Dee
I wanted more, which is the only reason I held back that final star. However this hit me with so much nostalgia for the books and the Netflix series that I am just about ready to start them all over.RIGHT.NOW.
I really loved how they portrayed the raspberry cordial scene and the subtleties of Anne's growing up. She was no longer that talkative ball of energy, but a genteel young lady.
The art also perfectly matched my remembrance of Anne's spirit and her story. Well done.
At about the halfway point, I was sure that I would be rolling my eyes at the ending of this book, sure that I wouldn't care about Eddie's fate one way or another. I was also equally sure that he would have a miraculous redemption arc in which he's proven innocent of all his various crimes. Instead, this book, though predictable in places, convinced me to like it. I was invested: I needed to know what really happened all those years ago. I got the closure that I was looking for, and so did Shelby.
Shelby wasn't my favorite charcter, I found her self-centered/shallow, but after all that she's been through, it is to be expected. I also liked that there was a repeat of a paragraph that begun the book, towards the very end of the book.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
TW: SpoilerChild abuse, domestic violence, mental illness seen in a negative light, joke about suicide/suicide
Oh that ending. How very bittersweet, and such a fun read. Definitely geared towards a younger audience that me, but that did not make it any less enjoyable.
Nobody Owens was a troublesome and curious young man but, if they were more forthcoming about how he ended up in the cemetery, a lot of that could have been avoided. The man Jack was an interesting antagonist and I would defintely pick up a short story about him Spoilerand the Jacks of all Trades.
The ending was very bittersweet but inevitable. Would recommend.
I need to process this one,,,but, I really enjoyed it. It might have been slow but that ending Spoiler had me tearing up. Bittersweet
Ten million years later
If there is one thing I could say about this book, was that I was thoroughly confused about almost everything that happened. Ed Deepneau was a truly disturbed man (through no fault of his own), Ralph was on the verge of insanity himself due to the worst case of insomnia that has ever existed, there were Centurions and Crimson Kings and Little Bald Doctors and OMG Stephen King you are a genius!
What I loved more than the absolute confusion was the adorable relationship between Ralph and SpoilerLois. Their flirting and eventual marriage was just too cute.. Other than that Dorrance may have been my favorite character.
(Warning: The men in this book say some things that will piss you off and make you want to shake them because MISOGONY IS REAL, so...)
I debated between 4 and 5 stars for this one, because I really enjoyed this one, but there was a rocky moment where I was ready to pitch a fit. So, no 5 stars for you, you heart attack inducer!
I really wanted Spoilerthe Darkling to be a good guy. I really did! Because, I fell for his tricks just like Alina did. I didn't see his duplicity and that hurts. Boooooo! And I'm not 100% sold on Mal being the successful love interest.
Also, THAT APPARAT is creeeeeepy! SpoilerWill we ever know what happened to Bhagra?
Now I need to figure out how to fit the other two books into my current reading challenges because I NEED THEM ALL RIGHT NOW!
Ilsa, August, Kate. So much hurt endured by these three characters.
I had been waiting patiently for this one, anxious to see what August and Kate get up to next, and I was not disappointed. August changed, due to necessity, but this change made him harder. Less the August I knew and loved, but still loveable.
Kate changed too, but her change made me sad. She closed off even more than she was before. Yes, she let in the Wardens, but to a very little degree. Her reunion with August was the moment that I was waiting on, the moment that would give her the strength to fight off her demons and feel again. And it was beautiful.
Soro. I have no idea what to make of them. They have a single minded focus defined by being Sunai and nothing more. I could admire that even if that could make them dangerous.
I liked this story because it Spoilerwasn't the typical HEA where our heroine and hero save the world and collapse into each other's arms, confessing their eternal love. There was no romantic bliss and perfect happiness for anyone. August lost the two most important people to him but Verity was on the road to repair. The ending worked for the story.
Oh God. What a beautiful, sad and powerful piece of writing. I cannot believe it has taken me this long to get through it, but I know that I needed to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it.
All I wanted while reading this book for Mariam and Laila to have some happiness in their lives, because their lives were hard, their environment was unforgiving and they deserved some peace. In the end, I think they got it, in very different ways.
Rasheed is the scum of the earth and I don't think I could hate ANY character more (except Umbridge). I'm happy with the resolution I got there.
Cuteness factor on 10!!! Gah! If it were any cuter I would explode!
My favorite character: Ninja. Just because he was so defective it hurts. Honestly, somebody hug him.
The art is perfectly suited to the type of story that this is and I would, without reservation, recommend this one to young readers who are interested in superheroes but not necessarily ready to read an entire novel.
And that plottwist had me shocked. I really wasn't expecting our villain to be who it turned out to be.
I loved the growth of our MC, how he moved from self-deprecating and unconfident, to someone who finally trusted in himself and his power. Great job.
Oh, did I mention that it was funny? Because it was.
Okay, that's all.
It ended better than it began and now I'm very intrigued by how it ended. Book two needs to be here now please.
There was a slow start, during which I cared very little about the characters, or their story. Only the actual storytelling kept me going, because the world itself was interesting: a magic place that comes alive once a year for a competition that could make you lose yourself...
At the end, I still didn't really care much for the characters. Scarlett gained strength which was a plus, but meh. Tella was annoying and selfish but she loved her sister so good for her. Julian may have been the only character that I didn't want to strangle.
Very curious about book two. Very curious, indeed.
Man, idk what to rate this. I'm stumped. On one hand it was signature Stephenie Meyer, hitting me with all the things that made me fall in love with the Twilight Saga. There was a quick romance, there were lulls that gave you a false sense of security and there was a lot of descriptive language. And, as always, she did the work. She did her research and NO ONE could say she phoned it in with the technical aspects.
Unfortunately, I wasn't 100% interested in this book having a romance. I wanted action (which I got), and I wanted fast paced (which I did not get). The relationships grew on me though, so good for her I guess.
IDK.
Wow. I don't even know what words are any more.
What a beautiful, emotional ending. And there was me cockily thinking I had this book all figured out, that Emily Koch could not fool me. I was too smart for this story. Well, I'm not. And I'm glad that I'm not.
I need this book in hardcopy like yesterday, just so I can touch all those beautiful words with my own hands. So that I can connect with Nurse Pauline and throttle Nurse Connie. I want it in hand so that just by turning the pages I can reenter this thrilling ride.
A more coherent (hopefully) review to come closer to the date of release ( www.deereadsforfood.com ) but know this: this book is worth your time.
Okay, how was THAT the ending?! Nope. Nope. Nope.
I'm going to need to mull over this one for a while to decide if the world building and writing is enough to make me continue this series. If it was up to the characters alone the answer would be a solid no, but I am a plot based reader so I could ALMOST overlook their flaws.
Kestral is naive, for as strategic as she is. I understand Arin's motivations, and I could forgive his actions, but I still didn't love him. Sigh. But Cheat? He could have used a little more suffering if you ask me.
I'm off to read reviews for book two to see if it's worth it. Wish me luck.
Not my favorite John Green, but still, somehow enjoyable. The story was enjoyable even if the characters were all self-centered, annoying brats. Because, in the end, they redeemed themselves as best as teenagers could. They are all flawed but at least they are learning.
Now I'm thinking I need to try some David Levithan...
I've missed this Universe so much. I wished, more than anything, that we got an entire story just from Iko's POV because that android is hilarious.
My three favorites were: After Sunshine Passes By (poor Cress), The Mechanic and Something Old, Something New. The little glimpses into my favorite character's past and that one beautiful look at their future, was everything that I expected to get from this collection.
I wasn't particularly interested in The Little Android mainly because I had hoped it would have been Iko's story pre-Cinder but, alas, it was not. Carswell's story was neither here nor there for me either.
I didn't realize how much I missed the interaction between the characters until I was almost through the final story and regretting reading it so quickly. Can I have more, please Marissa?
This book was exactly what I needed to read right now. A refreshing break from YA Romance. A girl does what she has to.I love thriller/mystery novels like this. With Malice kept me a step behind all the way up to the final two chapters, and I never would have seen it coming. Jill, our protaganist, has certainly been through more than her fair share of trials but it's clear that she came out of it a changed woman. I loved the writing style and the character growth. Overall, I wouldn't shy away from another Eileen Cook novel.If you liked [bc:One of Us Is Lying 32571395 One of Us Is Lying Karen M. McManus https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490084494s/32571395.jpg 49825436] then you might like this one.
So many despisable characters: The King (that useless dolt), Catherine's parents (especially her mother), Jack (!!!!), but so many to love! I just want to hug Hatta and Jest. Overall, Lady Catherine Pinkerton's story broke my heart and I cannot blame her for turning into the hateful Queen that she eventually becomes.
I would love to see more of this universe, but it is also perfect as it is. Beautiful work as always.
Marissa Meyer can do no wrong.
Okay, first of all, I just want to hug beast. All the time. He is so pitiable. And his POVs or Spoilerlack of POV towards the end were an eerie thing to witness. I wouldn't be opposed to a book with just the Beast narrating.
Yeva wasn't my favorite female character that I've ever read, but she certainly was nowhere close to the worst.
I love that the author veered away from the original storyline so that SpoilerYeva's father didn't have to return home with the knowledge that his daughter was being held prisoner and we got to see a Beauty that was a lot more badass.
Overall, as far as retellings go, this one can stay.
This isn't the kind of book that I usually like to read. The ones where we follow characters rather than a plot, but this one, THIS book, resonates with me. Each character's story was rich, tragic and beautiful and I loved and hated every word of it. Watching these generations of the same family move from freedom, to slavery and back again was noteworthy and I'm glad that I picked it up.
Maybe now I can attempt, again, to read Roots. Maybe.
