Brittani S Avery
Being a computer programmer myself, I really loved the Black girl coder representation. I can relate to having long nights searching through Google, StackOverflow, etc. to find the right (or close to the right) thing to make my code work.
I really loved Kiera and her relationship with her sister, which somewhat reminds me of my relationship with my own little sister. I also enjoyed how her relationship with Cicada grows throughout the book. Harper and her little brother were annoying. Her little brother was almost intolerable. However, I understand their part in the story: the ignorant White friends. I honestly could not stand her boyfriend, Malcolm, from the beginning. My feelings for him only grew more negative as the book progressed. I find it a little odd that both the main male characters were portrayed with few (if any) redeeming qualities while the female characters had quirks that weren’t necessarily negative. I wish the characterization could have been more balanced in that aspect.
Some of the chapters took the reader away from Kiera’s point of view. The Cicada chapters were a nice way to intermix how her friendship with Kiera affected her and why she needed SLAY. However, the other chapters seemed more like filler with characters that had little effect on the plot. Those could have been cut to save some time and refocus on the plot.
Even though I really enjoyed the game of SLAY and the vivid descriptions of the cards taking form, I had some moments where it was difficult for me to suspend my disbelief. Thousands of members on multiple servers throughout the world with only two people moderating? I moderated a forum years ago and even with the few hundred we had, we needed way more than two. Also, I often asked myself what exactly were the sites rules regarding harassment and the like when a troll entered SLAY to disrupt it. As the creator, Kiera should have implemented rules regarding harassment and could have easily banned the troll for that. Due to the plot, she didn’t, but I found that a little hard to believe. I also doubted how hundred and then thousands of people (even if they were all Black) could have coexisted peacefully for three years without any incidents.
Overall, the female characters were great and the game SLAY was super creative, but the male characters were more like evil caricatures and the believability diminished as the book progressed. Those are the reasons why I would give Slay a 3.5 out of 5.
This one is different (pun intended)
This was a very odd book, which should not be taken as a negative necessarily. I enjoyed the characters as well as their growth through the story, which shows Mundo's talent in writing an interesting and concise tale. For instance, Gregory started out as an immature and whining preteen to a young man determined to protect his loved ones. The illustrations also were a nice touch, adding clarity when the written descriptions became difficult to understand.
One huge gripe I had with the writing style were the random switches to 2nd person, having the narrator talking directly to the reader. Each and every one of those switches took me out of the story. I sped through those sections to get back to the regular 3rd person POV. These switches were the reason I gave it 3 stars rather than 4.
Overall, Different was an interesting read that discussed sensitive topics with realism and tact. I would recommend it with the heads-up on the POV switches.
I really loved Ashfall and how realistic a scenario Mullin created. All the characters started out as normal people just living their lives and just one-by-one they all had to adapt and change to fit their new living conditions. It definitely struck the emotional heartstrings and the moral dilemma of helping others or leaving them to their fates.
I will admit that I am in the camp of liking Darla more than the main character, Alex. I really loved her attitude and how she called Alex out when he did a bone-headed move or allowed his softhearted sympathy to get them in trouble. I also loved how strong she was depicted physically and even mentally. However, when tragic struck her personally, she didn't try to hide it even though she was the super strong tough girl.
Alex was the same in that he didn't truly hide his emotions either, which is great to see in a male main character, especially as a teenage boy. I know that my brother often talks about how real men don't cry and other nonsense. However, some of the badassery that Alex pulled in the book totally proves his manliness despite him allowing himself to grieve and express emotions more than just anger and frustration (even though there was plenty of that too–and for good reason!)
Overall, the changes that the society, environment, and characters go through this book is very thought-provoking and makes for a good read. I'm looking forward to getting the second book in the series and continuing Alex and Darla's story.
NOTE: I got to page 204 before setting the book down. This review will not be based on the entire story
When I originally picked up this book, I was looking for inspiration from other YA authors/books, particularly from the fantasy and sci-fi genres (given that my own book, Element Unknown, is sci-fi/fantasy). I really liked the summary describing a massive war that has been raging for 500 years and how the two main characters, Jax and Naomi, are thrown into the middle of it by their circumstances crossing. I started to read the opening chapters and I found myself really enjoying Naomi and her struggles in survival and meeting the interesting people in her life. Jax was a little bland for my taste and it was hard wanting to care about the goings-on in his life.
As I continued reading and as more characters were introduced, it grew harder and harder to tell them all apart. Despite the chapters being in first person, there didn't seem to be a distinct voice between the characters and they all started to sound the same but with slightly different events/abilities.
The book, also, was a bit of a slow burn. I didn't receive full details about the war going, such as the enemy and the background of the war, until after reading nearly 200 pages. I realize that there is a lot of set up to the world and the history, but it seemed to go a bit slow.
Perhaps one day I will come back and finish the book and, by extension, this review. However, the book was very ‘meh,' interesting enough to get started but not enough to complete.
I picked up this book based on the the short description on the back. I enjoy thrillers and realistic science fiction, so I figured that I would enjoy this book as well. And for the most part, I did. I really liked Rosie as a character and how she didn't pretend that she was like the other students, particularly the popular ones. I also enjoyed how she cared more about others than herself, though that sometimes got her into some trouble with trying to figure out her relationships with Linus, Burnham, and the other students, especially as she continued to discover more and more about the secrets of the school. Some of her choices I didn't quite understand. There is one in particular, toward the end of the book, where she trusted a complete stranger over a friend. I didn't understand why she thought that would be a good idea.
O'Brien's way of writing was pleasant to read and kept my attention, causing me to become invested in the characters. There were some annoyances though. One such annoyance was her overuse of “I said”/”He said”/etc. When reading a conversation between two people, the inclusion of the saying tags isn't always necessary and, sometimes, even distracts from the conversation. The biggest annoyance was the ending of the book. I had to re-read the last chapter to figure out exactly what happened. It didn't make me throw the book across the room as O'Brien said it made other readers (as stated in her interview included in my copy of the book). However, it didn't feel like a satisfactory ending. To be honest, I would have preferred the original ending she mentioned in the interview.
Overall, I liked The Vault of Dreamers, but the ending did not leave me feeling fulfilled, but rather like “Oh, that's it? It's done? Shrugs Okay, I guess.” And while I know there is a sequel, the ending seemed pretty finite and hasn't made me what to find out what happens next.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, loving the mixture fantasy and regency. It was something unique, which was the reason why I picked up the book in the first place. As I started to listen to the book (audiobook narrated by the author), I liked learning about Jane and the relationships with her family, the Dunkirks and the rest of the people of their neighborhood. However, some of the characters annoyed me as the book continued. Jane, while praised for her wit and glamour abilities (which I associated with intelligence and logic), proved to be somewhat dense about the happenings around her, especially in the flirtations of Mr. Dunkirk and the identity of Melody's secret beau. Melody was a spoiled brat who used her beauty constantly to one-up her plain sister because she was jealous of her talents, which didn't make sense to me. Everyone paid all the attention in the world to Melody and very little to Jane, but Melody wished for the attention of every eligible bachelor it seemed. She even at one point had her sights on another, but still grew upset at Jane for supposedly having two suitors. It was completely immature of her. Their mother made my physically roll my eyes at some of her words and I practically hated her by the end of the book. I did like the supporting characters such as their father, Mr. Dunkirk, and Mr. Vincent.
The end of the book seemed rushed as it attempted to tie up loose ends. It was a messy recounting of the events of the week after the duel. I also don't remember if Beth, Jane's best friend throughout the book, received an update in the rushed summary of events. I find that odd since Beth was such a prominent character after her introduction. The last chapter was more like an epilogue than an actual chapter, which caused the book to end on a ‘meh' note.
One thing that would make the book a bit more interesting is a more detailed explanation of glamour. The construction and formation of it was hinted at throughout the book but never explained in the amount of detail I wished. I was just told constantly that both Jane and Mr. Vincent were very accomplished in their control of it. I love seeing the science between the magic, so to speak, detailed in books and I think that having an explanation of how glamour is created would have added more to the fantasy setting.
Great beginning but couldn't stick the landing
I received a free physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, but that has not changed my opinion about the book at all. Just wanted to give a heads-up.
Before reading the book, I briefly looked at the Wikipedia page of the fairytale on which this book is inspired, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It was new to me. I was looking forward to see where the author took it since it was a bit different from the classic Beauty and the Beast.
I enjoyed how the main two characters were quickly established in the beginning of the book. Peytra, being a talented artist with wood, had a playful and family-oriented personality but was still fueled with the desire to be recognized for her work. The Duke was a very mysterious and somewhat intimidating figure, being covered from head to toe in dark clothing and wearing a mask. However, Peytra as well as the reader was able to see glimpses of a man who was interested in art and literature and wanting to do his best as a duke and leader. They took time to find out more about each other and it was a slow build on their relationship, which I thought worked well.
The minor characters added just the right amount of variety to the cast. While in the start they may have seemed stereotypical (the all-business accountant, the fuzzy cook, the womanizer, etc.), there was enough revealed to make them fully fleshed out characters. The interactions between Peytra and the rest of the castle staff were some of my favorites.
Yet, toward the middle/end of the book, I felt a shift in the tone. Peytra and the Duke were no longer going slow but full speed ahead. It took me out of the story just a bit when it was said that only some months had passed since her time in the castle. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned or a pessimist when it comes to love, but I just can't see myself falling in real, true, and lasting love in just a few months.
I also felt the end of the book focused more on the explicit sex scenes (which I skipped over, just not my cup of tea—no fault of the author). The finale of the book felt rushed and sudden, introducing things only barely mentioned and then leaving it on a cliff-hanger. I realize that this is the first in a series and more will be explained in the coming book(s). Still, I wished a bit more time was taken to give this book a satisfying ending.
In addition, there are some strange formatting issues, missed typos, and confusing point-of-view switches. Sometimes, the point-of-view switched in the middle of a paragraph and left me quite unsure of who was speaking/thinking or even what was going on. There were some passages that I had to re-read to get a clearer picture of the current happenings.
Overall, I liked the step up and the characters had fun personalities. The middle and end fell flat for me, seemingly having less of what I got me hooked in the first place. I would give it 3.5 stars.
Dakiti (Ziva Payvan #1) is a cool combination of science fiction, military hierarchy, and political intrigue. The world of Haphez had a great set up by Fisch. The races are vividly described, including physical and cultural differences from the humans of the universe. The main characters of Aroska Tarbic and Ziva Payvan had a very interesting dynamic due to their shared history and their forced cooperation by assignment. Each of the side characters were also given personalities and purposes that continued to fill out the world. The plot allowed for small character movements between both side and main characters, showing the different interactions and how certain characters were viewed by others. For example, Ziva is highly respected by some and vehemently hated by others for the exact same quality of brutality.
I will admit that the beginning seemed a little slow to me, mainly that the plot took a bit of time to get going. To be honest, I didn???t care too much about the overall plot until about 30-40% into the book. Things picked up quite a bit then and the last half of the book is packed with action. I enjoyed the ending and how pretty much everything was resolved for a solid finish to this book but, there was still an opening for more adventures in the future.
Overall, I liked it, the world and the action especially. Despite the strong science fiction themes, it was easy to read and get invested in it.
Wonderful start and character development with a rushed ending
For Blood & Glory starts off with a bang as a group of teenagers find a pregnant woman in the water. This woman is taken to a hospital and treated, though, through the eyes of a nurse, things seem a little wonky with her test results as well as how the other professionals treat the poor woman. Fast-forward fifteen years and we're following the woman's daughter, Sefira, and her life as a highschooler living in a new town with her adopted family and having to rebuild relationships and status. However, this is no simple coming-of-age story, for Sefira starts to discover that there is more to her and her birth family than meets the eye.
I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of the characters and how each of them had a distinct personality and voice, even the minor characters such as Sefira's friends. I've read other books were even main characters all seem to blend together into one cohesive being that has the same voice. One of my favorite characters is Blythe, who is introduced in about halfway through. There is definitely no one else like her and she has a unique way of handling various situations.
A couple of times during the book there were some world/plot-specific words thrown around that I didn't quite understand. An explanation of these words seemed to be missing, or at least I must have missed it. Also, toward the end of the book, there was a large information dump of the more supernatural facets of the world. A mean a large information dump. But even then, it left more questions rather than answers. Granted, I'm intrigued to see what happens next in the sequel, which is good. Yet, I don't think that it really closed the chapter on this book very well.
Overall, I really liked it For Blood & Glory and I'm looking forward to seeing more from Hendricks.
Good introduction to an interesting world and characters
I really enjoyed this book! I went into it without having read the novel Waypoint, so I was a blank slate regarding my expectations. I liked Quinn and how her relationship with her mother changed throughout the book. I also liked the friends she made along the way and how she put away differences in order to figure out the mystery of the missing scientists. Despite the short length, there was plenty of character development.
The world in Intel is similar enough to ours but with the classic telltale sign of years in the future: automatic driving cars, data-pads, etc. It was a believable future and thus caused me to want to learn more about it.
The ending of the book seemed to cut short suddenly and I was somewhat surprised that it was over. However, it makes sense; this is a prequel and does its job of whetting my appetite for more.
Nice introduction to fascinating world and characters
From the very first chapter, Novotny pulls you into the world that Aliya finds herself in without any unnecessary build-up. Just boom, things are happening! I immediately empathized with her and had very strong (read negative) feelings for the doctor that rebuilt her and his intentions hinted at throughout the first part of the book.
As I continued following Aliya through her adjustment to a new life in a new galaxy, I enjoyed learning the differences between our galaxy and this new one: languages, races, etc. One thing I would have liked see more detailed descriptions of the characters. Some of them were hard for me to really picture in my mind and others I only knew by their specific and unique feature, such as bright blue eyes or a metal arm.
The middle and end (especially) had a lot of action that was super fun to read! I also loved learning about the the enemies and their connection to the rest of her peers. I did feel that the very ending was a bit rushed, but it seems to be set up for a sequel, which I would be very excited about if there is to be one.
Overall, Remade is an enjoyable sci-fi tale with a fish out of water sort of feel. I highly recommend it and look forward to more from this author.
Lucy is indeed the crazy one!
The summary of The Crazy One drew me into reading it and with the introduction of Lucy in the first chapter, it definitely held my attention. Lucy is shown to be a socially awkward girl who never truly fit into society and, instead, created her own reality in her imagination. Throughout the book, Markus does a wonderful job in demonstrating Lucy's fall into madness as she attempts to make her fantasies come true. I continually said “She is crazy!” So bravo to Markus' writing and character development!!
The sections from the present or from Lucy's point of view were a bit hit-or-miss for me. I didn't really connect with Elijah, though he was only present in a handful of chapters, so I guess that's to be expected. In the earlier parts of the book, it was harder to tell what was in Lucy's mind and what was reality. It got much easier to tell as the story went along and I understood more of who Lucy was. The latter half of the book was my favorite, mostly taking place in the past and rapidly revealing Lucy's insanity.
From the start to the end, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it for those who like twisted and broken characters.
The Inkling is a fun, quick read that is great for a lunch break or bus ride. I managed to complete it while waiting for my work computer to reboot from an update with time to spare. Ivanrest throws you right into the action with Yeta???s little ink dragon hissing and running away from her. As she makes her way back home, there are descriptions of the world and the society, which I thoroughly enjoyed and even longed for more detail. The world is just so interesting that I wish more time was devoted to building it.
The banter between Yeta and Reku, especially when they first met, was a fast back-and-forth and the personalities of the two characters were established well enough. However, as more characters were introduced and the action picked up, I had a little trouble keeping track of what was happening. More interaction between just Yeta and Reku would have given me more time to really feel them out and to see their relationship without any additional conflict.
Overall, the world, the characters, and the magic were SO COOL, but I felt much of the development was rushed and by the time I caught up, the story was over. Simply put, a tad bit longer of a story would have been great to really flesh out things.
Unique sci-fi story with random twists and turns
I picked up this book as part of Indiecember and as a way to read more from my fellow indie writers. The story of Jake and Lola kept me intrigued as I constantly asked questions of who and why and how. Getting the background of Jake's childhood and how Lola was introduced into his life was nice to have and helped me to understand his connection to her. The book also left me pondering some moral questions on mental health and actual reality vs perceived.
There were a couple of things that left me either confused or dissatisfied, however. One was the mingling of the past with the present. In the same chapter, Jake would be speaking about class at the academy and then the very next section he would be an adult doing his assignments on the ship. Yet the switching back and forth doesn't continue throughout the entire book. I actually would have preferred to have the two timelines separate from each other by chapters with indicators such as “X years later.” There were also some choices by characters that didn't really make a lot of sense and no one really explained what happened or why. I felt that there were still some plot questions that are not answered by the end of the book.
While the execution of the tale was a bit hard to follow at times, overall, I enjoyed the story and the true science behind it.
Slayer (Dragon Tamer Book #1) has an interesting premise while the actual tale of the book rushes through character development, conflict, and resolution. At the beginning Juilanna is eager to slay her first dragon, a long-lived tradition in her village. Though, I do feel that her village set her up for failure since she wasn???t taught anything about fighting dragons, like where to target or how to defend against the different types of dragons. It just seemed odd that there was no structured education on dragon slaying in a village of slayers. More details about life in the village would have solved this problem.
As the story progresses, various characters are introduced, but because the plot must continue, characters are not allowed to build any deep connections other than optimistic love interest, distrustful leader, jerk brother, kindly mother, or random citizen. The conversations were short and lacked much content before they were resolved and we moved onto the next point. Even Julianna herself isn???t truly allowed to absorb what is happening. A lot of her anguish is resolved quickly and a decision is made. Perhaps this is because she is an immature 18-year-old? To be honest, I could not see her as a young adult, but rather a teenager around the age of 14 or 15. Is this normal for other young adults in her village? I have no idea since the authors spent very little time in developing what her life was like before jumping into the action or even having her compare her life back in the village and Ash???s upbringing in his village.
Overall, I found it very hard to suspend my disbelief and become engrossed into the story. The conversations and Julianna???s telling of the story (it being in first person) seemed childish and underdeveloped. I could see myself loving this story at the age of 12 or 13 with all the drama and action, but a nearly 30-year-old woman, it is just not for me.
Great romance story about two souls struggling with internal demons
I picked this book up as part of Indiecember to cross off the retelling box. I actually have never read Jane Eyre, so I had no real expectations or foreknowledge of the story. I really loved the dynamic between Dominic and Beatrice and how they both were struggled with trust and attempted to hide their issues with various techniques and redirections. Though, sometimes I grew frustrated with Beatrice's stubborn refusal to seek help, even saying out loud for her to just tell someone.
The description within the book are flowery, which truly fits the setting of the book. The supporting characters were diverse and added favour to the story. I especially loved Lady Augusta and her bluntness. I'll now have to read Jane Eyre and compare the difference.
I enjoyed Elisabeth's story, especially once she and the Emperor were introduced. However, I feel that the story cut off just as it was getting to the good part, ending it with a rather rushed epilogue. The diary portion of the book should have been longer to go into detail about how her marriage to the Emperor began to deteriorate and how her mother-in-law tried her best to remain in power.
At the beginning of the book, Olivia is a girl with a rather boring life that wasn't going anywhere fast: no suitors, limited skills, and no more parental guidance due to the recent death of her father. An opportunity arises when she discovers she could inherit her uncle's farmland. She, along with her Black friend Mourning Free, travels to Michigan and starts a journey on becoming a farmer. I really enjoyed the dynamic of Olivia and Mourning and how their relationship progressed from being friends to business partners. It was also interesting to see Olivia's thoughts on race, gender, and society and how they differed with most of the other characters in the book. The first half of the book focused on this and I wish it would have continued Olivia's conflict between her outlook and society's norms.
However, a tragic event occurs and the tone of the book changes completely and unexpectedly. The next chapters once the tragedy ends, Olivia's attitude about the whole world changes, which understandable due to what happens to her, and the book becomes bleak and depressing.
There is another slight tonal change in the last chapters of the book when Olivia returns to Five Rocks. While still keeping its overall depressed tone, the last few chapters seem like filler (unnecessary chapters used to add to the length of the book). Very few things of note occur and I honestly believe that a lot of the more useful information could have been communicated to the reader in one or two chapters rather than the like six or seven it actually took.
Finally, the ending was probably the most disappointing part of the book. It resolved nothing and left the reader without an answer to one of the biggest questions in the entire book! The eBook version I have included a preview of the next book, which answered some questions, but still left a lot to be desired.
Overall, Olivia, Mourning had an interesting story and conflict at the beginning but with the drastic tonal change, the filler chapters, and the poorly executed cliff-hanger ending, I find that this isn't the best way to introduce a series or to keep someone reading the rest.