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patchworkbunny's Reviews (2.12k)
Oliver is concerned about his parents and is determined to help them rekindle their love. Oh and he also wants to lose his virginity. There's not a lot to the plot and the structure seemed a bit weak in place but overall an amusing read.
I'm not sure I enjoyed being inside the head of a teenage boy. There are definitely some disturbing scenes however the mix of diary entries and traditional narrative make it unclear if he was just imagining things.
Despite that, there are some very funny moments and a few things that really stood out as being typical teenage experiences.
I'm not sure I enjoyed being inside the head of a teenage boy. There are definitely some disturbing scenes however the mix of diary entries and traditional narrative make it unclear if he was just imagining things.
Despite that, there are some very funny moments and a few things that really stood out as being typical teenage experiences.
It's the run up to Cassie's coronation as Pythia and Mircea's determined to keep her nice and safe in her Vegas hotel suite. I do kinda love that it's set in Vegas for some reason. Maybe because it's believable that no one would notice all the weird goings on! Of course, Cassie manages to get into trouble without going anywhere which cues time-travelling and ley-line riding adventures. I do think the action scenes were a little drawn out but it's still a quick and fun read.
For those of you that enjoy the mythological aspect of this series, I don't think you'll be disappointed. The Graeae reappear for a stint (I do love them) and there's a lot of debating about the connections between the gods of various cultures whilst they try to work out if Apollo is back. There's an overview of Ragnarok which made me smile because that's one of the books sat on my review pile.
In the past, I have noticed a lot of people commenting on the fact that the main love interest isn't featured enough in this series. They would be on Team Mircea, who may be beautiful but is a possessive, arrogant vampire and, like many vampire beaus, comes across as a bit feminine. I am firmly on Team Pritkin. Many readers might think he doesn't even count, especially if you've only read the first two books . Although he may not be conventionally good-looking, he is sexy and, dare I say it, a real man! Whilst Mircea is wrapping her in cotton wool, Pritkin is sneaking her out for pizza in the middle of the night.
Both Mircea and Pritkin get equal airtime but I won't hint about who comes out tops in my opinion.
What a cliffhanger ending! I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next instalment...
For those of you that enjoy the mythological aspect of this series, I don't think you'll be disappointed. The Graeae reappear for a stint (I do love them) and there's a lot of debating about the connections between the gods of various cultures whilst they try to work out if Apollo is back. There's an overview of Ragnarok which made me smile because that's one of the books sat on my review pile.
In the past, I have noticed a lot of people commenting on the fact that the main love interest isn't featured enough in this series. They would be on Team Mircea, who may be beautiful but is a possessive, arrogant vampire and, like many vampire beaus, comes across as a bit feminine. I am firmly on Team Pritkin. Many readers might think he doesn't even count, especially if you've only read the first two books . Although he may not be conventionally good-looking, he is sexy and, dare I say it, a real man! Whilst Mircea is wrapping her in cotton wool, Pritkin is sneaking her out for pizza in the middle of the night.
Both Mircea and Pritkin get equal airtime but I won't hint about who comes out tops in my opinion.
What a cliffhanger ending! I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next instalment...
Joanne Baldwin (nice normal name for a change) is a weather warden, someone who controls the earth's forces to stop mankind getting squished like bugs by extreme weather. I quite like natural disaster films so this concept intrigued me and I've really enjoyed reading it.
The weather wardens are technically human but are gifted with the ability to manipulate the elements; air, water, earth or fire. The only other supernatural beings are Djinn (or you might know them better as genies) which are used (read enslaved) by higher ranking wardens to help amplify their power.
If you think that your life is missing books that incorporate storm chasing and genies, this series is for you!
The weather wardens are technically human but are gifted with the ability to manipulate the elements; air, water, earth or fire. The only other supernatural beings are Djinn (or you might know them better as genies) which are used (read enslaved) by higher ranking wardens to help amplify their power.
If you think that your life is missing books that incorporate storm chasing and genies, this series is for you!
Another really enjoyable read and not overly similar to the first book. Joanne is now trying to get to grips with her new lifestyle and I liked seeing their world from a different aspect. Lots of action and plenty of weather stuff! The ending definitely made me want to pick up the next book straight away.
The one thing that strikes me about the third instalment of the Weather Warden series is that the Djinn's servitude seems suddenly very easy to transfer. From the first book I got the idea that once you'd bound a Djinn to you, they were with you for life or until their bottle got broken... I can't fathom why people wouldn't be sharing them around or stealing them all the time if it was as easy as it seems in Chill Factor.
Other than that inconsistency, it's an entertaining read if you don't take it too seriously. Joanne and David seem to be the unluckiest couple in the world and I can imagine it getting annoying if it carries on that way throughout the series but I can cope for now. Definitely interested in what happens next but not as good as the first two.
Other than that inconsistency, it's an entertaining read if you don't take it too seriously. Joanne and David seem to be the unluckiest couple in the world and I can imagine it getting annoying if it carries on that way throughout the series but I can cope for now. Definitely interested in what happens next but not as good as the first two.
Get the hankies ready because A Monster Calls is a powerfully emotional read. It intelligently deals with grief in a way that will appeal to adults and children alike and I would hope it has the power to help children in a similar situation to Conor. His mother is seriously ill, his father is absent, he feels unconnected to his grandmother and he's become distanced from his friends at school...so much he has become the target for bullies. Until one night at 12:07, a monster calls asking for the truth.
I think this book is a fitting tribute to Siobhan Dowd who sadly died of cancer, leaving behind the idea for A Monster Calls.
Lavishly illustrated by Jim Kay, his wonderful multi-media drawings were what made me buy this book. He demonstrates that illustrating children's books does not need to be twee or clichéd. I hope A Monster Calls is used as an example in many illustration courses in future. I know a lot of bloggers have been reviewing an ebook version but the hardback, published by Walker in the UK, is a thing of beauty. It's something I will go back to again and again.
I think this book is a fitting tribute to Siobhan Dowd who sadly died of cancer, leaving behind the idea for A Monster Calls.
Lavishly illustrated by Jim Kay, his wonderful multi-media drawings were what made me buy this book. He demonstrates that illustrating children's books does not need to be twee or clichéd. I hope A Monster Calls is used as an example in many illustration courses in future. I know a lot of bloggers have been reviewing an ebook version but the hardback, published by Walker in the UK, is a thing of beauty. It's something I will go back to again and again.
When a body is found eaten by a pack of feral dogs, homicide detectives Gallagher and Mendes find themselves on the trail of a man who believes he is a werewolf. Is he just insane? Or could there be some truth to his crazed ramblings?
An interesting concept for a novel that sits mostly within the crime genre. I found it took me a long time to get into the story and felt it could have used some serious editing, especially in the first half. Overall an easy and fairly entertaining read, though maybe not one for dog lovers (the dogs of the story aren't shown in a good light).
The character development was more “tell” than “show” which may be a symptom of the author's screen-writing background. I felt the novel improved when the action started to shape the characters more. Whilst I quite liked the character of Amy, tough cop Gallagher's daughter, she seemed to be a bit of an add-on and not entirely relevant to the story. I thought that maybe her troubles at school were going to feed into the plot but they were mentioned once and then forgotten about.
The ending was a little abrupt, at first I thought there might be a missing final chapter and I had to re-read it to make sure. If you don't like things left open you might feel frustrated.
An interesting concept for a novel that sits mostly within the crime genre. I found it took me a long time to get into the story and felt it could have used some serious editing, especially in the first half. Overall an easy and fairly entertaining read, though maybe not one for dog lovers (the dogs of the story aren't shown in a good light).
The character development was more “tell” than “show” which may be a symptom of the author's screen-writing background. I felt the novel improved when the action started to shape the characters more. Whilst I quite liked the character of Amy, tough cop Gallagher's daughter, she seemed to be a bit of an add-on and not entirely relevant to the story. I thought that maybe her troubles at school were going to feed into the plot but they were mentioned once and then forgotten about.
The ending was a little abrupt, at first I thought there might be a missing final chapter and I had to re-read it to make sure. If you don't like things left open you might feel frustrated.
I think it's a little bit dated now but a nice nostalgic read in places and I do like Bryson's writing in general.
Full review on blog: http://curiositykilledthebookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/notes-from-small-island.html
Full review on blog: http://curiositykilledthebookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/notes-from-small-island.html
First published in French as L'Échappée belle, Anna Gavalda's Breaking Away is indeed a beautiful escape. Short, yet prefectly formed, it's more of a novella at 142 pages of charmimg prose translated into English by Alison Anderson.
"I hadn't even sat down yet, one buttock still hovering, my hand on the car door, and already my sister-in-law was on the attack."
Whilst the plot is simple, a car journey to a wedding, the relationships between siblings are at the core of the story. Two sisters, two brothers and a sister-in-law who is undoubtedly the outsider, most readers will relate to the characters in some way and it's a lovely slice of family life. It's witty and hits the nail firmly on the head. A top notch summer read, especially if you've not got much time to spare!
"I hadn't even sat down yet, one buttock still hovering, my hand on the car door, and already my sister-in-law was on the attack."
Whilst the plot is simple, a car journey to a wedding, the relationships between siblings are at the core of the story. Two sisters, two brothers and a sister-in-law who is undoubtedly the outsider, most readers will relate to the characters in some way and it's a lovely slice of family life. It's witty and hits the nail firmly on the head. A top notch summer read, especially if you've not got much time to spare!
I'm always excited by the latest instalment in Karin Slaughter's Georgia crime series and have been especially pleased that Sara and Will return in Fallen. When we first met Will, we knew that he'd been involved in investigating Faith's mother's narcotics squad and now we learn a little bit more about that time.
Faith returns late to her mother's home after attending a training session that runs over. She finds her baby daughter locked in the shed, signs of bloodshed in the kitchen and no sign of her mother. Was Will right in thinking Evelyn was involved all those years ago? The rest of the plot digs deep into Faith's family life as her, Will, Sara and Amanda work around the clock to get Evelyn back safe and sound.
I loved the idea that Amanda has a network of tough women, ready to spring into action or convey intelligence. It's definitely a story of empowered women but also women who have made mistakes in their lives. I'm afraid the critical bit of information to the resolution of the plot wasn't very believable. I won't say why as it'd be a huge spoiler and otherwise it was a great pacey read. I don't think established fans will be too disappointed.
Faith returns late to her mother's home after attending a training session that runs over. She finds her baby daughter locked in the shed, signs of bloodshed in the kitchen and no sign of her mother. Was Will right in thinking Evelyn was involved all those years ago? The rest of the plot digs deep into Faith's family life as her, Will, Sara and Amanda work around the clock to get Evelyn back safe and sound.
I loved the idea that Amanda has a network of tough women, ready to spring into action or convey intelligence. It's definitely a story of empowered women but also women who have made mistakes in their lives. I'm afraid the critical bit of information to the resolution of the plot wasn't very believable. I won't say why as it'd be a huge spoiler and otherwise it was a great pacey read. I don't think established fans will be too disappointed.