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Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated The Waking Land (The Waking Land, #1) in Books

Oct 1, 2018  
The Waking Land (The Waking Land, #1)
The Waking Land (The Waking Land, #1)
Callie Bates | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
**3.75 stars rounded up**
I really wish we had half stars to use at least. This one was difficult for me to nail down for a rating. I don't think it's really a solid 4 stars but not 3 either so somewhere in between.

That said, I did enjoy the book. I thought the plot was unique and the world building was decent. The characters were my main issue. There is a bit of a lack of depth in some of the supporting characters that I feel could have used a little more development. However, my main problem was with Elanna. She seemed a bit... well, flaky at times. She clearly had Stockholm's in the beginning but she changed her beliefs every time someone told her something. She went from hating her father to loving him as soon as she saw him to almost indifference when he died as well as from hiding and fearing her magic to loving it with no real in between. There was also A LOT of repetition, especially in her inner monologues. She didn't want to fight in a war for her dad, she wanted to run away, then it was steward of the land and born for this over and over. This book does have its redeeming qualities tho. Despite my irritation with the characters at times, the action kept me invested in the story. I needed to know what was going to happen, will their small band of revolutionaries win or lose and at what cost? I also liked the mythology woven into the story, especially about the ancestors.

Overall, I think it's a promising start for a first novel and am looking forward to the sequel and to seeing what Ms. Bates comes up with next.

**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!**
  
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April Rose Mossow (93 KP) rated Garden of Shadows (Dollanganger, #5) in Books

May 20, 2019  
GO
Garden of Shadows (Dollanganger, #5)
V.C. Andrews | 1990 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I just love how V.C. Andrews delves into her characters deepest buried demons, and explains what brought them to become who they are. I don't fault Olivia as much as I did when reading FitA. I still think she should have opened up to he children though. Also, They focus too much on the old testament in these books. Peoples love for god was out of fear not love. Had they kept faith in mind and left gods wrath aside it would have turned out differently, I think. But then again, the read would not have been as good. You really pity Olivia after reading this book. On a side note, I gave this book 3 stars because it dragged in some places and I would have liked to read more about Corrine's youth, not just the basic stuff.
  
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Roxanne (13 KP) rated Thank You for Smoking in Books

Nov 14, 2018  
TY
Thank You for Smoking
Christopher Buckley | 2010
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was an ok read, it took me quite a while to get into it as the writing style is very different to what i'm used to. I found the story to be quite jumbled and sometimes I just had no idea which of the characters were speaking, I had to sometimes read a page a couple of times in order for it to sink in. Some of it a found quite funny but other bits I didn't really understand. The novel is very political, which probably explains why I kept losing interest (not to say it wasn't interesting at all- which is why I gave it 3 stars, I did like it, mainly because it was just different). The story had some good twists but I do believe that the ending was very unrealistic.
  
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Jake (52 KP) rated A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan, #1) in Books

Jul 25, 2019  
A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan, #1)
A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan, #1)
Arkady Martine | 2019
6
5.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great premise but poor execution, and poor ending.

Some of the concepts and the worldbuilding were fantastic. Some of the names and places were a little too crazy (using old Mayan language as a basis? Teixalaan is the easiest of the weird words you'll find). Some of the world systems and culture didn't seem to make sense but I went with it anyways.

I was debating on rating it 4 stars but the ending was so poor. See spoiler below for some high-level spoils.

<spoiler>No huge climax, no really interesting turn of events, no facing the alien threat, no facing your darkest fear or something. Just... blah.</spoiler>

Anyway I won't be reading any sequels and I almost wish I would have stopped 3/4 of the way through when I understood the politics fully. Good luck.