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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Wish You Weren't in Books
Jun 7, 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>).
The blurb of this book really caught my eye. I don't usually read middle grade books, but this one sounded very interesting.
The title of this book is fantastic! It's really conveys what the book is about. Once you read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about.
I like the cover, but I don't feel like a child in junior high school or elementary would be drawn to the cover. For me, the cover encompasses what this book is about.
The world building, for a children's book, was believable. I feel like children will instantly be immersed in Marten's world.
The pacing starts off decent enough, but I felt like it becomes a little too fast paced. There were times I was left so confused as to what had just happened. I felt like the transitions between one scene to the next weren't very smooth. I feel that maybe if this book was a little bit longer, the pacing could have been better as things could've been explained a bit better.
I think children in middle school and older elementary children will definitely enjoy the plot. I'm sure many children with younger siblings have been so annoyed with them, that they've wished they would disappear. That's exactly what happens to Marten, but after his wish comes true, he begins to regret it and does anything and everything he can in order to make his little brother come back. Wish You Weren't conveys such a fantastic message about being a family.
I think most children will be able to easily relate to Marten. He's an 11 year old boy who is sick of his younger brother always messing with his stuff and always getting him in trouble. Marten is definitely a brave boy, and throughout the book, it's easy to see how much he really does love his brother as well as the rest of the family. I don't really have an opinion about Paul. On one hand, he just felt like a really pointless character, but I could see why the author chose to put him in the book. Paul is Marten's best friend, and I felt like he contributed to making Marten feel a bit braver. I would've like to know more about Aldrin, Marten's younger brother, so I would feel a bit more emotional towards him.
The dialogue flows really well and fits in with a middle grade level book. I think children who are interested in astronomy will really love this book as there's some scientific information regarding stars and space in this book. There's not any violence or sexual references and no swearing unless you consider "hell" a swear word which was only mentioned once.
Overall, Wish You Weren't by Sherrie Petersen is a great read for older elementary children as well as those in junior high. It touches on a topic that most children can relate to and has a sense of adventure to it. The only downside was the pacing which goes a little too fast although that doesn't take away from the book that much. However, the message this book conveys is a very good one!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 8+ who have ever wished a sibling away or for those that like a book that has a great sense of adventure within its pages.
(I received a free ebook of this title from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
The blurb of this book really caught my eye. I don't usually read middle grade books, but this one sounded very interesting.
The title of this book is fantastic! It's really conveys what the book is about. Once you read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about.
I like the cover, but I don't feel like a child in junior high school or elementary would be drawn to the cover. For me, the cover encompasses what this book is about.
The world building, for a children's book, was believable. I feel like children will instantly be immersed in Marten's world.
The pacing starts off decent enough, but I felt like it becomes a little too fast paced. There were times I was left so confused as to what had just happened. I felt like the transitions between one scene to the next weren't very smooth. I feel that maybe if this book was a little bit longer, the pacing could have been better as things could've been explained a bit better.
I think children in middle school and older elementary children will definitely enjoy the plot. I'm sure many children with younger siblings have been so annoyed with them, that they've wished they would disappear. That's exactly what happens to Marten, but after his wish comes true, he begins to regret it and does anything and everything he can in order to make his little brother come back. Wish You Weren't conveys such a fantastic message about being a family.
I think most children will be able to easily relate to Marten. He's an 11 year old boy who is sick of his younger brother always messing with his stuff and always getting him in trouble. Marten is definitely a brave boy, and throughout the book, it's easy to see how much he really does love his brother as well as the rest of the family. I don't really have an opinion about Paul. On one hand, he just felt like a really pointless character, but I could see why the author chose to put him in the book. Paul is Marten's best friend, and I felt like he contributed to making Marten feel a bit braver. I would've like to know more about Aldrin, Marten's younger brother, so I would feel a bit more emotional towards him.
The dialogue flows really well and fits in with a middle grade level book. I think children who are interested in astronomy will really love this book as there's some scientific information regarding stars and space in this book. There's not any violence or sexual references and no swearing unless you consider "hell" a swear word which was only mentioned once.
Overall, Wish You Weren't by Sherrie Petersen is a great read for older elementary children as well as those in junior high. It touches on a topic that most children can relate to and has a sense of adventure to it. The only downside was the pacing which goes a little too fast although that doesn't take away from the book that much. However, the message this book conveys is a very good one!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 8+ who have ever wished a sibling away or for those that like a book that has a great sense of adventure within its pages.
(I received a free ebook of this title from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated Becoming Alpha in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
Tessa McCaide has a unique gift of seeing visions. She is able to touch someone and see something from their past. Only she doesn't care too much about her "gift" she sees it as a burden.
Living in LA with her mum, dad and brother Axel, she is called 'Freaky Tessa' by everyone except her family.
One day her father gets a new job in Texas and they decide to move for Tessa so she can be happier and be nearer to her mum's family. Tessa's mum's side of the family believe they are all witches. (Which they are, but Tessa doesn't really believe it at the moment, even though having her gifts aren't normal... So why can't they be witches. Her gift must mean something right?)
Tessa and her brother Axel want to find out why they are moving and what their dads new job is. She touches some paperwork of her father's to find out some more about where they are going and this new job of his. Once she touches the papers she sees what she normally sees 'a vision' only this time it's not the past. It's the present and the two people she can see, can sense her. Which has never happened before. Tessa doesn't tell her brother what she saw...
A few days later they move to Texas and there she starts her new school. On moving in day her dad's new boss Micheal Dawson arrives to give them the keys and warns them about Wolves in the area and to stay clear of them and they will do the same. He brings along a guy called Dastien from the school that they work at; where Tessa's new dad's job is. To help them move in. But Tessa and Dastien share some sort of connection. It turns out that they both remember eachother from the vision.
Tessa begins her first day at her new school and starts to make friends. (though she doesn't really like the people there) The same day she gets invited to a party. A few days before the party her and her brother head to the mall where she meets Dastien again and they again share that connection. They both flirt a little and you see there is a attraction. But why?
A fight soon breaks out and there is a clear divide between her new school and the school where Dastien works. They all hate eachother. This is also something that happens at the party that Tessa's invited too. When she's there her and Dastien share a kiss. Which leads to him biting and scratching her...
A few days later she's become a werewolf, because of Dastien which is illegal in their world. And her whole life has been turned upside down. She now has to live and go to the school where Micheal Dawson works and live her life as a Werewolf.
But not everything is a smooth as that. Fighting Vampires for one and having the local coven around and hating her for being biten. Things are about to turn bad for Tessa and her new life.
This book is great story, with werewolves and actually scary vampires. It has it cheesy moments and the young, young adult writing with the romance can be very 'lovely, lovely' which I guess can seem too young for me. But it's a series I've read before that I needed to continue and finish so I am I doing that now. So baring that in mind, it is a great book and series.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
Living in LA with her mum, dad and brother Axel, she is called 'Freaky Tessa' by everyone except her family.
One day her father gets a new job in Texas and they decide to move for Tessa so she can be happier and be nearer to her mum's family. Tessa's mum's side of the family believe they are all witches. (Which they are, but Tessa doesn't really believe it at the moment, even though having her gifts aren't normal... So why can't they be witches. Her gift must mean something right?)
Tessa and her brother Axel want to find out why they are moving and what their dads new job is. She touches some paperwork of her father's to find out some more about where they are going and this new job of his. Once she touches the papers she sees what she normally sees 'a vision' only this time it's not the past. It's the present and the two people she can see, can sense her. Which has never happened before. Tessa doesn't tell her brother what she saw...
A few days later they move to Texas and there she starts her new school. On moving in day her dad's new boss Micheal Dawson arrives to give them the keys and warns them about Wolves in the area and to stay clear of them and they will do the same. He brings along a guy called Dastien from the school that they work at; where Tessa's new dad's job is. To help them move in. But Tessa and Dastien share some sort of connection. It turns out that they both remember eachother from the vision.
Tessa begins her first day at her new school and starts to make friends. (though she doesn't really like the people there) The same day she gets invited to a party. A few days before the party her and her brother head to the mall where she meets Dastien again and they again share that connection. They both flirt a little and you see there is a attraction. But why?
A fight soon breaks out and there is a clear divide between her new school and the school where Dastien works. They all hate eachother. This is also something that happens at the party that Tessa's invited too. When she's there her and Dastien share a kiss. Which leads to him biting and scratching her...
A few days later she's become a werewolf, because of Dastien which is illegal in their world. And her whole life has been turned upside down. She now has to live and go to the school where Micheal Dawson works and live her life as a Werewolf.
But not everything is a smooth as that. Fighting Vampires for one and having the local coven around and hating her for being biten. Things are about to turn bad for Tessa and her new life.
This book is great story, with werewolves and actually scary vampires. It has it cheesy moments and the young, young adult writing with the romance can be very 'lovely, lovely' which I guess can seem too young for me. But it's a series I've read before that I needed to continue and finish so I am I doing that now. So baring that in mind, it is a great book and series.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Unbreakable (The Legion, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Obviously choosing to dissect Kami Garcia's solo series as my next audiobook victim was a bad idea... a very bad idea...
Basically, I'm saying I give up on Kami Garcia. No offense, but after my horrid experience with the first couple of books of her <i>Beautiful Creatures</i> series she wrote with Margaret Stohl and then <i>Unbreakable</i>, I'm not sure I want to read another of her books (aside from maybe reading <i>Dangerous Creatures</i>).
<i>Unbreakable</i> sort of has a good idea – emphasis on sort of. Garcia's first debut solo novel follows Kennedy Waters, a girl who doesn't actually believe in ghosts until she finds her mother dead. Shortly after, a ghost makes an attempt to kill her as well, and is stopped by Lukas and Jared Lockhart, two brothers who are part of a centuries-old secret society made up of five members trying to stop a demon released by their ancestors hundreds of years ago. However, Kennedy isn't entirely too sure about whether or not she really belongs with this secret society called the Legion of the Black Dove.
For a person who doesn't watch <i>Supernatural</i> much, it's really weird when I get though, oh... 33 pages, that I realize a book is almost an exact carbon copy of the few episodes I watched.
For instance, there are two brothers in <i>Supernatural</i> and there are two brothers in <i>Unbreakable</i>. Are Sam and his brother identical? No.... not that I'm aware, which is only a small difference between the two books. Brother Pair 1 (<i>Supernatural</i>) and Brother Pair 2 (Unbreakable) apparently hunt demons for a living. At least, that's what I think Pair 1 did – correct me if I'm wrong, avid fans who are bound to be more accurate than me.
Oh, and there's a demon hunting around for a certain person... or a certain group of people. I'm pretty sure there was a demon hunting Brother Pair 1 for quite awhile in the episodes I actually watched (give me a break. I was bored. <i>Supernatural</i> just seemed interesting). Fun fact: possession involved in both TV show and book.
The mere fact that <i>Unbreakable</i> matched the few episodes (I believe they were reruns) I watched didn't bother me too much – it was a potential love triangle between Kennedy, Jared, and Lukas that eventually drove me up the wall. If Garcia isn't careful enough, the tension between Jared and Lukas could eventually set the book on fire – Lukas spends a good part of his time between fighting vengeful spirits and other things rubbing something that Jared did wrong in his face. It gets bad enough that both brothers reach the point of throttling each other's throats and Kennedy going between them and stopping them.
I felt like I was watching a scene from a <i>Twilight</i> (I'm starting to appreciate this series). <i>Lux</i> (because I totally snuck a few peeks in the third one), and pretty much any other book that has a love triangle in which 66% of them nearly start a brawl while the rest of the 33% pretty much yells, "STOP!"
By then, I was definitely not sticking around for five to go down to four just because of a mistake.
I did, however, like the world of Legion. It's certainly not a life I would want, but I definitely enjoyed the basic idea behind the series, Candice Accola's narration of <i>Unbreakable</i>, and the sound effects used in the audiobook.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-audiobook-review-unbreakable-by-kami-garcia/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Basically, I'm saying I give up on Kami Garcia. No offense, but after my horrid experience with the first couple of books of her <i>Beautiful Creatures</i> series she wrote with Margaret Stohl and then <i>Unbreakable</i>, I'm not sure I want to read another of her books (aside from maybe reading <i>Dangerous Creatures</i>).
<i>Unbreakable</i> sort of has a good idea – emphasis on sort of. Garcia's first debut solo novel follows Kennedy Waters, a girl who doesn't actually believe in ghosts until she finds her mother dead. Shortly after, a ghost makes an attempt to kill her as well, and is stopped by Lukas and Jared Lockhart, two brothers who are part of a centuries-old secret society made up of five members trying to stop a demon released by their ancestors hundreds of years ago. However, Kennedy isn't entirely too sure about whether or not she really belongs with this secret society called the Legion of the Black Dove.
For a person who doesn't watch <i>Supernatural</i> much, it's really weird when I get though, oh... 33 pages, that I realize a book is almost an exact carbon copy of the few episodes I watched.
For instance, there are two brothers in <i>Supernatural</i> and there are two brothers in <i>Unbreakable</i>. Are Sam and his brother identical? No.... not that I'm aware, which is only a small difference between the two books. Brother Pair 1 (<i>Supernatural</i>) and Brother Pair 2 (Unbreakable) apparently hunt demons for a living. At least, that's what I think Pair 1 did – correct me if I'm wrong, avid fans who are bound to be more accurate than me.
Oh, and there's a demon hunting around for a certain person... or a certain group of people. I'm pretty sure there was a demon hunting Brother Pair 1 for quite awhile in the episodes I actually watched (give me a break. I was bored. <i>Supernatural</i> just seemed interesting). Fun fact: possession involved in both TV show and book.
The mere fact that <i>Unbreakable</i> matched the few episodes (I believe they were reruns) I watched didn't bother me too much – it was a potential love triangle between Kennedy, Jared, and Lukas that eventually drove me up the wall. If Garcia isn't careful enough, the tension between Jared and Lukas could eventually set the book on fire – Lukas spends a good part of his time between fighting vengeful spirits and other things rubbing something that Jared did wrong in his face. It gets bad enough that both brothers reach the point of throttling each other's throats and Kennedy going between them and stopping them.
I felt like I was watching a scene from a <i>Twilight</i> (I'm starting to appreciate this series). <i>Lux</i> (because I totally snuck a few peeks in the third one), and pretty much any other book that has a love triangle in which 66% of them nearly start a brawl while the rest of the 33% pretty much yells, "STOP!"
By then, I was definitely not sticking around for five to go down to four just because of a mistake.
I did, however, like the world of Legion. It's certainly not a life I would want, but I definitely enjoyed the basic idea behind the series, Candice Accola's narration of <i>Unbreakable</i>, and the sound effects used in the audiobook.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-audiobook-review-unbreakable-by-kami-garcia/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Strong Island (2017) in Movies
Sep 15, 2017
Hugely tragic, a family destroyed
I wasn't sure what to expect with this new Netflix documentary film especially as it was tipped alongside the likes of The Confession Tapes and The Keepers.
However, this was rather different. This wasn't about getting to the bottom of a mystery. This was about a family's personal tragedy - in this case, the family of the director Yance Ford. At the time of this film she had not started her transition to becoming transgender, so he now refers as a male.
His story is about the death of his older brother William, shot dead by a white man in dubious self defence circumstances. It shows how his family struggled to cope in the aftermath, and there's a scene where the director cries in agony and it is sheer horror to watch it. A delicately tragic insight into Ford's trauma.
However, this was rather different. This wasn't about getting to the bottom of a mystery. This was about a family's personal tragedy - in this case, the family of the director Yance Ford. At the time of this film she had not started her transition to becoming transgender, so he now refers as a male.
His story is about the death of his older brother William, shot dead by a white man in dubious self defence circumstances. It shows how his family struggled to cope in the aftermath, and there's a scene where the director cries in agony and it is sheer horror to watch it. A delicately tragic insight into Ford's trauma.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Close Your Eyes in Books
May 10, 2018
I think this book was incredible. It tells the story of two women who are deeply connected in an unimaginable way. Lauren is a real-estate agent in Texas. She and her brother Alex have been living with the thought that their father murdered their mother when they were just kids. Now Lauren is unable to commit to her long time. boyfriend and Alex is off to Baghdad with Doctors without Borders. Alex has been the only constant in Lauren's life, how is she going to survive without him?
Sylvia is in her forties and pregnant. She is leaving Colorado and her boyfriend Ray and heading back home to New York. There, she is hoping her best friend Victoria will blethered for her, just as Sylvia had been there countless times before.
When their paths cross, they will both find out life changing things.
Sylvia is in her forties and pregnant. She is leaving Colorado and her boyfriend Ray and heading back home to New York. There, she is hoping her best friend Victoria will blethered for her, just as Sylvia had been there countless times before.
When their paths cross, they will both find out life changing things.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Shivers in the Night in Books
May 27, 2019
Clever twists (1 more)
plot
From Campfire type to suspense this ten story book has a little something for almost any fan of the diverse horror genre.
In 'The Baby' you learn how hard it can be trying to be brave in front of an older brother walking at night in the dark of rural Oklahoma. Not all gifts are what they seem as you will learn in 'Mr. Sweater's Gift'. The Law will never be the same in 'Revenger' as a small town judge goes to the extremes of having the punishment fit the crime. Detective Clint Mahan has his work cut out for him as he juggles his serial killer case with an aggressive FBI agent in the who done it story 'In Stitches'.
Shivers in the Night is independently published by the Yukon Writer's Society, it includes stories from beginner authors to published authors.
In 'The Baby' you learn how hard it can be trying to be brave in front of an older brother walking at night in the dark of rural Oklahoma. Not all gifts are what they seem as you will learn in 'Mr. Sweater's Gift'. The Law will never be the same in 'Revenger' as a small town judge goes to the extremes of having the punishment fit the crime. Detective Clint Mahan has his work cut out for him as he juggles his serial killer case with an aggressive FBI agent in the who done it story 'In Stitches'.
Shivers in the Night is independently published by the Yukon Writer's Society, it includes stories from beginner authors to published authors.
Lindsay (1717 KP) rated A Heart's Betrayal (A Journey of the Heart #4) in Books
Feb 15, 2018 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)
Colleen Coble takes us on another journey. We are lead to another action filled story. We learn about Ben's Oldest sister Emma. What a way to be introduced her. She does not know what happen to her brothers except that they traveled west.
Emma is dealing with the death of her husband. A woman comes in with her son and claims that she is the wife of Emma's late husband. Her home is taken from her. Emma decides to leave her home and go to help Sarah.
She arrives at the fort where Sarah and Rand are stationed. What will happen to them? Rand and Sarah and Emma are then transferred to a new station in the army and where Sarah friend and Rand brother, Jacob are stationed.
Thre are surprises and turns the story continues. What will happen with Emma? Will faith and trust prevail?
Emma is dealing with the death of her husband. A woman comes in with her son and claims that she is the wife of Emma's late husband. Her home is taken from her. Emma decides to leave her home and go to help Sarah.
She arrives at the fort where Sarah and Rand are stationed. What will happen to them? Rand and Sarah and Emma are then transferred to a new station in the army and where Sarah friend and Rand brother, Jacob are stationed.
Thre are surprises and turns the story continues. What will happen with Emma? Will faith and trust prevail?
Well here is my review. I never write reviews as I get a bit tongued tied!
I was lucky enough to win a free copy of Matthew crow's `In Bloom` from the good reads giveaway.
I have never read anything from this author before,so I didn't know what to expect,but I can tell you I wasn't disappointed.
The story is told by fifteen year old Francis Wootton who has recently discovered he has leukaemia. Francis is very intellectual and grown up for his age,this could be due to his dysfunctional family( gay brother,absent father,mad grandmother).
During Francis treatment he meets Amber and their love blossoms,crow covers love,relationship,bravery and hardship within this book
I think this book would be classed as young adult,and very much reminds me of sue Townsend's Adrian mole.
I will be looking out for more books from this author.
I was lucky enough to win a free copy of Matthew crow's `In Bloom` from the good reads giveaway.
I have never read anything from this author before,so I didn't know what to expect,but I can tell you I wasn't disappointed.
The story is told by fifteen year old Francis Wootton who has recently discovered he has leukaemia. Francis is very intellectual and grown up for his age,this could be due to his dysfunctional family( gay brother,absent father,mad grandmother).
During Francis treatment he meets Amber and their love blossoms,crow covers love,relationship,bravery and hardship within this book
I think this book would be classed as young adult,and very much reminds me of sue Townsend's Adrian mole.
I will be looking out for more books from this author.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Day of the Caesars (Eagle #16) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The latest (#16) entry in [a:Simon Scarrow|60636|Simon Scarrow|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1240832197p2/60636.jpg]'s 'Eagle' series of books, with this one taking place just after the death of Emperor Claudius and the ascension of his heir Nero to the Imperial throne.
Despite his best efforts, it's not long before Prefect Cato - and, by extension, Macro - is drawn into the tangled web of conspiracy around that ascension, in particular by a faction that support the claim of Nero's half-brother Britannicus to that throne.
With further reveals around Cato's deceased wife Julia - was she really unfaithful to him? - and with a little bit of further character development for Macro (who is now even beginning to think about settling down!) this I found to be less action-orientated that many of the previous entries in the series, but still an enjoyable read.
Despite his best efforts, it's not long before Prefect Cato - and, by extension, Macro - is drawn into the tangled web of conspiracy around that ascension, in particular by a faction that support the claim of Nero's half-brother Britannicus to that throne.
With further reveals around Cato's deceased wife Julia - was she really unfaithful to him? - and with a little bit of further character development for Macro (who is now even beginning to think about settling down!) this I found to be less action-orientated that many of the previous entries in the series, but still an enjoyable read.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Hansel and Gretel (1988) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
A great telling of an old tale
Contains spoilers, click to show
Saw this on Netflix and decided to give it a try, honestly wasn't a bad movie.
Cheesy Old school graphics help tell this tale very well and I praise the effort.
A few enjoyable musical numbers that are actually a little fun to hear.
Brother and sister Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) are careless and leave food out for a donkey to eat. This enrages their mother (Emily Richard) because the family is poor and cannot afford to waste food. She orders the children to go out and pick some berries. Lost in the woods, they eventually find a magical cottage made of gingerbread and meet a nice old woman named Griselda (Cloris Leachman). But Griselda is a witch who imprisons the children and plans to eat them.
Initial release: 1987
Cheesy Old school graphics help tell this tale very well and I praise the effort.
A few enjoyable musical numbers that are actually a little fun to hear.
Brother and sister Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) are careless and leave food out for a donkey to eat. This enrages their mother (Emily Richard) because the family is poor and cannot afford to waste food. She orders the children to go out and pick some berries. Lost in the woods, they eventually find a magical cottage made of gingerbread and meet a nice old woman named Griselda (Cloris Leachman). But Griselda is a witch who imprisons the children and plans to eat them.
Initial release: 1987