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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Immortal Writers in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Words are the most powerful form of magic. Jill Bowers creates a unique fantasy concept in this soon to be published adventure novel. When <i>Immortal Writers</i> begins, the genre is similar to many contemporary novels: characters living normal day-to-day lives. Eighteen-year-old Liz has just landed back in her hometown after touring to promote her new novel, the next in a popular fantasy series that won her the Best Young Fantasy Award. All she wants is to return to her apartment and go to bed, so being kidnapped was not part of her plan. Especially not being kidnapped by the formidable William Shakespeare.
What Liz and readers both learn next is a brilliant, awe-inspiring idea. Imagine that all the world’s most famous authors were immortal and lived together in a magical castle manipulated by the science fiction novelists. That is what Liz suddenly has to come to terms with. Although she is only young, her books show so much potential that she is already initiated into the Immortal Writers. But it is not only legendary writers inhabiting this fortress. When an author becomes immortal, their characters become real. Liz is shocked to come face to face with the handsome hero of her story as well as a few of her supporting characters. However that is not all that has crossed over into reality.
As well as the goodies, the evil characters have also been brought into the world. Kenric, Liz’s antagonist, has hidden himself nearby with hundreds of dragons. He wants dominion over the entire planet and the only person that can stop him is Liz herself. So begins an adventure of learning to use magic, sword fights, dragon attacks and inevitable, heart wrenching causalities.
As a writer, Jill Bowers has not quite got the level of standard that the top authors have achieved. This is evident from the lack of description and awkwardness of the prose throughout the first few chapters. Once the storyline is well under way it becomes a lot easier to read; whether her writing improves is debatable, but her imagination captures the readers attention and provides a thoroughly entertaining narrative.
It is not solely the plot, characters and action that will stay in readers’ minds – the overall concept is fantastic. Who would not want their favourite authors to live forever? I would love to meet a William Shakespeare who has adapted himself to modern day living. Even more exciting is the possibility of meeting fictional characters. Each reader is bound to start daydreaming about which of their most loved books they would like to become real. How great would it be to meet Harry Potter, or see a unicorn, or eat some chocolate made by Willy Wonka, or… the possibilities are endless.
<i>Immortal Writers</i> is the first novel in a series so there will be more books that focus on this amazing idea. From the preview at the end of this copy, it appears that the following book will be about different authors/characters, therefore will provide a whole new outline to wrap our heads around.
Fantasy fans should definitely seek out this series. The writing may not exactly be up to par, but the general storyline is unquestionably worth it. Encompassing, contemporary, adventure and romance genres, <i>Immortal Writers</i> is an incredible fantasy story based in the “real” world.
Words are the most powerful form of magic. Jill Bowers creates a unique fantasy concept in this soon to be published adventure novel. When <i>Immortal Writers</i> begins, the genre is similar to many contemporary novels: characters living normal day-to-day lives. Eighteen-year-old Liz has just landed back in her hometown after touring to promote her new novel, the next in a popular fantasy series that won her the Best Young Fantasy Award. All she wants is to return to her apartment and go to bed, so being kidnapped was not part of her plan. Especially not being kidnapped by the formidable William Shakespeare.
What Liz and readers both learn next is a brilliant, awe-inspiring idea. Imagine that all the world’s most famous authors were immortal and lived together in a magical castle manipulated by the science fiction novelists. That is what Liz suddenly has to come to terms with. Although she is only young, her books show so much potential that she is already initiated into the Immortal Writers. But it is not only legendary writers inhabiting this fortress. When an author becomes immortal, their characters become real. Liz is shocked to come face to face with the handsome hero of her story as well as a few of her supporting characters. However that is not all that has crossed over into reality.
As well as the goodies, the evil characters have also been brought into the world. Kenric, Liz’s antagonist, has hidden himself nearby with hundreds of dragons. He wants dominion over the entire planet and the only person that can stop him is Liz herself. So begins an adventure of learning to use magic, sword fights, dragon attacks and inevitable, heart wrenching causalities.
As a writer, Jill Bowers has not quite got the level of standard that the top authors have achieved. This is evident from the lack of description and awkwardness of the prose throughout the first few chapters. Once the storyline is well under way it becomes a lot easier to read; whether her writing improves is debatable, but her imagination captures the readers attention and provides a thoroughly entertaining narrative.
It is not solely the plot, characters and action that will stay in readers’ minds – the overall concept is fantastic. Who would not want their favourite authors to live forever? I would love to meet a William Shakespeare who has adapted himself to modern day living. Even more exciting is the possibility of meeting fictional characters. Each reader is bound to start daydreaming about which of their most loved books they would like to become real. How great would it be to meet Harry Potter, or see a unicorn, or eat some chocolate made by Willy Wonka, or… the possibilities are endless.
<i>Immortal Writers</i> is the first novel in a series so there will be more books that focus on this amazing idea. From the preview at the end of this copy, it appears that the following book will be about different authors/characters, therefore will provide a whole new outline to wrap our heads around.
Fantasy fans should definitely seek out this series. The writing may not exactly be up to par, but the general storyline is unquestionably worth it. Encompassing, contemporary, adventure and romance genres, <i>Immortal Writers</i> is an incredible fantasy story based in the “real” world.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Music Man in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Music Man by Moonyani Write is Written in a very different style, with no long paragraphs. Each sentence seems to be tarted on a different line, at least the dialogue is written this way. I recommend reading this book at a slower pace, there is no need to rush through it. In fact if you rush while reading this book there is a good chance that the reader wll miss things. Over all this book is a good way to kill some time.
A young boy by the name of Jimmy runs away from home on a cold day. He finds himself knocking on the door of the Music Man asking to come out of the cold. Jimmy and the Music Man find that they both have a love for music, especially melodies. With the help of a few neighbors, they bring the Music Man's piano downstairs from the attic. Then while playing a song together that the Music Man wrote on his piano they are magically transported to another world.
In this new world, the Music Man is a famous conductor who is scheduled to perform a concert in a few days. There is another conductor called Hornsbury who is using his music to possess people in an attempt to take over the world, one town at a time. Now Jimmy and his new friends must set out to stop Hornsbury. They travel to the town that Hornsbury came from in search of answers while the Music Man stays in Harmony town with his new friend Olivia. In the course of trying do defeat Hornsbuy it becomes clear that not everyone living in Harmony is exactly who they claim they are.
What I liked best was the lessons this story offers. All the characters go through some kind transformation and many experience personal growth. The happy ending, although expect was still a nice touch even with all the twists along the way. What I didn't like was the style itself, in fact, it was a major negative for me. I lost track of who was talking to who frequently because of the lack of paragraphs. The lack of paragraphs also caused me to get confused when the story shifted from Jimmny to Hornsbury. It was also extremely anti-climatic during the big battle at the end and did not build tension very well.
The target readers for this book are young teens. To be honest I would not recommend this book to teens with a high reading level. The content and subject matter should not be a problem if younger
readers would like to give this book a try as well. On face value the book may seem a bit on the longer side but readers should not let this intimidate them because it really is not that long of a book. I rate this book 2 out of 4. This is because while the story itself was decent the writing felt inconsistent. The style it was written in made it choppy to read. There were also times when it would be nicely detailed and then vague all in the same chapter.
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A young boy by the name of Jimmy runs away from home on a cold day. He finds himself knocking on the door of the Music Man asking to come out of the cold. Jimmy and the Music Man find that they both have a love for music, especially melodies. With the help of a few neighbors, they bring the Music Man's piano downstairs from the attic. Then while playing a song together that the Music Man wrote on his piano they are magically transported to another world.
In this new world, the Music Man is a famous conductor who is scheduled to perform a concert in a few days. There is another conductor called Hornsbury who is using his music to possess people in an attempt to take over the world, one town at a time. Now Jimmy and his new friends must set out to stop Hornsbury. They travel to the town that Hornsbury came from in search of answers while the Music Man stays in Harmony town with his new friend Olivia. In the course of trying do defeat Hornsbuy it becomes clear that not everyone living in Harmony is exactly who they claim they are.
What I liked best was the lessons this story offers. All the characters go through some kind transformation and many experience personal growth. The happy ending, although expect was still a nice touch even with all the twists along the way. What I didn't like was the style itself, in fact, it was a major negative for me. I lost track of who was talking to who frequently because of the lack of paragraphs. The lack of paragraphs also caused me to get confused when the story shifted from Jimmny to Hornsbury. It was also extremely anti-climatic during the big battle at the end and did not build tension very well.
The target readers for this book are young teens. To be honest I would not recommend this book to teens with a high reading level. The content and subject matter should not be a problem if younger
readers would like to give this book a try as well. On face value the book may seem a bit on the longer side but readers should not let this intimidate them because it really is not that long of a book. I rate this book 2 out of 4. This is because while the story itself was decent the writing felt inconsistent. The style it was written in made it choppy to read. There were also times when it would be nicely detailed and then vague all in the same chapter.
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
And I Darken</i> is the first book in a brand new saga, <i>The Conquerors</i>, by bestselling author Kiersten White. Aimed at young adults, it is set at the time of the Ottoman Empire, providing a brief historical lesson as well as an entertaining story.
Inspired by Vlad the Impaler, the tale begins in Transylvania, 1453 with the birth of Lada, a daughter for the ruler of Wallachia, Vlad Dracula (no relation to the vampire). Despite the expectation that women are quiet, docile and mere possessions, Lada grows up with a vicious temper, as wild and fierce as a boar, unlike her younger brother, Radu, who is very cautious by nature. The siblings, caught up in their father’s politics, are sent away to another city. Lada however cannot be tamed, and is quick to insult or physically assault anyone who tries to put her in her place, even her new friend who so happens to be in line to become sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
As the children grow up they begin to involve themselves in the running of the empire, providing advice and companionship to the new sultan. Both Lada and Radu experience strong feelings for their friend, which they try to suppress - Radu, because it is improper (for that time period), and Lada, because she wants to be a strong, independent warrior with the same rights as all men.
<i>And I Darken</i> is extremely political but not in the same vein as politics today. Back in the 1400s, constitutional disagreements lead directly to wars, usually caused by the greed of the ever-expanding empire. Whilst these events are taking place, the true story line surfaces, exploring three very strong relationships. Despite Lada’s façade she is a young woman who cares deeply but does not let her feelings get in the way of achieving greatness. Jealousies and misunderstandings challenge the bonds between friends and siblings, resulting in a cliffhanger to encourage the read to eagerly await the next installment.
Although based on true events, <i>And I Darken</i> is mostly a fantasy. Lada has the characteristics and behaviour of Vlad the Impaler, something that would not have been possible at the time for a woman, but other than references to various battles, there are no other correlations.
The relationships focused on in the narrative can be frustrating at times, and it is easy to become annoyed at the key characters’ actions. Often I felt like giving up on the book, as I was not interesting in the gruesome fighting scenes, and not particularly keen on either Lada or Radu. Although I can admire Lada for her strengths and aspirations and agree that she is right to want more in her life as a woman, I found her malicious behavior difficult to respect.
Overall, <i>And I Darken</i> is a bold attempt by Kiersten White to combine history, romance and young adult fiction, particularly as the characters who would be considered teenagers today, were deemed adults during that time period, resulting in them being much more mature than many of today’s readers. This series is suitable for male and female readers alike as it contains an equal measure of bloody action and budding romance. Sadly, despite my high hopes, this book was not for me.
And I Darken</i> is the first book in a brand new saga, <i>The Conquerors</i>, by bestselling author Kiersten White. Aimed at young adults, it is set at the time of the Ottoman Empire, providing a brief historical lesson as well as an entertaining story.
Inspired by Vlad the Impaler, the tale begins in Transylvania, 1453 with the birth of Lada, a daughter for the ruler of Wallachia, Vlad Dracula (no relation to the vampire). Despite the expectation that women are quiet, docile and mere possessions, Lada grows up with a vicious temper, as wild and fierce as a boar, unlike her younger brother, Radu, who is very cautious by nature. The siblings, caught up in their father’s politics, are sent away to another city. Lada however cannot be tamed, and is quick to insult or physically assault anyone who tries to put her in her place, even her new friend who so happens to be in line to become sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
As the children grow up they begin to involve themselves in the running of the empire, providing advice and companionship to the new sultan. Both Lada and Radu experience strong feelings for their friend, which they try to suppress - Radu, because it is improper (for that time period), and Lada, because she wants to be a strong, independent warrior with the same rights as all men.
<i>And I Darken</i> is extremely political but not in the same vein as politics today. Back in the 1400s, constitutional disagreements lead directly to wars, usually caused by the greed of the ever-expanding empire. Whilst these events are taking place, the true story line surfaces, exploring three very strong relationships. Despite Lada’s façade she is a young woman who cares deeply but does not let her feelings get in the way of achieving greatness. Jealousies and misunderstandings challenge the bonds between friends and siblings, resulting in a cliffhanger to encourage the read to eagerly await the next installment.
Although based on true events, <i>And I Darken</i> is mostly a fantasy. Lada has the characteristics and behaviour of Vlad the Impaler, something that would not have been possible at the time for a woman, but other than references to various battles, there are no other correlations.
The relationships focused on in the narrative can be frustrating at times, and it is easy to become annoyed at the key characters’ actions. Often I felt like giving up on the book, as I was not interesting in the gruesome fighting scenes, and not particularly keen on either Lada or Radu. Although I can admire Lada for her strengths and aspirations and agree that she is right to want more in her life as a woman, I found her malicious behavior difficult to respect.
Overall, <i>And I Darken</i> is a bold attempt by Kiersten White to combine history, romance and young adult fiction, particularly as the characters who would be considered teenagers today, were deemed adults during that time period, resulting in them being much more mature than many of today’s readers. This series is suitable for male and female readers alike as it contains an equal measure of bloody action and budding romance. Sadly, despite my high hopes, this book was not for me.
War Horse
Michael Morpurgo and Francois Place
9.1
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Before the Steven Spielberg film, before the National Theatre production, there was the classic...
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2; Liaden Universe, #14) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
[b:Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2)|6669085|Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2) (Liaden Universe, #13)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276362333s/6669085.jpg|6131174] is good enough that I finished [b:Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1)|5585180|Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1) (Liaden Universe, #12)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256005889s/5585180.jpg|5756422], then read it in one sitting. It simply has the sort of momentum that doesn't allow for good stopping points — something that is true of many of the Liaden Universe novels.
At the end of Fledgling, Theo was sponsored into pilot school by Scout Cho sig'Radia. Saltation begins with her time there, just as politically naive as ever, but a much more confident person than she was at the beginning of Fledgling. Many of the characters from Fledgling reappear, including Win Ton, Kamele, and Jen Sar. There are new characters too, though, such as Kara ven'Arith and Orn Ald yos'Senchul (who, by the way, also appear in a free story, <a href="http://baen.com/LandedAlien.asp">Landed Alien</a>, that has just been released at the Baen web site and should be read after Saltation).
Theo is a legal adult now, but a very young one, and she has plenty of growing up left to do. That said, this is a young ADULT novel, not a children's book — while it isn't discussed specifically, Theo does take a lover.
She continues to flex and stretch into an admirable heroine. She isn't perfect, by any means, being sometimes short-tempered and not understanding social cues easily. She's someone readers can relate to, though, and that is important. We were brought up concurrent with the end of [b:I Dare|1103876|I Dare (Liaden Universe, #11)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181013406s/1103876.jpg|1644933], which was vastly satisfying. I will go right on with reading [b:Ghost Ship|9762449|Ghost Ship (Liaden Universe, #14, Theo Waitley, #3)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880001s/9762449.jpg|14651808], because I definitely want to know more!
At the end of Fledgling, Theo was sponsored into pilot school by Scout Cho sig'Radia. Saltation begins with her time there, just as politically naive as ever, but a much more confident person than she was at the beginning of Fledgling. Many of the characters from Fledgling reappear, including Win Ton, Kamele, and Jen Sar. There are new characters too, though, such as Kara ven'Arith and Orn Ald yos'Senchul (who, by the way, also appear in a free story, <a href="http://baen.com/LandedAlien.asp">Landed Alien</a>, that has just been released at the Baen web site and should be read after Saltation).
Theo is a legal adult now, but a very young one, and she has plenty of growing up left to do. That said, this is a young ADULT novel, not a children's book — while it isn't discussed specifically, Theo does take a lover.
She continues to flex and stretch into an admirable heroine. She isn't perfect, by any means, being sometimes short-tempered and not understanding social cues easily. She's someone readers can relate to, though, and that is important. We were brought up concurrent with the end of [b:I Dare|1103876|I Dare (Liaden Universe, #11)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181013406s/1103876.jpg|1644933], which was vastly satisfying. I will go right on with reading [b:Ghost Ship|9762449|Ghost Ship (Liaden Universe, #14, Theo Waitley, #3)|Sharon Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880001s/9762449.jpg|14651808], because I definitely want to know more!
My rating: 3.5
<i>I won a copy for free through Totally Random Books on Facebook</i>
<i>Crusher</i> is the first installment and debut novel in a young adult thriller series by Irish born author Niall Leonard. Set in present day London it follows Finn Maguire, an illiterate, 17-year old drop out with no GCSEs, after the murder of his stepfather. Being marked as the prime suspect by the police, Finn is determined to discover who the real murdered was, and just as importantly, what their motive was.
As the story unfolds Finn pursues multiples of potential killers. Could it be someone his father knew? As an ex-actor many people knew him. Or was he writing about something someone would rather no become public knowledge? Perhaps London’s biggest gangster, Joseph McGovern, had something to do with it? As Finn gets involved with these people he finds he has put him self in danger of being killed as well.
Leonard writes well and the story is fast paced and engaging however there was an inconsistency in the narrative. Towards the beginning Finn tells the reader “I put in my password and the laptop grunted and groaned… The cops hadn’t asked for my password… Obviously they’d managed to bypass it some how.” However in the following chapter Finn talks about the same laptop: “Eventually the desktop appeared with a tinny fanfare. I’d never bothered with a password… I found it a huge pain in the arse to enter one.” Hmm, that does not quite add up!
Another issue with this novel is that Finn is meant to be an uneducated, ex-drug dealer however he comes across as more of a semi-polite but witty average teenager who is able to take care of himself. The character portrayal becomes slightly more accurate towards the conclusion of the book, but some may find it difficult to picture Finn the way Leonard intended readers to.
Despite these complaints it is a good read. Many young adults would enjoy it.
<i>I won a copy for free through Totally Random Books on Facebook</i>
<i>Crusher</i> is the first installment and debut novel in a young adult thriller series by Irish born author Niall Leonard. Set in present day London it follows Finn Maguire, an illiterate, 17-year old drop out with no GCSEs, after the murder of his stepfather. Being marked as the prime suspect by the police, Finn is determined to discover who the real murdered was, and just as importantly, what their motive was.
As the story unfolds Finn pursues multiples of potential killers. Could it be someone his father knew? As an ex-actor many people knew him. Or was he writing about something someone would rather no become public knowledge? Perhaps London’s biggest gangster, Joseph McGovern, had something to do with it? As Finn gets involved with these people he finds he has put him self in danger of being killed as well.
Leonard writes well and the story is fast paced and engaging however there was an inconsistency in the narrative. Towards the beginning Finn tells the reader “I put in my password and the laptop grunted and groaned… The cops hadn’t asked for my password… Obviously they’d managed to bypass it some how.” However in the following chapter Finn talks about the same laptop: “Eventually the desktop appeared with a tinny fanfare. I’d never bothered with a password… I found it a huge pain in the arse to enter one.” Hmm, that does not quite add up!
Another issue with this novel is that Finn is meant to be an uneducated, ex-drug dealer however he comes across as more of a semi-polite but witty average teenager who is able to take care of himself. The character portrayal becomes slightly more accurate towards the conclusion of the book, but some may find it difficult to picture Finn the way Leonard intended readers to.
Despite these complaints it is a good read. Many young adults would enjoy it.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Adventures of Pugalugs: Trick or Treat in Books
Jan 9, 2020
The Adventures of Pugalugs: Trick or Treat by Jessica Parish is the Halloween edition of Pugalugs. It is a cute story that should not scare children at all.
In this Halloween adventure Pugalugs is getting ready to go trick or treating with his siblings Dug and Bella. He starts digging through a chest full of costumes trying to find the perfect one. Unfortunately, he finds this task o be a bit on the difficult side. Pugalugs and his siblings seem to be able to find something wrong with every costume he tries out. He tries everything from a scary ghost to a silly pumpkin. Finally, at the very end, Pugalugs finds the perfect costume at the bottom of the chest. After getting dressed up Pugalugs surprise everyone with his wonderful disguise.
What I liked best was each of the costumes that Pugalugs tries on is cute in its own way. Pugalugs entertains children with his silly antics by tripping over the tail of one costume and getting all tangled up in another one. At the end, he decides the best thing to be is himself. What I didnt like was that this book was not quite what I expected, although that is not a problem. I was expecting Pugalugs to actually be trick or treating and possibly overcoming a fear. Instead, Pugalugs is getting ready to go trick or treating but never actually leaves the house.
Animal lovers of all ages will enjoy this fun Halloween book. Toddlers and young children will enjoy having this book read to them over and over again while slightly older children will enjoy reading it themselves. I rate this book 4 out of 4. The small paragraphs accompanied by full-page pictures keep the book from being intimidating to young readers. The rhymes in this book keep it moving at a steady speed and it has a wonderful lesson for children; be your self.
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In this Halloween adventure Pugalugs is getting ready to go trick or treating with his siblings Dug and Bella. He starts digging through a chest full of costumes trying to find the perfect one. Unfortunately, he finds this task o be a bit on the difficult side. Pugalugs and his siblings seem to be able to find something wrong with every costume he tries out. He tries everything from a scary ghost to a silly pumpkin. Finally, at the very end, Pugalugs finds the perfect costume at the bottom of the chest. After getting dressed up Pugalugs surprise everyone with his wonderful disguise.
What I liked best was each of the costumes that Pugalugs tries on is cute in its own way. Pugalugs entertains children with his silly antics by tripping over the tail of one costume and getting all tangled up in another one. At the end, he decides the best thing to be is himself. What I didnt like was that this book was not quite what I expected, although that is not a problem. I was expecting Pugalugs to actually be trick or treating and possibly overcoming a fear. Instead, Pugalugs is getting ready to go trick or treating but never actually leaves the house.
Animal lovers of all ages will enjoy this fun Halloween book. Toddlers and young children will enjoy having this book read to them over and over again while slightly older children will enjoy reading it themselves. I rate this book 4 out of 4. The small paragraphs accompanied by full-page pictures keep the book from being intimidating to young readers. The rhymes in this book keep it moving at a steady speed and it has a wonderful lesson for children; be your self.
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Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Dream Pony in Books
Jan 9, 2020
The Dream Pony by Shanon Picciolo is a great bedtime story. It does not have too much action in it and has a nice, calming feel to it.
A young girl by the name of Emilie is outside daydreaming when she thinks she hears hoofbeats. She sits very quietly and soon a pony approaches her. Once she gains the ponys trust she climbs on its back and they go for a ride together.
The pony takes her to a beautiful stream, a faraway valley, and even way up on top of a mountain. Together they play with deer and run with timberwolves. Finally, when it gets dark the pony takes Emilie back home so she can go to bed and dream about a pony in the woods.
What I liked best is that the book takes readers through multiple different areas of the forest and mountains on horseback. Many children dream of having or at least riding a horse one day and Dream Pony takes them on that wonderful journey. What I did not like was that there is one page that is twice as long as the others. Some children with shorter attention spans may have issues with this page as it changes the pace of the story. Parents should be aware of this and ready to help if a child is trying to read it on their own.
Young children will enjoy having this book read to them. Also, children who are starting to read on their own may find this book enjoyable, though they may need help with some of the words. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. Other than the one page being longer than necessary there is nothing negative to say about this book. With the book even ending with the words Good Night this book gives children something great to imagine right before bed and encourages good dreams.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
A young girl by the name of Emilie is outside daydreaming when she thinks she hears hoofbeats. She sits very quietly and soon a pony approaches her. Once she gains the ponys trust she climbs on its back and they go for a ride together.
The pony takes her to a beautiful stream, a faraway valley, and even way up on top of a mountain. Together they play with deer and run with timberwolves. Finally, when it gets dark the pony takes Emilie back home so she can go to bed and dream about a pony in the woods.
What I liked best is that the book takes readers through multiple different areas of the forest and mountains on horseback. Many children dream of having or at least riding a horse one day and Dream Pony takes them on that wonderful journey. What I did not like was that there is one page that is twice as long as the others. Some children with shorter attention spans may have issues with this page as it changes the pace of the story. Parents should be aware of this and ready to help if a child is trying to read it on their own.
Young children will enjoy having this book read to them. Also, children who are starting to read on their own may find this book enjoyable, though they may need help with some of the words. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. Other than the one page being longer than necessary there is nothing negative to say about this book. With the book even ending with the words Good Night this book gives children something great to imagine right before bed and encourages good dreams.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
BookInspector (124 KP) rated In Bloom (Sweetpea, #2) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This time Rhiannon takes us on an exclusive journey through her pregnancy, and it is absolutely hilarious. My inner psycho really missed this foul-mouthed but brutally honest character. (Don’t pretend you don’t have one!) It is so amusing to read about all her actions, pretending and manipulations and at the same time to hear what she is truly thinking about everybody in this book. She is a very original and absorbing character, that is why a single perspective in this book works very well.
This book is a continuation of the previous part, so if you would like to understand what is going on, you have to read Sweetpea first. The author takes us through Rhiannon’s pregnancy and the ugly stuff that pregnancy brings you. Yes, all the vomiting, backache, bloating and non stop eating etc., not the bliss, joy and other unicorn poop. SHE KEEPS IT REAL! 😀 The police are on Rhiannon’s back, and her baby is TRYING to stop her from the murdering, that is why our main character has to take it a bit easier in this book. For this reason, I found it a bit slow in some places, as not many things were happening, but the author threw in some unexpected twists in this story as well.
I really enjoyed C.J. Skuse’s writing style, which is not suitable for young readers, this book is filled with swear words, murders, and everything that you trying to protect your young ones from. 😀 The short chapters made the whole reading experience even more pleasurable. The ending of this novel was very unexpected but I really liked it, and I can not wait for another book in the series.
So, to conclude, if you like books about psychopaths, served with a huge portion of humour, foul language, and dark, but honest thoughts, these series are definitely for you! I hope you will give this book a try and will enjoy as much as I did. 🙂
This book is a continuation of the previous part, so if you would like to understand what is going on, you have to read Sweetpea first. The author takes us through Rhiannon’s pregnancy and the ugly stuff that pregnancy brings you. Yes, all the vomiting, backache, bloating and non stop eating etc., not the bliss, joy and other unicorn poop. SHE KEEPS IT REAL! 😀 The police are on Rhiannon’s back, and her baby is TRYING to stop her from the murdering, that is why our main character has to take it a bit easier in this book. For this reason, I found it a bit slow in some places, as not many things were happening, but the author threw in some unexpected twists in this story as well.
I really enjoyed C.J. Skuse’s writing style, which is not suitable for young readers, this book is filled with swear words, murders, and everything that you trying to protect your young ones from. 😀 The short chapters made the whole reading experience even more pleasurable. The ending of this novel was very unexpected but I really liked it, and I can not wait for another book in the series.
So, to conclude, if you like books about psychopaths, served with a huge portion of humour, foul language, and dark, but honest thoughts, these series are definitely for you! I hope you will give this book a try and will enjoy as much as I did. 🙂
Hadley (567 KP) rated The Haunted in Books
Jun 23, 2019
A lot of inconsistencies (1 more)
Stereo-typical characters
A murder begins the story of 'The Haunted,' where Vega starts with every parent's nightmare:
a little girl named Maribeth is killed in the cellar of the Steele House by an unseen force. We jump to three years later, where our main character, Hendricks, is moving into this house with her parents and baby brother- - - a family that is unaware of the murder that took place in the cellar. Vega does a wonderful job of steering the paranormal aspects away from the usual ones that most readers are used to. But although the story is good, the writing is poorly executed.
Starting with the teenaged girl Hendricks, she tells us that she refuses to be a stereo-type, but her first thoughts on the ride to school are of her ex-boyfriend, Grayson. But this is a young adult book, so a young girl obsessing over her ex is to be expected. Yet, when Hendricks gets to her new high school, she quickly begins to stereo-type everyone she meets by what they are wearing. Unfortunately, every character in this story, including Hendricks parents, are stereo-types. Eddie, who wears nothing but black clothing, is the outcast; Portia, who wears too short of skirts and too tight of shirts, is the makeup obsessed girly-girl; Raven, who tries to be funny, is the sporty best friend, and, Connor, who seems to be the only character that Vega tried to keep away from his stereo-type, is a friendly jock who loves his large family.
Readers learn early on that Hendricks' break-up with her ex, Grayson, was a traumatic event for her- - - as Hendricks releases more and more memories, it's soon easy to see that the relationship was an emotional abusive one; from Grayson telling her how to dress to him influencing the way she acted around other people, including who she was allowed to be around. In the middle of all this, Hendricks begins to learn the history of the Steele House, and we find out that Maribeth may not have been the only one murdered there. When Hendricks isn't trying to drink alcohol in almost every chapter, she begins experiencing strange things in the house, including one very similar to Maribeth's experience, but sadly, the paranormal aspect is the only good part of this book.
'The Haunted' could have been a great story, but there are so many inconsistencies, some even on the very next page. Such as, on page 44, Hendricks sees a singing doll waking up her baby brother inside his room (Vega literally states 'in the middle of his room'), but the very next page, Hendricks is suddenly scooping up the doll outside of her brother's room to put it away. On page 157, Hendricks is being pinned against a wall in the cellar by an unseen force, one of her arms is against her back, but suddenly she is able to use both hands to push off the wall, but it was never stated that her arm became unpinned.
One of Vega's biggest mistakes in 'The Haunted' was using the same handful of descriptions for emotions with every single character throughout the entire book. Such as, if a character was trying to make a decision, they always bit their lip; if a character was confused, they always furrowed their brow; if a character was embarrassed, they always had a reddening face. Vega never took advantage of other body language to convey these emotions, causing the story to come up short.
As I have said, the only good part of this book was the paranormal aspect, and the ghosts happen to be the only interesting characters. If I had to choose my favorite part of this story, I would have to choose when Eddie and Hendricks bring in the occult store owner, Ileana. Following this chapter, the best part of the paranormal aspects happen, but I don't want to spoil that for anyone who may want to read this. Vega is crafty in keeping up the suspense throughout this entire time, this is apparently where her strength in writing occurs. She amazingly describes scenes where readers can easily imagine them happening in reality. Her take on hauntings is one that is rarely seen and I think should be utilized in paranormal fiction more often.
'The Haunting' just didn't add up for me. It seems the story was written too hastily that beginning writer mistakes were made and overlooked, but most young adult readers may be able to look past this. Like Stephen King, Vega has great story-telling power in the horror genre, but in 'The Haunting,' I don't feel she was fully able to display this because the focus on Hendricks' life drama took over most of it. If I were to recommend this to anyone, I would only recommend it to people who like teenaged drama mixed in with a ghost story.
a little girl named Maribeth is killed in the cellar of the Steele House by an unseen force. We jump to three years later, where our main character, Hendricks, is moving into this house with her parents and baby brother- - - a family that is unaware of the murder that took place in the cellar. Vega does a wonderful job of steering the paranormal aspects away from the usual ones that most readers are used to. But although the story is good, the writing is poorly executed.
Starting with the teenaged girl Hendricks, she tells us that she refuses to be a stereo-type, but her first thoughts on the ride to school are of her ex-boyfriend, Grayson. But this is a young adult book, so a young girl obsessing over her ex is to be expected. Yet, when Hendricks gets to her new high school, she quickly begins to stereo-type everyone she meets by what they are wearing. Unfortunately, every character in this story, including Hendricks parents, are stereo-types. Eddie, who wears nothing but black clothing, is the outcast; Portia, who wears too short of skirts and too tight of shirts, is the makeup obsessed girly-girl; Raven, who tries to be funny, is the sporty best friend, and, Connor, who seems to be the only character that Vega tried to keep away from his stereo-type, is a friendly jock who loves his large family.
Readers learn early on that Hendricks' break-up with her ex, Grayson, was a traumatic event for her- - - as Hendricks releases more and more memories, it's soon easy to see that the relationship was an emotional abusive one; from Grayson telling her how to dress to him influencing the way she acted around other people, including who she was allowed to be around. In the middle of all this, Hendricks begins to learn the history of the Steele House, and we find out that Maribeth may not have been the only one murdered there. When Hendricks isn't trying to drink alcohol in almost every chapter, she begins experiencing strange things in the house, including one very similar to Maribeth's experience, but sadly, the paranormal aspect is the only good part of this book.
'The Haunted' could have been a great story, but there are so many inconsistencies, some even on the very next page. Such as, on page 44, Hendricks sees a singing doll waking up her baby brother inside his room (Vega literally states 'in the middle of his room'), but the very next page, Hendricks is suddenly scooping up the doll outside of her brother's room to put it away. On page 157, Hendricks is being pinned against a wall in the cellar by an unseen force, one of her arms is against her back, but suddenly she is able to use both hands to push off the wall, but it was never stated that her arm became unpinned.
One of Vega's biggest mistakes in 'The Haunted' was using the same handful of descriptions for emotions with every single character throughout the entire book. Such as, if a character was trying to make a decision, they always bit their lip; if a character was confused, they always furrowed their brow; if a character was embarrassed, they always had a reddening face. Vega never took advantage of other body language to convey these emotions, causing the story to come up short.
As I have said, the only good part of this book was the paranormal aspect, and the ghosts happen to be the only interesting characters. If I had to choose my favorite part of this story, I would have to choose when Eddie and Hendricks bring in the occult store owner, Ileana. Following this chapter, the best part of the paranormal aspects happen, but I don't want to spoil that for anyone who may want to read this. Vega is crafty in keeping up the suspense throughout this entire time, this is apparently where her strength in writing occurs. She amazingly describes scenes where readers can easily imagine them happening in reality. Her take on hauntings is one that is rarely seen and I think should be utilized in paranormal fiction more often.
'The Haunting' just didn't add up for me. It seems the story was written too hastily that beginning writer mistakes were made and overlooked, but most young adult readers may be able to look past this. Like Stephen King, Vega has great story-telling power in the horror genre, but in 'The Haunting,' I don't feel she was fully able to display this because the focus on Hendricks' life drama took over most of it. If I were to recommend this to anyone, I would only recommend it to people who like teenaged drama mixed in with a ghost story.