Ana
fair enough that I was able to keep reading it to pass time, but on the whole I found this book to be way too predictable and cliche all the way through. The characters seemed shallow and superficial, especially the bored housewives. Maybe I'm being too critical, but I almost never saw Tessa doing anything but complaining, and Ruby was a constant brat. I know kids that age are known for being particularly hard to handle, but come on, not 24/7! Surprisingly, for most of the book, I had a little more sympathy for Valerie than Tessa. The happy ending also seemed to come a little too easily to be realistic.
All that being said, I give it 2 stars instead of 1 because it wasn't a complete fail if I somehow still kept reading it, if only because it was definitely an easy read.
Excellent! So well written, it's the type of book that grabs you and carries you on a vivid and detailed ride with the main Character. Speaking of Jack, where's this guy in real life? I want to meet him. He's tough, but sensitive. Strong but kind, despite the violence. Definitely an admirable but believable character. This will keep you reading.
This book is going to stay with me. It's such a moving story that draws you in, makes you a part of it. The writing is simple, yet I felt immersed in the lives of Mariam and Laila. Having finished the book, I feel a little like I'm parting ways with a good friend I haven't gotten to know as well as I'd hoped to. And as I've said before, that's how you know you've read a good book.
The fact that the things that happen in the book is an all too real reality for some, only makes it an even more emotional read. I'm glad to get a glimpse of what life was/is like for women in the middle east. God be with them.
Another good read. I highly recommend this one.
I tried reading this book several years ago, but didn't get very far at all. The book seems to plod along about as slowly as the years go by in the story.
A man wastes his life, killing time by sleeping with any woman he can get his hands on, while waiting for the husband of the woman he's infatuated with to die. It sounds rather bleak but that's truly what the book is about. What he feels for her is more infatuation than anything else: let alone love. He tells her he's remained a virgin for her, but that couldn't be further from the truth, and she knows it. Maybe it's the characters, specifically Florentino, that I dislike, more than the book. I can't imagine someone wasting 53 years, 7 months, and 11 days obsessed with someone who was able to move on years before.
The other thing that made this book difficult to read was the style of writing. I know it's an old classic, and most old classics tend to be written that way, but it didn't help this book's case any, in my opinion. Someone said you either love this book or you hate it. I'm glad I got through it this time reading it. I did get more out of it this time than my last attempt, but I think I could've lived a happy enough life without it. Maybe I'm missing something?
Before reading this, I wouldn't have known Betty White from Adam, I'd never heard of her. But the book sounded interesting so I grabbed it. What a good read! This could easily be read in just a couple of hours, but it's so enjoyable. I found I can relate to her on a number of things, despite how drastically different our lives are, and that's not even mentioning the age difference. If only we could sit down together over coffee...
Whether or not you know who she is, I do recommend this. Touching and entertaining, this book wasn't nearly long enough, if you ask me, and of course, you didn't.
PS. I have seen the Golden Girls, but knew nothing of the actors in it, until now.
What to say after all that? It was almost anticlimactic. I agree with several of the other reviewers of this series, and say that the first 3 or so books were good, then it started going down hill. I still think that Ayla's entirely too perfect. Her personality is flawless, her body is perfect and exotic, the skills she learned from surviving on her own in the wilderness are impressive, but being born with other superhuman skills just makes it too much. I would be more impressed by a quote unquote normal person going through the things she goes through, and thriving, instead of someone so extraordinary from the start.
I gave this book 3 stars because it does improve from the last one. It's still not as good as the first few books, but it is better. More happens, and it's not quite as repetitive. The constant repetition, though, does make the reading tedious. There's only so many times we need to hear about how the tools were made and how they are used. Hearing how beautiful and unique Ayla is over and over and over each time someone new sees her, and a few times in between, becomes annoying, instead of actually building the readers respect for her or the author. And if I hear one more comment about Ayla's accent...
Despite all the complaints about Auel's writing, however, the setting and culture of the series is still captivating. The characters and storyline are creative, yet realistic. I commend Auel for her careful and thorough research of the subjects she writes about. She does say somewhere in one of her books that she prefers writing nonfiction, and it shows in her writing. if the last two or three books had been written better, I would wish there was more. I'd like to know what happened after that. How that civilization started becoming more like the society we know today, and how the knowledge revealed at the end of this book changed their lives and customs.
If I could make two suggestions on how to improve on this series as a whole, they would be:
1. Auel should get a better editor. or,
2. Someone should publish an abridged version of the series.
A movie, or movies, of the books would be interesting.
I didn't like this book quite as much as I was hoping to. I guess my main complaints are that Ayla just seems a little too, perfect? Too super-human. Reading through the book, I almost get the impression the story is as much about what a wonder Ayla is than about the life and times back then. I know that's probably somewhat the point, because whenever Ayla tells her story to someone new they rarely believe her, but I think the narrative would seem a bit more believable if Ayla was more like your every day person like all the rest of us, just trying to survive in the circumstances. Her exceptional beauty and perfect body take away from the otherwise uniqueness of the series. That's just my opinion though.
Apart from that, I do still enjoy the different setting and getting a glimpse into what life was probably like back then. I'm still planning to finish off the series.
This book didn't captivate me quite as thoroughly as most of the others have, but it was interesting and educational all the same. If you like traveling, and books about traveling, this book should do it. I liked the descriptions of the landscape and scenery, just maybe not quite so much of it. I can't focus on pages and pages of nothing but plant/animal information. All that being said though, because I myself do like traveling and learning, meeting new people and discovering new places and cultures, this book is definitely still worth the read. I think the characters will stay with me.
I have been completely enthralled by this whole series. Both the Tomorrow series, and the Ellie Chronicles. I'm going to miss the characters! I want to follow them on through life. See where they all end up. I want to watch Gavin continue to grow and see what becomes of Ellie and Lee. Even though I can in no way relate to what these, kids? go through, this remarkable bunch will stay with me. Months, maybe even years from now, I'll look back and remember the early summer days when I read this series.
I'm not entirely sure what I make of this one. Can we say hello, ambiguity? wow. It leaves you hanging, that's for sure. I guess I'm not really giving it 2 stars because I didn't like it, but more because I haven't decided yet how I feel. This book is definitely different from the Tomorrow series by the same author.
I haven't been this disappointed to see a series end since Harry Potter. This has been that good. The characters are so life-like. I seriously doubt I could do this series justice in a review, so I'll just say, read it. You'll like it, even if war isn't your subject. It definitely isn't mine. There's a quote that says something like, you know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little like you've lost a close friend. This is how I feel now, but there's always more to be explored.
These books are awesome. I love the humor and sarcasm laced through out the book, even among the action. It's a bit more graphic than I would've expected from a young adult book, but the story never gets boring. It's a perfect combination of action, humor, and thought-provoking questions and situations. I'd never really given war much thought until I started reading this series. It's so sad, and so pointless. So far the books have made me crack up laughing out loud several times. Other times they leave me reflecting on issues I hadn't thought much on. I'd recommend these books to almost anyone. There's a little bit of everything here. I'm quickly moving on to the next book in the series.
I still like the plot and setting, but to me, this book dragged on a little more than necessary. I know everything that happened had to happen, but I think all that could've been said in less pages. Then again, maybe some like the elaborate descriptions of hunting and tool making. Granted, it is interesting. Even the romancey fluffy parts weren't bad. I think I will read the next book in the series, but I'll probably come back to it.
This was really, and I mean really, not my type of book. That is, I've never read anything quite like it, and usually don't like this type of genre. The reason I gave it a try is: A good friend of mine who died last February, recommended it to me last year when I asked her for book suggestions. I've been thinking about her a lot lately, as well as feeling like reading something different, so I decided to read it in her memory, if you will..
Surprisingly, I liked more about the book than I would've expected. I've always loved delving into other times, other places and cultures. It shocks me how brutal and barbaric humans can be without the laws of civil society. Not to mention what creative imaginations we have when left to our own devices.
I loved Creb from the start. I think he's my favorite character. That's about all I can really say on the book, except to say it was a pretty memorable read. Even the disturbing bits, or maybe especially the disturbing bits. But definitely a worth while read. I just might check out the second book in the series.
I don't usually do the multiple storyline, follow more than one character at a time, usually girly kind of books like this. This book was good though. Romantic enough to apeel to my fluffy side, but realistic enough to not get on my nerves with better than life scenarios. The characters seemed real and the plot was believable. All in all a good, easy read.
Probably the best thing I got out of this book was a realistic look into Amish life. The way it ended was a bit unsettling to me though. But it was definitely worth the read, if only for the journey into a world within a world, and a culture which seems a bit extreme in some ways, but on the other hand, they just might have the right idea.
This was a pretty thought provoking book. In the end, I almost feel sorry for Walter. Not who he was in the beginning, but what his actions, regardless of reasons, made his life come down to. I wonder if he did have a mental disorder, or was he a Psychopath? The bad guys are never my favorite characters, but this 1 fascinates me. This isn't a blog, so I'll leave it at that, but the book does make you think.
If you enjoy sweeping adventures in historical settings, and aren't too particular about strict Biblical accuracy, then you might want to give this one a try.
I have such mixed feelings about this book.
On the one hand, the book is brutal, both in its descriptions of child sexual abuse, and in Livia's role as a vigilante. This is absolutely not a light read, and if you are at all disturbed by scenes of violence, rape, and vengeance, this book is not for you.
But on the other hand, even if I feel like Livia went too far in her quest for justice, I have to admit it certainly makes her a complex character. And I've never much cared for overly sweet, precious characterizations of people.
The good
I've read several books on the subject of human trafficking, and I don't know if any have ever moved me quite like this one has. yes, many of the scenes are bleak and disgusting, but such is the nature of sex trafficking. We'll never be able to overcome evil like this if we're not willing to stare it in the face. It's enough to almost make me support Livia's actions.
Not all the men in this book are hideous monsters. No spoilers here, but suffice it to say that Livia does find allies, which leads me to...
For all the ugliness in the book, there are some heart-warming scenes between Livia and the handful of people she comes to know and care for. These moments of love and beauty help bring some balance, though they feel real and authentic, not just thrown in to keep the book from dissolving into despair.
The not so good
Have I mentioned the violence and vengeance?
Though her motives seem to be right, I'm not sure Livia's method of dealing with rapists is exactly ethical. Especially her weekend “hobby”. yes, the system is badly broken, probably in ways far beyond my understanding. But is this really the way to fix it? Might some of those men have otherwise had the chance to find help and rehabilitation? Is it worth the risk to other women? These are difficult questions, probably with even more difficult answers, but Mr. Eisler never addresses them. There seems to be an unspoken assumption that Livia is justified in taking matters into her own hands. That it is at the least, understandable, commendable at most. Perhaps it's my own convictions, but the idea just doesn't sit right with me.
And on a smaller complaint, Livia seems a bit too perfect when it comes to the combat scenes. She is portrayed as the best of the best in martial arts, and this takes away some of the suspense, when you know who's going to win each and every fight.
All that said, it's a book that makes you think, and makes you feel. By those standards, it's a good book. But in my opinion, it could have been better if questions of ethics, and what it means to seek justice, and where the lines between justice and vengeance are, had been raised. How far does a criminal have to go in order to lose his or her right to be heard in court? At what point does the justice system fail so utterly that it becomes right and good for citizens to deal with evil in whatever way they can?
Mr. Eisler doesn't bring these questions up, or rather, he seems to answer them in a way that, frankly, makes me uncomfortable. But maybe it should be up to us to ask these questions. How do we help rescue and defend those suffering unspeakable abuse? How far should we go when the system fails and society turns a blind eye?
A challenging, but worthwhile read to me. Recommended, but only if you have a strong stomach, and can handle dark subjects.