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Merissa (12943 KP) created a post
Feb 4, 2021
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Anything That Isn't This in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Well this was a surprising read. Not just a typical YA dystopian novel, but a peculiar, artistic novel complete with illustrations throughout.
For some reason, I wasn't expecting the strange world that Priestley created in this book. The Grey is suffocating Frank, the Ministry controlling his every decision. Most people are okay with it, comfortable in the routine provided. But Frank wants more.
First, Frank is obsessed with a girl from his school. Even after they graduate, he is desperate to be with her - he believes they're 'fated'. But after a while, he realises that maybe she's not quite right for him.
This combines two typical YA romance plots - the "unpopular boy gets the cool girl" and also the "childhood friends become lovers" plot. I think it's a bit unusual to mix the two, but I didn't find anything spectacular about this aspect of the novel.
The whole book has a very strange abstract sort of feel to it; I was unsure at times whether to actually take what he was saying at face value or take it as a metaphor. There are loads of weird myths that are thrown around, many of which play a big role later in the book.
The friendship with Scape was interesting; it kind of just happened out of the blue and ended in a similar way. And Mr Vertex was a weird character - it was obvious there was something strange about him, and I felt he really added to the abstract feel created.
The book kind of felt grey, but not in a bad way - as in, I felt how Frank felt about his life. I was pretty shocked by how dark it got at the end, quite suddenly. The ending was a bit of a whirlwind, followed by a moment of calm. The calmness was nice, an interesting ending that left your imagination running wild.
I didn't really enjoy this book at first but I did eventually get into it, and quite liked it. I definitely liked the unique feel it had, almost like Coraline. 3.5 stars.
For some reason, I wasn't expecting the strange world that Priestley created in this book. The Grey is suffocating Frank, the Ministry controlling his every decision. Most people are okay with it, comfortable in the routine provided. But Frank wants more.
First, Frank is obsessed with a girl from his school. Even after they graduate, he is desperate to be with her - he believes they're 'fated'. But after a while, he realises that maybe she's not quite right for him.
This combines two typical YA romance plots - the "unpopular boy gets the cool girl" and also the "childhood friends become lovers" plot. I think it's a bit unusual to mix the two, but I didn't find anything spectacular about this aspect of the novel.
The whole book has a very strange abstract sort of feel to it; I was unsure at times whether to actually take what he was saying at face value or take it as a metaphor. There are loads of weird myths that are thrown around, many of which play a big role later in the book.
The friendship with Scape was interesting; it kind of just happened out of the blue and ended in a similar way. And Mr Vertex was a weird character - it was obvious there was something strange about him, and I felt he really added to the abstract feel created.
The book kind of felt grey, but not in a bad way - as in, I felt how Frank felt about his life. I was pretty shocked by how dark it got at the end, quite suddenly. The ending was a bit of a whirlwind, followed by a moment of calm. The calmness was nice, an interesting ending that left your imagination running wild.
I didn't really enjoy this book at first but I did eventually get into it, and quite liked it. I definitely liked the unique feel it had, almost like Coraline. 3.5 stars.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Dragon By Midnight in Books
Aug 30, 2021
The concept of Dragon by Midnight immediately intrigued me: a Cinderella retelling where, at the stroke of midnight, Cinderella becomes a dragon and is hunted by Prince Charming? Yes please!
Karen Kincy had some bestseller-worthy ideas when it came to this book: I loved Sikandar's mysterious sorcerer vibe and dark past; the Jinni gave Arabian nights/Aladdin vibes and the plot twist of the curse was brilliant.
However, in my opinion, the major elements that made Dragon by Midnight great were just not developed enough and I was left with unanswered questions, in particular with Cinderella's story line.
Sikandar is bound to be everyone's favourite character and the description of him as a cinnamon roll hero is perfect. I would have liked him to keep his mystery for a bit longer and for the worthiness of his previous actions to be withheld instead of instantly revealed - it felt like he was a mysterious murderer one second and then an amazing hero the next . Although this was in keeping with the fast-paced nature of the story.
Similarly, the romance between Sikandar and Cinderella developed so quickly. She almost fell in love with him straight away! It was also very fluffy and cute: which is not a criticism! This is a YA book after all. However, sometimes Cinderella seemed too wrapped up in the cute boy and less concerned about ... well, being a dragon!
Prince Benedict Charming was brilliant in his arrogance and cringe worthiness. I did expect a bit more action and dragon-hunting from him though and his attitude towards Cinderella when she returned to the castle as a girl was very odd. I truly couldn't tell if he was so self-absorbed he didn't care what had happened, or if he was plotting something.
Overall I did enjoy Dragon by Midnight and read it within a day. It is a very cute, fast-paced fairytale with some genius ideas. The overly descriptive language and lack of character development would push it closer to the middle-grade side of YA for me but I enjoyed the story and will possibly pick up the sequel if I see it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Karen Kincy had some bestseller-worthy ideas when it came to this book: I loved Sikandar's mysterious sorcerer vibe and dark past; the Jinni gave Arabian nights/Aladdin vibes and the plot twist of the curse was brilliant.
However, in my opinion, the major elements that made Dragon by Midnight great were just not developed enough and I was left with unanswered questions, in particular with Cinderella's story line.
Sikandar is bound to be everyone's favourite character and the description of him as a cinnamon roll hero is perfect. I would have liked him to keep his mystery for a bit longer and for the worthiness of his previous actions to be withheld instead of instantly revealed - it felt like he was a mysterious murderer one second and then an amazing hero the next . Although this was in keeping with the fast-paced nature of the story.
Similarly, the romance between Sikandar and Cinderella developed so quickly. She almost fell in love with him straight away! It was also very fluffy and cute: which is not a criticism! This is a YA book after all. However, sometimes Cinderella seemed too wrapped up in the cute boy and less concerned about ... well, being a dragon!
Prince Benedict Charming was brilliant in his arrogance and cringe worthiness. I did expect a bit more action and dragon-hunting from him though and his attitude towards Cinderella when she returned to the castle as a girl was very odd. I truly couldn't tell if he was so self-absorbed he didn't care what had happened, or if he was plotting something.
Overall I did enjoy Dragon by Midnight and read it within a day. It is a very cute, fast-paced fairytale with some genius ideas. The overly descriptive language and lack of character development would push it closer to the middle-grade side of YA for me but I enjoyed the story and will possibly pick up the sequel if I see it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Meadows
10.0
Rate It
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"A story of pain, injustice, love, resistance, and hope, this glorious book will lodge inside you...
YA Dystopian LGBTQ+ Science Fiction
Book Divas (227 KP) rated The Darkest Corners in Books
Dec 12, 2017
I want to sit here and tell you all about this story but I simply can't for if I do then the overwhelming desire to tell you everything that happens from beginning to end will be too much for me and I will cave in and spoil it for you. However, I will tell you this;
_
"The Darkest Corners is a riveting YA read that will blow your mind and have you riding a volatile roller coaster of emotions. So filled to the brim with twists, turns and shocking revelations that I had to put the book down many times just to process the sprawling web of truths, lies and deceit. You are quickly drawn into this extraordinarily written story line with its fascinating cast of characters and you will quickly find yourself immersed in the plot. Kara Thomas has written an explosive masterpiece that will forever be seared into the depths of my soul."
I received a galley from the publisher. I made no guarantee of a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}
_
"The Darkest Corners is a riveting YA read that will blow your mind and have you riding a volatile roller coaster of emotions. So filled to the brim with twists, turns and shocking revelations that I had to put the book down many times just to process the sprawling web of truths, lies and deceit. You are quickly drawn into this extraordinarily written story line with its fascinating cast of characters and you will quickly find yourself immersed in the plot. Kara Thomas has written an explosive masterpiece that will forever be seared into the depths of my soul."
I received a galley from the publisher. I made no guarantee of a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Polaris Uprising (Polaris, #1) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[The Polaris Uprising] has a similar plot line of many teen dystopian novels. It seems that the author [Jennifer Ibarra] borrowed the best parts of many and created her own. This is not a bad thing. In fact it helps to get YA readers to try new books.
The plot is set after a war in which the current leadership came to power and had promised to keep the people from want. Although the leader is called a president he is not democratically elected, in fact it represents a monarchy as he is prepping his youngest daughter to take his place when she come of age. His oldest daughter is a doctor who has just come of age and will marry her 'match'.
In this novel the idea that the state takes care of everything including your decisions is a driving force. It has let to the uprising as people want some freedom back. The sisters get entangled in this conflict. The question is what side will they take?
The plot is set after a war in which the current leadership came to power and had promised to keep the people from want. Although the leader is called a president he is not democratically elected, in fact it represents a monarchy as he is prepping his youngest daughter to take his place when she come of age. His oldest daughter is a doctor who has just come of age and will marry her 'match'.
In this novel the idea that the state takes care of everything including your decisions is a driving force. It has let to the uprising as people want some freedom back. The sisters get entangled in this conflict. The question is what side will they take?
Dean (6927 KP) rated Ghostbusters (2016) in Movies
Jul 29, 2017
Decent Cgi for the Ghosts (1 more)
Good cast chemistry
Who ya gonna call?
Well this caused a stir among the Fanboys. I really like the original but not so much I don't think anyone should make another Ghostbusters film. Some didn't like the idea of an all female team this time round, who cares? From the director of @Spy (2015) , @The Heat (2013) @Bridesmaids (2011) , along with some cast members from the latter. This had a good comedy team involved. It's not great, the humour is more on the silly and slapstick side, a bit crude at times as well. The Cgi and ghost designs were pretty good, if a little cartoonish. Almost like something out of Scooby-Doo. Something that makes me feel this was aimed a young audience and not really fans of the original. It has some nice cameos but overall it's an average film. Watch and make your own mind up.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Heartless in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This book is devastating.
first of all, listening to the audio, it was a bit silly. The accent switched between American and British, and it was weird. The story itself was bonkers (which is to be expected, this is Hearts we're talking about).
What killed me is there's no way for this story to turn out happy. And I am 100% sure of it, so I quit right after the meadow scene. I'll let it work itself out happily in my head. Because I don't feel like having to explain to my boss why I'm crying about a YA novel.
So in my head, Jest took Cath to the Hatter, who made her a hat to make her brave. She marries the king, kills him, kills the jabberwock, and partners with the white queen in Chess to save their kingdom. And she marries Jest and becomes the happiest girl in the world.
EVEN THOUGH I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AND THAT'S NOT IT. Here, Marissa Meyer, just take my heart and stomp on it already.
first of all, listening to the audio, it was a bit silly. The accent switched between American and British, and it was weird. The story itself was bonkers (which is to be expected, this is Hearts we're talking about).
What killed me is there's no way for this story to turn out happy. And I am 100% sure of it, so I quit right after the meadow scene. I'll let it work itself out happily in my head. Because I don't feel like having to explain to my boss why I'm crying about a YA novel.
So in my head, Jest took Cath to the Hatter, who made her a hat to make her brave. She marries the king, kills him, kills the jabberwock, and partners with the white queen in Chess to save their kingdom. And she marries Jest and becomes the happiest girl in the world.
EVEN THOUGH I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AND THAT'S NOT IT. Here, Marissa Meyer, just take my heart and stomp on it already.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Wake of Vultures in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Wake of Vultures was an exciting, fast paced, interesting read. It was fun and different for me. It wasn’t phenomenal. I would probably read the next one in the series, but I wouldn’t spend money on it.
The biggest problem I had with the story was I felt that it tried to deal with too many things at once. Racism, sexism, sexual identity, slavery, nudity, and religion are all important and heavy topics. All of them together in one YA urban fantasy novel? It’s a bit excessive. Even though I of all people understand that sometimes when a story comes to you, as an author, you can’t change your character! That’s just who they are! And don’t get me wrong, the story was great and I enjoyed listening to it, and I was totally caught up in it. But there were times when I would listen and something would come up and I’d be like “this is too much. this is ridiculous.” It felt like overkill.
That aside, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel.
The biggest problem I had with the story was I felt that it tried to deal with too many things at once. Racism, sexism, sexual identity, slavery, nudity, and religion are all important and heavy topics. All of them together in one YA urban fantasy novel? It’s a bit excessive. Even though I of all people understand that sometimes when a story comes to you, as an author, you can’t change your character! That’s just who they are! And don’t get me wrong, the story was great and I enjoyed listening to it, and I was totally caught up in it. But there were times when I would listen and something would come up and I’d be like “this is too much. this is ridiculous.” It felt like overkill.
That aside, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel.