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* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, Ailsa is finally living a life beyond illness after having a heart transplant at age 28. She has chronicled her journey on her blog, where she is known as BlueHeart. But now that she's free to live a "normal" life, she's finding that maybe she isn't sure how. Moving from a life of day-to-day to one that is full of possibilities is both amazing and confusing.
Though she is 28, Ailsa reads as though she is more of a teenage character in the beginning of the novel. This is fitting given the life she has lived up to this point and the fact that she hasn't lived a real adult life beyond being ill. She leans heavily on her mother for everything, but now she is trying to become more independent. It's an awkward shift. I did appreciate that this evolved over the course of the book, showing that there was substantial character growth as the narrative moved on.
There is a bit of a tangle in language use within the narrative that caused me some pause here and there. A merge of Scottish, British English, and American English, the terminology and euphemisms used weren't always clear and sometimes felt conflicted. It was likely a silly personal issue, but it did detract from the "real" feel of the novel.
I also took some issue with the Ailsa/Seb angle. I'm not a fan of what feels like "insta love" in the beginning. I did eventually warm to the situation, but the initial creation of their interaction/relationship felt a bit too rushed.
The writing of this novel is mostly comfortable, other than the aforementioned language conflicts, and I did appreciate the evolution of the characters as the plot developed. Though there was certainly plot movement, the book did tend to lean more toward a character driven novel in my experience.
A decent read with some good messages, I did enjoy this one. I will admit though, the ending was solid, but lacked the impact I was hoping for.
Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, Ailsa is finally living a life beyond illness after having a heart transplant at age 28. She has chronicled her journey on her blog, where she is known as BlueHeart. But now that she's free to live a "normal" life, she's finding that maybe she isn't sure how. Moving from a life of day-to-day to one that is full of possibilities is both amazing and confusing.
Though she is 28, Ailsa reads as though she is more of a teenage character in the beginning of the novel. This is fitting given the life she has lived up to this point and the fact that she hasn't lived a real adult life beyond being ill. She leans heavily on her mother for everything, but now she is trying to become more independent. It's an awkward shift. I did appreciate that this evolved over the course of the book, showing that there was substantial character growth as the narrative moved on.
There is a bit of a tangle in language use within the narrative that caused me some pause here and there. A merge of Scottish, British English, and American English, the terminology and euphemisms used weren't always clear and sometimes felt conflicted. It was likely a silly personal issue, but it did detract from the "real" feel of the novel.
I also took some issue with the Ailsa/Seb angle. I'm not a fan of what feels like "insta love" in the beginning. I did eventually warm to the situation, but the initial creation of their interaction/relationship felt a bit too rushed.
The writing of this novel is mostly comfortable, other than the aforementioned language conflicts, and I did appreciate the evolution of the characters as the plot developed. Though there was certainly plot movement, the book did tend to lean more toward a character driven novel in my experience.
A decent read with some good messages, I did enjoy this one. I will admit though, the ending was solid, but lacked the impact I was hoping for.
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This series just continues to be really fun. Riordan has an awesome imagination and I love how much mythology continues to be used in the stories to new effect. I'm learning things I never knew and I'm gaining an increased interest in reading the old mythology tales. I've become very invested in some of the characters and I have a feeling I am going to be very sad when I'm done with the series and there are no more adventures with Percy, Annabeth, and Grover.
I loved this book so much. The dual narrative and dual timelines weave together flawlessly and the characters are so incredibly distinct. I was completely wrapped up in the story and felt truly invested in nearly everything going on.
I enjoy historical fiction, but this was such a unique read for me. The war is present in the narrative, but it's more of an outside force. It's obvious and definitely plays a part in why the entire book actually exists, but the focus was SO ingrained in the characters that it was easy to let that fade somewhat into the background. It was an interesting blend, but it was a good thing. I think this serves to make the book more accessible for those who maybe want to try historical fiction, but shy away from "wartime" novels.
The characters were amazing. Eve is a total badass and I adored her. She is so dynamic and such a factor of her experience and I loved every little bit of her. The inclusion of the stammer (taken from the author's husband's life experience) was a brilliant touch and made her even more unique and marvelous. The growth that is seen in Charlie is also great and I love that the female characters in the book are so incredibly strong.
I can easily say that this is among my favorite historical fiction reads of all time. So much good writing and good story and just fantastic experience in these pages!
I enjoy historical fiction, but this was such a unique read for me. The war is present in the narrative, but it's more of an outside force. It's obvious and definitely plays a part in why the entire book actually exists, but the focus was SO ingrained in the characters that it was easy to let that fade somewhat into the background. It was an interesting blend, but it was a good thing. I think this serves to make the book more accessible for those who maybe want to try historical fiction, but shy away from "wartime" novels.
The characters were amazing. Eve is a total badass and I adored her. She is so dynamic and such a factor of her experience and I loved every little bit of her. The inclusion of the stammer (taken from the author's husband's life experience) was a brilliant touch and made her even more unique and marvelous. The growth that is seen in Charlie is also great and I love that the female characters in the book are so incredibly strong.
I can easily say that this is among my favorite historical fiction reads of all time. So much good writing and good story and just fantastic experience in these pages!
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
2.5 stars. This is a bit of an awkward review because though overall it rates at a 2.5 star, there were things about this book that were absolutely 4 stars. Unfortunately, when I combine all of the aspects of the reading experience, some components just dragged down the rest.
I loved the premise. LOVED it. I'm a big fan of retellings and twisted and dark retellings particularly tickle my fancy. This is all sorts of messy and fun. I loved the fact that it kept the bones of the original Oz (the books, NOT the movie) in place. The narrative was imaginative in this way and just made it enjoyable to read. There were fantastic liberties taken with the original stories and I loved being placed in this familiar (yet totally turned on its head) world.
The writing style messed with me a little. It felt overly conflicted. Overall, it was good and there was a clear existence of talent. The sensory experiences were great and the interaction sequences were, for the most part, coherent and exciting. But...the dialogue was often awkward and Dorothy's particular tendency toward bathroom humor and defining swear words was a definite turn off. In addition, the writing itself was often lyrical and highly descriptive, but then would become overly complex with ten-dollar thesaurus words. I'm talking completely obscure words that I don't know if I've even ever heard before...and I consider myself fairly well read and educated. This kind of word choice felt out of place and really made it feel like there was a bit of trying too hard to impress the reader. I often got pulled out of the story by these events.
My other major issue with the book was that it could have used a bit of trimming. Sometimes authors don't seem to trust the reader to grasp pieces of the story or the development of relationships between the characters so there becomes a bit of laboring over the point. That happened a lot in this book. Things, particularly the plot developments between Dorothy and Nick, were often repeated and it felt like deja vu in some of the internal monologue and dialogue pieces. Had this been smoothed out, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.
I'm very conflicted with this book to be honest. It's kind of like the old nursery rhyme about the little girl with the curl on her forehead -- when it was good, it was very, very good, but when it was bad...well, it was painful. So now comes the point where I have to decide whether or not to continue with the series. I want to know where the story goes because I really found the imaginative pieces so much fun. It was clever and Gevedon clearly has the ability to write a good scene and some interesting characters. However, I'm not sure I'm up to wading through another repetitive narrative and dealing with the potty humor. I'll probably give it a try since this was a debut novel and hope that the writing in the follow up shows developed maturity.
2.5 stars. This is a bit of an awkward review because though overall it rates at a 2.5 star, there were things about this book that were absolutely 4 stars. Unfortunately, when I combine all of the aspects of the reading experience, some components just dragged down the rest.
I loved the premise. LOVED it. I'm a big fan of retellings and twisted and dark retellings particularly tickle my fancy. This is all sorts of messy and fun. I loved the fact that it kept the bones of the original Oz (the books, NOT the movie) in place. The narrative was imaginative in this way and just made it enjoyable to read. There were fantastic liberties taken with the original stories and I loved being placed in this familiar (yet totally turned on its head) world.
The writing style messed with me a little. It felt overly conflicted. Overall, it was good and there was a clear existence of talent. The sensory experiences were great and the interaction sequences were, for the most part, coherent and exciting. But...the dialogue was often awkward and Dorothy's particular tendency toward bathroom humor and defining swear words was a definite turn off. In addition, the writing itself was often lyrical and highly descriptive, but then would become overly complex with ten-dollar thesaurus words. I'm talking completely obscure words that I don't know if I've even ever heard before...and I consider myself fairly well read and educated. This kind of word choice felt out of place and really made it feel like there was a bit of trying too hard to impress the reader. I often got pulled out of the story by these events.
My other major issue with the book was that it could have used a bit of trimming. Sometimes authors don't seem to trust the reader to grasp pieces of the story or the development of relationships between the characters so there becomes a bit of laboring over the point. That happened a lot in this book. Things, particularly the plot developments between Dorothy and Nick, were often repeated and it felt like deja vu in some of the internal monologue and dialogue pieces. Had this been smoothed out, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.
I'm very conflicted with this book to be honest. It's kind of like the old nursery rhyme about the little girl with the curl on her forehead -- when it was good, it was very, very good, but when it was bad...well, it was painful. So now comes the point where I have to decide whether or not to continue with the series. I want to know where the story goes because I really found the imaginative pieces so much fun. It was clever and Gevedon clearly has the ability to write a good scene and some interesting characters. However, I'm not sure I'm up to wading through another repetitive narrative and dealing with the potty humor. I'll probably give it a try since this was a debut novel and hope that the writing in the follow up shows developed maturity.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
This is a perfectly okay little book. The plot is endearing and the characters are cute. The beginning of the book is a bit convoluted and dense, but shapes up into something that is a bit more comfortable as the chapters move on. The story of Henry is a good one, if not a bit sad. I enjoyed him as a character. He reminded me a bit of Fredrik Backman's Ove and I wanted nothing but good things for him. His story crushed me a little in some places. Likewise, Ariel and Travis are perfectly fine.
And that...the perfectly fine...is what really made this book a three-star read for me. There was nothing particularly unique or shocking for me. The characters were good and I wanted good things for them, but I wasn't terribly emotional at their individual plights. The plot went more or less where I expected it to go and the "twist" was something I had pretty much surmised to a certain point when I was less than half way through the narrative. I will admit that the overall story line certainly went past the necessarily believable, but it's fiction...I gave that an easy pass. Finding Henry Applebee was a comforting little novel and it read easily.
This is a perfectly okay little book. The plot is endearing and the characters are cute. The beginning of the book is a bit convoluted and dense, but shapes up into something that is a bit more comfortable as the chapters move on. The story of Henry is a good one, if not a bit sad. I enjoyed him as a character. He reminded me a bit of Fredrik Backman's Ove and I wanted nothing but good things for him. His story crushed me a little in some places. Likewise, Ariel and Travis are perfectly fine.
And that...the perfectly fine...is what really made this book a three-star read for me. There was nothing particularly unique or shocking for me. The characters were good and I wanted good things for them, but I wasn't terribly emotional at their individual plights. The plot went more or less where I expected it to go and the "twist" was something I had pretty much surmised to a certain point when I was less than half way through the narrative. I will admit that the overall story line certainly went past the necessarily believable, but it's fiction...I gave that an easy pass. Finding Henry Applebee was a comforting little novel and it read easily.
Things I learned from reading this book:
1. Meg Cabot's writing has changed since I read it back in my college days.
2. Meg Cabot is a good author, can write a decent narrative, and create likable characters.
3. I like chick lit just fine, but I really don't like romance novels.
I really did enjoy reading this. It was a little fluffy and fun. But there were things in the plot and in the writing that just made me cringe. In all honesty, the writing is good and the things that bothered me probably wouldn't bother readers who are fans of the romance genre. But for me, it just wasn't the right thing. Outside of the romance component, it was an enjoyable read for me. Yes, it was relatively predictable, but that's kind of a nice thing when you're looking for a beach read. This would likely fit that bill just fine.
1. Meg Cabot's writing has changed since I read it back in my college days.
2. Meg Cabot is a good author, can write a decent narrative, and create likable characters.
3. I like chick lit just fine, but I really don't like romance novels.
I really did enjoy reading this. It was a little fluffy and fun. But there were things in the plot and in the writing that just made me cringe. In all honesty, the writing is good and the things that bothered me probably wouldn't bother readers who are fans of the romance genre. But for me, it just wasn't the right thing. Outside of the romance component, it was an enjoyable read for me. Yes, it was relatively predictable, but that's kind of a nice thing when you're looking for a beach read. This would likely fit that bill just fine.
4.5 stars.
This is a really good ADULT (definitely not YA, could maybe pass as New Adult) fantasy. There is a lot of violence and explicit content. It's super dark and incredibly well thought out and written. It was a little slow going in the beginning, but definitely picked up the pace and made the length of the book worth while. I'm still a little rummy from staying up so late finishing it off, but the conclusion is crazy involved and has A LOT going on.
This is something like a twisted and evil Hogwarts, which a few other people have mentioned and I have to agree with them. I LOVED some of the characters very much...especially Tric...and the morally gray nature of the whole shebang is just right up my alley.
The use of footnotes was a bit detracting since I read it in e-book format and my reader's style for footnotes is super annoying, but I think reading it in physical form would make this fine. The footnotes are fun and sometimes have quite a bit of snark to them that gives the narrator a bit more character.
I'm definitely continuing the series soon and I have a feeling this one will be a reread in the future because I keep mulling pieces of it over in my head and I already feel the need to go back and pick up the detailed pieces of foreshadowing and other intricacies that I missed on initial read. If you like fantasy and you like serious darkness in your narratives, grab this one.
This is a really good ADULT (definitely not YA, could maybe pass as New Adult) fantasy. There is a lot of violence and explicit content. It's super dark and incredibly well thought out and written. It was a little slow going in the beginning, but definitely picked up the pace and made the length of the book worth while. I'm still a little rummy from staying up so late finishing it off, but the conclusion is crazy involved and has A LOT going on.
This is something like a twisted and evil Hogwarts, which a few other people have mentioned and I have to agree with them. I LOVED some of the characters very much...especially Tric...and the morally gray nature of the whole shebang is just right up my alley.
The use of footnotes was a bit detracting since I read it in e-book format and my reader's style for footnotes is super annoying, but I think reading it in physical form would make this fine. The footnotes are fun and sometimes have quite a bit of snark to them that gives the narrator a bit more character.
I'm definitely continuing the series soon and I have a feeling this one will be a reread in the future because I keep mulling pieces of it over in my head and I already feel the need to go back and pick up the detailed pieces of foreshadowing and other intricacies that I missed on initial read. If you like fantasy and you like serious darkness in your narratives, grab this one.
I'm torn as to how I feel for this one. It is an incredibly good dystopian middle grade and I definitely enjoyed reading it. However, I wasn't really a big fan of the ending. I appreciate the approach of it and the writing was definitely good, but (without spoiling it) it just wasn't...enough. However, I liked the writing and the creation of the dystopian world enough that I will be continuing on with the series. I'm interested to see where Lowry takes this and there are a lot of questions I have about the society that I'm hoping will be answered in the additional books. Lois Lowry continues to be a middle grade author who I wish I would have read when I was in the target audience for her novels. Better late than never...
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Athena's Choice by Adam Boostrom is an interesting dystopian novel based upon a futuristic society where men no longer exist due to the presence of a virus which killed off all men, all trans men, and some women. The remaining society is peaceful and very technologically advanced, deriving a large portion of knowledge and advancement from a central AI being known as The Core. Society is torn over whether or not a redevelopment of the male genome should occur, effectively bringing men back in to humanity.
There were a lot of pieces at work in this novel and it felt fairly complex though it was easy to read. I think this is one of those books where you can return to it over and over again and learn new things, piece other bits of detail together that weren't noticed on the previous reading. The writing is mature and well-voiced with world building that I found fascinating. I wasn't a big fan of the main character in some ways (her immaturity frustrated me a bit), but she was well constructed and the supporting characters were also fairly well thought out. Because of Athena's immaturity, however, I would categorize this more as a new adult piece than a full adult sci-fi work. That age categorization works just fine for me as I don't decide on my reads based solely on intended audience.
Interjected into the narrative were pieces of ephemera. Initially, these seemed extraneous and unnecessary, but their presence began to make sense as the plot started to unravel. The plot itself was complex enough to keep my interest, but not so convoluted that I found it confusing. The only thing that kept this novel from being higher rated was the ending. Though it may be an exciting ending for some, I needed more from the author. I was left unfulfilled. Overall though, this was a fun and imaginative read and I look forward to seeing more from this author.
Athena's Choice by Adam Boostrom is an interesting dystopian novel based upon a futuristic society where men no longer exist due to the presence of a virus which killed off all men, all trans men, and some women. The remaining society is peaceful and very technologically advanced, deriving a large portion of knowledge and advancement from a central AI being known as The Core. Society is torn over whether or not a redevelopment of the male genome should occur, effectively bringing men back in to humanity.
There were a lot of pieces at work in this novel and it felt fairly complex though it was easy to read. I think this is one of those books where you can return to it over and over again and learn new things, piece other bits of detail together that weren't noticed on the previous reading. The writing is mature and well-voiced with world building that I found fascinating. I wasn't a big fan of the main character in some ways (her immaturity frustrated me a bit), but she was well constructed and the supporting characters were also fairly well thought out. Because of Athena's immaturity, however, I would categorize this more as a new adult piece than a full adult sci-fi work. That age categorization works just fine for me as I don't decide on my reads based solely on intended audience.
Interjected into the narrative were pieces of ephemera. Initially, these seemed extraneous and unnecessary, but their presence began to make sense as the plot started to unravel. The plot itself was complex enough to keep my interest, but not so convoluted that I found it confusing. The only thing that kept this novel from being higher rated was the ending. Though it may be an exciting ending for some, I needed more from the author. I was left unfulfilled. Overall though, this was a fun and imaginative read and I look forward to seeing more from this author.
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4.5 stars
Though not a perfect 5 star read, I did enjoy the third installment of the Percy Jackson series a bit more than the 2nd. I liked the movement and pacing of this story better and it felt like things were constantly working and changing. There wasn't a dull moment in the entire story. I am still very much enjoying the whimsy of the book and the mythology is so much fun to reinforce and learn. There are obviously some liberties taken by Riordan in his writing since this is fantasy, but the basics are pretty solid. I find Riordan's writing fun and inviting and I love his imagination. I'm anxiously awaiting my chance to grab the next audiobook in the series from my library. This series is a great time!
Though not a perfect 5 star read, I did enjoy the third installment of the Percy Jackson series a bit more than the 2nd. I liked the movement and pacing of this story better and it felt like things were constantly working and changing. There wasn't a dull moment in the entire story. I am still very much enjoying the whimsy of the book and the mythology is so much fun to reinforce and learn. There are obviously some liberties taken by Riordan in his writing since this is fantasy, but the basics are pretty solid. I find Riordan's writing fun and inviting and I love his imagination. I'm anxiously awaiting my chance to grab the next audiobook in the series from my library. This series is a great time!