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emilymahar's Reviews (483)
I was very surprised when I got the chance to read this book while on my vacation this summer. The local Indie bookstore was doing a summer reviewers program and I decided to take part the week that I was in town. I was so excited when I saw The Coldest Girl in Coldtown in the stack of books that I could choose from.
This book has gotten so much hype, but going into it I didn't really know what it was about. After I started reading it, I learned that it was about vampires and I got a little nervous (Yes, I'm one of those that still thinks vampire books are all like the stereotype). But, there was no reason for me to be nervous at all. Don't be put off by the theme of vampires. This book is much darker and deeper than you may think.
The setting for the book is eerie and the characters are so mysterious. In the beginning I didn't like the main character Tana, but she grew on me as I read, and I came to really like her. The other characters were the same way for me.
I really liked the world that Holly Black created. It was a mix of paranormal and dystopia all in one. Also, the vampires are written so that they, and what they do, are quite disturbing. The book is gory, and full of tons of twists, turns, and action.
Overall, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a unique and terrifying take on vampires in a dystopian-esque world. I would definitely reccomend this to all YA paranormal and dystopian fans, whether you like vampires or not!
This book has gotten so much hype, but going into it I didn't really know what it was about. After I started reading it, I learned that it was about vampires and I got a little nervous (Yes, I'm one of those that still thinks vampire books are all like the stereotype). But, there was no reason for me to be nervous at all. Don't be put off by the theme of vampires. This book is much darker and deeper than you may think.
The setting for the book is eerie and the characters are so mysterious. In the beginning I didn't like the main character Tana, but she grew on me as I read, and I came to really like her. The other characters were the same way for me.
I really liked the world that Holly Black created. It was a mix of paranormal and dystopia all in one. Also, the vampires are written so that they, and what they do, are quite disturbing. The book is gory, and full of tons of twists, turns, and action.
Overall, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a unique and terrifying take on vampires in a dystopian-esque world. I would definitely reccomend this to all YA paranormal and dystopian fans, whether you like vampires or not!
A decent summary/guide to how the movie will play out. There are a few things that are different from the book, but there are some new stills. It spoils a lot of the plot, but it's a good refresher if you don't want to reread the book before the movie comes out.
The Runaway Princess was a cute and fun romance!
It took me a little bit to get into it, but after I did I really enjoyed reading it. I found myself smiling to myself during a ton of the adorable scenes. I couldn't help but find similarities to The Princess Diaries, which was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I liked how the author took a similar story and made it a little more mature.
While the story was good, the characters were what really made me like the book. There were such a wide variety of personalities, which made the story interesting and witty. The main character, Amy, was likable and completely normal. Then there is Leo, sweet and charming (like a prince). Jo, was the lively and supportive best friend. Rolf, the obnoxious and trouble making younger brother... and so on. There were a ton of characters, but each of them added a little bit to the story.
Overall, I liked The Runaway Princess. It was a cute and enjoyable read, but nothing special. With that being said, I'd recommend this to those that are looking for a cute and witty read.
It took me a little bit to get into it, but after I did I really enjoyed reading it. I found myself smiling to myself during a ton of the adorable scenes. I couldn't help but find similarities to The Princess Diaries, which was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I liked how the author took a similar story and made it a little more mature.
While the story was good, the characters were what really made me like the book. There were such a wide variety of personalities, which made the story interesting and witty. The main character, Amy, was likable and completely normal. Then there is Leo, sweet and charming (like a prince). Jo, was the lively and supportive best friend. Rolf, the obnoxious and trouble making younger brother... and so on. There were a ton of characters, but each of them added a little bit to the story.
Overall, I liked The Runaway Princess. It was a cute and enjoyable read, but nothing special. With that being said, I'd recommend this to those that are looking for a cute and witty read.
I chose Wild from a list to read for my English summer reading, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But, I ended up actually enjoying it in the end.
I was nervous that Wild was going to be boring, but Strayed writes in a very entertaining way. This is definitely something that I wouldn't pick up on my own, but I'm glad that I chose this for my summer reading assignment. While I was reading it I didn't feel like I was reading something that I was forcing myself to read. Instead, I found myself enjoying it, which was a pleasant surprise for a school course.
Overall, I found myself liking it more than I was expecting to!
I was nervous that Wild was going to be boring, but Strayed writes in a very entertaining way. This is definitely something that I wouldn't pick up on my own, but I'm glad that I chose this for my summer reading assignment. While I was reading it I didn't feel like I was reading something that I was forcing myself to read. Instead, I found myself enjoying it, which was a pleasant surprise for a school course.
Overall, I found myself liking it more than I was expecting to!
I want to start off by saying that 1984 really shocked me. I wasn't expecting it to be as entertaining and exciting as it was, being that it's a classic. For me, classics tend to take about double the time that a "regular" book would take me to read. But, with 1984, that was not the case at all! I sped through this and really enjoyed reading about the world that Orwell created.
My favorite part about this book would have to be the world. All the detail that went into it made it seem like Oceania could happen. Nothing was so outrageous and futuristic that it seemed like none of this even had a chance of happening. It was also quite frightening finding similarities to our world today in the novel. For example the "telescreens" in 1984 were used as sound detectors and cameras to watch people whenever they were near one. This reminded me of the security cameras that are now all over in public places today.
The government under the control of Big Brother and the Party is also a very scary thought. The lenghts they go to keep the people under control and in their reach is disturbing. Privacy is no longer a part of this world.
As for the characters, I wasn't a huge fan of any of them. With that being said, Oceania puts out shells of people without real personality. I didn't really like the main character, Winston, but I found myself liking the snarky character of Julia. She was young and thought for herself in a world where that doesn't happen. I liked that about her. The relationship between Winston and Julia wasn't a strong point in the book, for me. I didn't like the way they interacted. The most interesting character to me, was O'Brien. Toward the end of the novel you see a completely different side to him that is truly frightening, but also made me curious.
The ending was unexpected, and left some things to your imagination. I wasn't really satisfied right after finishing it, but after letting it settle for a few days, I do like how things ended up. The book definitely gets better and better as you keep reading, and there was a large reveal that shocked me a little more than mid way through.
I didn't feel like I was reading a classic, but instead an adult style dystopian book. It was very detailed but not to the point that it got boring. I really enjoyed this one, and fans of the dystopian genre should check this one out!
My favorite part about this book would have to be the world. All the detail that went into it made it seem like Oceania could happen. Nothing was so outrageous and futuristic that it seemed like none of this even had a chance of happening. It was also quite frightening finding similarities to our world today in the novel. For example the "telescreens" in 1984 were used as sound detectors and cameras to watch people whenever they were near one. This reminded me of the security cameras that are now all over in public places today.
The government under the control of Big Brother and the Party is also a very scary thought. The lenghts they go to keep the people under control and in their reach is disturbing. Privacy is no longer a part of this world.
As for the characters, I wasn't a huge fan of any of them. With that being said, Oceania puts out shells of people without real personality. I didn't really like the main character, Winston, but I found myself liking the snarky character of Julia. She was young and thought for herself in a world where that doesn't happen. I liked that about her. The relationship between Winston and Julia wasn't a strong point in the book, for me. I didn't like the way they interacted. The most interesting character to me, was O'Brien. Toward the end of the novel you see a completely different side to him that is truly frightening, but also made me curious.
The ending was unexpected, and left some things to your imagination. I wasn't really satisfied right after finishing it, but after letting it settle for a few days, I do like how things ended up. The book definitely gets better and better as you keep reading, and there was a large reveal that shocked me a little more than mid way through.
I didn't feel like I was reading a classic, but instead an adult style dystopian book. It was very detailed but not to the point that it got boring. I really enjoyed this one, and fans of the dystopian genre should check this one out!
I don't feel like I should give this a rating as this is something that I would never pick up by myself. Giving it a rating would be unfair as I had to read this for a class.
But with that being said, this book wasn't bad. It was factual, yet written in a way so that it wasn't completely boring. Just not something that I would normally read/enjoy.
But with that being said, this book wasn't bad. It was factual, yet written in a way so that it wasn't completely boring. Just not something that I would normally read/enjoy.
I'll try to keep this short and non spoilery since this is book two:
Me minutes after finishing: I am not okay with anything that just happened. Seriously, these books are too good...
The real review: I finally just got to reading this book after reading Clockwork Angel what feels like years ago. I've been meaning to read this for such a long time, but for some reason, that only happened now.
I always go into Clare's books with high expectations, and yet again, I was not disappointed! One of the reasons why I love this series so much is because the characters are amazing to read about. She writes such deep and interesting back stories for each one. Also, there are so many different personalities which makes it a fun series to read!
I am really intrigued by the story that Clare has written. I love where it's going! The connection to Will's family was a shock to me.
That brings me to the love triangle...I must say that all through book one I was a Will girl. But, after reading Clockwork Prince, I have come to like Jem a lot more. I'm still team Will, though. Sorry all you Jem lovers! The reveal about Will toward the end of the book had me saying to myself, "See? He really is a sweet intelligent amazing great fantastic perfect guy!" I loved that Will has a past, just like Jem, that we're slowly figuring out.
So, if you can't tell, I love these books! Everyone that has read The Mortal Instruments series should definitely read this one. Even if you haven't read TMI, still read this series. You'll be glad you did!
Me minutes after finishing: I am not okay with anything that just happened. Seriously, these books are too good...
The real review: I finally just got to reading this book after reading Clockwork Angel what feels like years ago. I've been meaning to read this for such a long time, but for some reason, that only happened now.
I always go into Clare's books with high expectations, and yet again, I was not disappointed! One of the reasons why I love this series so much is because the characters are amazing to read about. She writes such deep and interesting back stories for each one. Also, there are so many different personalities which makes it a fun series to read!
I am really intrigued by the story that Clare has written. I love where it's going! The connection to Will's family was a shock to me.
That brings me to the love triangle...I must say that all through book one I was a Will girl. But, after reading Clockwork Prince, I have come to like Jem a lot more. I'm still team Will, though. Sorry all you Jem lovers! The reveal about Will toward the end of the book had me saying to myself, "See? He really is a sweet intelligent amazing great fantastic perfect guy!" I loved that Will has a past, just like Jem, that we're slowly figuring out.
So, if you can't tell, I love these books! Everyone that has read The Mortal Instruments series should definitely read this one. Even if you haven't read TMI, still read this series. You'll be glad you did!
I absolutely LOVED Not a Drop to Drink! I could't put it down!
My favorite thing about this book was that it focused on the survival story of the characters. I also liked that there was more than one opposing force. Lynn, the main character, found danger in both wolves and people. There was the perfect amount of action, and emotion. I really liked reading about how Lynn went about "normal" things in a post apocalyptic world. I also liked how there wasn't an introduction of the typical corrupt government until the middle to end of the book. There wasn't much about the book that was typical for a YA dystopian book, but that by no means is a bad thing!
There wasn't a character that I did not like (except for the ones that we were supposed to not like)! Lynn, the main character, was such a strong main character that I really loved. In the beginning of the book I was unsure about Stebs, but I came to really love him, too. Lucy was so adorable and I enjoyed all of the scenes involving her and Lynn! Lastly, Eli. I really liked him, too. I like how the romance between him and Lynn was not a huge part of the book, but instead sweet and subtle.
I really liked that this was a standalone because there aren't enough of them in the YA genre anymore! But I must say, that the ending of this book was so shocking and unforgettable! I'm still not okay with everything that went down and it's been about a week since I read this book.
Overall, Not a Drop to Drink is a must read for all dystopian and post apocalyptic lovers. This has to be one of my favorites of the year!
My favorite thing about this book was that it focused on the survival story of the characters. I also liked that there was more than one opposing force. Lynn, the main character, found danger in both wolves and people. There was the perfect amount of action, and emotion. I really liked reading about how Lynn went about "normal" things in a post apocalyptic world. I also liked how there wasn't an introduction of the typical corrupt government until the middle to end of the book. There wasn't much about the book that was typical for a YA dystopian book, but that by no means is a bad thing!
There wasn't a character that I did not like (except for the ones that we were supposed to not like)! Lynn, the main character, was such a strong main character that I really loved. In the beginning of the book I was unsure about Stebs, but I came to really love him, too. Lucy was so adorable and I enjoyed all of the scenes involving her and Lynn! Lastly, Eli. I really liked him, too. I like how the romance between him and Lynn was not a huge part of the book, but instead sweet and subtle.
I really liked that this was a standalone because there aren't enough of them in the YA genre anymore! But I must say, that the ending of this book was so shocking and unforgettable! I'm still not okay with everything that went down and it's been about a week since I read this book.
Overall, Not a Drop to Drink is a must read for all dystopian and post apocalyptic lovers. This has to be one of my favorites of the year!
I want to start out this review by saying that I'm not a person who hears about a new horror book and rushes to the store to pick it up. I have not seen one scary movie, and I didn't even read the Goosebumps books when I was little. I don't like anything scary. Period. But, after reading the synopsis for this book, I was on a mission to buy it and read it.
I felt like the synopsis and characters were very relatable. This could have happened to my friends and I! To me, that was the chilling part.
The story was not just horror, but it also had aspects of mystery and paranormal. I really liked how it wasn't just in-your-face scary, but it had a creepy and disturbing undertone.
Plus there are pictures! This was one of my favorite parts of the book. They really added to the creepiness of the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I'd say this book was a segway for me into the genre of horror! I'd recommend this one to those that, like me, are nervous to be a little scared, but are looking to try something a little different!
P.S.- I didn't even have nightmares after which I consider a positive! :)
I felt like the synopsis and characters were very relatable. This could have happened to my friends and I! To me, that was the chilling part.
The story was not just horror, but it also had aspects of mystery and paranormal. I really liked how it wasn't just in-your-face scary, but it had a creepy and disturbing undertone.
Plus there are pictures! This was one of my favorite parts of the book. They really added to the creepiness of the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I'd say this book was a segway for me into the genre of horror! I'd recommend this one to those that, like me, are nervous to be a little scared, but are looking to try something a little different!
P.S.- I didn't even have nightmares after which I consider a positive! :)
Since this is the 4th book in a series I'll keep this review short and spoiler-free! This is one of my favorite sci-fi series, and I really enjoyed book 4 in this series!
My favorite thing about this series is the diverse set of characters. There are so many personalities and ages, which makes this book such a fun read. I also love how this one had multiple narrators. I loved hearing the book from both Sam's and Marina's perspectives, as well a John.
My favorite characters had to be Six (although she wasn't as big a part of this one as previous books in the series) and Ella. Six is such a strong female character, but I'm loving seeing the other side of her, too. Then there's Ella. I really like how she's growing up, and I loved reading about her. I like how she's becoming a bigger part in the story.
I really liked how the book progressed. There were shocking revelations, and tons of action! These books are so fast-paced and entertaining! I really liked this one, and can't wait for book 5!!
My favorite thing about this series is the diverse set of characters. There are so many personalities and ages, which makes this book such a fun read. I also love how this one had multiple narrators. I loved hearing the book from both Sam's and Marina's perspectives, as well a John.
My favorite characters had to be Six (although she wasn't as big a part of this one as previous books in the series) and Ella. Six is such a strong female character, but I'm loving seeing the other side of her, too. Then there's Ella. I really like how she's growing up, and I loved reading about her. I like how she's becoming a bigger part in the story.
I really liked how the book progressed. There were shocking revelations, and tons of action! These books are so fast-paced and entertaining! I really liked this one, and can't wait for book 5!!