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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Zeroes (Zeroes, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
The author of the <i>Uglies</i> series, Scott Westerfeld, has teamed up with co-writers Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti to create this exciting, whirlwind of a young adult novel. Many people wish they had a superpower, but what if there actually were people with them? <i>Zeroes</i> is a story about a group of teenagers with special gifts, however these unique abilities may be more dangerous than you would imagine.
The superpowers in this novel are not as conventional as the famous comic heroes. Some can control crowds with their minds or destroy electricity, and one blind character can even see through the eyes of others. Collectively these teenagers are called the <i>Zeroes</i>, but only amongst themselves.
Despite how cool it may seem to have these powers, their gifts can easily get themselves in to trouble. One of the teens, Ethan, accidently finds himself involved with drug dealers and a bank robbery, resulting in the police taking an interest. Whilst trying to get him out of this mess, the rest of the team cause even more trouble, sequentially making things worse and eventually leaving Ethan in a life threatening situation.
Told through six different characters, the reader gets the opportunity to learn about the individual powers and how each person deals with them. The novel is fast past with an explosive ending – literally – it is almost impossible to put it down. With an equal mix of male and female characters, it is suitable for all readers who enjoy YA, and by no means is it limited to teenagers only. You will find yourself wanting more.
The author of the <i>Uglies</i> series, Scott Westerfeld, has teamed up with co-writers Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti to create this exciting, whirlwind of a young adult novel. Many people wish they had a superpower, but what if there actually were people with them? <i>Zeroes</i> is a story about a group of teenagers with special gifts, however these unique abilities may be more dangerous than you would imagine.
The superpowers in this novel are not as conventional as the famous comic heroes. Some can control crowds with their minds or destroy electricity, and one blind character can even see through the eyes of others. Collectively these teenagers are called the <i>Zeroes</i>, but only amongst themselves.
Despite how cool it may seem to have these powers, their gifts can easily get themselves in to trouble. One of the teens, Ethan, accidently finds himself involved with drug dealers and a bank robbery, resulting in the police taking an interest. Whilst trying to get him out of this mess, the rest of the team cause even more trouble, sequentially making things worse and eventually leaving Ethan in a life threatening situation.
Told through six different characters, the reader gets the opportunity to learn about the individual powers and how each person deals with them. The novel is fast past with an explosive ending – literally – it is almost impossible to put it down. With an equal mix of male and female characters, it is suitable for all readers who enjoy YA, and by no means is it limited to teenagers only. You will find yourself wanting more.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Night (The Night Trilogy #1) in Books
Jul 10, 2018
My heart broke while listening to this novel. I cannot even imagine what this experience was like to live. Just reading this book made me thankful for the life that I have lived. I can only hope that we will never again let anyone experience these atrocious acts again.
I bought this audiobook from audible during one of the 2 for 1 sales. I knew I needed to read it, I just never truly wanted to. There are some books that demand to be read even when the reader is reluctant. It is important to read books that will challenge you, and hopefully encourage you to view the world a little differently. This is one of those books.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel and it is beautifully written. It will break your heart to read it, it will challenge you, it will change you. I wish I would have read this book before I toured a concentration camp in 2007. I wish I would have known this personal account when I saw the cells, the tombstones, and the utter lack of humanity. We are taught about the concentration camps, we are told of the horrors, we are shown pictures but nothing has affected me as much as this novel.
I know that we wish to forget the past, but we cannot let this fade. We cannot stand aside as our world becomes a reflection of the past. We must move forward.
If you're on the fence about reading this novel, do it. It is a hard one to read due to the subject matter but it is worth every tear you shed.
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel
I bought this audiobook from audible during one of the 2 for 1 sales. I knew I needed to read it, I just never truly wanted to. There are some books that demand to be read even when the reader is reluctant. It is important to read books that will challenge you, and hopefully encourage you to view the world a little differently. This is one of those books.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel and it is beautifully written. It will break your heart to read it, it will challenge you, it will change you. I wish I would have read this book before I toured a concentration camp in 2007. I wish I would have known this personal account when I saw the cells, the tombstones, and the utter lack of humanity. We are taught about the concentration camps, we are told of the horrors, we are shown pictures but nothing has affected me as much as this novel.
I know that we wish to forget the past, but we cannot let this fade. We cannot stand aside as our world becomes a reflection of the past. We must move forward.
If you're on the fence about reading this novel, do it. It is a hard one to read due to the subject matter but it is worth every tear you shed.
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The Lying Game (The Lying Game, #1) in Books
Jul 10, 2018
This book is definitely not my typical book. I'm not a fan on teenage drama filled novels so I was hesitant to read this book as part of my 2014 book reading challenge. This book was recommended to me my one of my amazing cousins so I committed to reading it this year.
Okay, where to startÛ_ The Lying Game by Sara Shepard is a murder mystery that takes place in high school. This book is filled with drama and murder with a slice of romance. The characters were very "Mean Girls" with an evil streak and I found myself thankful that my high school could not be compared to this high school.
I felt that the characters could have more dimension to them. I felt like they fell flat. Even the main character was only 2 dimensional and very clich̩. I tend to be a character person so I found that I couldn't truly connect with any of the characters in this book.
The storyline was entertaining, I found myself wondering what was going to happen and I was sort of invested in the plot. I wish that the plot line was more flushed out and that the characters were more flushed out. Seriously, I love characters that I can relate toÛ_
I could definitely tell that this was a young adult novel. I liked that it was a quick and surprisingly light read.
Ultimately, I think I may have been too old for this novel. I think I would have liked it better if I were to have read this in middle school. I liked the concept of this book but it just fell flat.
Ultimately, I would give this novel 3 cups of coffee. I enjoyed the book while it lasted but I will not continue on in the series.
Okay, where to startÛ_ The Lying Game by Sara Shepard is a murder mystery that takes place in high school. This book is filled with drama and murder with a slice of romance. The characters were very "Mean Girls" with an evil streak and I found myself thankful that my high school could not be compared to this high school.
I felt that the characters could have more dimension to them. I felt like they fell flat. Even the main character was only 2 dimensional and very clich̩. I tend to be a character person so I found that I couldn't truly connect with any of the characters in this book.
The storyline was entertaining, I found myself wondering what was going to happen and I was sort of invested in the plot. I wish that the plot line was more flushed out and that the characters were more flushed out. Seriously, I love characters that I can relate toÛ_
I could definitely tell that this was a young adult novel. I liked that it was a quick and surprisingly light read.
Ultimately, I think I may have been too old for this novel. I think I would have liked it better if I were to have read this in middle school. I liked the concept of this book but it just fell flat.
Ultimately, I would give this novel 3 cups of coffee. I enjoyed the book while it lasted but I will not continue on in the series.
Well well well. What a pleasant surprise. Holding is a wonderfully written debut novel by Graham Norton, yes that Graham Norton, and his trademark sense of humour and wit was found throughout the novel.
Holding is set in Duneen in Ireland and focuses on three main characters – Sergeant PJ Collins, Evelyn Ross and Brid Riordan – and the way the mystery affects them as people.
The mystery itself – a buried skeleton found at a building site – was surprisingly on the back burner when you consider this was a mystery novel, however, it was well written and kept me interested in the story.
For me what made the story was the characters. PJ Collins is a Garda and is basically an overweight, middle aged, lonely shoddy copper.
Evelyn Ross is a middle aged woman who fell in love with the wrong man.
Brid Riordan is a middle aged woman who also fell in love with the wrong man – the same man – and is stuck in a loveless marriage drinking her sorrows away.
The book was more about how the finding of those bones affect PJ, Evelyn, Brid and even Mrs Meany and it was written in such a way that you felt for the characters – I personally felt more for Mrs Meany than I did the other characters but the next one would be Brid.
The dynamic between the three main characters was brilliant and the consistency towards the end was good. I think the only thing that put me off was the lack of distinguishing factors between point of view for example, one paragraph would be PJ and the next would be Brid and there would be no line break but other than that it was a very good book!
Definitely recommended.
Holding is set in Duneen in Ireland and focuses on three main characters – Sergeant PJ Collins, Evelyn Ross and Brid Riordan – and the way the mystery affects them as people.
The mystery itself – a buried skeleton found at a building site – was surprisingly on the back burner when you consider this was a mystery novel, however, it was well written and kept me interested in the story.
For me what made the story was the characters. PJ Collins is a Garda and is basically an overweight, middle aged, lonely shoddy copper.
Evelyn Ross is a middle aged woman who fell in love with the wrong man.
Brid Riordan is a middle aged woman who also fell in love with the wrong man – the same man – and is stuck in a loveless marriage drinking her sorrows away.
The book was more about how the finding of those bones affect PJ, Evelyn, Brid and even Mrs Meany and it was written in such a way that you felt for the characters – I personally felt more for Mrs Meany than I did the other characters but the next one would be Brid.
The dynamic between the three main characters was brilliant and the consistency towards the end was good. I think the only thing that put me off was the lack of distinguishing factors between point of view for example, one paragraph would be PJ and the next would be Brid and there would be no line break but other than that it was a very good book!
Definitely recommended.
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
<i>Captive</i> is the debut young adult thriller by British author A. J. Grainger. Set in contemporary Britain, sixteen-year-old Robyn, the daughter of the Prime Minister, is kidnapped and held hostage by three animal rights activists. Until the government agrees to release the person accused of the attempted assassination of the PM four month previously, they refuse to free Robyn from captivity. It soon becomes clear that a lot of lies and cover-ups have been occurring and it is difficult to know whom to trust.
The novel gets off to a great start with a lot of action as Robyn and her family is ambushed on their way to visit grandparents. The first half of the book is really exciting as the reader slowly gets to grips with what is going on.
Grainger writes really well with great use of descriptive words and phrases. To keep the reader engaged and to lengthen the story she includes other interesting details that are educational in a way – for example, knowledge about birds.
Unfortunately the second half of the book is not as exciting as the first. A relationship starts developing between Robyn and one of the captors, which is rather unoriginal and predictable.
One thing that I particularly liked about this novel was Robyn’s character. Naturally people may expect daughters of prime ministers to be snobbish and spoilt but Robyn was the complete opposite. She did not care about where her clothes came from or whether or not she went to parties. Robyn was the representation of the average teenage girl preparing for her GCSEs.
Despite the clichéd captor/hostage situation <i>Captive</i> is a very enjoyable novel with a few exhilarating twists in the plot.
<i>Captive</i> is the debut young adult thriller by British author A. J. Grainger. Set in contemporary Britain, sixteen-year-old Robyn, the daughter of the Prime Minister, is kidnapped and held hostage by three animal rights activists. Until the government agrees to release the person accused of the attempted assassination of the PM four month previously, they refuse to free Robyn from captivity. It soon becomes clear that a lot of lies and cover-ups have been occurring and it is difficult to know whom to trust.
The novel gets off to a great start with a lot of action as Robyn and her family is ambushed on their way to visit grandparents. The first half of the book is really exciting as the reader slowly gets to grips with what is going on.
Grainger writes really well with great use of descriptive words and phrases. To keep the reader engaged and to lengthen the story she includes other interesting details that are educational in a way – for example, knowledge about birds.
Unfortunately the second half of the book is not as exciting as the first. A relationship starts developing between Robyn and one of the captors, which is rather unoriginal and predictable.
One thing that I particularly liked about this novel was Robyn’s character. Naturally people may expect daughters of prime ministers to be snobbish and spoilt but Robyn was the complete opposite. She did not care about where her clothes came from or whether or not she went to parties. Robyn was the representation of the average teenage girl preparing for her GCSEs.
Despite the clichéd captor/hostage situation <i>Captive</i> is a very enjoyable novel with a few exhilarating twists in the plot.
David McK (3600 KP) rated The Scarlet Thief (Jack Lark, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
While I had heard (read) this described as 'the new Richard Sharpe', this is a novel that, if I'm honest, I was unsure of whether to purchase or not - those are some big boots to fill, after all, and I'd both read and later been disappointed in other books that made the same claim.
However, when I read the short prequel novella [b: Jack Lark: Rogue|23646134|Jack Lark Rogue|Paul Fraser Collard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424476493s/23646134.jpg|43253728], that was enough to convince me to start in on the series proper.
having now read this, it is very obvious where the template comes from, even down to the evil Sergeant Slater who is really Hakeswill in all but name. As the first in the series, however (even before said prequels), I am prepared to make allowances.
The novel actually starts with Jack Lark leading his troops to cross the Alma river (in the Crimea), before moving back to six months before to show the events that led up to this: events that see Lark (who is from the East End slums) deciding to impersonate his officer when said officer dies on the way to his new posting.
As for the battle of Alma itself: while it is one that I had heard of, it's not one that I am overly familiar with; not one as famous as (say) Waterloo or even the Battle of Balaclava that would later occur during the same war (the Crimean). As such, and interwoven in the latter part of the novel - I actually find the history just as interesting as the fiction.
I think I will be picking more of these up :)
However, when I read the short prequel novella [b: Jack Lark: Rogue|23646134|Jack Lark Rogue|Paul Fraser Collard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424476493s/23646134.jpg|43253728], that was enough to convince me to start in on the series proper.
having now read this, it is very obvious where the template comes from, even down to the evil Sergeant Slater who is really Hakeswill in all but name. As the first in the series, however (even before said prequels), I am prepared to make allowances.
The novel actually starts with Jack Lark leading his troops to cross the Alma river (in the Crimea), before moving back to six months before to show the events that led up to this: events that see Lark (who is from the East End slums) deciding to impersonate his officer when said officer dies on the way to his new posting.
As for the battle of Alma itself: while it is one that I had heard of, it's not one that I am overly familiar with; not one as famous as (say) Waterloo or even the Battle of Balaclava that would later occur during the same war (the Crimean). As such, and interwoven in the latter part of the novel - I actually find the history just as interesting as the fiction.
I think I will be picking more of these up :)
Deborah (162 KP) rated Daughters of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #2) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
This is the second book in Quinn's Rome series, but confusingly the action here takes place chronologically before the first one. The setting for this book is 69AD - the Year of the Four Emperors, so plenty of plotting and back stabbing all round.
Many of the characters in this novel did exist historically. Obviously the further back in time you go, the less information there is generally available about what actually went on, which I suppose is a good thing for the historical novelist! The novel centres around four female cousins; two sisters and their two first cousins to be precise. The sisters really did exist, although more is known about one than the other (this is clear when you have read the book and read the historical note at the end). The cousins are invented to drive the plot along; Lollia starts off almost like a WAG - seemingly a bit empty headed and marrying whoever is in favour that month, but she does develop into a more likeable, rounded character. While Diana is difficult to dislike she is a pretty flat character; she's beautiful and completely obsessed with horses and 'The Reds' chariot racing team - a bit like a football bore today I suppose! The sister-in law, Tullia, is another very one-dimensional character, probably best summed up as 'fishwife'.
Many events are based on historical fact, but there are some bits, like the cousins escaping from Rome, that seems a bit unrealistic.
Overall, I found this quite a quick (for a 400 page novel) and entertaining read, but I suspect that like Quinn's Mistress of Rome, I may well be pushed to remember any plot details in a few months time and I probably wouldn't read it again.
Many of the characters in this novel did exist historically. Obviously the further back in time you go, the less information there is generally available about what actually went on, which I suppose is a good thing for the historical novelist! The novel centres around four female cousins; two sisters and their two first cousins to be precise. The sisters really did exist, although more is known about one than the other (this is clear when you have read the book and read the historical note at the end). The cousins are invented to drive the plot along; Lollia starts off almost like a WAG - seemingly a bit empty headed and marrying whoever is in favour that month, but she does develop into a more likeable, rounded character. While Diana is difficult to dislike she is a pretty flat character; she's beautiful and completely obsessed with horses and 'The Reds' chariot racing team - a bit like a football bore today I suppose! The sister-in law, Tullia, is another very one-dimensional character, probably best summed up as 'fishwife'.
Many events are based on historical fact, but there are some bits, like the cousins escaping from Rome, that seems a bit unrealistic.
Overall, I found this quite a quick (for a 400 page novel) and entertaining read, but I suspect that like Quinn's Mistress of Rome, I may well be pushed to remember any plot details in a few months time and I probably wouldn't read it again.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Tudor Rose in Books
Dec 21, 2018
This book was written over 50 years ago, so I suppose we must make some allowances for light that has been shed on past events between now and then, but still, there were a number of silly errors in this book which didn't help its credibility: the pre-contract was with Eleanor Butler (nee Talbot) and for some odd reason the book gives her given name as Joan, and Edmund Tudor died of the plague and not in battle.
Overall the book follows a somewhat traditionalist stance, although Henry Tudor comes across as pretty cold and unlikeable. I wasn't convinced by some of the internal logic and some of the characterisation though. Anne Neville, for example. She is a figure we really don't know that much about, but it's hard to conceive she could be as simple and naive as she is portrayed here! Barnes does try it on a bit with trying to make us wonder if 'Perkin' is really Richard of York (and here the historical novelist has licence, because we really don't know!), despite having Bess keep adamantly stating that she knows her brothers are dead. We're also told that Elizabeth Woodville believes they died, which might lead one to question why she would have a finger in a rebellion against her daughter as queen consort? And if everybody really believed this, why did Sir William Stanley lose his head for saying he wouldn't fight against 'Perkin' if he was really a son of Edward IV - and that is in the historical record as well as this novel. There's an awful lot about Bess believing both Richard and Henry have potentially been culpable in acts of murder, but she herself in this novel is guilty of an act of treachery that is at least as bad!
Not a badly written novel, but I found it frustrating overall!
Overall the book follows a somewhat traditionalist stance, although Henry Tudor comes across as pretty cold and unlikeable. I wasn't convinced by some of the internal logic and some of the characterisation though. Anne Neville, for example. She is a figure we really don't know that much about, but it's hard to conceive she could be as simple and naive as she is portrayed here! Barnes does try it on a bit with trying to make us wonder if 'Perkin' is really Richard of York (and here the historical novelist has licence, because we really don't know!), despite having Bess keep adamantly stating that she knows her brothers are dead. We're also told that Elizabeth Woodville believes they died, which might lead one to question why she would have a finger in a rebellion against her daughter as queen consort? And if everybody really believed this, why did Sir William Stanley lose his head for saying he wouldn't fight against 'Perkin' if he was really a son of Edward IV - and that is in the historical record as well as this novel. There's an awful lot about Bess believing both Richard and Henry have potentially been culpable in acts of murder, but she herself in this novel is guilty of an act of treachery that is at least as bad!
Not a badly written novel, but I found it frustrating overall!
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
8.3
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