characters before the flu shots. We have Olivia, a shy girl who always worries about everything, especially about what other people think of her. Then there's Mackenzie who harbors a secret and numerous insecurities with regards to said secrets. There's Pi, who's obsessed with becoming number one in her class. Then there's Tess who's in love with her best friend and not sure whether he feels the same way. As you can see, this book took all the archetypal teenage problems and rolled it into one book. However, Mlynowski used the whole paranormal aspect of the book to helped them sort through their problems.
I loved the way she spun the character development. Through the use of the whole telepathy concept, it really opens people eyes to see that human kind is in fact more selfish than we thought. It's hard to explain this without spoiling everything. I'll just say this: it was really well done, and it would really help some people who have similar problems to give this a read though 'cause it honestly gives you a lot of perspective.
Writing and narrative wise, I thought it was really interesting. The book is narrated as a collective "we". It would often be like, "We thought this ..." or "We agreed/disagreed with them..." but then there was also a third person omniscient type narrative for the book overall. It was intriguing and I really think that it added to the book's character, as well as the characters themselves. This aspect of the book really peaked my interest, as a writer. It's always cool seeing what other people have come up with (then again you sit there fore days wondering why you didn't think of it), and then using it as potential inspiration for your own work.
All in all, this was a fun read, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The characters held my interest and the plot and writing, together, was enough to keep me reading. Did it blow me out of the water? No, but I have to say I am definitely happier with this book than I've been with her others.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.56/5
eARC obtained via Random House Children's via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
I really enjoyed this book. Aside from one or two things here and there that bothered me, it was an excellent read.
The characters in this book were really interesting. I loved Rebecca. She was kickass heroine who knew how to shoot a gun, but also knew that she wasn’t immortal. She was confident, but she wasn’t confident. She understood and faced fear, but she never buckled against it. Her dynamic character brought a lot to this book and really made the novel feel real. It was interesting seeing the other characters ready to pledge their loyalty to her. She may be gutsy, but she was damn smart (for the most part). Ryan, on the other hand, actually didn’t show up as much as I thought he would. While some may think this reflect badly on the book, I mean who wants a book with no leading man, I liked the balance it gave the book. Whatever romance there was between her and other characters, it never took away from the plot and I appreciated that, ’cause I REALLY wanted to find out what happened.
Getting into the two things that bugged me a little: I thought her name was Mary for a good chunk of the first chapter. Then realized that it wasn’t when I read the name Beck and was like what?? and then figured out her name was Rebecca (yeah, I couldn’t remember what the synopsis said…). Second, one or two typos left me a little confused, or maybe they weren’t typos and I didn’t get them? But there was an “inside” joke or explanation here and there that didn’t make TOTAL sense to me. Maybe I missed something, but that was another thing that came to my attention. Honestly, it happened like twice, but I just got a little lost.
Moving past that, the plot was well constructed. There were hints here and there, but the way that they layered up, creating a puzzle, piece by piece, really kept me interested in the book. Sure, the twists weren’t that twisty, but the connections made were really well done. In the end, all the strings were tied together. I also really liked how in depth she was able to get with the characters, fully immersing us in their personalities and backgrounds, without overwhelming readers with information. It helped keep the pace of the plot and gave us a good look at the characters, fully developing them. Hansen also went in depth with the computer programming and spyware material, which I found interesting (and a tad freaky), as it really made it seem like these characters knew what they were talking about. She didn’t just label them hackers, she zoomed in closer, explaining how things worked, and how technology, honestly, wasn’t as private as we’d like to think it was. It added to the whole thriller factor, but also gives readers some perspective when it comes to technology.
In addition, I loved the iPhone text pictures. They helped pause the plot for a second at a time, as well as added to the plot, while providing comic relief. I liked that they were added to the book, and they really helped put a semi-visual aspect in the book.
I really enjoyed Before They Find Us. While I wasn’t always left guessing, the fact that certain details made me wary of characters was a interesting way of keeping me on my toes. This book was well written and I loved the characters and story. Overall, this was a great book, and I would definitely recommend you give it a shot.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Cover: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.24/5
eBook provided by Xpresso Book Tours, in conjunction with the Before They Find Us book tour, in exchange for an honest review and participation in the tour.
-review by Between Printed Pages
The characters in this book were really interesting. I loved Rebecca. She was kickass heroine who knew how to shoot a gun, but also knew that she wasn’t immortal. She was confident, but she wasn’t confident. She understood and faced fear, but she never buckled against it. Her dynamic character brought a lot to this book and really made the novel feel real. It was interesting seeing the other characters ready to pledge their loyalty to her. She may be gutsy, but she was damn smart (for the most part). Ryan, on the other hand, actually didn’t show up as much as I thought he would. While some may think this reflect badly on the book, I mean who wants a book with no leading man, I liked the balance it gave the book. Whatever romance there was between her and other characters, it never took away from the plot and I appreciated that, ’cause I REALLY wanted to find out what happened.
Getting into the two things that bugged me a little: I thought her name was Mary for a good chunk of the first chapter. Then realized that it wasn’t when I read the name Beck and was like what?? and then figured out her name was Rebecca (yeah, I couldn’t remember what the synopsis said…). Second, one or two typos left me a little confused, or maybe they weren’t typos and I didn’t get them? But there was an “inside” joke or explanation here and there that didn’t make TOTAL sense to me. Maybe I missed something, but that was another thing that came to my attention. Honestly, it happened like twice, but I just got a little lost.
Moving past that, the plot was well constructed. There were hints here and there, but the way that they layered up, creating a puzzle, piece by piece, really kept me interested in the book. Sure, the twists weren’t that twisty, but the connections made were really well done. In the end, all the strings were tied together. I also really liked how in depth she was able to get with the characters, fully immersing us in their personalities and backgrounds, without overwhelming readers with information. It helped keep the pace of the plot and gave us a good look at the characters, fully developing them. Hansen also went in depth with the computer programming and spyware material, which I found interesting (and a tad freaky), as it really made it seem like these characters knew what they were talking about. She didn’t just label them hackers, she zoomed in closer, explaining how things worked, and how technology, honestly, wasn’t as private as we’d like to think it was. It added to the whole thriller factor, but also gives readers some perspective when it comes to technology.
In addition, I loved the iPhone text pictures. They helped pause the plot for a second at a time, as well as added to the plot, while providing comic relief. I liked that they were added to the book, and they really helped put a semi-visual aspect in the book.
I really enjoyed Before They Find Us. While I wasn’t always left guessing, the fact that certain details made me wary of characters was a interesting way of keeping me on my toes. This book was well written and I loved the characters and story. Overall, this was a great book, and I would definitely recommend you give it a shot.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Cover: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.24/5
eBook provided by Xpresso Book Tours, in conjunction with the Before They Find Us book tour, in exchange for an honest review and participation in the tour.
-review by Between Printed Pages
I’ve never really put my foot through the steampunk door, aside from the fantastical world that Cassandra Clare weaved. While I know it has become a large trend in YA these days, I had yet to find a book specifically in that genre that captured my attention. That is, until I saw this one. When offered the opportunity to review this book, I immediately jumped on it based on the gorgeous cover, the fascinating synopsis, and the rave reviews on GoodReads. And I have to concur with those reviews. I absolutely loved this book and am so glad I’d decided to say “yes”.
I loved the characters in this book. They were extremely dynamic and realistic. Sure, the heroine was strong, but she also had moments where she shed a few tears, where she needed a shoulder to cry on. Often times, these days, especially in YA, authors forget that just because a hero’s strong doesn’t mean they always have to be. Sometimes, strength is knowing when you can’t do something by yourself. I love the Eyelet and Urlick tag team, and how they work together constantly and mesh so well (while also driving each other up the wall). I also loved the voice of each character. Everyone had their own personality and way of speaking that made it easy to distinguish who was saying what, even if Garlick didn’t explicitly tag them. The fact that these characters weren’t perfect made them even better. With a marred appearance and a neural defect Eyelet and Urlick’s imperfections make them perfect, and the fact that they accept each other regardless of those, is truly formidable. In addition, I really enjoyed meeting the other characters in the book. They were a loyal, fun, and a tad bit odd, but I couldn’t help loving them too.
True, there were times that the characters flipped their mood switch a little too quickly, and other times where the scenes moved just a tad too fast, but at the same time, you could feel the frustrations of the characters, as well as the confusion, the panic, as well as the growing friendship between them. In the end, these traits may make the book even better.
There was only one point in the book where I wasn’t totally happy with the turn it took with regards to one of the characters (but it was small and almost inconsequential… ish). Alas. However, that bit didn’t really effect my experience as a reader, so all is well, haha ~
Next, the world that was created in this book was stunning. I was especially fascinated with all the gizmos and gadgets that were presented: guard ravens, swirling suns, a transformable spinning knife disk. And of course Bertie. The description and utilization of all these gadgets really brought action to the book. I loved that the author wasn’t afraid to take some time away from the the “main” plot and slow the book down to present parts of the world that made it unique. There are a number of books about worlds that are very different from ours, but half the time, there’s very little description of these worlds – I would always be left wondering what the odd food looks like, the colourful outfits, the oddly shaped buildings within the city. In Lumière, I get to see the world, imagine it, and place the characters in them. The description is so vivid in this story that I could picture it, and still can picture it, even weeks after finishing the book. That’s not to say that little is left to the imagination, there’s never a full description of this building or that, simply impressions that stick with you, long after you’ve past that point in the book.
As if I haven’t praised it enough, I loved the over all plot. Everything was thought out so well, and the executed equally as well, that it kept the book rolling and twirling in directions that I wouldn’t have predicted. The tiny details that mean nothing to you at t
Everything about Lumière‘s world felt tangible and within reach. It was the perfect mix of steampunk fantasy and dystopian, and I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to read the next book!
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.53/5
eBook obtained via Jacqueline E. Garlick in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
I loved the characters in this book. They were extremely dynamic and realistic. Sure, the heroine was strong, but she also had moments where she shed a few tears, where she needed a shoulder to cry on. Often times, these days, especially in YA, authors forget that just because a hero’s strong doesn’t mean they always have to be. Sometimes, strength is knowing when you can’t do something by yourself. I love the Eyelet and Urlick tag team, and how they work together constantly and mesh so well (while also driving each other up the wall). I also loved the voice of each character. Everyone had their own personality and way of speaking that made it easy to distinguish who was saying what, even if Garlick didn’t explicitly tag them. The fact that these characters weren’t perfect made them even better. With a marred appearance and a neural defect Eyelet and Urlick’s imperfections make them perfect, and the fact that they accept each other regardless of those, is truly formidable. In addition, I really enjoyed meeting the other characters in the book. They were a loyal, fun, and a tad bit odd, but I couldn’t help loving them too.
True, there were times that the characters flipped their mood switch a little too quickly, and other times where the scenes moved just a tad too fast, but at the same time, you could feel the frustrations of the characters, as well as the confusion, the panic, as well as the growing friendship between them. In the end, these traits may make the book even better.
There was only one point in the book where I wasn’t totally happy with the turn it took with regards to one of the characters (but it was small and almost inconsequential… ish). Alas. However, that bit didn’t really effect my experience as a reader, so all is well, haha ~
Next, the world that was created in this book was stunning. I was especially fascinated with all the gizmos and gadgets that were presented: guard ravens, swirling suns, a transformable spinning knife disk. And of course Bertie. The description and utilization of all these gadgets really brought action to the book. I loved that the author wasn’t afraid to take some time away from the the “main” plot and slow the book down to present parts of the world that made it unique. There are a number of books about worlds that are very different from ours, but half the time, there’s very little description of these worlds – I would always be left wondering what the odd food looks like, the colourful outfits, the oddly shaped buildings within the city. In Lumière, I get to see the world, imagine it, and place the characters in them. The description is so vivid in this story that I could picture it, and still can picture it, even weeks after finishing the book. That’s not to say that little is left to the imagination, there’s never a full description of this building or that, simply impressions that stick with you, long after you’ve past that point in the book.
As if I haven’t praised it enough, I loved the over all plot. Everything was thought out so well, and the executed equally as well, that it kept the book rolling and twirling in directions that I wouldn’t have predicted. The tiny details that mean nothing to you at t
Everything about Lumière‘s world felt tangible and within reach. It was the perfect mix of steampunk fantasy and dystopian, and I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to read the next book!
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.53/5
eBook obtained via Jacqueline E. Garlick in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
This book was very much the beginning of something. I really enjoyed the idea of the story, the action, and characters, however, it was just that, the beginning.
The plot went fairly slow, beginning with an introduction to the twins and the overall idea of the exiled, then moving into a fair bit of action, and then just as the world was getting interesting, everything just seemed to stop. For most of the book, we lay in wait as the twins travel across the wasteland with their designated love interest - separately - and then have a moment of action here and there, and then again nothing. I've only read Armstrong's Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising trilogies, and so reading this book, I felt like all the romance was rushed and very predictable. Much of the time was spent focusing on these relationships too, which irked me, as I've found her past YA novels to be much more puzzle based, figuring out what was going on, romantic distractions left for later on in the book. I'm hoping that the second book will have more of that feeling.
That bit aside, I loved the concept presented in this novel. The whole Keeper and Seeker idea, where these twins are so connected. It's great seeing a novel semi-based around a sibling bond. In addition, I liked the whole idea of legends coming to life. The moments when those creatures made their appearance were truly captivating. I'm trying really hard not to spoil anything, so this is sounding extremely vague, but trust me, the concept and creatures really make the novel interesting.
While they were fairly contained, there were in fact a number of action packed parts to the novel. They were intense and gripping and left me wanting more. They really helped build the relationship between the love interests, and while I wish there was a little bit less of the whole hearts beating fast idea, the attacks and surprises kept me guessing throughout the novel, wondering what exactly waited for both of them around each bend.
I also liked that we got to see two very different personalities come to life. We have Ashyn, ever cautious and unsure, and Moria, hot-tempered and kickass. It always amazes me how Armstrong can create such unique characters, allowing them to have their own voice, but also letting them come out of their normal mindset in times of distress or worry. I like knowing that the strong character isn't always totally collected, and that the quieter character has the potential to be something greater, someone stronger. Gotta say though, I enjoyed reading Moria's parts more than Ashyn's.
All in all, this novel was interesting, due to the concept, the characters, and the moments of action. However, the romance, or the slow construction of it, kind of turned me off of the story, though, come the next book, I'll probably be wishing for more of it. On another note, it was nice that Armstrong stepped away from the whole Darkest Powers/Darkness Rising concept. While I loved them, it's great knowing that she still has more than just one world to write about. I'm definitely excited to see what Armstrong has in store for us in the next novel, as much of it was set up in this book, I'm waiting for the big bang. I'm just hoping that she can deliver.
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.61/5
eARC obtained via DoubleDay Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
The plot went fairly slow, beginning with an introduction to the twins and the overall idea of the exiled, then moving into a fair bit of action, and then just as the world was getting interesting, everything just seemed to stop. For most of the book, we lay in wait as the twins travel across the wasteland with their designated love interest - separately - and then have a moment of action here and there, and then again nothing. I've only read Armstrong's Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising trilogies, and so reading this book, I felt like all the romance was rushed and very predictable. Much of the time was spent focusing on these relationships too, which irked me, as I've found her past YA novels to be much more puzzle based, figuring out what was going on, romantic distractions left for later on in the book. I'm hoping that the second book will have more of that feeling.
That bit aside, I loved the concept presented in this novel. The whole Keeper and Seeker idea, where these twins are so connected. It's great seeing a novel semi-based around a sibling bond. In addition, I liked the whole idea of legends coming to life. The moments when those creatures made their appearance were truly captivating. I'm trying really hard not to spoil anything, so this is sounding extremely vague, but trust me, the concept and creatures really make the novel interesting.
While they were fairly contained, there were in fact a number of action packed parts to the novel. They were intense and gripping and left me wanting more. They really helped build the relationship between the love interests, and while I wish there was a little bit less of the whole hearts beating fast idea, the attacks and surprises kept me guessing throughout the novel, wondering what exactly waited for both of them around each bend.
I also liked that we got to see two very different personalities come to life. We have Ashyn, ever cautious and unsure, and Moria, hot-tempered and kickass. It always amazes me how Armstrong can create such unique characters, allowing them to have their own voice, but also letting them come out of their normal mindset in times of distress or worry. I like knowing that the strong character isn't always totally collected, and that the quieter character has the potential to be something greater, someone stronger. Gotta say though, I enjoyed reading Moria's parts more than Ashyn's.
All in all, this novel was interesting, due to the concept, the characters, and the moments of action. However, the romance, or the slow construction of it, kind of turned me off of the story, though, come the next book, I'll probably be wishing for more of it. On another note, it was nice that Armstrong stepped away from the whole Darkest Powers/Darkness Rising concept. While I loved them, it's great knowing that she still has more than just one world to write about. I'm definitely excited to see what Armstrong has in store for us in the next novel, as much of it was set up in this book, I'm waiting for the big bang. I'm just hoping that she can deliver.
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.61/5
eARC obtained via DoubleDay Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
This book is somewhere around a YA Contemporary Dystopian Sci-Fi.
Contemporary: It happens NOW. Well, technically two weeks from now, but close enough. It’s current. Cell phones are used, the world hasn’t ended, it’s all good.
Dystopian: Prenna is came from the future, or at least one strand of it. The world was near its end before she left, everyone affected by a plague of unknown original that was carried in mosquitoes (very much like West Nile, but worse).
Sci-Fi: Prenna and a select group of people have traveled back in time to fix the future and prevent the plague.
This was an extremely interesting story. The plot was full of surprises, but also presented some interesting ideas. In this novel, we get a glimpse of the future, or well, multiple versions of the future. The only thing is, they’re not as futuristic as we assume they’ll be – no flying cars, no crazy techno computers (though there was a mention of a supposed Apple invention, which I could definitely see Apple, or even Google, inventing in the future). It was doom and gloom up ahead, one an economic issue, another a eco issue, also relating to the evolution and adaptation of people and animals to a new, less green, planet. I loved this concept because it’s something that is real and relevant to us today. As one person, we don’t see the decline in the world – where the ice caps are melting, the weather is becoming more random and unpredictable, as well as violent. We close our eyes to this. My hope is that this book helps open those eyes and maybe cause a shift in our society.
The overall set up of the time immigrants vs the time natives was also interesting. All the rules and restrictions, as well as the stories of those who didn’t survive the trip or didn’t survive the rules really helped set the ball rolling, giving readers something to compare to when judging the magnitude of Prenna’s decisions later on in the story.
In addition to my love of the plot, I really enjoyed reading about these characters. Prenna was a worrier, but it wasn’t annoying. It was more of exercised caution than mental takeover. It was nice reading the book from her point of view. She found beauty in the things that no one ever notices anymore; one could say that she actually stopped to smell the flowers. She was amazed at how bright our world was, and couldn’t comprehend our wish to stay inside and play with our games and gadgets. However, for a supposed genius, her actions are very impulsive, and lack calculation. Also, she has little care or worry for the repercussions of her actions on the people around her.
Ethan, on the other hand, was helpful, supportive, and just a tad bit boring. He was basically everything that was needed to move things along – a tracker, a hacker, a future-world famous physicist – you’ve got them all with Ethan. Have to say though, he was nice enough, but his character lacked depth, and I know next to nothing about him, even though I finished the book already.
One thing that bothered me more than anything was that they are playing with time. If you play with time, the things from the future should change, no? Like newspapers, and people? Wouldn’t all that go wonky or snap out of existence? Maybe it’s just me, but the fact that there’s a bunch of futures is cool, but wouldn’t one shift change a bunch of other things? Maybe I’m being picky, but time travel books and all is a finicky subject.
Also, they had a tight deadline – what, two or three days – to save the world from one version of the future. However, they loiter and linger on the beach for a day, learning card games and drinking illegally. It was so out of place in this book that it just didn’t work for me. Again, this brings around the whole relationships in YA novels and how there’s just too much emphasis on them. The story could’ve worked without all that, seeing as there wasn’t really THAT much to begin with. I don’t know, Ethan’s whole role in all of this was just a little unrealistic.
All in all, I’d say that this book is a must read, if not for the overall story, then at least for the ideas presented. It is a real eye opener to all the problems our world is facing, whether politically, economically, socially, or environmentally. It’s amazing how well Brashares captures our world in less than 200 pages, giving us a snapshot of our lives and showing us where we all are, and where we should be. Oddly, instead of reading this book to escape, I’d say read this book to see what you’re missing, to realize that there’s more to life than electronics and odd gadgets. However, the story did have its holes, which is hard enough to cover in a long time traveling series, let alone in this one, fairly short novel.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.37/5
eARC obtained via Random House Children’s via NetGalley.
-review by Between Printed Pages
Contemporary: It happens NOW. Well, technically two weeks from now, but close enough. It’s current. Cell phones are used, the world hasn’t ended, it’s all good.
Dystopian: Prenna is came from the future, or at least one strand of it. The world was near its end before she left, everyone affected by a plague of unknown original that was carried in mosquitoes (very much like West Nile, but worse).
Sci-Fi: Prenna and a select group of people have traveled back in time to fix the future and prevent the plague.
This was an extremely interesting story. The plot was full of surprises, but also presented some interesting ideas. In this novel, we get a glimpse of the future, or well, multiple versions of the future. The only thing is, they’re not as futuristic as we assume they’ll be – no flying cars, no crazy techno computers (though there was a mention of a supposed Apple invention, which I could definitely see Apple, or even Google, inventing in the future). It was doom and gloom up ahead, one an economic issue, another a eco issue, also relating to the evolution and adaptation of people and animals to a new, less green, planet. I loved this concept because it’s something that is real and relevant to us today. As one person, we don’t see the decline in the world – where the ice caps are melting, the weather is becoming more random and unpredictable, as well as violent. We close our eyes to this. My hope is that this book helps open those eyes and maybe cause a shift in our society.
The overall set up of the time immigrants vs the time natives was also interesting. All the rules and restrictions, as well as the stories of those who didn’t survive the trip or didn’t survive the rules really helped set the ball rolling, giving readers something to compare to when judging the magnitude of Prenna’s decisions later on in the story.
In addition to my love of the plot, I really enjoyed reading about these characters. Prenna was a worrier, but it wasn’t annoying. It was more of exercised caution than mental takeover. It was nice reading the book from her point of view. She found beauty in the things that no one ever notices anymore; one could say that she actually stopped to smell the flowers. She was amazed at how bright our world was, and couldn’t comprehend our wish to stay inside and play with our games and gadgets. However, for a supposed genius, her actions are very impulsive, and lack calculation. Also, she has little care or worry for the repercussions of her actions on the people around her.
Ethan, on the other hand, was helpful, supportive, and just a tad bit boring. He was basically everything that was needed to move things along – a tracker, a hacker, a future-world famous physicist – you’ve got them all with Ethan. Have to say though, he was nice enough, but his character lacked depth, and I know next to nothing about him, even though I finished the book already.
One thing that bothered me more than anything was that they are playing with time. If you play with time, the things from the future should change, no? Like newspapers, and people? Wouldn’t all that go wonky or snap out of existence? Maybe it’s just me, but the fact that there’s a bunch of futures is cool, but wouldn’t one shift change a bunch of other things? Maybe I’m being picky, but time travel books and all is a finicky subject.
Also, they had a tight deadline – what, two or three days – to save the world from one version of the future. However, they loiter and linger on the beach for a day, learning card games and drinking illegally. It was so out of place in this book that it just didn’t work for me. Again, this brings around the whole relationships in YA novels and how there’s just too much emphasis on them. The story could’ve worked without all that, seeing as there wasn’t really THAT much to begin with. I don’t know, Ethan’s whole role in all of this was just a little unrealistic.
All in all, I’d say that this book is a must read, if not for the overall story, then at least for the ideas presented. It is a real eye opener to all the problems our world is facing, whether politically, economically, socially, or environmentally. It’s amazing how well Brashares captures our world in less than 200 pages, giving us a snapshot of our lives and showing us where we all are, and where we should be. Oddly, instead of reading this book to escape, I’d say read this book to see what you’re missing, to realize that there’s more to life than electronics and odd gadgets. However, the story did have its holes, which is hard enough to cover in a long time traveling series, let alone in this one, fairly short novel.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.37/5
eARC obtained via Random House Children’s via NetGalley.
-review by Between Printed Pages
Kara Taylor one of my favourite 2013 debut authors. I loved Prep School Confidential and now I love Wicked Little Secrets, as well!
I'm going to get right into it. The book started off with a quick little reference to what happened in the first installment of this series, but it skimmed over it. While I always appreciate the lack of an in depth excessive summary, this time, it took me an extra beat to get back into the story. With a series like this, I feel like I needed to get a little longer overview of what happened a few weeks back in Anne's world, just to re-familiarize myself with all the names.
That being said, I still found myself sucked into the book from the beginning. Sure, I sat there for a moment every now and then trying to remember Harrow and Upton, but seeing as those characters weren't really important in this installment, remembering them would only clear up your memory of book one, not enlighten you on the clues that are dropped throughout this one.
As I mentioned previously, I really love the character development in this series. They change in such small and subtle ways, but it makes a big difference in the long run. I loved how Anne accepts her crazy, while those who once accepted it are wondering whether she might actually be crazy instead of an extremely clever teen detective. The only issue I have is the lying. I really wish book characters would just stop lying about everything. It's really vexing. Aside from that, I can't give away much without spoiling the book, so I'll just leave it at this: no matter how much each character changed, I loved the way the story flowed and ran with the plot. No change was inconsequential and I appreciated that every little thing had meaning later on, if not in the moment.
The plot and mystery was extremely well done. This book had my heart pounding throughout; the suspense was killer. While there was one scene that I felt lacked some realism, the plot was, overall, believable and captivating. I really enjoy the way that Taylor can just spin readers and her characters around in circles, planting clues and making dead ends. I really like the dead ends. Though they make the book longer, I feel like every dead end helps make the whole mystery more realistic, and makes the story itself more interesting and shows Anne's determination. And the end. THE FREAKING END. All the pieces just fell into place and it was perfect. It was dramatic, action packed, and slightly heart-breaking. The very end though clawed at my heart. I have to now wait for the third book. It's inhumane really, leaving me with such an ending only to cut me off from the knowledge of what's to come. Gah.
I am in love with this series and am now anticipating the finale to this trilogy, supposedly out in August. Amazing writing, great plot lines and ideas, and a fairly tolerable romance between characters. Kara Taylor is officially one of my favourite authors.
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.14/5
ARC obtained via St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
I'm going to get right into it. The book started off with a quick little reference to what happened in the first installment of this series, but it skimmed over it. While I always appreciate the lack of an in depth excessive summary, this time, it took me an extra beat to get back into the story. With a series like this, I feel like I needed to get a little longer overview of what happened a few weeks back in Anne's world, just to re-familiarize myself with all the names.
That being said, I still found myself sucked into the book from the beginning. Sure, I sat there for a moment every now and then trying to remember Harrow and Upton, but seeing as those characters weren't really important in this installment, remembering them would only clear up your memory of book one, not enlighten you on the clues that are dropped throughout this one.
As I mentioned previously, I really love the character development in this series. They change in such small and subtle ways, but it makes a big difference in the long run. I loved how Anne accepts her crazy, while those who once accepted it are wondering whether she might actually be crazy instead of an extremely clever teen detective. The only issue I have is the lying. I really wish book characters would just stop lying about everything. It's really vexing. Aside from that, I can't give away much without spoiling the book, so I'll just leave it at this: no matter how much each character changed, I loved the way the story flowed and ran with the plot. No change was inconsequential and I appreciated that every little thing had meaning later on, if not in the moment.
The plot and mystery was extremely well done. This book had my heart pounding throughout; the suspense was killer. While there was one scene that I felt lacked some realism, the plot was, overall, believable and captivating. I really enjoy the way that Taylor can just spin readers and her characters around in circles, planting clues and making dead ends. I really like the dead ends. Though they make the book longer, I feel like every dead end helps make the whole mystery more realistic, and makes the story itself more interesting and shows Anne's determination. And the end. THE FREAKING END. All the pieces just fell into place and it was perfect. It was dramatic, action packed, and slightly heart-breaking. The very end though clawed at my heart. I have to now wait for the third book. It's inhumane really, leaving me with such an ending only to cut me off from the knowledge of what's to come. Gah.
I am in love with this series and am now anticipating the finale to this trilogy, supposedly out in August. Amazing writing, great plot lines and ideas, and a fairly tolerable romance between characters. Kara Taylor is officially one of my favourite authors.
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.14/5
ARC obtained via St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages