YOU Have Been Targeted for Internment & Resettlement – Dave Hodges – The Common Sense ShowB01HBPP15U
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
3.5 stars "She knew now why she was here. She would see the monster dead." Hunted is a hard one to review. I love, love, love the concept of a vengefu
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
Kindle Edition
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
"Only those few who could move among the Londons needed a way to keep them straight. And so Kell—inspired by the lost city known to all as Black Lond
This tiny glimmer of goodness in these monsters fascinates me. I'd much rather read about their bloody ascension to the throne than than goody-goody Kell and Lila. Check out the fake blurb I made:Astrid doesn't trust anyone except her brother. Born and raised in the ruthless streets of White London, she's learned to fight and swindle for even the basest necessities. Their prowess for magic in a land that is slowly being leached of it is their weapon, the only thing that keeps them alive.The ruler of White London has always ascended with blood and magic. The twins find themselves in service to the throne, but it doesn't take long for them to claim it for their own, finally walking away from the cramped one-bedroom flat on a nameless street that was their home for sixteen years.Athos doesn't trust anyone except his sister. She is his other half, the back that presses against his in a fight and he's seen quite a lot of those. The only time he broke his rule was with Holland, the white-haired Antari partnered with them in serving the ruler. Beautiful eyes, a talented tongue, with even more skillful hands. He betrayed them when the fighting started and Athos made sure he would never betray them again. Nor would he ever break his rule a second time. Protect only Astrid, trust only Astrid. But White London is dying. Every day, a little more magic leaves the world and the twins grow weaker. When a mysterious red-haired stranger called Kell crosses over with news of other Londons—a healthy London with plentiful magic—Astrid and Athos know what they must do. Seize Red London—or perish in their white one. Someone write fanfiction of this? Pretty please?
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
"The flight is long: Rosa will get bored, she'll look for ways to make trouble without Sally and David, our parents, finding out. That's the game she
Read Gillian Flynn for the thrill. Read My Sister Rosa for a mirror of everyday life—with a sprinkle of the macabre.ARC provided by Edelweiss
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
Fine, I went "Awwww" at the end.In many ways, Emma is the forerunner of contemporary romances. A perky naive girl tries her hand at matchmaking, only
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
"How can you love someone you don't remember?" Sounds like the beginning of a cheesy Paranormal Romance, right? The Things We Keep is a surprisingly
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
"They've always got some story going on that they're the heroes of. The rest of us just have to live here, hovering around the edges, left out of it
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
2.5 stars "Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal. Sing you a song and steal your soul." I find myself in an awkward situation of holding a converted ARC, agree
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
2.75 stars
If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.—Ancient Proverb Carry On is Harry Potter fanfiction. Rowell
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
"There are thousands of slaves in Endovier, and a good number are from Terrasen. Regardless of what I do with my birthright, I'm going to find a way
Admittedly, Heir of Fire drags.
It takes a long time for Calaena to claw her way out of the abyss, and I would've gone nuts if it weren't for this amazing new character Manon.
"First of all, human," Manon interrupted, "don't give me orders." Her iron teeth snapped out and he flinched. "Second, I won't be training with another wyvern. I'll train with him."
Heir to the Blackbeak Witch Clan, she's the evil, brutal person Calaena pretends to be and does it ten times better. But she has a soft side.
"Once all that is done," she said, smiling faintly at her wyvern, "you and I are going to learn how to fly. And then we'll stain this kingdom red."
Manon+Abraxos = Hiccup and Toothless. Then there's Dorian. He's become
my number one priority since Crown of Midnight. Reviewers warned me something bad was going to happen to him in the end, but I still wasn't prepared. Nothing can prepare you for THAT.["As if he could could piece her together again."
Dammit, Maas, you can't give my baby one relationship that doesn't end in tears? ]This is the highest compliment I can give: I actually want to read . Before it was more like a slog for a marathon you signed up for three months ago and then totally forgot. I want to see Aedion and Calaena's reunion. I want to see Dorian [freed. ] I want to see the storm that comes when Chaol meets Calaena again. For those of you still wondering, yes, I'm still Team Dorian.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
EDIT 27/2/2017: I watched the movie and honestly? Watch The Theory of Everything instead. It's got the adorable Eddie Redmayne and also from the persp
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
B00DBE1P2Y
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
4.25 stars "And we believe you why?" asks Tattoo. He's found a letter opener from somewhere and is checking out the edge. "Because I'm a human being a
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
Kindle Edition
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
"I can feel him eyeing Mather, both of them caught in an awkward web surrounding me. I'm at the center of a weird possessive feud between the Winter
But the writing, guys. I've figured out why YA Fantasy and I don't gel. Most of it is written in smothering
prose and it makes me feel like I'm wading through a pool of syrup. I keep kicking out my arms and legs, looking for something substantial to hold onto, but it's gooey mush. Not bad per se--it's actually quite good--but just not for me. The story isn't interesting enough to make up for the writing. Info-dumps plague the narrative in the worst way. When Meira first arrives in Spring, she hears someone curse, "Golden leaves," then proceeds to spend a big, unnecessary paragraph explaining it.
"Just as Winter focused its magic on mining, Coredell focuses its conduit on opportunity--on helping its citizenswork a situation in their favor so they get the most out of it. Opportunistic, resourceful, swindlers: whatever they're called, they can make "leaves turn to gold"--a Cordellan phrase Sir explained in our many lessons, referring to the fact that they're so good at turning a profit it's as if they make leaves on a tree turn into gold coins. That explains Captain Dominick's curse earlier--golden leaves."
Plus, I saw the twist coming miles away. Will others like Snow Like Ashes? Maybe. But it just didn't click with me.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
3.75 starsTo: Illuminae/KAUFMAN_KRISTOFFONBOARDFrom: Natalie Monroe/GOODREADSREVIEWERDate: 31/3/2016Timestamp: 20:03Subject: *slow clap*Someone (Steph
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
Nice Natalie: Let's start this civil. After you.Cynical Natalie: Don't mind if I do. An Ember In The Ashes is cliche tripe—Nice Natalie: But we enjoye
Cynical Natalie: We don't have concrete proof. I have my own problems with her. [We're led to believe the Commandant is sadistic and cruel because she suffered rape. It's the Maleficent problem. It hints rape is the worst thing that can happen to a woman, which brings up a lot of sticky gender issues. ]Nice Natalie: An Ember In The Ashes is a male-dominated world. She has to be extra tough.Cynical Natalie: You mean to the point where she twirls her mustache? Nice Natalie: Not all villains are horrible. Marcus is pretty fleshed out.Cynical Natalie: At the expense of world-building. Society is divided between Martials and Scholar slaves and... what, a bunch of trees and ocean?Laia's brother hardly has any personality at all. It's a cheap dystopian trope. Take out the sibling to create angst, rage against the system, and get the plot ball moving. Forgive me if I don't shed a tear for a character I knew for twenty pages.Nice Natalie: Uh-uh. Remember the last trial? We were devastated when Elias [had to kill his best friends. ]Cynical Natalie: Devastated is a very strong word. What about Helene? She should've died, too. It was a total cop-out.Nice Natalie: It was a clever loophole.Cynical Natalie: No, it was to preserve the love triangle. Love triangles. What's the point? We all know Elias and Laia will live happily ever after and produce physically perfect kids for the Empire's version of Vogue. Oh, wait, that's too much world-building.Nice Natalie: Maybe the author will expand the map in the sequel, like in . You don't know that.Cynical Natalie: I do know the writing leans towards impersonal third-person rather the first-person it's written in. Thoughts are usually in italics and the characters constantly talk to themselves, like "Don't be stupid, Laia" or something. It's annoying and a disgrace to the style you've chosen. Nice Natalie: You can complain all you want. You can't deny we enjoyed it. Cynical Natalie: In the moment. Give it a couple months. I guarantee you won't remember anyone's names.Nice Natalie: I cordially accept your challenge.Cynical Natalie: Other Nice Natalie/Cynical Natalie brawls reviews:
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
B019WVN4O6
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
"Three dark sistersAll fair to be seen,Two to devourAnd one to be queen" Three Dark Crowns offends me. It promised me scheming sisters and
Perhaps it's the way Three Dark Crowns is written, but I couldn't relate to any of the sisters. It's third-person narrative at its worst, flat and emotionless. Plus, the sisters are individually insufferable. Katharine is a cowering sack of flour. Mirabella is a starry-eyed idealist with poor planning skills. Arinsoe reads like she's twelve and stamps her foot, pretending to be a strong female, but makes mistake after mistake.Some of their plotlines make no sense. Take Katharine's for instance. She receives seduction lessons from Pietyr, nephew of her mentor Natalia, to ensure her sisters do not get suitors. What's the point? So Mirabella and Arinsoe don't get suitors at the Quickening, a festival after which they can begin killing each other. They're humiliated and will probably act more ruthlessly against Katharine during in the coming year. Getting a king-consort isn't essential to winning the crown. It's just a way to set up her romance. I would rather see her sabotaging her sisters to make up for her weak gift, or work through the Black Council to push through a law that determines only a poisoner can be crowned. There's a brilliant opportunity for female friendship, which is absolutely squandered. Jules, through which we first see Arinsoe, could have been a real breakout character. Yet she seems more interested in her boyfriend Joseph than her BFF's impending death. One of the reasons Three Dark Crowns' premise appealed to me is that it could morph into a beautiful story of girl power and sisterhood. Sadly, Jules's storyline is reflective of the actual product.On whole, Three Dark Crowns feels like a prequel. The last 20% is amazing and should have been put in the front after a few lead-in chapters, the romances woven along the excitement and danger of the Ascension Year. As it currently stands, we have to wait until the next book to see the queens fight it out.
"They'll all pay for this," she said against his shoulder. "They will bleed and scream and get what they're owed."
More of this, please? Don't let me down again.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
Kindle Edition
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
"Arin and I are impossible," [Kestrel] said quietly. "Dangerous. It is best that we keep our distance from each other." Trusted bloggers and reviewer
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
3.75 stars "Previous attempts to overthrow the Lord Ruler have failed because they lacked proper organization and planning. We're thieves, gentlemen—a
She's also super good at Allomancy. With one of a kind abilities.
"But Vin... She seems to know these things instinctively. True, she can only use the first four metals with any skill, but the progress she's made is amazing.""She is a special girl."
Also, where are all the other ladies at? Everyone important, except Vin, is a dude. GRRM has spoiled me for fantastic male and female characters.The narrative is incredibly linear. That's the only way I can describe it. Kelsier and the rebels sit down and tell us their plans, which results in pages and pages of dialogue.
cleverly laid out the bare bones of their plan, then let readers find out the details when it happens in real time.The dialogue to description/internal monologue/everything else ratio is disconcerting. Sometimes there's too much internal monologue and not enough during key moments. For instance, The Final Empire reminds me over and over me Vin doesn't trust easily, but doesn't offer a window into her inner thoughts when someone close to her betrays her.[Kelsier's death and reveal of his ultimate plan were brilliant, don't get me wrong. Awesome use of third person there. ]The writing, while simple, gets the point across. I'm currently reading the second book and it's less clunky. Sentences aren't rearranging in my head. Nothing more to say.This looks awfully like a one-star review, so let me reassure you I honestly did like The Final Empire. The final plot twist took balls, and it's addictive as meth. World-building is on point. It's Suicide Squad, man. Flawed, but enjoyable.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
3.75 stars "My name is Kvote, pronounced nearly the same as "Quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
THIS. This is how you write a special snowflake without him turning into a Gary Stu. Or make me want to claw my eyes out.Thomas, the MC, suddenly show
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
4.5 stars "To free them, to protect them, we must be savages. So give me evil. Give me darkness. Make me the bloodydamn devil if we can bring even the
, and Theodora. Despite being a very minor character, the elderly Pink (Society is divided in a hierarchy of Colors, Golds being the ruling class and Reds the lowest. Pinks are servants or prostitutes) has an ironclad grip on my heart and I would very like her survive this sci-fi Civil War.
"What terrifies the Golds is simple, cruel, and as old as mankind itself.Civil war."
Do what you will with Darrow, but keep him safe. For [his mother. ] He was such an angsty little fellow in the beginning. Set him up with Mustang. That should make him happy.Not that one, but you know what I mean.Yours sincerely,A bloodydamn fanQuotes taken from an uncorrected proof and may be subject to change. ARC provided by Netgalley
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
B00IBYYVJS
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
EDIT 29/9/2014: Eliza finally got the rights back and it's out!Welcome, my GR buddies and other random strangers.Yes, I opened with an Aladdin gif. Fe
Yeah, that made me mad. Repeat after me: physical therapy is not a miracle pill. Yes, it can help, a lot, but don't expect to reach the level of fitness as a normal person and certainly not the fighting machine level of a Crusader. I have friends who have been in car accidents and did years of physical therapy, and even now, they walk slower than normal person and with a slight limp. A regular person would be hard-pressed to scale a building, let alone a disabled one. For once, I'd like to read about a handicapped character that won't shake off his/her disability like a cold when it's convenient for the plot. I want them to save the world while struggling with their disability.But like I said, this is something that matters to me personally and most likely won't affect your enjoyment of the book. And Jo is pretty awesome.On whole, Crushed is a fantastic sequel to the already fabulous Cracked and will appeal to all who enjoy their paranormal books with a side of sarcasm (me). Highly recommended.Thank you Strange Chemistry for giving me this ARC!Pre-review: OMGOMGOMGOMG. I GOT AN ARC OF THIS!!
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
Kindle Edition
B00OYBW46O
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
3.5 starsYou're free to go, ... Hello, Rogue! Please, take a seat.Your blood results are in and I'm afraid you have an abnormally high
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
Kindle Edition
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
4.5 starsSometimes I think I'm the kind of reader/reviewer that authors hate. I'm stingy with my my 5-stars and I nitpick. Ruthlessly. Insta-love? Buz
. There's also a scene involving the Trojan horse scam.It even plays on the history of the Romans ripping off the Greek gods:
"Do you know why we call ourselves Sons of Ares, Darrow? To Romans, Mars was the god of war—a god of military glory, defense of the hearth and home. Honorable and all. But Mars is a fraud. He is a romanticized version of the Greek go, Ares."[...]"Ares was a bastard, an evil patron of rage, violence, bloodlust, and massacre," he says."So by naming yourselves after him, you're pointing to the truth of things within the Society. Cute."
They name their Houses, which are like teams during the warfare game, after Roman gods: Minerva, Jupiter, Diana... like the big Twelve. The traits of the members are slightly modeled after them as well. Diana's members hide in the woods as ode to the goddess of the wild. Mars' are wild and bloodthirsty, destroying everything they touch. Ceres are more peaceful and bake bread (goddess of harvest. Wheat!) within their fortress. The Protractors, who are sort of like the Sponsers and Gamemakers of THG, live in a force shield-guarded castle up above, called Olympus. Plus, I love how kickass House Pluto is, thanks to a certain champion. Hades/Pluto has always been ostracized (it's not even a planet anymore!) and it's nice that he's getting some screen time that isn't about a broody virgin. I'm looking at you, . Also, Sevro?He's like a sicker version of Nico from Percy Jackson and one of my favorite characters from Red Rising. I really hope I see more of him in the next one.Red Rising is a brilliant, action-filled debut with undertones of Greek/Roman mythology that will appeal to all Greek mythology fans and those looking for a fresh take on dystopians. Don't fret if it starts off a little rough, it gets better. I promise.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
3.5 starsWell, well, well. I find myself eating my words after all. Days of Blood & Starlight was infinitely better than its predecessor. But it
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
"No matter how twisted they were, and what pain they caused each other, the gods had forever. Forever to fight and hate and make up, to switch loyalt
She constantly moons over Odysseus, even though she keeps telling herself it's so wrong, and it's annoying. I'm with Calypso on this one:
"You want him, you don't want him. You tease him, but you won't take him," Calypso said. "Just go away, goddess. Stop being unfair."
It's even worse due to the fact that almost nothing happens. Mortal Gods has Second Book Syndrome written all over it. Except for the beginning and the end, everything else is dedicated to the gods lounging around, ordering Chinese food, and training the humans.I have never wanted a training montage so much.Nothing is answered either. It's like
series all over again. We find out [the Fates are dying and it affects the gods, but we still don't know why the Fates are dying. ] Odysseus pulls a secret out of his ass in the last 10%, which we don't get to find out shit about.Zeus is gone too, yet our protagonists still have time to visit the Underworld on the slim hope they can pull Apollo out. Athena mentioned Zeus is staying neutral in this war in the first book, but why can't they at least attempt to find him? Or mention why they don't? And tiny thing, but why isn't Hermes the one to guide Cassandra in her quest? That's one of his jobs: guiding decreased souls into the Underworld. He's weak, not useless.Speaking of Hermes, he's the reason I added an extra star.
Cassandra's brow knit. "The dead can eat?""They can taste," said Hermes. "They can drink. Hell, I don't know, maybe they just like to roll around in the stuff."
He's funny, compassionate—and cowardly enough to remind me he's a real god. Gods are assholes. Greek myths are a tapestry of dick moves they pull on each other and humans. I could rant on about Calypso and how Athena hates her because she's Odysseus' girlfriend (where the hell is Odysseus' wife, Penelope, anyway? I expected her to show up by now. They were hardcore devoted to each other, another reason I disapprove of Athena and Ody's romance.) and never fails to point out her curves and pretty face cause that's the only reason Ody could fall for her, but whatever. Very disappointed.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
For a fleeting moment, before the woman speaks, I pray that the orange pack I’m wearing holds Chanel makeup. And a brush. And a mirror. Wel
They get magical animals called Pandoras who are fiercely loyal to their Contender. Ah, the hours I wasted convincing my mom to buy me a Digivice. I never got one.However, the protagonist is not a ruthless Katniss or a brave Tai, instead we get Tella, the American Becky Bloomwood.
Because I have no idea of what I’ll need, I also throw in random things from my desk: pens, paper, scissors, tape. The last thing I pack is a photo of my family that’s stuck in the edge of my mirror. That and my glittery purple nail polish.
Tella and I have a love-hate relationship because I definitely hated her in the beginning. Victoria Scott explained in
that the reason she wrote Tella the way she is—girly and fixated on looks—was to give feminine characters a chance to shine. That's all very nice and well, and I heartily approve of Victoria's decision. There's no reason why you can't kick some zombie butt and then go pick out your prom dress right afterwards. Tella goes way too far though. She has exactly one hour to get to the train station and she wastes time by slicking on lip gloss.
I think about how I should be racing toward Lincoln Station. But the compulsion to repair my face is too strong.I grab my makeup bag — the one I never leave home without — and fix what I can.
Seriously, girl, priorities.But I like what happens afterwards. Another Contender had used her silky tresses to gain the upper hand in a fight earlier, and Tella swallows her vanity and gives herself a haircut Mulan-style. It reminds me of that scene in
where Sakura cuts her own hair short in order to be taken seriously as a ninja.However, whereas Sakura immediately whips out a kunai to fight after the dramatic hair-shoring, Tella laments her loss and comments on how her new hairstyle makes her eyes look wider and her lips fuller. And how her freckles stand out more.One step at a time, I guess.Did I mention that Tella can be incredibly stupid at times too? A mysterious box shows up on her bed, telling her to participate in a competition to win a cure for Cody. Tella instantly packs up her bags (including her glittery nail polish) and hightails to the meeting place without telling her parents. You could argue that her mom suspected what was going on, but a note would be nice. Something like: "Hey, mom and dad, I'm going to participate in this contest I know nothing about to win a maybe-non-existent cure for my dying brother. Toodles! For all Tella knows, this could be a scam and she could be sliced open for organs or something. She also falls prey to what I like to call the Berners-Lee Cancellation Effect. There's a computer at the diner Tella stops by, but she doesn't use it search up some information on what this Brimstone Bleed is before running blindly to the starting point. I don't even know why I'm bothering to point this out. No one uses the Internet in YA novels. We need to do research? Let's just
It's not like there's this fantastic invention called Google or anything.See, even Becky-fucking-Bloomwood knows how to use Google!Plus, for a girl who cares so much about looks, Tella sure isn't shy about slut-shaming others.
The last girl I see, I want to strangle...she has long hair. But instead of dark, it's blond—no, honey gold—and shines like that of a Broadway starlet. I can't see her eyes from here, but I'm sure they're some kind of stunning shade of blue. She has cream-colored skin and a body that belongs in a magazine—the kind for guys, not girls. I hate her with everything I have as she laughs her perfect laugh and tosses her perfect hair and crosses her to-die-for legs...We could be friends, I realize, if I weren't so overwhelmed with the urge to end her.
That's the girl who was desperately trying to beautify herself earlier. Even after Harper (that's the girl's name) lets Tella join her group for mutual protection and they become friends, she still relentlessly hates on Harper in her mind:
I'm relieved to see that she has the slightest hint of stretch marks on her belly. Though they're hardly visible, I'd like to imagine she was once enormous.
How dare she be more beautiful than me and my purple nails! Fie!Fortunately, Tella gets better in the second half. I think Victoria Scott deliberately made Tella an annoying little whiner in the first half so when the character development fairy came, we'd be like:Well, it worked for me. Tella still has idiotic moments, including the shady
business with another Contender, but compared to the her before, Tella is a Katniss. She protects a bunch of stolen Pandoras from people who want to kill them. She fights back. She even bites someone who was attacking her. And this was the ditzy girl who was worrying about Chanel products.Harper's by far my favorite character though. She looks like a freaking supermodel, but is willing to sacrifice her looks for survival.
The bird raises a talon and makes a tiny slice three inches above her navel. Blood drips from the wound when the eagle removes her claw."Jesus, Harper," Levi says. "Couldn't you have used something besides your body?""My stomach is a map, see?" she explains, ignoring Levi. "When we find another flag, we make a new mark in relation to this one." Harper points at the bleeding cut. "It needs to always be with us," she says. But what she means is: me. It needs to always be with me.
Now that's commitment. As Dumbledore said, scars are very useful. Tella could learn a thing or two from Harper.Now for the setting, which I still haven't quite figured out. I know it's present-day because Tella mentioned Mcdonald's, Victoria's Secret and Lady Gaga. At the same time, there is some seriously advanced technology in form of fire-resistant radios and Pandoras. Lions can breathe fire. Eagles can turn invisible. Cute baby foxes can shapeshift.Yet no one questions this? They're totally cool with a raccoon being able to heal wounds with a flick of its tongue? If it were me, I'd freak out, slaughter my way to the top and then figure out how to turn this baby into cash.What, Cassie Clare's doing it.All in all, Fire & Flood isn't a bad read. The heroine might get on your nerves at first, but her ditzy monologues are quite funny sometimes and her character develops as the book goes on. And Madox, Tella's Pandora, is freaking adorable.I need a Pandora, stat.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
Have any of you ever owned a dog or a cat?I haven't. (Not for lack of wanting but because Mother Dearest said no) But my grandparents, who live out in
and spaghetti do not mix. That's why I decided to read something a little more more wholesome—like Jodi Picoult's
(It made me seriously depressed though)As awesome as The Troop was, there were some things that prevented me from giving it full 5 stars. First off, the author tried too hard to be Stephen King—but failed miserably. If you're one of his Constant Readers like me, you know King has a unique quirk to his writing. He likes putting words into colons midway through a sentence to indicate the character's true thoughts or subconscious.Ex:(Not a direct quote) A hotel was just a building after all(Redrum)It didn't—couldn't have supernatural powers.It looks something like that—yes, it's from the Shining—I'm too lazy to search it up but The Troop had a sentence exactly like that.There was also this sentence: "Jesus Christ, it's constricting" Tim's mind yammered. " It's choking himNow if that isn't blatant copying of King (I distinctly remember an exact same sentence in one of his books), I don't what is. The difference is that King would've done a better job. Lord knows the mind isn't that coherent when it's frightened out of its wits.Some of the characters are extremely similar to King's as well. [Newton is a tamer version of Eddie from
and Shelley is a carbon copy of Patrick Hockstetter. ]In addition, The beginning turned me off a bit because it was so slow. I remember thinking that this was obviously a debut attempt because his writing style read like he was trying too hard to follow his Creative Writing 101's teacher's instructions. But as the book went on, it flowed a lot better—either because I had gotten used to his style or because he had finally gotten into his groove—but I was literally rapid-clicking the buttons on my Kindle to find out what happens next. [ But to be honest, I had a hunch that Max would be the only one left after Shelley got infected. And I didn't like the last sentence: A nameless hunger was building inside of him. It gnawed on his guts with teeth calling his namesI felt like it was trying too hard to be a metaphor for the emptiness and loneliness Max feels in the end. At least, that's what I thought the first time I read it. The second time (when I needed to copy down that sentence for this review), I felt like Max had gotten infected again. So which to believe? I have no idea and I suspect that's what the author wanted to do. I only wished he had done it in a way that didn't scream "Notice how clever my ending is!" at me.
]All in all though, The Troop is an amazing debut and I would definitely recommend it to fans of horror everywhere. But I would advise you against eating pasta while you read it.
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
really liked it
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
avg rating
num ratings
Natalie's rating
Notes are private!
recommender
# times read
ownedpurchase locationconditionformat
Mass Market Paperback
Loading...
30 of 39 loaded
<< previous 1
switch to:}