Hey there, lovely people!
I've actually started a new blog and would like to be a shameless self promoter for a moment. The blog is a spin-off from this one, focusing on children's books. I won't post there as often, but I'm really excited about it! Children's books are this fantastic, amazing realm, and I hope some of you decide to explore it more with me :)
kidlitlove.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Watchmen
Watchmen
written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons
I'm not a comic book person. In fact, this was the first comic book (or is the term 'graphic novel' now?) I've ever read. I had some trouble getting into it, but it was all worth it. The text is scribbly and very difficult to read, random words were bolded for no apparent reason, and the page numbers made no sense. The story itself was hard to get into because I was concentrating on these things, but once it got started, it really got started. I think I got hooked right around the part where Dr. Manhattan's character gets more to do (basically, when it started being slightly more character-centric). The majority of the book is action-centered, but there are some fantastic moments of character development (whole story arcs for several of the characters, giving them psychologically deep stories behind the actions that become crucial to the plot). The two most intriguing characters to me were by far Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. One with too much to feel, the other with nothing. The minor details the characters were given, such as distinct speech patterns, made all the difference. The end fell apart. Once all the character development was done, it was all action, action, action, and the big reveal at the end made no sense to me. Fantastic set-up with really well-rounded characters, and it all falls flat on its face near the end. The ending could have been handled much better, but it was still an amazing experience, and well-worth the time to get to know all these interesting characters.
Rating: 4.5/5
written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons
I'm not a comic book person. In fact, this was the first comic book (or is the term 'graphic novel' now?) I've ever read. I had some trouble getting into it, but it was all worth it. The text is scribbly and very difficult to read, random words were bolded for no apparent reason, and the page numbers made no sense. The story itself was hard to get into because I was concentrating on these things, but once it got started, it really got started. I think I got hooked right around the part where Dr. Manhattan's character gets more to do (basically, when it started being slightly more character-centric). The majority of the book is action-centered, but there are some fantastic moments of character development (whole story arcs for several of the characters, giving them psychologically deep stories behind the actions that become crucial to the plot). The two most intriguing characters to me were by far Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. One with too much to feel, the other with nothing. The minor details the characters were given, such as distinct speech patterns, made all the difference. The end fell apart. Once all the character development was done, it was all action, action, action, and the big reveal at the end made no sense to me. Fantastic set-up with really well-rounded characters, and it all falls flat on its face near the end. The ending could have been handled much better, but it was still an amazing experience, and well-worth the time to get to know all these interesting characters.
Rating: 4.5/5
Monday, June 22, 2009
Epic
Epic
written by Conor Kostick
Epic is simply an epic book. It is set in a fascinating (not to mention, scary) new future, where violence is outlawed everywhere but in Epic, a game that determines one's fate. While difficult to grasp at first, readers will easily be sucked in to this intriguing world where parents and children alike win the game to live the life. While I initially found parts to be exceedingly descriptive (I'm sorry, but I don't want to read a page about salt workers), the book later on grows to be extremely action-centric. There is so much you want to know, and everything is ultimately resolved (which makes me wonder, why is there need for a sequel? More story, or desperate reaching for more material?) This is one book all futuristic sci-fi fans should read (particularly all you gamers out there!). I feel like much of it is aimed toward boys, but it can [clearly, since I'm writing this review] be enjoyed just as much by girls. Fan-tastic!
Rating: 5/5
On a side note, I swear, I'm pretty sure this book was written to make me lose the game (which I just lost. And so did you.) a lot.
written by Conor Kostick
Epic is simply an epic book. It is set in a fascinating (not to mention, scary) new future, where violence is outlawed everywhere but in Epic, a game that determines one's fate. While difficult to grasp at first, readers will easily be sucked in to this intriguing world where parents and children alike win the game to live the life. While I initially found parts to be exceedingly descriptive (I'm sorry, but I don't want to read a page about salt workers), the book later on grows to be extremely action-centric. There is so much you want to know, and everything is ultimately resolved (which makes me wonder, why is there need for a sequel? More story, or desperate reaching for more material?) This is one book all futuristic sci-fi fans should read (particularly all you gamers out there!). I feel like much of it is aimed toward boys, but it can [clearly, since I'm writing this review] be enjoyed just as much by girls. Fan-tastic!
Rating: 5/5
On a side note, I swear, I'm pretty sure this book was written to make me lose the game (which I just lost. And so did you.) a lot.
Twice Told
Twice Told
written by various
Twice Told is an astoundingly original concept and a great book. The stories are based on pictures, and two authors worked on each piece of art to produce two separate, very different stories. They are "twice told" through both the writing and the art, and "twice told" between the two authors. Different authors definitely had different takes on the project. Some, to my annoyance, focused very much on the image itself, taking time to actually describe what is already depicted. Others jumped right in, making for more interesting, active stories. Description in many of the stories seemed very redundant, since the picture was right there, but many of the authors felt it necessary anyways. Going a little more into specific authors and their stories, I think my least favorite was Audrey Coulombis's piece. The most shocking aspect of the book, I'd really have to say, was the John Green story without a *gasp* ROAD TRIP. What has happened to this world? Margaret Peterson Haddix's story was good, but unlike anything else I've ever read from her. I felt like many of the authors tried too hard, as often, to make their stories "quirky", and the stories then turned out anything but. As is usual with short stories, I found myself really enjoying stories by random authors, and not particularly liking the ones written by authors I was previously familiar with. The biggest shocker had to be Nancy Werlin's extremely powerful story, Rebecca. It definitely grabbed my heart and was by far my favorite of the collection.
Rating: 3.5/5
written by various
Twice Told is an astoundingly original concept and a great book. The stories are based on pictures, and two authors worked on each piece of art to produce two separate, very different stories. They are "twice told" through both the writing and the art, and "twice told" between the two authors. Different authors definitely had different takes on the project. Some, to my annoyance, focused very much on the image itself, taking time to actually describe what is already depicted. Others jumped right in, making for more interesting, active stories. Description in many of the stories seemed very redundant, since the picture was right there, but many of the authors felt it necessary anyways. Going a little more into specific authors and their stories, I think my least favorite was Audrey Coulombis's piece. The most shocking aspect of the book, I'd really have to say, was the John Green story without a *gasp* ROAD TRIP. What has happened to this world? Margaret Peterson Haddix's story was good, but unlike anything else I've ever read from her. I felt like many of the authors tried too hard, as often, to make their stories "quirky", and the stories then turned out anything but. As is usual with short stories, I found myself really enjoying stories by random authors, and not particularly liking the ones written by authors I was previously familiar with. The biggest shocker had to be Nancy Werlin's extremely powerful story, Rebecca. It definitely grabbed my heart and was by far my favorite of the collection.
Rating: 3.5/5
Saturday, June 20, 2009
A Rip in Heaven
A Rip in Heaven
written by Jeanine "Tink" Cummins
I'm so glad this wasn't one of those books where a murder occurs and it tears the family apart. The Cumminses are a great group, you can tell, the way their family only grew stronger through everything. The book reads like a mystery and memoir simultaneously, and the emotions felt by all the characters are very powerful--and absolutely interesting. The courtroom drama to it all was pretty neat, again, I was really glad it was courtroom drama and not family drama. It slightly ticked me off that it wasn't until the trial that we learned that Julie had a best friend--way to not focus on someone else this directly affected. The other thing that weirded me out was that Tink, the author, referred to herself in the third person. This would be slightly bearable, except whenever something happens that directly affected her in the story, she interjects her thoughts and draws attention to the fact that she is the one writing this, which made reading the book a little awkward and annoying at times. Tink was extremely brave to actually take the time to write this, not as a publicity stunt, but for her own personal healing as well as justice to Robin and Julie. The last two paragraphs of the book are some of the best, most powerfully honest, pieces of writing I have ever had the pleasure to read. It's a fantastic memoir that, at times, moves along a little slowly, but is well worth the read.
Rating: 4/5
(And the other thing that creeped me out? The murders, they happened on my birthday, the exact date and year.)
written by Jeanine "Tink" Cummins
I'm so glad this wasn't one of those books where a murder occurs and it tears the family apart. The Cumminses are a great group, you can tell, the way their family only grew stronger through everything. The book reads like a mystery and memoir simultaneously, and the emotions felt by all the characters are very powerful--and absolutely interesting. The courtroom drama to it all was pretty neat, again, I was really glad it was courtroom drama and not family drama. It slightly ticked me off that it wasn't until the trial that we learned that Julie had a best friend--way to not focus on someone else this directly affected. The other thing that weirded me out was that Tink, the author, referred to herself in the third person. This would be slightly bearable, except whenever something happens that directly affected her in the story, she interjects her thoughts and draws attention to the fact that she is the one writing this, which made reading the book a little awkward and annoying at times. Tink was extremely brave to actually take the time to write this, not as a publicity stunt, but for her own personal healing as well as justice to Robin and Julie. The last two paragraphs of the book are some of the best, most powerfully honest, pieces of writing I have ever had the pleasure to read. It's a fantastic memoir that, at times, moves along a little slowly, but is well worth the read.
Rating: 4/5
(And the other thing that creeped me out? The murders, they happened on my birthday, the exact date and year.)
Friday, June 19, 2009
The School for Dangerous Girls
The School for Dangerous Girls
written by Eliot Schrefer
When I first heard of this book and saw it making the rounds through the book blogs, I seriously thought it was yet another Twilight ripoff, with your cast of supernatural girls at school or something. Wow, was I wrong. The School for Dangerous Girls is unlike anything you've ever read and probably ever will read. It's set in an entirely new and unique place, despite the fact that it is at first glance, a teen boarding school, but it's so so much more. Even more astounding than all this is that it is a male who wrote this, came up with this amazing, downright spooky and somehow surrealistic world of teen girls. The plot held no predictability and was simply fantastic. You could never imagine where it would go next. It's emotionally charged, powerful, and extremely raw, and the only thing you really knew (...mostly) is that the main character lives, since she's the narrator (but even so, who knows, she could have been a ghost or zombie or something, I suppose). It's all about the primal instinct of survival. While the title is slightly pathetic and could definitely have been better, this is one book I would very strongly recommend you read if you're looking for a thriller that will haunt your thoughts for days after reading.
Rating: 5/5
written by Eliot Schrefer
When I first heard of this book and saw it making the rounds through the book blogs, I seriously thought it was yet another Twilight ripoff, with your cast of supernatural girls at school or something. Wow, was I wrong. The School for Dangerous Girls is unlike anything you've ever read and probably ever will read. It's set in an entirely new and unique place, despite the fact that it is at first glance, a teen boarding school, but it's so so much more. Even more astounding than all this is that it is a male who wrote this, came up with this amazing, downright spooky and somehow surrealistic world of teen girls. The plot held no predictability and was simply fantastic. You could never imagine where it would go next. It's emotionally charged, powerful, and extremely raw, and the only thing you really knew (...mostly) is that the main character lives, since she's the narrator (but even so, who knows, she could have been a ghost or zombie or something, I suppose). It's all about the primal instinct of survival. While the title is slightly pathetic and could definitely have been better, this is one book I would very strongly recommend you read if you're looking for a thriller that will haunt your thoughts for days after reading.
Rating: 5/5
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
ghostgirl
Serena Robar is doing this fantastic giveaway, a YA book given away every single day of June. Check it out!
Also, I got an award :) Thanks so much!
On to reviewage!
ghostgirl
written by Tonya Hurley
Before I even began reading ghostgirl, I fell in love with the format--the elongated cover/page size, the style, even the font. The little blurbs between chapters were spectacular and to me, the best parts of the book. About the book itself though, I don't know, there were times when Charlotte severely annoyed me, but I do have to admit that the portrayal of high school was eerily accurate. She did get on my nerves though when she was dead and still obsessing over some random guy, because seriously? Nobody on this earth is that shallow. I hoped that she would grow out of this, and she did, eventually, but for the majority of the book, this drove me insane. She was giving teenage girls a bad name everywhere; Charlotte Usher: Dead Teenage Ditz. The plot was unique, though, and for the most part, a pleasure to read. I did enjoy the concurrent storylines, but I felt the ultimate ending was really rushed and a bit too miraculous to be true. There's one other thing I'd like to mention before ending this one. Throughout the entire book, I felt like it was trying too hard to appeal to the wrong demographic. Charlotte Usher is a typical teen, but with the black cover [and yes, people, particularly teens, judge books by their covers] and depressing silhouettes and seemingly desperate music references, it singles out a more "gothy" teen audience, when in reality, I think this is a book many other teens would enjoy, but would hesitate to pick up.
Rating: 3.5/5
ghostgirl:homecoming
I'm having some extreme trouble figuring out why Ms. Hurley thought a sequel was necessary. Everything was wrapped up in the last book, albeit rushed, and it all felt so final. A sequel wasn't needed. Nothing interesting happened until the very last page. It just seemed like desperate reaching to tell a story that didn't need to be told. The blurbs between chapters were, however, just as good as before and as fun to read, but they were pretty much the only thing I enjoyed. Another random observation I made: this book and its predecessor really don't carry the very best message to the teenage girls reading it. It's basically letting them know that looks are everything, and that's a horrifying idea to be pushing, as if teenage girls don't get enough of that sentiment. I don't know what happened, but the writing seemed to disintegrate in quality, nothing happened plot-wise, there was no more character development, everything seemed predictable, and it just wasn't a fun read.
Rating: 1.5/5
Also, I got an award :) Thanks so much!
On to reviewage!
ghostgirl
written by Tonya Hurley
Before I even began reading ghostgirl, I fell in love with the format--the elongated cover/page size, the style, even the font. The little blurbs between chapters were spectacular and to me, the best parts of the book. About the book itself though, I don't know, there were times when Charlotte severely annoyed me, but I do have to admit that the portrayal of high school was eerily accurate. She did get on my nerves though when she was dead and still obsessing over some random guy, because seriously? Nobody on this earth is that shallow. I hoped that she would grow out of this, and she did, eventually, but for the majority of the book, this drove me insane. She was giving teenage girls a bad name everywhere; Charlotte Usher: Dead Teenage Ditz. The plot was unique, though, and for the most part, a pleasure to read. I did enjoy the concurrent storylines, but I felt the ultimate ending was really rushed and a bit too miraculous to be true. There's one other thing I'd like to mention before ending this one. Throughout the entire book, I felt like it was trying too hard to appeal to the wrong demographic. Charlotte Usher is a typical teen, but with the black cover [and yes, people, particularly teens, judge books by their covers] and depressing silhouettes and seemingly desperate music references, it singles out a more "gothy" teen audience, when in reality, I think this is a book many other teens would enjoy, but would hesitate to pick up.
Rating: 3.5/5
ghostgirl:homecoming
I'm having some extreme trouble figuring out why Ms. Hurley thought a sequel was necessary. Everything was wrapped up in the last book, albeit rushed, and it all felt so final. A sequel wasn't needed. Nothing interesting happened until the very last page. It just seemed like desperate reaching to tell a story that didn't need to be told. The blurbs between chapters were, however, just as good as before and as fun to read, but they were pretty much the only thing I enjoyed. Another random observation I made: this book and its predecessor really don't carry the very best message to the teenage girls reading it. It's basically letting them know that looks are everything, and that's a horrifying idea to be pushing, as if teenage girls don't get enough of that sentiment. I don't know what happened, but the writing seemed to disintegrate in quality, nothing happened plot-wise, there was no more character development, everything seemed predictable, and it just wasn't a fun read.
Rating: 1.5/5
Monday, June 8, 2009
Second Helpings
Second Helpings
written by Megan McCafferty
Second Helpings, more than anything, helped me realize how much I really really cannot stand Jessica Darling. I mean, can this girl GET any more arrogant?! She takes her intelligence for granted, and more than that, complains about it, and I have to sit and suffer through it, because I think it's genuinely good writing, but dear God why does such a lousy, pathetic character have to be written so well? And give up on Marcus already! She talks about the guy as if he were a God, and it's severely disturbing. Jessica's personal life is much more interesting than her academic one, though, although both aspects just drive me slightly insane. She's just a mean person, and I'm going to keep reading the later books, as I've heard that they are better, but I'm seriously hoping she realizes that she's kind of a...mean girl. Anyways, the book itself is extremely predictable, and my favorite character is one that doesn't appear until the very end (but what an appearance!), Hope. As I said before, the writing is fantastic, but the characters, not so much. The girl is everything you hated about high school in one, the snobby, preppy honors student you just had to loathe, because she's got it all. The most "tragic" thing to happen in her life is her best friend moving away and a breakup. Someone is in desperate need of a reality check, fast.
Rating: 2/5
written by Megan McCafferty
Second Helpings, more than anything, helped me realize how much I really really cannot stand Jessica Darling. I mean, can this girl GET any more arrogant?! She takes her intelligence for granted, and more than that, complains about it, and I have to sit and suffer through it, because I think it's genuinely good writing, but dear God why does such a lousy, pathetic character have to be written so well? And give up on Marcus already! She talks about the guy as if he were a God, and it's severely disturbing. Jessica's personal life is much more interesting than her academic one, though, although both aspects just drive me slightly insane. She's just a mean person, and I'm going to keep reading the later books, as I've heard that they are better, but I'm seriously hoping she realizes that she's kind of a...mean girl. Anyways, the book itself is extremely predictable, and my favorite character is one that doesn't appear until the very end (but what an appearance!), Hope. As I said before, the writing is fantastic, but the characters, not so much. The girl is everything you hated about high school in one, the snobby, preppy honors student you just had to loathe, because she's got it all. The most "tragic" thing to happen in her life is her best friend moving away and a breakup. Someone is in desperate need of a reality check, fast.
Rating: 2/5
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Such a Pretty Girl
Such a Pretty Girl
written by Laura Wiess
Such A Pretty Girl has such an amazing concept. I had originally thought the father was in jail for something he'd done to someone else, and that it'd be a book about a girl dealing with misplaced guilt. I was initially a bit disappointed that it was what it was, as there are so many YA books dealing with that topic already, but I kept reading and I'm glad I did. The writing is set in the perfect tone, very easy to follow. Some of it was predictable, other parts were so shocking that you could not ever have seen them coming. I felt like there were characters in the book that could and should have gotten more development (Paula Mues and Meredith's grandmother to name two). There are some extremely powerful scenes in this book, probably the most powerful one was when Meredith installed the camera and proclaimed that that wouldn't be her life. The ending was great, not at all what I expected, but I was so glad to see it all happen. Not the most realistic, but definitely satisfying.
Rating: 4.5/5
written by Laura Wiess
Such A Pretty Girl has such an amazing concept. I had originally thought the father was in jail for something he'd done to someone else, and that it'd be a book about a girl dealing with misplaced guilt. I was initially a bit disappointed that it was what it was, as there are so many YA books dealing with that topic already, but I kept reading and I'm glad I did. The writing is set in the perfect tone, very easy to follow. Some of it was predictable, other parts were so shocking that you could not ever have seen them coming. I felt like there were characters in the book that could and should have gotten more development (Paula Mues and Meredith's grandmother to name two). There are some extremely powerful scenes in this book, probably the most powerful one was when Meredith installed the camera and proclaimed that that wouldn't be her life. The ending was great, not at all what I expected, but I was so glad to see it all happen. Not the most realistic, but definitely satisfying.
Rating: 4.5/5
Friday, June 5, 2009
Love and Peaches
Love and Peaches
written by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Love and Peaches is just like the rest of the series--extremely slow paced, but with some good storylines here and there. It's not amazing, but not bad either. I feel like the characters reached their emotional growth potentials a long time ago, and a lot of this was just reaching, trying to stretch them as far as she could. I honestly think Jodi Lynn Anderson would have had a great book if she'd smushed all three books into one, making for a fast-paced, exciting, and dramatic read. For once, it was Birdie's story that I found extremely boring. She was previously the one character whose story I liked. This time around, both Murphy and surprisingly, Leeda, were the interesting ones. Murphy's doing the same old Murphy thing, so her ending was pretty much the greatest thing ever. Leeda actually did grow as a character for once, or maybe it was in her all along, but it was great to see a mature Leeda who cared about something other than herself. I do thank Anderson for caring enough about her characters and readers to put in a sweet little epilogue.
Rating: 3.5/5
written by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Love and Peaches is just like the rest of the series--extremely slow paced, but with some good storylines here and there. It's not amazing, but not bad either. I feel like the characters reached their emotional growth potentials a long time ago, and a lot of this was just reaching, trying to stretch them as far as she could. I honestly think Jodi Lynn Anderson would have had a great book if she'd smushed all three books into one, making for a fast-paced, exciting, and dramatic read. For once, it was Birdie's story that I found extremely boring. She was previously the one character whose story I liked. This time around, both Murphy and surprisingly, Leeda, were the interesting ones. Murphy's doing the same old Murphy thing, so her ending was pretty much the greatest thing ever. Leeda actually did grow as a character for once, or maybe it was in her all along, but it was great to see a mature Leeda who cared about something other than herself. I do thank Anderson for caring enough about her characters and readers to put in a sweet little epilogue.
Rating: 3.5/5
Thursday, June 4, 2009
3 Willows
3 Willows
written by Ann Brashares
I have mixed feelings on 3 Willows. One one hand, while intended to be extremely obvious, the willow metaphor that extended through the whole book was amazing. The story itself is pretty great on its own, but coming from the Sisterhood author, it's a little...cheap. Some of it just feels like a rip-off, and while the references to the Sisterhood itself are pretty cool, they also do seem like a marketing ploy. Anyways, it was interesting to see the three characters grow and develop. I started out really liking Ama over the other two, but as the book progressed, Ama's character seemed to mold into a stereotypical teen instead of a unique kid, and strangely enough, it was Polly whose story unexpectedly grabbed my attention. Not once while reading did I enjoy Jo's story or attitude. 3 Willows employs quite a few of those really overdone situations (random fling=the guy you'll see in 5 minutes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, etc.) but there is some sparse new-ness you could find if you dug deeper. I recommend this book to younger teens, particularly those who haven't read Sisterhood. Unfortunately, it's Ann Brashares most devout followers of the Sisterhood series that *did* get into this book, and to us, it's Sisterhood v2.0, the lame version.
Rating: 2.5/5
written by Ann Brashares
I have mixed feelings on 3 Willows. One one hand, while intended to be extremely obvious, the willow metaphor that extended through the whole book was amazing. The story itself is pretty great on its own, but coming from the Sisterhood author, it's a little...cheap. Some of it just feels like a rip-off, and while the references to the Sisterhood itself are pretty cool, they also do seem like a marketing ploy. Anyways, it was interesting to see the three characters grow and develop. I started out really liking Ama over the other two, but as the book progressed, Ama's character seemed to mold into a stereotypical teen instead of a unique kid, and strangely enough, it was Polly whose story unexpectedly grabbed my attention. Not once while reading did I enjoy Jo's story or attitude. 3 Willows employs quite a few of those really overdone situations (random fling=the guy you'll see in 5 minutes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, etc.) but there is some sparse new-ness you could find if you dug deeper. I recommend this book to younger teens, particularly those who haven't read Sisterhood. Unfortunately, it's Ann Brashares most devout followers of the Sisterhood series that *did* get into this book, and to us, it's Sisterhood v2.0, the lame version.
Rating: 2.5/5
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Undomestic Goddess
The Undomestic Goddess
written by Sophie Kinsella
From the beginning, it's easy to detect your standard Kinsella novel. A successful woman finds herself facing some unexpected change. She falls in love, some bad event happens, they break up, and then a few chapters later, everything's peachy. Now ordinarily, Kinsella puts enough personality into the book that makes it okay, but I don't know, something was just lacking in this one. I felt like some of the characters had great potential, but were ignored, like Freya or Sam's breakdown brother, Peter. There were parts that were so predictable that it got, quite frankly, boring. It's an interesting idea, but everyone knew how it would turn out, and all the flip-flopping in the end was absolutely unnecessary. There was just too much lacking in this book, plotwise, characterwise, just overall, for it to have been a truly enjoyable read.
Rating: 2.5/5
written by Sophie Kinsella
From the beginning, it's easy to detect your standard Kinsella novel. A successful woman finds herself facing some unexpected change. She falls in love, some bad event happens, they break up, and then a few chapters later, everything's peachy. Now ordinarily, Kinsella puts enough personality into the book that makes it okay, but I don't know, something was just lacking in this one. I felt like some of the characters had great potential, but were ignored, like Freya or Sam's breakdown brother, Peter. There were parts that were so predictable that it got, quite frankly, boring. It's an interesting idea, but everyone knew how it would turn out, and all the flip-flopping in the end was absolutely unnecessary. There was just too much lacking in this book, plotwise, characterwise, just overall, for it to have been a truly enjoyable read.
Rating: 2.5/5
Not actually related to books, but...
Hey everyone,
No review with this post, just wanted to take a moment to post about the museum's awesome new blog:
http://virginiadiscoverymuseum.blogspot.com/
Check it out when you get the chance, and I'll have a review up later today :)
No review with this post, just wanted to take a moment to post about the museum's awesome new blog:
http://virginiadiscoverymuseum.blogspot.com/
Check it out when you get the chance, and I'll have a review up later today :)
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Midnighters Trilogy
The Midnighters Trilogy
written by Scott Westerfeld
The Secret Hour
Scott Westerfeld comes up with a fascinating new world in his Midnighters series. It's a brilliant concept to begin with, and one that only Westerfeld could ever have come up with. The book begins with an ordinary girl, and as she learns of her new life in the "secret hour", so do the readers along with her, providing a unique and relatable point of view. While the first novel of the series sets up for an amazing plot to come, on its own, it's nothing special. The writing, particularly the descriptive portions, is at times sloppy and weak, and too much of the focus is put on Jessica (although you do get to know and love all of the other characters as well). Nevertheless, it's worth working your way through, if only for the fact that the next two books will blow your mind.
Rating: 3.5/5
Touching Darkness
Touching Darkness significantly advances the plot from where The Secret Hour left off. All of the characters' stories are told in much more depth, and they are all developed as characters, particularly Melissa, Rex, and Dess, where we mostly only got Jessica in the first book. There is, amidst all the character development, plenty of significant plot development going on, although as a bridge between the first and the last, it does get a little dull sometimes. The dullness, however, is necessary to build up to the stunning conclusion delivered in Blue Noon. I really noticed in reading this particular one the differences between other book series and the Midnighters series. It's not very clear cut at all, it's not one good guy vs. one bad guy. The books introduce a whole new dynamic of a group of kids battling not only their inner demons, but a TIME, an hour, making for a fantastic story. Touching Darkness continues with the series stupendous suspensefulness and plenty of plot-twists everywhere.
Rating: 5/5
Blue Noon
Now here is a man who knows how to end a series with a bang, quite literally. While some of the incessant recapping gets to be incredibly annoying, the plot is moved along really well. You know the characters now, so the things they do make more sense, although Rex & Melissa, v. 2.0's characters are still gradually being advanced. Much like Breaking Dawn, I love how the focus is on logic vs. 'let's go kill things!' Things are thought out, plans are made, and it all involves actually thought and regard for history instead of running into battle, killing things left and right with no clear cut plans whatsoever. Those books just annoy me. Way to bring thinkers into your books, Westerfeld! Loose ends are tied up, and the story is brought to a bittersweet, open-ended close, bringing things full circle. I found myself thinking multiple times of the series as a whole. What if it had been five books, one per character, instead of just the trilogy? Will we ever get a short story or another book even for what happens afterward? My only complaint, in the end, is that we never got to learn much about Jonathan's life, why he thinks the way he thinks, what his home life is like. Not much at all. Nevertheless, it is a mostly satisfying conclusion that I think everyone was happy with.
Rating: 5/5
Final thoughts:
The Secret Hour is for exposition, Touching Darkness is for character, Blue Noon is for plot. I advise you to read them all for a full helping of amazing storytelling.
written by Scott Westerfeld
The Secret Hour
Scott Westerfeld comes up with a fascinating new world in his Midnighters series. It's a brilliant concept to begin with, and one that only Westerfeld could ever have come up with. The book begins with an ordinary girl, and as she learns of her new life in the "secret hour", so do the readers along with her, providing a unique and relatable point of view. While the first novel of the series sets up for an amazing plot to come, on its own, it's nothing special. The writing, particularly the descriptive portions, is at times sloppy and weak, and too much of the focus is put on Jessica (although you do get to know and love all of the other characters as well). Nevertheless, it's worth working your way through, if only for the fact that the next two books will blow your mind.
Rating: 3.5/5
Touching Darkness
Touching Darkness significantly advances the plot from where The Secret Hour left off. All of the characters' stories are told in much more depth, and they are all developed as characters, particularly Melissa, Rex, and Dess, where we mostly only got Jessica in the first book. There is, amidst all the character development, plenty of significant plot development going on, although as a bridge between the first and the last, it does get a little dull sometimes. The dullness, however, is necessary to build up to the stunning conclusion delivered in Blue Noon. I really noticed in reading this particular one the differences between other book series and the Midnighters series. It's not very clear cut at all, it's not one good guy vs. one bad guy. The books introduce a whole new dynamic of a group of kids battling not only their inner demons, but a TIME, an hour, making for a fantastic story. Touching Darkness continues with the series stupendous suspensefulness and plenty of plot-twists everywhere.
Rating: 5/5
Blue Noon
Now here is a man who knows how to end a series with a bang, quite literally. While some of the incessant recapping gets to be incredibly annoying, the plot is moved along really well. You know the characters now, so the things they do make more sense, although Rex & Melissa, v. 2.0's characters are still gradually being advanced. Much like Breaking Dawn, I love how the focus is on logic vs. 'let's go kill things!' Things are thought out, plans are made, and it all involves actually thought and regard for history instead of running into battle, killing things left and right with no clear cut plans whatsoever. Those books just annoy me. Way to bring thinkers into your books, Westerfeld! Loose ends are tied up, and the story is brought to a bittersweet, open-ended close, bringing things full circle. I found myself thinking multiple times of the series as a whole. What if it had been five books, one per character, instead of just the trilogy? Will we ever get a short story or another book even for what happens afterward? My only complaint, in the end, is that we never got to learn much about Jonathan's life, why he thinks the way he thinks, what his home life is like. Not much at all. Nevertheless, it is a mostly satisfying conclusion that I think everyone was happy with.
Rating: 5/5
Final thoughts:
The Secret Hour is for exposition, Touching Darkness is for character, Blue Noon is for plot. I advise you to read them all for a full helping of amazing storytelling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
