There. Are. No. Words. This book is beautifully brilliant and heart-breaking. I got very emotional reading this. My problem is that I get so attached to each character! I cried along with them, and I got angry with them. Sometimes I got so frustrated or upset that I wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall, but I beat a pillow with my fists instead. Seriously, this book impacted me. I could not put it down, and I forgot to eat a meal b/c I was so absorbed in reading.

I had heard that this one was preachy, but I only noticed one scene in the book where it seemed a little preachy, and it wasn't a long part. Didn't bother me, and I thought the things that were said were NEEDED to explain the motivations and further story of the characters.

The action really picks up in this second book, and there's none of that lagging-middle-book syndrome so common in trilogies. I read this book all in one sitting; I was completely unable to put it down for a second! So many questions in this book that need to be answered, mysteries to be illuminated, bad guys to take down, and naturally, romance around every corner.

This time the setting is the dirty streets of New York in the 1980s. Wes and Lydia fall in with some homeless kids who are stealing and partying, and of course, running from both cops and government agents alike. The Montauk Project is a formidable foe, and the characters have to use all their brains and resources to stay one step ahead.

Lydia is a bit less innocent, a bit wiser, and definitely smarter in this book. She's tougher, but manages to keep her good heart, her kindness and compassion, and especially her fierce spirit. Her insatiable curiosity is tempered with some caution now, but she's also taking risks in other areas of her life, most notably in her relationship with Wes.

Wes is still such an enigma. I love the depth of his character! He relies on Lydia's blazing hopefulness as the counterpoint to his own cynicism. It was wonderful seeing him finally allow himself to relax a little and feel something, instead of keeping himself so closed off all the time. But still... there's so much delicious mystery surrounding him! I adore him!

I loved the new characters, LJ, Nikki, and Tag. They weren't just faceless homeless kids who filled a place in the plot; they were well-rounded personalities that leapt off the page and into my heart! Wonderful writing!

The pacing is perfect, the writing gives Lydia her own voice, and the character development is fantastic! I'm going to dive into the third book immediately! Love love love this trilogy!

This book is a thrilling and exhilarating story of Israel and Rome in the time of Christ. Betrayal, love, suspense, revenge, friendship, disaster, salvation, murder, war, spies, and of course, the famous chariot race- this book has everything! (I was quite surprised by several plot twists that are definitely NOT in the movie!)

Judah Ben-Hur is a wonderful main character, who goes through all the despair and joy that humanity is capable of. I really identified with his character, cheering him on through his mistakes and misfortunes.
I was especially in love with the relationships and friendships between the people that Judah meets... the old Egyptian, the Arabian sheik, Simonides and his daughter, Esther. They are all beautiful characters with such distinct personalities, and I quickly became invested in their individual stories.

Hanging over the whole story is the discovery of the Christ, the slow realization of Who He is, and the soul-stirring belief in Him that comes to Judah Ben-Hur and his friends. Their philosophical and theological dialogue is carefully peppered through the story as Judah grows up, his ideas changing, and his heart opening to the possibilities of the soul. The theological ideas are very well written, blending into the story so that it doesn't feel too preachy. I was crying all through every scene that described Christ, but especially the crucifixion at Golgotha seen through the eyes of Ben-Hur, which was very moving.

My only problem with this book was the long looooooong descriptive passages. I skipped most of them, because I don't need two pages to describe the exact fabric and color of every pillow inside an Arab's tent, down to the kind of wool used for the carpets. TMI! Seriously. (Similar to Dickens' long-winded descriptive passages.)
Other than that, I loved the rich writing style! The action-filled plot and fantastic dialogue made up for it.

5 hours= 374 pages. Not bad. I usually read pretty fast.

I love it! Can't wait to read the next one! I've read a lot of Collins other books too; she's a fantastic writer. Loads of suspense. She knows just how to keep you hanging on the edge without making you frustrated, and she has a talent for creating internal conflict in main characters. She also does well with introducing a lot of secondary characters, but giving each a memorable characteristic so the reader doesn't forget them all.

I'm often disappointed with her endings though. They run more towards poignant realism rather than happy resolutions.

My heart is broken. Such a beautiful little story! I love the parallels with the original Little Mermaid story, such as that the mermaid's new legs were painful. "She felt like she was walking on knives every time she took a step." The original fairy tale doesn't have a happy ending either, and she turns into sea-foam in the end. Brilliant short story, and I love it!

Catherine is being courted by the King of Hearts, but he is a silly idiot, and she only wants to pursue her dream to open a bakery of her own. When Catherine meets the dashing court Jester, she soon learns that he is full of impossible secrets, and the two embark on a wild adventure of romance and deceit that will lead them to their frightful destiny.

This book completely broke my heart! The worst part was seeing the characters all so happy and hopeful in the beginning, knowing that the ending would be tragic. I can't even write a review about it. My heart is so full of conflicting emotions, and my brain is revolving around and around this story, every word they said to each other, the silly riddles, the shy moments, the terrible violence and tragedy. Can't. My heart.

One of the best things about this book is the little details of a life in Wonderland. A clock that talks, the weird conversations with Wonderland characters, the Cheshire cat popping up everywhere, and all the strange recipes. So many times, I said to myself, Oh, so THAT's why that thing is that way in Wonderland. That's why the cook uses too much pepper! That's why the baby turned into a pig! I loved all those details that explained some of the weirdness encountered by Alice. haha! Loved it!

I love the sweet and witty dialogue, and the wonderfully delicious setting! But oh my goodness, the emotional turmoil!

I miss there was more of Holmes and Watson in this one, instead of there being so much backstory. It sort of shows how much Conan Doyle was trying to write more and more about other characters, b/c he was so sick of Holmes.
Such a great story though, and the writing is just incredible. When he's writing about the grisly murders, it really made me cringe. The ending completely surprised me! Love it!