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Showing posts from January, 2015

Son by Lois Lowry (B reviewer)

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Son is a continuation of both Giver and Messenger. Claire is from the same society as Jonas in Giver, and has a strong connection to both Jonas and Gabe in the village of Messenger. Definitely a coming-of-age story, and an epic journey. Claire is the main character, but Gabe is the hero. Category YA-Fiction Why I chose this book Finishing the series My personal opinion (the review) This was a great book. It tied up a bunch of loose ends, pulled in another character, and had a happy ending. The things that concerned me during Giver also concerned me at the beginning of Son, but that back story definitely contributed to the final scenes. Warnings : Language - none Violence - none "Adult" situations - mild references to romance and childbirth Death - mild references Movie rating equivalent PG-13 Protagonist description Claire was a background character in Giver, made larger by the same means as Jonas- society tried to c

Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austen: Marvel Adaptations) by Nancy Butler (Adapter), Hugo Petrus (Illustrator), Jane Austen (Original Work)

Brief synopsis - The classic romantic tale of English country family life as Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters are encouraged to marry well in order to keep the Bennet estate in their family.   Why I chose this book - I have read the original and seen the movie many times and wanted to see how this version portrayed the story. My personal opinion (the review) - I was slightly wary about this novel since I have had negative experiences with graphic novels in the past. However, much to my pleasant surprise, this book was fantastic! It was very well done and I could hear the lines from the movie quoted almost word for word as I read some parts. The adapter did a wonderful job at keeping the story true to it's original form and feel, yet making it accessible to the everyday reader. I especially recommend this for younger readers (pre-teens) and those not ready to read all of Jane Austen's wording but who want to understand the storyline of what happens in the novel.

Miramont's Ghost by Elizabeth Hall

Brief synopsis (hate list) A wealthy family in France has several family secrets, clairvoyance being one of them. The rest are not as nice. Category Thriller Why I chose this book Kindle First My personal opinion (the review) The first 75% of the book was great! It was on track to be the second best book I've read in the past year. But then it went nuts! Rape, incest, pedophilia, and 2 suicides, people who choose to turn a blind eye to those things. Just plain nuts! Stay away from this book! Sorry for the spoilers, but it was too disappointing to tolerate. Warnings : Language - mild Violence - rape, pedophilia "Adult" situations - one, medium detail Death - yes, major characters Movie rating equivalent R Protagonist description Adrienne is clairvoyant and full of wonder at the beginning. She loses hope with time Point of view of story Third Book length Medium Story flow Good Grammar and spelling issues None Character connection (n

Everything Burns by Vincent Zandri

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Fire has been part of Reece's whole life. His mother and two brothers were killed in a fire when he was young. Then he tried to burn down another house as a kid. Then he tried to burn down his estranged wife's house- with his child inside. He's also been through much therapy, and it's mostly in the past. But in the course of one single day, all of his ghosts rage back into the present. Category Thriller Why I chose this book Kindle First My personal opinion (the review) The book was pretty "meta". It's a book about an author that wrote a book, and the consequences of writing it. The story line was okay- a little predictable, but okay. And I did finish it, so it wasn't awful. But overall, I'd give it a rating of "it stunk". The bad language was way more than I should have tolerated. When it got to a point that it should have ended, the author just kept writing- about 4 more chapters. Much of th

Marvel Fairy Tales (Graphic Novel)

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Re-imagining the greatest Marvel stories through folktales, myths, and fables from across the globe! In Avengers Fairy Tales, see Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the rest of the Avengers as you've never seen them before with all-new interpretations of Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, and the Wizard of Oz. In Spider-Man Fairy Tales, Mary Jane fills the shoes of another famous red-head in this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with super hero sensibilities! Will Spider-Man be able to save her on her way to Aunt May's house? And in X-Men Fairy Tales, it's a re-imagining of the tragic origin of Professor Xavier and Magneto! In the ancient African tale, "The Friendship of the Tortoise and the Eagle," dangerous circumstances cause two pals to take violently different life paths... Collects Avengers Fairy Tales #1-4, Spider-Man Fairy Tales #1 and X-Men Fairy Tales #2. (Amazon) Category: YA Graphic Novel   Why I c

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):   Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart. But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster. Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been c

Light by Michael Grant

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Endgame. The barrier goes transparent, and then Gaia makes its final play. Pete doesn't realize it yet, but he will too. Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book Next in series My personal opinion (the review) This one stunk. It seemed to trip toward the finish line, jumping ahead to finish things off, and then slowing back down to keep interest. Sex was on just about everyone's mind, that or murder- sometimes both. The final chapters tied things up in nice bows, but at what cost? The writing was great, the story line was engaging, the characters were vivid, but this just left me with a bad, filmy taste in my mouth. I'm sure it'll be made into a huge summer blockbuster, like Maze Runner. But unlike that one, I'll skip this one. Warnings Language: none Violence: yes, frequent peril, not very graphic "Adult" situations: several, none graphic Death: yes, not graphic Movie rating equivalent PG-16

Fear by Michael Grant

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) The kids in the Fallout Alley Youth Zone have survived so many things- will it ever end?!? No, it won't. They haven't faced fear itself! Plunged in darkness, now the group must learn to survive without their usual tricks, like fishing and farming. And Sammy Suns won't be enough! Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book Next in series My personal opinion (the review) The previous book, with bugs and sickness, was my least favorite. This one is a close second for worst. I was quite uncomfortable with the "adult situations". Thankfully, there was no bad language and the sex was more an allusion than an account, not graphic at all. I just wish it had been left out. It added nothing to the story. Warnings Language: none Violence: yes, frequent peril, not very graphic "Adult" situations: several, none graphic Death: yes, not graphic Movie rating equivalent PG-16 Protagonist description Sam is ever the hero and sold

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Feeling left out from her stepfamily at home and from her classmates at her new school, Elizabeth is delighted when she gets a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, a library that loans objects of historical value. She's particularly intrigued when she's given access to the Grimm Collection, a secret room that holds magical objects from the Brothers' tales, e.g., seven-league boots, a mermaid's comb, and the sinister mirror from "Snow White." However, when the items start to disappear, she and her fellow pages embark on a dangerous quest to catch the thief, only to find themselves among the suspects. This modern fantasy has intrigue, adventure, and romance, and the magical aspects of the tale are both clever and intricately woven, from rhyming charms to flying-carpet rides.  Category: YA Fantasy   Why I chose this book: Connection to Grimm's Fairy Tales   My personal opinion (the review): This book h