I received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley! This is a great start! The artwork is beautiful. It's detailed enough that it iI received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley! This is a great start! The artwork is beautiful. It's detailed enough that it isn't overwhelming. The art deco elements combine perfectly with the world and story. The artwork is only half of what goes into the story. There is the story itself.
This is a good start to an interesting story. We get enough of the world to know whats going on but not to much that we are, again, overwhelmed. I also like how it's not all explained but rather it's shown to us. Telling us everything is easy, but showing the read takes a bit of skill. It was nicely paced also. I am intrigued by Maika's power and wonder if we will see it in action and not just see the aftermath. I am also intrigued by the Inquistrixes. It will be interesting to see if we get more of their story (like the big one with the cloth covering her face).
I am going to eagerly start #32 and hope that the good beginning continues.
Merged review:
I received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley! This is a great start! The artwork is beautiful. It's detailed enough that it isn't overwhelming. The art deco elements combine perfectly with the world and story. The artwork is only half of what goes into the story. There is the story itself.
This is a good start to an interesting story. We get enough of the world to know whats going on but not to much that we are, again, overwhelmed. I also like how it's not all explained but rather it's shown to us. Telling us everything is easy, but showing the read takes a bit of skill. It was nicely paced also. I am intrigued by Maika's power and wonder if we will see it in action and not just see the aftermath. I am also intrigued by the Inquistrixes. It will be interesting to see if we get more of their story (like the big one with the cloth covering her face).
I am going to eagerly start #32 and hope that the good beginning continues....more
I received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley! This is a great start! The artwork is beautiful. It's detailed enough that it iI received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley! This is a great start! The artwork is beautiful. It's detailed enough that it isn't overwhelming. The art deco elements combine perfectly with the world and story. The artwork is only half of what goes into the story. There is the story itself.
This is a good start to an interesting story. We get enough of the world to know whats going on but not to much that we are, again, overwhelmed. I also like how it's not all explained but rather it's shown to us. Telling us everything is easy, but showing the read takes a bit of skill. It was nicely paced also. I am intrigued by Maika's power and wonder if we will see it in action and not just see the aftermath. I am also intrigued by the Inquistrixes. It will be interesting to see if we get more of their story (like the big one with the cloth covering her face).
I am going to eagerly start #32 and hope that the good beginning continues....more
**Note: Thank you Random House/Ballantine, Josh Malerman, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**
This is Josh Malerman**Note: Thank you Random House/Ballantine, Josh Malerman, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**
This is Josh Malerman’s novel, Goblin. It’s actually a collection of stories that revolve around the town of Goblin and its many interesting people and points of interest. This would probably be labeled as horror, and one can see why, but I was not creeped out by anything. That being said, I wouldn’t say it wasn’t entertaining as it was.
I liked how each story was linked- not just by the town itself but in the little details and that each story took place on the same rainy night. It brought continuity to the story and gave us different perspectives on how different residents experienced this one night. An example of the little details: in Kamp, Walter is looking out his window to see the car parked outside on the street. The very car that the friends talked in during the first story. It’s the little things like this that help make the connections and bring you into this odd town and it’s odd going-ons.
The book opens with an ex-resident returning to Goblin to deliver a box. I liked how we started outside town and were brought into Goblin via the delivery route. We got a bit of perspective of the town from someone who grew up there yet had an outsider’s view due to moving away. It was good we started with this broad perspective of the town as each story gives us someone else’s individual perspective.
Notable standouts were Presto and The Hedges. Presto was a very intriguing story about Roman Emperor who happens to pass through Goblin on his magic tour. His story was interesting and while I did want to read more at the same time I didn’t. It was just enough to feel satisfied that you got a complete story that kept you reading. Like I said- it was intriguing.
The Hedges was also a good story in the sadness of it. In a similar vein as the previous story to this one, A Mix Up at the Zoo. How someone’s life just gets off course and they are, essentially, lost. However, The Hedges brought into play elements we only heard about earlier in the book. We got a better understanding of the Goblin police, what actually is in the North Woods, and the story of the infamous shrubbery artist, Sherman.
I can’t give this book 5 stars as it wasn’t scary, creepy, or what have you. However, it was entertaining so the 4 stars is deserved. ...more
Thank you, Netgalley. I received an ARC for an honest review.
This is more a 3.5. It's basically a mob story that tries to do something different but eThank you, Netgalley. I received an ARC for an honest review.
This is more a 3.5. It's basically a mob story that tries to do something different but essentially I'm not sure it really does. Maybe this 1st volume is setting the stage for the next one but to get the next one you have to care about one of the characters and I'm not sure I actually did.
Eddie's curse is interesting and you can see its benefits and its drawbacks. The place he goes to when dead is interesting and I wonder if we will learn more about it and the demon that presides over it in coming volumes. However, you don't know why Eddie was cursed with this, or really anything about Eddie's back story. All we do know is that he was cursed by the Verlochin and his curse is better than some. I know I would have cared more about Eddie had there been some kind of backstory. As it is, I don't know if I got into his story enough to bother with volume 2.
We don't even see the Verlochin until the end, which is fine as it creates a mystery around them. It's obvious they were once to be feared but you don't get the sense throughout that they are still around. It seems as though they were the strongest demon family until Al and Bruno took them down? If this is the case, how did they take them down? Are they gaining strength to reclaim their post? We don't know.
We also don't know what happened between Al and Bruno. If they actually did work together to bring down the Verlochin then they were allies. So what happened to this? Why did they become warring families? We know they want to get back into an alliance but is this because the Verlochin are gaining in power? Who knows, we just know it's mutually beneficial.
As for the other characters- Sophie and Worm- why did they sell their souls? Why is Worm the only one cursed right now? All we know is that they are brother and sister. But again- we don't get backstory and so do we really care about them? No. I am curious but I don't care about their characters. Does this really matter for a first volume- not necessarily if we can get that backstory in future volumes as I don't see Worm's part in things ending. I mean- he does have information it seems that others can't get or will have a hard time getting. So he's useful in this kind of story. The question is- do you even want to read the next volume if you are not invested in the story in the first one?
The artwork, is simple and not really detailed. It kind of fits that noir style that the story is kind of portraying.
Overall, this is basically just a mob story with demons thrown in. It could have worked better had we gotten more involved with the main character and if the whole demon aspect could have been explored a little more....more
I received a copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more a 4.5. It's good to see consistency in a story. The artwork is as beautifulI received a copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more a 4.5. It's good to see consistency in a story. The artwork is as beautiful as the first volume. I like how it leaves some mystery- like the head Inquisitrix's mask- it reveals some but not all. As I usually do with comics and graphic novels, i just look through it for the pictures then read the story. I find myself doing this and going back to look at certain panels as they are so nicely drawn and colored.
The story progresses which is good and it's still workld-0building which is nice as it gives the world depth. It is also character building, again good as these characters have depth- not just our main character but the other characters also. However, I am kind of getting ansy to see things move at a faster pace. At the end it looks as though we may be getting a glimpse of Maika's power and how it is used.... not sure that's an accurate description but for lack of a better word/phrase I'll use it. I really hope the next volume shows us this power in detail and what exactly it does. I really want to learn more about the cats too! I would think they would also go back to the interrogation of Yvette. That would be interesting to see....more
This is more like 4.5 stars. I love dystopian fiction and this is that, but a little different.
It starts off where a new type of survival reality gamThis is more like 4.5 stars. I love dystopian fiction and this is that, but a little different.
It starts off where a new type of survival reality game show is starting. We have our contestants and we get to know a little about each of them. We don't know their real names, and we actually never get all their names, but we do know them by the names the editor gives them. We then get a chapter that gives us details of the reality show then a chapter from 1 character's point of view- that of Zoo (aka: Sam and Mae). This switching back in forth gives us an overview of all the contestants (in the reality show chapters) and then more detail about what is happening (via Zoo's perspective).
I like that we don't really get the contestants names. We build a connection with them in a different sort of way. It's like we are getting an impression of them by these names- an impression similar to that of a viewer of the TV show. If we get real names then we connect with them on a more real level. It effective because then when we are in a chapter from Zoo's perspective we feel more emotionally connected to her than we would when it's a chapter from the show. Her feel Zoo's loss in a deeper way than we would have otherwise.
I also like how we get the difference in perspective with each chapter. I like how we get a view of each of the contestants- at least as long as they are in the show. Once they leave, we can pretty much assume that they fall victim the way the rest of the world did. I liked seeing the show from the contestants point of view and we see how they show starts playing with them mentally and physically. We have a better understanding of Zoo's confusion when the chapters are from her perspective.
I like Zoo. You can completely understand her reactions to Brennan and to what is going on. It would be interesting to see how she reacts to meeting her husband again considering she couldn't be completely honest with him before his "death." It would also be interesting to see how he reacts to her thoughts on having kids. She is a strong character though and this is good. She has her flaws and tries to hide them but they still come out, which makes her more human.
I also like Tracker/Cooper. It would have been interesting to know more of his story- like how he developed his skills. I understand he perfected his persona and his sense of character over time, but to have the skills he has takes practice. how did the develop- what got him interested in it?
I like the pacing of the story also. We get enough of the story to piece things together yet not enough to keep us interested and wanting more. honestly wanted to keep reading to find out- does Zoo make it? Who from the contestants die? What happens when the virus truly breaks out? Are the contestants left on their own? What happens with Zoo's and Brennan's relationship? a lot of these questions we get answers to throughout the story.
The only thing that made this 4.5 stars is that we don't get what happens between Zoo and Cooper to the point that he survives the virus and would have been the winner should the show have continued but he has these regrets about not finding Zoo. And Zoo continues to think of him. I get that they worked together and Tracker/Cooper develops a respect for her. She has respect for him, but everyone did since the beginning. The story eluded to something deeper happening between the 2 of them but we never get that storyline.
Overall- a good story and well paced. I different perspective on the-end-of-the-world-as we-know-it storyline. Highly recommended....more
I received an ARC for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
I am on the fence about this one. First off being a graphic novel, the artwork is as impoI received an ARC for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
I am on the fence about this one. First off being a graphic novel, the artwork is as important as the story. It was hard to review the artwork as this being an ARC, none of the artwork was clear. Meaning it was very pixelated and blurry even, so it was hard to distinguish one character from another. In some panels it was hard to distinguish anything. Having reviewed other ARC graphic novels, I know the artwork can be very clear- like you have the book right in front of you. This wasn't the case here and so I can not fairly review it.
Now- the story. I know the author is influenced by Dune and other classic sci-fi. I also understand that this was a story he came up with early in his career and didn't release it until now. Granted, I'm sure it went through fine tuning and whatnot first, probably over many times. I also understand that this is one of a few volumes so we won;t get the whole story now. When I first started reading the story I thought, "Oh no!! Is this a wanna be Dune??!!" I continued on and thank god it did start changing. That being said, I felt like things didn't really go anywhere. Yes- there was world building.Yes- characters were introduced. It even seemed as though the magic was being introduced. But did that really need to be introduced separately? No- it should be incorporated into the character development. We can easily learn about it that way. The problem facing our main characters only really came into being near the end of the novel. I don;t feel a whole volume needs to be dedicated to just world building and introductions to characters or whatever. It really should start getting into the meat of the story. Yet, I don;t feel like it really did.
Kenton seems like an interesting character. He was someone set out to prove he could be just as good as the other masters without having the abilities they had. However, what ability he did have he did master. He had great control over what he could do. That should have been appreciated within his people but it wasn't. So, he has a chip on his shoulder. Not only was his magic not good enough, but he was also of mixed blood. This was also frowned upon. In reaction, he lashed out against authority and at times, acted like a child. I get all that. I just don't see how he suddenly did a 180 during the council meeting and began to be mature and try to work with authority. Granted, he was trying to save his people, but still. The progression was lost on me. That being said ti will be interesting to see how he handles being leader, how he can prove Drile set it up so almost all of the Sand Masters were killed, while also convincing the council that his profession should not be dissolved. Seems like quite a bit to put on his shoulders.
Another character that seems interesting is Dutchess Khrissalla. She's on a mission to find out how her fiancee died and did he find what he was looking for. He was on the search for a weapon but we don't know until the end that this weapon are a group of people- the Sand Mages who are also Kenton's people. I do wonder why her finacee wanted this "weapon" and as of yet we don't know. I am also interested to know more about Darkside and more about Khrissalla's history. Perhaps in future volumes we will find out more.
At the writing of this review, these are the only two characters that really stood out and seemed interesting. Which I guess is good since they seem to be the main characters. Also, I hope the story REALLY picks up in the future volumes. One that just drags on without anything really happening is boring. In regards to this volume, overall it was just ok...more
I received an ARC for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This book was good with a couple of things you won't necessarily see coming.
I like the waI received an ARC for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This book was good with a couple of things you won't necessarily see coming.
I like the way the book went from Paige's perspective to Chloe's perspective. We get an idea of the same time frame from 2 different people, both victims. So we have Paige- she has literally lost everything and that would be her family. She lost her daughter, then a while later her husband. It wasn't always clear how soon after Chloe's death Ryan died. Sometimes I got the impression it was soon after only to be reminded that it happened a few years after. It also wasn't clear when exactly Paige started to numb herself with alcohol and Rx meds to deal with the pain. Did she start before Ryan died or after? Either way, Paige is completely broken. The author did a good job really getting into Paige's head regarding these deaths and how they affected her. She couldn't move and her life now revolved around these losses. Her pain was real to us. She wanted answers but felt lost on how to get them- until strange things started happening. This kind of propelled her to start looking more closely around her own home and follow up on what she found even if it put her in danger. None of this helps as she then just happens to stumble upon the perpetrator- her brother Maxim.
It's also interesting that Paige had repressed her memories of Maxim and what he did to her. However, we never know his motivation behind his developing feelings for his sister. What would push him to this and then start raping her?? That is a big question that I was really looking for an answer to but it was never produced. You also don't know why her parents committed her after they found out what was going on with her and Maxim. Why would they do this? Why not just do outpatient therapy? Was she suicidal and so they felt committing her would be best? Was there some other reason- to keep Maxim from coming back for her? We have no idea.
Then there's Chloe- Paige's daughter who we thought was dead. I guess i didn't expect her to be alive- I just thought we would find out the motivation behind killing her and chopping her up. But she is alive and has been raped for years, in the process having 3 children. During the story you get the idea that the child in the hospital had a connection to Paige- why else would there be a point made to bring him up? Did it have any relevance to the story otherwise? No. It was just a matter of figuring out how she was connected to him. Turns out it's a grandson she never knew she had. I also find it interesting, that with weapons at Chloe's disposal she didn't try escaping before she did. Granted- she was handcuffed to a bed but after her first child was born, she no longer was. She had freedom of movement. Why not try to save your baby and escape earlier? Why stay to be subjected to more abuse and have more babies? We never really get an answer to this either.
Maxim is sick. It would have been interesting to know the motivations behind some of his actions- like why he originally became focused on his sister. We find out his motivations behind kidnapping and keeping Chloe. But that's really it. Granted, this is a big part of the story, but you still wanted to know more.
I do like how certain things would happen in reality. For example- how the children were terrified of Paige when she first appeared in the basement. This could truly happen especially to children who have been isolated in the way these ones have. Chloe's reaction is also real however I would also think there would be a bit of anger. I would thinks he would feel anger in that she could feel her mother abandoned her when no one came to find. Or place blame on her mother for putting her in the situation with Maxim in the first place- her mother would know what happened so why put Chloe at risk with a rapist? These would be very real reactions a victim would have. It was also real that all of the survivors, Paige, Chloe, and the children, were all in therapy. I'm glad we get this follow up and see how their lives are progressing. I do like how Paige never came to find out if Ryan was murdered or if it was truly suicide. She never finds out why Ryan got the gun. She doesn't find out a lot of things about Ryan yet this is good because that would be reality.
Overall, this was a good read. Yes, there are unanswered questions. Yet, there are also things that would happen in real life and real life does leave us with unanswered questions. Yes- I wanted the answers to some of these but it's not going to happen....more
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley.
The book description made it sound interesting, however, the actual story felI received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley.
The book description made it sound interesting, however, the actual story fell short. Ophelia recently lost her parents and is sent to live with her Uncle Sebastian and his tenant Adam. Shortly after moving there she meets Jack and falls in insta-love.
First, I am not sure how I like the story being told from different perspectives. It seemed a bit........much? Perhaps that's how I felt about it. I think more effort should have gone into the relationship development rather than the different perspectives. There really should be a good, if not great, story first then play around with it and do things like this. It doesn't work if the story isn't strong. I'm not saying that I don't like different perspectives- I most certainly do. However, if there isn't a good story it's like the different perspectives are used to try to distract you from that but really it just enhances it.
That being said, I do like the historical aspects to this story. It's quite interesting the story of the shipwreck. I liked how this was incorporated into the story. However, I do wonder if there truly were other shipwrecks int he area or not. Ophelia's project was supposed to be about a number of shipwrecks in the area yet it only focused on one- The Bella's. If there were other shipwrecks, it would have been interesting to learn more about these (I guess I could look it up on Google since Google knows all). As a matter of fact, maybe the story could have focused on Ophelia researching all these shipwrecks, talking to the survivor's families and getting to know the area, etc with the Jack thing progressing in a more normal way instead of the instantaneous way. It could have lead to a more well developed story while incorporating more of the historical aspects into it.
Then there are the characters and the relationships between them. I liked Adam. Granted, for being a little older (perhaps 2 years older) than the rest of the characters, you would think he would be a little more mature. I did not necessarily like that part of his personality. He's getting into fist fights with a high schooler. Really? At what point do you think- hmmmm.... it's time for me to grow up? But everyone has flaws right? Anyway, I do like the rest of his personality. I also like that he is getting to know Ophelia and vice versa. In a normal way, too. I think his character is kind of what saved this book from being a 1 star book.
Then there is Ophelia. I am not sure if I like her. She's supposedly just lost her parents- and quite recently too. You would think she would be acting more depressed, despondent, any adjective that fits this mentality. Yet, you in NO way get this impression. I get she is trying to move on, but there would be some feelings like this. Perhaps even stronger ones if you are trying to keep it all inside. Yet, she carries on like everything is normal except for the occasional- "I miss them" but nothing is done with this. Then, she's described as mature a few times. Really? In what sense? I never got that impression of her. She acts like a typical teenager- a VERY typical one. She is even naive- especially when it comes to Jack. In the end, I can't say I cared about what happens to her one way or the other.
Then there's Jack- a ghost. He is in love with Ophelia without ever having laid eyes on her. Really? How exactly would someone, much less a ghost, know about her when she isn't anywhere near the town?! I never got that aspect of it. Then he stalks her before they even meet "in person." In general, the whole Jack thing is weird and could have been done so much better. It doesn't bother me that he's a ghost. It bothers me that he's obsessed with Ophelia right from the get go even before she moves into the house. I think it's interesting that the author chose this seaman to focus on. I get why- he was the youngest to die in the shipwreck. That kind of makes it intriguing. However, that's not an excuse to develop his character more. Also, he needs the energy of the girls to continue "living.' Yet it's never really explained how he gets their energy. Then Ophelia draws energy form him- why? How? Again, never explained. These really should be as it seems a big part of Jack.
Onto the relationship between Jack and Ophelia. I, and perhaps thousands of other readers, are NOT fans of insta-love. There has not been a single instance of it where it is even remotely believable. It never works. This story holds to that. Ophelia and Jack meet twice- in the middle of the night on some rocks on the beach. They hardly talk. Yet after these two encounters she is thinking she loves him??!! Did I completely miss something? After these meetings, he's all she ever thinks about. What?! I understand being attracted to someone and thinking about them, but we all carry on. We meet new people. We go out with them. We completely forget about that other person. Not what happens here- Ophelia won't go out with other people or keep her options open. Why not- she's instantly in love with Jack. Whatever happened to character development that leads to good relationship building? This would have made the whole story better.
What about the house? Is it alive? What goes on there? NEVER explained or shown to us in anyway. We have no idea why it wants to protect this family. Maybe this will be explained in the other nooks (yes- unfortunately this appears to be a series). However, this doesn't work. It really should be explained in this first book.
This all being said, the other thing that saved this book from being a 1 star- it is a complete story. The major plotline/problem is resolved in this book. Thank goodness!!! It is terrible when a book abruptly ends just to have it carry on in the next one.
Overall, I was less than thrilled with this book. While the historical aspects of this book are interesting, the lack of character and relationship development really brought this book down....more
**spoiler alert** I received an ARC for an honest. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more a 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book.
First off, I like the fi**spoiler alert** I received an ARC for an honest. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more a 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book.
First off, I like the first person point of view. You really get into the thoughts and feelings of the story. Granted- it's only one person's perspective on the events but in this case it really works. It interesting that the whole book is like a big, long letter to Andrew. To fully explain everything to him. To confess. To come clean. Almost like so he can forgive her and they can move on and be together. I also like how there are police interviews, new stories, and coroner's reports throughout the book. This also helps to draw a complete picture of events.
It also helps that I liked the main character- Victoria. I like all her flaws. I like that she tries to better herself, if only for the wrong reasons (she doe sit for a boy and not just for herself). It's interesting how she's collecting these boys. You have a feeling that this will continue but only if the new boy learns about the others. It's also interesting at the end how it's Z and not Andrew who is now meeting her at the fence. You would think it would be Andrew since that's who she did it for. She can finally show him that he was the one she chose. But no- it's Z..
Z is an interesting character in the ways he's broken. It's almost like he's broken in the typical ways and he covers it all up so that he can't really be himself and he can continue to survive. You really do get the impression that he's using Victoria the whole time, and maybe a part of him was. Yet at the same time he does seem kind of sincere.
I liked Andrew. I liked how vulnerable he was. IT was kind of typical the way the stepdad was- not being able to accept Andrew for who he was and therefore couldn't truly accept him as a son. It's sad how Andrew felt he needed to kill himself to escape it all. I actually am curious to know more about Andrew- in particular the conversations he would have with Victoria, yet at the same time I can picture them.
Some of the story you can kind of guess what's going on- like Andrew. You know something isn't right there. You know there is something more to Victoria although we don't really know til the end what it is. That's a good thing because the story makes you want to know. For once, I could not fully guess the end. You know that one killed the other but who and why? You know how- the coroner's report pretty much tells you, but the other questions- the who and the why- don't really come together until it happens.
Overall- a quick and enjoyable read. I would read more by this author for sure!...more
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more 1.5 stars.
Wow! I really was interested in this book based on theI received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more 1.5 stars.
Wow! I really was interested in this book based on the description but man did it truly disappoint! It is a cookie cutter YA novel complete with insta-love and a forced love triangle.
It starts with Jim Blest- an ostracized teenager. He gets picked on at school and everything. He feels alone in the world. His mother was killed when he was young when something (it's easy to guess what) killed her on a train. He witnessed it all yet refuses to believe that someone killed her. In comes the new kids- a set of twins- Claire and Gunner. Lo and behold they all have the same birthday and so all get wings at the same time- Jim as an angel and the twins as fallen angels.
Before this all happens Claire is drawn to Jim and they have this instant connection where they feel they can tell each other their secrets. We also find out Jim is bullied by both the angel faction and the fallen angel faction at school. Seriously- we can all see where this is going. Jim and Claire fall in insta-love but because these 2 groups hate each other they can't be together. Claire's heart gets broken, she wants to kill Jim yet in the end can't.
It was a struggle to get through this book. The characters were all one dimensional. The main bad guy acted like a 3 year old in an adult's body. Jim, who was being bullied by everyone, comes to accept the angels as friends almost instantly once he gets his wings. Really?? It mentioned that he couldn't forget how they treated him yet he acts as though nothing happen. He didn't do this to get back at them or anything. It's like it just didn't happen except for the occasional mention of it. Then the head angel, Sydney, the one who really picked on Jim from this group. suddenly wants to make out with him?! You can see this coming from a mile away, but really?! It just amounted to a forced love triangle between Jim, Claire, and Sydney. There was not any development of these relationships. It would have been better that Jim call the angel group out on their bad behavior and decide NOT to join them- to be an angel on his own. Have the angel group earn his trust and friendship. It should not be like their bullying never happened. In the group earning his trust and friendship, then a relationship with Sydney could naturally develop. She could read the signals wrong, kiss him, only to be rejected by Jim. From there, it could bring tension back into the group to develop as a subplot! Amongst all this, he could be developing his relationship with Claire. All of this did not need to be forced but rather would have allowed for character development, relationship building, and world building.
Then Jim can fight as an angel and hold his own yet did not have any formal training in fighting with wings. Actually, I don't believe he has had any formal training in fighting at all. Yet, he can fight like the other angels who have supposedly been training for years. As far as we can tell, his only asset is his artistry so I'm not sure how being an artist has taught him to fight on the battelfield.
I wanted to stop reading about 1/4 of the way through. I persevered through the whole story hoping it would suddenly get better. It didn't. The premise was interesting but unfortunately, it was a cookie cutter story with one dimensional characters. ...more
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This was a good book. It is the first in a series and, I have to mention firsI received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This was a good book. It is the first in a series and, I have to mention first off, it stands on it's own- it's a complete story!!!! Thank goodness- I am so tired of reading a book in a series and it just abruptly ends. This does not make you want to read the next, it is just annoying. This does NOT happen here. There is an ending to the plotline.
I like the style in which this book is written. It has an asian feel for it (for lack of a better description) which fits the story since it's about a young girl training to be a kunoichi. It has a nice flow to it and a bit of a fairy tale feel to it and yet it's not. It's nice and it fits the world of the book.
As for the story itself, it was good. The character development was pretty good. I cared about Risuko (aka Murasaki). At first I wasn't sure of her age because there were times where it seemed like she thought as though she were an older person. However, since it's before her first "moon-time" but she's close to it I'd pin her to be about 11-13. Thank goodness there's a huge piece of reality here! Anyway, I was curious about her family's history and how this tied in to her current situation. I am still curious as to how her mother would come to sell her but I think it's only because I would want my thoughts on it to be confirmed. She does grow and it's almost like a subtle thing to realize. I also think she's coming to realize that while she can't kill outright, she can use the situation to eliminate what she needs to such as when Fuyudori fell. Risuko could see she was overbalanced when she finally handed over the scroll. It would only make sense that Fuyudori would then fall and die upon landing. She obviously admires her father and wants to live as she thinks he wants her to. It will be interesting to see if she ends up being a samurai like him- a kunoichi. Overall, I liked Risuko.
I am also curious to know more about Mieko. I would want to know more about her past and also Masugu's past and how it ties into Mieko's. Other then the fact that they are in love but she refuses to marry him because of her duties.
The action is well placed and fits into the story. It isn't forced to just move the story along. There is NOT any forced romance for Risuko or really any of the other characters. The love between Mieko and Masugu is not overly apparent nor is it a big part of the story- it's just a secondary plot line. This is also refreshing from the standard YA formula. Risuko is going about her life and learning her new duties and what this means for her future.
As mentioned earlier, this is the first in a series. It will be interesting to see how Risuko grows and progresses as her story progresses. ...more
I received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This was a good graphic novel. Overall, it seemed a little short and maybe a litI received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This was a good graphic novel. Overall, it seemed a little short and maybe a little more time could have gone into the decisions the characters made, yet it was still a complete story and it wasn't surprising that they chose the way they did.
Since this is a graphic novel, as much time needs to be spent on the drawings as it does the story. That being said, the drawings were very nice. The use of detail was effective. Not everything in every panel is detailed- only what truly needed to be. Almost 3/4 of the way through the book, the 3 main characters are walking under a tree. They are detailed as is the tree, yet the rest of the scene is not. The tree is wonderfully drawn and you see why a few pages later- it is a focal point of the characters coming back together.
The story itself is very relevant- how we view our own bodies. I can only imagine how, if that technology was around now, how it would be used. I liked how this was a dystopian world was kept until the end. You kind of got the idea earlier in the story, but it wasn't confirmed until then. The explanation of the science behind the body switch was interesting. However, I feel if the characters were a little more developed and we saw how they interacted in this world, it would have been a stronger story. We would have got them more and why they wanted to do it and why they chose to do it or not.
Overall, a very quick read but still interesting....more
**spoiler alert** I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
I would give this one more like 3.5 stars.
I like how differ**spoiler alert** I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
I would give this one more like 3.5 stars.
I like how different theories in physics get tied together to come up with 1 theory. It's interesting. I also think Kyle is well developed and we really feel his pain. For being young it seemed like he truly loved this girl, Alice, whose future was always uncertain due to her health. We feel his loss and his struggle to move on. Yet there isn't much movement for him in that his character remains emotionally stagnant throughout much of the book. I always wanted to see him to do something or take a step towards accepting what happened. It was very slow until he finally talked with Sophia and then things started happening. It definitely took awhile to get there. I am all about development but this was a little to slow and seemed like it was like this just to prolong the story.
Both Dani and the other roommate (the lawyer) really didn't do much for the story. The other roommate was so insignificant that I can't even remember his name. It makes you question why they even play the part they do in the book. Then there's Cameron- Kyle's best friend. I would have liked to have seen him more involved in the story. I get that Kyle pushed everyone away after Alice passed and Cameron stuck by his side. However, Cameron was supposed to be in on this physics discovery with Kyle and Sophia but it seemed as though Sophia could care less about Cameron. She never did anything but offer him an application at the end. I would think she would at least have a conversation or two with him. This doesn't happen. He's supposed to be one of the people to help with this momentous physics discovery. Instead Sophia's visions are enough to keep mentioning that Cameron plays a role but we never see it. It's so much better to show this than to just tell us and we have to take it at that.
I do NOT like the ending. Not at all!! I do NOT like that Kyle was able to see Alice and have these conversations with her. This was just an easy out. Why would he suddenly be able to see souls and Alice? Who knows- we don't! It was never explained and should have been. I understand this was just a side story to a longer series just about the Leto's. If this is the case, then it needs to be a story that stands on it's own. All books should be. This didn't happen because these things that happen to Kyle aren't explained. I, for one, do not want to go searching/reading through a series to find out if this Kyle thing is ever explained. His being able to see souls and Alice are an easy out. Maybe I could take Kyle catching glimpses of souls but not suddenly being able to see the colors of them. Him seeing Alice just makes it easy for her to explain things to him. There are other ways this could have been accomplished and he wouldn't have to see her. There could have been a few- a very few- signs and he could put them together to get the message. Or things could have been written by Alice before she died that he discovers and puts two and two together.
This all being said, it was a decent read. Like I mentioned, the physics theories being combined into 1 is interesting. The world the author created was good- aliens and all. I actually was interested in learning more about these aliens and then we get their brief history. So that was good. There were a few things which if done differently would have made this book stronger....more
I received a copy from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more 3 stars. Untraceable is essentially about a girl who is oI received a copy from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is more 3 stars. Untraceable is essentially about a girl who is obsessed with finding her missing dad in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Yes- she is obsessed. Everything she finds she thinks is a clue to her missing dad. I'm surprised the direction of the wind wasn't a clue for where her dad was.
That being said- Grace is a strong girl but not necessarily in a good way as she's headstrong and doesn't see reason. Her dad taught her survival skills. She could defend herself in some way if need be. However, she's a teenager and definitely acts like one. She doesn't hear what anyone in an authoritative position tries to tell her. She's impulsive and does things even though she knows it's not good. What I don't like about her- her father taught her survival skills and she supposedly has been taught these since she was very little. NOT ONCE does she follow one of the skills he has taught her. If she really was learning them from a young age then some of them would have sunk in and she would have followed them or feel guilty. Why follow some big, sketchy guys into the woods? What did Grace think was going to happen? In real life- god knows what they would have done to her but sure as heck her body wouldn't be found. I also don't like how she complains that everyone acts like she's crazy or can't accept the fact her dad is dead and look at her with pity. Of course people are going to do this if you claim the shadow of a tree is evidence he's alive. I mean really??!! If she brought out concrete proof of something, then maybe someone would take her seriously. She never does this.
Then there is Mo. It's obvious since he first came on the scene that there was something more to him and he was connected to everything in some way. I like that Grace and Mo started to become friends. And yes- they were attracted to each other. But falling for each other? Already? After a couple conversations. Whatever. Then he dies at the end. Honestly- he's coming back in the next book. The stage is already set for it.
Then there's Grace's relationship with Wyn. She leads him on and she knows this. Wyn finds out the truth and she doesn't expect him to be mad? At least it was believable that he was REALLY mad and wanted nothing more to do with her friendship or not. His feelings were hurt and he showed this.
Other good things in this book: the writing style fit the style of the book. Straight and to the point. It worked. It was also interesting to read more about the bear poaching problem. Poaching is an issue throughout the world for the reasons stated in this book, but many people don't think about how the U.S. is also involved in this. The book incorporates this into the story well. I also like how the survival skills are at the beginning of each chapter. I'm not sure if this was the author's intent, but it makes it more clear that Grace does not follow these.
I also like how when Grace's dad was found he wasn't a picture of a flower. He was filthy and smelled like the filth he had been living in the past few weeks. He was weak and was finding it hard to find the strength to move. He got shot and did die- there was not last minute bring him back to life scenario. This made it more believable and real. These are good things as this is what could really happen in the world- it's not always a happy ending. However, my problem with all this is why the poachers would even keep him alive. He was a liability. They already killed people so why not him? I'm not sure this was adequately explained.
Overall, this was a decent read. The pace was good. The writing style fit the story. However, it's predictable. You knew something was going to happen to Mo as soon as he started hanging out with Grace. He "died" but he's not really dead. He will definitely make a reappearance. Grace would obviously find her dad and be the hero. Carl was somehow involved that's why he was pushing for Grace to leave well enough alone. Wyn would end up hating her especially when he figures out she was using him for information on her dad's case. I'm not sure if I really like Grace's character as she's supposed to be this strong, survival skill yet totally isn't. She's just a regular teenager....more
**spoiler alert** I received an advanced copy for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley!
I liked the concept of this book, but the execution just didn'**spoiler alert** I received an advanced copy for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley!
I liked the concept of this book, but the execution just didn't follow through. I liked the premise that a virus, engineered by the government, gets loose and kills all the adults in the world. The world created once the adults are gone is believable, and honestly, realistic. Horrible things happen- but that's exactly what would happen in any post-apocalyptic scenario. Rape, violence, and the like will occur. People will be able to stay under the radar for only so long. This is what happens to Morgan- who we see as a beautiful girl. She gets raped- gang raped to be exact. Our main character, Andy, who has come to see Morgan as a sister finds her and helps her. Both Andy and Charlie encourage Morgan to carry on but this incident also gives them the courage they need to set forth into the world and try to find something better.
What they find is not exactly better, but they do get answers. A teenager, Sean, whose father was one of the scientists who engineered the virus, is now in control of the east coast of the US. Turns out he's manipulative (of course) by using the virus and drugs to control people. He makes drugs available to all who want them to keep the population under control. He also uses drugs as a means to make girls submissive so they can be used in anyway a teenage boy can think of. Yes- this is a believable scenario in this type of world as ugly as it is. I like that the author does not pretty up the world by making it seem like these things would not occur. Realistically- they would.
Sean is also trying to make an antidote and more of the virus. Even with super smart kids, it's still a little hard to believe that an antidote could be made in only a few years (I think it's 5 years). They would have to have knowledge of the equipment needed to make it along with a thorough understanding of the make up of the virus and what to look for within this to make the antidote. It's just one has to suspend disbelief more than one necessarily would to think this could occur.
Then there are the characters. Morgan and her biological brother are British. You are not shown this but rather told this- a couple of times. In between those times you would completely forget that they are British because they don't talk this way. They occasionally use the word bloke or blimey but it's not enough to show they are British. Authors have effectively written dialogue for British characters where you KNOW they are British but this was not done here so why bother pointing out that they are.
This just leads to a bigger issue all around- all the characters sound the same. They all talk the same in the same way. You do NOT get their individual personalities when they speak. Essentially- the dialogue falls flat because of this. It gets kind of boring. It's not only that they sound the same, but I think they all needed more depth. They needed to be fleshed out more and seem more like real people.
Then there is the relationship between Ben and Andy. I get that by the end of the story, they have known each other for a few years. But if you think about it- did we really see their relationship grow? Did we see them become closer? NO. We did not. It seems as though they had the occasional conversation here and there but nothing really deep happened between the two of them. We did not see them learn to rely on each other. We did not see their relationship develop. We are just told how much time has passed. Ben wasn't trying to flirt with her or do things that real people do. Same with Andy.
Overall, this book was lacking in some areas and wasn't as gripping as it could have been. I did like that there were real scenarios in this type of world instead of trying to sugar coat the dark side of things. But this book just need more- more depth to the characters, more depth to the problems these characters faced (they should overlap not be solved each time one arises), yeah- it just needed more....more
**spoiler alert** Received a copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you netgalley.
Really 4.5 stars. This was beautifully drawn and colored. I l**spoiler alert** Received a copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you netgalley.
Really 4.5 stars. This was beautifully drawn and colored. I like how the story is told without words yet still portrays so much feeling. The words were not needed at all. To be honest, coming to the end of the book I was wondering how the lone lion was going to tie into everything, but then it did. It all came together. Just lovely. I loved the sad ending and seeing the lion's final thoughts- the most love he ever received. In some ways it is heartbreaking yet so happy.
It seems as though this is the lone lion's pride- before he was forced out. He tried to take down his father maybe as a way to get back at him for treating him as he did. If this is the case, then there is a reason his father has lived as long as he has- he's hard to take down. The violence between prey and predator just adds to it all- it's all nature- violence, love, predator, prey. The sketches at the end were great to see- just a part of the creative process. Overall, this was great!
I received a copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
I wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into it. The premise was good- a girl I received a copy for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
I wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into it. The premise was good- a girl is thrust into a video game world and has to complete the game to get home.
Firs,t I felt like her life before the video game world was not fully developed. Yes, I get she's moving and much sooner than her parents originally told her. She's very upset to leave everything behind. It seems as though Alex has lived here her whole life and she and Natalie have been friends for a very long time. Yet, I think a reference was made to "when she moved here..." I could be wrong on that or misread it but I don't think so because I had the thought- "Wait, hasn't she lived here a long time?" Then she has this boyfriend who's a player. How do we know- because Natalie says so. It is not shown to us through Alex's interaction with her world. It should be though. Then apparently she is this good rock climber. Who knew?? Not us until she is in Lockhorn and trying to escape from town. could we have been shown all these things- absolutely. Would it have made the story better- absolutely. Would it have been more interesting and would it have given Alex's character more depth- ABSOLUTELY. As it was, we don't get a good sense of her life pre-Lockhorn.
Once in Lockhorn- she can climb walls, she can take down Giants, and do many other things. Ok- in no way did I get a sense that this girl was very athletic in her real life. So, how does she know how to do this stuff?? If she was somewhat athletic in real life, it could be believable but in no way was it believable that she was able to do this stuff. Apparently she was quite the artist back home. How did this help her in Lockhorn?? It didn't. Who knows why it kept being mentioned as it didn't do anything for her character or the story. Again- Alex's life pre video game should have been better developed so the contrast between the two worlds could be better defined.
Then the whole time she is in Lockhorn she has no confidence and is always complaining about how everyone else makes decisions for her at home. So- why didn't she grab the opportunity to do that in Lockhorn? Then, at the end when she did get back home, why not show us how her experience in Lockhorn effects her real life? If she gets this confidence in the video game, then SHOW us when she gets home. Don't have Natalie tell us, "You seem different" and end the story. It's cliche and an easy out.
Then there is the instalove. The author tries to make it seem otherwise but that is exactly what it is. Ugh! How about develop the characters better so that the attraction is believable. So the way they care about each other is believable.
Then there is Melody. If Melody's character was consistent then she would have seen through Alex's facade and called her out on it- called her the coward we are shown she is. Who cares if Alex is the hero? Melody seemed brazen enough to call her out. If not to the town then to Alex herself. It would have made for an interesting character relationship. Unfortunately that's not what we got.
While the premise sounded good, the execution lacked. Instead of interesting, we got a whiny teenage girl who complained about the same thing over and over again and wouldn't embrace this new world she was thrust into to truly find herself. It was a disappointing read....more
Received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is so cute! It was in a similar vein to Jon Scieszka's CowbReceived a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is so cute! It was in a similar vein to Jon Scieszka's Cowboy and Octopus (at least it definitely reminded me of it). My kids loved it and I found it very amusing also. The pictures were simple and yet fit the story perfectly. It's good that there were fun facts about the star creatures. The story would draw kids in and then they get to learn a little about the characters too. The only thing is that it ended abruptly. When we turned the page it was a "That's it??!!" moment. No cute "The End" page with a little picture of narwhal and jellyfish. Other than that, very adorable!...more
I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is actually a 2.5 rating. Overall this felt rushed- both in story andI received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is actually a 2.5 rating. Overall this felt rushed- both in story and in art. The things with comics- the art HAS to be on point and it wasn't in this one. While some of it was really well drawn and colored other parts did not get the required attention and so the perspective was off and looked rushed. All of the artwork should have been consistent. For example- let's take pages 75 , 76, and 77. Page 75- looks rushed and hastily drawn. The characters faces aren't as detailed and when this happens they all pretty much look the same or very similar. This happened repeatedly throughout the book. However, page 76 was nicely drawn, beautifully colored and made me wish the whole thing looked this way!!! Then by the end of page 77, it is back to being rushed. I don't know if this was done on purpose or not. If it was- then the message did not get across and it just made this look more sloppy. Time really needs to be spent in getting the art to look fantastic no matter what page you are on.
Now onto the story- this accounts for 50% of a comic (art being the first 50%). The premise sounded very interesting- select people can turn into animals from the zodiac (the chinese one). There is a lot of potential in this premise for an intriguing and great story. However, this fell short. At times the story seemed rushed- like the whole ending for example. Other times, things happened at a better pace- like when Dan was explaining the history of the dizhi. It would have been good to see more of Angel's training with Horacio but this whole thing was skipped over. This would have presented an opportunity to really see Angel's character mature and provide an opportunity to see his character development. But this was completely skipped over. It seems even after training with Horacio that Angel still rushes into things without thinking- just like a teenager. A few years had passed since he went to Horacio, so he would have been pretty much grown by the time he reentered society. He should have learned how to think things through a little bit- especially with the power he had. We never really saw how he reacted to Dan's death or Hawley's. We don't even get a good idea of how he felt about Horacio's. All of these could have been pivotal moments had the story been developed correctly and not rushed. Did he even feel any remorse in killing the other 2 dizhi to get their power?? It did not appear this way. However, had the character been developed better, maybe we would know how he really felt about that. We would also know why he felt that this was the course of action he had to take and not do something different. As it stands, we have no idea. Also, how was his relationship with his brother? We don't know that either because it wasn't developed. So when Angel killed him there was no emotional impact for us. Did I actually like or care about any of the characters- not really as none of them had any depth.
Overall- I wished more time could have been put into this so that it could be great as the potential was there....more
Loading...
