Basically, we get a woman who is heartbroken because her parents freaking died, and anxious because she has a brother to practically raise and care for on her own, and a dude who understandably needs his soulmate, his other missing half, but not-so-understandably tries to convince her in a rather dubious way to fall in his arms.
Honestly, this was grooming at its finest, even if Charlene wasn’t some child. Girl just lost her parents – and her world is sort of crashing all around her. She needs understanding and comfort, not a whole town conspiring to get her into Zack’s bed and life. I can see why her mother wanted out of that life – it’s like a fucking cult in there! (also, Zack, dude, you’re in a funeral home, the lady is mourning her freshly killed parents, do you mind?! ewwww)
I get that this is a shorter book compared to other romantic stories and it needs to move along, but the scenes kept growing more and more tactless. If you want to kickstart a fast-paced, insta-romance, then don’t have it start at a funeral of a very close and beloved relative. Sheesh!
Another part that just couldn’t let me get immersed in the story no matter what was Eliana and her squad. It was bad enough that Charlene’s parents’ death issue was all over the place, I had to also endure the story being cut constantly just to put Eliana’s search scenes – not only was it off-putting, it didn’t make sense. Furthermore, how do you get a universe where people believe in jinnis and what have you, but not werewolves?
All in all, not a very good choice for me – pace, characters, world-building… Nothing seemed to work. Hard pass!
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
“I love you, Maddy. And I tried like hell not to. Tried to convince myself that you were better off without a man like me. Tried to tell myself that the risk wasn’t worth the reward. But it was like trying to walk to the horizon. No matter what, I just couldn’t get there.” – Brando Pallidino
Gotta admit, this one was for acquired tastes – fortunately, mine fall just in this particular category, so it was fine.
Bran and Maddy met when the Deep Six crew rescued her from terrorists in her father’s yaucht. Now they’re pen pals – who can’t stop thinking of that one passionate kiss they shared before parting ways. So when Maddy finds herself in danger once again, Bran answers the call and plays the hero – but will he stick around to fully get the girl this time?
Honestly, while Leo and Olivia were a much more… mature couple, I guess, in their interactions, I found myself smiling a little more with this one. Bran and Maddy are movie geeks, and the book was filled to the brim with movie references and what-have-you. For some, it might be distracting and tiresome – for me, a certified movie geek myself, it was pure delight! There’s no better way to fool around and flirt and banter than by letting your geek flag fly, and I loved every second of it!
The romance was OK, but I can’t really blame Bran for the hurdles he put in Maddy’s way. He had an abusive past and kept trying to think of himself as a future maniac. True, it doesn’t make sense for most of us, especially if we’ve never been through similar experiences, but it’s standard behavior for children growing up in these kind of circumstances, so I could see where he came from.
Thank God for Maddy and her “go get it myself” attitude towards everything! The woman was a bull with a mission!
What I loved the most in this story was the action. In the previous book, we kept sitting around and waiting endlessly, but in this one, we get right to it, and the pages just turn on their own. Brilliant! Not to mention, we have Alex – who is the best girl out there, and I swear to God, Mason, you’d better take her up on her offer! – and three THIRSTY (there’s really no other way to call them, hahaha!) teenagers, all of whom keep making the lead couple mighty uncomfortable. It’s hilarious to watch!
Now, let’s see if little Alex can climb Mason and knock some sense in his grumpy skull~
Ένα αρκετά ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο, και μια ιστορία που θα μπορούσε να πάει πολύ καλύτερα αν, κατά τη γνώμη μου, είχε δοθεί λίγη περισσότερη προσοχή στην επιμέλειά της.
Ενώ οι κύριοι χαρακτήρες σε τραβάνε και σε κάνουν να θες να δεις πώς θα καταλήξουν τα πράγματα για εκείνους στην αρχή, δεν είχαν αρκετό βάθος σαν προσωπικότητες ώστε να σε κρατήσουν τελείως καθηλωμένο στη σελίδα από ένα σημείο κι έπειτα. Έβρισκα τον εαυτό μου να νοιάζεται πιο πολύ, ας πούμε, για τον γιατρό και τα άτομα που άφησε πίσω του ο Ίνγκο, από τον ίδιο τον Ίνγκο και την περιπέτειά του. (μεταξύ μας κιόλας, τι φάση αυτή με το λουλούδι; βρε καμάρι μου, τράβα βγες ανοιχτά σαν άνθρωπος για να δείξεις ότι δεν κρυφακούς, δείξε τα λουλούδια στα χέρια σου και δίπλα στους στρατιώτες για να καταλάβουν ότι δεν έχεις άλλη δουλειά μαζί τους, και άντε τράβα στην ευχή του Θεού – τι λογική ήταν αυτή, να συρθείς στο έδαφος κυριολεκτικά δίπλα τους, λες και δε θα σε έβλεπαν; απλά φαντάζομαι τον Άριους να κάθεται και να βλέπει ένα βλήμα να σέρνεται δίπλα του στο χώμα, εξωφρενικά αργά, γιατί, well, Άριους, και να σκέφτεται “τι κάνει αυτό το ζώον;”)
Μιλώντας για τον Άριους, παίζει και να ήταν για μένα το επίκεντρο όλου του βιβλίου. Ήθελα να μάθω για την ζωή του περισσότερο από τα υπόλοιπα, σε ορισμένες φορές, άκυρα γεγονότα του βιβλίου. Είχε τις καλύτερες ατάκες, ήταν μέχρι τον λαιμό μέσα στο μυστήριο, και μάλιστα η συγγραφέας πούλησε καλύτερα τo δικό του plot twist και με πιο φυσικό τρόπο από τα απίστευτα προβλέψιμα γυρίσματα της πλοκής για τον Ίνγκο και τον Μπόρντο.
Το άλλο μου πρόβλημα ήταν η ταχύτητα εξέλιξης της ιστορίας. Ενώ αργεί πάρα πολύ μέχρι και τα 3/4 σχεδόν του βιβλίου, μετά ξαφνικά πατάει ένα γκάζι από το πουθενά, που δε βγάζει νόημα, και με έπιασε το κεφάλι μου. Έκανα πόσες μέρες να διαβάσω μέχρι τη μέση του βιβλίου, κι έβγαλα τις τελευταίες 50 σελίδες μέσα σε 1 ώρα. Νομίζω αυτό τα λέει όλα για το πώς έπρεπε να είχε κινηθεί γενικά η ροή. Σε αυτό έφταιγε ίσως η τάση της συγγραφέως να σπάει τον 4ο τοίχο και να απευθύνεται κατευθείαν στον αναγνώστη, σα να είναι παλιοί γνωστοί που έχουν πιάσει κουβεντούλα. Στην αρχή ήταν συμπαθητικό, και το έκανα χάζι – αλλά μετά από καμιά δεκαριά κεφάλαια καταντάει κουραστικό και σπάει την ιστορία και τη συνοχή της, είναι σα διακοπή για διαφημίσεις στις καλύτερες σκηνές μιας ταινίας, ή σα να σε σταματάει ενώ διαβάζεις κάτι κάποιος και να σε βγάζει από το mindset του τι γίνεται στη σελίδα.
Όπως είπα, δεν ήταν άσχημο βιβλίο, συμπαθητικό και με potential, αλλά θα ήθελα να το έχουν προσέξει λίγο παραπάνω πριν το ξαμολήσουν στην αγορά. Σίγουρα θα μπορούσε να χάσει καμιά 100αριά σελίδες και δε θα έχανε και πάλι κάτι ουσιαστικό, ίσα ίσα θα του έκανε καλό.
Υ.Γ.: Για να γίνω και λίγο κακιά, αν εγώ είχα χάσει εξαιτίας της Ούμι αδερφή και παιδικό φίλο, θα την είχα λιανίσει στον ύπνο της, όχι να την υπερασπιστώ κιόλας και να πω πως την αγάπησα και λίγο – Stockholm syndrome much? Υ.Υ.Γ.: Γιατί να μου αναλύσεις όλα αυτά για τα χαρίσματα και τα στοιχειά και τα φανταστικά πλάσματα, και τους Δασκάλους και τους σφετεριστές θρόνου, και μετά να μη μου έχεις έστω μια επική μάχη, να δούμε και λίγο δράση, ή να μου δείξεις πώς έγιναν τα πράγματα υπέρ των πρωταγωνιστών; Πάρε τη σκηνή με τον χιονοπόλεμο και τους χωροφύλακες, βγάλτην, και βάλε μου ένα από αυτά που ανέφερα – μη μου τα βάζεις όλα απλά αναφορικά σε φάση “έγιναν εκτός κάμερας” λες και απλά μου διαβάζεις φυλλάδα. Εγώ δεν είμαι ξωτικό ή νεράιδα – προτιμώ να τα δω τα συμβάντα από το να τα μάθω από κουτσομπολιά.
“Listen to me, Britt. I am falling in love with you. Sweets, I am no one. I come from nothing. I have no future to offer. No kids. No assurance of sanity down the road. It’s a horrible deal, and one I could never ask of anyone, much less someone as wonderful as you.” – Alfred ‘Red’ Newman
Everyone loves the good old-fashioned trope “Boy meets girl. Girl is in danger. Boy must protect girl. They fall in love.” – yours truly is no exception.
But what happens when the Girl in the above equation just doesn’t wish to comply with the Boy’s careful plans for her survival – because she has a life, and a degree to get?
Meet Britt McNeill, Kiera’s little sister – the Energizer Bunny, if it had a human form. And studied fashion. Britt has always thought she was considered the disappointment of the family, so after Brady and her mom passed away, she swore she would get her degree and make the McNeills proud, show them she’s finally matured. Enter Red, the Morpheus Squad member responsible for her safety from Beau Lequire. He has his hands full with her – as stated multiple times in the previous books, but now it’s time for us to completely witness it, in all its glory. He’ll have to speed up his… everything, if he is to not only catch up to Britt, but also keep her out of harm’s way, preferably without her knowledge of the latter. What could possibly go wrong?
Not gonna lie, the minute I received an email for this book, I screamed louder than a siren during heavy traffic! I had been waiting for Red’s turn “patiently”, and the story did not disappoint! The pace reall threw me for a loop this time around, courtesy of Britt and her inability to stay in one place – or instantly cooperate with those trying to protect her. It’s one thing to know that a crazy, power-hungry, unhinged dude is after the female lead – it’s another to see said female lead refuse to go on the run, because she has to finish school, no matter what.
I admit it got on my nerves a bit at the end, mainly because the woman wanting to get her life on track was understandable – and it showed she had guts – but the club scene felt a bit too much. All for ensuring your future, girl, but going out, in a crowded environment, testing your protector like this? Not a smart choice. (not that I’m complaining, given the dance scene that blew me off my chair)
Red was a delight to read. The poor sweetie had so many things going wrong during this mission, and he was hard-pressed to improvise every step of the way, with only one person till almost the end of it to lend a hand. He was running on fumes and it showed. I just wanted to wrap him in a blanket and protect him from the harsh, cruel world. Him being a synesthete may have factored a bit, too. I’m a synesthete myself – although I translate sight and smell into colors – and I completely felt for his struggles. The representation was actually quite accurate, and it hurt even more, seeing him having to deal with all the crap thrown his way.
As a matter of fact, the synesthesia really added to the problem with the Virus in his case, and I liked where he was heading when it’d been too long without his shot. Every Morpheus member has special abilities, as we’ve seen so far, and they experience the insanity bouts differently. For Red, the fact that without the antidote his senses got even better, resulting in a combo of all of them together exploding in his mind, threatening to drive him to a monstrous state from overload, was a terrifying feature, and piled on the danger of the book – as if Lequire wasn’t enough… Sensory overloard is already a serious enough problem for a synesthete who doesn’t have an enhancing but deadly virus in their blood. Combining the two must have been maddening!
Now that Phase One is complete – OMG, we’re getting a Phase Two, my heart is not ready for this! – I can’t wait to see how the team will work around the final events of the book to finally beat their nemesis. All I know is that I’ll be cheering for them all the way! Hunt, go get your son and his model… uuuh… co-victim, I guess? Remains to be seen what she’ll become, but I’m hoping!
“I’m saying I don’t want to give up yet. You … I realized how much you mean to me. I want us to try. That is, if you want to.” – Britt McNeill
***I was given an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
Well, this was a fun read, though it could have gone better, I guess…
Leo Anderson and Olivia Mortier once shared a passionate moment at the battlefield, but were soon separated under the worst circumstances. Now he’s a treasure hunter looking for the mythical reaches of Santa Cristina, and she’s a CIA agent in desperate need of a diving crew to retrieve extremely dangerous weapons from the bottom of the ocean. Their reunion is breef, and cannot last long before they go their separate ways again. Can he convince her to give them a chance this time around before the clock runs out on them? Or will the danger she brings with her claim them first?
Honestly, this wasn’t a bad book. It had action and suspense and of course sexual tension, because I haven’t seen bigger simps than its lead couple in a looooong time! Seriously, they were pining for each other, HARD, and they kept dancing in circles for a big part of the book. I didn’t really mind that, as they had more important matters to focus on, and each had their reason for holding back. Besides, the sex scenes later on, or the stolen kisses, were hot enough to scorch the pages, so I’m not complaining, it was worth it.
What didn’t work for me was the pace. I was under the impression that they were running out of time fast, but only because Olivia or some other character would mention it. In fact, the pace moved really slow for something as dangerous and with as fleeting a time window as this mission was supposed to be, mainly because there were pages and pages every time of either Olivia’s or Leo’s thoughts for the other lead of the story. It made it hard to get into the heart-pounding mood the author wanted me to be, despite their inner monologues being fun.
All in all, I didn’t hate it, but I feel like better pace management would have worked wonders with it.
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
I abhorred turning real people into legends and heroes. It glossed over the pain and loss; it ignored the price they paid.
I started reading this book at a very good point this year – right after I was done with The Witcher’s first book, which was a total disaster for me. So, it was just what I needed, meaning a true slavic, goth horror story.
Not gonna lie, not all of it was a page-turner. Elisya’s parts were awful to read through – the woman had a real case of “main hero syndrome”. She thought she was the center of the universe, that she would meet her prince charming, that even after being humiliated and cast aside the guy who was the cause of it all would actually come for her. Hell, even after she had lived for so long in that damn castle, with people dying left and right and her being pretty much an accessory to, well, murder – or genocide at this point – she still sat there all depressed and sighing and hoping for a hero to come rescue HER! I was really hoping she would “hero-up” and be her own savior, but…
And don’t even get me started on Raden! What is wrong with all the noble-born brats in this book?! Were Amron and Queen Osriana the only reasonable and nice ones around? (which is kind of ironic, given the fact everyone had such a low opinion on those two, fearing them and talking behind their backs, when they were actually really kind and wise, just because they didn’t take bullshit from anyone)
What really made the story enjoyable was Ida and Telani. Admittedly, the old warrior had my heart, and what happened to his prince will forever be an injustice in my eyes, but the pacing in his parts – and Ida’s, too – were a joy to read. It showed the troubles of a lower social class, people that were trying to get by, either by serving someone else or by trying to cheat others in order to survive. They were humble but knew their strengths, and while they had their selfish flaws, they still were humane enough to care for those that helped them even a little.
One thing that honestly sets the horror mood here was at first the dates under the names in each chapter. I didn’t give it much thought when I saw it, and then I realized the years were different. But they were all talking about the same place, and in almost a present tense, so when the pieces started clicking together, it was reaaaaally creepy! Then the rituals and the manhunts began – it’s at this point that you won’t stop turning the pages and won’t put the book down, because the pace picks up until the crescendo slows down near the end. As you’ll be reaching said end, you’ll sort of feel like you were expecting the way things turned out, but it was still sad and horrifying to watch, despite being fitting for the kind of story the author wanted to write.
All in all, a rather good tale, though not my type certainly. I definitely wouldn’t have liked it any other time, but I guess the timing was right with this one and that shows that sometimes, we need certain story themes in certain points of our lives to truly enjoy them.
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
Do I deserve an award for managing to finish this clusterfuck of a book? Because if so…. WHERE IS MY FUCKING AWARD?! I want one that glitters – and cookies! I demand cookies!
I’m gonna be honest, the only thing I found good about this book was the fact I didn’t buy it – it was a birthday gift from a friend. I do, however, pity the guy for actually spending money on this crap. Although, he disagrees with me on the matter and will die on that hill.
I know it will get me comments from naysayers and what have you, but I’ve already had that debate with some people on the matter, so, let me tell you now: whatever you have to throw at me, I’ve seen it, heard it, and got the T-shirt for it. Ain’t nothing you got that could hurt me more than this piece of shit some people call a masterpiece, trust me! I was CRYING while trying to get it over with, no joke!
First of all, I intended to blame the translation. It was bad. I thought, hmmm, maybe if I read it in English it wouldn’t be so bad – but a friend of mine, who also happens to be an experienced author AND works closely with publishing houses, told me it’s not always the translator’s fault, sometimes, the text is just that bad (albeit, the fact that an old dude was translating the work of an equally old dude, I guess, says a lot in and of itself, but I digress). It was that bad, you guys! The Greek was cringeworthy! It was the kind of language you hear at some of our most isolated villages – extra country bumpkin, with some super long words whenever a villager wants to appear educated or whatever. And I don’t know what the editing team did, but it clearly wasn’t enough. I lost count of how many times I saw the same adjective repeated in the span of TWO SENTENCES!
Secondly, it was clear it was written by a guy! A really old, outdated one at that! The sexistic views of anything remotely female (oh, sorry, the mare was the only one spared from this) gave it away. Women had only two purposes: be obedient housewives and meek lovers, or be murderers and/or monsters. No in-between.
And of course all healthy females wanted Geralt. OF FUCKING COURSE! I get it now, I get the hype! Why so many guys actually like this disaster of a tale, and this blank canvas of a guy (who, by the way, wasn’t any different from Twilight’s Bella, he had no complex thoughts, no deep characterization, nothing to actually separate him from a grunting cactus pot, if no one was looking his way or talking to him, it was like he was a piece of decoration for the rest of the background!). It’s because Geralt was, as my people say, the true personification of “I fuck and I whop ass” (to translate loosely from Greek). He did nothing else but these two things: he either fucked women, or he whopped the ass of both monsters and men (who either hated him because they were so jealous of him being laid, or because he was strong and/or scary, or because they were plain superstitious).
Men LOVE this kind of hero, because men WANT to be that kind of hero! This is the ultimate macho man for them – the dude who has women falling at his feet and men falling under his strong fists. So, yeah, why not idolize the guy? Why not believe this here is good storytelling?
You know what the problem, though, is? That if these people had actually read true masterpieces (and I’m not talking the classics, there are so many hidden gems out there these days, and they keep popping out), if they knew a thing or two about real good storytelling, they would see the faults in this one, too. No joke, I had friends tell me how it was just me not enjoying it because I’m not as experienced with books (uuuuhhh…. me and my 400 something reviews in the last 10 years are laughing at this, but I’m not one to brag with numbers in a friend’s face, so….). Or because, as an acespec, I couldn’t appeciate erotic scenes and that’s what cringed me.
OK, let me correct you right here – HAVE YOU SEEN MY FUCKING FEED?! I read more erotica than you watch porn, bro! With only a few exceptions, if a romance has sex in it, you bet I’m getting my hands on it! I will blush, and squeal, and even loudly comment on the scenes I read, depending on how good they are. I will share my favorite ones with my gals and cousins, and I will swoon at the naked, dirty-talking guys AND gals, no matter their sexuality. (because I’m not picky, if the sex is good, it’s good, period!)
But this? This was not erotic. This was not even pornography at its worst! This was, quite clearly, once again, written by a guy. I don’t know how it shows when a guy TRIES to write sex, but it does. It’s pathetic! I’m not sure who he expected his readers to be, but Sapkowski clearly wasn’t aiming for males. If he did, gentlemen, I have to ask: do you really like your sex scenes so… flowery? The words and phrases reminded me of my high school days, when I would sneak bad Harlequin books under my covers with my cell’s light after my folks had gone to sleep (yeah, I’ve been through that phase as well, I’ve seen some shit!). And even those were better written than this one!
I opened this book fully expecting sex. I knew the rumors about both the series and the games. I knew what was coming. I just didn’t know it would be that badly written! (mind you, I’ve heard complaints about that! “Lydia, you aren’t the right person to judge a book’s sexiness, because you have no experience on the matter. This was actually really sexy” – bitch, remind me again, which one of us reads about 5-6 sexy books per month? If you found that sexy, then I pity you, you’re clearly missing out on good stuff)
Mind you, I don’t believe ALL male authors to be lacking in the sexual department. I’ve read some good sexy romances from males, and I know the opposite gender is capable of them. I just think not all of them know what they’re doing when it comes to transferring the details on the paper. They’re either too crass or too pink-flowers-go-bloom, you know? Having real-life experience doesn’t make you instantly an expert on how it works on a page, I’m just saying. (if anyone’s wondering, I highly recommend William Stacey’s Black Monastery – THIS man knows how to write sexy and awesome, along with mystery and action. you know, kind of like what Sapkowski tried to do, and then failed miserably so?)
And now that I’m done with the expected sexiness not being delivered as promised, let us talk story theme.
What, even, was that?
My dear sir, if you wish to write fairytale retellings, you are more than welcome to. It’s been done time and again, but it’s a classic trope that many readers, myself included, continuously enjoy and come back to. For the love of all that is holy, though, say it upfront! Don’t just try to sell me the whole “fully original story” shtick! I was confused at first. “Is this…? Nah, it can’t be, I’m just seeing things.” Some pages later, and I was like “Motherfucker, it was! And this is…!”
I lost count of how many fairytales were reskinned to suit the purpose of more monsters appearing just so Geralt would have something to fight and bleed on. You want to retell famous stories but with a gothic-gore turn? Be my guest. But at least have the balls to announce it beforehand. It’s bad etiquette for a reader to be discovering it mid-read, it leaves a sour taste in our mouth. Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, Aladdin, and so many more. It was sad to watch, really.
Oh, and how about the pace? Or the plot?
Ah, you don’t need to worry about that, not at all.
Because there was no plot, and thus pace plays little to no role. There was no flow to the tale, it just kept jumping back and forth, from one event of monster-slaying to another of rumpling a bed’s sheets and vice versa, with no explanation, or meaning. The timeline was all over the place, too. We get introduced to a woman rubbing her boobs all over a “sleeping” yet injured Geralt’s face (tell me again how that is considered sexy?) and him, not doing anything while she rides him, apparently reaching completion, which is depicted as “he sank into a sea of chamomile as it grew agitated and seethed.”
Good Lord, gentlemen, at least have a woman proof read it or something! You’re getting laughed at, publicly, if you actually think there are adult women, of any age (I’m not talking about men, my male friends found this phrase hot so I’m questioning their emotional maturity on the matter), that would fan themselves after reading this. I wanted to throw it outta the window – again, if it had been my purchase, that’s what would have happened.
Then, the story jumps to the reason why Geralt is hurt like this, stays there for a good number of pages, jumps back to the original timeline, and then back to another monster event, much earlier in the timeline than the Lamia event, and then there’s an interlude of Geralt talking Iole’s ears off – because of course he would choose to talk to the woman with the vow of silence. As he stated to Neneke, he doesn’t care to be talked back to – the way Yennefer does. Yennefer, who’s the love of his life – nevermind the fact a fucking PENCIL SHARPENER wouldn’t be safe from his dick if we dressed it in a skirt! – and whose soapy titties were the subject of the century for more than 2 pages!
I just… I can’t! Like I said in the beginning, this book should promise some kind of award if someone with a brain and reading experience manages to finish it, but alas, we can’t have what we want…
My advice? Don’t trust the hype! I trusted the hype – and look where it got me! Go with your own instincts, people, and don’t let those who aren’t on your reading level tell you what’s best to enjoy.
And if you really want to read about a macho man who occasionally gets laid and is super cool and badass, go read either any of the books written by William Stacey or any of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books. Those gentlemen know their craft much better than this one…
DNF at about 30% or so…? Can’t remember, and can’t bring myself to care. All I do know is that I usually give a story about 100 pages or so before I’m done with it. That’s a pretty excessive amount of pages, and plenty can be done to persuade me in that kind of space that the book is worth my time and effort to focus on it (when it’s not a page-turner on its own, that is).
Sadly, this was not the case. The story did nothing to hold my interest, the characters were all dull, and don’t even get me started on the descriptions and dialogues, ugh! I’m all for stories about young inventors – kinda like Timothy from The Un-Magician – but this story didn’t make the genre any justice. It just took a kid, kept trying to make us believe he’s some kind of genius (something he inherited from both his parents) and yet there was no such proof on the page, other than the author going on and on about a ton of things that could have been edited out of the book and let the tale breathe.
As this is clearly a book for younger readers, I fear it will prove difficult to attract their attention. If even a seasoned, adult reader found it hard to keep up with it in terms of interest, I don’t know how someone of a smaller age number would fare any better…
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
OK, not THE top of the list, but definitely in it! And you’re telling me this one was a debut novel? I’m scared to see what else the author can come up with, and excited, too!
Elle is a girl with no memories, save for one: her falling from the sky. Locked in the House, she longs for freedom. But is she willing to pay the price in order to find it and her lost memories?
I’m DYING to write everything that made me jump and squeal and finish this story in record time because I just couldn’t put it down to SLEEP! But in this case, I feel like you all should read it and find out for yourselves just how amazing true talent and hard work looks like. Take a very careful look, cause this is it! Anyone who dares even think that debut authors can’t cut it instantly, needs only to read this materpiece of a book to understand what touching even the slightest bit of brilliance feels like.
I kid you not, Elle and her journey keep you interested till the very end, and no matter how many times you THINK you know what’s going on, or what is coming, you always come up short. You want the main characters to have a happy ending, because you’re rooting for them all the way, those flawed, wonderful people. And you can’t really escape the story’s fast pace – which, let me tell you, keeps deceiving you into believing you’re moving slow, but it’s quite the opposite. Every single detail has a purpose, moving the tale forward. Even the most insignificant thing described or shown serves something, the dull moments a facade for danger lurking deliciously right around the corner, sometimes right behind the characters, others way ahead of them, toying with them for the sake of boredom and amusement, the most dangerous motives of all.
My only advice to everyone picking up this gem of a story is to pay real close attention to the first few chapters – because the details you’ll find there will make the ending even more shiver-inducing.
Love it, and can’t recommend it enough!
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
This was truly a delight! So fresh and beautifully done, I’m not even kidding!
If you are a teacher for preschoolers, or even someone who’d like an annual family tradition for Christmas, this book is perfect for you! It has a sweet story with a great message for chilren, along with beautiful and festive pictures that instantly get you in the mood for Christmas.
I could be biased because I’m a die-hard Christmas fan, but there you have it. The story was short and adorable, with little rhymes and cute dialogues, and quite inspiring. I myself will definitely follow Holly’s plan for my class this winter, and have already subscribed to the site recommended by the book to be informed when the appropriate activities will be updated and posted.
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***