Melanie

I like the idea of this book better than I actually like the execution of this book. Sadly, I was disappointed.

I liked the twists and turns of this book. A, interested in following Mickey Haller as he develops. It was a very different book than the Harry Bosch novels. This kept it interesting and also kept me from comparing the two series.

Sorry...I know this is a favourite of many. Although I did believe that there were some poignant moments with 2 of the main characters: Dragon and Kenan, I was truly only interested in Arrow and the Cellist. I really enjoyed Arrow's Chapters and feel that at the end I knew her story and wished that there had been more of her included in the book. Dragon and Kenan's characters just dragged on for me. I found myself simply wading through their portions and wondering about Arrow. I wanted to know more about the Cellist....Or perhaps I wanted more on Dragon and Kenan so that I was involved in their stories.
I did love the writing...I just needed more...found it a bit lacking for me.
I feel guilty, as though I have missed something here...not only because everyone appears to LOVE this book but also I think because I in NO WAY HATED the book.
So many positives...just not my favourite.

I really do like this author. I wish I could do a better job at telling you why. He does keep me interested and I would describe his books as “page turners”. That being said I am better at describing the things I dislike about his writing. After reading two of his novels I have to admit that a pattern has emerged of really dragging out the end. These books are translated so perhaps it is a lost in translation issue, I am not sure. This particular novel was a bit too evil for me without any real purpose for some of the depraved actions. There is a particular scene which would be a spoiler if I were to describe it that I believe did not need so much detail to get across the incidents which occurred. Of course many readers may feel differently. I will continue with the series. I do like the main characters and look forward to their development.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a page turner for me. Even though there were aspects that I absolutely saw coming I remained intrigued by character development and minor plot lines. Fast paced and fun! ( As much as a crime novel can be noted as fun) I believe the main character could easily transfer well onto film or TV.

Very insightful with new information that gives hope. Although I do understand that perhaps it is not a “wide market” sale item and therefore supply and demand may require a higher price than the average book. The price still appeared restrictive and a bit baffling to me.

Just arrived home after seeing this book come to life at the Stratford Theatre.
Extremely moving story, timeless and heart wrenching.
Anne would have been 86 this year had she survived the war.
Seeing this as an adult I was stunned at how well written her diary is.
She would most certainly have become a prolific author.

Sorry just didn't love this book. Dark for darkness sake. Seemed contrived and unbelievable to me.

This book was pleasant surprise for me. It melded two genres together that of history and mystery. This series has become my new “summer read” quick, easy, beach reading fun!

Fun read. Great for summer

I'm not enjoying this one so far. It's taking me a long time to feel invested in the main characters. Am I alone in this?

Dry, dry, dry! I wanted to like this book I really really did want to. I guess I am a history nerd but I have loved anything ancient history, Greece, Rome, Egypt etc since I was only around 8 years old. I just couldn't enjoy this novel. I tried to think of it as a text book and still...could not force myself through excruciatingly detailed accounts of minutia with no apparent reason for their inclusion. Below is a quote from another GoodReads review by Elizabeth:

...“I also found boring the detailed accounts of the Ptolemies' intermarriages, of the ruthless executions of family members in line of succession, and of the conflict brought on by the Macedonia ancestry of the Ptolemies, including Cleopatra, simply because there are other sources for this.”...

You are correct Elizabeth. Such accounts had me studying the backs of my eyelids instead of the written page.

Just an interesting read. The Documentary version (which I think I watched on Netflix) was a fun bit of rainy day TV. Easy read for interest and fun. Not a meaty book that stays with you. It is what it is.

I have decided to challenge myself to read books which I own. This is frugal. This is a logical plan. The only problem...there are many “series”of books that I own some but not all of. For this reason I made an adjustment to my plan. I chose several owned books from different genres and series and decided to read those series in order until finished filling in the gaps with free library loans.

This book falls into my Mystery Series Category as I work my way through the Temperance Brennan Series. It also falls into the category of a Library Loaned “filler”.

I tell you all this because as you can see from my low star rating I did not love this book. I myself am baffled by how Luke warm my reaction was to this particular story. Whenever I react this way to a series/author that I enjoy I find myself trying to solve my own mystery. It's almost like the autopsy of a break up.

You know..the age old question...WHY?

I wondered if I rushed through the read watching my “holds” timer on other books tick down, concerned I couldn't read all my loans before the books were magically returned via the internet?

I wondered if I didn't enjoy it because the further I got into the novel the clearer it became that I had in fact read it many years ago...so maybe that's why it was predictable?

I wondered if I was just too tired, or too hot (it has been the most hot and humid summer on record where I live), or too distracted....

It couldn't possibly be that Kathy Reichs had failed me.

Alas however, I have come to a decision.

This book was not my favourite because Tempe is in danger (again) warned off by a mysterious villain (again). She accidentally falls into a mystery (again) with so many convoluted threads and connections that at times they are hard to follow (again) but ultimately forgivable because you enjoy the book (not so much this time). Then Tempe is in a truly dangerous conundrum near the end of the book (again) because she has headed off to confront a villain (again) and is miraculously rescued by a law enforcement tough guy (again) who somehow manages to save her despite herself (again)...

sigh

It pains me to say this one was redundant for me...maybe it's not Kathy it's me.

The books were not released 2 weeks apart and if I had not read them all back to back I may not have noticed or been bothered by these structural similarities.

I read this novel in Grade 9 as it was required reading, along with Diary of Anne Frank, Romeo and Juliet, The Stone Angel and A Handmaid's Tale. My children have now entered high school and their required reading still includes Romeo and Juliet and Anne Frank however 1984 has been replaced with The Hunger Games, The Giver and Divergent. I am not against any of the new additions. I just believe it would be so valuable to have 1984 and Fahrenheit 465 (I think, it's been 30 years forgive me) as initial backdrops to these new and Hollywood fuelled novels. What is there to say about 1984? A classic and a must read. I have to say...I happened to be in grade 9 in 1984 so....even more thrilling time to read the novel!

Well my star rating on this is based purely on my love of these books as a tween and teen. Take from that what you will. At the time I read these books I was banned from reading them, they were stripped from the school library, my friends and I shared a contraband copy....we inhaled every book and loved them. Childhood rebellion or truly a good read? Hard to say... My tastes have matured but a good rating for the nostalgia of it all.

One of those books from “childhood”. How can I not rate the whole series of books at least 4 stars? As a young teen this was the series that followed Judy Blumes “Are you there God? It's me Margaret”. It was a scandalous thriller of a read that was covertly read under the covers with a flashlight. These tattered books were passed between my group of friends on early mornings at furtive meetings in the school yard. Ah, contraband! It made the thrill of the read that much more delicious. Shakespeare it is not., however VC Andrews represented a certain phenomenon of our generation. For nostalgia alone it ranks high. The series sparked my love of the thriller and certainly had us all reading.

This classic novel is full of imagery and themes for discussion. I think one reason it continues to endure as a school literature staple is that for students just entering the analytical world of literature the connections and themes painted within this novel are rich and easily identified. The author is a master of painting a visual picture. I was a sucker for the Robert Redford Film and it is one of the few novels I read as a student that came to life on the screen in a way that was much as I had imagined.
I lowered my rating to 3 stars because at the same time I felt like I wanted more. It felt like the characters were almost caricatures of the era, or perhaps props used as vessels to tell the store of the themes of class and privilege and money and power and appearance upon the glitzy backdrop of a by gone era. Lessons to learn within this novel I understand but I would rather have been taught them by more deeply developed characters.

I liked the concept. Kept me intrigued, enjoyed reading with my pre-teens..but didn't leave me desperate for more pages. So...3✨

Pure bunk

I find this series to always be a page turner late into the night!

Call this series a guilty pleasure perhaps, but I really enjoyed this book. Granted it was a summer read. However, the book captivated my attention and was a quick page turner. Put this one in the fun category for mystery lovers with paranormal twists.

I read this series as a teenager. It's hard to rate because it is such a specific genre written for a specific audience. As a teen having been raised within the religious beliefs which this book (and series) was targeting I thought it was fantastic. Exciting, concrete and palpable retelling of such things as the rapture which I found to be such an unthinkable concept. Read this series for what it is meant to be. Basically a description of the end of times from a certain belief system written for a mass audience. The writing is not Shakespearian, nor is it meant to be. It is meant to carry a message and by the number of books sold and the 2 movies made LeHaye has accomplished that goal.

I read this book when I was in University. I do not remember it as a favourite. I remember being very upset with the ending (which I won't share here). I see that it is being read in one of my GR books which led me to write this review. For now I will leave my review at 3 stars, it was a ponderous read, with so many side stories and too much pathos...(now that was my 19 y.o. Stressed out Uni self review)....sometime this year I hope to read this again with 20 more years of life under my belt....I think my opinions of this classic will change. I'm looking forward to reading this with older eyes.

Sorry, I cannot help but love this novel. My opinion is biased however due to my love of the movie since childhood. I took my children to see the movie in the big screen this summer, it launched interesting conversations in this world of 2015. Things about the history of that time that I as a child didn't even think to question or notice horrified my children. It was interesting to visit an “old favourite”