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kristi_starr35's review against another edition
3.0
The comparisons to Dan Brown's Robert Langdon books - with teens in place of Langdon - are spot-on. The book felt lengthy at times, sometimes too much of a stretch. And the "aha!" moments come pretty easily; the puzzles are solved too quickly. Very few surprises in this one; just had to wait to see how it all unfolded. Maybe closer to 3.5 stars for me. It has its faults, but in general the mystery kept me reading.
beths0103's review against another edition
3.0
There is absolutely no doubt that Wasserman is an incredibly gifted writer. Like so gifted I'm envious of her ability to weave words into something beautiful and magical. But I never really found myself fully invested in the characters of this story and I almost felt like if the ages of the characters had been changed to people in their 30s, this would have made more sense as an adult novel instead of YA.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
3.0
The Book Of Blood And Shadow has been getting a ton of great reviews. I went into it expecting to add to the list of those reviews. Sadly I was disappointed with The Book Of Blood And Shadow.
The Book Of Blood And Shadow started off strong. The first 20 or 30 pages were intriguing and mysterious. The story seemed like it had a lot of potential and that it would be very gripping. Sadly that was not the case. The story dragged and there were times when I found myself wanting to skip to the end just to be done with it.
The writing however was my biggest problem. The Book Of Blood And Shadow is full of run-on sentences. Some paragraphs ended up being just one super long sentence. In the beginning it was relatively easy to ignore them and keep reading but as I got farther into the book I couldn’t help but get annoyed by them. I found myself paying more attention to them than what was going on in the book.
However this book did have some redeeming qualities. The setting was spectacular. The book starts off in New England and there isn’t really anything special about it. Things really take off though in Prague. The monuments, cemeteries, churches, even the hostels in Prague were fabulous. The setting was so wonderful that it was almost like being in Prague.
The history was another fabulous aspect. The letters from Elizabeth Weston, the Voynich manuscript, the Hledaci, everything was so interesting and detailed. Some might find the history to be a little much and a tad boring at times but I’m not one of them. The history was my favorite part of the book.
As for the characters I didn’t really like them all that much but I didn’t dislike them all that much either. My biggest issue was that Nora was so naive. She was unwilling to see things that were right in front of her face. There were times I just wanted to slap some sense into her. However she was very smart and quite easy to like. Chris, Adriana, Max, and Eli all could have used a bit more development but I didn’t have any complaints about them. Well no complaints I can voice without spoiling things.
Overall, I’m sure a lot of people will love The Book Of Blood And Shadow, I’m just not one of them. I would recommend checking this one out from the library if you’re interested.
The Book Of Blood And Shadow started off strong. The first 20 or 30 pages were intriguing and mysterious. The story seemed like it had a lot of potential and that it would be very gripping. Sadly that was not the case. The story dragged and there were times when I found myself wanting to skip to the end just to be done with it.
The writing however was my biggest problem. The Book Of Blood And Shadow is full of run-on sentences. Some paragraphs ended up being just one super long sentence. In the beginning it was relatively easy to ignore them and keep reading but as I got farther into the book I couldn’t help but get annoyed by them. I found myself paying more attention to them than what was going on in the book.
However this book did have some redeeming qualities. The setting was spectacular. The book starts off in New England and there isn’t really anything special about it. Things really take off though in Prague. The monuments, cemeteries, churches, even the hostels in Prague were fabulous. The setting was so wonderful that it was almost like being in Prague.
The history was another fabulous aspect. The letters from Elizabeth Weston, the Voynich manuscript, the Hledaci, everything was so interesting and detailed. Some might find the history to be a little much and a tad boring at times but I’m not one of them. The history was my favorite part of the book.
As for the characters I didn’t really like them all that much but I didn’t dislike them all that much either. My biggest issue was that Nora was so naive. She was unwilling to see things that were right in front of her face. There were times I just wanted to slap some sense into her. However she was very smart and quite easy to like. Chris, Adriana, Max, and Eli all could have used a bit more development but I didn’t have any complaints about them. Well no complaints I can voice without spoiling things.
Overall, I’m sure a lot of people will love The Book Of Blood And Shadow, I’m just not one of them. I would recommend checking this one out from the library if you’re interested.
megandbooksandcats's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the writing and, for the most part, loved Nora. Robin has a way of spinning story and emotion together quickly. I believed Nora and Max's relationship in the space of about two pages, which is a major accomplishment. I rooted for them the whole way after that.
The only reason this gets four stars rather than five is a minor issue (or a couple) I took with the plot and ending. For the most part, I was able to piece together the clues about who was hiding what well before the news actually came out. That isn't necessarily a BAD thing, and the twists were still enjoyable and interesting, but I wanted something to really throw me . The one thing that DID throw me was something I still don't quite think I buy (getting vague here to avoid spoilers) -- [Chris's killer]'s other mini plot point that came out at the end that involved another character. There was no real motive, for either of them, that I really thought was strong enough to warrant their actions. For all the crazy stuff that happened, that I suspended disbelief and just said "oh cool, adventure" for, I couldn't buy the simplest, most realistic detail. That bothered me. And yes, I can understand how it sort of works. But I thought it was kind of overboard at that point.
Anyway. I rambled about that because it was the only thing that really bothered me. I could hardly put the book down, and when I did, it was still on my mind. The criticism that the "real" story takes a while to start might be valid, but I enjoyed every minute of the time I spent with the characters before it did, so I consider the point moot. Great book. Would definitely recommend.
The only reason this gets four stars rather than five is a minor issue (or a couple) I took with the plot and ending. For the most part, I was able to piece together the clues about who was hiding what well before the news actually came out. That isn't necessarily a BAD thing, and the twists were still enjoyable and interesting, but I wanted something to really throw me . The one thing that DID throw me was something I still don't quite think I buy (getting vague here to avoid spoilers) -- [Chris's killer]'s other mini plot point that came out at the end that involved another character. There was no real motive, for either of them, that I really thought was strong enough to warrant their actions. For all the crazy stuff that happened, that I suspended disbelief and just said "oh cool, adventure" for, I couldn't buy the simplest, most realistic detail. That bothered me. And yes, I can understand how it sort of works. But I thought it was kind of overboard at that point.
Anyway. I rambled about that because it was the only thing that really bothered me. I could hardly put the book down, and when I did, it was still on my mind. The criticism that the "real" story takes a while to start might be valid, but I enjoyed every minute of the time I spent with the characters before it did, so I consider the point moot. Great book. Would definitely recommend.
ladyoflochness's review against another edition
3.0
Two stars for the actual story and book - some of the writing was fumbled and difficult to follow.
One star for the effort put forth by the author. I can tell she put a lot of thought into this and a lot of research into this project. Judging from the rest of her works, this book appears to be above her usual writing genre. I really have to give her kudos for trying to write something above and beyond her usual. I would possibly give the author another chance in the future.
One star for the effort put forth by the author. I can tell she put a lot of thought into this and a lot of research into this project. Judging from the rest of her works, this book appears to be above her usual writing genre. I really have to give her kudos for trying to write something above and beyond her usual. I would possibly give the author another chance in the future.
Spoiler
The Raiders of the Lost Ark scene seemed a bit too ripped off. Just my two cents.jennifermreads's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of buzz for this book ….or maybe it just seemed like a lot because of Maureen Johnson’s Twitter campaign!
At times, the book felt long and tedious. I am appalled it took me 8 days to finish – I cannot recall the last time a book took so long for me to read! However, while it was drawn out at times, the mystery was intriguing, the connections between Nora and Elizabeth (and current day & 1500s) were eerie, the historical treasure hunt compelling, and the secret societies curious. Everyone loves a conspiracy and secret society, right?! Lots of twists and turns, and I was suspicious to the end as to whether Max was innocent or not (NOT).
Not a light read but definitely entertaining – as long as one is patient and keeps going through the parts that seem like they are tedious and pointless.
At times, the book felt long and tedious. I am appalled it took me 8 days to finish – I cannot recall the last time a book took so long for me to read! However, while it was drawn out at times, the mystery was intriguing, the connections between Nora and Elizabeth (and current day & 1500s) were eerie, the historical treasure hunt compelling, and the secret societies curious. Everyone loves a conspiracy and secret society, right?! Lots of twists and turns, and I was suspicious to the end as to whether Max was innocent or not (NOT).
Not a light read but definitely entertaining – as long as one is patient and keeps going through the parts that seem like they are tedious and pointless.
ceruleanheather's review against another edition
4.0
This book was like the da Vinci code for teens. It was very interesting!
karenavila85's review against another edition
1.0
Oh damn... This was such a waste because half way through the book I got so bored. All the letters became so long and boring that I literally skipped over them since Nora would summarize it anyway. I thought I would like this book because I love mysteries and find it interesting when it's nicely mixed with history BUT I could not make it through. At the end I just didn't care if Nora survived. I know she meant well but she was just so blinded by her friends that she couldn't see passed reason. Even when she had evidence in front of her of how her friends betrayed her, she would refuse to believe. What more proof does she need?!? Ugh so glad this book is over and done with
hlizmarie's review against another edition
2.0
I think the bottom line is I'm just not a fan of this author's writing style. Nothing personal intended by that statement but the books simply don't do it for me.