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Ashley Catron (66 KP) rated A List of Cages in Books

Mar 7, 2018

A List of Cages

Robin Roe | 2017 | Contemporary

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

I read this while at work, and I still finished this book in under 4 hours. It is seriously that good that you just can't put it down. For Robin Roe's first novel, he hit it out of the park. The book is about two teenagers, Adam and Julien, and the viewpoint switches seamlessly between the two throughout the book. There is never any confusion on who is talking or what is going on. Now, the book does revolve around child abuse, so for those sensitive to this type of plot, this story may not be the best for you. While the story of child abuse is devastating (I definitely caught myself trying to hold back tears a few times), the way the story is told will make you feel like you're in the situation that the characters are in. You can feel elation, fear, love, and everything in between with this novel. Everything about this book was great and I would definitely recommend it to others who aren't sensitive to child abuse.

Kudos

David McK (3716 KP) rated I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) in Books

Jan 28, 2019

I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1)

Pittacus Lore | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

7.6

(31 Ratings)

Book Rating

In the early-00s (well, 2001 - 2011), there was a TV show called 'Smallville' aka - and unofficially - also known as 'Superman: The Teenage Years', in which a large part of the early runs were to do with Clark Kent discovering his powers.

Now, take the same basic idea - that of an alien developing powers on Earth, and change it slightly so that there's nine of them, all teenagers growing up seperately, all refugees from a planet that has itself been invaded/destroyed by *other* aliens and most with their own flesh-and-blood protector with them, and you more or less have the plot for this.

I'd seen the movie a while back and, while it wasn't great, I still thought I would give the source material a shot.

It's not great either.

I don't know whether it the insipid romance between the central characters of John and Sarah, the clunky dialogue or the fact that the writer seems to follow a 'tell, don't show' method of writing (instead of the opposite), but this just did not do it for me at all :-(

Kudos

ClareR (6079 KP) rated The Middle Years in Books

Apr 17, 2020

The Middle Years

Liz Fraser | 2020 | Biography, Humor & Comedy

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

The Middle Years is a handbook to surviving life as the parent of teenagers. The first half of the book is funny and engaging, telling it how it really is (hormones etc) to be the parent to preteens and teens, and I really enjoyed it. It was lighthearted, and more serious where it needed to be.

However in the second half of the book, it takes a darker turn, and talks about the authors divorce, mental health issues, guilt of divorcing and the effects this hound have had on her children. To be honest, if I’d known it was going to take this turn, there’s a high possibility that I wouldn’t have read it at all. I’ve had enough personal experience of parents divorcing to last me a lifetime without reading about it. It just seemed very bitter.

I DID enjoy the first half though, which is why I’ve given it a 3/5 (or 6/10, however you want to look at it!).

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this book.