I really struggled with this book. It seems that Veronica Roth kind of ran out of steam on this one. The story was all over the place and the2.5 stars
I really struggled with this book. It seems that Veronica Roth kind of ran out of steam on this one. The story was all over the place and then when it picked up toward the end, well, let's just say I was not a fan of the ending - although I would have been fine with it if the rest of the book had been what I think everyone expected it to be. The ending was just kind of a letdown on top of a letdown.
Too bad that such a great series had to end on this kind of note....more
Such a great read aloud! Both my kids (5 and 8) loved the adventure and fast pace of this second book in the trilogy. We are excited to finish it up wSuch a great read aloud! Both my kids (5 and 8) loved the adventure and fast pace of this second book in the trilogy. We are excited to finish it up with Starclimber!...more
For the first 1/2 of the book I was wondering why I was reading this? Nothing seemed to be happening and the dialogue was pointless. However, the storFor the first 1/2 of the book I was wondering why I was reading this? Nothing seemed to be happening and the dialogue was pointless. However, the story did pick up in the second half and I was reminded why I like the story and the characters enough to still be reading these books.
First 1/2 gets 2 stars, the second gets 3, so I rounded up instead of down....more
I'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars here. There were parts of the book I really enjoyed - I found the world building very good and quite detailed - butI'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars here. There were parts of the book I really enjoyed - I found the world building very good and quite detailed - but it also really, really felt like the very beginning of a long series. Which is OK, if the next book is imminent, but I don't believe it is. The problem with books like this is that there is so much groundwork to lay, that sometimes the story doesn't progress the way I would like it to. I had a hard time getting a sense of the passage of time in the story - I think Paige was in Sheol I for six months? - but I did not ever get a sense of time passing like that. It's a small thing, I guess, but it can also affect how realistic some of the developments between characters is. I would probably read the next book, but I think it will likely be awhile before it comes out, and I don't know if I would want to re-read this book (which would likely be necessary to refresh the many important details in my mind)....more
I loved this book. It was deceptively simple, and at the same time incredibly profound. I can understand why some people would not like it, as it effeI loved this book. It was deceptively simple, and at the same time incredibly profound. I can understand why some people would not like it, as it effectively challenges so many assumptions that adults have about children, and that can be difficult to accept. The story is still fresh and holds up after so many years, which in itself says something about its quality....more
I read this aloud to my kids (8 and 5). The first 1/3 of this book was a bit slow for them because there was a bit of set up and world building involvI read this aloud to my kids (8 and 5). The first 1/3 of this book was a bit slow for them because there was a bit of set up and world building involved. It picked up about halfway and got very exciting in the last half of the book. My oldest really enjoyed it and wants to read the next book in the series.
I would give it 3.5 stars only because the beginning was a bit on the slow side....more
Second Read 2020 (3.5 stars) So it turns out that I remembered absolutely nothing about this book except that Jane Sagan was in it. It was entertainingSecond Read 2020 (3.5 stars) So it turns out that I remembered absolutely nothing about this book except that Jane Sagan was in it. It was entertaining and unchallenging to read, and I enjoyed it, but I can also see why I remembered so little about it.
I didn't miss John Perry at all as he is a bit of a white bread character. I like Jane, but as much as she was in this I still didn't feel like we really got to know her very well as the focus was really on Jared Dirac-another character I had totally forgotten about, which is doubly unfortunate as he is the main character.
I'm left confused because I wonder if I should be giving 4 stars to a book that evaporated from memory so completely since I first read it? 3.5 stars is probably more accurate. Still not sure, but this time I do intend to at least finish the series.
First Read 2013 (4 stars) Really good. I liked this one more than Old Man's War, which I liked a lot. The story here I thought had a bit more depth. It is old school comfortable science fiction. Yay for that.
This was not my usual genre, but I enjoyed the read nonetheless. The writing style reminded me so much of Cormac McCarthy's in The Road. A good book fThis was not my usual genre, but I enjoyed the read nonetheless. The writing style reminded me so much of Cormac McCarthy's in The Road. A good book for people who like surfing, and also for those who enjoy stories where the character is engaging in a reflection of the past....more
Re-Read - April 2020 - 3.5 stars I still enjoyed this on re-read, although I thought the first half dragged a bit. What I liked, and what I needed righRe-Read - April 2020 - 3.5 stars I still enjoyed this on re-read, although I thought the first half dragged a bit. What I liked, and what I needed right now, is that this is a relatively short and highly readable book that let me enjoy it without asking much of me in return. I enjoyed the conversational style it was told in, although I think John Perry is just slightly too self-deprecating for belief.
Read - September 2013 - 4 stars I really liked this book, although, as others have said, there is no missing a comparison with Starship Troopers. That said, I liked the different twists Scalzi introduced that take it away from being a Starship Troopers rehash. An easy read....more
This is one of those books that people seem to either love or hate. I thought the description was not really a good way of telling people what the booThis is one of those books that people seem to either love or hate. I thought the description was not really a good way of telling people what the book was about...although I don't know how else it could be described. It is one of those books that sort of eludes description and neat summary.
The book is written in diary format, which honestly, I don't always like. In this case, however, I found myself quite drawn into Mori's mind. I wondered throughout whether her perceptions were real or delusional (and no less real to the person experiencing them). The main event of Mori's life, that which forms the basis of her finding herself where she is (the confrontation with her mother and death of her twin) takes place outside of the book. The story that follows is the aftermath, the piecing together, of her life following those events.
In some ways, this book reminded me of Fire and Hemlock, by Dianna Wynne Jones. In Fire and Hemlock, we get to see a list of what must have been considered by Wynne Jones to be the best and most influential literature for children and young adults. In Among Others, Mori's experiences and perceptions are so influenced and motivated by her love of reading, particularly science fiction, and I think we see what must have been loved and breathed by Jo Walton at some point in her own life. As a reader, I love to see those influences brought out as such an integral part of the story telling. As a lover of books from childhood to adulthood, it brought me to a level of profound understanding of and empathy for the characters in both novels.
In the end, Among Others is a book of layered storytelling; of pictures being pieced together; and of parts moving and fitting and refitting. It is not a straightforward fantasy or magical realism tale, but something that requires thought and allowing the story to settle itself on the reader in its own time....more
Wow. Such a wonderful book. It is beautiful, scary, creepy, and unusual, all wrapped in a sweet package of under 200 pages.
This was the second book IWow. Such a wonderful book. It is beautiful, scary, creepy, and unusual, all wrapped in a sweet package of under 200 pages.
This was the second book I have recently that made me think of Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, the other book being Among Others by Jo Walton. Not that these three books have similar stories, because they don't necessarily, but they do share similar elements. In Among Others, it was the importance of the books and stories read and treasured by the protagonist. In The Ocean at the End of the Lane, it is the strong and sensual yet repelling and frightening female character that terrorizes the protagonist. All three books share that sense of an old and hidden world beyond usual human understanding that contains both the potential for great evil and also for great truth and beauty.
It would be impossible to describe all the elements neatly contained with Neil Gaiman's book except to say that they are many and varied. I think I will probably have to read this book a few times to really get a good hold on them.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I like dystopian fiction anyway, but there are definitely some that I find more engaging than others.I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I like dystopian fiction anyway, but there are definitely some that I find more engaging than others. While I wouldn't say the premise is original, I did enjoy the story and found it a fresh read regardless. I will definitely read book 2, Independent Study, due in January 2014....more
I really liked this book. A lot. When I started it, I wasn't sure about it, but it really fell into place quickly. It reminded me a little bit of The I really liked this book. A lot. When I started it, I wasn't sure about it, but it really fell into place quickly. It reminded me a little bit of The Host by Stephanie Meyer, only much more realistic, if I can use that word when describing a story about the aftermath of an alien invasion. What I mean by realistic is that I always felt The Host was a little to clean and tidy, whereas The 5th Wave is much grittier. This was my first Rick Yancey book, but I would definitely read something by him again....more
A terrific book. Best to read this one BEFORE reading Frost Burned, as there are some pretty significant happenings in the Mercy Thompson world that pA terrific book. Best to read this one BEFORE reading Frost Burned, as there are some pretty significant happenings in the Mercy Thompson world that play out in Fair Game....more
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