Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lisaluvsliterature's Reviews (4.19k)
First, I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its coveer, but wow, how striking is this cover? And it's not just a fancy pretty picture, there are clues and hints to what is going to happen in the book on the cover, and I really like that! But on with the review. When I first started reading, I was a little unsure if I was going to like it. See, I'm not a big fan of fantasy, which to me includes books with dragons and other magical creatures. Which, this book has. I also kind of had thought this was dystopian novel, but maybe not now that I've read it, and normally I'm not a fan of "distant worlds" or other dimensions. But once I got into the story, I loved the characters, and actually got into the intrigue of what might be happening, maybe because it could be kind of sciency in a way. And I liked that. And while it didn't go quite the way I was thinking at the end, it still ended okay. And I'm ready for part 2!
Ana is our main character. In the society she was born into, souls are reincarnated over and over. There are always the same people, no one new, until Ana is born, and the soul they were expecting, does not come back. Because of this Ana's "mom" Li, treats her cruelly and calls her a "no soul". Her father leaves, and she doesn't get to know him. When Ana reaches a certain age, I think it's about 17 or 18? Anyway, it is 3 years later than the normal souls leave their parents, she finally takes off from her mother's house, to head to the city of Heart so she can try to find out why she was born. But barely leaving the house, she is attached by Sylphs, a magic creature that burns when it touches you. She gets backed up in what seems to be an unescapable situation, and she is rescued by a boy about her age named Sam. Sam takes her under his wing, even as defensive as she is, and takes her back to his house and tries to help her in her quest. He calls Ana a "new soul" and believes she has worth and value. Ana has never known anyone that gave her the chances he gives her, and even though he has secrets too, will those secrets help her, or hurt her as she learns more about his past lives? And while there are many in town who feel like her mother, and despise her for taking another soul's place, there are many good people too who treat her with respect and friendship.
Such a great book. The romance is good, I like the way the town is going, and how they keep track of their past lives. I do find it a bit weird that they get reincarnated as male or female, and can't imagine how weird that would be. But hey, it works for the story.
Ana is our main character. In the society she was born into, souls are reincarnated over and over. There are always the same people, no one new, until Ana is born, and the soul they were expecting, does not come back. Because of this Ana's "mom" Li, treats her cruelly and calls her a "no soul". Her father leaves, and she doesn't get to know him. When Ana reaches a certain age, I think it's about 17 or 18? Anyway, it is 3 years later than the normal souls leave their parents, she finally takes off from her mother's house, to head to the city of Heart so she can try to find out why she was born. But barely leaving the house, she is attached by Sylphs, a magic creature that burns when it touches you. She gets backed up in what seems to be an unescapable situation, and she is rescued by a boy about her age named Sam. Sam takes her under his wing, even as defensive as she is, and takes her back to his house and tries to help her in her quest. He calls Ana a "new soul" and believes she has worth and value. Ana has never known anyone that gave her the chances he gives her, and even though he has secrets too, will those secrets help her, or hurt her as she learns more about his past lives? And while there are many in town who feel like her mother, and despise her for taking another soul's place, there are many good people too who treat her with respect and friendship.
Such a great book. The romance is good, I like the way the town is going, and how they keep track of their past lives. I do find it a bit weird that they get reincarnated as male or female, and can't imagine how weird that would be. But hey, it works for the story.
Wow. I have to say that I loved the Vladimir Tod series by [a:Heather Brewer|293603|Heather Brewer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1257773993p2/293603.jpg]and really enjoyed it! Loved the vampire theme from a different point of view. Loved this world that she created. So I entered into the Slayer Chronicles not quite sure how I'd like it, because I kind of liked the vampires better this time, unlike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where you do root mostly for the slayer. And, I didn't really like Joss that much, which this book was about, because of how he tried to slay Vlad in the other series. But, let me say, this book totally blew my preconceived thoughts on this. You knew from the original series that Joss had become a slayer because of his younger sister Cecile getting killed by a vampire. We learn in this book that Joss's uncle Abraham actually didn't want him to be the one in the family to carry on the slayer tradition, he actually thought Henry, Vlad's best friend/drudge, or Henry's older brother would be better. I guess that is funny to me because I know how they actually are with Vlad. But after reading about Joss's life, I did get to feel that I liked him. And learning that kids were mean to him because he had this almost magical strength and endurance. Then his parents almost treating him invisible after his sister died, you can see why he became the boy we know in the Vlad Tod series. And you really get on his side when you learn about how his uncle treats him when he goes to begin his slayer training, and what that training entails. Wow, although I don't agree with some of the things Joss does with the slayers and his uncle, I can see why he is that way, and the story is so good. You know there is possible a "mole" in the group of slayers, and while you want to suspect Uncle Abraham because of what a jerk he is, there are other possibilities, and each are given in a way that makes you think, and wonder. The twist at the end, I thought was sad, and was another way that I was disappointed in how Joss reacted to his situation. But, as I said, it leads right on to where the story is going to go. Such a great story. Heather Brewer is such a great author, I can't wait to read the next in the Slayer Chronicles.
.jpg)
I think this was a good follow up/conclusion to the Maze Runner series. It had lots of suspense and action. We got to see almost all the characters again, and see how they ended up. We got some more information on why the gladers were chosen, about being immune to the Flare, etc. I wish we'd had more time with Teresa, still not sure how I feel about her. Also, without giving anything away, I wish we'd been able to get Thomas's memories back and know more about what happened. The good thing is that there is supposed to be a prequel, and I'm looking forward to reading that and hopefully learning all the things that are still stuck in my mind. I purchased a copy of the book that had some "classified" documents in the back, and so I believe that probably gave a little hint to what will be in the prequel and what happened before we jumped right into the middle of the story in Maze Runner. As I said, a good read, I'm sure most people who enjoy this series will be satisfied with how it ended.
Loved it as much as Spellbound. Still wish I could give half stars, cuz it'd be a 4 1/2 for me.
I saw this ARC on the table at the Barnes & Noble where I work, and at first didn't think it could be YA as big of a book as it was. But I picked it up and read about it, and thought it sounded right up my alley. And I'm very glad I picked it up. I've not read any of this author's other books that she wrote under other names, but they don't necessarily sound like my type as I see what they were, one name is N.E. Bode, who I have seen those books, the other name is Bridget Asher. But, I will definitely be awaiting the next book in this series because I really liked this one, and am eager to see where it goes next. It's a definite dystopian, end of the world novel. I like that in this case the heroine, Pressia, is not perfect, in fact no one in this world outside the Dome is perfect. She's scarred, and burned, from the detonations, and like everyone else, she has fused to something that she was in contact with when it happened. Her arm has a baby doll as her hand. She lives with her grandfather, and as she is getting close to the age of 16, she is worried about being taken by the OSR to serve in the army to fight against the Dome. The Dome that sent messages right after the detonations that they would be back to help and save them some day. Yet, this has not happened. And the people outside have turned on those inside, hating the "Pures". Even creating nursery rhymes about catching and killing them to breathe the dust from their ashes to cure themselves. Pressia escapes when the OSR comes from her, only to run into the Pure who has left the Dome on purpose. His name is Partridge, and he has left because he believes that his father lied, and his mother survives somewhere out in the wastelands. Together Pressia and Partridge turn to a rebel named Bradwell for help. There are run ins with the OSR, and secret links to the Dome, man made special forces that are more animal than human. And while they think they've found what they've been looking for, have they really, or have they just found more questions and more reasons for revenge against the dome?
I liked how the science, realistic or not, was brought into the story. I liked that the main character, Pressia, is not a perfect beautiful outcast like in other books. Her romantic partner isn't either, he was fused with birds on his back. While I will admit it was a bit long at times, it all worked out, and there wasn't a time when I was bored. I was always eager to get back to it when I'd had to put it down. I don't know that it is "the next Hunger Games" but I do think that people who enjoyed that series will be interested in this. It is it's own type of book. As one quote on the cover says, it is more apocalyptic than Hunger Games really. And, as usual, the problem with reading ARCs is that then I have even longer to wait to read the next installment in the series!
I liked how the science, realistic or not, was brought into the story. I liked that the main character, Pressia, is not a perfect beautiful outcast like in other books. Her romantic partner isn't either, he was fused with birds on his back. While I will admit it was a bit long at times, it all worked out, and there wasn't a time when I was bored. I was always eager to get back to it when I'd had to put it down. I don't know that it is "the next Hunger Games" but I do think that people who enjoyed that series will be interested in this. It is it's own type of book. As one quote on the cover says, it is more apocalyptic than Hunger Games really. And, as usual, the problem with reading ARCs is that then I have even longer to wait to read the next installment in the series!
First, I have to say thanks to my employer, Barnes and Noble, and also Harper Collins Children's Books for giving me the chance to read this as an Advanced Readers Copy.
Okay, once again, I think that I give this a 4 instead of a 5 because I didn't like the ending! Not that it wasn't a good ending, don't get me wrong. In fact I wish I could rate 4.5 instead of just 4 or 5, but the ending irritated me. I'm really a bit tired of love triangles. I won't say who the love triangle is with, I'll let you read the book itself and see who the 2 boys are, but I don't feel it was needed with this series. To me, the 3rd book could have been about the search for Lena's mother, who she glimpses and comes in contact with briefly in this book. And trying to help the guy she now has feelings for survive the "deliria" she now knows well.
I was so happy when I found out that there was a second book in this series as I was so mad with the way the first one, [b:Delirium|7686667|Delirium (Delirium, #1)|Lauren Oliver|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298079937s/7686667.jpg|10342808], ended. It sucked that she lost her love, Alex at the end. In a way it made me as mad as the first and only [a:Nicholas Sparks|2345|Nicholas Sparks|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1273850585p2/2345.jpg] book I ever read, in that it made me feel all good inside and like the system could be overcome and people could be happy, but then BAM! true love is gone because one of them dies.
Pandemonimum is a really good second book. As many sophomore books have been lately, they've just kind of moved the series along, didn't necessarily quite live up to the original, but were necessary to keep the series going. This one blows that all away. It moves the story along with enough action and plot to keep up with the original in my opinion.
Lena is now living in the Wilds. We are told her story through flashbacks in between what is happening when she must re-enter the Society to help with furthering the fight for those who want their own choice to love or not. When she first gets to the Wilds she is in bad shape, she has been on the run, by herself, and without Alex, she doesn't know how to survive, and so barely manages to stay alive, until she is found by members of the resistance, or Invalids, as they are called in the cities. They nurse her back to health, and soon require her to start contributing to their camp in a way that everyone else does. And as soon as she does start feeling better, Lena goes back to what we know she loved best in Delirium, running. Every winter they must move their camp south in order to survive. And they must send scouts out to make sure their way is safe. Well, as they move along, sooner than planned due to a message from their contacts on the inside that things have gone wrong, they end up losing a few of their group. This sends them in to the city to try to help further the resistance. Lena must go in undercover, and join into the opposition as a member. At a big rally, things go wrong. Lena is following Julian, the leader of the DFA - Deliria Free America's son. And she gets kidnapped at the same time he does. They must fight their way out to freedom, and find that there may have been some betrayal by someone they wouldn't have suspected.
Often books that jump back and forth like this can be confusing, but the way the author does this really worked for me. I really liked this book, except for the ending, mind you.
One other thing I have to point out that amused me so much I had to tweet about it as I read it. The vans that are used kind of as police type vehicles, they have the name of the department, the City of New York, Department of Correction, Reform, and Purification as an acronym which reads: CRAP. Funny? Or is it just me?
Okay, once again, I think that I give this a 4 instead of a 5 because I didn't like the ending! Not that it wasn't a good ending, don't get me wrong. In fact I wish I could rate 4.5 instead of just 4 or 5, but the ending irritated me. I'm really a bit tired of love triangles. I won't say who the love triangle is with, I'll let you read the book itself and see who the 2 boys are, but I don't feel it was needed with this series. To me, the 3rd book could have been about the search for Lena's mother, who she glimpses and comes in contact with briefly in this book. And trying to help the guy she now has feelings for survive the "deliria" she now knows well.
I was so happy when I found out that there was a second book in this series as I was so mad with the way the first one, [b:Delirium|7686667|Delirium (Delirium, #1)|Lauren Oliver|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298079937s/7686667.jpg|10342808], ended. It sucked that she lost her love, Alex at the end. In a way it made me as mad as the first and only [a:Nicholas Sparks|2345|Nicholas Sparks|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1273850585p2/2345.jpg] book I ever read, in that it made me feel all good inside and like the system could be overcome and people could be happy, but then BAM! true love is gone because one of them dies.
Pandemonimum is a really good second book. As many sophomore books have been lately, they've just kind of moved the series along, didn't necessarily quite live up to the original, but were necessary to keep the series going. This one blows that all away. It moves the story along with enough action and plot to keep up with the original in my opinion.
Lena is now living in the Wilds. We are told her story through flashbacks in between what is happening when she must re-enter the Society to help with furthering the fight for those who want their own choice to love or not. When she first gets to the Wilds she is in bad shape, she has been on the run, by herself, and without Alex, she doesn't know how to survive, and so barely manages to stay alive, until she is found by members of the resistance, or Invalids, as they are called in the cities. They nurse her back to health, and soon require her to start contributing to their camp in a way that everyone else does. And as soon as she does start feeling better, Lena goes back to what we know she loved best in Delirium, running. Every winter they must move their camp south in order to survive. And they must send scouts out to make sure their way is safe. Well, as they move along, sooner than planned due to a message from their contacts on the inside that things have gone wrong, they end up losing a few of their group. This sends them in to the city to try to help further the resistance. Lena must go in undercover, and join into the opposition as a member. At a big rally, things go wrong. Lena is following Julian, the leader of the DFA - Deliria Free America's son. And she gets kidnapped at the same time he does. They must fight their way out to freedom, and find that there may have been some betrayal by someone they wouldn't have suspected.
Often books that jump back and forth like this can be confusing, but the way the author does this really worked for me. I really liked this book, except for the ending, mind you.
One other thing I have to point out that amused me so much I had to tweet about it as I read it. The vans that are used kind of as police type vehicles, they have the name of the department, the City of New York, Department of Correction, Reform, and Purification as an acronym which reads: CRAP. Funny? Or is it just me?
First I want to thank both Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the chance to read this egalley. I don't think I reviewed either of the first two books on Goodreads, you'll have to go to my blog at http://misclisa.blogspot.com/ to find those reviews. But I really enjoyed the first two: [b:Another Faust|6378237|Another Faust (Another, #1)|Daniel Nayeri|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320461448s/6378237.jpg|6564263] and [b:Another Pan|6762468|Another Pan|Daniel Nayeri|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280177653s/6762468.jpg|6960064] by Daniel and Dina Nayeri. And so, I was so excited when I saw this 3rd one on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. It seems like it was forever before they accepted my request, I began to get worried I wouldn't be approved, but I was, and I'm so happy, because I was NOT disappointed in any way, shape, or form!
Let me say this was a perfect ending to a great series! The books are modern day versions of some classic tales, which you can tell from the titles: Faust, an old German tale about a man who is unsatisfied with his life, so he sells his soul to the devil; Peter Pan, a boy who stays a boy forever, and has a band of boys who follow him, and then there is Wendy too; and finally, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story of the man with the mild doctor personality by day, and the monstrous personality at night. All stories are well updated in this series. We started in the first book meeting Madame Vileroy, the beautiful and mysterious governess/guardian of 5 teens, all who have in a way sold their soul to her for what they want, beauty, success, smarts, athleticism, etc. However, she is basically like the devil, in that their wishes don't quite turn out the way they want, and she is almost defeated in the end, and three of the teens escape. Oh, and this story takes place at the prestigious Marlowe school in NYC. In the 2nd book we meet the Darlings, Lucy and John, who go to Marlowe because their father is a history professor, and researches into ancient Egypt. Because of some ancient artifacts that are loaned to the school for a special exhibit, the underworld is let out to take over the basement of the school. The new mousy school nurse seems to be a part of it, and we learn that she is Madame Vileroy, back to seek bone dust, the stuff that makes her immortal and beautiful. Peter is a new kid at school, there because he follows these artifacts, because he too has an interest in the bone dust, and the mousy nurse.
And finally, the 3rd, and what seems to be the final installment. Thomas, who used to date Belle, one of Madame Vileroy's charges, before she dumped him, now has to deal with Vileroy and his father getting married. Of course she isn't who you'd want for a stepmother, one reason for Thomas is that he is heartbroken and confused at Belle leaving, and what he thinks he saw before she left, and part of the reason is that she needs her son to be "re-born" in order for her to regain what she needs to be her normal, beautiful, immortal self. And she has chosen Thomas to be the "vessel" I guess you would say. Which leads to a whole Jekyll and Hyde scenario, and Thomas begins to have blacked out times that he cannot remember.
(Spoiler alert!!!)
In the end, I think there is no way you can say that the evil isn't destroyed. I believe this villain is gone, they defeated her. And that is the way that I want some stories to end. I want there to be an end to the evil. Kind of like Harry Potter destroyed Voldemort. Sometimes it is okay for evil to really go. And this is the perfect way it was done.
Let me say this was a perfect ending to a great series! The books are modern day versions of some classic tales, which you can tell from the titles: Faust, an old German tale about a man who is unsatisfied with his life, so he sells his soul to the devil; Peter Pan, a boy who stays a boy forever, and has a band of boys who follow him, and then there is Wendy too; and finally, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story of the man with the mild doctor personality by day, and the monstrous personality at night. All stories are well updated in this series. We started in the first book meeting Madame Vileroy, the beautiful and mysterious governess/guardian of 5 teens, all who have in a way sold their soul to her for what they want, beauty, success, smarts, athleticism, etc. However, she is basically like the devil, in that their wishes don't quite turn out the way they want, and she is almost defeated in the end, and three of the teens escape. Oh, and this story takes place at the prestigious Marlowe school in NYC. In the 2nd book we meet the Darlings, Lucy and John, who go to Marlowe because their father is a history professor, and researches into ancient Egypt. Because of some ancient artifacts that are loaned to the school for a special exhibit, the underworld is let out to take over the basement of the school. The new mousy school nurse seems to be a part of it, and we learn that she is Madame Vileroy, back to seek bone dust, the stuff that makes her immortal and beautiful. Peter is a new kid at school, there because he follows these artifacts, because he too has an interest in the bone dust, and the mousy nurse.
And finally, the 3rd, and what seems to be the final installment. Thomas, who used to date Belle, one of Madame Vileroy's charges, before she dumped him, now has to deal with Vileroy and his father getting married. Of course she isn't who you'd want for a stepmother, one reason for Thomas is that he is heartbroken and confused at Belle leaving, and what he thinks he saw before she left, and part of the reason is that she needs her son to be "re-born" in order for her to regain what she needs to be her normal, beautiful, immortal self. And she has chosen Thomas to be the "vessel" I guess you would say. Which leads to a whole Jekyll and Hyde scenario, and Thomas begins to have blacked out times that he cannot remember.
(Spoiler alert!!!)
In the end, I think there is no way you can say that the evil isn't destroyed. I believe this villain is gone, they defeated her. And that is the way that I want some stories to end. I want there to be an end to the evil. Kind of like Harry Potter destroyed Voldemort. Sometimes it is okay for evil to really go. And this is the perfect way it was done.