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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters (Momotaro, #1) in Books

Jan 23, 2020  
XA
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters (Momotaro, #1)
Margaret Dilloway | 2016
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I think I've grown out of reading middle grade books now. I find that a little sad - the first book in Dilloway’s Momotaro series isn't even a bad book, aside from the fact I kept expecting a Percy Jackson vibe (which, in a way, it kind of does).

Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters - if we're going down the Percy Jackson vibe (I'm pretty sure the synopsis makes the comparison….) - is basically Japanese folklore set in modern day, with plenty of Japanese mythological creatures making an appearance. Unfortunately, Xander definitely resembles a Japanese version of Percy Jackson - blue eyes, black hair, twelve years old, and the only difference? Xander has a bit of silver streak in his hair (oh wait…) and he's mixed (Asian and Irish).

It's no wonder I expected a lot of humor out of Dilloway's book (comparisons = high expectations). The first Momotaro book does have the occasional funny moment, but it just isn't as funny as I hoped it would be. (That might just be the fact I'm nineteen.)

Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters is set in a comic book like format with illustrations featured throughout the book, and it will definitely appeal more to younger audiences than the older ones. (And hopefully, it'll be more funny to them than to me.)

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-xander-and-lost-island-of-monsters-by-margaret-dilloway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
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Kelly (279 KP) rated Rivers of London: The First PC Grant Mystery in Books

Nov 22, 2018  
Rivers of London: The First PC Grant Mystery
Rivers of London: The First PC Grant Mystery
Ben Aaronovitch | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lovable characters and a gripping plot. (0 more)
Laugh out loud read
Ben Aaronovitch has excelled himself in this novel. Having never read any urban fantasy books before, I was dubious about reading this book, which was purchased for me as a gift. Having picked up the book during a bored moment on holiday, I became hooked before the end of the first chapter.


PC Grant is a character with whom I could engage with from the start. A character who was likeable, but also not your typical hero. The story itself is very easy to follow and Aaronovitch does not overload the reader with complex characters, making the book a perfect easy read.

Aaronovitch uses humour appropriately throughout the book, keeping the reader engaged without being over silly. Once started, this book was not put down until after I had turned the last page.
  
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graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Other Countess (The Lacey Chronicles, #1) in Books

Feb 15, 2019  
TO
The Other Countess (The Lacey Chronicles, #1)
Eve Edwards | 2011
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE OTHER COUNTESS is a sweet and harmless love story set in Tudor England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, in the year of 1582 to be exact. Lady Eleanor Rodriguez, Countess of San Jaime, is our penniless heroine who is saddled with her absent-minded alchemist father; the roles of child and parent have been long since been reversed. The preface, which takes place in 1578, gives us our first glimpse of William Lacey, the new Earl of Dorset at age fourteen, as he throws a twelve-year-old Ellie and her father off his land.

The story itself isn't exactly original and doesn't go into any unfamiliar territory, but it's ably told and fairly inoffensive, making it suitable for older teens (there are numerous allusions to sexual situations but that's as far as it goes). The dialogue and sensibilities are more modern in nature and don't always ring true to the era, but some liberties are always taken in young adult fiction, therefore making it something I can forgive. Very light on historical content, this is more for the romantics out there who like a historical backdrop to a love story. For the first half, I wasn't very involved into either the characters or their story, and it didn't help that it moved at a slow pace, though at the halfway point it picked up and started charming me. However, the hero and heroine were a little too perfect, more so in Ellie's case, as she didn't seem to really have any negative attributes other than she has a bit of a temper. Maybe if they had a few more rough edges I would have rooted for them to have their happy ending, as it is, I wasn't that invested. I do think that the secondary character, Lady Jane Perceval, has promise on that front since her narrative had a more realistic feel to it, so I may just pick up her story when it comes out ([b:The Queen's Lady|8805112|The Queen's Lady (The Lacey Chronicles, #2)|Eve Edwards|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327950501s/8805112.jpg|13679272]). The resolution to Will and Ellie's story came far too easily and some more conflict would have made it much better. Still, as I said, it's a sweet story, even if nothing sets it apart from other books. An easy read that should appeal to teenage girls.