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emilymahar's Reviews (483)
Shadowlands was such a fast-paced and thrilling read!
From the first chapter I was drawn in (and very scared)! I didn't put this book down once, and read it in one sitting because I couldn't stop myself from reading the next page.
I loved how the book was written mainly from the main character, Rory's perspective, but in between there were very quick parts from Mr. Nell (aka the serial killer)'s perspective. Those gave me the shivers and the chills each time. The story was really quick to get through and very mysterious and thrilling. Again, I didn't even put it down!
The characters were great all of their own reasons. I liked Rory because in a way she was similar to me - obsessed with schoolwork and never goes to parties, very much unlike her sister Darcy. I liked how Darcy added some fun to the tense storyline. Mr. Nell creeps me out, and still does. Enough said, period. The other characters in Juniper Landing had me trying to figure them out the entire book, which I loved about them!
The ending totally shocked me and I let out a "woah" after finishing it. Overall, fantastic and a HUGE improvement from Private, which is the only other book I've read by Ms Brian so far! I needed Hereafter yesterday, but today would have been great, too! October, please come sooner!!
From the first chapter I was drawn in (and very scared)! I didn't put this book down once, and read it in one sitting because I couldn't stop myself from reading the next page.
I loved how the book was written mainly from the main character, Rory's perspective, but in between there were very quick parts from Mr. Nell (aka the serial killer)'s perspective. Those gave me the shivers and the chills each time. The story was really quick to get through and very mysterious and thrilling. Again, I didn't even put it down!
The characters were great all of their own reasons. I liked Rory because in a way she was similar to me - obsessed with schoolwork and never goes to parties, very much unlike her sister Darcy. I liked how Darcy added some fun to the tense storyline. Mr. Nell creeps me out, and still does. Enough said, period. The other characters in Juniper Landing had me trying to figure them out the entire book, which I loved about them!
The ending totally shocked me and I let out a "woah" after finishing it. Overall, fantastic and a HUGE improvement from Private, which is the only other book I've read by Ms Brian so far! I needed Hereafter yesterday, but today would have been great, too! October, please come sooner!!
Thorn Abbey started out just okay, but by the end I couldn't stop reading! It was a haunting read filled with mystery!
Books that are set at boarding schools are some of my favorites, and always tend to creep me out. This one was no exception. I had the shivers after reading some of the scenes in this book. The way that the author added the creepiness of possession made the book instantly better. For that reason I would say that I enjoyed the very end of the book the most. There is a lot of building up to the end throughout the rest of the book, but the end has the most exciting parts.
Out of all of the characters I would have to say that I liked Devon the best. Although she wasn't a likeable character, she was mysterious and very interesting to read about. The main character Tess, seemed a little Max-crazy in the beginning of the book, but I ended up liking her well enough towards the end.
Overall, Thorn Abbey was a solid boarding school paranormal/mystery book! The ending left me hanging and a tiny bit shocked! I can't wait for the next book! It definitely also has me interested in reading the book it was based off of - Rebecca!
*Read for free on Pulseit.com! Thanks Simon and Schuster!*
Books that are set at boarding schools are some of my favorites, and always tend to creep me out. This one was no exception. I had the shivers after reading some of the scenes in this book. The way that the author added the creepiness of possession made the book instantly better. For that reason I would say that I enjoyed the very end of the book the most. There is a lot of building up to the end throughout the rest of the book, but the end has the most exciting parts.
Out of all of the characters I would have to say that I liked Devon the best. Although she wasn't a likeable character, she was mysterious and very interesting to read about. The main character Tess, seemed a little Max-crazy in the beginning of the book, but I ended up liking her well enough towards the end.
Overall, Thorn Abbey was a solid boarding school paranormal/mystery book! The ending left me hanging and a tiny bit shocked! I can't wait for the next book! It definitely also has me interested in reading the book it was based off of - Rebecca!
*Read for free on Pulseit.com! Thanks Simon and Schuster!*
4.5/5 stars
I've been meaning to read Nightshade for such a long time, and I loved it! It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and it was awesome!
I was expecting a teen paranormal romance, but there is so much more than the complicated love triangle! There was tons of action and mystery, which are two of my favorite components in a book. The different alliances created a really interesting story. The Seekers, Keepers and Guardians along with other paranormal creatures were really cool to read about and see how they fell into their "society". I wasn't expecting for there to be more than just wolves in this book, but I loved how the world was made seem more realistic.
I loved Calla! She was such a fierce, stubborn person, which makes for a fantastic kick-butt character. Bryn and Ansel were my favorite characters, and I loved how they cared so much about Calla. When it came to Ren and Shay I was more of a Shay girl, but the ending had me rooting for Ren. I liked him when he showed his more vulnerable side.
Overall, I loved the amazing plot, and it was a really great, paranormal read! I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I can't wait to continue on with the series!
I've been meaning to read Nightshade for such a long time, and I loved it! It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and it was awesome!
I was expecting a teen paranormal romance, but there is so much more than the complicated love triangle! There was tons of action and mystery, which are two of my favorite components in a book. The different alliances created a really interesting story. The Seekers, Keepers and Guardians along with other paranormal creatures were really cool to read about and see how they fell into their "society". I wasn't expecting for there to be more than just wolves in this book, but I loved how the world was made seem more realistic.
I loved Calla! She was such a fierce, stubborn person, which makes for a fantastic kick-butt character. Bryn and Ansel were my favorite characters, and I loved how they cared so much about Calla. When it came to Ren and Shay I was more of a Shay girl, but the ending had me rooting for Ren. I liked him when he showed his more vulnerable side.
Overall, I loved the amazing plot, and it was a really great, paranormal read! I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I can't wait to continue on with the series!
I loved everything about this book! From the characters, to the plot, to the setting, there wasn't an aspect that I didn't like.
Although the book focuses on fantasy, there were also parts where the main character, Lucy, searches for herself. I really enjoyed those parts of book and getting to learn about the world of Chantresses right along with her. I really liked how the magic was conjured by song. I had never read a book like that before, and I liked how music played such a prominent role.
The characters were written wonderfully! Lucy was a great main character, and her want to do what is best for her friends and family made me really love her. The members of the Invisible College all have their own distinct personalities, which I enjoyed reading about. I loved how Penebrygg became Lucy's guide, and almost father-figure during her struggles. Nat was my favorite character. I loved how he had a backstory, yet he was determined to move on from his past. Also he was very intelligent. Seeing him open up toward the end of the book made me really happy!
The ending was left open, but I do know that this is a trilogy! It'll be interesting to see how the authors picks up the story. Overall, Chantress was a fantastic historical fantasy book!
*read for free on Pulseit.com
Although the book focuses on fantasy, there were also parts where the main character, Lucy, searches for herself. I really enjoyed those parts of book and getting to learn about the world of Chantresses right along with her. I really liked how the magic was conjured by song. I had never read a book like that before, and I liked how music played such a prominent role.
The characters were written wonderfully! Lucy was a great main character, and her want to do what is best for her friends and family made me really love her. The members of the Invisible College all have their own distinct personalities, which I enjoyed reading about. I loved how Penebrygg became Lucy's guide, and almost father-figure during her struggles. Nat was my favorite character. I loved how he had a backstory, yet he was determined to move on from his past. Also he was very intelligent. Seeing him open up toward the end of the book made me really happy!
The ending was left open, but I do know that this is a trilogy! It'll be interesting to see how the authors picks up the story. Overall, Chantress was a fantastic historical fantasy book!
*read for free on Pulseit.com
This is one of the few books that I have read for school that I actually liked!
The story was really interesting and different for the time period that it was written. I liked how Mary Shelley wrote what was, at the time, a really gutsy piece of literature. The story itself was completely different than what I had been expecting. I liked the beginning of the book better than the middle and the ending, because, eventually Victor got on my nerves.
My favorite characters were the creature and Robert Walton. I liked the creature because of how deep his character was, contrary to popular belief. He wasn't dumb stupid like many people who haven't read the book think, but actually very intelligent. I also liked how Walton had an outsiders perspective.
Overall, I liked Frankenstein. It was a pleasant surprise!
The story was really interesting and different for the time period that it was written. I liked how Mary Shelley wrote what was, at the time, a really gutsy piece of literature. The story itself was completely different than what I had been expecting. I liked the beginning of the book better than the middle and the ending, because, eventually Victor got on my nerves.
My favorite characters were the creature and Robert Walton. I liked the creature because of how deep his character was, contrary to popular belief. He wasn't dumb stupid like many people who haven't read the book think, but actually very intelligent. I also liked how Walton had an outsiders perspective.
Overall, I liked Frankenstein. It was a pleasant surprise!
I really enjoyed The Lost Code! It had a little bit of everything: science, action, mystery, romance...
The beginning of the book went a little slowly for me, but after I reached the halfway point the story really picked up and got interesting. I liked how the world was dystopian, but the main focus of the book was geared more toward the science parts of it. I also really liked how there was some added history. The concept of the book was quite different from the majority of other YA dystopians in that it had a male perspective. The teens with the gills was really interesting to read about, and I loved the descriptions of how swimming went while the main character, Owen, had them.
The characters weren't my favorite part of the book. I felt like this was where the book fell a little short. Although, I did really enjoy reading from a males perspective, as that isn't seen as often in the YA genre. Owen, Lily, Marco, Evan and Aliah were just okay characters. But, with that said, I came to like them more toward the end of the book. My favorite character would have to be Luk. Although he wasn't a main character, I am really intrigued to find out more about him. Hopefully we will be seeing more of him in the next book!
Overall, I thought The Lost Code was an overall good sci-fi/dystopian book! I'm really interested in finding out more about the events that took place! I'll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
The beginning of the book went a little slowly for me, but after I reached the halfway point the story really picked up and got interesting. I liked how the world was dystopian, but the main focus of the book was geared more toward the science parts of it. I also really liked how there was some added history. The concept of the book was quite different from the majority of other YA dystopians in that it had a male perspective. The teens with the gills was really interesting to read about, and I loved the descriptions of how swimming went while the main character, Owen, had them.
The characters weren't my favorite part of the book. I felt like this was where the book fell a little short. Although, I did really enjoy reading from a males perspective, as that isn't seen as often in the YA genre. Owen, Lily, Marco, Evan and Aliah were just okay characters. But, with that said, I came to like them more toward the end of the book. My favorite character would have to be Luk. Although he wasn't a main character, I am really intrigued to find out more about him. Hopefully we will be seeing more of him in the next book!
Overall, I thought The Lost Code was an overall good sci-fi/dystopian book! I'm really interested in finding out more about the events that took place! I'll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
Before I get into the review, I first want to say thanks so much to Ms Hooper for sending my an eARC of Taking Back Forever for review!
Taking Back Forever became such an addiction for me during the time that I was reading it. Whenever I was doing something else, my thoughts always ended up back to this book.
When I had first heard that there wasn't going to be a recap of the first book I was a little nervous, as I read Grasping at Eternity a little over a year ago. But, the first book left such a mark on me that after reading only a few pages I was once again completely immersed in the story. Speaking of the story, I once again love how it is so unique and magical. I've never read anything quite like it, which makes it a joy to keep coming back to this series. A lot was revealed in this book, right from the beginning. Also learning more about the Kindrily along with Maryah is always a fun experience.
One of my favorite things about this book was the characters, and the relationships that were formed. The Kindrily acted like a family, but because of their situation, there wasn't labels like mom, dad, grandpa, etc. This was really interesting in seeing how the characters interacted and loved each other. Two of my favorite characters had to be Carson and Krista. From the beginning I just really enjoyed reading the scenes that had them in it. (Maybe Krista will have POV chapters in Book 3?!) And of course I have to talk about how adorable Maryah and Nathan were. Some of their scenes had me blushing and swooning to the max! That wasn't the only reason that I liked their characters, though. I really liked the struggle of Maryah regaining her memories.
Overall, I was not let down at all by Taking Back Forever. I mad the hard decision to read the part with the cliffhanger at the end, and now I am anxiously awaiting the next book! For those that haven't read this series, I would definitely recommend it! Such a fun and enjoyable series!
Taking Back Forever became such an addiction for me during the time that I was reading it. Whenever I was doing something else, my thoughts always ended up back to this book.
When I had first heard that there wasn't going to be a recap of the first book I was a little nervous, as I read Grasping at Eternity a little over a year ago. But, the first book left such a mark on me that after reading only a few pages I was once again completely immersed in the story. Speaking of the story, I once again love how it is so unique and magical. I've never read anything quite like it, which makes it a joy to keep coming back to this series. A lot was revealed in this book, right from the beginning. Also learning more about the Kindrily along with Maryah is always a fun experience.
One of my favorite things about this book was the characters, and the relationships that were formed. The Kindrily acted like a family, but because of their situation, there wasn't labels like mom, dad, grandpa, etc. This was really interesting in seeing how the characters interacted and loved each other. Two of my favorite characters had to be Carson and Krista. From the beginning I just really enjoyed reading the scenes that had them in it. (Maybe Krista will have POV chapters in Book 3?!) And of course I have to talk about how adorable Maryah and Nathan were. Some of their scenes had me blushing and swooning to the max! That wasn't the only reason that I liked their characters, though. I really liked the struggle of Maryah regaining her memories.
Overall, I was not let down at all by Taking Back Forever. I mad the hard decision to read the part with the cliffhanger at the end, and now I am anxiously awaiting the next book! For those that haven't read this series, I would definitely recommend it! Such a fun and enjoyable series!
Black City was one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year, and I am so happy to say that Phoenix was just as good, if not better! I won't go into much detail for those of you that haven't read Black City, but I LOVED this book!
Phoenix was filled with tons of action and romance. Plus, there are some new characters that I really liked reading about! Within the first twenty pages, I was already unable to put the book down. There a lots of surprises, and this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The characters were a huge part of why I loved this book so much. Purian Rose is a fantastic villain who you will love to hate. The things that he does are unthinkable. Nathalie is becoming more of a leader and starts to take thing into her own hands. I liked to see her start taking control of the situation. Ash is just as swoon-worthy and amazing as in the first book. There are two new major character additions in Phoenix, which I both really liked. Also, there is a bunch more featuring other creatures that are a part of this world. There are some awesome (and scary) species in here.
Overall, I loved Phoenix! My expectations were exceeded! If you've read Black City, you must pick up Phoenix! Also, the ending of Phoenix shocked me, and now I am desperately in need of Book 3!
Phoenix was filled with tons of action and romance. Plus, there are some new characters that I really liked reading about! Within the first twenty pages, I was already unable to put the book down. There a lots of surprises, and this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The characters were a huge part of why I loved this book so much. Purian Rose is a fantastic villain who you will love to hate. The things that he does are unthinkable. Nathalie is becoming more of a leader and starts to take thing into her own hands. I liked to see her start taking control of the situation. Ash is just as swoon-worthy and amazing as in the first book. There are two new major character additions in Phoenix, which I both really liked. Also, there is a bunch more featuring other creatures that are a part of this world. There are some awesome (and scary) species in here.
Overall, I loved Phoenix! My expectations were exceeded! If you've read Black City, you must pick up Phoenix! Also, the ending of Phoenix shocked me, and now I am desperately in need of Book 3!
The Bling Ring was a really really entertaining and interesting non-fiction book!I was first introduced to this after hearing about Emma Watson's new movie, and watching the trailer. Hearing that it was based on real events had me eager to learn more, and this book was just what I was hoping for!
The events themselves were fascinating to read about, but I really liked the way that the book was written, giving readers a sort of insiders perspective. The addition of some outside information also added to the quality of the book for me. It was overall very informative, but in an entertaining way, so that this would be an enjoyable read for anyone.
Since there are no "characters" to review in this book, per say, I guess I'll talk some about the "criminals". The part that made this so intriguing is that these kids were thought of as rich kids, when in reality, not all of them were. I really liked getting to learn about their backgrounds and even hear what they had to say about the whole case. There were a lot more to their story than what many people think.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was very informative, yet entertaining, and definitely got me excited to see the movie. It'll be interesting to see how realistic the movie is in comparison!
The events themselves were fascinating to read about, but I really liked the way that the book was written, giving readers a sort of insiders perspective. The addition of some outside information also added to the quality of the book for me. It was overall very informative, but in an entertaining way, so that this would be an enjoyable read for anyone.
Since there are no "characters" to review in this book, per say, I guess I'll talk some about the "criminals". The part that made this so intriguing is that these kids were thought of as rich kids, when in reality, not all of them were. I really liked getting to learn about their backgrounds and even hear what they had to say about the whole case. There were a lot more to their story than what many people think.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was very informative, yet entertaining, and definitely got me excited to see the movie. It'll be interesting to see how realistic the movie is in comparison!
I was really excited for Neptune's Tears when I first read the synopsis. It seemed like it would be a really great sci-fi/post apocalyptic book, but unfortunately, I didn't like it at all.
My main problem with book was the lack of world building and sense of time. There wasn't much detail at all in this book. I felt like a lot of the events were left up to my imagination when it came to the specifics. The group of anarchists in the book, who were supposed to be the bad guys, weren't explained much at all. I still have no idea why the anarchists were motivated to drop shock bombs on innocent people. Also the problem with there being no sense of time really affected my view of the character relationships. Zee and David met, and then it seemed they instantly fell in love. The only way that I knew a large amount of time had past was when the author actually wrote out that it had been two months.
That takes me to the characters. There wasn't much development either. The main character, Zee didn't come off to me as having much of a personality. For some reason I just didn't like her. David's character seemed like an unsuccessful attempt to be that stereotypical 'mystery guy' that is in a lot of YA books. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan. My favorite character would have to be Rani, who wasn't even a big part of the story. But, she seemed the most developed and had the most personality.
The book was a really good idea, and I think that it could have been great, if not so rushed and underdeveloped. The idea of empaths is really fascinating, but the way that it was written didn't to the topic justice. There was so much potential in the idea of the book that I felt I needed to give it 2 stars.
In the end I wouldn't recommend this book. There were so many things that I wished were more developed. I actually wished the book was longer just for that reason. I would have loved the story to be more detailed.
My main problem with book was the lack of world building and sense of time. There wasn't much detail at all in this book. I felt like a lot of the events were left up to my imagination when it came to the specifics. The group of anarchists in the book, who were supposed to be the bad guys, weren't explained much at all. I still have no idea why the anarchists were motivated to drop shock bombs on innocent people. Also the problem with there being no sense of time really affected my view of the character relationships. Zee and David met, and then it seemed they instantly fell in love. The only way that I knew a large amount of time had past was when the author actually wrote out that it had been two months.
That takes me to the characters. There wasn't much development either. The main character, Zee didn't come off to me as having much of a personality. For some reason I just didn't like her. David's character seemed like an unsuccessful attempt to be that stereotypical 'mystery guy' that is in a lot of YA books. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan. My favorite character would have to be Rani, who wasn't even a big part of the story. But, she seemed the most developed and had the most personality.
The book was a really good idea, and I think that it could have been great, if not so rushed and underdeveloped. The idea of empaths is really fascinating, but the way that it was written didn't to the topic justice. There was so much potential in the idea of the book that I felt I needed to give it 2 stars.
In the end I wouldn't recommend this book. There were so many things that I wished were more developed. I actually wished the book was longer just for that reason. I would have loved the story to be more detailed.