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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Pants Project in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Liv (Olivia) was born a girl, but knows in his heart that he's a boy. But this realization isn't easy for a kid entering middle school, which can be a heartless place for anyone. What complicates things for Liv is a move to a new school, which brings a stringent dress code: girls must wear skirts. No exceptions. Whatsoever. Liv knows in his heart that he's a boy, but the school system (and kids at school) don't see it that way. Liv is already dealing with enough, but now he feels uncomfortable everyday in his school clothes. It also doesn't help that his best friend is dropping him for a group of mean-spirited bullies who bully Liv on a daily basis. But Liv perseveres and comes up with an idea: Operation Pants Project. Liv is going to get this uniform dress code overturned, no matter what.
This is an excellent YA novel that draws you in immediately. I found the storyline to be interesting from the very beginning, and it never wavered. Liv is a wonderful, amazing, resilient young man, and I loved him from the moment I met him. Liv's story is heartbreaking at times, but also very poignant. I see this tale as a must-read for transgender kids, but also all middle school kids, as it offers a wonderful chance to teach empathy. But, seriously, just having this story, and the way Liv expresses his thoughts on being transgender is so key. Yes, a lot of the story is probably a tad simplified, but still. It's just so refreshing to see this in book form.
Liv also has same-sex parents (two mothers) for which he is teased at school, which breaks my heart (being part of a same-sex marriage and having two young daughters). So much of the story hurts your heart at times and makes you just despair how much young kids have to go through at school. Liv meets a new friend in middle school, Jacob, and in reading this book, I just hope that the world continues to be filled with more Liv and Jacobs: it will make it a better place for sure. (I also enjoyed that Clarke seemed to insert an inside joke about how awful and cliche lesbian films can be!)
Overall, I loved this book, and I wish it was on the shelves of every middle school (and high school) -heck all libraries and bookstores-- everywhere! Huge portions of it make you smile, and you will find yourself just rooting for plucky, wonderful Liv and his spirit. There's a great sappy message in this book that I wish everyone could read in these troubled times. Liv has a wonderful sense of humor, and Clarke's writing is perfect for the targeted age group. I do think a great deal is this book is probably a little simplified (not all parents may be as supportive of Liv, for instance), but the bullying aspects at school are spot-on. Just seeing a transgender "tween" in print is great. I would like to see a list of support resources at the end of the book (and I just read an ARC, so it's not the final version) for those who do not have the same support system as Liv. Yes, this book goes a long way toward showing acceptance, but it's not as easy for everyone. I certainly hope it inspires kids to treat everyone equally: it's an important message. I definitely recommend this wonderful novel for kids and adults alike.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 03/01/2017.
This is an excellent YA novel that draws you in immediately. I found the storyline to be interesting from the very beginning, and it never wavered. Liv is a wonderful, amazing, resilient young man, and I loved him from the moment I met him. Liv's story is heartbreaking at times, but also very poignant. I see this tale as a must-read for transgender kids, but also all middle school kids, as it offers a wonderful chance to teach empathy. But, seriously, just having this story, and the way Liv expresses his thoughts on being transgender is so key. Yes, a lot of the story is probably a tad simplified, but still. It's just so refreshing to see this in book form.
Liv also has same-sex parents (two mothers) for which he is teased at school, which breaks my heart (being part of a same-sex marriage and having two young daughters). So much of the story hurts your heart at times and makes you just despair how much young kids have to go through at school. Liv meets a new friend in middle school, Jacob, and in reading this book, I just hope that the world continues to be filled with more Liv and Jacobs: it will make it a better place for sure. (I also enjoyed that Clarke seemed to insert an inside joke about how awful and cliche lesbian films can be!)
Overall, I loved this book, and I wish it was on the shelves of every middle school (and high school) -heck all libraries and bookstores-- everywhere! Huge portions of it make you smile, and you will find yourself just rooting for plucky, wonderful Liv and his spirit. There's a great sappy message in this book that I wish everyone could read in these troubled times. Liv has a wonderful sense of humor, and Clarke's writing is perfect for the targeted age group. I do think a great deal is this book is probably a little simplified (not all parents may be as supportive of Liv, for instance), but the bullying aspects at school are spot-on. Just seeing a transgender "tween" in print is great. I would like to see a list of support resources at the end of the book (and I just read an ARC, so it's not the final version) for those who do not have the same support system as Liv. Yes, this book goes a long way toward showing acceptance, but it's not as easy for everyone. I certainly hope it inspires kids to treat everyone equally: it's an important message. I definitely recommend this wonderful novel for kids and adults alike.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 03/01/2017.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I read the blurb, I knew this was a book I wanted to read and review. I thought it'd be a YA (young adult) book since the main character is 15, but it read more like a MG (middle grade) book. Because it reminded me more of a MG read, I will be reviewing it as such. However, this was still a great read!
The title didn't catch my attention, but I think to a middle grade student, the title would be very catchy.
The cover is alright. It's nothing special, but I do feel it would appeal to a younger age group.
The world building was fantastic! Sarah Norkus does an awesome job at making the world building very believable. I'm no history buff, but Miss Norkus brings the Civil War era come alive. I enjoyed reading about life during the Civil War. It's obvious that Miss Norkus has done some research on this time period.
The pacing was slow at the very beginning. I really wanted to like this book, so I hung in there, and I was greatly rewarded. The pacing picks up when Em gets transported to Sarah Chamberlain's time, and after that, I was hooked on this book!
I loved the plot! Em finds a diary belonging to Sarah Chamberlain in an old house. When Em starts blaming God for everything, she is transported to the Civil War era. However, she ends up losing her memory and can't remember where she came from or anything from her modern life. Being Christian, I loved how the plot of this book had Christian themes.
I thought the characters were written fairly well. Em is supposed to be 15 years old, but I felt she acted and spoke like she was around 12 years old. I had to constantly remind myself that she was a 15 year old girl. Eventually, I just stopped reminding myself of her age and just thought of her as being 12. Em is a very likable girl even if she does act young. Sarah Chamberlain and Abby were both likable characters as well. I found them to both be very sweet natured. I loved how Moses was so protective of Sarah and her family and friends. My favorite character was Rachael. I loved how caring she was and how she would do anything for Sarah or for anyone for that matter. I constantly wanted to just hug her.
As I've said before, the dialogue suits a middle grade book more than it does a young adult book. I did find the way Em speaks, as in the words she uses, sometimes to be a little on the strange side. Other then that, the dialogue is good, and it does flow smoothly. It's just written a little young. There's no swearing and only some violence.
Overall, The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain is a very enjoyable read. It could've been a bit better had the main character's age been lowered or if the writing had been more young adultish. It's a great story with a good message and interesting characters. Plus, there's a history lesson in it!
I'd recommend this book those aged between 10 - 14 although any age would enjoy it. Those who are interested in history and mysteries would enjoy this book the most.
I'd give The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain by Sarah Norkus a 4.25 out of 5.
(I was provided with a free paperback copy of this title from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
When I read the blurb, I knew this was a book I wanted to read and review. I thought it'd be a YA (young adult) book since the main character is 15, but it read more like a MG (middle grade) book. Because it reminded me more of a MG read, I will be reviewing it as such. However, this was still a great read!
The title didn't catch my attention, but I think to a middle grade student, the title would be very catchy.
The cover is alright. It's nothing special, but I do feel it would appeal to a younger age group.
The world building was fantastic! Sarah Norkus does an awesome job at making the world building very believable. I'm no history buff, but Miss Norkus brings the Civil War era come alive. I enjoyed reading about life during the Civil War. It's obvious that Miss Norkus has done some research on this time period.
The pacing was slow at the very beginning. I really wanted to like this book, so I hung in there, and I was greatly rewarded. The pacing picks up when Em gets transported to Sarah Chamberlain's time, and after that, I was hooked on this book!
I loved the plot! Em finds a diary belonging to Sarah Chamberlain in an old house. When Em starts blaming God for everything, she is transported to the Civil War era. However, she ends up losing her memory and can't remember where she came from or anything from her modern life. Being Christian, I loved how the plot of this book had Christian themes.
I thought the characters were written fairly well. Em is supposed to be 15 years old, but I felt she acted and spoke like she was around 12 years old. I had to constantly remind myself that she was a 15 year old girl. Eventually, I just stopped reminding myself of her age and just thought of her as being 12. Em is a very likable girl even if she does act young. Sarah Chamberlain and Abby were both likable characters as well. I found them to both be very sweet natured. I loved how Moses was so protective of Sarah and her family and friends. My favorite character was Rachael. I loved how caring she was and how she would do anything for Sarah or for anyone for that matter. I constantly wanted to just hug her.
As I've said before, the dialogue suits a middle grade book more than it does a young adult book. I did find the way Em speaks, as in the words she uses, sometimes to be a little on the strange side. Other then that, the dialogue is good, and it does flow smoothly. It's just written a little young. There's no swearing and only some violence.
Overall, The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain is a very enjoyable read. It could've been a bit better had the main character's age been lowered or if the writing had been more young adultish. It's a great story with a good message and interesting characters. Plus, there's a history lesson in it!
I'd recommend this book those aged between 10 - 14 although any age would enjoy it. Those who are interested in history and mysteries would enjoy this book the most.
I'd give The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain by Sarah Norkus a 4.25 out of 5.
(I was provided with a free paperback copy of this title from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Slated (Slated #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog at <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
Slated by Teri Terry has been on my to read list for ages, so when I found out I was going to be moving from the UK to the US, I bought it ASAP because it isn't out over here in the US yet. I'm so glad I bought this book. It is so so so good!!
Kyla is a 16 year old girl whose memories have been erased in order to be a more compliant citizen. In other words, Kyla has been slated because she supposedly broke the law. Kyla can't remember anything about her previous life although she is having terrible nightmares that seem too real to just be a dream. Plus, she keeps drawing things that she can't remember ever seeing. Soon, people start disappearing around Kyla for no reason at all. Are they being Slated or is there something else going on?
The title of this book is very straight forward. Slating is the main point of this book. I wouldn't have picked a different title as I feel this one is perfect.
The cover is a bit too plain and boring. It's just kind of meh. Anyone who has read my reviews in the past knows how I don't like covers that just have a face on them. To me, it is an easy way out. It doesn't take much thought when it comes to putting a face on a cover. I wish the cover would show a bit more of the story.
The world building was great! The world in which Kyla lived felt very believable. In fact, the whole storyline felt believable. I especially thought the scenes in which Kyla is in the hospital felt like I was living them as well.
I felt that the author really nailed the pacing. I was hooked from the very first page. Everything just flowed so easily, and I felt myself become totally lost in the pages as the story progressed. It only took me longer to read Slated because I moved from the UK to the US so I didn't have much time to read, otherwise, I'd have had that book read in about 3 days or less.
The dialogue in Slated feels natural. This is a YA book, and the dialogue fits the genre perfectly. Not once does the dialogue feel forced or sound like it was adults speaking. I really enjoyed the internal conflict when it came to Kyla. As for swearing, I don't think there is any in this book.
All the characters in Slated were believable. Kyla really seemed to come across as a character who had lost their memory. At first, I was a bit concerned because Kyla seemed to know what things were even though she had lost all of her memory including motor skills. However, this was explained in the book. Kyla seems very much like a teenage girl. We don't really get to know too much about Amy or Jazz, but even they felt like real characters. For some reason, I couldn't connect to Ben. This wasn't because he was a poorly written character, but it was more of a personal thing. I just found him a tad bit annoying for some reason that I can't explain. My favourite character was Kyla's mum. I just loved the way she interacted with Kyla. Both Kyla's mum and dad are both hiding something that hasn't been revealed in this first book.
Everything about this book was fantastic. I can't think of one single thing wrong with it. It was so much fun to read. I'm only disappointed that I have to wait so long for the second book in the series to be out.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14+ due to violence.
Slated by Teri Terry has been on my to read list for ages, so when I found out I was going to be moving from the UK to the US, I bought it ASAP because it isn't out over here in the US yet. I'm so glad I bought this book. It is so so so good!!
Kyla is a 16 year old girl whose memories have been erased in order to be a more compliant citizen. In other words, Kyla has been slated because she supposedly broke the law. Kyla can't remember anything about her previous life although she is having terrible nightmares that seem too real to just be a dream. Plus, she keeps drawing things that she can't remember ever seeing. Soon, people start disappearing around Kyla for no reason at all. Are they being Slated or is there something else going on?
The title of this book is very straight forward. Slating is the main point of this book. I wouldn't have picked a different title as I feel this one is perfect.
The cover is a bit too plain and boring. It's just kind of meh. Anyone who has read my reviews in the past knows how I don't like covers that just have a face on them. To me, it is an easy way out. It doesn't take much thought when it comes to putting a face on a cover. I wish the cover would show a bit more of the story.
The world building was great! The world in which Kyla lived felt very believable. In fact, the whole storyline felt believable. I especially thought the scenes in which Kyla is in the hospital felt like I was living them as well.
I felt that the author really nailed the pacing. I was hooked from the very first page. Everything just flowed so easily, and I felt myself become totally lost in the pages as the story progressed. It only took me longer to read Slated because I moved from the UK to the US so I didn't have much time to read, otherwise, I'd have had that book read in about 3 days or less.
The dialogue in Slated feels natural. This is a YA book, and the dialogue fits the genre perfectly. Not once does the dialogue feel forced or sound like it was adults speaking. I really enjoyed the internal conflict when it came to Kyla. As for swearing, I don't think there is any in this book.
All the characters in Slated were believable. Kyla really seemed to come across as a character who had lost their memory. At first, I was a bit concerned because Kyla seemed to know what things were even though she had lost all of her memory including motor skills. However, this was explained in the book. Kyla seems very much like a teenage girl. We don't really get to know too much about Amy or Jazz, but even they felt like real characters. For some reason, I couldn't connect to Ben. This wasn't because he was a poorly written character, but it was more of a personal thing. I just found him a tad bit annoying for some reason that I can't explain. My favourite character was Kyla's mum. I just loved the way she interacted with Kyla. Both Kyla's mum and dad are both hiding something that hasn't been revealed in this first book.
Everything about this book was fantastic. I can't think of one single thing wrong with it. It was so much fun to read. I'm only disappointed that I have to wait so long for the second book in the series to be out.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14+ due to violence.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Crank (Crank, #1) in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
Okay, so yesterday I went to my local library to get a library card since I just moved back here. Anyway, I decided to check out their YA section (which was amazing by the way). I came across Crank by Ellen Hopkins which I've only wanted to read since forever!!! It was such a good book!!
Kristina is a high school junior that has everything going for her. She's a family girl, has great friends, and makes good grades. She would never do drugs. However, a trip to visit her father changes everything. Whilst visiting her father, she changes into Bree, the sexy brave girl who is up for anything including drugs. Everything changes for Kristina during that visit. No longer is Kristina a straight edge girl, she is now addicted to crank.
The title of this book is quite straightforward. Crank is an excellent title for this book because it lets you know exactly what's going on. Crank is definitely the main plot line in this story.
Okay, you all know how I am with my covers. I'm really picky about covers for books, so you probably won't believe me when I say that I actually like this cover. Yes, strange I know but there's something about how simplistic it is that makes me like it. It's a straightforward book, so a straightforward cover is a great choice for this book. Crank written in lines in what appears to be some sort of drug really suits this book.
Ellen Hopkins did an excellent job with the world building in Crank. Every scene in this book comes alive no matter if it's taking place during a good moment or a bad one. The settings aren't really described that much which really suits the feeling of the book. However, the surroundings in the book seemed to really transport me to wherever Kristina was.
The pacing is this book really took me by surprise. The first 2 or 3 pages started off slow, and I thought I had made a big mistake in borrowing this book. After the first 2 or 3 pages, the pacing really picked up. It flowed so well. If I hadn't started reading it so late, I would've finished it all in one setting.
There's not much dialogue between the characters due to the book being written mostly in verse. The way the book is written is really done well. The words used work together beautifully. There are a few swear words but not many. I think I counted maybe two or three.
Kristina is a very well developed character. All of her actions and thoughts seem to be consistent with a 16 year old girl. Her reactions to her experiences also seem consistent with her age. I liked Kristina because, although she is a drug addict, I felt that she had a sort of vulnerable quality about her. The supporting characters encountered in the book are also very well developed. They each have their own unique personality.
Keep in mind that this isn't a very long book. It looks like it would be a long book with over 500 pages, but it's written in verse so almost all the pages don't use the whole page. It took me about 2 hours more or less to finish this book. Also, please don't be put off of this book because it's written in verse. I've never been a fan of verse until this book. It's so easy to lose yourself in it and finish it in one sitting.
I definitely loved this book, and I am going back to my library ASAP to get the next book in the series. I can't wait to find out more about Kristina and her life.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14+ due to the themes and language used.
Okay, so yesterday I went to my local library to get a library card since I just moved back here. Anyway, I decided to check out their YA section (which was amazing by the way). I came across Crank by Ellen Hopkins which I've only wanted to read since forever!!! It was such a good book!!
Kristina is a high school junior that has everything going for her. She's a family girl, has great friends, and makes good grades. She would never do drugs. However, a trip to visit her father changes everything. Whilst visiting her father, she changes into Bree, the sexy brave girl who is up for anything including drugs. Everything changes for Kristina during that visit. No longer is Kristina a straight edge girl, she is now addicted to crank.
The title of this book is quite straightforward. Crank is an excellent title for this book because it lets you know exactly what's going on. Crank is definitely the main plot line in this story.
Okay, you all know how I am with my covers. I'm really picky about covers for books, so you probably won't believe me when I say that I actually like this cover. Yes, strange I know but there's something about how simplistic it is that makes me like it. It's a straightforward book, so a straightforward cover is a great choice for this book. Crank written in lines in what appears to be some sort of drug really suits this book.
Ellen Hopkins did an excellent job with the world building in Crank. Every scene in this book comes alive no matter if it's taking place during a good moment or a bad one. The settings aren't really described that much which really suits the feeling of the book. However, the surroundings in the book seemed to really transport me to wherever Kristina was.
The pacing is this book really took me by surprise. The first 2 or 3 pages started off slow, and I thought I had made a big mistake in borrowing this book. After the first 2 or 3 pages, the pacing really picked up. It flowed so well. If I hadn't started reading it so late, I would've finished it all in one setting.
There's not much dialogue between the characters due to the book being written mostly in verse. The way the book is written is really done well. The words used work together beautifully. There are a few swear words but not many. I think I counted maybe two or three.
Kristina is a very well developed character. All of her actions and thoughts seem to be consistent with a 16 year old girl. Her reactions to her experiences also seem consistent with her age. I liked Kristina because, although she is a drug addict, I felt that she had a sort of vulnerable quality about her. The supporting characters encountered in the book are also very well developed. They each have their own unique personality.
Keep in mind that this isn't a very long book. It looks like it would be a long book with over 500 pages, but it's written in verse so almost all the pages don't use the whole page. It took me about 2 hours more or less to finish this book. Also, please don't be put off of this book because it's written in verse. I've never been a fan of verse until this book. It's so easy to lose yourself in it and finish it in one sitting.
I definitely loved this book, and I am going back to my library ASAP to get the next book in the series. I can't wait to find out more about Kristina and her life.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14+ due to the themes and language used.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight in Books
Jun 6, 2018
This review also features on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.
I had never heard about this book until I won it on a blog giveaway. I thought the synopsis sounded good, and I wanted a break from the paranormal genre I usually read. Unfortunately, I was left feeling disappointed by this book.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a story that takes place over a twenty-four hour time frame. Hadley is an American seventeen year old girl who is being forced to go to her father's wedding in London to another woman. Hadley hasn't forgiven him for leaving her and her mother. Hadley misses her original flight by four minutes and is put on the next flight. It is while waiting for her flight that Hadley meets Oliver, a British teen who is on his way to London for a different reason. As luck would have it, Oliver and Hadley are on the same flight and are sitting in the same row. They talk and laugh all throughout their flight but are separated upon going through customs. Hadley is left feeling devastated. Will she ever see Oliver again or will she be doomed to be even more miserable at her dad's wedding?
At first, I didn't really think the title of the book made much sense. I was constantly wondering what the title had to do with the book? I mean, it does feature insta-love, but that's as far as the title went as to matching up with the book. However, the title is spoken by one of the characters in the book, so then it made sense.
I love the cover!! I love the way how it seems as if time has slowed down for the couple on the front of it. It's such a cute cover. It's one of the first things that caught my attention on this book. I also love the basic colours of the book, white, grey and red. It works perfectly!
I thought the setting was fantastic! Jennifer E. Smith did a fantastic job at making London seem perfect. When I've been to a city, I'm a bit more critical when reading about it in a book. However, the author did me proud in this book. Miss Smith was 100 percent accurate when it came to writing about London.
However, the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking. Upon reading every chapter, I just felt bored. This book didn't really make me feel anything. I was really happy that this was a fairly short book for this reason.
The dialogue was great and easy to understand. It's perfect for a YA book. There's no swearing, so it's a great book even for younger teens. Plus, there's no hard words in it that had me running for a dictionary.
As for the characters, Hadley is an okay character. She seems a bit younger than seventeen though if I'm honest. I just could never really get into Hadley. She felt just a bit too one dimensional. There wasn't enough character building for me to really relate to her. I liked Oliver. I found him to be funny and charming. I just wish he was featured in the book more and that the author would've done a bit more character building for him as well.
All in all, I felt this book was lacking major character development. I would've liked to have had more insight into the main characters' lives. Plus, the pacing was just a bit off.
I had never heard about this book until I won it on a blog giveaway. I thought the synopsis sounded good, and I wanted a break from the paranormal genre I usually read. Unfortunately, I was left feeling disappointed by this book.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a story that takes place over a twenty-four hour time frame. Hadley is an American seventeen year old girl who is being forced to go to her father's wedding in London to another woman. Hadley hasn't forgiven him for leaving her and her mother. Hadley misses her original flight by four minutes and is put on the next flight. It is while waiting for her flight that Hadley meets Oliver, a British teen who is on his way to London for a different reason. As luck would have it, Oliver and Hadley are on the same flight and are sitting in the same row. They talk and laugh all throughout their flight but are separated upon going through customs. Hadley is left feeling devastated. Will she ever see Oliver again or will she be doomed to be even more miserable at her dad's wedding?
At first, I didn't really think the title of the book made much sense. I was constantly wondering what the title had to do with the book? I mean, it does feature insta-love, but that's as far as the title went as to matching up with the book. However, the title is spoken by one of the characters in the book, so then it made sense.
I love the cover!! I love the way how it seems as if time has slowed down for the couple on the front of it. It's such a cute cover. It's one of the first things that caught my attention on this book. I also love the basic colours of the book, white, grey and red. It works perfectly!
I thought the setting was fantastic! Jennifer E. Smith did a fantastic job at making London seem perfect. When I've been to a city, I'm a bit more critical when reading about it in a book. However, the author did me proud in this book. Miss Smith was 100 percent accurate when it came to writing about London.
However, the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking. Upon reading every chapter, I just felt bored. This book didn't really make me feel anything. I was really happy that this was a fairly short book for this reason.
The dialogue was great and easy to understand. It's perfect for a YA book. There's no swearing, so it's a great book even for younger teens. Plus, there's no hard words in it that had me running for a dictionary.
As for the characters, Hadley is an okay character. She seems a bit younger than seventeen though if I'm honest. I just could never really get into Hadley. She felt just a bit too one dimensional. There wasn't enough character building for me to really relate to her. I liked Oliver. I found him to be funny and charming. I just wish he was featured in the book more and that the author would've done a bit more character building for him as well.
All in all, I felt this book was lacking major character development. I would've liked to have had more insight into the main characters' lives. Plus, the pacing was just a bit off.
Louise (64 KP) rated When Dimple Met Rishi in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I do love myself a good YA contemporary, and this delivered. ‘When Dimple met Rishi’ has everything that you could want in a coming of age novel, it was diverse, there was romance, families, friendships and the difficulties of growing up.
I couldn’t believe this was Sandhya Menon’s debut novel as the characters felt so real and the writing was amazing.
Dimple Shah is 17 and looking forward to the prospect of college, she has enrolled for a course for computer programming and has so many ideas buzzing around her brain. Her mother has always wanted Dimple to get married and find the IIH (Ideal Indian Husband) than become a student. Dimple also wants to attend a summer camp where she can show off her programming skills and start making a name for herself, the course costs $1000 and is shocked when her parents allow her to go but what she doesn’t know is that they have other plans.
Rishi Patel wants to follow in his parents footsteps with his own arranged marriage. He too is to go to the same Summer camp where he is to meet his future bride, however when they come face to face he realises that Dimple’s parents have failed to mention the arrangement to her. Her future of computer programming seems to be slipping from her grasp at lightening speed.
This book was great it is told in dual perspective and the chapters are just the right length. The writing is easy to read and with the dual narrative you don’t get bored.
Going in to this book I had very little knowledge of Indian culture and arranged marriages as it’s not something that I have read about. This is a positive light on arranged marriages rather than the awful experiences that you hear about. I felt the impact that their culture had on these individuals to carry on with the traditions as expected of them.
I loved the characters Dimple and Rishi,they were different yet so right for each other. Dimple was head strong, determined to make a future out of something she loved and living her life as she wanted rather than expectations. She found her mother over-bearing at times as she was forceful in her suggestions. I loved that Dimple was a nerd, nowadays it’s cool to be one and be different from others and I see that now that I am older but not necessarily when I was a teenager.
Rishi was adorable, he was funny,nerdy and also really talented. He wanted to please his parents by doing what they thought best in his school work but when it came to LOVE, Rishi wanted to follow his culture, have an arranged marriage and children. This was firmly his decision and he such passion when he talked about his culture and the times he visited India.
There were a couple of reasons that I didn’t rate this book a 5 stars and they were; I didn’t really like Ashish’s storyline. The plot was a little predictable, it had great feels in the middle but then it fizzled out as I was getting frustrated with Dimples stubbornness.
This book was great it’s a perfect summer/beach read, I loved the characters, the feels that I got from Menon’s writing and the fulfillment of learning something new. I hope this isn’t the last we see from her as she can only continue to get better.
I rated this 4 out of 5 stars
I do love myself a good YA contemporary, and this delivered. ‘When Dimple met Rishi’ has everything that you could want in a coming of age novel, it was diverse, there was romance, families, friendships and the difficulties of growing up.
I couldn’t believe this was Sandhya Menon’s debut novel as the characters felt so real and the writing was amazing.
Dimple Shah is 17 and looking forward to the prospect of college, she has enrolled for a course for computer programming and has so many ideas buzzing around her brain. Her mother has always wanted Dimple to get married and find the IIH (Ideal Indian Husband) than become a student. Dimple also wants to attend a summer camp where she can show off her programming skills and start making a name for herself, the course costs $1000 and is shocked when her parents allow her to go but what she doesn’t know is that they have other plans.
Rishi Patel wants to follow in his parents footsteps with his own arranged marriage. He too is to go to the same Summer camp where he is to meet his future bride, however when they come face to face he realises that Dimple’s parents have failed to mention the arrangement to her. Her future of computer programming seems to be slipping from her grasp at lightening speed.
This book was great it is told in dual perspective and the chapters are just the right length. The writing is easy to read and with the dual narrative you don’t get bored.
Going in to this book I had very little knowledge of Indian culture and arranged marriages as it’s not something that I have read about. This is a positive light on arranged marriages rather than the awful experiences that you hear about. I felt the impact that their culture had on these individuals to carry on with the traditions as expected of them.
I loved the characters Dimple and Rishi,they were different yet so right for each other. Dimple was head strong, determined to make a future out of something she loved and living her life as she wanted rather than expectations. She found her mother over-bearing at times as she was forceful in her suggestions. I loved that Dimple was a nerd, nowadays it’s cool to be one and be different from others and I see that now that I am older but not necessarily when I was a teenager.
Rishi was adorable, he was funny,nerdy and also really talented. He wanted to please his parents by doing what they thought best in his school work but when it came to LOVE, Rishi wanted to follow his culture, have an arranged marriage and children. This was firmly his decision and he such passion when he talked about his culture and the times he visited India.
There were a couple of reasons that I didn’t rate this book a 5 stars and they were; I didn’t really like Ashish’s storyline. The plot was a little predictable, it had great feels in the middle but then it fizzled out as I was getting frustrated with Dimples stubbornness.
This book was great it’s a perfect summer/beach read, I loved the characters, the feels that I got from Menon’s writing and the fulfillment of learning something new. I hope this isn’t the last we see from her as she can only continue to get better.
I rated this 4 out of 5 stars
Louise (64 KP) rated The Moonlight Dreamers in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I won a copy of this book over at Maximumpopbooks in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book all about friendship.It was a cute, fun and heart warming read and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.
Amber is sick and tired of being treated differently at school, she is not one to conform. All the girls at school are obsessed with beauty, fashion and boys! All she wants is to have a proper conversation with someone her own age about her interests and not to be judged on her views. Inspired by her favourite author Oscar Wilde she plans to start a group called the Moonlight Dreamers, where she can find like-minded people, others who have dreams,others that are different and can talk about anything in the group without being taunted. Four girls join the group but they couldn’t be more different.
Amber,Sky, Maali and Rose couldn’t be more different. Amber is being bullied at school, the main reason being that she has two dads, also she is not getting on with one of them and is leaving her quite stressed. She tries to de-stress with writing on her blog and starting the Moonlight Dreamers. Sky is still grieving for her mother, trying to become a poet and perform in front of others whilst her dad is canoodling with a celebrity. Maali is trying to get the courage to speak to boys so one day she will find her soul mate and Rose is sick and tired of being told what to do by her mother and feeling pressurised by her boyfriend. These girls were so different from one another,we had different religions, race and backgrounds. There was also so much creativity from poetry, writing, art and baking.The diversity in this book was amazing. As soon as I had read that Amber had two dads I knew that I was going to enjoy this book, I have never read anything where there have been same-sex parents and loved that Siobhan Curham added it into the book. There were parts in the book where I was so worried for some of the characters that I was reading as fast as possible to make sure they were alright.
" Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
The book is mostly about developing friendships, families and identity. I liked that this book had no romance in it and it wasn’t needed as there was so much going in on with the girls lives that you were focused on their individual issues. The book was fast paced with a short paragraph or two from each of their point of views. There were also different formats used such as texts, emails and notes from blogs which made the book read quicker.
This book was so honest and relatable,the problems that Teenagers go through at school such as not fitting in, bullying,boyfriends,sex etc etcera. Parents are being……well… Parents!,you know what it’s like when your young, your parents are insufferable, embarrassing and doing everything in their power to make your life hell. I think this book will be great for teenagers and very influential, I personally would have loved a secret society when I was at school.
The ending was really heart warming and wrapped up nicely. My favourite characters from the book are Rose and Maali, I would say this book is for younger YA readers from 13+
I rated this 4.25 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book all about friendship.It was a cute, fun and heart warming read and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.
Amber is sick and tired of being treated differently at school, she is not one to conform. All the girls at school are obsessed with beauty, fashion and boys! All she wants is to have a proper conversation with someone her own age about her interests and not to be judged on her views. Inspired by her favourite author Oscar Wilde she plans to start a group called the Moonlight Dreamers, where she can find like-minded people, others who have dreams,others that are different and can talk about anything in the group without being taunted. Four girls join the group but they couldn’t be more different.
Amber,Sky, Maali and Rose couldn’t be more different. Amber is being bullied at school, the main reason being that she has two dads, also she is not getting on with one of them and is leaving her quite stressed. She tries to de-stress with writing on her blog and starting the Moonlight Dreamers. Sky is still grieving for her mother, trying to become a poet and perform in front of others whilst her dad is canoodling with a celebrity. Maali is trying to get the courage to speak to boys so one day she will find her soul mate and Rose is sick and tired of being told what to do by her mother and feeling pressurised by her boyfriend. These girls were so different from one another,we had different religions, race and backgrounds. There was also so much creativity from poetry, writing, art and baking.The diversity in this book was amazing. As soon as I had read that Amber had two dads I knew that I was going to enjoy this book, I have never read anything where there have been same-sex parents and loved that Siobhan Curham added it into the book. There were parts in the book where I was so worried for some of the characters that I was reading as fast as possible to make sure they were alright.
" Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
The book is mostly about developing friendships, families and identity. I liked that this book had no romance in it and it wasn’t needed as there was so much going in on with the girls lives that you were focused on their individual issues. The book was fast paced with a short paragraph or two from each of their point of views. There were also different formats used such as texts, emails and notes from blogs which made the book read quicker.
This book was so honest and relatable,the problems that Teenagers go through at school such as not fitting in, bullying,boyfriends,sex etc etcera. Parents are being……well… Parents!,you know what it’s like when your young, your parents are insufferable, embarrassing and doing everything in their power to make your life hell. I think this book will be great for teenagers and very influential, I personally would have loved a secret society when I was at school.
The ending was really heart warming and wrapped up nicely. My favourite characters from the book are Rose and Maali, I would say this book is for younger YA readers from 13+
I rated this 4.25 out of 5 stars
Alice (12 KP) rated The Temptation of Dragons (Penny White #1) in Books
Jul 3, 2018
<i>Many thanks to the author Chrys Cymri for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review</i>
Original review can be found on my blog Raptureinbooks <a href="http://wp.me/p5y0lX-1Js">here</a href>
I was kindly offered this book by the author in exchange for an honest review and my initial impressions were "yeah this sounds like my kinda thing. Here there be dragons" ya know? Only to get more fully immersed in the book and find that I was a touch disappointed.
<i>The Temptation of Dragons</i> follows Reverend Penny White as she becomes the Vicar General of an alternate world called Lloegyr - please note that there is a heavy Welsh influence in this book coupled with an enormous religious influence - where dragons, unicorns, gryphons and more reside and coexist in relative peace.
The book starts with Penny White coming home slightly intoxicated and thinking she's going mad when she comes across a dying dragon. In true priestly form Penny gets out of her car and performs the last rites of absolution to what turns out to be a real dragon!
From that moment on Penny's life changes in so many ways - dragons exist, unicorns are real, snail sharks get drunk and gryphons are eating her garden birds. Penny is soon tasked to become the Vicar General to the citizens of Lloegyr and that includes all manner of supernatural beasties. Though expected as the main character is a priest, I didn't expect there to be such a heavy religious influence all throughout with literal verses from the Bible quoted on a regular.
Please understand that this is <b>not</b> anything against the book or against the writer and is merely my thoughts on what I considered an overly religious-toned story set in the wrong time period and the wrong world. I honestly found that the hardest part of reading this book but there were parts that I enjoyed for example: Penny White has what amounts to an obsession with sci-fi/fantasy and occult TV and movies, a lot of which were quite obscure for me (not really a TV and movie person *gasp*) I didn't get several of the references - particularly the Doctor Who ones.
Out of all of the characters my favourite had to be Moriarty - shortened to Morey for some reason - a 47-year-old gryphon with no filter. My favourite quote was from Penny about Morey:
<blockquote>"You've sent me a blue tit murdering creationist with sarcasm management issues."
"Correction. Today he's killing a starling."</blockquote>
The sarcasm and humour was rife throughout this book which was brilliant and gave it a nice light undertone to the ultimate seriousness of the book as a whole.
There was one character I didn't like and that was her brother James- I'm not 100% sure why but something about him rubbed me the wrong way. He's a free loading, insensitive toss pot and possibly a pod person.
However, despite my dislike of the heavy religious overtone and of James, I really, really liked <i>how</i> Chrys wrote the dragons and unicorns and all the other supernatural creatures and they had enough of a description without giving away too much important information; but also, on the flip side, there were away lot of unanswered questions such as how <i>exactly</i> does a unicorn use a telephone?
In all, it was a well written book with an interesting concept and some good characters and prose, dialogue was perfectly modern for Penny and a touch Olde World for a lot of the Lloegyr residents.
Original review can be found on my blog Raptureinbooks <a href="http://wp.me/p5y0lX-1Js">here</a href>
I was kindly offered this book by the author in exchange for an honest review and my initial impressions were "yeah this sounds like my kinda thing. Here there be dragons" ya know? Only to get more fully immersed in the book and find that I was a touch disappointed.
<i>The Temptation of Dragons</i> follows Reverend Penny White as she becomes the Vicar General of an alternate world called Lloegyr - please note that there is a heavy Welsh influence in this book coupled with an enormous religious influence - where dragons, unicorns, gryphons and more reside and coexist in relative peace.
The book starts with Penny White coming home slightly intoxicated and thinking she's going mad when she comes across a dying dragon. In true priestly form Penny gets out of her car and performs the last rites of absolution to what turns out to be a real dragon!
From that moment on Penny's life changes in so many ways - dragons exist, unicorns are real, snail sharks get drunk and gryphons are eating her garden birds. Penny is soon tasked to become the Vicar General to the citizens of Lloegyr and that includes all manner of supernatural beasties. Though expected as the main character is a priest, I didn't expect there to be such a heavy religious influence all throughout with literal verses from the Bible quoted on a regular.
Please understand that this is <b>not</b> anything against the book or against the writer and is merely my thoughts on what I considered an overly religious-toned story set in the wrong time period and the wrong world. I honestly found that the hardest part of reading this book but there were parts that I enjoyed for example: Penny White has what amounts to an obsession with sci-fi/fantasy and occult TV and movies, a lot of which were quite obscure for me (not really a TV and movie person *gasp*) I didn't get several of the references - particularly the Doctor Who ones.
Out of all of the characters my favourite had to be Moriarty - shortened to Morey for some reason - a 47-year-old gryphon with no filter. My favourite quote was from Penny about Morey:
<blockquote>"You've sent me a blue tit murdering creationist with sarcasm management issues."
"Correction. Today he's killing a starling."</blockquote>
The sarcasm and humour was rife throughout this book which was brilliant and gave it a nice light undertone to the ultimate seriousness of the book as a whole.
There was one character I didn't like and that was her brother James- I'm not 100% sure why but something about him rubbed me the wrong way. He's a free loading, insensitive toss pot and possibly a pod person.
However, despite my dislike of the heavy religious overtone and of James, I really, really liked <i>how</i> Chrys wrote the dragons and unicorns and all the other supernatural creatures and they had enough of a description without giving away too much important information; but also, on the flip side, there were away lot of unanswered questions such as how <i>exactly</i> does a unicorn use a telephone?
In all, it was a well written book with an interesting concept and some good characters and prose, dialogue was perfectly modern for Penny and a touch Olde World for a lot of the Lloegyr residents.
Debbie (52 KP) rated Born Scared in Books
Sep 12, 2018
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
#BornScared#NetGalley
Candlewick Press Published Date September 11, 2018 Pages 256
Teens and YA
I had the privilege of being able to read this book before it was published. I did finish this book yesterday which is when it was released. This is the old cover but the new cover is a lot prettier.
This was a different book and I am still trying to process what I read. As of right now I am giving it 3.5 stars.
There were a lot of characters in this book and the transition between each one was a little rough.
This book is about a teenage boy who is afraid of everything. He is so afraid he doesn't go outside and is on medication which only slightly helps.
The story starts with him being born early at 26 weeks. He is part of twins. His sister doesn't live after an hour. He has named her Ellamay. Mom never named her. His fear starts from day one. Part of Ellamay lives within him. There are only three people that he isn't afraid of and they are mom, the doctor and his Aunt Shirley. When he was four he was caught talking with Ellamay and scared his mom and the doctor. His mom's name is Grace and the Doctor's name is Owen Gibson. Everyone else he calls Monkems.
Enter new characters the two Santas who are Leodnar Dacre (Dake) and Carl Jenner. Dake is the follower and Carl is the leader. They are bad men. They are planning on robbing the bank vault, by using yet another person named Gordon. They will make Gordon rob the bank for them by using his mom as leverage. How do they know about Gordon well yet another character is used and that is Kaylee who is dating Carl. Kaylee likes Carl because he is different and fun. Kaylee gives him all the information about Gordon. She assures Carl that Gordon is so predictable that you can set a clock by him.
The story goes on and Elliot is given the wrong medicine so mom needs to go and the correct pills but her car dies and so she ask Shirley to go get them. Shirley is dealing with traffic because it is Christmas Eve. Before she drops of the pills she goes home to pick up the gifts to deliver them along with the pills. Shirley never makes it to their home so Mom goes to her house and she never returns either.
Elliot decides he needs to go and find his mom. This is were his adventure starts. He has a great adventure and was great to read. What happen to him? You will have to read the book. What happen to Shirley and Mom? Again you have to read the book. What does Gordon have to do with this story? I am being very careful trying not to reveal too much. It does get good but I didn't like the ending at all. You are left wondering on what happened to a few of the characters.
If you don't mind being left hanging at the end I would recommend this story. It made me a little upset because I wanted to know. I don't care if it is a good end or a sad end, I just want to know what happen. The jumping around was a little hard and I had to figure out who I was reading about. This is a story I have never read about and it was interesting. Would I read something else by this author, yes I would give him another chance.
#BornScared#NetGalley
Candlewick Press Published Date September 11, 2018 Pages 256
Teens and YA
I had the privilege of being able to read this book before it was published. I did finish this book yesterday which is when it was released. This is the old cover but the new cover is a lot prettier.
This was a different book and I am still trying to process what I read. As of right now I am giving it 3.5 stars.
There were a lot of characters in this book and the transition between each one was a little rough.
This book is about a teenage boy who is afraid of everything. He is so afraid he doesn't go outside and is on medication which only slightly helps.
The story starts with him being born early at 26 weeks. He is part of twins. His sister doesn't live after an hour. He has named her Ellamay. Mom never named her. His fear starts from day one. Part of Ellamay lives within him. There are only three people that he isn't afraid of and they are mom, the doctor and his Aunt Shirley. When he was four he was caught talking with Ellamay and scared his mom and the doctor. His mom's name is Grace and the Doctor's name is Owen Gibson. Everyone else he calls Monkems.
Enter new characters the two Santas who are Leodnar Dacre (Dake) and Carl Jenner. Dake is the follower and Carl is the leader. They are bad men. They are planning on robbing the bank vault, by using yet another person named Gordon. They will make Gordon rob the bank for them by using his mom as leverage. How do they know about Gordon well yet another character is used and that is Kaylee who is dating Carl. Kaylee likes Carl because he is different and fun. Kaylee gives him all the information about Gordon. She assures Carl that Gordon is so predictable that you can set a clock by him.
The story goes on and Elliot is given the wrong medicine so mom needs to go and the correct pills but her car dies and so she ask Shirley to go get them. Shirley is dealing with traffic because it is Christmas Eve. Before she drops of the pills she goes home to pick up the gifts to deliver them along with the pills. Shirley never makes it to their home so Mom goes to her house and she never returns either.
Elliot decides he needs to go and find his mom. This is were his adventure starts. He has a great adventure and was great to read. What happen to him? You will have to read the book. What happen to Shirley and Mom? Again you have to read the book. What does Gordon have to do with this story? I am being very careful trying not to reveal too much. It does get good but I didn't like the ending at all. You are left wondering on what happened to a few of the characters.
If you don't mind being left hanging at the end I would recommend this story. It made me a little upset because I wanted to know. I don't care if it is a good end or a sad end, I just want to know what happen. The jumping around was a little hard and I had to figure out who I was reading about. This is a story I have never read about and it was interesting. Would I read something else by this author, yes I would give him another chance.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Mephisto: The Card Game in Tabletop Games
Jun 18, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)
Ya done messed up and made a deal with devil. Now he requires you to harvest souls from monsters as payment in return. How will you do this? You have no weapons, no skills, and no plan. Luckily, there is a grid of powerful cards to aid you in your toils. Only one problem: you gotta stay in your lane.
DISCLAIMER: I am not intending to cover every rule in the rulebook (well, rule cards), but to give you an idea of how the game plays. -T
Mephisto is a card drafting, hand management game (with a dash of take-that) played using a grid of cards to be affected and manipulated… LIKE YOUR SOUL!! Setup is easy for a multiplayer game. Deal a hand of cards to each player, setup the main 3 x 3 grid of cards in the middle of the table with the draw deck in the center, and two corners (making a diagonal line) having random placeholder cards face-down to be unavailable for play. The reasoning is simple: where you sit at the table determines in which lane, like in bowling, you can play your cards to (if you have ever played the Adventure Time Card Wars game you will instantly be familiar) and you only have access to two cards in each lane.
You will be using your hand of cards to gain favor from Mephistopheles, to fight and kill monsters to reap their souls, to gain cards from the grid, and to activate items or spell cards for their abilities. Many cards can combo together, and several cards are multipurpose/multi-use cards that can decay every time you use them, so you must take care not to allow your powerful weapons to lose all durability before you can maximize their effectiveness. The first player to amass a total of 12 souls will gain the ultimate wish from Mephistopheles: infinite power!
Components: This game consists of a deck of cards, which are of great quality. I believe this was an earlier-than-originally-expected Kickstarter fulfillment due to switching manufacturers to an American-based company, so we Americans were able to enjoy the game sooner as a result. In any case, the cards are great. What I love about the components is the art. The art on the cards are really really cool. I love the art style employed here, and the explosive neon color scheme used. What I really wished had happened was that the colors would be alluded to on the box cover as well. Honestly, if I had never heard of this game and saw the dark dark colors and occultish logo on the box I probably would have passed it up as “not for me.” But, playing the game is much more enjoyable with a fresh and vibrant set of cards.
I made a comparison to Adventure Time Card Wars in referencing how the lanes worked in play. And honestly, the game kinda feels like ATCW with a different skin. There is some take-that, some moving cards into different lanes, and affecting different cards in the grid. Now, I am an Adventure Time fan, but I just could not get into that game. Mephisto feels familiar in that… lane… but I must like the theme more, because I would rather play Mephisto over ATCW. If you haven’t played a game using lanes like this and don’t mind a darker theme I say give it a shot. It’s small (deck of playing cards size), portable, inexpensive, and a pretty good game. Purple Phoenix Games, with guest Tony, give this one a darkened 15 / 24.
DISCLAIMER: I am not intending to cover every rule in the rulebook (well, rule cards), but to give you an idea of how the game plays. -T
Mephisto is a card drafting, hand management game (with a dash of take-that) played using a grid of cards to be affected and manipulated… LIKE YOUR SOUL!! Setup is easy for a multiplayer game. Deal a hand of cards to each player, setup the main 3 x 3 grid of cards in the middle of the table with the draw deck in the center, and two corners (making a diagonal line) having random placeholder cards face-down to be unavailable for play. The reasoning is simple: where you sit at the table determines in which lane, like in bowling, you can play your cards to (if you have ever played the Adventure Time Card Wars game you will instantly be familiar) and you only have access to two cards in each lane.
You will be using your hand of cards to gain favor from Mephistopheles, to fight and kill monsters to reap their souls, to gain cards from the grid, and to activate items or spell cards for their abilities. Many cards can combo together, and several cards are multipurpose/multi-use cards that can decay every time you use them, so you must take care not to allow your powerful weapons to lose all durability before you can maximize their effectiveness. The first player to amass a total of 12 souls will gain the ultimate wish from Mephistopheles: infinite power!
Components: This game consists of a deck of cards, which are of great quality. I believe this was an earlier-than-originally-expected Kickstarter fulfillment due to switching manufacturers to an American-based company, so we Americans were able to enjoy the game sooner as a result. In any case, the cards are great. What I love about the components is the art. The art on the cards are really really cool. I love the art style employed here, and the explosive neon color scheme used. What I really wished had happened was that the colors would be alluded to on the box cover as well. Honestly, if I had never heard of this game and saw the dark dark colors and occultish logo on the box I probably would have passed it up as “not for me.” But, playing the game is much more enjoyable with a fresh and vibrant set of cards.
I made a comparison to Adventure Time Card Wars in referencing how the lanes worked in play. And honestly, the game kinda feels like ATCW with a different skin. There is some take-that, some moving cards into different lanes, and affecting different cards in the grid. Now, I am an Adventure Time fan, but I just could not get into that game. Mephisto feels familiar in that… lane… but I must like the theme more, because I would rather play Mephisto over ATCW. If you haven’t played a game using lanes like this and don’t mind a darker theme I say give it a shot. It’s small (deck of playing cards size), portable, inexpensive, and a pretty good game. Purple Phoenix Games, with guest Tony, give this one a darkened 15 / 24.