15 Reviews
*I did not finish this book*
This was tedious. Very boring. Even the action was boring. I did love the Hoppers, but their presence didn't make sense. They were there for a reason, but neglected to act on that reason. Was it that their hunger got in the way? Or was this something explained later on in the book that I couldn't even skim to find out? Trust me, I tried that route too, because I really wanted to finish this to give it a proper review. But it got to the point that I was using any excuse in the world to put it down. I found reasons not to pick this up for over a whole day. So I tried to skim it, and yeah, I ended up falling asleep. So, that's my cue to just leave the book alone.
I wasn't fond of the language. I know this was supposed to be during the '30's but that didn't add the expected charm for me.
I made it about half way...
This was not for me, but that does not mean that others might not enjoy it. So, I hate to give this one star...but for an honest review from my perspective, that is what it gets.
Read from December 29, 2012 to January 01, 2013
Books I have
"And diary? You should be honored that the boy who wouldn't grow up wrote in your pages."
I like these. I really do. The editing in this book was a lot better, but there are still a lot of missing words or misused words. In some cases there were completely wrong words, but I could see how they happened. Like "didn't" instead of "did it just for fun." And "until the Grimm's umbrella", instead of "under the Grimm's umbrella".
I like how the character's are portrayed in these. I am so excited to read the full stories. I have a feeling it will be a very fun read.
Read on January 01, 2013
Books I have
Shannon was happily living in a closet.
I am really glad this book was short. Because the amount of times things were repeated was insulting.
At least 3 times...in one little section, it was stated that Ivy and Collin were going to a different portal.
Then you were told that Eric was different twice, right after you were told the first time. You didn't even make it to another chapter!
Then all of the encounters with the villain of this book...I mean really? It was rather ridiculous.
The editing could have been a little better.
"My heart raced as he stood in front of me. Fear ran wild in my chest, making my heart race..."
What is wrong with this?
"where I wasn't sure where I ended and he began."--Just no. This line needs to be forgotten. Period. And not just by you, Ward, but by every author. It is one of the most over used lines I have ever read.
Oh yes, and what was the emotion that passed through the bond when Collin and Ivy were at the boathouse and Ivy was 'too upset to notice' but wished she had? Ward was very good about taking care of earlier references, but this one, I either didn't catch or it was never addressed.
I just have to say that I am so glad that my fate does not actually depend on Ivy! She is a moron. And she gets upset when people let her know that she is acting like an idiot, but then continues to act like an idiot. She does not learn from her mistakes. Her plans ALWAYS fail. Right now, I am hoping that she fails entirely. I want to see her all fucked up. She kind of set herself up over and over again to fail miserably. So let her. I think I'd actually like her more.
Some things I did like:
The whole scene with Lorren...because there for a minute, I had climbed onto my high white horse, preemptively gearing myself up for a bitch fest...and then BAM! I was knocked right off. Yes...I enjoyed that quite a bit.
I can't bring myself to like Ivy. She brings most of the problems down on herself. I do, however, like that this is something that is acknowledged and addressed by her in her thoughts. It's not like she is asking, 'why on earth did this happen!?' But she is incredibly selfish, hypocritical; an imbecile...she doesn't listen. She doesn't stop thinking her stupid thoughts long enough to hear anyone else out. She doesn't take into consideration that the people she has to help her, actually know what they are talking about. As they should, since they have been around doing nothing but fighting for how long? Uh, no. Ivy seems to think her young incompetent mind knows best, and all. But, if she does become the Demon Queen--which she damn well better--she has the right platform to do so.
Eric is my hero. Seriously. He wasn't kidding when he said there were plenty of options to destroy a person. He was my favourite character in this book. And quite frankly, he was entitled to his glory.
And again, my favourite thing about all of these books!! There are consequences galore! And not just things that can be fixed. There are irrevocable damages, that are then snowballed beautifully throughout the story. I love it.
Read from January 01 to 02, 2013
Books I have
*I did not finish this book*
I was not a fan of this book.
It is a combination of the writing being much too young for me (I'm only 26...but I feel like this is written more for 11-15 year old's, even though the main characters are 17/18.)and the excitement level was just not high enough to keep me interested.
At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the names of things in these worlds being a different 'language' which really was just the English word all jumbled up. But over time I decided that I personally couldn't stand it. My brain recognized the word for what it really was, and it became annoying trying to convince myself it was a made up word instead. It also added weight to the feeling this book was written for an audience of a lower maturity.
So, we have Eref (I like that his name is Free or Reef all jumbled up, not sure if that was purposeful or not) stumbling blind all throughout a forestry landscape, well, stumbling he was not, as it turns out he was running. Never once did he run into a tree or stumble over a root. Caer (Care to go along with Free...Care Free...get it?) who is not blind, however, is the one who actually manages to fall and hurt herself. My inability to raise my eyebrow frustrated me royally here. But it gets better. Eref touches Caer and for some reason or another light is created between their hands! Miraculous! And as a side note, it also heals. I'm hoping there was an explanation for this later in the book...but I never got that far to find out. But let's say it does, why did this light not happen before? Did this only happen if he touched an injured Dark Person? Actually, I've decided I just don't care enough to find out.
What turned me off entirely was that Caer's story was almost identical to Eref's. I was okay with this when it was just the similarities between the worlds, but when it became that I was expected to read the same story twice and then have it meld together somewhere in between, I just couldn't do it. There just wasn't enough going on to entertain through the repetitive areas. I even skimmed ahead a bit. The plot was just not engaging enough for me there wasn't a lot of explaining being done for the world build up. It was all very vague and repetitive for both worlds, you did not gain any new information by the halfway point.
I let it sit for a whole day, and then finally dragged myself back to the book to try again, and it still didn't pull me in so I decided I would read something else.
Do I think there may be people out there who would enjoy this? Sure, but most certainly a younger crowd. I believe, had I finished the book, there would have been some great messages and morals to the story.
Read from January 02 to 04, 2013
Books I have
2.5 stars.
Three feet of snow outside, and he was still half naked.
Okay...so let me start this review by saying I don't think I have ever filled up one of my note pads reading a single book before...And I'm sad to say, in this case, that was a bad thing.
So, let's break this down, so I am not leaving my own book here as a review.
Daemon
I missed the old Daemon. I wasn't a fan of soft Daemon. It completely ruined his character for me. I found him to be too different, so different in fact, I think he should have had a new name to go along with his new attitude.
It didn't feel like he had grown, it felt like he changed, and well, he lost his appeal.
Kat
Kat...Oh where do I start with you? In the beginning, I liked her as a character. I felt that the last book destroyed her a bit, but this one didn't redeem her, at all. I am actually on the fence about whether or not I will bother with the rest of this series, specifically because of Kat.
Go home...Poor Daemon is thinking, the last time you didn't listen to me, Adam wound up dead. But does she listen? No. Does she learn from her mistakes? No. She, for some unknown reason, thinks she has every right to involve herself with their affairs, screwing everything up. Does it ever occur to her that maybe they don't want her around? That Daemon doesn't want her interfering with what ever they have going on, not because he doesn't think she is beneath him, but because she fucks things up?
No, she gets some self righteous bug up her ass and decides she has to fuck things up more than they already are, because that would be the perfect way to redeem herself, and prove herself worthy of insinuating herself into alien affairs that she is not prepared to deal with.
What's better, is that she goes on to bitch about doing what is required of her to be involved in the alien affairs. She seals deals without anyone else's input, knowing she is the weakest link and would be the one responsible for slowing people down, and/or screwing things up. She wouldn't be the one doing half of what would be expected of everyone to fulfill the promises she makes.
She then refuses to listen to reason about not going on major risky missions. On the one hand I'm glad that she went, because she promised it in the first place; on the other hand, the way she justifies it doesn't make any logical sense. Not to mention, it proves she doesn't learn a damn thing, since most of the drama in the past has all been because of her.
She doesn't act like a teenage girl. She doesn't have an active best friend. She doesn't seem to miss her mother's attention, then uncharacteristically craves it right before she does something stupid. (I did like that she took it into account, because a lot of books kick the parent out altogether unless it's needed to push the story in a certain direction. It just wasn't typical of Kat's behaviour.)
Dee
I loved Dee. I loved how she acted, because I felt it reflected her situation well. I also found it to be a reasonable way for her to behave. And everything she said was so true, I'm glad it was stated. I was annoyed however, with how little of a deal this was. Sure, it was brought up more than once or twice, but with how much Dee had been a part of these books, I think some of the unnecessary, repetitive romance could have been replaced with Dee drama.
I was annoyed with how, out of nowhere, Dee decided to go shopping, of all things, with Kat tagging along. I think that should have remained a friendship that never healed. Because as Dee stated; some things cannot be fixed. And I think Kat needs that kind of consequence.
Editing
There were quite a few issues in this book.
"We were moving backward" While kissing? I don't think so. Daemon would have been in front of Kat, which would have had him moving forward and only Kat moving backward.
"Brash and stupid decisions."
I think the word you were looking for was rash. Brash means rude, noisy, and overbearing.
"The risk outweighs the possible consequences." Haha...I really did laugh at this one. I'm not sure how it happened. Because what was meant to be said was: The benefits outweigh the possible consequences...right?
Misc. Issues
I have to say the non-swearing thing really got to me. Especially since there was no lack of sexual references. Kat had no problem fucking Daemon, or killing people, but she couldn't say bitch? Irony is not a witch, Irony is a bitch. Please refrain from destroying perfectly good phrases.
The build up to that moment was not frustrating, or suspenseful. It actually did nothing for me. I was expecting the interruptions, and it was awfully repetitive. I skipped most of it, to be honest.
I also skipped the entire prom ordeal. I was getting to the point where I wasn't going to bother finishing the book, so I skipped right to the action.
I had a real beef with the amount of times Kat hit Daemon. If you can't take a hit from a guy, you really shouldn't be smacking him, now should you? I don't think it's wise to be encouraging this behaviour. It's abusive, period.
I did like the end. I loved the end. She finally gets something real. I do love when there are consequences to stupid decisions. And I'm sure I will give the next book a try. Hopefully Kat redeems herself though, because if not, it might be the last one I read if there are more to follow.
Read from January 04 to 06, 2013
Books I have.
4.5 stars.
"Loyalty is a trap, Imani. A disempowered bond. People should earn your respect. Every day."
This book was awesome. I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. I had to force myself.
I liked how Diego was brought into the picture. He didn't just show up with some crazy electrifying skin contact disorder, causing everyone to fall madly in love with him.
I loved his personality. I liked that he was playful, rather than disrespectful. He was intelligent, and he had no problem pushing Imani just so she would push back.
I liked that not only was this a story of debate, as well as describing how fucked up our sense of community has become, among other things, but it was also written in a debate-like manner, too. It worked really well for this novel. I found the read more engaging and fun because of it.
There was so much brain food in here. A lot of things to consider, and relate to the present, past, and what is in store for us in our near future, as well.
--This bothered me.
The rhythm of their debate came to a halt as Diego fidgeted in discomfort, the way white people did sometimes when people of colour brought up race. It was as if Imani was incorporating him into the general guilt pool for historical transgressions. She wasn't, and she resented having her dominance of the debate sidetracked by such a generic display of white guilt. Just really....what the fuck? There is a reason white people get all kinds of uncomfortable, and it isn't guilt. We have nothing to be guilty for, unless we currently own slaves of colour. Who cares if they're white though, right? No, we get uncomfortable because there is no way we can engage those subjects without offending someone.
(I liked that the only racial issues that came up in this book were white against black, too....)
Aside from that, this was written really well. The language was colourful, and I don't mean swearing--although there was that too.
And I have to say that I loved how this ended! I wasn't expecting it...but I was so very satisfied with it. It's not often books go in that direction to finish. And it was done perfectly.
Read from January 06 to 08, 2013
Books I have.
True Rating: 1.5 Stars.
"I've been half mad with worry. I thought maybe God took you to Heaven!"
"This is my brother. He's very real, very dead, and mostly harmless."
I smiled, trying to look harmless.
"Don't do that. You'll freak everyone out."
I dropped my smile.
"Now you look like you want to eat everyone."
"I do."
The beginning was really good. I also really loved the concept of this book. I thought the perspective was unique, and heartfelt. I just didn't care for how it was ultimately written.
Tommy came across as a really bad actor...actually, every character in this book came across that way.
The conversations did not flow well. Everything, no matter who was speaking, felt very forced. There was no natural flow with anything. Even Tommy's thoughts; they were extremely disjointed.
The subplots really needed some work. It felt like they were just there...to have something to read about, but failed to deliver sound entertainment.
The editing wasn't as bad as I have ever seen, by far, but still, there were enough issues that it became an annoyance.
This book was funny, even though Tommy was extremely creepy, in more ways than one. He was very much like a stalker...and he acted like one, too.
I was enjoying the idea of him learning about himself by hearing about himself. I really would have enjoyed the book exploring that a bit more.
I did not like how the book ended. Ultimately, this book was meaningless. There was no real progression...at all. Not even for Tommy. Or for the world versus vampire. It was just a massive dead end.
I ended up getting bored about half way through the book and had a hard time finishing it. But, because I really did think that this story had some potential, I gave it the half star.
Read from January 08 to 09, 2013
Books I have
I fucking did it. I finished this bastard, finally. And I won't read another.
I don't know what I was thinking, getting so invested in this series. But can we say, milking the masses? Because that is what this does. Ultimately, it is the same story, over and over again. There was no headway from the last few books until now. Neferet has always been the major villain, and honestly, it is just beyond me now.
I noticed that these books are very anti-male.
I am actually very disgusted by everything in these novels. The endorsement of teen drinking, teen sex, bullying, sexism, among other atrocities that make up the books of this series.
I wouldn't have such a problem with some of these things if the characters were at least mature and not acting like 12 year old children, the great majority of the time. I mean honestly, if you do not know what 'wield' means, you really have no business having sex. Then again, neither should boys, just saying.
"And, well, sorry again for that thing with Aphrodite earlier."
"I'm not the one you need to keep apologizing to for that."
Right, because only Miss Self-Righteous, I mean Zoey, is the only one allowed to be 'human' and talk shit to people's faces and get away with it and still have 'sound judgment'.
I also loved how everyone was mad at Kalona for allying himself with Light because it was inconvenient for them...honestly, what does that say, exactly?
"Do you really care about my grandma?"
"I do. Very much. I would give up my life to save her if I need to."
"You may need to."
Uh...what the fuck? Who just expects someone to give up their life for someone else? Especially in this case. It's not like Zoey even knows Aurox, or that he even owes a debt to her, at all. He didn't kill her mother, nor was it his fault that her grandmother was caught up in all of this. Just another of the many things about this book that irked the fuck out of me.
Other than that though, everything that happens in this series is entirely too fucking convenient. It induces a fuck ton of eye rolls. There is nothing but a solid hatred for Zoey. And not just because she is a slut, it's more about her reasoning for doing things. And then of course, the lies. The lies and hiding shit is why I despise her. If you can't own your shit, get the fuck out.
But yeah. I am done with this. Never again. And I actually have a few books by P.C Cast, but I won't be reading them. I'll donate them to the library.
Read from January 11 to 14, 2013
Books I gave away
Falling and catching myself: fine. Landing on Simon Zagan: a tragic catastrophe.
It was after lunch, and no one had died yet, so I took that as a good sign.
I liked this book. It took me a while to read it, but I think that was more my fault than that of the book. There were quite a few times that I was surprised by the happenings in this, I liked that a lot.
Mr. Simon was quite the manipulator and didn't like him from the moment he was introduced.
I was a bit confused by how Kira just let him touch her, and talk her into things. She was quite the doormat with him which seemed out of her character to me.
"I didn't trust Simon." But then she's dating him? Who dates someone they do not trust? I was waiting for her to start feeling guilty over the fact that she could add "user" to her list of faults.
I did like that Kira ultimately did stand her ground when she decided on something. She really didn't have a tendency to waver, and she wasn't easy to talk down or out of something she was going to do. She also knew she was being an asshole. She knew there would be consequences, and when it came down to the wire, she didn't try and explain her actions away or find a scapegoat for them. She never did blame others for her misgivings.
I was astounded that Simon was able to redeem himself. And I have to admit, I did not see that coming.
Krestel being the main villain confused, and continues to confuse me. He was out in the field, which would suggest that he was low on the pay scale. So I found it hard to believe that he would be behind two major operations in the book. And I had been expecting a lot more Clan involvement since they were introduced first. It was a bit shocking how small of a role the Clans played.
But I really did enjoy the read. I will look into the sequel.
Read from January 14 to 16, 2013
Books I have.
The ocean stretched out before her, alive, spreading to the end of everything. She heard a million waves, each one distinct, ferocious, but together a chorus that was serene and grander than anything she'd ever known.
Oh, I loved this. I felt so bad for Perry, he really got shafted in this book. I just adore him. I understood why Aria did the things she did, but I really think that Perry deserved more from both her and Roar.
I loved how Sable introduced himself, almost like a riddle. A little bitchy, but hilarious. I caught on immediately and was hoping it would go that way, because it was just awesome.
Sable lived up to my expectations of the information I had been given about him, both in this book and Under the Never Sky. I will also say that I was shocked with that outcome. That's not quite how I expected things to go. And I am a little suspicious. So yeah...I want the next one already.
I was also shocked with how things turned out with Kirra! Not quite what I had in mind there, and the idea behind who they needed and what for was very interesting indeed.
This book had me hanging on the edge of every word. It is 6:30am...and I haven't slept yet--but i did finish the book! And I am excited to see where this will go.
Read from January 19 to 21, 2013
Books I have
His desires were now handed to him. Not on silver platters, but diamond trays.
Agro was quite the character in the prologue. I was really looking forward to him. But you didn't really get anything at all. That left me very disappointed.
The prologue was very captivating. And it was also very misleading. I was thinking I was going to like this book more than I had anticipated. It raised my expectations, which was a bad thing, because that left a lot of room for more disappointment--which unfortunately was delivered.
The road trip through Oregon was boring and unnecessarily long! I skipped it.
To start with, I wasn't too sure how I felt about Layla because she was incredibly skittish, but she did display an appropriate amount of emotion for the situation she found herself in. I did like that about her.
Timid. So very timid. And her cheeks flushing at every turn? Yeah, that wasn't cute. It was ridiculous. By the end of the book, I had no hope for Layla. She was kind of like a two year old...pouting all the time, extremely insecure, and unable to stand with her own spine.
"I want you to stay with me." She confessed, feeling weak and immature.--Well, at least Burgess understood that? I think maybe Burgess was trying for a strong character who was still down to earth and feminine...but ended up with a flimsy, leaky, annoying character instead.
I had a big problem with the insta-love here. And I also had a problem with Layla and her parents having a mirrored romance.
I wasn't too fond of how this book was structured either. You started off with a villain who you didn't get to know very well, then you're learning about the main character until her story gets hijacked by her parents. Now, I am thinking that there should have been two separate books for that. Especially because of how information was repeated a few times over. It was extremely redundant. Had the romance been fresh, it might have been a little better too, but since it was recycled, it only added to the frustration.
"Pout", "quivering", "pucker/ed", among other repetitive phrases, cost you a star for lack of creativity. I hate them with a passion.
Many of the pieces were erotic, but they were so beautiful, exuding passion rather than sex, that Layla wasn't the least bit embarrassed...Yeah I found that hard to believe, with how she couldn't even glance at Quin without blushing like a moron.
I didn't care for the explanation for having the bonding be a part of the memories--no one wants to witness their conception. It has nothing to do with maturity. It's just disturbing.
Also--It really would have gone a long way with me had Layla actually had to practice her magic...rather than have it just readily available to her first try. I suppose that was supposed to portray that she was unique and very strong or some bullshit, but it just came across as lazy writing.
I will say this: It did its intended job of bringing forth tears. It was most certainly heart wrenching. And a lot of what was said from both parents was beautiful. I also enjoyed Layla's reflection, chiding herself for her assumptions.
Overall: This story did not really live up to the book description. It was hijacked by two characters who make a big impact of what is going on, but should have had their own story prior to this. There needed to be more focus on the villain(s)! I was very disappointed. The book does redeem itself a bit though, so it's not a horrible read. I am interested enough to at least check out the next book.
Read from January 21 to 22, 2013
Books I have
"It doesn't matter how much we are alike, because we're too different to compare."
I really enjoyed this book. It was written from a refreshing perspective, and it was very dark. I especially liked that nothing was sugar coated, toned down in any way, or decorated with pretty frills.
I very much enjoyed that Wilhelmina became a monster, and I mean ruthless.
A lot happened, even though this book was short. It was an easy read--it practically dragged me through the pages itself.
This wasn't a 5 star book for me because there was too much left unsaid after doors were opened. The ending was also extremely confusing. There were also a few grammatical errors that need to be addressed--but not an overabundance.
I'd love to read the sequel.
Read from January 23 to 24, 2013
Books I have
I hated this book. I didn't want to finish it. I skimmed the majority of the end. And I am glad I did, because nothing worthwhile took place in this book.
The preface had absolutely nothing to offer, and I am confused as to what purpose it was supposed to fulfill. It wouldn't have been missed had it just been left out. Seriously, it was like a bunch of lettuce on a sandwich. Filler. In fact, the first chapter of this book would have served better as the preface.
The Prophecy
It was very simple. Easy to piece together, and left little to hunger after. It was referred to many times after tricking you into thinking you were going to learn something new. That really annoyed the shit out of me.
Aurora
"Freckles danced on my cheeks."---I didn't care for that description. Spattered...sprinkled....smattering....decorated....but danced? no.
What kind of character was she supposed to be? She didn't fit into any mold besides annoying. She wasn't entirely clueless, she was an imbecile, she was not strong, she was a whiner, and she was extremely self absorbed. I kept waiting for her to do something that would give me reason to like her. She did no such thing.
She didn't like to figure things out for herself, or make her own decisions. Which I found ironic, considering she was supposedly put in the Earthly realm so she could have a choice.
I read her as being about 13, even though she was supposed to be 18. I think that was due to poor writing though. There was nothing about it that was mature.
I think I rolled my eyes more than she did.
"Pretend it never happened and focus on finding my parents." I thought they were looking for both of their parents? And why would he focus on hers and not on his own? A great example of Aurora having her head up her ass.
Fenn
There was no real character development for Fenn. All I understood was that he was controlling. He thought he owned Aurora, and hated when things didn't go his way.
He didn't look at Aurora when he was uncomfortable or when he lied...Yeah, I know, crucial information. But that's pretty much all that stuck about him.
He disappeared for a good potion of the book.
The Romance
First of all. EW. They may as well be brother and sister. I'm completely put off.
Not to mention there was no real chemistry between them. I couldn't really picture them together. Aurora's personality didn't blend well with Fenn's. She was too impulsive, and negative.
It did not feel natural, and what attempts were made were extremely cheesy. I also saw no reason for Aurora to blow him off. It didn't induce anxiousness, it was just like "uh huh..."
It really doesn't get much worse than initiating a kiss and then back peddling but thinking you still deserve that person. I was not happy with their relationship.
The Story
Extremely boring. It was not a page turner. I forced myself to read this book. I hated every character in the book. None of them kept my attention.
Everything was too easy and conveniently available to Aurora.
The action was terrible. There was no real excitement, and the descriptions were boring.
I was confused as to why a child was sent to protect Aurora, and a child was sent to kill or impede her. It didn't make any sense. And it was unlikely that that would be the course of action taken, ever.
It's also very obvious who Alexi and Eve are.
I won't be reading further into this series.
Read from January 24 to 26, 2013
Books I have
"It peed on you?" She asked, scandalized.
"It peed everywhere," he admitted.
This was a horrible tale about deceit, betrayal, lies, stupidity, recklessness, and utter selfishness.
It was another electrifying love story. This shocking business is so overused, I really would like to see something original in place of it. The only thing rather unique to this story was the life span of a werewolf. Which I must say, I approved of.
There was no structure to this book. Things kind of just went everywhere, without reason, most of the time. There were things that were not explained, things that didn't make sense, and other things that completely contradicted earlier proclamations. Here are a few examples:
Jessie punishing herself by no longer shooting and hiding away her medals because she spent so much time practicing and she feels guilty for not spending that time with her mother. However, she has no problem with her wanna-be journalism.
She later complains about her father hugging her in front of her "peers". Being a child who watched one of her parents die, I'm fairly certain she wouldn't think that about her dad. Especially when she's punishing herself for being good at shooting.
Being best friends with her mothers killer. Not only that, but sacrificing everything for her. That doesn't make sense. It was never explained in detail, and because of that, it ruined this book. It also contradicts the way she acted over a note.
Liking Pietr and allowing him to kiss her, stringing him along, and then putting on the breaks because she made him date her friend.
Knowing Pietr for two whole days and getting an intervention from her friends, and thinking he has a "frustrating and mysterious past" that he is clearly lying about.
Listening to my heart breaking....uh no. she hasn't even admitted to herself that she likes Pietr. Besides, I thought she was head over heels for Derek.
"You haven't been at Junction High long enough to really know him." I like how Delany picks and chooses when this is applicable. You know, it's not relevant when a girl is thinking she knows someone enough to consider their past to be frustrating or mysterious, or even having her heart broken by him in two days...
Jessie was a little dramatic for my liking.
But I'd pushed him toward Sarah and now he had to play the cards I'd dealt. I want to know where this idea came from. I was not aware that Jessie OWNED Pietr, or Sarah for that matter. Just because she told Pietr to date Sarah doesn't mean he has to at all.
This whole set up left me with no respect for any of them. Sneaking around behind Sarah's back. They both are deliberately hurting Sarah, and I hope she wakes up and kicks Jessie's ass. I don't care if she killed her mom.
I pondered the fact that I had Pietr's number and his girlfriend didn't. What was there to ponder? Pietr made it perfectly clear how he felt about both her and Sarah.
I know if I'd been a character in a novel, a good editor would have scrawled TSTL on the manuscript pages. Why would you be proud of this fact? Fix your lame ass character. And no, too stupid to live was spot on.
I also found it odd that her father would move on so quickly after her mothers death...And why was it necessary to have Wanda be a part of Jessie's life? That could have been handled more creatively.
I really detested Jessie. The way she acted, the way she thought, the way she treated people. I don't think enough people put her in her place. I liked Amy, because she was the only one who let her know what was what.
I really did enjoy the drug dog scene, up until Jessie started huffing about being "lied" to, as if she had a right to be upset if he were lying to her. She was the queen of lies, and was even called out on it more than once.
Another thing I do not understand: You spent the whole book convincing me that Jessie was anything but strong, and then you have the male love interest state that she is strong? WTF.
I was also wondering what the fuck happened to Derek...? He played such a big role in the first half of the book and then he took an unexpected hiatus for the rest of it. Didn't you bitch about Romeo and Juliet for a similar reason? Yeah...that's what I mean about your lack of structure. I don't see how he is a real contender for a love triangle/square. He's only there when it's convenient, and even then it was incredibly awkward.
Please refrain from having the guys quote old romance novels. It doesn't happen! Not in this day and age. Especially if the guy is hot. Fuck, I can't even quote Shakespeare...might be due to me hating his work, but there's not a book that I can quote. But really, it's just fucking lame. You do remember that you are writing about high school students, right?
Anyway, overall? This book has a lot of plot holes. A lot of nonsense. So many things are left open ended or completely unexplained. Like the wolf in the school. Though, I'm fairly certain I know what that was all about. There is no real flow in this story. Things do not add up for the majority of it, and yeah, Jessie is annoying as fuck. 2 stars, because there were some comical scenes in there.
Read from June 23, 2012 to January 29, 2013
Books I have
"Avery," Mason interrupted, "shut up."
This is the first book I have ever read about Harpies. And it wasn't half bad. There were some serious issues with editing, though.
He'd cleaned the mud out of his face... See what I mean?
The plot and subplots were very original. I was also pleased with how the romance unfolded. And that Sharper was not scared to let the conclusion of said romance linger until later in the story, and even later in the series. Unfortunately, I knew who the murderer of Adalyn's fiance was early in the story, so I wasn't surprised by that revelation.
Avery was quite the push over. Leela, who was supposed to be her best friend, treated her very poorly. And she just took it, without defending herself in any way. Things also seemed to happen to her a lot without her even realizing it. (That irked me.)
I was left wondering how one took a "clumsy breath"... I tried, numerous times, to replicate a clumsy breath...and it just wasn't possible.
You don't make a fire in the woods when you're trying to hide.
No one flying overhead could see them well either. How did you forget about the fire? They didn't need to see the who, the fire would be suspicious enough to investigate.
What was up with thought train? This was actually very distracting.
The other issue I had, was how often Avery and Nathaniel's past was brought up, but the specifics were never gone into. I hope that is something remedied in the next book, since she seems hell bent on breaking him and Leela up.
Overall: The story was a decent read. I enjoyed how the main character ended up being part of this crazy Harpie world. I was also intrigued with how the magic worked. Miss Avery actually had some decent qualities about her. She wasn't a complete moron. And she wasn't head over heels, doing stupid shit despite herself because of it. Everything was done for survival purposes. It was very refreshing.
However, the editing was terrible, and it really did distract me from the story. And I wasn't too pleased with how Avery just kind of knew all this stuff about Harpies, when it was made clear that there wasn't much information to find about them in a library. So 3 stars is a fair representation of how I felt about this book. I'll look further into the series.
Read from January 29 to 30, 2013
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