1 star -- I hate it
(See? I'm making up for all those blank days by reading as fast as I can for you!)
Wish You Were Dead is a really awful book. Part of my problem is that I get my books off of Amazon recommendations. Based on previous ratings, Amazon suggests other books. Sometimes the suggestions are fantastic. Sometimes they're only so-so. Sometimes I don't know why a book was even recommended to me.
But it's my fault too. When I feel like I might have a lot of time on my hands, I grab the more interesting-looking titles from my recommended list, put them on hold at the library, and take them home with nothing more than a title in my head. Sometimes I know the author. Sometimes I think the books that the recommendation is based on are stellar, and so the recommendation can't go wrong. Sometimes the cover is what convinces me to get the book. Sometimes I just want to try something a little more unusual.
In this case, the cover reminded me of Unwind, which is an unbelievably moving book. It horrified me, but it stuck in my head, which means its fantastic.
Anyway, back to this book, I checked it out without knowing a thing about it. The title could take the story any number of ways. And it was marked by the library as "Mystery," which I don't often read, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
(Bad pun...) I took the shot for you. You can remain unscathed by the awfulness of this book. I beg of you, don't read this book.
It starts off okay, and I think the only positive thing I have to say about this book is that the author manages to make everyone a possible suspect while keeping the true criminal hidden until the end.
But it was that "Everyone's a suspect" that eventually got to me. And once that started to annoy me, I noticed every other bad aspect of the book.
The writing is not phenomenal. It's very ... average. It's like reading a high school paper. Point A. Point B. Point C. Walk the reader to the conclusion with no surprises.
The plot is ... overdone. There is nothing original in this story. It's like a mash-up of a teen angsty book with a harlequin romance with a serial killer thriller. Everything you imagine in those books is in this book.
The characters are flat and lifeless. The criminal is not believable. I don't think the author did any research when he wrote this. I don't think he researched how long people take to die without water, how antidepressants work, or how bipolar disorder works and affects people. I don't think he researched multiple-personality disorder. I don't think he thought things through.
I get the feeling that the author doesn't really remember what it was like to be in high school -- or he's completely terrible at writing from a female's POV. For example, the main character, Lucy, is enamored of the new guy. She's Miss Popular, and she loves it. All of her friends are popular, and she loves them (every single one of them... she's so nice!). But she can't get antisocial trench coat-wearing Tyler out of her head. I don't know how it was in your high school, but in my high school, popular girls dated popular guys, and if a guy they were interested in treated them like shit, they moved on. And they weren't attracted to the loner Goth kid anyway.
Beside which, three of Lucy's closest friends disappear, and foul play is suspected. And she still can't get Tyler out of her head? When your longtime best friend from elementary school disappears, right after his girlfriend (coincidentally, also a longtime friend of yours) inexplicably disappeared, and then your most-recent acquisition of a best friend disappears as well ...? I don't care how hot the guy is, you have bigger things on your mind.
And the climax of the story is one of the most ridiculous things. One of the kids is found dead, with her eyes gouged out, and the police demand all kids go home from school with their parental unit, because it obviously ISN'T SAFE OUT.
So as soon as Lucy and mum get home, mum heads off to a meeting, because surely their house is safe. And Lucy? Lucy decides to go to their hot tub, in a glass pool house, NAKED.
That's right. I know that when one of my best friends is found outside my school dead from dehydration, the first thing I think about is how relaxing it would be to sit in my hot tub nude...
And of course, scary guy comes to the glass.... and of course, scary guy breaks through the glass.... and of course, stupid girl can't even call the police.
And then it turns out that scary guy isn't actually scary. He's just trying to help (of course). And he has all the answers that no one else figured out (except for one lone girl in school who wisely decides NOT to go to the police). And it makes so much sense for Lucy to just go with him (yes, she did put on clothes first) to find the killer without leaving a note for her parents and without calling the police. Why call the police when there's a serial killer on the loose?
And THEN (were you thinking the book just couldn't get worse?) when Tyler (who showed up on his own) breaks Lucy out (but not himself), and she has a pitchfork and the element of surprise on her side, she tries to SUBDUE the (multiple-personality) killer and bully her into giving herself up. And then Lucy ACCIDENTALLY stabs the killer with the pitchfork, unexpectedly (and unwillingly) killing her.
Reading this was like reading a bad horror film. Except you laugh at bad horror flicks. You expect the heroine to grab the banana instead of the cell phone. But, personally, I expect more from a book.
I wish Lucy had been killed. She certainly didn't deserve to live. And did I mention that Tyler was a 20-year-old passing as an 18-year-old on his own manhunt to avenge his sister?
I told you... this book has every element....
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan
4 stars -- I liked it.
I'm not a huge fan of short story collections, so I apologize if my review comes across as being less than positive. Red Spikes deserves a positive review.
The variety of stories in this book is nice (not a very good descriptive word, eh?). I read Red Spikes cover to cover like a normal book, but I have a feeling it would have been better if I had read one story at a time, taking the time to digest each story properly before moving on to the next story. The topics in the stories are such that it's hard to move easily from one story to the next. I frequently had to re-read the stories' openings to adjust my mindset and make sure I was properly in the current story.
Going back to the variety of the stories, a fantasy story about toys come to life (or perhaps dreams come to life) is followed by a very realistic story of love lost. This is followed by a story one would tell to children to scare them (and it is a fine story for that!). There is a story told from a monkey's POV; a story about faeries; a story about limbo, heaven, and hell; a story about a witch. There's a little bit of something for everyone in this collection, and every story is written very well.
Overall, for my dislike of short story collections, I was surprised at how much I liked this book. Certain stories stick out more than others, and I think a number of them lend themselves to becoming full-length novels if the author wanted. (I think part of the reason I don't like short stories is that they are, as their name implies, so short... there's so much more than needs to be said to leave a reader satisfied. But having written short stories, I realize it works much better to have that little tingle of, "What happens next?")
This would be a good book to have on your shelf. It's got a beautiful, intriguing cover, and it would be lovely for guests who come over and want something to pass the few spare minutes they have. Rather than getting stuck in the middle of novel they might never get to finish, this would be a great alternative that leaves them with having read a good story in just a few minutes (much like a magazine article, but much more entertaining, and certainly bound much better).
I'm not a huge fan of short story collections, so I apologize if my review comes across as being less than positive. Red Spikes deserves a positive review.
The variety of stories in this book is nice (not a very good descriptive word, eh?). I read Red Spikes cover to cover like a normal book, but I have a feeling it would have been better if I had read one story at a time, taking the time to digest each story properly before moving on to the next story. The topics in the stories are such that it's hard to move easily from one story to the next. I frequently had to re-read the stories' openings to adjust my mindset and make sure I was properly in the current story.
Going back to the variety of the stories, a fantasy story about toys come to life (or perhaps dreams come to life) is followed by a very realistic story of love lost. This is followed by a story one would tell to children to scare them (and it is a fine story for that!). There is a story told from a monkey's POV; a story about faeries; a story about limbo, heaven, and hell; a story about a witch. There's a little bit of something for everyone in this collection, and every story is written very well.
Overall, for my dislike of short story collections, I was surprised at how much I liked this book. Certain stories stick out more than others, and I think a number of them lend themselves to becoming full-length novels if the author wanted. (I think part of the reason I don't like short stories is that they are, as their name implies, so short... there's so much more than needs to be said to leave a reader satisfied. But having written short stories, I realize it works much better to have that little tingle of, "What happens next?")
This would be a good book to have on your shelf. It's got a beautiful, intriguing cover, and it would be lovely for guests who come over and want something to pass the few spare minutes they have. Rather than getting stuck in the middle of novel they might never get to finish, this would be a great alternative that leaves them with having read a good story in just a few minutes (much like a magazine article, but much more entertaining, and certainly bound much better).
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
5 stars - I love it!
The Unfinished Angel is a wonderful book. It is for children or juveniles (a bit younger than I usually read), but it's really sweet.
I think what attracted me to the book is the cover... or rather, the back cover :) The front cover is a simply drawn rainbow-colored pigeon. On the back or multi-colored pigeon footprints. It's adorable. I love rainbows, and the simplicity of this cover (with its intriguing title) drew me in.
The story is told from the point of view (POV) of an angel, who readily admits he doesn't think he's all he's supposed to be. He doesn't have a mission; he doesn't know what he's supposed to do for people; nor does he have all the words he knows he needs to communicate properly. Reading from his POV is like reading a story told by someone who speaks English as a second language, but it's done well enough that you don't mind.
I really enjoyed reading his made-up words. Some of them are just so perfect. For example, "... below the mountains is a blue-green lake, and above the mountains at night is a blue-black sky all pokeled with blue-white stars." Pokeled is exactly how the sky looks at night! He describes the secondary main character, Zola, as having "crippy-croppy hair." It certainly puts a strong image in my head.
The book's plot is simple, and it doesn't end up finishing the angel or answering any of his many questions, but it's a sweet and simple story that I think would entrance younger children.
If you have a 7-10 year old, this is definitely something you can read to them or with them.
The Unfinished Angel is a wonderful book. It is for children or juveniles (a bit younger than I usually read), but it's really sweet.
I think what attracted me to the book is the cover... or rather, the back cover :) The front cover is a simply drawn rainbow-colored pigeon. On the back or multi-colored pigeon footprints. It's adorable. I love rainbows, and the simplicity of this cover (with its intriguing title) drew me in.
The story is told from the point of view (POV) of an angel, who readily admits he doesn't think he's all he's supposed to be. He doesn't have a mission; he doesn't know what he's supposed to do for people; nor does he have all the words he knows he needs to communicate properly. Reading from his POV is like reading a story told by someone who speaks English as a second language, but it's done well enough that you don't mind.
I really enjoyed reading his made-up words. Some of them are just so perfect. For example, "... below the mountains is a blue-green lake, and above the mountains at night is a blue-black sky all pokeled with blue-white stars." Pokeled is exactly how the sky looks at night! He describes the secondary main character, Zola, as having "crippy-croppy hair." It certainly puts a strong image in my head.
The book's plot is simple, and it doesn't end up finishing the angel or answering any of his many questions, but it's a sweet and simple story that I think would entrance younger children.
If you have a 7-10 year old, this is definitely something you can read to them or with them.
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
2 Stars -- I didn't like it :(
I finished this days ago and didn't post. I can blame it on several factors: the holidays; I'm a procrastinator; and I just didn't like this book and didn't want to write about it.
Bloom comes across as a typical teen love story in the back-ad and description. I had it on hold at the library for ever, which I assumed meant the book was really popular. I was rather looking forward to it, because surely a book that's hard to get a hold of should be worth it, right?
Not so much.
Lauren is an average teen girl. Except she's dating the most-popular and most-attractive guy in her school. Her relationship with him is perfect. He treats her like a perfect gentleman would. Due to his religious beliefs, he doesn't even try to pressure her to have sex.
Lauren says her best friend isn't her best friend. They don't have anything in common (except their best friend boyfriends).
And then Evan steps back into Lauren's life. They lived together once when her father was dating his mother. When that relationship went south, Evan disappeared, and now Lauren can't get him out of her head.
It's a pretty standard set-up for a teen novel.
What really, really upsets me, though, is how completely internally focused Lauren is, how self-centered and immature she comes across. Her pseudo-best friend is clearly having issues at home that any normal person, once they were clued in, would attempt to help out with. Her passion for Evan would cause a normal teen girl to drop her current boyfriend in a second. The author plays it off as Lauren being worried about what others would think, but she has also spent the entire book pointing out how Lauren doesn't really care what other people think about her. She knows she's not popular except through her boyfriend, and she doesn't let it get to her. If she doesn't really want to be popular, why would she stay with the boyfriend when she finds someone better?
There's also the storyline about Lauren and her father. Her mother (his wife) abandoned them when Lauren was six years old. This is the cause for a lot of Lauren's low self-esteem. For the majority of the story, Lauren's father is oblivious, choosing to work rather than spend time with Lauren. Except toward the end of the story, he starts coming home more. This culminates in a "heart-to-heart" with Lauren that goes nowhere. He says, "Your mother loved you," and they cry, and it's emotional--except it's not. It's a complete flop as far as heart-to-hearts go. Nothing is solved; nothing is accomplished.
I really disliked this book. It's like the author tried to bring up deeper issues and just couldn't follow through. I hated the main character, and I know that wasn't the author's intention. She wanted her to be a typical teen girl that any other girl could relate to. And while teens certainly are self-centered, immature, and oblivious, they usually don't cut off everyone they know. And if they do, the conclusion isn't that some tears and hugs make things better. You'd lose your friends.
Don't read this book... unless you want to figure out how NOT to write your teen character.
I finished this days ago and didn't post. I can blame it on several factors: the holidays; I'm a procrastinator; and I just didn't like this book and didn't want to write about it.
Bloom comes across as a typical teen love story in the back-ad and description. I had it on hold at the library for ever, which I assumed meant the book was really popular. I was rather looking forward to it, because surely a book that's hard to get a hold of should be worth it, right?
Not so much.
Lauren is an average teen girl. Except she's dating the most-popular and most-attractive guy in her school. Her relationship with him is perfect. He treats her like a perfect gentleman would. Due to his religious beliefs, he doesn't even try to pressure her to have sex.
Lauren says her best friend isn't her best friend. They don't have anything in common (except their best friend boyfriends).
And then Evan steps back into Lauren's life. They lived together once when her father was dating his mother. When that relationship went south, Evan disappeared, and now Lauren can't get him out of her head.
It's a pretty standard set-up for a teen novel.
What really, really upsets me, though, is how completely internally focused Lauren is, how self-centered and immature she comes across. Her pseudo-best friend is clearly having issues at home that any normal person, once they were clued in, would attempt to help out with. Her passion for Evan would cause a normal teen girl to drop her current boyfriend in a second. The author plays it off as Lauren being worried about what others would think, but she has also spent the entire book pointing out how Lauren doesn't really care what other people think about her. She knows she's not popular except through her boyfriend, and she doesn't let it get to her. If she doesn't really want to be popular, why would she stay with the boyfriend when she finds someone better?
There's also the storyline about Lauren and her father. Her mother (his wife) abandoned them when Lauren was six years old. This is the cause for a lot of Lauren's low self-esteem. For the majority of the story, Lauren's father is oblivious, choosing to work rather than spend time with Lauren. Except toward the end of the story, he starts coming home more. This culminates in a "heart-to-heart" with Lauren that goes nowhere. He says, "Your mother loved you," and they cry, and it's emotional--except it's not. It's a complete flop as far as heart-to-hearts go. Nothing is solved; nothing is accomplished.
I really disliked this book. It's like the author tried to bring up deeper issues and just couldn't follow through. I hated the main character, and I know that wasn't the author's intention. She wanted her to be a typical teen girl that any other girl could relate to. And while teens certainly are self-centered, immature, and oblivious, they usually don't cut off everyone they know. And if they do, the conclusion isn't that some tears and hugs make things better. You'd lose your friends.
Don't read this book... unless you want to figure out how NOT to write your teen character.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
How To Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
4.5 stars -- I like it a lot.
How To Say Goodbye in Robot left me feeling meloncholy. It's not usually a feeling I look for in books, but in this case it fits, and it might be exactly the type of feeling the author was trying to convey.
How To Say Goodbye in Robot is about a girl, Bea, who moves to a new town. Her mother becomes overly emotional and irrational after the move and calls Bea a robot when Bea doesn't react as emotionally to things as she does.
This leads to a lot of introspection on the part of Bea. She starts to believe that she might be a robot. Perhaps she isn't reacting as normal people do, isn't feeling what normal people feel. And then she meets Jonah.
Jonah is a hard character to like. He's mean to Bea and manipulative. He's got so much baggage the airlines probably wouldn't let him fly. But Bea loves him and desperately tries to help him.
I really liked how this all came together. I didn't like Jonah, but I didn't fault Bea for liking him. The main plot of the story is slightly ridiculous, but also incredibly sad, and it's easy to see how and why certain characters are affected by others.
Also, I'm a fan of the design of the book. The bright pink pages that mark the months are a fabulous way to show the passage of time, and they break up the monotony of the normal black and white interior of a book. They're unique.
Certainly a worthwhile read!
How To Say Goodbye in Robot left me feeling meloncholy. It's not usually a feeling I look for in books, but in this case it fits, and it might be exactly the type of feeling the author was trying to convey.
How To Say Goodbye in Robot is about a girl, Bea, who moves to a new town. Her mother becomes overly emotional and irrational after the move and calls Bea a robot when Bea doesn't react as emotionally to things as she does.
This leads to a lot of introspection on the part of Bea. She starts to believe that she might be a robot. Perhaps she isn't reacting as normal people do, isn't feeling what normal people feel. And then she meets Jonah.
Jonah is a hard character to like. He's mean to Bea and manipulative. He's got so much baggage the airlines probably wouldn't let him fly. But Bea loves him and desperately tries to help him.
I really liked how this all came together. I didn't like Jonah, but I didn't fault Bea for liking him. The main plot of the story is slightly ridiculous, but also incredibly sad, and it's easy to see how and why certain characters are affected by others.
Also, I'm a fan of the design of the book. The bright pink pages that mark the months are a fabulous way to show the passage of time, and they break up the monotony of the normal black and white interior of a book. They're unique.
Certainly a worthwhile read!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
5 stars -- I loved it
This book is amazing (I admit... it made me cry for a bit). It helps, of course, that it takes place in Australia, but Saving Francesca surpassed my expectations.
When my husband saw the title, his first question was, "What does Francesca need saving from?" It's a tricky question to answer in the beginning. There are so many real and serious issues Francis is facing. Her normally upbeat and pushy mother refuses to leave her bed; she has just started at a new school -- an all boys' school, but for thirty girls recently admitted; none of her friends are among the thirty girls at her school, and for a girl of 16 years, that can be huge; and the boy she likes kisses her, but then admits he has a girlfriend. It's easy to think that Francesca needs saving from her mother, her family, her school, her friends, even herself, but I'll let you read it to find out which it really is.
Depression is difficult and hurtful, and Melina Marchetta handled the issue nicely. She even brings it to a satisfactory conclusion, and it's completely believable.
The main character, Francesca, is a perfectly believable female teenager, and her angst is understandable and even mostly explainable -- although sometimes it's not. Francis admits to being angry at her dad for no reason she can find.
Overall, I highly recommend you read this book. It's simple but amazing.
This book is amazing (I admit... it made me cry for a bit). It helps, of course, that it takes place in Australia, but Saving Francesca surpassed my expectations.
When my husband saw the title, his first question was, "What does Francesca need saving from?" It's a tricky question to answer in the beginning. There are so many real and serious issues Francis is facing. Her normally upbeat and pushy mother refuses to leave her bed; she has just started at a new school -- an all boys' school, but for thirty girls recently admitted; none of her friends are among the thirty girls at her school, and for a girl of 16 years, that can be huge; and the boy she likes kisses her, but then admits he has a girlfriend. It's easy to think that Francesca needs saving from her mother, her family, her school, her friends, even herself, but I'll let you read it to find out which it really is.
Depression is difficult and hurtful, and Melina Marchetta handled the issue nicely. She even brings it to a satisfactory conclusion, and it's completely believable.
The main character, Francesca, is a perfectly believable female teenager, and her angst is understandable and even mostly explainable -- although sometimes it's not. Francis admits to being angry at her dad for no reason she can find.
Overall, I highly recommend you read this book. It's simple but amazing.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Splendor by Anna Godbersen
4 stars -- I liked it.
The fourth and final book in the Luxe novels, Splendor ends the series perfectly. It's one of the first times I can remember being perfectly pleased with a series' ending. Other series tend to tie things up too nicely or don't really have an end at all, but this one was perfect.
You definitely have to read the first three books in the series (The Luxe, Rumors, and Envy) for this one to make sense for these are not stand-alone novels. They follow the lives of several upper-class New York socialites in the late 1800's, early 1900's.
In all of the novels, the heroines are the Holland girls, but there are a number of characters that readers aren't sure how to feel about. Finally, though, readers find closure. A former maid, in the beginning petty and untrustworthy, had wormed her way into high society and was being cast in a gentler light. Unsure whether I was supposed to still hate her or whether I should begin liking her for her ingenuity and success, the way she was left was perfect. The hated rival to Elizabeth Holland is given a taste of her own medicine. Henry Schoonmaker, a cad and unlikable fellow for the majority of the series, is redeemed in readers' eyes, only to be given an appropriate ending, as well. Henry had been getting on my good side, but the way the author left him made me smile--he was a cad, after all.
There was a new twist in this story as well. Elizabeth had been remarried in a previous novel, and I felt like she was settling, because she was. But we find out that all is not as it seems in her new marriage, and Elizabeth--often weak and malleable--finds her backbone unexpectedly, and then finds happiness as well.
Like I said, I really like how this series ended. Everyone got exactly what they deserved, and for a series that I was only reading due to the pretty dresses on the cover (fabulous covers, Harper), I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I appreciate the progression of this series and its characters. Well done.
The fourth and final book in the Luxe novels, Splendor ends the series perfectly. It's one of the first times I can remember being perfectly pleased with a series' ending. Other series tend to tie things up too nicely or don't really have an end at all, but this one was perfect.
You definitely have to read the first three books in the series (The Luxe, Rumors, and Envy) for this one to make sense for these are not stand-alone novels. They follow the lives of several upper-class New York socialites in the late 1800's, early 1900's.
In all of the novels, the heroines are the Holland girls, but there are a number of characters that readers aren't sure how to feel about. Finally, though, readers find closure. A former maid, in the beginning petty and untrustworthy, had wormed her way into high society and was being cast in a gentler light. Unsure whether I was supposed to still hate her or whether I should begin liking her for her ingenuity and success, the way she was left was perfect. The hated rival to Elizabeth Holland is given a taste of her own medicine. Henry Schoonmaker, a cad and unlikable fellow for the majority of the series, is redeemed in readers' eyes, only to be given an appropriate ending, as well. Henry had been getting on my good side, but the way the author left him made me smile--he was a cad, after all.
There was a new twist in this story as well. Elizabeth had been remarried in a previous novel, and I felt like she was settling, because she was. But we find out that all is not as it seems in her new marriage, and Elizabeth--often weak and malleable--finds her backbone unexpectedly, and then finds happiness as well.
Like I said, I really like how this series ended. Everyone got exactly what they deserved, and for a series that I was only reading due to the pretty dresses on the cover (fabulous covers, Harper), I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I appreciate the progression of this series and its characters. Well done.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
3 stars. Or 4 fluffy bunnies. (I'm not really sure whether to rate Oh. My. Gods. as a normal book or as a fluff book. In my head, when I first started reading it, it was a normal book, but now that I've finished it, I'm not sure why it couldn't be fluff.)
Proof that when a book makes it big, all the other publishers jump on the bandwagon, Oh. My. Gods. is very similar to The Lightning Thief. . . . Except it's written for girls.
Phoebe's mom goes to Greece to meet her late husband's extended family and comes back with a fiance. Against, her will, Phoebe is forced to move to a small island near Greece where said fiance is the headmaster of a small school.
Based on the title of the book and the book I compared it to, I'm sure you've already realized that the school is a school for the offspring of the Greek gods. Differing from the Percy Jackson series, Phoebe is not half-god (at least... not in the majority of the story), and therein lies the crux of the story. Everyone hates her because she's normal, and she has a crush on the most popular guy in school, who just happens to be dating the most popular girl in school, who just happens to be a spiteful bitch.
Despite its unsurprising storyline, this was a decent read. It only took a few hours, and it's entertaining. Finding out that Phoebe's crush has a heroes' complex and literally cannot pass up someone who needs help is a welcome and funny surprise for the reader. Seeing the stepsister and Phoebe settle their differences (but not become best friends) is refreshing (although perhaps outweighed by Phoebe's new best friend throwing aside her 10-year dislike of the Phoebe's crush in a matter of minutes).
Overall, as a fluff book, this is a good read. There's romance and betrayal. Lots of teen angst. An evil stepsister. Loyal best friends. New best friends. Perfect matches. A bet reminiscent of the late '90s (think She's All That.) All the components necessary for a good teen read. But if you're looking for something life-changing and mind-altering, you might want to keep looking.
Proof that when a book makes it big, all the other publishers jump on the bandwagon, Oh. My. Gods. is very similar to The Lightning Thief. . . . Except it's written for girls.
Phoebe's mom goes to Greece to meet her late husband's extended family and comes back with a fiance. Against, her will, Phoebe is forced to move to a small island near Greece where said fiance is the headmaster of a small school.
Based on the title of the book and the book I compared it to, I'm sure you've already realized that the school is a school for the offspring of the Greek gods. Differing from the Percy Jackson series, Phoebe is not half-god (at least... not in the majority of the story), and therein lies the crux of the story. Everyone hates her because she's normal, and she has a crush on the most popular guy in school, who just happens to be dating the most popular girl in school, who just happens to be a spiteful bitch.
Despite its unsurprising storyline, this was a decent read. It only took a few hours, and it's entertaining. Finding out that Phoebe's crush has a heroes' complex and literally cannot pass up someone who needs help is a welcome and funny surprise for the reader. Seeing the stepsister and Phoebe settle their differences (but not become best friends) is refreshing (although perhaps outweighed by Phoebe's new best friend throwing aside her 10-year dislike of the Phoebe's crush in a matter of minutes).
Overall, as a fluff book, this is a good read. There's romance and betrayal. Lots of teen angst. An evil stepsister. Loyal best friends. New best friends. Perfect matches. A bet reminiscent of the late '90s (think She's All That.) All the components necessary for a good teen read. But if you're looking for something life-changing and mind-altering, you might want to keep looking.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List by Janette Rallison
3 fluffy bunnies -- It's okay for a fluff book
I agonized over whether I even wanted to post a review about Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List (besides the fact that there's a misspelling in the title, according to Merriam-Webster). See... I'm kind of embarrassed that I read it. It's one of those books that I knew was pure fluff. It took a couple hours to read, and there's nothing much to it.
So there's not much to say about it. Girl wants to be a famous actress. Famous actor's son moves into town. Of course he falls for her, even though she's self-centered and a complete ditz. They have a fight; they get over the fight. Happily ever after—ta-da!
If you want something to pass the time without getting too involved, feel free to grab this book! You won't spend hours thinking about its complexity once you put it down, and if you have to get up and do something useful during the reading, you won't agonize over having to set the book down. I certainly don't think you'll rush to pick it up again.
Several of Janette Rallison's book follow the same sort of theme. High school angst shown at only the most superficial level. None of the characters ever really get any depth added to them (not even the main character). They're pretty formulaic, and they all have the same sort of title. I would have thought they were part of series, but they're not.
Not to say Ms. Rallison is a bad writer... in fact, I enjoyed several of her other books not in this 'series': My Fair Godmother got several laughs for its witticisms; Just One Wish was rather sweet (though also rather unbelievable); and How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend was a adorable (though predictable). I think any of these three books would be a better pick for wasting your time with some fluff. Just avoid her books that have titles with lists of three.
I agonized over whether I even wanted to post a review about Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List (besides the fact that there's a misspelling in the title, according to Merriam-Webster). See... I'm kind of embarrassed that I read it. It's one of those books that I knew was pure fluff. It took a couple hours to read, and there's nothing much to it.
So there's not much to say about it. Girl wants to be a famous actress. Famous actor's son moves into town. Of course he falls for her, even though she's self-centered and a complete ditz. They have a fight; they get over the fight. Happily ever after—ta-da!
If you want something to pass the time without getting too involved, feel free to grab this book! You won't spend hours thinking about its complexity once you put it down, and if you have to get up and do something useful during the reading, you won't agonize over having to set the book down. I certainly don't think you'll rush to pick it up again.
Several of Janette Rallison's book follow the same sort of theme. High school angst shown at only the most superficial level. None of the characters ever really get any depth added to them (not even the main character). They're pretty formulaic, and they all have the same sort of title. I would have thought they were part of series, but they're not.
Not to say Ms. Rallison is a bad writer... in fact, I enjoyed several of her other books not in this 'series': My Fair Godmother got several laughs for its witticisms; Just One Wish was rather sweet (though also rather unbelievable); and How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend was a adorable (though predictable). I think any of these three books would be a better pick for wasting your time with some fluff. Just avoid her books that have titles with lists of three.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Betrayals by Lili St. Crow
3.5 stars -- It's ok, but I don't know if I like it :)
The sequel to Strange Angels, Betrayals picks up exactly where the first book left off and does plenty of flashbacks, in italics, to bring you up to speed if you don't quite remember what the first book was about. Surprisingly enough, I did. Usually I don't. I read so many books that details tend to fade and blend together. That Strange Angels didn't should show that it's a worthwhile book. I rated Strange Angels 4 stars on Amazon. I remember being slightly put-off by the whole "She's a unique and special girl with a werewolf for a best friend and a potential vampire crush," but I liked the story line enough that I was looking forward to the sequel.
I thought that this book had a lot of potential, but in reading it, I realized that it didn't quite hit the target. On the other hand, it's possible that it could redeemed by further books in the series... of course, it could continue going downhill.
The majority of Betrayals flies by in a blur... literally for the main character. Dru spends the book--which covers, I believe, about a total of two or three weeks--in constant pain, frequently unconscious, and always completely unsure of what's going on and whom she can trust. She gets in battles every day, and she never comes out on top. That's not to say she doesn't win any, but there's always some caveat--she starts bleeding so the other character wants to eat her; the other character starts bleeding so suddenly she wants to eat him, etc.
I was a bit disappointed in the battle scenes. At one point, Dru runs away from the school she's been at for about a week and winds up entangled in a thorn bush. She hears screaming and sees a werewolf, and at one point (after running from the bush and slamming into a tree) sees the wolf tear apart a vampire. I left the scene believing Dru had been outside for, at the most, an hour, and that she had seen what was going on. But in the next chapter, it turns out that she had been outside most of the night, and there were three dead vampires, not just the one. Dru is described as shuddering and in shock and practically catatonic, though she had seemed fine in the descriptions of the actual battle. This left me saying, "Wait... what??"
Overall, this book wasn't as strong as the first book. Dru seems weak and stupid, whereas in the first book, she was the one who knew what was going on. She didn't necessarily know all of the pieces, but she was still able to defend and protect herself. Now she has to be protected by both of her "guardian angels" time and time again. In the climax, she is literally carried and dragged through the battle while she fades in and out of consciousness by one "angel," while the other is kicking ass for her.
I'm not going to say I didn't like it, but I can't really say that I did either. I guess I'm just waiting for third book to see if this is series is worth following any further.
The sequel to Strange Angels, Betrayals picks up exactly where the first book left off and does plenty of flashbacks, in italics, to bring you up to speed if you don't quite remember what the first book was about. Surprisingly enough, I did. Usually I don't. I read so many books that details tend to fade and blend together. That Strange Angels didn't should show that it's a worthwhile book. I rated Strange Angels 4 stars on Amazon. I remember being slightly put-off by the whole "She's a unique and special girl with a werewolf for a best friend and a potential vampire crush," but I liked the story line enough that I was looking forward to the sequel.
I thought that this book had a lot of potential, but in reading it, I realized that it didn't quite hit the target. On the other hand, it's possible that it could redeemed by further books in the series... of course, it could continue going downhill.
The majority of Betrayals flies by in a blur... literally for the main character. Dru spends the book--which covers, I believe, about a total of two or three weeks--in constant pain, frequently unconscious, and always completely unsure of what's going on and whom she can trust. She gets in battles every day, and she never comes out on top. That's not to say she doesn't win any, but there's always some caveat--she starts bleeding so the other character wants to eat her; the other character starts bleeding so suddenly she wants to eat him, etc.
I was a bit disappointed in the battle scenes. At one point, Dru runs away from the school she's been at for about a week and winds up entangled in a thorn bush. She hears screaming and sees a werewolf, and at one point (after running from the bush and slamming into a tree) sees the wolf tear apart a vampire. I left the scene believing Dru had been outside for, at the most, an hour, and that she had seen what was going on. But in the next chapter, it turns out that she had been outside most of the night, and there were three dead vampires, not just the one. Dru is described as shuddering and in shock and practically catatonic, though she had seemed fine in the descriptions of the actual battle. This left me saying, "Wait... what??"
Overall, this book wasn't as strong as the first book. Dru seems weak and stupid, whereas in the first book, she was the one who knew what was going on. She didn't necessarily know all of the pieces, but she was still able to defend and protect herself. Now she has to be protected by both of her "guardian angels" time and time again. In the climax, she is literally carried and dragged through the battle while she fades in and out of consciousness by one "angel," while the other is kicking ass for her.
I'm not going to say I didn't like it, but I can't really say that I did either. I guess I'm just waiting for third book to see if this is series is worth following any further.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
4 stars -- I like it.
Bog Child is a very well-written book. It wasn't one I had to consume in one sitting, but I didn't set it aside for something more exciting either. Not knowing much about the history of Ireland, except in the vaguest of ways, I thought this book brought a lot issues to light without making them too heavy.
Set on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the story follows a few months in the life of Fergus, an 18-year-old boy. Fergus and his uncle discover the well-preserved body of a girl in the peat bog, which brings a love interest to Fergus in the form of Cory, an archaeologist's daughter. Fergus' brother is also in prison and on hunger strike, and Fergus himself is being blackmailed by his brother's friend into smuggling illegals across the border of the two countries.
As I mentioned, I'm not familiar with what I've now learned are called "The Troubles." Although I knew Northern Ireland has been, recently, embroiled with strife, it was difficult to read in about car-bombings and prison hunger strikes and keep in mind that the story also takes place in a first-world country in the '80s. Every now and then Fergus would bring up more-recent bands, and I would have to shake myself to put the story back in its correct time period (my mind kept wanting to place it in the '60s).
I can't say exactly what I like about the story. There's not much in the way of suspense, mystery, or even climax. But the simpleness of the story works for it, and of course, being well-written is always a positive. I might have been partial to the story just because I like the UK so very much and got a kick out of seeing my favorite words, like "minging" and "suss," which I had assumed were more-recently made-up words.
All in all, this is worth a read if you're interested in The Troubles and want to get a glimpse into the situation without becoming completely overwhelmed and depressed. The book never gets too heavy, just as it never treats the situation too light-handedly. Bog Child also gets into the history of Ireland just a bit, and the story lines of friendship, love (or maybe it's just lust), and growing up in general, fit well within the greater context.
Bog Child is a very well-written book. It wasn't one I had to consume in one sitting, but I didn't set it aside for something more exciting either. Not knowing much about the history of Ireland, except in the vaguest of ways, I thought this book brought a lot issues to light without making them too heavy.
Set on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the story follows a few months in the life of Fergus, an 18-year-old boy. Fergus and his uncle discover the well-preserved body of a girl in the peat bog, which brings a love interest to Fergus in the form of Cory, an archaeologist's daughter. Fergus' brother is also in prison and on hunger strike, and Fergus himself is being blackmailed by his brother's friend into smuggling illegals across the border of the two countries.
As I mentioned, I'm not familiar with what I've now learned are called "The Troubles." Although I knew Northern Ireland has been, recently, embroiled with strife, it was difficult to read in about car-bombings and prison hunger strikes and keep in mind that the story also takes place in a first-world country in the '80s. Every now and then Fergus would bring up more-recent bands, and I would have to shake myself to put the story back in its correct time period (my mind kept wanting to place it in the '60s).
I can't say exactly what I like about the story. There's not much in the way of suspense, mystery, or even climax. But the simpleness of the story works for it, and of course, being well-written is always a positive. I might have been partial to the story just because I like the UK so very much and got a kick out of seeing my favorite words, like "minging" and "suss," which I had assumed were more-recently made-up words.
All in all, this is worth a read if you're interested in The Troubles and want to get a glimpse into the situation without becoming completely overwhelmed and depressed. The book never gets too heavy, just as it never treats the situation too light-handedly. Bog Child also gets into the history of Ireland just a bit, and the story lines of friendship, love (or maybe it's just lust), and growing up in general, fit well within the greater context.
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