I chose this book to be a part of the WHINRTB 3.0 for this month. I am thinking it could have waited even longer. I just could not get into this book at all. I was so excited to finally get to it and I just really loved the synopsis, but found that I was bored with it. I tried getting into it up until pg. 152 and it just really did not have much going for it. Synopsis A powerful secret. A dangerous path. Rigg is well trained at keeping secrets. Only his father knows the truth about Rigg's strange talent for seeing the paths of people's pasts. But when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets Father had kept from him--secrets about Rigg's own past, his identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly becomes anything but certain.
Rigg’s birthright sets him on a path that leaves him caught between two factions, one that wants him crowned and one that wants him dead. He will be forced to question everything he thinks he knows, choose who to trust, and push the limits of his talent…or forfeit control of his destiny.
The story really just lacked excitement, lacked adventure, and nothing really grabbed my attention. I thought that for being as far as I was into the story something big or exciting would have happened by this point. I cant see how the book can be over 600 pages, and I love big books, but this one seems like it would come up pretty short trying to stretch that far.
The characters are really just unrealistic to me. They are almost like robots with no personality at all. Also I found that things they say and do are not believable either and I just can't relate to either one of the main protagonists. They lacked the depth and emotion as well, and all those other qualities readers look for that make characters great. The story and characters were just a disappointment for me. Since I did not finish the book, I will not put a rating to it. I really can't recommend this story to anyone, but I think people should judge for themselves. So if you wanna take a chance on it, then pick up the book and give it a try.
I decided to read this book for March Mystery Madness, a month of reading Mysteries. This was for the challenge of reading an Agatha Christie novel. I know that this was one of my mom's favorite books. I could not remember if I had read it all those years ago, so I decided now would be an opportune time to read it. Synopsis First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.
This had a great plot incorporating a nursery rhyme into the story which was what really determined my reading it for this challenge. I found that the mystery itself was fantastic. Hard to figure out 'whodunit'. But what I also discovered was that it lacked the excitement factor. Not a whole lot really going except for finding the people dead. Not much action really leading up to each individual death which made it lack that excitement I was looking for. Other than that part of the story it was put together well.
The characters were a little dry for me, and they were not very relatable. I found that they lacked depth. It was fun though reading those small little details, that came to light about each of them that made you think, oh maybe they could be a murderer or are they really guilty of what was said that they each did in the past. One by one you discover your thoughts about them were wrong and the mystery continues till the very end of the story.
Who did this heinous crime? Eventually you will find out. I did not really care all that much for how the story was wrapped up. I think it could have been done better, Over all it was a fun and entertaining read. I recommend this to those who like old fashioned type mysteries. A quick fluid read that is sure to entertain most readers.
I chose this book for the WHINRTB 3.0. This is a challenge I try to do every year where I choose books off of my shelves that have been overlooked for a year or more.I was not sure what to expect from this book when I chose this one to read. It is a middle grade and it does read middle grade, but it was very fun and quite funny. Synopsis At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.
As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.
What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.
The plot of this story is very captivating even though it is middle grade, It is full of a lot of great quips and quotes. I laughed a lot while reading this and it just made me happy. So very fluid and easy going. Everyone in their places and so fun revisiting all these old fairy tales that I grew up with. So it was also a little nostalgic.
The characters were very fun. Each of them with their rightful places. I did really enjoy Raven Queen, who was the daughter of the Evil Queen in the Snow White fairytale. I like who she was and who she ultimately became by the end of this story. For being a young girl she was pretty strong and could also be somewhat bull headed as well.
I recommend this to anyone who loves upbeat stories and fairy tales even if you don't normally read middle grade. This would be a great series to share with your kids as well. I look forward to the rest of this trilogy and plan on reading them soon.
This was a great sequel to The Young Elites and I enjoyed it a lot, not sure if I like it as much as it's predecessor or not, but gave it the same rating anyway. Marie Lu is a great talent and had a great gift. I absolutely love her writing style. I also really enjoyed kind of seeing the flip side of Adelina in this story.
I will not give a synopsis on this book since it is book 2 but will give you a run down on what the story is about. So about a decade ago the 'blood fever' went on a rampage across Adelina's nation. A lot of people dies, but for those children who survived were left with strange marks on their bodies and some were believed to possess certain powers. They call them Malfetto. Adelina's Father, thinking she was malfetto, treated her badly and would rather have her dead because she was an abomination. Adelina struggles to save her own life. In this book the story moves forward with more action and excitement.
I absolutely loved the plot to this series. I found this one to be more gritty and on the darker side and I really enjoyed that. A lot of action and adventure. I found it to be very fluid and easy to read and follow. There is also a lot of great imagery in this book which keeps it pretty realistic. I just about see myself there. There were plenty of parts that left me sitting on the edge of my seat, overcome every emotion possible.
The characters are all amazing. Many to love and hate. I also liked seeing another side to Adelina, a side I was not expecting at all. You watch her grow and develop and evolve into a totally different person throughout these 2 books. At first I was not sure what I thought, but it made me realize what can happen to someone who has been left desperate, trying to survive, trying to forgive, and trying to make sense of things as they come. She is beautifully written no matter who she becomes.
I look forward to the final book in this trilogy coming this fall and then will have to buy physical copies for myself of each one. I recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy. It is definitely a treat to read.
Predator one is book #7 in the Joe Ledger series. Wow Maberry did it again! I have to say that I think these books have just gotten better and better as I read them. I am so glad that I was introduced to the fantastic writing of Jonathan Maberry.
Now since these are different cases for the DMS to solve I decided to share the synopsis of this book.Synopsis -- On opening day of the new baseball season a small model-kit airplane flies down from the stands and buzzes the mound, where a decorated veteran pilot is about to throw out the first ball. The toy plane is the exact replica of the one flown by the war hero. Everyone laughs, thinking it’s a prank or a publicity stunt. Until it explodes, killing dozens.
Seconds later a swarm of killer drones descend upon the picnicked crowd, each one carrying a powerful bomb. All across the country artificial intelligence drive systems in cars, commuter trains and even fighter planes go out of control. The death toll soars as the machines we depend upon every day are turned into engines of destruction.
Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences go on the hunt for whoever is controlling these machines, but the every step of the way they are met with traps and shocks that strike to the very heart of the DMS. No one is safe. Nowhere is safe. Enemies old and new rise as America burns.
Joe Ledger and his team begin a desperate search for the secret to this new technology and the madmen behind it. But before they can close in the enemy virus infects Air Force One. The president is trapped aboard as the jet heads toward the heart of New York City. It has become PREDATOR ONE. -- I really loved the plotline to this book and the whole series, even though it is on terrorism. I never thought I would enjoy anything about this but there is always so much action and excitement it is sure to soothe anyone's need for some adrenalin rushing adventure, and this book was no different. The action and excitement never let up for a second. I was glued to the pages, and so very engaged I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the story while sitting there on the edge of my seat, literally.
The characters of course are always my favorite part of this series and really any of Maberry's writing in general. The characters just develop so well throughout the series that they are always a joy to read about. Readers get introduced to some pretty gritty, malevolent characters as well, the ones you love to hate the most. Of course Joe and the Echo team are among my favorites, and this does include Ghost, Joe's dog. They are all so realistic to me that I feel like I am apart of their family since starting this series back in 2014. It has been awesome knowing them all.
I do find this series pretty equally plot and character driven. It is such an exciting adventure that I recommend it to just about anyone. It is truly a treat to read. I look forward to the final book in the series Kill Switch Scheduled to be released in April this year.
I had to DNF this book because I just could not get into. There are several reasons why. One I just can't connect to the protagonist, Lucas Davenport. He has an attitude of nonchalance it seems, like his sh*t don't stink, he is a player, and he is as much of a criminal as the criminals are.
Also I don't enjoy that there really is not any mystery to the book. You see the crimes happen, but you already know who the culprit is. I want a mystery that holds mystery, and I get to help solve it. I just don't get that in this series so far. I will not be rating this book since I did not finish it. It is just not a series for me. I will not be going any further with this series.
This is book 4 in the Unwind Dystology and what a great wrap up to the story. WOW! I loved this whole series so much. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to enjoy this series. So very different from other dystopian series and that is why I like it so much. This one is my favorite in the series for sure.
I will just give an overall synopsis of the series so that I don't give anything away from this particular book. --The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, who is a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.--
This whole series is full of adventure, action and excitement. There are some rather creepy elements to this series as well, which I enjoyed a lot. This book is just as good as the 3 books that came before and it has such a great wrap up. There were several things I did not expect to happen and some made me a little unhappy as well. Great story telling with such great imagery and the writing is so fluid and is also paced very well. There are great quotes in these books as well to appreciate.
The characters grow beautifully throughout this series. You can tell the author knew exactly who is characters were and who they were meant to be. So many characters to both love an hate. I just adore Connor and Risa. They are such great characters with so much strength. I found all of the characters to be very realistic and believable. Most of them are very relatable and felt like I really got to know who they were and what their individual struggles were too.
I recommend this to any one who wants a different kind of dystopian. This one certainly surpasses all other dystopian series I have read simply because of the uniqueness of the story being told. I enjoy every page of it. I will read anything by this author now because I feel he is truly gifted.
