Melanie

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!

My review today is going to possibly change. Maybe I missed something with this read. I just simply did not enjoy this book at all. It was almost one that I did not finish. [b:The Immortalists 30288282 The Immortalists Chloe Benjamin https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493015963s/30288282.jpg 50766250] is the story of four siblings with a shared experience in childhood. That shared experience is a visit to a psychic known for telling you the date of your death. So sets the premise of the story. As a reader you are not told what each child is told. You enter into their stories separately with the book being divided into quarters, one quarter for each sibling and their lifespan. Im sorry to say that I just found myself wondering “what is the point here?” It appears to me that the author wants us to believe that each character is driven by their “death date” and that this changes the ways in which they all live their lives. The question is does it change their lives for the better or for the worse. I have my thoughts on what I believe Chloe Benjamin would say...I will leave that up to you to decide. My complaint is that I found some of the decisions and outcomes completely contrived and in the case of several of the siblings the velocity at which their story takes a right angled turn in order to end up at the outcome that the author writes for them is jarring and simply not believable. I am going to read other reviews. Perhaps my mind will change but this is one that I would not recommend. The concept had me pick up the book, the execution left me disappointed.

Perhaps in the future I will give this book a kinder star rating but not today. I'm sorry to say this book was a slog. I kept at it thinking as I often do when listening to novels rather than reading them that perhaps it was dragging due to the audio format.

Here is the problem....

The length and getting mired down in minutia and detailed descriptors that led nowhere was also a problem.

I also had issues with the lack of flow. I'd just be thinking that the King's were leading me somewhere. That like the webbing cocooning their characters they were about to pull all the threads together and show me the mosaic sense of the story. Alas this was not the case.

Yes..,it all gets tied together in one big concept of “the bad guys” vs “the good guys”, however even this black and white portrayal of good and bad I found clunky and juvenile.

I had issues with perspective as well. The authors chose to write with large brush strokes what they perceived as the feelings and interpretations of culture from one large group...a group of which Owen and Stephen are not a part of in this world. In my opinion this led to some huge assumptions that lacked finesse and intricacies.

All of that being said I am a fan of Stephen King and there were definitely hallmarks of his style throughout the novel.

My apologies for a harsh review...who knows maybe I will look at this book more fondly in the future.

I'm looking forward to understanding this concept, I've just created my “exclusive” shelf. Please GR friends I admit m lost here and would enjoy seeing all these reviews in one place. Advice welcome.

Great little board book. I just purchased for a new baby.

Pure bunk

This is 4-stars as a fun, light hearted read. A book for escape. To be read cuddled up in a blanket on a snowy night or sipping cocktails on the beach. It is pure fun and escape from the tough reality of our world.

This “bookshot” delivered exactly what it promised. It was a fast paced story that kept you turning pages and wrapped up within a few hours of reading. It was perfect for reading on the train to the city. I enjoyed the writing style and energy of this “novella”. It was my first time reading a bookshot and if the writing of all of them is this good then I look forward to trying one again. It reminded me of when I was a teen and bought Ellery Queen Magazines that had “mini mysteries” that I looked forward to devouring in one sitting.
Great for a quick read.

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.

Well no one can deny this book is beautiful! The pictures are stunning. My complaints are simply....I can only colour so much greenery and come up with so many combinations of leaves before my creativity is truly tested. My fine motor skills were also tested by the intricate details of the illustrations.
The question you must ask when you purchase this book is “Why am I trying adult colouring?” If the answer is that you have been counselled that colouring is an excellent exercise in mindfulness and relaxation then this book might not be the right fit for you. The detailed work can be very frustrating and take away from any therapeutic value (depending on your personality). If you are a laid back type...it may not matter a bit. Now if you answered my original question with the idea of diving into your creative side and focusing not on therapeutic mindfulness, but on the artwork itself then this IS the book for you and is a 5 star choice. Good Luck Everyone... And have fun!

Will always be one of my all time favourites!

This book is just not keeping my attention. I can't seem to keep the people in it straight. Characters are flying in and out of the scenes so quickly that I am not connecting with ANY of them. This is a story about The Bennett Family. They have a bunch of kids, everyone is self indulged and all are living chaotic modern/millennial lives which I THINK I am supposed to be somehow interested, entertained by or perhaps relate to. Unfortunately I am experiencing none of these things. I am simply confused, disinterested and feeling like reading this is a chore. Does anyone know if it gets better? I have actually NOT finished it and am deciding if I will complete reading it or not. Perhaps it improves. In all fairness I only made it through 10%.

This book gets a 5 star review for the positive changes it brought to my home. I am not much of a self help reader and therefore do not feel qualified to judge this book in any other way. I have employed many ideas from the KonMari Method and am finding these to have made positive affects in our home.

This is definitely a thriller. I love the way this author can write. Her descriptions and structure are a solid 5 STAR review. The first half of this book was a solid 5 Star winner. So...why then have I dropped my rating to a tepid 3 STARS?
There are some evils in this world I simply do not need described to me in order to be taken into a psychological thriller..There are some evils I do not need recited in detail to terrify me...There are some evils I simply do not need repeated with a novel in depth and description over and over again.
This novel literally gave me nightmares. The “crime” aspect was pounded home too graphically and too frequently for my liking. In terms of ability to paint a visual picture Karin Slaughter is a genius. In fairness she not only painted visual pictures of the crimes, but also the characters and emotions throughout the novel. Again a 5 STAR read.
So....now you understand that I bumped it down for its “gratuitous violence” if that can be noted in a written novel.
The second knock down of a star comes from the inability for this novel to end. I was finished with it when the mystery was revealed......then I was finished again many pages later when it appeared the bad guy or guys would get their comeuppance....
But....the book dragged on...telling us the story of what happened moving forward in the lives of the victim or victims. (No spoilers here).
So....another lost star for lack of editing.
I still suggest giving this book a shot....violence and length are a bit of a personal taste issue. You may love this book. The writing was definitely captivating.

Fun not practical, but that is what you would expect right?
Plan for using this cookbook for special events and activities.

Well this book was just ok for me. The writing style was excellent, it kept me listening however it also left me wanting more. More details regarding the main characters I guess. It just got to the point where it was rather one dimensional and dare I say predictable for me. I was irritated throughout that a key character was simply named “G”. That naming flaw sums up the things I disliked about this book. “G” needed a true name...or at least a REASON for not having one. This book for me was a bit like watching an artist produce the outlines in charcoal of a great sketch but never completely finish the painting, leaving it a bit empty with the foundation of greatness clearly visible. So sorry...that makes it a 3 star for me, so easily it could have rated higher.

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.

So I did not finish this book. I'm not going to rate it today. I tried yo get into this story and just could not. I may give it another chance though because I was listening via library digital audio. I often prefer reading to audio.

“Hmmm... I really wanted to enjoy this book. Am I the only one that feels like I grew up but Judy Blume didn't really come along into adulthood with me? Reminds me nostalgically of all my Judy Blume favourites, but I was expecting more maturity from this book written for the adult fan.” — 6 minutes ago

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.

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

I thought this book was a fast, fun read. It would be good for summer reading. I was surprised so many disliked it so avidly. Did I think it was masterpiece of literature? Of course not. Did I even think it was to BEST mystery I have ever read? Not at all. I did however wake up each day wanting to pick it up and read a bit more. It's a fun little mystery/thriller...kind of like a vodka cooler VS a good red wine. Enjoy it quickly, it's a refreshing light choice....nothing too deep to discuss. At least that was my take on it. Hope those that read it enjoy!

I love history and context and I am a musician. Again a book I read while studying. I had to rate it higher than counterpoint and theory books simply based on my own preference of subject. Another book to be read by the music student or enthusiast.

As I read the first sections of the book I was obsessive! There was an evening when to my shock I checked the time due to my persistent yawning and discovered it was 4 AM. The author was able to draw a perfect picture of the surroundings, circumstance and the characters within the novel. Not only could I imagine these people but I understood their feelings and thoughts. I loved that this book was about the people and not their traumatic events. There were however a few downfalls which lowered my rating to 3 stars. Throughout the novel there Jack adopts a “baby talk” way of labelling items that I found incongruent with his other verbal skills as highlighted within the story. Unfortunately somewhere along the line the page turning slowed and my interest wavered. I cannot put my finger on why the pace of the novel declined. I wish that I could have remained as engaged with the last third of the story as I was with the beginning. I had the luxury of watching the film this evening as well. Much like the book I truly applauded some elements and disliked some choices that were made. The habit of labelling items that I found so annoying on the written page translated beautifully in the screen version and made perfect sense. Perhaps Emma Donoghue envisioned it that way all along. Definitely a book worth investigating and an author I will look for again.

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”