I wanted to read this book because of the feminist vibes and labyrinth as I find them cool. So, this book is about how a girl named RRating: 2.5 stars
I wanted to read this book because of the feminist vibes and labyrinth as I find them cool. So, this book is about how a girl named Rhen bests the boys in a maze competition for annual scholarship, held by Mr. Holm in which only boys are allowed to participate. So our MC Rhen and her cousin don a disguise and enter the competition which had claimed lives of 5 contestants so far. Sounds interesting, right? I thought so too.
Likes: ✔Headstrong, inspiring feminist MC. ✔Friendship between Rhen and her cousin Seleni ✔Supportive father ✔Rep of dyslexia, autism and down’s syndrome
Now let me tell you what I didn’t like about this book:
Dislikes: ✖I wish it was more show, don’t tell but sadly it was the other way around. I was promised magical labyrinth and magical creatures and I kept waiting for them to make significant appearance instead I was only told the characters hear the screeches of sea sirens and pregnant mountain basilisks. There was not enough magic. It felt like I was promised velvety Magnum ice cream but they handed me sugar-free candy! ...more
This novel was gripping since page 1. Even though I finished it like in 1 day and 2 sittings (I didn’t want to pu[image]
Rating: [image]
Review:
This novel was gripping since page 1. Even though I finished it like in 1 day and 2 sittings (I didn’t want to put it down) yet I am rating it 3 stars. Hannah Baker was a newcomer in the town and school. Her reputation was tarnished by the guy (her senior) during her first days in the town. Later on, she was accused of betrayal by her new friend that she stole her guy (all three of them are classmates). That guy sort of used Hannah to make her ex jealous and to get back her. Hannah was devastated and failed to convince her friend.
She witnessed horrible things to crush her soul. She was continuously abused by the people around her. She tried to give hints as to what she is going through. And that she was depressed and slowly losing hope. She couldn’t open up because people might think she is seeking attention. She kept it all inside until she couldn’t anymore and decided to end her life.
She decribed those incidents as “snowball effect”. Starting from the first incident to the last, everything was connected. Everyone was responsible. She wanted them to know how badly they affected her life to the point where there was no turning back. So before committing suicide, she recorded 13 reasons on the tapes with recording about 1 person on each side of the audio cassette. After listening, each one of them should send the tapes to the next person on the list.
What I didn't Like:
I think Hannah Baker was suicidal and had psychological issues but she realized that too late. She was in denial of her mental condition. She denied help of those who wanted to help her like Clay and even Mr. Porter. Except for the few like Bryce Walker, Zach Dempsey and Courteney Crimsen, I don't see Hannah was right blaming others for her suicide.
I get that school and high school could be a problem period for some (or many) people. Those who are sensitive or very emotional suffer the most. But Hannah didn't occur like any over-sensitive or emotional girl to me. She was insecure, yes. Over-sensitive - no. Emotional - absolutely not. She was fun-loving, calm and collected. She was smart enough to know whats wrong and whats right for her. Then why did she go back to the people she already knew she couldn't trust. She herself let them harm her. Then why blame others?
What I Loved:
I absolutely loved Clay Jensen. I wish he had never left Hanna alone even when she asked him to.
The idea of this novel was unique. Sending audio tapes to those who were the reasons of one's suicide so they could know how their actions affected others lives - genius!
Final Words:
This is a good book to read. Especially for teens and highschoolers. I hope people do realize how their words, gossips or little actions scar other's lives.
Those who are suicidal, should seek help. There is no shame in asking for help or confiding your darkest fears to a counsellor or a trusted friend. Life is a precious gift and both good and bad times pass. Life is all about ups and downs. Killing yourself may end your suffering but it passes the everlasting pain to those who love you.
Those who see troubled souls around them should come forward to help without pitying them and making them uncomfortable, vulnerable or hard to open.
And please accept help when offered. That doesn't make you weak.
I previously rated this book 4 stars but now that I think of it, its not worth 4 stars so I am removing 1 star.
Binti is a Himba. She lives in a[image]
I previously rated this book 4 stars but now that I think of it, its not worth 4 stars so I am removing 1 star.
Binti is a Himba. She lives in a city and crafts astrolabes with her father. She got selected for the Oomza University that is on another planet. She is the first one to be selected from her tribe as well as her city. Her family is against her going to the university so she flee to the town in the dark of night. On her way to the other planet, their spaceship got attacked by the aliens. Aliens with tentacles.....
I loved the world-building. The description of how their spaceship is built and all that.
However I managed to find few plot holes in the story. (view spoiler)[How did the folks from another planet managed to steal from the head of aliens if they were so fierce and have super powers. (hide spoiler)] So yeah, a little back story might have earned that 1 star.
It is a light read though. There are no complicated characters, twists or turns that may clench your heart. I found it refreshing after finishing the pile of ARCs so any of you folks who are looking forward to read something to shake you up from reading slump, this book might help you....more
Zenn Diagram is a cute love story of two teenagers. Lovers who are madly in love with each other but can't be together.
Eva, the protagonist, is a matZenn Diagram is a cute love story of two teenagers. Lovers who are madly in love with each other but can't be together.
Eva, the protagonist, is a math genius. She is funny, smart, rational, somewhat emotional but not a bit boring or dull. She is a lively character with a good sense of humor that cracked me up several times (and I don't laugh easily).
Sadly, she can't touch anyone or anything. She reads the emotions of a person or from their possessions when she touches them. Emotions - that could be joyful, hurtful or dark enough to make one feel suffocated. She can't control it or stop it. As soon as she touches anything, she sees images in her mind empowered with intense emotions of hurt, betrayal, loneliness and trauma. Being a kindhearted person, she feels frustrated for she can't help others.
I felt so bad for her. How frustrating it could be for a teenager to not touch or hold hands with a loved one. As they say, sometimes a silent gentle touch is all you need to comfort someone.
Zenn's character is a cliché. Tall, dark and handsome. He is a hardworking and responsible person. He is also a humble artist. As soon as Eva and Zenn met, they connected mentally, sharing funny math jokes. Zenn complements Eva as he is also funny, sweet, caring and rational like her.
Eva fell in love with Zenn and discovers she can touch him without getting any mental images from him. Then something from the past comes up and shatters their sweet love life. Eva may lost her first and probably last love forever. That twist was totally unexpected.
This story could be a 4 start but the first 40% of the story was slow paced. It was all about how handsome Zenn is and how Eva sees emotions of others in her mind. Even though I don't mind reading about Zenn's looks and Eva's mental images of emotions (no doubt the latter is written too beautifully) what bugged me was the repetition. For me the novel lacked depth. Not intriguing or something deep. It was a good read though. A light romantic novel that you can read in one sitting.
An ARC of this book was provided by Kids Can Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
It has been 4 months since fire-breathing dragons from another dimension have invaded earth. The world with its civilization has been destructed. The It has been 4 months since fire-breathing dragons from another dimension have invaded earth. The world with its civilization has been destructed. The dragons keep on extending their territories burning civilization to ashes. There is no place on earth to hide from them.
The dragon slayer Bailey is honing her skills to kill dragons. His ally, the shape-shifter dragon, Aiden is occupied with the task his father has given him to prove himself worthy as a candidate for leadership of their clan.
Bailey encountered a group of men who told her that pure dragons are kidnapping young children. Furious and determined, she set foot in the crumpling world to rescue the kids. But that's no easy task. The kidnapper dragon could be anywhere and it would be too late till she finds the dragon's lair. So, she seeks sorcerer's help in exchange of a favor.
As usual, my favorite character, Conrad is with Bailey to help her finding kids and slaying dragons. He is such a sweet person with a good sense of humor. He is funny and he is always teasing Bailey. I love this teasing duo. They behave in the most natural way any friends do. Even though, this book is a fantasy/dystopian novel, the characters and scenarios are so real-world-like.
The addition of new characters did not affect the story. The story runs smoothly and the new characters fit in perfectly. The credit goes to writer as she paid attention to the details and maintained the atmosphere of the story, meticulously. Character development is great.
This book has better pace than the first installment in the series. It is full of action. Well-written action!
Another good thing about this book is that it can be read as a stand alone book as the start of the book covers all important bits that happened in the first part.
I received an ARC of this book by City Owl Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Tough times could take a lot from you, but they couldn’t take your soul if you didn’t let them.
Main Theme Imagine what would happen if two dim
Tough times could take a lot from you, but they couldn’t take your soul if you didn’t let them.
Main Theme Imagine what would happen if two dimensions collide and mesh together and creatures from other dimension break into our world. Not just any creature but fire-breathing dragons!
[image]
Anything they breathe fire on to, burns to ashes. There is no where to run and no place to hide. They hunt humans to kill. Some like to eat their flesh.
[image]
Wait! There are two types of dragons - pure dragons and shape-shifter dragons. And with the collision of two dimensions, ancient sorcerers are awaken too.
The Story and Characters The protagonist Bailey lives in modern times. She is a graduate and she is returning home to her parent's ranch. She couldn't make it due to the dragon apocalypse. She discovers she is impervious to dragon's fire. Not only that, she also found that she is the dragon slayer.
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Aiden, the shape-shifter dragon, is a dark horse. He keeps a lot of secrets. He is fierce, sharp and takes-no-nonsense type of a character.
I really liked the character of Conrad. He is funny and smart. Bailey and Conrad make up really good friends. They joke around a lot even in this desperate time. But nonetheless they both are brave and smart.
Positives: The writer has kept this story close to reality. Mentioned almost all the real problems that could be faced by people in apocalypse. The character development is great. World building is excellent. I could picture every scene in my mind. How would they look. How the places look like. Etc etc
Negatives: What I didn't like was the pace of the story. I love fast paced novels. Slow paced novels or any type of repetition and unnecessary details tick me off. Although there were no repetition or unnecessary details, the pace was slow in 40% of the book. Except for the pace, this book is really good. So, this book is a 4-star with minus 1 for the slow pace.
I am a huge fan of apocalyptic stories. I read this book with high hopes. And I am sorry to say I didn't like it much.
This is the firstMy Rating: 2.5
I am a huge fan of apocalyptic stories. I read this book with high hopes. And I am sorry to say I didn't like it much.
This is the first installment in the series. I was hoping there would be more detail about the virus and enough world building. It lacked in both. And when the fun started to begin, the book ended.
I am rounding up 2.5 to 3 stars because I see potential in writer. I hope she gives more details in his second book.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review....more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley.
My Rating
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley.
My Rating: 4.5 ☆☆☆☆ In one word: Amazing !
Detailed Review:
Alex: "Patience, then, is not a virtue of your kind." Justin: "Just like mercy isn't one of yours."
First of all, I must say that I love the cover of the book and the little detailing at the beginning of each chapter.
The Dawn of the Vie takes you in to the distant future where the world is now under the control of Vie - the aliens from another galaxy. They live off human blood, like vampires. They invaded earth and enslaved humans and humanity. The world has now 3 races:
1. Vie - Ruler of the world 2. Humans - Slaves of Vie 3. Anemie - Inferior to the slaves and nothing more than living waste
For Vie, humans are source of their food and entertainment while Anemie, being unhealthy, serve no purpose so they are destined to be killed brutally.
Justin is a fifteen year old Anemie. He is witty, stubborn and trusts no one. A smart act, I must say. He loves his younger sister Sammie to bits. He would do anything to keep her safe and breathing. Safe from both the Vie and fellow humans who have long lost their humanity.
Alex, a Vie scientist, also a member of raid party, abducted Sammie. When he drank Justin's blood, it made him high and swirled him into the sea of pleasures he longed to experience for centuries. Alex wants Justin's blood at any cost.
So, Alex would do anything to have him. On the other hand, Justin would leave no stone unturned in effort to keep himself safe from Vie and rescue his younger sister from Alex, the only hope he has to survive in this hell.
This story is thrilling and full of twists. The dialogues and arguements between Alex and Justin accentuate the story. The struggle and determination of Justin is praise-worthy while Alex ...... Oh Alex...my favorite character...He is just out of this world.
Laura Diamond is a great writer. Her writing style is spontaneous. The story flows beautifully and seamlessly, event after event, twists after twists. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that its a series. Damn! I can't wait for the next book!
Thank you NetGalley and Luis Almonte to send me this book as an ARC in exchange of honest review.
My Rating: 3.5
In One Word:Captivating
Review:
Than Thank you NetGalley and Luis Almonte to send me this book as an ARC in exchange of honest review.
My Rating: 3.5
In One Word:Captivating
Review:
Thank you Net Galley and Luis Almonte to send me this book as an ARC in exchange of honest review.
A captivating young adult novel that grips you and you are compelled to read without putting it down!
I enjoyed reading Rise, the 1st installment of Trifecta series. It is story of Alexia Wick. She is a 15 year old high-school girl who also happened to be a witch. No! This is not Sabrina: The Teenage Witch-like story. There is a lot more going on in this novel from high-school drama to rite of the passage trials, sacred books, covens, vampires, Italian covens and Russian vampires .
There are 3 major covens: Alerium, Malerium and Xelerium. Alexia is an Alerium witch. She is a powerful witch who is still in the process of learning as to how she can harness her raw power. Darren, their family friend, is her mentor and teacher. Her parents are high priest and priestess of their coven. She has a strong bond with her parents and siblings and some bad luck when it comes to friends.
As the novel proceeds, she fell (literally) for Kaleb, a handsome senior.
“He confidently lifts me to my feet, and I swear they never touch the ground. I feel like I’m floating under his confident scrutiny.”
The sweet romance between them ignites the essence of story and fuels the reader to explore further.
Why 3.5 stars?
Now here comes the most important question. Why did I rate this interesting novel 3.5 out of 5 stars when I am praising it so much?
There are few loose ends and unanswered questions that affected the plot developments as well as the character development. There is no clear description about the covens and their roles and how they are different from each other.
At several stages, while discussing and telling about crucial back story, the topic is dropped abruptly (and it is very annoying). It leaves you at loss and disappointed. The reader needs to know the back story and certain details as to what happened in the past that leads to present events. It helps us to connect to the characters and to picture in our mind what they are going through.
Overall it’s a good novel. I would love to read the second part, provided that there are no loose ends or unanswered questions; and dialogues/discussions on back stories are not abruptly ended to change the topic.
“It was impossible, and she absolutely believed it.”
Catherine Pinkerton lives in Hearts. She is the onl[image]
My Rating: [image]
Synopsis:
“It was impossible, and she absolutely believed it.”
Catherine Pinkerton lives in Hearts. She is the only daughter of Marquess and Marchioness. King of Hearts fancies her to be his wife and Queen of Hearts. But Catherine has other plans. The throne of Hearts does not appeal her. She is a baker at heart and has a dream of opening her own bakery where she could make delectables that no one has ever tasted. But that is not the only thing she dreams about.
Both her dreams can lead her astray from a reputable life. She could either choose to follow her dreams or be a part of gentry she despise.
But is the choice really hers to make???
Review:
Heartless is inspired by Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This is not a retelling, to be precise. Though the novel is set in the same magical place of talking animals and other mythical creatures. It is like Marissa Meyer borrowed some characters from Alice in Wonderland and spun a new fantasy novel around them.
And I found this novel to be very enchanting except for the first 40 percent where we are told about Catherine’s bakery dream and her struggles to avoid King’s proposal, numerous times. Not only that, it was too irritating to read again and again about how much the Marchioness wants Catherine to marry the King. Trust me, every time the Marchioness asks Catherine if the King has proposed her or not I was like why not she herself marries the King. She was so desperate that it all started to get boring and I was wondering if I want to further read the book or not. I am glad I did read it.
The rest 60 percent was just too good and I loved the twists and turns in the latter 60% of the book. I did not want this book to end. The main reason was Jest. I was so in love with this character. He is truly unforgettable.
Why I loved this Book:
1. Jest
“Impossible was his speciality.”
Once in a while we come across such a character that appeals us most. We want to read that book again just because of that character. Jest is that character for me in the book. He is funny, smart and handsome. A character beautifully written and would be engraved in the memory of the readers for a very very long time.
2. Hatta
Hatta is the same mad hatter of the Alice in Wonderland. He crafts wonderful hats. Reading about him created the image of Johnny Depp playing Mad Hatter from the movie in my mind.
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After Jest, Hatta is my second most favorite character of the book. His weird sense of humor, sarcastic remarks and selfless nature make him unique.
3. The Three Sisters
Since I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I would only say the Three Sisters were the most crepiest, scariest and weirdest characters of the book and yet I loved them. Ironic, isn’t it?
4. The Chemistry and Spark Between Catherine and Jest:
They just click! You know the feeling of reading about lovers who are made for each other. The feels they give you.
“She felt like she could talk to him for hours, for days and months and years, and never tire of it.”
It feels like you are there sharing their beautiful moments with them.
She started to shake her head, to be firm in her stance that this, whatever this was, could not continue past this night, this morning, this very moment. ‘Jest . . .’ His eyebrows lifted and he looked pleased at the intimacy of his name.
Oh my God! It tickled my heart and tummy when I read the dialogues between the two.
I thought I could take a walk, look around. I’m still new to these parts.’ ‘But you’re not walking. You’re climbing trees.’ ‘It’s still exercise.’
The way he confesses his love to her:
‘Catherine, I don’t want your heart to belong to anyone but me.’
How he makes her smile and laugh:
He looked up at her and smiled that disarming smile again. ‘I’m a joker, my lady, which is even better.’ ‘How is that better than a doctor?’ ‘Haven’t you ever heard that laughter is the best medicine?’
5. Catherine’s Dreams:
Just read the following lines from the book:
Hundreds and hundreds of small, delicate hearts surrounded her – all of them bleeding. She reached up and touched a finger to the soft flesh of the nearest bud, gathering a single drop of warm blood on her fingertip. Each bleeding heart bloom was a delicate thing, beautiful and haunting. She crushed the flower in her fist, relishing the wet smear in her palm.
Needless I say anything. Her dreams were magical!
What I didn’t like:
1. Catherine
To be honest, I did not like Catherine at all. She was selfish and a hypocrite. The only good quality she has was her baking skills.
2. The Marchioness and her desperation towards King:
She was the most irritating character of the book. If she could, she would have forced Catherine to marry the King on gunpoint or canon-point.
Conclucion: I wanted to give this book 4 stars instead of 5 because of slower 40% part of the book. But I couldn’t. The fast paced 60% of the book was so full of twists and turns that were worthy of 5 stars. Plus Jest himself deserves 5 stars. What a marvelous character! What an amazing book!
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