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| 0545424941
| 9780545424943
| 0545424941
| 4.22
| 206,896
| Sep 17, 2013
| Sep 17, 2013
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it was amazing
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RE-READING AGAIN before The Raven King with my lovely friends at Buddies Books and Baubles #can'tstopwon'tstop #savegansey You know that book you rere RE-READING AGAIN before The Raven King with my lovely friends at Buddies Books and Baubles #can'tstopwon'tstop #savegansey You know that book you reread and reread and every time you see it in a different way or something just grabs you that you missed the first few times??? This is that book for me. I think I love it more every time I read it and for different reasons each time. There is something special about The Raven Boys, Blue and the women of 300 Fox Way. If you are a fan of beautiful Lyrical Prose then this is totally for you. Super fast Re-read before Blue Lily, Lily Blue I wasn't going to do it and then I read Maggie Stiefvater's recap on Racaptains and couldn't help myself. Maggie Stiefvater's Dream Thieves recap At least check it out before you move onto the next book if you don't have time for a full re-read. She is hilarious. Original Review 9/18/14 Maggie Stiefvater impresses me more and more every new book she puts out. I really didn't think that she could out do the writing in The Raven Boys but if she hasn't outdone it she certainly has matched it. Blue knows that Gansey is going to die this year, she also knows that if she kisses her true love they will die. Is Gansey her true love or will she kill him and that is why she saw him on the corpse road, because those are the only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on the corpse road? Yet knowing all of that Blue has joined this group of Raven Boys in search of a lost Welsh King. Blue is desperate to foil fate and fall for Adam instead of Gansey but try as she might there seems to be a pull to him that is undeniable. After a moment Maura asked, "Are you crying?" "Only a little" "Why?" "Generalized sadness." "Are you sad? Did something bad happen?" "Not yet." "Ah, Blue It has to be incredibly difficult to have a secret like the one Blue carries and not tell anyone. Only the ladies at 300 Fox way and blue know that Gansy is supposed to die sometime this year. It has to be more difficult to care about someone you know you cannot keep. Maggie writes a beautiful innocent longing between Gansey and Blue that is really one of my favorite parts to the story. But there are so many layers that it is so hard to pick a favorite part to the story line. "It was mint and memories and the past and the future and she felt as if she'd done this before and already she longed to do it again." This is mostly the story of Ronan coming to terms with who he is and what he can do. Not everyone can just pull items from dreams. He has been angry for so long that it could seem like that was all there was to him but you would be so wrong. The depth of his character was really added to in this book. His story line with his father and the dream world were absolutely fascinating. I loved his interactions with Chainsaw as well, that is really some of the only times you really get to see the very tender side of Ronan. His character is so complex, as are his dreams. Maggie does a great job of showing us some of Roland's childhood and we finally get to find out what really happened to his father. Adam is still the same mad kid with a chip on his shoulder, but now he has some power to go along with it and really isn't sure what to do. The power of the Ley Line is seeping into Adam and he has to figure out a way to control it before it controls him. Gansey is still searching for Glendower but nothing is going as well as he'd like and he feels like he is losing Adam along the way. The women of 300 Fox way by far are some of my favorite moments in the book. They are eerie and mysterious. They add something totally mystical but not overdone to the story that I can't quite put my finger on. I like how they are different people sometimes and act a one person others. Their interactions with The Gray Man were unexpected and fascinating. They were the reason I could see the Gray man for more than he was. The Gray man is a brilliant addition to the story by Maggie. As some of this book is told from his POV he helps push the story along. You are able to know a little more than than the group of Blue and Raven boys because of following him. He is not everything he seems, it is a very complex character and for a hit man I really liked him. The writing is elegant, beautiful and funny at times. It is written like I imagine the south, with a gentle flowing nature to it. I got lost in the language a few times but in a most wonderful way and each new character added something intriguing to story. If you have read the Raven Boys then definitely read this as it is just as good if not better. If you haven't started this series yet, well all I can say is start it now. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. ...more |
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4
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Sep 17, 2013
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Sep 18, 2013
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Sep 17, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 3.95
| 757,288
| Sep 10, 2013
| Sep 10, 2013
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really liked it
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This is one of my favorite New Adult books and it is the Kindle Daily deal for $2.99 18Mar17 The few things I learned from Fangirl: • Fan fiction is a r This is one of my favorite New Adult books and it is the Kindle Daily deal for $2.99 18Mar17 The few things I learned from Fangirl: • Fan fiction is a real living breathing thing for some people • Not every NA book is just a poorly plotted YA book set in college using sex to fill the holes. • I was not as lost in college as some people were. • Everyone should have an emergency dance party play list ready and waiting • Alpaca wool is hypoallergenic When done right an NA novel can be fantastic. It can be a story about the discovery of the person someone has the potential to become. It is a departure from caring what your peers thought of you in high school and finding out what you think of yourself. It is the beginning of the direction you will be taking in your life. The amount a person changes between 18 and 22 is exponential. Fangirl explored this in a way that captured my imagination, attention and made me remember all of the changes I went through in those years of discovery. Things I liked about Fangirl: The characters Cath a socially awkward twin who has just been dumped by her best friend/twin sister has to branch out on her own for the first time ever. She has never met new people on her own, she has always had her twin to blaze the way and now she is living with a new roommate, at a new school with no clue how to even find the dining hall. Reagan Is Cath’s roommate and can be a little mean, okay a lot mean. But to Cath it really seems like Reagan has her act together. Reagan has been at college for a few years now and she finds her new freshman roomie well let’s face it she finds her pretty hopeless. “I feel sorry for you, and I'm going to be your friend." "I don't want to be your friend," Cath said as sternly as she could. "I like that we're not friends." "Me, too. I'm sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic.” I liked Reagan she sort of becomes the big sister Cath has never had and takes her under her wing. Sure she is a little mean but in a fun snarky way that makes her likable. Cath is so unsure of herself and can let people walk all over her. Reagan shows her that it is okay to stand up for yourself, to say “no” and stick to it. Levi ah he is practically perfect in every way. Almost too perfect to be any shade of real. As my friend Ash would say it is probably because he is made of Rainbows and Brownies. But I don’t care because I absolutely love him. I love that he is everything that Cath is not. He is easy with people, confident, secure and so sweet he could give you a toothache (shout out to Clueless). “You look so blindingly cute right now, I feel like I need to make a pinhole in a piece of paper just to look at you.” He is everything the first boy you fall in love with should be if you knew what you were doing the first time you fell in love. The Story I loved that this is a story of discovery of stepping out of the comfort zone you lived in your whole life and discovering that you are more than you thought you could be. Sure there are mistakes and setbacks along the way. Maybe you get so focused on some of the things that are not really as important and you lose your way, but people help and you help yourself and eventually a balance is found. In the immortal words of Miss Frizzle Take Chances, make mistakes, get messy. The Romance Can I just applaud Ms Rowell for not taking the easy road and using sex to move the story along. Just because you are in college and you met 5 pages ago doesn’t mean you need to be in bed together two chapters later. Even though this relationship moves slower than most I loved that while Cath was so closed in on herself when she met a good guy he took the time to get to know her and bring her out of her shell a little. Once she felt comfortable with him she let walls down and I grinned stupidly and happily at the dialog between them. “What if I promise not to touch you?" "Cath laughed. "Now I have zero incentive to come." "What if I promise to let you touch me first?" "Are you kidding? I'm the untrustworthy person in this relationship. I'm all hands." "I've seen no evidence of that, Cath." "In my head, I'm all hands." "I want to live in your head.” The first time you fall in love takes time and talking and I loved their journey. Things I didn’t like about Fangirl: There were only a few things. One of them was the actual Fan Fiction. I wasn’t a fan of the Harry Potteresk fan fiction scattered throughout. I read it and I get why it was there but it sometimes detracted from the other parts of the story for me. But you can probably skip it and not miss anything of vital importance other than you know that Cath writes it religiously and has a large on line following. The other thing I didn’t like was the ending – Because it ended and I wanted more. It seemed to end abruptly I read this on a kindle and listened on audiobook and in the kindle the transition from the Simon story to the other story wasn’t clear in the formatting so I was confused for a few minutes. It was better when listening to the audiobook since I thought maybe I was missing a few pages. I wanted to live with the characters even longer. That isn’t a necessarily a bad thing I just wanted to know more about the future of the characters. This was a great read and I really liked the entire story of Cath. If you are looking for a well thought out NA book that makes you think and feel with your heart and not just your hormones then this is has everything you need. Rainbow Rowell’s characters jump off the page and make you want to hang out with them get to know them and take a piece of them everywhere you go. ...more |
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1
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Nov 19, 2013
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Nov 22, 2013
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Sep 02, 2013
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Kindle Edition
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| 0385335989
| 9780385335980
| 0385335989
| 4.35
| 256,195
| Dec 30, 1996
| Aug 07, 2001
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liked it
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Really 3.5 Stars The best thing about Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series is thedescription for everything. This is one series where the depth of the wor Really 3.5 Stars The best thing about Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series is thedescription for everything. This is one series where the depth of the world created is extra ordinary. I feel like I know what the clothing felt like, how everyone’s typical day is, how to travel across the sea as a sailor, how to prepare for the winter, how to build a cabin in the woods, what it is like to run a plantation and much much more. It is almost like taking a history class when you read one of her books. I totally get pulled into the story she tells. It can also be the worst part as sometimes it takes and incredibly long time to get anywhere. I enjoy this series very much, it isn’t happiness and rainbows all the time as Gabaldon doesn’t seem to pamper any of her characters. They have all been put through the ringer a time or two or twelve depending on the character. She is great at writing about situations, she does it better than any other historical writer I’ve read. Her plotting is a little weak but I get so caught up in the stories that I sometimes forget that nothing is really happening. Jamie and Claire are still my favorite; they have tender loving moments that are so beautiful. I love reading about them starting their lives in the Colonies. “Your face is my heart Sassenach, and the love of you is my soul” This story also covers the love story between Bree and Roger as well. While I felt Gabaldon was trying to give them just as epic a love story it took a little too long to get there in my opinion and Bree wasn’t as easy to like as Claire. This is our time. Until that time stops - for one of us, for both – it is our time. Now. Will you waste it, because you are afraid?” Bree and Roger both end up traveling through the stones to find Jamie and Claire. They go through two very different and very traumatic experiences to get there. But they can never replace Jamie and Claire in my heart. The two characters in the book I wanted to slap upside the head were Jamie and Bree. Both had extremely stupid moments and were stubborn beyond belief. Many of the situations that occurred were due to lack of communication and could have been avoided. Roger I loved, he was everything you would like in a love interest and Gabaldon put him through hell in this book but he persevered. I will say this gets extremely long and my one complaint is that main characters disappear sometimes for 200 pages. I was engaged in the book trying to find out what happened to them but you had to read almost an entire novel written by someone else to find out. I got a little bored at the end as I waited for some resolutions to happen. Lord John was a high point and his character really grew on me after not liking him a lot in the last book. His interactions with the Fraser clan really fleshed out his character for me. In this book I will say that Roger and John were the highlights. I do wish maybe it had been whittled down a little though. I will need a big breather before I start the next one in this series. It isn’t quite as good as some of her other books in this series but I have high hopes as the story goes on. ...more |
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1
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Dec 22, 2013
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Jan 09, 2014
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Aug 11, 2013
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Paperback
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| 0385335997
| 9780385335997
| 0385335997
| 4.39
| 315,246
| Dec 01, 1993
| Aug 07, 2001
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really liked it
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Minor spoilers for Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber: I have the most difficult time reviewing the books in this series. Voyager, like Outlander and Dra Minor spoilers for Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber: I have the most difficult time reviewing the books in this series. Voyager, like Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber has so much happen during the book. It is so difficult to condense it down into a readable review. Jamie survived Cullodan and Roger is helping Brianna and Claire discover what happened to him after. It has been twenty years and not all of them pleasant for our Jamie. The first third of the book is the discovery of what happened in those twenty years since Claire left him in the past. We also find out what Claire has done with her life since she returned to her time. While both these story lines are interesting I love Claire and Jamie together and really was just waiting for that to happen. Once Claire realizes that Jamie is still alive in the past congruent to her own time line she jumps back in the past to be with the man she loves. “I shook so that it was some time before I realized that he was shaking too, and for the same reason. I don't know how long we sat there on the dusty floor, crying in each others arms with the longing of twenty years spilling down our faces.” Only after jumping through time does Claire stop to even consider that perhaps Jamie has created a new life that won’t have room for her in it. It is a big leap of faith after all, but now our clandestine lovers are back together. But the twenty years they have been apart have changed both of them. “Do ye want me?" he whispered. "Sassenach, will ye take me - and risk the man that I am, for the sake of the man ye knew?” The craziness ensues right away and Claire and Jamie fall right back into their habit of finding trouble everywhere they go. So much action happens from this point on. There is smuggling, seditious printing, betrayal by a friend, family problems (Jenny what were you thinking), a lost treasure, pirates, abduction by the Royal Navy, someone back from the grave, a serial killer….the list goes on and on. I love all the action and stories happening and while it is convenient that Claire and Jamie keep running into the same people over and over again and again even though their journey takes them far away from Scotland I will let it go because it is all so interesting. But I let it go because I love the story line so much. Some of our favorite side characters are back, Fergus is all grown up a man in his early thirties. Jamie is like a father to him and at Fergus’s wedding makes a very generous and emotional gift to him that made me tear up. We get to see Jenny and Ian again and a few others from the Outlander including Lord John Grey (the boy Jamie spared in Dragonfly. The addition of a few new characters add a lot of flavor to the story from the little china man Mr. Willoughby, Ishmael a black medicine man and Ian Jr., Jenny’s youngest boy. The story is really compelling from beginning to end and as always it is an emotional ride, one I will not soon forget. I love Jamie and how fiercely he fights for Claire and his family and friends. He is the ultimate protector. Again this is an epic love story for the ages. “Only you," he said, so softly I could barely hear him. "To worship ye with my body, give ye all the service of my hands. To give ye my name, and all my heart and soul with it. Only you. Because ye will not let me lie--and yet ye love me.” ...more |
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1
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Oct 04, 2013
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Oct 10, 2013
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Aug 11, 2013
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Paperback
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| 4.34
| 364,854
| Jul 01, 1992
| Aug 07, 2001
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it was amazing
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This book is for people who love the details of History and Epic Romances. Dragonfly in Amber is not for the faint of heart. I can’t believe how many t This book is for people who love the details of History and Epic Romances. Dragonfly in Amber is not for the faint of heart. I can’t believe how many times I was up and down while reading this. There are so many characters that someone in the book has to jump out and grab your heart if not multiple characters. Diana Gabaldon does not pull any punches and while there are some extremely disturbing moments that may shock you there are also some extremely tender moments that make everything else worthwhile. “There aren't any answers, only choices” I almost thought I picked up the wrong book as in the beginning it is twenty years in the future and Claire and her daughter Brianna are traveling through Scotland. They find Roger the adopted son of the pastor that helped Frank with some of the genealogy all those years ago before Claire first disappeared from her time. But the story is told from two points one being twenty years after Claire went into the past and a few months after we left Outlander. When we left Jamie and Claire in Outlander they were about to set out to see if they can perhaps change the events that led up to the battle at Culloden and the death of so many Scots. It is a dangerous game trying to straddle both sides and learn what Prince Charlie is planning. Paris is a dangerous place and danger and trouble seem to find Jamie and Claire around every corner. I will say this is one of the most interesting books I’ve read. The author takes huge chances with our couple. They are in a constant battle against all odds and even though you know ultimately what will happen at the end the road the journey to it is epic. The road winds and unfolds in ways I never imagined. To say that my heart broke while reading this is an understatement. There are extremely tender moments between Jamie and Claire. They go through so much and still the bond that they share is forever clear. They are one of my favorite couples in literature with so many romantic exchanges between them it was hard to pick just a few that stand out more than others. “I talk to you as I talk to my own soul," he said, turning me to face him. He reached up and cupped my cheek, fingers light on my temple. "And Sassenach," he whispered, "Your face is my heart.” “If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him for tempting ye to it.” I never doubt the love between them even as they hurt each other impossibly in order to try to save one another. Each would gladly die for the other and think nothing of it. Jamie and Claire make new friends along the way Fregus the pick pocket that Jaime took under his care in Paris was one of my favorites. Along with Murtog the cantankerous and loyal God Father of Jamie. Some old nemeses return and there are plenty of new ones to contend with too as Jamie tries to prevent Prince Charles Stuart from returning to claim the throne in Scotland. At the end I was eager to drop everything in my life and charge on into the next installment. I forgot how long the book was as I was drawn into every detail of it. But, as these are extremely long books I must do a few other things in-between. By far some of the best historical fiction I’ve ever read. A few quotes I absolutely loved that might be a bit spoilery (view spoiler)[ “For if you feel for me as I do for you - then I am asking you to tear out your heart and live without it.” “I will find you," he whispered in my ear. "I promise. If I must endure two hundred years of purgatory, two hundred years without you - then that is my punishment, which I have earned for my crimes. For I have lied, and killed, and stolen; betrayed and broken trust. But there is the one thing that shall lie in the balance. When I shall stand before God, I shall have one thing to say, to weigh against the rest." His voice dropped, nearly to a whisper, and his arms tightened around me. Lord, ye gave me a rare woman, and God! I loved her well.” (hide spoiler)] ...more |
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1
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Sep 23, 2013
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Sep 30, 2013
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Aug 11, 2013
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Paperback
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| 0440242940
| 9780440242949
| 4.26
| 1,084,336
| Jun 01, 1991
| Jul 26, 2005
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really liked it
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10 days until the first episode 4.5 Stars "And if I were?" I asked through dry lips. "If you had thought I were a witch? Would you still have fought 10 days until the first episode 4.5 Stars "And if I were?" I asked through dry lips. "If you had thought I were a witch? Would you still have fought for me?" "I would have gone to the stake with you!" he said violently. "And to hell beyond if I must." It's hard to do justice in a review to a book that is so long without ending up with a novella yourself. Outlander was a fantastic surprise, an epic of love, war and family. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in and I think that made it all the more magical. The story centers on Claire, a nurse shortly after the end of WWII. She and her husband Frank have been married for eight years, however at least six of those were spent apart during the war. The start of the book is a little slow and it takes a little time to get rolling. Frank is a historian and so there are various conversations about the past and genealogy that don't seem particularly important at the time but later turn out to be quite important. As Frank and Claire re-honeymoon in Scotland there is always talk of the past, wee folk and ferries. It seems like a mystical place full of magic and then something truly magical happens and Claire is whisked away into the past nearly 200 years. For me this is when the story became extremely interesting and the way the time travel was done seemed to go completely with the story, it felt natural. So much happened in the book as much as it is a character study of Claire and Jamie it also packs a lot of action and surprisingly humor. This is one of the best historical romances I have ever read. The details of the era, even ones that were uncomfortable seemed spot on. It is definitely a harsher time with different kinds of trials to overcome and Claire must go through a lot. In between all the action the author shows us some of life of the times like how medicines are made, lords govern the land, women bear children, how men treat a wife who has disobeyed orders etc.... It was all very interesting and believable. "Oh, aye, Sassenach. I am your master . . . and you're mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own." The relationship that grows between Claire and Jamie now that she is lost in his time was my favorite part of the story. Her conflict with herself about her feelings for Frank and Jamie seemed genuine and never forced. I empathized with the struggle she had within herself about the two men and which time she should belong too. I forgot how long the book was as I was thoroughly immersed in the story and struggle. If you are a fan of great epic romances or history this should be right up your alley. Even though this is a series there is no cliff hanger at the end to hook you into the next book. It is so well written though that I think once you finish Outlander you will want to journey on to see what becomes of our beloved characters. Slight side note, I alternated this between audiobook and kindle. One reason I'm happy I did that is I really don't read a ton of historical fiction and sometimes the language and pronunciations of names and places can get a little daunting. Listening helped in that respect and the narrator did a fantastic job with the voice of the story. The second reason I'm glad I did that is the shear length of the story, if I'd done the audiobook by itself it would have taken almost 36 hours. But it still would have been well worth it. ...more |
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1
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Sep 11, 2013
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Sep 19, 2013
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Aug 11, 2013
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1416958630
| 9781416958635
| 1416958630
| 4.21
| 14,153
| Nov 10, 2009
| Nov 10, 2009
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it was amazing
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4.5 Stars Everlost is the place where sticks and stones won’t break your bones but names can always hurt you. It is also where things that were once l 4.5 Stars Everlost is the place where sticks and stones won’t break your bones but names can always hurt you. It is also where things that were once loved and are destroyed in the real world might find themselves almost like an echo. “Great tragedies have great consequences. They ripple through the fabric of this world and the next. When the loss is too great for either world to bear, Everlost absorbs the shock, like a cushion between the two.” I enjoyed Everlost but Everwild drew me into this world and these characters to a point that I couldn’t wait to see where the story could possibly go. Neal Shusterman has a way of showing the villain in a light where they don’t know they are the villain. Mary has no idea what she is doing is wrong, she is so caught up in her agenda she fully believes in it and is willing to make extraordinary harsh concessions to get what she wants. While some of the bad people in the book know they are bad and try to be a monster, others believe in their fanatical causes so much that they are far scarier. Again we get to see the world through Nick, Allie, Mikey and Mary’s points of view mostly. This allows more world building and understanding of Everlost without info dumping. I really enjoy the style of writing that Shusterman has employed with the small excerpts from books written now by both Mary Hightower and Allie the Outcast. This is a great way to give the reader some insight without seeming like an info dump. There is always something going on and action throughout. New characters with new abilities give added dimension to the Everlost world. Nick picks up a few new friends along the way as the Chocolate Ogre. Allie learns some lessons the hard way as friendships are made and broken. The relationship between she and Mikey is one of my favorites she is the tether that holds him to who he is. The ending was a cliffhanger so if you are like me be ready to jump into the final book the trilogy right away to see how all your favorite characters make it through. Not everyone can win and it seems that the real world is starting to feel some of the consequences of what is happening in the Everlost. Shusterman has my attention and I can’t wait to see how the story closes out. ...more |
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1
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Aug 10, 2013
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Aug 12, 2013
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Aug 01, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 054522490X
| 9780545224901
| 054522490X
| 4.09
| 110,851
| Oct 18, 2011
| Oct 18, 2011
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it was amazing
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Kindle Daily deal for $1.99 10Sept17 Buddy Read starting Feb 15, 2015 with Brandi, Nicholas, Tandie, Sophie, D G, Athena Shardbearer, Kerry, Mich, Ashl Kindle Daily deal for $1.99 10Sept17 Buddy Read starting Feb 15, 2015 with Brandi, Nicholas, Tandie, Sophie, D G, Athena Shardbearer, Kerry, Mich, AshleyR, Jessica and Michelle at Buddies Books and Baubles Steve West has one of the sexiest voices ever. What a great time I had listening to this story all over again. Thanks buddy readers for a really fun reread of a story I enjoy. Original Review: 4.5 Stars “I didn't know," I start truthfully, "that it was the hard way when I started on it.” I’ve have never given a recommendation to specifically read or listen to book but I think for this one I will. I have found that the writing style of Maggie Stiefvater, it is slower and eloquent, lends itself better to being spoken aloud than reading. I don’t think I would have liked this book nearly as much had I read it. I feel the same way about Raven Boys also by Maggie and anything written by Lani Taylor. The audio version of the book has two different voices to relay the alternating POV of Kate (Puck) and Sean. Both narrators did an exceptional job with the cadence of the story and delivery of emotion. One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. “My mother always said that I was born out of a bottle of vinegar instead of born from a womb and that she and my father bathed me in sugar for three days to wash it off. I try to behave, but I always go back to the vinegar.” This is not your typical YA book where there is always a lot of action happening and a faster pace. It takes some time for the story to get moving but I immediately liked the characters. Both are underdogs in their own way. Puck has lost both her parents and needs to win the purse for her family. Sean needs to win to be able to buy the waterhorse he loves and freedom for them both. Both have a set of obstacles to overcome and it could have worked out that they would end up enemies as competitors but remarkably they become friends. “Where will you and Corr be?” I ask. Sean presses two fingers along the edge of the counter, sweeping crumbs into a pile. I notice that his fingers are permanently dirt-stained like mine. He says, “Right next to you and Dove.” I stare at him. “You can’t risk not winning. Not because of me.” Sean doesn’t lift his eyes from the counter. “We make our move when you make yours. You on the inside, me on the outside. Corr can come from the middle of the pack; he’s done it before. It’s one side you won’t have to worry about.” I say, “I will not be your weakness, Sean Kendrick.” Now he looks at me. He says, very softly, “It’s late for that, Puck.” The race is fraught with danger, even the training is dangerous. The Capll uisce (waterhorses) are fierce and not to be trusted. There are some heart stopping events happening throughout the book but for the most part it is about the two people trying to get by with what they have been given and falling unexpectedly in love along the way. The romance however is very far from the front of the story. It is more about the Island, which is a character all of its own, as well as the sea and the Capall uisce. I was fascinated by the descriptions of this harsh Island world and the ferocious love that both Puck and Sean feel for somewhere that has taken so much from both of them. The actual race isn’t until the very end of the book and doesn’t take long. Much like an actually horse race a lot of banter before and then it is over in the blink of an eye. I really didn’t want it to end, I wanted to see if Holly came back in a year and his predictions were true. I wanted to stay with Puck and Sean and Finn even after the ending. The very ending was unexpected and beautiful, I teared up a little as I thought that it was a great example of love and sacrifice. ...more |
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2
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Aug 2013
not set
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Aug 02, 2013
not set
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Aug 01, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 0689872372
| 9780689872372
| 0689872372
| 3.96
| 35,333
| Oct 01, 2006
| Oct 01, 2006
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really liked it
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3.5 Stars “There are mysteries in Everlost. Some of them are wonderful, and others scary. They should all be explored, though- perhaps that's why we 3.5 Stars “There are mysteries in Everlost. Some of them are wonderful, and others scary. They should all be explored, though- perhaps that's why we're here: to experience the good and the bad that Everlost has to offer.” Everlost is a great story full of imagination and an abundance of different characters including Pirates, Collectors of kids, a monster and a haunter. This is a great book for middle grade and young adults alike. There are so many interesting things and action throughout it keeps your attention. Neil Shusterman has an uncanny imagination and the new world he has brought to life is a very different take on what happens after you die. Nick and Allie didn’t quite make it to where they were supposed to go after they died, instead they end up in Everlost an in-between place. Lief has been alone in the forest they wake up in and bands with them for a journey to discover the mysteries of Everlost. It is interesting all the different things that end up in Everlost things that were once loved and died or were ruined including a few significant disasters of history. I really enjoyed how the author let us in on some of the mysteries of the world by reading excerpts from books written by Mary Hightower self-proclaimed expert on Everlost. This is different from most MG/YA books in that the world is one between life and death but it is an adventure all the same. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 07, 2013
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Aug 09, 2013
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Jul 31, 2013
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0297859382
| 4.14
| 3,188,687
| Dec 06, 2012
| May 24, 2012
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it was amazing
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4.5 stars “Friends see most of each other’s flaws. Spouses see every awful last bit.” This is an odd book to review because I don’t want to give any 4.5 stars “Friends see most of each other’s flaws. Spouses see every awful last bit.” This is an odd book to review because I don’t want to give anything away and spoil the surprises, of which there are many, for anyone. I don’t read many mysteries, this isn’t because I don’t like them, I love them when they are good but I’m also impatient with them. I want to know how it is going to work out right now and like a kid before Christmas it is so hard for me to wait to unwrap the presents. This one was torturous to not unwrap and peak to see what would happen and how things would work out in the end. I literally had to slap my hand and say “NO” do not peak. This is not a book for people who like two dimensional characters where one is almost perfect and you can clearly root for that character to win, to save the day or get their just desserts. No this is a complicated character book where people are good and bad and really good and extraordinarily bad along with wickedly smart. This is a book that shifted what I wanted to happen in the end more than once. Normally I can pick out who I want to get whatever the prize in the bottom of the cereal box is and I can stick with that. However, I changed my mind numerous times and felt torn about so many of the issues in the story. I can see why people love this book or hate this book and there really isn’t a lot of in-between. I don’t need to love the characters to love a book, sure it helps, but I don’t’ need to if the story is there. I liked this book so much because the story was there. But if you have to love the characters to love the book this might not be for you. Don’t get me wrong they were likeable, understandable but definitely and totally full of flaws. I was kept on the edge of my seat with what could possibly happen next. Here is as much as I think I can say without ruining it for anyone. Nick and Amy met fell in love and got married. They were the best versions of themselves for a while they lead a charming life together. But life happened, time went on and five years later they are not the same people anymore. Nick hasn’t really been a great husband for some time and Amy vanishes on their 5 year anniversary under unusual circumstances. In the aftermath the story unfolds to reveal Amy and Nick’s life together and what might have happened to Amy. Yep, that is about all I can say. Gone Girl is a rollercoaster ride, with small details dished out here and there. This is smart and wickedly intriguing. I don’t think there is anyone who can say completely oh yeah I saw that coming. Because even what I thought I saw coming didn’t end up being anything close to what the truth of it was. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 02, 2013
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Aug 07, 2013
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Jul 11, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 0385344422
| 9780385344425
| 0385344422
| 4.23
| 26,640
| Jan 19, 2016
| Jan 19, 2016
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liked it
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3.5 Okay I'm Listening Stars Hmmm….I think that KMM is like Adam Sandler to me in that I loved some of his early movies, so much so that I can quote mo 3.5 Okay I'm Listening Stars Hmmm….I think that KMM is like Adam Sandler to me in that I loved some of his early movies, so much so that I can quote most of them but then he made movies like Jack and Jill, Click and The Ridiculous 6 and I ask myself, ‘Why do you keep watching his movies?’ and the answer is simple… I’m hoping he can recapture some of that magic and it will be great again . The Same goes for KMM...I'm waiting for her to recapture some of the Fever greatness I used to love. Fever 1-5 – Perfection!!! I loved every second of those books and have read them numerous times. Iced – Left me cold Burned – Totally bombed. Crashed and burned. Feverborn – Not completely redeemed but maybe we are rising from the ashes. The pacing is so much better, the plot made sense most of the time, the characters and dialogues worked well and finally I felt like there was some direction to the story. There is still some meandering though with characters and plots that were barely touched on like: Katarina and Kasteo who are just briefly mentioned. Lor and Jo who had some of the best page time. The Unseilie Prince and his Queen Aoibheal, there is only one chapter with them and it was actually one of my favorites in the book but it was really brief and it was one of the things I was most interested in. Barrons and Mac - Mostly they are back to themselves in this. Mac still waxes on poetic about her past, Georgia, her parents, Barrons, the cost of tea in China….okay maybe not that last one but it is book 8 you know how she can be. It was a little too much sometimes for me and I wondered why we needed all that head time. That said Barrons is the shit. I loved him and how he is with her. They seem to have a relationship more like equals now and they have found their own special brand of give and take. Plus the chemistry between them is always pretty hot. However the sex between them wasn’t quite as graphic in this as it have been in the past *sad face*. Still it is clear that even though Mac isn’t one of the 9 technically Barrons will always be there for her. “You still could have gone without me.” Ryodan - He is a strong second to Barrons in all things male and sexy. It has been clear for a while that he has had a plan for Dani/Jada and it appears that he is pushing to get closer to that goal all the time. While I like the time we get with Barrons and Mac I’ll have to admit that I was far more interested in all things Ryodan and Jada. There conversations and the dance they have going on. While I’m pretty sure what Ryodan’s end game is I’m loving the journey and finding Ryodan to be a pretty deep well to plumb. "Change your mind Jada, don’t be a fool. It won’t cost you anything. Let me be your anchor, I’ll never let you be lost again. Jada was actually the most interesting character in this entire story. Her perceptions of the people around her and how she is trying to keep emotional distance were fascinating to me. I loved being in her head as an adult. She even has a new friend that while a little strange, as interdimensional beings are want to be, it was an interesting twist to Jada’s story and a little heartbreaking at times. Jada’s character was the one that totally broke my heart a little. Honorable Mentions to Dancer and Christian. I even like their page time a little more and Mac’s on occasion. Dancer gave some great insight into Jada and I’d almost be pulling for him, except I like the Ryodan/Jada combo better. He is brilliant but I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop on what/who he really is. Christian might have his Unseelie side under better control now and that makes him a little less on the crazy side but definitely a powerful allie to have on your side. The Rest of the Story Well there was one sorta…The holes left by the Hoarfrost king are becoming bigger and acting like black holes so the entire world is in danger and might be destroyed. It comes out why this might be of interest for the Fae and the Nine or Ten as the case may be. Then there is Cruce who is always looking for a way out of his cage and might have found one. Some strange stuff going on with We Care spreading rumors about Mac, Jada and the Nine. Also Papa Roach has something up his sleeve and we even get a roach PoV in this. There are also some other crazy things a foot and I’m not sure what to think of those at all. Also don’t forget about the Sinsar Dubh that is in Mac’s head it is bound to cause a little trouble here and there. There were some twists I didn’t see coming and a cliffhanger that while not as bad as the one at the end of FaeFever or Dreamfever it was still pretty bad and left me with a lot of worry for Mac going forward. Audio Note - Luke Daniels and Jill Redfield were great narrators in this. They played well off each other and I really liked their interpretation of Feverborn. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 19, 2016
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Jan 21, 2016
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Jun 10, 2013
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0385344414
| 9780385344418
| 0385344414
| 4.17
| 38,260
| Jan 20, 2015
| Jan 20, 2015
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it was amazing
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If you Hated ICED, well this was nothing like that. If you Loved the original Fever Five, well this was nothing like that. If you wanted More Barrons, H If you Hated ICED, well this was nothing like that. If you Loved the original Fever Five, well this was nothing like that. If you wanted More Barrons, He is there If you wanted More Mac, She is lost If you wanted Nice Ryodan, you got it but that is just sad. If you needed Older Dani, she showed up Who might save this for me Lor, Lor he is the Man if he can't do it no one can. [image] Full Review to Come. Merged review: If you like the Fever series this is an enjoyable although not required side read. I liked being inside Barrons head and it was funny the way he even talked to the author giving KMM a hard time. Her character will not be controlled even by her. Barrons is that much of a bad ass It wasn't the best sex scene written, but I didn't read it just for that. I really liked the dialog between Barrons and Mac and seeing her from his POV while she is still so Pink. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jan 19, 2015
not set
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Jan 21, 2015
not set
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Jun 10, 2013
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0385341679
| 9780385341677
| 0385341679
| 4.39
| 110,287
| Jan 18, 2011
| Jan 18, 2011
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it was amazing
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Some books I go back and read again and I think to myself 'Why did I like this book so much the first time.' and then there are books like the Fever s
Some books I go back and read again and I think to myself 'Why did I like this book so much the first time.' and then there are books like the Fever series that I think 'OMG, how did I miss that the first time, who thinks of a story this great, how can an author tie 5 books together so seamlessly, KMM must have sold her soul to Cruce to write this story.' I'm convinced that Mac and Barrons are real people, they have to be. This series was BETTER the second time through. The first time I read this I was so caught up on a few things that I missed so many others. I enjoyed my second read through all the more because it wasn't just a mad rush to know what happened next. I really took my time with the details and there were so many hints, so much foreshadowing and freaking Easter eggs everywhere I missed the first time through. I bet when I read this series again, because lets face it I will, I fill find even more. BRAVO...KMM...BRAVO if you did sell your soul, it was totally worth it. This is my #1 PNR/UF Recommend Original review: “Some people bring out the worst in you, others bring out the best, and then there are those remarkably rare, addictive ones who just bring out the most. Of everything.” I’m so sad to see Macs story end it has been a fantastic ride. I loved this book!!! KMM gave me some much unexpected plot twists that honestly I didn’t see coming. First we start off exactly where Dreamfever left us on the cliff and wow my heart wrenched. The pain Mac feels and the sorrow was excruciating I felt broken for her. But the story must go forward and she has a plan. “Safety is a fence, and fences are for sheep. I would rather die at twenty-two, knowing the truth, then live in a cage of lies for a hundred years.” All the main players are back and while not everything is resolved I thought that so much of it was that I didn’t care about a few points that weren’t. Mac 5.0 now has had a few realizations since the death of the beast on the cliff. Hindsight always 20/20 and her new plan created some strange bedfellows with odd repercussions. I will say that KMM kept me guessing with who Mac really was I had multiple theories throughout the book and I am happy so say all of them were wrong, I love it when the answer is so creative and well thought out that even though there were clues to the real answer I don’t guess it. Also we learn who killed Alina in this book and why. Even though part of what happened to Alina was like I thought the other part tragically didn’t and bravo again to KMM for twisting my heartstrings. All I can say is that the story was well paced the sexual tension was exquisite between Barrons and Mac and I couldn’t have wanted them to work out any other way. There were surprises around every corner and just when you think you’ve settled in for a smooth ride you are wrong. I could not put this book down for anything else going on in my life much to my husband’s chagrin. The final showdown with the book was amazing and the final twist fantastic thank you KMM. Mac and Barrons have become one of my favorite ships in literature and I love that KMM wrote such an imperfect main character. He is not the hero or antihero waiting to be redeemed. He is solid in who and what he is and makes no apologies for it take him or leave him as he is he is perfectly imperfect and I swoon for him anyway along with Mac. “When you know who I am. Let me be your man.” The Fever world was one I definitely enjoyed and I will say that the final two books in the series are some of the best I’ve read for adults. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jun 21, 2013
not set
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Jun 23, 2013
not set
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Jun 10, 2013
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 147111810X
| 9781471118104
| 147111810X
| 4.23
| 36,603
| Oct 15, 2013
| Nov 07, 2013
|
really liked it
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Reread/buddy read with some fellow BBBers While this is my least favorite book of the series it is still a strong 4 star read for me. I love the charac Reread/buddy read with some fellow BBBers While this is my least favorite book of the series it is still a strong 4 star read for me. I love the character development and the way even more of the history of unwinding is shown to the reader. The first read through I was a little distracted waiting for Conner and Risa to find each other again, but this read through I could sit back and really take in the story. So many heart wrenching moments, Cam and Una especially torn at my heartstrings. Even better the second time through. 4 Strong Stars “You want to know the real reason unwinding keeps going strong, Miss Risa Ward? It’s because of the things we’re willing to do to save our children.” She thinks about it and laughs ruefully. “Imagine that. We’re willing to sacrifice the children we don’t love for the ones we do…” Neal Shusterman is a genius story teller. He builds his stories layer by layer, revealing the plot through multiple POVs. While the majority of POVs are from Connor, Lev, Risa and Cam the others all add so much to the depth and thought put into all aspects of the book. It is like a chess board and he is moving all the pieces of the puzzle around letting you see most of the plays before the final conclusion of the game. Some pieces will be sacrificed, some will only be distractions, some support and others will sneak in change the game completely. But inevitably the game will end with a victor, who that victor will be and how s still anyone’s guess. I’m wowed by this story. The initial horror that I felt in Unwind by the atrocities committed in that book haven’t left me and even when I think I can’t be more horrified by anything else in this series I’m proven wrong again. From who is really controlling the clappers to what Proactive Citizenry is willing to do or has done to keep all the body parts coming. Neal Shusterman lets us walk through unwinding’s past as the scientist Jansen Rheinschild horrified by what he has invented and how it is to be used tries to correct his mistakes. At the beginning of each Part there is a snippet of Jansen’s past leading to a better understanding of the present. Neal is also great at showing what is going on in the present story with some of the propaganda and commercial ads that are being ran. This is a brilliant mechanism in the story as it lets the reader see what society is really like. Connor and Lev - Are on the run together trying to get to Sonia who might have a key to why Proactive Citizenry would have erased her husband from history. They hope it is a key on how to stop unwinding all together. But along the way they run into a few obstacles and end up meeting Grace as well as a few friends from Lev’s past. No true hero ever believes that they are one,” she tells him. “So you go ahead, Lev, and keep denying it with every fiber of you being.” It’s clear the Lev still has a major part to play in the downfall of the system. He just isn’t sure what it is yet. Cam - Cam is struggling with who and what he is, does he even have a soul is he more than just a collection of all of his parts. Cam is determined to make the people who rewound him pay. He still believes that will make Risa love him and that is the only thing he wants. Cam knows beyond a shadow of a doubt he could fill that void in her, if only she loved him enough to let him. It would be the one thing that would make him feel whole. Cam is putting all his trust into loving Risa. But he still doesn’t know that Connor is alive and maybe there isn’t any room in Risa’s heart to love him that way. He is definitely a wild card because what will he do if he doesn’t get the girl he wants. Risa - Risa knows the ADR is in shambles but she wants to help revive it. Although she misses Connor, I like that she is never so consumed by it that she drops all of her goals to help the Unwinds to just look for him. Risa stays on her own path and while she hopes to see him again she sticks to the bigger picture of trying to find a way to fight against the system. She even runs into an old friend of Lev’s along the way CyFy. I was so happy to see that kid again. He still has a very interesting story and it is interesting to see how some people with unwound parts choose to live. Starkey - Is evil and awful and a complete freaking psychopath. But he is a charismatic psychopath who is leading a band of stork kids escaped from the Graveyard. Every time I think Starkey can’t do anything more horrendous well he does and I become even more disgusted with him. He is the ultimate bad guy, looking only for glory and immortality willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone else to get it. I love hating him. There are some other characters that really add to the story. Grace is a new addition to the AWOLs as she is traveling with Conner. I really liked the way she is simple minded yet an idiot savant at strategy and is a great addition to the team. We get to see Hayden again I was worried about what happened to him after he was captured in Unwholly. There was a lot of development of the individual characters in this book. Cam and Starkey especially I see as more three dimensional now. Conner, Risa and Lev have changed so much from when they first escaped together. My one and only complaint is I really wanted Conner and Risa to find each other sooner, but I can’t even be mad about that because it was perfect how it happened. The big reveal at the end was a little shocking but not unexpected and I really believe that this book was the best jumping board it could be going into the final book of the series. It was emotionally gripping and I stayed locked into the story the entire time waiting to see what would come next. Neal Shusterman has his work cut out for him to make the final book as strong as the rest of the series but he has a great lead in with this book and I can’t help but feel that everything in the last book will be absolutely epic. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jul 05, 2015
not set
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Jul 16, 2015
not set
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Jun 07, 2013
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 4.25
| 62,032
| Aug 28, 2012
| Aug 28, 2012
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it was amazing
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Buddy Read/reread with my peeps at Buddies Books and Baubles Shusterman is one of my favorite YA writers. He writes in such an engaging and imaginative Buddy Read/reread with my peeps at Buddies Books and Baubles Shusterman is one of my favorite YA writers. He writes in such an engaging and imaginative way. The alternating PoVs each have a different voice and the glimpses into the minds of even the 'bad' characters gives immense insight into their motivations. I liked this just as much the second time through and it still holds strong as my favorite YA series to date. Well done Mr. Shusterman, well done. Even if you aren't a fan of YA or only give few YA series a try I highly recommend this well thought out series. Original Review July 2013 4.5 Stars. “Anger is only our friend when we know its caliber and how to aim it.” Unwind left me reeling with complicated horrible ideas and shocking moments that really stick with you. The unwinding of Roland left me torn because he was such a horrible person but unwinding was so horrible and to witness it step by step was one of the most heartbreaking things in the book. That said Unwholly didn’t have many moments like that for me. Perhaps that is because how more shocked and appalled can you get after Unwind. Unwholly was more about how a revolution begins stalls and tries to pick back up. It is about finding your place in the world and dealing with the consequences of actions both yours and others. Finding the truth about the past and trying to use that to build a future. Connor is stuck running the Graveyard he has so many responsibilities and no time for anyone including Risa. He hasn’t come to terms with having Roland’s arm and is so afraid that he will hurt Risa with it he is avoiding her. The anger in him is building but he is trying to keep everyone safe. The juvies know where the graveyard is and are just waiting for an excuse to take it down for parts. Risa is trying to get through to Conner but he has built up so many walls. She ends up in a precarious position as Cam (the first person made from all unwind parts) brings her into his life. Risa is trying to save the Graveyard but as she gets to know Cam she can see he is just as much a victim as everyone else in the Unwind game. Risa and Conner struggle in this book but I love that they never really seem to give up on one another no matter if they are together or apart. “The sad truth about humanity, Risa was quick to realize, is that people believe what they're told. maybe not the first time, but by the hundredth time, the craziest of ideas just become a given.” Starkey is a sociopath, but he is a sociopath with a cause. Being storked as a baby he wants to save all the other storked kids. But unlike Conner he is willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone else in his way. Starkey was the most disturbing thing in this book. The lengths and deceptions he was willing to go to were horrifying. Is he what the government has finally made to go against the system or is he part of the reason why the system is in place to begin with? But the break out character was Lev!!! I loved Lev in this book. The insights he had and fumbling to find a new role in life had moments of both joy and heartbreak. Lev sees the role he played in some of the changes that came after he didn’t clap, but they didn’t turn out as he had hoped. He really wants to make a difference but where to begin. Now there is an organization abducting tithes in his name and treating him like he is the second coming. As Lev tries to save Miracolina from sacrificing herself to be a tithe you see the redemption he desperately is seeking for himself. It was so touching his story really inspired me. Like Unwind this took off quickly and kept going. There was not a lot of down time something was always happening. The shifting POVs make the story more three dimensional. Seeing into the mind of the Cam and Starkey were the most disturbing for completely different reasons. While Unwholly shifted gears and changed themes the plot and story are so good you can’t help but be riveted. I can’t wait to see how things resolve in Unsouled. I will say well worth the five year wait in between Unwind and Unwholly. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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May 15, 2015
not set
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May 25, 2015
not set
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Jun 07, 2013
|
ebook
| |||||||||||||||||
| 4.17
| 235,505
| Nov 06, 2007
| Nov 06, 2007
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it was amazing
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Because I can’t resist a buddy read, here we go again a reread for me starting April 17 with Danae, Liz, Alexa, Vicky, Katie, Brandi, Lea, Casey, Cath
Because I can’t resist a buddy read, here we go again a reread for me starting April 17 with Danae, Liz, Alexa, Vicky, Katie, Brandi, Lea, Casey, Cathryn, Shelly, Tandie, Jaime, D.G., Kate, Athena (Shardbearer) and Ashley We are meeting on Buddies Books and Baubles Reread April 2015 This is my FAVORITE COMPLETED YA SERIES TO DATE: Unwind 5 stars Unwholly 4.5 Stars Unsouled 4 Stars Undivided 5 OMG this My Favorite YA Series Stars The thing I like about this book and this entire series really is how much it makes me think. I believe that some of the things that happened in this book could really happen given the right circumstances and time. Neal Shusterman (NS) took articles from papers and websites today and then twisted them into what they could become and so for me the story is freaky and crazy. Unwind and the entire series really hits me hard emotionally. The kids in this act like kids, they aren’t 30 somethings in teenage bodies and I really like how true to the characters (NS) stays and their personal struggles. This is a story of survival and parts of it are devastating and parts of it are extraordinarily beautiful but added together it is amazing. Every kid had a story of why they were given up to the state for Unwinding and EVERY single one of them seemed plausible and was equally as heartbreaking. Conner who had anger issues, Risa a ward of the state and a budget cut, Lev conditioned from birth to believe it was his duty to god, Emby because his parents died and his aunt wanted his inheritance, Hayden due to a hate filled divorce and so many others just as horrible. Things to love about this book: ✔ - Great complicated characters you can connect with. If you are looking for something different, something that isn’t like every other YA book out there, with great tension, beautiful ideas, fantastic character development and a wonderful plot then I hope you give Unwind a try. I’m so glad I read it again and look forward to continuing through to reread the rest of the series. Below are a few of my favorite quotes from the series (some are spoilery enter at your own risk): (view spoiler)[ “If there wasn’t unwinding, there’d be fewer surgeons, and more doctors. If there wasn’t unwinding, they’d go back to trying to cure diseases instead of just replacing stuff with someone else’s.” And suddenly the Mouth Breather’s voice rings out with a ferocity that catches Connor by surprise. “Wait till you’re the one who’s dying and see how you feel about it!” “I’d rather die than get a piece of an Unwind!” “That’s what law is: educated guesses at right and wrong.” “And what the law says is fine with me,” says Emby. “But if it weren’t for the law, would you still believe it?” He wants to tell her, but she’s always so busy in the medical jet—and you don’t just go to somebody and say, “I’m a better person because you’re in my head.” He hauls off and punches Lev in the eye. Not hard enough to knock him down, but hard enough to snap his head halfway around and give him a nasty shiner. Before Lev can react, Connor says, “That’s for what you did to us.” Then, before Lev can respond, he does something else sudden and unexpected. He pulls Lev toward him and hugs him tightly—the way he hugged his own little brother last year when he took first place in the district pentathlon. “I’m really, really glad you’re alive, Lev.” “You see, a conflict always begins with an issue—a difference of opinion, an argument. But by the time it turns into a war, the issue doesn’t matter anymore, because now it’s about one thing and one thing only: how much each side hates the other.” He darts his eyes back and forth, trying to find an escape from her gaze, but he can’t. Suddenly, he bridges the small distance between them and kisses her. She did not expect it, and when he breaks off the kiss she realizes from the look on his face that he hadn’t expected it either. “What was that for?” It takes a moment for him to get his brain functioning again. “That,” he says, “is in case something happens and I don’t see you again.” “Fine,” she says, and she pulls him into another kiss—this one longer than the first. When she breaks it off, she says, “That’s in case I do see you again.” On the existence of a soul, whether unwound or unborn, people are likely to debate for hours on end, but no one questions whether an unwinding facility has a soul. Just as the airplane graveyard was Heaven disguised as Hell, harvest camp is Hell masquerading as Heaven. The word “evil” was never used by these people—except to describe the evils of what the world had done to them. What they were asking Lev, Mai, and Blaine to do wasn’t evil—no, no, no, not at all. It was an expression of all the things they felt inside. It was the spirit, and the nature, and the manifestation of all they had become. They weren’t just messengers, they were the message. This is what they filled Lev’s mind with, and it was no different than the deadly stuff they filled his blood with. It was twisted. It was wrong. And yet it suited Lev just fine. They meet in the girls’ bathroom. The last time they were forced to meet in a place like this, they took separate, isolated stalls. Now they share one. They hold each other in the tight space, making no excuses for it. There’s no time left in their lives for games, or for awkwardness, or for pretending they don’t care about each other, and so they kiss as if they’ve done it forever. As if it is as crucial as the need for oxygen. The first step is the hardest, but from that moment on he decides that he will neither run nor dawdle. He will neither quiver nor fight. He will take this last walk of his life in steady strides—and in a few weeks from now, someone, somewhere, will hold in their mind the memory that this young man, whoever he was, faced his unwinding with dignity and pride. “I know this is your hand now,” she tells him. “Roland would never have touched me like that.” Connor smiles, and Risa takes a moment to look down at the shark on his wrist. It holds no fear for her now, because the shark has been tamed by the soul of a boy. No—the soul of a man. “You . . . you lost your faith?” “No,” he says, “just my convictions. I still very much believe in God—just not a god who condones human tithing.” Lev begins to feel himself choking up with an unexpected flood of feeling, all the emotions that had been building up throughout their talk—throughout the weeks—arriving all at once, like a sonic boom. “I never knew that was a choice.” Harlan Dunfee’s, just a bit older, “Dad?” The Admiral is so overwhelmed by emotion he cannot speak, and so his wife looks at the man before her, at the people beside her, at the crowd all around her, and she says: “Welcome home.” (hide spoiler)] Original Review July 2013 What a surprise! When I read the premise of the book I was like o.k. interesting but I got it from the library and it sat waiting to be opened until the day before it was due. Once I started I was enthralled…omg why did I wait so long to start. One of the most original stories I have ever read. “Unwinds didn't go out with a bang-they didn't even go out with a whimper. they went out with the silence of a candle flame pinched between two fingers.” This is a creepy and at times disturbing book told mostly from the point of three teenagers that have been given to the government to Unwind and use for parts. Connor is a troubled youth that his parents decided to have unwound instead of dealing with him. Risa is a ward of the state with no parents and since they need to reduce the number of teenagers by 5% due to the budget is deemed unimportant and set to be unwound. Lev comes from a religion that tithes and has known his whole life that when he turns 13 he will be sent to a harvest camp to be unwound or pretty much cut up into parts and put in other people. This book has a mind blowingly fast pace. There is always something happening and told from all the different vantage points it is amazing the full picture that is presented. You can get a little caught up in the philosophy of the premise, hey you can’t abort a baby but you can wait until that baby is 13 and then decide to Unwind them which isn’t technically death since all the parts are used or drop it on someone else’s porch and then it is just there problem. Some of the ideas are so twisted and shown in the extreme but it is fascinating and I really loved how even the characters could see the good and the bad of most sides. “In a perfect world everything would be either black or white, right or wrong, and everyone would know the difference. But this isn't a perfect world. The problem is people who think it is.” It was a non-stop rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, who do you trust, what is really going on and hoping that our characters make it out in one piece. Definitely a must read you will not be disappointed. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jun 30, 2013
not set
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Jul 02, 2013
not set
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Jun 05, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 4.14
| 105,187
| Nov 19, 2013
| Nov 21, 2013
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it was amazing
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So excited to read this AGAIN in April 27 2015. Buddy Reading with Cathryn, Danae, Ashley, Angela, Tanya, Catherine, Sarah, Navessa, Brigid, Shandra, Y So excited to read this AGAIN in April 27 2015. Buddy Reading with Cathryn, Danae, Ashley, Angela, Tanya, Catherine, Sarah, Navessa, Brigid, Shandra, Ya, Andrea, Mindy, Maria, Annette, Kristen, Lea, Sara, Athena (Shardbearer), Brandi, Nicholas, Michelle, Tandie, Jenny, Amanda, Gavin, Armina and Shelly at Buddies Books and Baubles Reread April 27: Darker than I remember and I loved it. Susan Ee really builds in some horrific elements about how bad it can really get. I'm all refreshed now and ready for the conclusion. Original review Nov 2013 4.5 Stars Wow just wow. “The world going crazy doesn’t mean your mother isn’t still crazy too.” I thought Angelfall was a wild ride but World After kicked crazy up a notch. Susan Ee has really impressed me with her second book in the Penryn and The End of Days series. After the first book I really wanted some insight into the Angels and Raffe’s Past, I also wanted to know more about the creepy Frankenstein monsters that were at the Aerie, Penryn’s crazy mom and Paige poor little Paige. Well Susan Ee found a great way to give us insight into most of these things and just when I thought she couldn’t horrify me any more Ms. Ee pushed the bar just one step farther. Penryn’s mom is still crazy, I mean sometimes she seems like maybe she is the only one that is on top of what is truly happening but she is still nuts and I love every second of it. ”Of course your fine.” She keeps walking. “You’re the devils bride and these are his creatures.” - Penryn’s Mom In Penryn’s mom’s defense the tableau at the end of Angelfall did make Raffe look like the Devil. But, you still have to be crazy to come up with an idea like that. It is safe to say that the Young family wasn’t exactly popular in the new resistance camp with a mom speaking in tongues, resurrected girl and a stitched up child with super strength and razor teeth. DeeDum were hilarious and up to their shenanigans again at the new resistance camp. They have some great one liners and seems to always be in the know, but that is to be expected of the great spymasters. Where ever they go trouble will abound but they seem to always be able to help Penryn out in some way. Even though Raffe and Penryn are apart at the beginning of the book Susan Ee found a very interesting way to show us part of Raffe’s past as an Archangel and his time with the watchers. It also gave us some insight to his POV from the first book on a few scenes and showed what else was going on at the same time adding even more dimension to the story and his character. World After is really a dark story. I was very worried about the characters at certain parts of the book when it became the darkest and pushed the envelope of even the first book. But Susan Ee really hits you with some levity throughout too. For it being about the apocalypse I really laughed quite a few times. Penryn and Raffe’s banter is fantastic once again. ”Don’t talk. You’ll just spoil my fantasy of rescuing an innocent damsel in distress as soon as you open your mouth.” I was so happy when they found each other again and I might have fist bumped in the air. There is the forbidden romance and it is still smoldering and a slow burn. I ship these two so hard I really want it to work out for them in the end but an Angel and a Daughter of Man have a lot stacked against them it will be interesting to see how that progresses. The romance never overshadows the rest of the story and there is one dilemma after another. Questions are answered and others are posed but I feel like a good deal of the questions I had after the first book were at least addressed and I know so much more about this world and the motivations of all the characters than I did before. My new favorite character is……Pooky Bear. “Bow down to me Pooky Bear, who has only two other equals in all the worlds.” Until you read the book you won’t understand I just have to throw it in that it some of the funniest moments in the book and I laugh so hard just thinking about it. But don’t let the name fool you Pooky Bear kicks ass. I am wowed by this book it has action, adventure, sci-fi, monsters, A Crazy Mom, heroes, demons, Aerial Combat, crazy club scenes Gatsby Style, incredibly disturbing moments, incredibly hopeful moments and decidedly unexpected moments….there were a lot of moments. The ending left me aching for more. This is one of those books that I marked so many pages I loved it was hard to pick just a few things for the review. I really can’t wait to see what else pops out of the mind of Susan Ee. Well played Ms. Ee Well Played. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Nov 19, 2013
not set
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Nov 19, 2013
not set
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May 01, 2013
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Paperback
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| 144477851X
| 9781444778519
| 144477851X
| 4.11
| 193,365
| May 21, 2011
| May 23, 2013
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it was amazing
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Sale Alert January Book Deal for $0.99 on Amazon. I've read this book 3 times and loved it. Books 2 (totally awesome) and 3 (okay ending) are also $1.
Sale Alert January Book Deal for $0.99 on Amazon. I've read this book 3 times and loved it. Books 2 (totally awesome) and 3 (okay ending) are also $1.99 and $0.99 this month. So excited to read this AGAIN on April 13, 2015!!! Buddy Reading with SO Many people oOSarahOo, Cathryn, Danae, Ashley, Angela, Tanya, Catherine, Sarah, Navessa, Brigid, Shandra, Ya, Andrea, Mindy, Maria, Annette, Kristen, Lea, Sara, Athena (Shardbearer), Brandi, Nicholas, Carole, Michelle, Tandie, Jenny, Liz, Arie, Allison, Amanda, Jessica, Jennavier, Shelly, Cathy, Gavin, Armina, Maya, and Jamie I think I got everyone. We will be meeting at Buddies Books and Baubles send me a PM if you need an invite to the group. Okay so on my 3rd time through I saw a few small issues but I still love the dark originality of the story and Penryn so even though it is probably only really a 4 star read I'll keep the 5 stars up there. I'm Finished and another 5 star read for me. “Asleep, he looks like a bleeding Prince Charming chained in the dungeon. When I was little, I always thought I’d be Cinderella, but I guess this makes me the wicked witch. But then again, Cinderella didn’t live in a post-apocalyptic world invaded by avenging angels.” After reading this again I can honestly say it was my favorite YA read of 2013. If you haven’t read this yet please grab yourself a copy and get to it, last time I checked it was like $3.99 on Kindle and well worth it. There is really something for everyone. • Post Apoplectic World • Angels and Demons • Crazy Mom ,like literally crazy (or is she?) • Unlikely Alliance • Forbidden Romance • Quest to recover a kidnapped sister • Flashback to the 1920s club scene Gatsby style • Frankenstein Monsters of creepiness • A rebellion to fight back • Political Intrigue Honestly this is Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance, Dystopia, Mystery and just plain fun. It is so fast paced there is no time to get bored and I struggled to limit myself to just 25% a day this time around to savor the story before World After comes out. I really wanted to devour it in one day again. “We now play a permanent game of I-am-crazier-and-scarier-than-you. And in that game, my mother is our secret weapon.” I forgot how much I really enjoyed the craziness that was Penryn’s mother. It still amazes me how well that character is written and I can’t wait to find out how much she has been involved with the war between Heaven and Hell. Penryn’s mom is most interesting mother character I’ve ever read about. I adored the slow burn and build of subtle romance between Penryn and Raffe. Both are so focused on other events that the main concern isn’t how hot the other is and an instant spark. There is a gradual respect and kinship that forms that could become more than that later. But there is definitely some heat there even if both of them have other things to worry about at the time. All I can say is READ THIS READ THIS READ THIS Original review May, 2013 A great surprise!!! Penryn has some interesting people in her life; an agnostic Angel, a crippled sister, schizophrenic mother, rebellion leader Obi (as in Obi Wan) and Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Let’s just say that she is living in interesting times. Angels have waged war on the humans taking out most major cities. Humans are on the brink of extinction violence and horrors around every corner. Penryn tries to provide for her mother and sister by scavenging food and hiding in abandoned homes. They have to be careful of the other humans that are doing the same and the gangs that roam the streets. Penryn, all odds against her, has not lost her humanity and tries to help Raffe, an angel under attack by his own kind. She is able to help him but at the loss of her sister Paige who is taken by the attacking angels. She helps Raffe recover from the loss of his wings and hopes that he will help her find her sister. I couldn’t put this down once I started. Some authors use a lot of extra words to get the imagery and the plot across but this was so streamlined that there were no lulls in the story. I found that the plot was leaping and bounding along and I was running along with it to see where we would end up. The concept of the Angels and their culture was so interesting I actually giggled when the term Angel Politics was used since it seemed so foreign to me. Penryn was such an interesting character growing up with a crazy mother has made her more able to deal with the craziness and destruction around her. The way her mom popped in and out of the story was so fascinating; nothing says love like a pentagram on a dead body. So many things in this story were eerie and sinister but there is always a sense of hope as well. I grew to absolutely love the dynamic between Penryn and Raffe along with the forbidden romance that might be forming there. I was wrapped up in this book the entire time, if you like a good adventure and are not faint of heart because some of the horrors in this book were devastatingly cruel it is a great read. I cannot wait to see where the author takes us in the next installment of Penryn & the End of Days ...more |
Notes are private!
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4
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Apr 29, 2013
not set
not set
not set
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May 02, 2013
not set
not set
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Apr 28, 2013
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Paperback
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| 0525478183
| 9780525478188
| 0525478183
| 3.71
| 1,401,365
| Oct 16, 2008
| Oct 16, 2008
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really liked it
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Paper Towns is remarkably entertaining. When introduced to the MC Quinton (great character name by the way) and his strange neighbor Margo Roth Spiege
Paper Towns is remarkably entertaining. When introduced to the MC Quinton (great character name by the way) and his strange neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman they are kids that find a dead body together. Right away we discover that Margo is in a class by herself. She is different while most people would have been afraid she thought of it as a great adventure and tried to discover what happened to the man. Fast forward seven or eight years and she is still this enigma. She is wild, fun and remarkable in every way. Her adventures are legendary at the high school and Quinton has loved her from afar most of his life. Margo shows up at Quinton’s bedroom window and takes him on one wild ride of a night righting some wrongs and wronging some rights in the course of an evening. This was the part of the book I liked the most. The crazy stuff she thought up to do on their adventure. Just when Quinton thought Margo had re-entered his life she up and leaves town. But she left him some clues behind and so the search begins for the real Margo Roth Spiegelman and where she went. With the help of his friends Ben and Radar, Q tries to uncover the clues left behind and what he discovers is the idea of the person he thinks Margo is, is completely different than the person she actually is. The more he discovers the true Margo the more he believes he is the only one that can find her. I like the social dynamic of the mystery gang group. Radar was one of my favorite characters in this book because he was a truly great friend. He is the guy that sees people for who they really are and loves them anyway because of their faults not in spite of them. Part 2 of the book stretches on a bit and gets a little tedious but maybe it is supposed to because Q is uncovering bits and details of who Margo really is and why she left. Most of this part of the book has a strong emphasis on the poem Song of Myself by Walt Whitman and it is long and tedious so perhaps it was meant to parallel. But then the breakthrough comes and the group is off on a road trip adventure to find Margo. Part 3: I have to say I love John Green’s writing but in no way think 18 year old kids think like this, or maybe I was just the shallowest of 18 year olds. Some of the ideas come up with just astound me. The road trip was funny, the different conversations between the people in the Minivan the games they played. Without giving away the ending I will have to say while I get why the ending went in the way it did I really really wanted it to go differently. The conversation about Paper Towns and being a Paper Girl was very well thought out and explained Margo well I think. She is looking for the real her as most of us are at that age trying to discover where we belong and the grand scheme of things. But alas the ending bittersweet, it could have ended differently but then maybe Margo wouldn’t have been as magical. A big bravo to Q though I really liked his character and even though he was stalkerly obsessed with Margo I think through his travels he discovered himself as much as he discovered her and in that will be able to move on in the future. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 14, 2013
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Mar 16, 2013
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Feb 25, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 0545424933
| 9780545424936
| 0545424933
| 4.05
| 378,456
| Sep 18, 2012
| Jul 30, 2013
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it was amazing
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Sale Alert: One of my all time favorite YA series is on sale for $2.99 here 9/14/19 REREAD for the end of the series with Buddies Books and Baubles Onc Sale Alert: One of my all time favorite YA series is on sale for $2.99 here 9/14/19 REREAD for the end of the series with Buddies Books and Baubles Once upon a time it began with [image] Time to relive this wonderful, magical and slightly crazy story and on my 3rd read I totally love it just as much. If you don't have time to reread the series going into the final book Maggie wrote the recap for recaptains herself and it is hilarious. The Raven Boys Recap I was actually only going to read the recaps last year before Blue Lily, Lily Blue but they were so great and I missed Maggie's writing so much that I totally reread the series. The last book is coming out soon....no time like the present to jump in. Review after 2nd read Because The Dream Thieves is coming out in a few days I re-read/listened to (whispersync rocks) The Raven Boys so that everything was fresh in my mind. “He strode over to the ruined church. This, Blue had discovered, was how Gansey got places - striding. Walking was for ordinary people.” Blue has been told by her mother and every other psychic she has met that if she kisses her true love he will die. She has had so many theories throughout the years of how kissing someone would cause their death that it almost seemed like a dream. But that all changes one night for Blue when on the corpse road she sees the spirit of Gansy. There is only one reason that she would see his spirit; either he is her true love or she will kill him. For Blue they are almost the same thing. The Raven Boys are a group of three boys that all attend the affluent private school in Henrietta. Gansy is the boy with a quest to find a lost welsh king, Ronan the misunderstood bad boy with daddy issues and Adam is the quiet scholarship kid from the wrong side of the tracks with a chip on his shoulder. Together they are an unlikely grouping but it works. They each bring something to the quest and each seems to have a bit of magic and mystery surrounding them. This is a beautifully written book. The wording of sentences, the imagery produced, the soft southern drawl the book encompasses make it truly special. “More than anything, the journal wanted. It wanted more than it could hold, more than words could describe, more than diagrams could illustrate. Longing burst from the pages, in every frantic line and every hectic sketch and every dark-printed definition. There was something pained and melancholy about it.” There is a peak into a magical world of possibilities and Blue will definitely play some part in the uncovering of that world. Never did the magic of the book seem overdone, I bought into it all, I rolled with the story and as some foundation were laid for future books some of the mysteries were revealed. I especially liked that Blue is surrounded by psychics, her mother and the two other women that live with them. They are particularly interesting and added just enough to the story to give glimpses. They were lovably odd and intriguing. I’m engrossed in the world and characters that Maggie Stiefvater has created and look forward to the next installment in this very original work. P.S. This is a fantastic audiobook the Will Patton is phenomenal. If you are at all a fan of audiobooks it is my preference for this one he gets the southern feel of this fantastically. March 2013 Unexpectedly fantastic. I don't read a lot of paranormal fiction. But this book made me question why not. The blend of the quest for a mythic king, the ghost road, psychics and a murder were engrossing I just couldn't get enough. I have a lot of questions after this first book in the trilogy and really want to find out so many things. Blue's kissing destiny, Why Gansey seems like he has two different personalities in him, what is up with Ronan's dreams and what happened to his father, will Adam be forever changed....etc. But the story telling was done extremely well. For a first book I never got bored with the details of it, while world building. Blues mother and Aunts were fantastic as well the trio was so fascinating to me Persephone especially. I can't wait to see what happens to our band of Raven Boys and Blue in the next book. ...more |
Notes are private!
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3
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Mar 27, 2013
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Sep 11, 2013
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Feb 08, 2013
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| 4.22
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it was amazing
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Sep 18, 2013
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Sep 17, 2013
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| 3.95
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really liked it
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Nov 22, 2013
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Sep 02, 2013
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| 4.35
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liked it
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Jan 09, 2014
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Aug 11, 2013
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| 4.39
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really liked it
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Oct 10, 2013
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Aug 11, 2013
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| 4.34
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it was amazing
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Sep 30, 2013
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Aug 11, 2013
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| 4.26
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really liked it
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Sep 19, 2013
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Aug 11, 2013
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| 4.21
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it was amazing
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Aug 12, 2013
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Aug 01, 2013
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| 4.09
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it was amazing
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Aug 02, 2013
not set
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Aug 01, 2013
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| 3.96
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really liked it
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Aug 09, 2013
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Jul 31, 2013
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| 4.14
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it was amazing
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Aug 07, 2013
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Jul 11, 2013
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| 4.23
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liked it
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Jan 21, 2016
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Jun 10, 2013
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| 4.17
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it was amazing
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Jan 21, 2015
not set
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Jun 10, 2013
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| 4.39
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it was amazing
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Jun 23, 2013
not set
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Jun 10, 2013
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| 4.23
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really liked it
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Jul 16, 2015
not set
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Jun 07, 2013
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| 4.25
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it was amazing
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May 25, 2015
not set
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Jun 07, 2013
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| 4.17
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it was amazing
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Jul 02, 2013
not set
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Jun 05, 2013
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| 4.14
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it was amazing
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Nov 19, 2013
not set
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May 01, 2013
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| 4.11
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it was amazing
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May 02, 2013
not set
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Apr 28, 2013
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| 3.71
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really liked it
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Mar 16, 2013
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Feb 25, 2013
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| 4.05
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it was amazing
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Sep 11, 2013
not set
not set
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Feb 08, 2013
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