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diamondxgirl
I both love and hate Jeff Zentner right now, which means he did his job right.
This book completely jumped the shark. There aren't words to describe my disappointment in ending this amazing series this way.
This one was ok. If I didn't love some of Kasie's other books so much, I would have DNF this one.
I kept it together until Julie's note at the end. Beautiful story.
Did I finish this audiobook in a day? Absolutely. It completely sucks you in and for that I have no regrets.
Present day Veronica Mars? Sold! The Trouble series has all the snark, mystery, and, err, trouble that those of us fans can seriously relate to. I devoured both of these over audio and am happy to report that they are totally worth your #read! You'll come out shipping Digby/Zoe (Zigby? Doe?) so hard that you're head will spin with all their shenanigans. In Trouble Makes a Comeback, both of them are back with a new mystery to solve and let me tell you, it's a doozie! I loved book 2 even more than book 1. Special thanks to @chelseafought for indulging my VM side with these treats.
Modern History
Kiersten White, Matthew Cody, Gwenda Bond, E.C. Myers, Carrie Harris, Andrea Phillips
I finally finished the most recent episode of ReMade and we finally got some answers. Or some semblance of answers. They look like answers. Ok, actually, I just have more questions.
Couldn’t admit out loud that they were all dead, and even if they figured out how they’d gotten to the future, there was no past for them to go back to.
Modern. History. Let that title sink in within the context of all we (don't) know about this world. In this episode, we get to explore more of the ReMade world through the eyes of Cole, who has been in the background. I'll admit, I was curious about him and unsure if I was going to enjoy spending a whole 30 pages with him.
I totally did.
More than ever, it's clear the ReMades fit together because they have unique talents for the team. If this were a video game, you'd want one of each of them for their skills and personalities. Cole brings the hard work and loyalty aspects of human nature to the forefront like no one else does. His story of becoming a ReMade is made 10x more tragic by what he sees when exploring this strange world.
Couldn’t admit out loud that they were all dead, and even if they figured out how they’d gotten to the future, there was no past for them to go back to.
Modern. History. Let that title sink in within the context of all we (don't) know about this world. In this episode, we get to explore more of the ReMade world through the eyes of Cole, who has been in the background. I'll admit, I was curious about him and unsure if I was going to enjoy spending a whole 30 pages with him.
I totally did.
More than ever, it's clear the ReMades fit together because they have unique talents for the team. If this were a video game, you'd want one of each of them for their skills and personalities. Cole brings the hard work and loyalty aspects of human nature to the forefront like no one else does. His story of becoming a ReMade is made 10x more tragic by what he sees when exploring this strange world.
Nancy and I co-reviewed this one:
Alright, let's get down and dirty. Beast is marketed as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. How does the story hold up to the one we all know and love?
NS: Hmmmm....Other than Dylan's hulking size and Jamie's beauty I don't get the feel for it being too much of a retelling. It does hit on some points but the story is solid and stands on its own quite well. I have to admit Beast had one of my favorite "ships" for this year. I truly enjoyed this story and Dylan and Jamie.
CJ: I'd say Beast is Beauty and the Beast light. It rings true about there being a boy who is ~misunderstood~ and feels like an outcast due to his appearance and a girl who he falls in love with. It is sweet and heartwarming, lots of "aww" moments. I mean, I found myself saying "aww" aloud many times when reading it.
What about our two main characters, Dylan and Jamie? What's up with them?
NS: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Dylan. In his eyes everyone feared him due to his size and no one seemed to give him a chance because of that. So, that was a lot of baggage to for him to constantly carry and it colored his outlook on life. Then enters Jamie, someone that could look past his surly bravado and find the true person inside and for Dylan he just sees he as a girl that he really likes. Initially I worried for how things were going to "blow up" once Dylan found out about Jamie and I liked how I got to witness everything that was going on inside his mind and how he dealt with Jamie's gender identity. He went through a myriad of well placed emotions but in the end he realized that he loved Jamie for who she was on the inside and the rest they would work on together. That made my heart smile because they both had issues about their bodies, their home life and relationships in general and these matters all seemed to reach a satisfying decision that made me smile.
CJ: Dylan is exactly what I wanted to see in his character. I love that the story is written in his voice and that he's challenged for his thoughts throughout the story. I was concerned that Jamie would become somewhat of a manic pixie dream girl, which is the opposite of what I would want in a story that focuses on Dylan coming to terms with Jamie's gender identity. He's not perfect and his issues get confronted, which I appreciate. Jamie knows who she is and is not going to tolerate any BS. They're both facing a body that doesn't agree with the way they wan to be seen by others. Their resolution made my heart happy.
She laughs.
I laugh.
We share a laugh! Time to buy prom tickets.
What was your favorite part of the story?
NS: I adored how both Jamie and Dylan came to terms with their relationship and how they were together despite what the world may think of them. They made each other happy and that is all that really matters. It was a well done story that tackled some issues quite well with a bit of romance. Who doesn't love a romance?
CJ: Besides loving that this is a well done story about a cis-male falling in love with a trans-girl, I loved the part where he worked things out with his family. YES!
Alright, let's get down and dirty. Beast is marketed as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. How does the story hold up to the one we all know and love?
NS: Hmmmm....Other than Dylan's hulking size and Jamie's beauty I don't get the feel for it being too much of a retelling. It does hit on some points but the story is solid and stands on its own quite well. I have to admit Beast had one of my favorite "ships" for this year. I truly enjoyed this story and Dylan and Jamie.
CJ: I'd say Beast is Beauty and the Beast light. It rings true about there being a boy who is ~misunderstood~ and feels like an outcast due to his appearance and a girl who he falls in love with. It is sweet and heartwarming, lots of "aww" moments. I mean, I found myself saying "aww" aloud many times when reading it.
What about our two main characters, Dylan and Jamie? What's up with them?
NS: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Dylan. In his eyes everyone feared him due to his size and no one seemed to give him a chance because of that. So, that was a lot of baggage to for him to constantly carry and it colored his outlook on life. Then enters Jamie, someone that could look past his surly bravado and find the true person inside and for Dylan he just sees he as a girl that he really likes. Initially I worried for how things were going to "blow up" once Dylan found out about Jamie and I liked how I got to witness everything that was going on inside his mind and how he dealt with Jamie's gender identity. He went through a myriad of well placed emotions but in the end he realized that he loved Jamie for who she was on the inside and the rest they would work on together. That made my heart smile because they both had issues about their bodies, their home life and relationships in general and these matters all seemed to reach a satisfying decision that made me smile.
CJ: Dylan is exactly what I wanted to see in his character. I love that the story is written in his voice and that he's challenged for his thoughts throughout the story. I was concerned that Jamie would become somewhat of a manic pixie dream girl, which is the opposite of what I would want in a story that focuses on Dylan coming to terms with Jamie's gender identity. He's not perfect and his issues get confronted, which I appreciate. Jamie knows who she is and is not going to tolerate any BS. They're both facing a body that doesn't agree with the way they wan to be seen by others. Their resolution made my heart happy.
She laughs.
I laugh.
We share a laugh! Time to buy prom tickets.
What was your favorite part of the story?
NS: I adored how both Jamie and Dylan came to terms with their relationship and how they were together despite what the world may think of them. They made each other happy and that is all that really matters. It was a well done story that tackled some issues quite well with a bit of romance. Who doesn't love a romance?
CJ: Besides loving that this is a well done story about a cis-male falling in love with a trans-girl, I loved the part where he worked things out with his family. YES!
Full disclaimer: I loved The Host and Twilight for what they were in their own times. So when The Chemist came out of left field, I was both ecstatic and nervous.
I'm happy to report The Chemist exceeded my expectations. Yes, there is a romance (which definitely falls in the insta-love) but the relationship is a small piece of the overall story that isn't the main focus for most of the book.
The Chemist is the love child created from the union of my romantic sensibilities and my obsession with Jason Bourne/Aaron Cross. I very much enjoyed spending time with a different kind of action hero, one whose primary weapon isn’t a gun or a knife or bulging muscles, but rather her brain.
Alex, a government chemist hired as an interrogator because of her ability to use her knowledge of the human body to pump others for info, is now on the run since, you know, the government doesn't like liabilities Alex is smart, relatable, and a character you'll be rooting for as the bad guys hunt her down. Stephenie did an excellent job of creating a character who clearly knows her stuff, down to describing specific procedures so vividly I could picture them in my mind. The story, and Alex, felt very calculated and was paced in a way that frequently had my heart racing.
Supporting Alex's story are brother Daniel, the teacher she kidnaps as one last mission, his twin brother, a handler who's come to kill Alex, as well as top dog, Carston, who is chasing her through the book. At the end of the book, you get a decent look at who Carston really is, including a satisfying ending for all.
The Chemist is so entirely believable that you'll wonder what Stephenie's research process was like. Did she have someone on the inside? Or maybe she is a former chemist herself. Hmm...
I'm happy to report The Chemist exceeded my expectations. Yes, there is a romance (which definitely falls in the insta-love) but the relationship is a small piece of the overall story that isn't the main focus for most of the book.
The Chemist is the love child created from the union of my romantic sensibilities and my obsession with Jason Bourne/Aaron Cross. I very much enjoyed spending time with a different kind of action hero, one whose primary weapon isn’t a gun or a knife or bulging muscles, but rather her brain.
Alex, a government chemist hired as an interrogator because of her ability to use her knowledge of the human body to pump others for info, is now on the run since, you know, the government doesn't like liabilities Alex is smart, relatable, and a character you'll be rooting for as the bad guys hunt her down. Stephenie did an excellent job of creating a character who clearly knows her stuff, down to describing specific procedures so vividly I could picture them in my mind. The story, and Alex, felt very calculated and was paced in a way that frequently had my heart racing.
Supporting Alex's story are brother Daniel, the teacher she kidnaps as one last mission, his twin brother, a handler who's come to kill Alex, as well as top dog, Carston, who is chasing her through the book. At the end of the book, you get a decent look at who Carston really is, including a satisfying ending for all.
The Chemist is so entirely believable that you'll wonder what Stephenie's research process was like. Did she have someone on the inside? Or maybe she is a former chemist herself. Hmm...