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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Pretty Girl-13 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> in September).
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley was a book that I was dying to read. It was at the top of my TBR pile, so I was thrilled when I discovered that my local library had it. This turned out to be a fascinating read.
I'm not really a fan of the title. Yes, the main character is called Pretty Girl by her captor and at least one of her alters, but that's it. I, personally, think Gone Girl or some other title would've been better.
I do like the cover. I love how it shows Angie walking out of a cabin in the woods which ties in with the story. That cabin, as well as being real, is also symbolic.
I thought the author did an excellent job with making Angie's world come alive. Liz Coley wrote each alter well enough that they actually came across as being a different person with their own personality. The setting was fantastic too.
The pacing was fantastic! I pretty much breezed through this book in one day. It was held my attention the whole time, and I found it super interesting!
\I thought the plot of this book would mostly focus on Angie's kidnapping, but it focuses mainly on her Dissociative Identity Disorder. While we do learn about Angie's kidnapping and everything that happened, we learn it through each of her alters. The plot focuses on how Angie deals which each alter more than anything.
The characters are written very richly. Angie is a broken girl, and I ended up feeling like I wanted to protect her. There were some times when I felt really annoyed with her like when she wouldn't tell people certain key elements of what had happened to her. On one hand, I realize that she was kind of scared, but in one scene, she doesn't tell her mom something simply because she's angry at her. Now, all of this could probably be explained since she's been abused since she was 13, but it still just annoyed me. Overall, Angie is a great character. As I've said before, even her alters have personalities of her own, and the author does a great job at conveying that these alters are supposed to be their own person so to speak. Even the minor characters are done well such as Abraim. Abraim seemed like such a sweet guy and very accepting.
The dialogue was easy to understand although at some points, I felt as if Angie was older then 16. There is some swearing in this book if that's not your thing.
Overall, Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley is an enjoyable book. I found it fascinating to read about Dissociative Identity Disorder as well as trying to solve Angie's kidnapping.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ (due to language and themes) who are interested in mental health as well as mysteries.
I'd give Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley a 4.5 out of 5.
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley was a book that I was dying to read. It was at the top of my TBR pile, so I was thrilled when I discovered that my local library had it. This turned out to be a fascinating read.
I'm not really a fan of the title. Yes, the main character is called Pretty Girl by her captor and at least one of her alters, but that's it. I, personally, think Gone Girl or some other title would've been better.
I do like the cover. I love how it shows Angie walking out of a cabin in the woods which ties in with the story. That cabin, as well as being real, is also symbolic.
I thought the author did an excellent job with making Angie's world come alive. Liz Coley wrote each alter well enough that they actually came across as being a different person with their own personality. The setting was fantastic too.
The pacing was fantastic! I pretty much breezed through this book in one day. It was held my attention the whole time, and I found it super interesting!
\I thought the plot of this book would mostly focus on Angie's kidnapping, but it focuses mainly on her Dissociative Identity Disorder. While we do learn about Angie's kidnapping and everything that happened, we learn it through each of her alters. The plot focuses on how Angie deals which each alter more than anything.
The characters are written very richly. Angie is a broken girl, and I ended up feeling like I wanted to protect her. There were some times when I felt really annoyed with her like when she wouldn't tell people certain key elements of what had happened to her. On one hand, I realize that she was kind of scared, but in one scene, she doesn't tell her mom something simply because she's angry at her. Now, all of this could probably be explained since she's been abused since she was 13, but it still just annoyed me. Overall, Angie is a great character. As I've said before, even her alters have personalities of her own, and the author does a great job at conveying that these alters are supposed to be their own person so to speak. Even the minor characters are done well such as Abraim. Abraim seemed like such a sweet guy and very accepting.
The dialogue was easy to understand although at some points, I felt as if Angie was older then 16. There is some swearing in this book if that's not your thing.
Overall, Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley is an enjoyable book. I found it fascinating to read about Dissociative Identity Disorder as well as trying to solve Angie's kidnapping.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ (due to language and themes) who are interested in mental health as well as mysteries.
I'd give Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley a 4.5 out of 5.
Kayleigh (12 KP) rated Aberrant (Aberrant, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
I was contacted by [a:Ruth Silver|6435509|Ruth Silver|/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg], the author of this book, to promote <i>Aberrant</i>. In my <a href="http://www.a-worldofwords.com/2013/04/ruth-silver-interview.html">blog</a>; there is an interview, spotlight and giveaway. She gave me a copy of the book to read, but it goes without saying that this review is honest.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was thrown headfirst into the action, first meeting Olivia when she is preparing for her wedding day. This piqued my interest, which was held right the way to the end. It was a brilliant dystopian plot, full of turns that I wasn’t expecting. It reminded me a bit of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)|Suzanne Collins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] and [b:Brave New World|5129|Brave New World|Aldous Huxley|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865608s/5129.jpg|3204877], in that the government was very much in control – so much so that it could control the most intimate of features in its inhabitants’ lives. There’s a lot of uncertainty throughout the book as to what will happen to Olivia. She’s often not as safe as she would like to be, and feels the weight of expectation, the latter of which is something I think a lot of young adults can relate to.
I think what enhanced the book for me was Olivia and Joshua. Their relationship is written really well; as best friends with a complicated aspect thrown in, there’s the right touch of familiarity versus the unknown. Throughout, they work as a team, the realism of which I liked – it makes a change to the power games that appear in other YA books where sexual tension is at the forefront. Josh and Olivia have been raised in an environment where conception – and therefore sex – doesn’t happen, which made a really refreshing change. Even though they’re 18, the reader is able to see certain realisations bloom in their minds, and that was great to read!
When I interviewed her, Ruth Silver said about what inspired her to write the book:
<blockquote><i>Often, we as a society implement the use of vaccines, especially in preventing disease and now even cervical cancer. Of course the vaccines are all safe and approved by the relevant authorities for the country you live in. I decided to think a little further ahead, and a little darker. What if it was an epidemic where everyone was required to get vaccinated and testing had been shortened or barely done at all?</i></blockquote>
Hearing it put like that made me uneasy, because it brings home how potentially easy it could be for something to strike the world, and for us to find ourselves in a dystopia. I think stories such as this one, where it stems from a simple idea, are the most effective. Mix that in with great characterisation, a little bit of the supernatural, and a plot that twists and turns, and you’re sorted. A great read, thoroughly recommended.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was thrown headfirst into the action, first meeting Olivia when she is preparing for her wedding day. This piqued my interest, which was held right the way to the end. It was a brilliant dystopian plot, full of turns that I wasn’t expecting. It reminded me a bit of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)|Suzanne Collins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] and [b:Brave New World|5129|Brave New World|Aldous Huxley|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865608s/5129.jpg|3204877], in that the government was very much in control – so much so that it could control the most intimate of features in its inhabitants’ lives. There’s a lot of uncertainty throughout the book as to what will happen to Olivia. She’s often not as safe as she would like to be, and feels the weight of expectation, the latter of which is something I think a lot of young adults can relate to.
I think what enhanced the book for me was Olivia and Joshua. Their relationship is written really well; as best friends with a complicated aspect thrown in, there’s the right touch of familiarity versus the unknown. Throughout, they work as a team, the realism of which I liked – it makes a change to the power games that appear in other YA books where sexual tension is at the forefront. Josh and Olivia have been raised in an environment where conception – and therefore sex – doesn’t happen, which made a really refreshing change. Even though they’re 18, the reader is able to see certain realisations bloom in their minds, and that was great to read!
When I interviewed her, Ruth Silver said about what inspired her to write the book:
<blockquote><i>Often, we as a society implement the use of vaccines, especially in preventing disease and now even cervical cancer. Of course the vaccines are all safe and approved by the relevant authorities for the country you live in. I decided to think a little further ahead, and a little darker. What if it was an epidemic where everyone was required to get vaccinated and testing had been shortened or barely done at all?</i></blockquote>
Hearing it put like that made me uneasy, because it brings home how potentially easy it could be for something to strike the world, and for us to find ourselves in a dystopia. I think stories such as this one, where it stems from a simple idea, are the most effective. Mix that in with great characterisation, a little bit of the supernatural, and a plot that twists and turns, and you’re sorted. A great read, thoroughly recommended.
p3anut (62 KP) rated Pet Sematary (2019) in Movies
Apr 11, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'm 33 and I saw the original pet semetary when I was about 10 on some cable channel like nbc or abc. Back in the 90's, tv was heavily edited. Even then it scared the shit out of me!
The 2019 just didn't give me that same vibe. Yes, I'm older and don't scare as easy. But I also get creeped out pretty easily when a movie does something right. And this movie didn't do to much right to chill me to my core.
Now that's not to say this movie was bad or awful in anyway. The pacing was very good. The twist that they showed us in the trailers was great and added to the later plot device. And even having Gage running towards the road as the truck came barreling towards Ellie made me think they were about to lose two kids. Hell even Lithgow was pretty stellar in his role. But this movie just tried too hard to top the original.
The wife's back story about Zelda should have stopped after she told what had happened to Zelda. They drug it out by giving her some PTSD bullshit that I didn't feel really fit into the story.
The guy that gets hit by a car (victor) and warns Louis about the dangers that are about to unfold was rushed and not as fleshed out as the character in the 90's film. And I don't mean to compare this to that film because it is it's own thing, but they could have tried to humanize him a little more that just a device plot.
Ellie being self aware that she had died and turning evil because of it was fucking creepy. And Everytime this girl had screen time you felt like she was back from the dead and completely changed. The scene where Ellie terrorizes Jud was pretty close to the original but with some twists and I thought that made it more enjoyable. especially since these characters seemed to think situations out better than typical horror movies.
The last twist was fantastic and I'm not going to spoil it. I didn't care for the ending. I thought it was very bleak and bland. And really didn't lead to what was going to happen now as a whole, not just Gage potentially dying.
Overall I really enjoyed the movie for what it was, a fun popcorn horror flick.
Have you seen it? What did you think of the movie?
The 2019 just didn't give me that same vibe. Yes, I'm older and don't scare as easy. But I also get creeped out pretty easily when a movie does something right. And this movie didn't do to much right to chill me to my core.
Now that's not to say this movie was bad or awful in anyway. The pacing was very good. The twist that they showed us in the trailers was great and added to the later plot device. And even having Gage running towards the road as the truck came barreling towards Ellie made me think they were about to lose two kids. Hell even Lithgow was pretty stellar in his role. But this movie just tried too hard to top the original.
The wife's back story about Zelda should have stopped after she told what had happened to Zelda. They drug it out by giving her some PTSD bullshit that I didn't feel really fit into the story.
The guy that gets hit by a car (victor) and warns Louis about the dangers that are about to unfold was rushed and not as fleshed out as the character in the 90's film. And I don't mean to compare this to that film because it is it's own thing, but they could have tried to humanize him a little more that just a device plot.
Ellie being self aware that she had died and turning evil because of it was fucking creepy. And Everytime this girl had screen time you felt like she was back from the dead and completely changed. The scene where Ellie terrorizes Jud was pretty close to the original but with some twists and I thought that made it more enjoyable. especially since these characters seemed to think situations out better than typical horror movies.
The last twist was fantastic and I'm not going to spoil it. I didn't care for the ending. I thought it was very bleak and bland. And really didn't lead to what was going to happen now as a whole, not just Gage potentially dying.
Overall I really enjoyed the movie for what it was, a fun popcorn horror flick.
Have you seen it? What did you think of the movie?
Merissa (13398 KP) rated Smith's Corner: Hunter and Holden (The Heartwood Series #6) in Books
May 11, 2022 (Updated Jun 20, 2023)
SMITH'S CORNER: HUNTER AND HOLDEN is the sixth book in the Heartwood series. I've been waiting for these two for what feels like forever, and you know what they say about expectations... Well, let me tell you now, this was NOT a disappointment!
Hunter and Holden make the perfect couple, each one wanting what the other can offer. Of course, they don't see that straight away, which brings its own difficulties! Hunter, bless him, has wanted Holden for years but didn't do anything about it, thinking Holden was straight. It's only when Holden started acting 'strangely' that Hunter thought there might be something there and took a big risk with his heart. Oh, and how it hurt! Honestly, I wanted to slap both of them upside the head at times but, luckily for me, Coco was there to do it for me.
She is Holden's daughter, straight-talking, no-nonsense and I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO MEET SOMEONE!!! And yes, that needs to be in caps. Why? Because not only do I think she'd make whoever it was work for it in the best kind of way, (this girl knows her own worth), but she's also a geek, which I love. Not only that, but I can already see Holden having a breakdown and Hunter talking him off the ledge. Please, Ms Paton, please?!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed the stories in this series up until now, and am so thankful there are more to come. I only hope Monty and Dakota are one of them. I would say though, that Hunter and Holden is my favourite story of the series. Once they got past the angry stage and allowed themselves to feel, it was no-holds-barred and I loved every word.
An absolute corker and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 10, 2022
Hunter and Holden make the perfect couple, each one wanting what the other can offer. Of course, they don't see that straight away, which brings its own difficulties! Hunter, bless him, has wanted Holden for years but didn't do anything about it, thinking Holden was straight. It's only when Holden started acting 'strangely' that Hunter thought there might be something there and took a big risk with his heart. Oh, and how it hurt! Honestly, I wanted to slap both of them upside the head at times but, luckily for me, Coco was there to do it for me.
She is Holden's daughter, straight-talking, no-nonsense and I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO MEET SOMEONE!!! And yes, that needs to be in caps. Why? Because not only do I think she'd make whoever it was work for it in the best kind of way, (this girl knows her own worth), but she's also a geek, which I love. Not only that, but I can already see Holden having a breakdown and Hunter talking him off the ledge. Please, Ms Paton, please?!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed the stories in this series up until now, and am so thankful there are more to come. I only hope Monty and Dakota are one of them. I would say though, that Hunter and Holden is my favourite story of the series. Once they got past the angry stage and allowed themselves to feel, it was no-holds-barred and I loved every word.
An absolute corker and highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 10, 2022
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Smashbomb in Apps
Apr 3, 2019
I’ve been on Smashbomb for nearly a year now, and let me tell you that when they say “rate anything,” they’re not kidding. Got an opinion on a new app you downloaded? Review it. Can’t believe how good the last book you read was? Review it. Listened to a mind-blowing podcast? Review it. Hated the new Motley Crue movie? Review it. Tell the world what you think! Obviously I’m partial to the Book Reviews. ?
But it’s not all reviews & ratings. Smashbomb also features giveaways, polls, orbs (groups), lists (yay!) and more. I’ve joined a number of orbs, and even participated in a Christmas Book Exchange.
Those “thumbs up” icons you see are “kudos,” which are awarded for many things: reviewing, adding items, etc. Each user is given a set number of “kudos points” each day, which the user can then award to other Smashbomb users. Think of it like those ubiquitous Facebook likes, except with a daily limit. The more things you do, the more your limit increases. Other users can award you kudos as well.
One of my favorite features is the ability to add an item that doesn’t yet exist on the site. For instance: Once I finish a book, I search for it on Smashbomb in order to review it. If the book does not exist, I can add it to the site, including details and a cover photo. Once you’ve added an item, others can also rate it and add it to their own lists. I’ve so far added nine books, and I'm sure I'll add many more!
You can also earn badges for completing various actions, and choose which badges to display on your profile. I’m currently an “Oracle” (hmm…possible new nickname), and I’m about halfway to “Guru.” ?
And, of course, there’s a Smashbomb app as well, so you’re not married to the desktop site.
Smashbomb is fun because it’s different. It’s a social networking site, but more, and less. You won’t find lengthy political rants, duckface selfies, or neverending #hashtags here. And honestly? Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from all of that.
But it’s not all reviews & ratings. Smashbomb also features giveaways, polls, orbs (groups), lists (yay!) and more. I’ve joined a number of orbs, and even participated in a Christmas Book Exchange.
Those “thumbs up” icons you see are “kudos,” which are awarded for many things: reviewing, adding items, etc. Each user is given a set number of “kudos points” each day, which the user can then award to other Smashbomb users. Think of it like those ubiquitous Facebook likes, except with a daily limit. The more things you do, the more your limit increases. Other users can award you kudos as well.
One of my favorite features is the ability to add an item that doesn’t yet exist on the site. For instance: Once I finish a book, I search for it on Smashbomb in order to review it. If the book does not exist, I can add it to the site, including details and a cover photo. Once you’ve added an item, others can also rate it and add it to their own lists. I’ve so far added nine books, and I'm sure I'll add many more!
You can also earn badges for completing various actions, and choose which badges to display on your profile. I’m currently an “Oracle” (hmm…possible new nickname), and I’m about halfway to “Guru.” ?
And, of course, there’s a Smashbomb app as well, so you’re not married to the desktop site.
Smashbomb is fun because it’s different. It’s a social networking site, but more, and less. You won’t find lengthy political rants, duckface selfies, or neverending #hashtags here. And honestly? Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from all of that.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Song of Blood and Stone in Books
May 27, 2018
Great fantastical world, excellent characters
I greatly enjoyed reading this one. Not only was the fantasy world written well and different, but the characters had excellent chemistry and the plot flowed to make the reading enjoyable and quick.
The world building is excellent and different. The story alternates in between with Jack and Jasminda’s point of view, but also there are some chapters that tell the background story of how their world was created. I enjoyed these alternating chapters. It provides better structure of the setting, it provides the mythology and a better understanding of the “True Father” and “The Queen who Sleeps”. It’s well written and everything comes together seamlessly.
The plot itself is also excellent. I love the concept of “Silents” and “Songbearers” and both are living side by side but marred by war and prejudice. And did you ever see the hate towards Jasminda throughout the book. You get angry at her treatment but Jasminda bears it and she does it well. The plot is pretty fast paced and it’s feels like a fast read - not to mention the fact that it’s very interesting. There’s a good mix of fantasy, action, and romance. What wasn’t really necessary was the Lizvette part. It made that aspect predictable and it didn’t really mesh well with what was going on with all the other things. It felt like it was placed there for filler reasons (I mean, we all know who Jack was going to go for a this point…)
Now for Jack and Jasminda.
I LOVED both of them together. They had this chemistry going on and you could feel it throughout the novel. It was heart wrenching in various parts of the book and you wanted to reach out to them and MAKE them go together (Jack you deserve some slaps of stupidity for some of the stuff you said). They’re both great characters and Jasminda’s development throughout the novel was excellent. Despite the changes she went through she didn’t lose her sass and her ferocious independence (love how this exasperates Jack by the way lol)
Definitely looking forward to the second book of this series! The ending was great (and I’m sure there’s way more battles to come)
The world building is excellent and different. The story alternates in between with Jack and Jasminda’s point of view, but also there are some chapters that tell the background story of how their world was created. I enjoyed these alternating chapters. It provides better structure of the setting, it provides the mythology and a better understanding of the “True Father” and “The Queen who Sleeps”. It’s well written and everything comes together seamlessly.
The plot itself is also excellent. I love the concept of “Silents” and “Songbearers” and both are living side by side but marred by war and prejudice. And did you ever see the hate towards Jasminda throughout the book. You get angry at her treatment but Jasminda bears it and she does it well. The plot is pretty fast paced and it’s feels like a fast read - not to mention the fact that it’s very interesting. There’s a good mix of fantasy, action, and romance. What wasn’t really necessary was the Lizvette part. It made that aspect predictable and it didn’t really mesh well with what was going on with all the other things. It felt like it was placed there for filler reasons (I mean, we all know who Jack was going to go for a this point…)
Now for Jack and Jasminda.
I LOVED both of them together. They had this chemistry going on and you could feel it throughout the novel. It was heart wrenching in various parts of the book and you wanted to reach out to them and MAKE them go together (Jack you deserve some slaps of stupidity for some of the stuff you said). They’re both great characters and Jasminda’s development throughout the novel was excellent. Despite the changes she went through she didn’t lose her sass and her ferocious independence (love how this exasperates Jack by the way lol)
Definitely looking forward to the second book of this series! The ending was great (and I’m sure there’s way more battles to come)
Sarah (126 KP) rated Nest Learning Thermostat in Tech
Jul 30, 2018
Control via app when at or away from home (2 more)
Compatible with Alexa/Echo
Ease of operation and reading temperatures
Excellent Product
We've had a Nest Learning Thermostat for almost 18 months now, and it's been a really good investment. It was installed along with a new boiler, when our just out of warranty, 10 year old boiler gave up the ghost.
Since the installation of the new boiler and Nest thermostat, our heating bills have decreased significantly - and the time that the thermostat was installed coincided with the time that I began working from home and so, one would assume, our heating demands would have also increased.
The ability to connect the thermostat to an app controlled with our mobile phones means that it recognises when no one is home and so the house does not need to be kept warm, and instead is kept at the minimum temperature we set, and also when we are returning home and can begin to warm the house up. Similarly, I can also turn the heating up when I'm away from home so that it's nice and toasty when I get in during the winter months, or can increase the minimum temperature if I want to keep it a bit warmer for the pets while we're all out.
The device can also be paired with Amazon's Echo devices and so controlled with Alexa - great when I'm working and want to crank up the heat in the room without breaking from what I'm working on.
It's so easy to read and operate, even our 5-year old can use it (and could almost as soon as it was installed) to increase or decrease the heat to a specific temperature. Probably my only criticism is that the input of things like the WiFi password could be a bit more straightforward - I accidently put it in wrong first time, and even the electrician who installed it had to jump through hoops to go back and change it.
Overall, I would buy it again and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking to get a smart thermostat.
Since the installation of the new boiler and Nest thermostat, our heating bills have decreased significantly - and the time that the thermostat was installed coincided with the time that I began working from home and so, one would assume, our heating demands would have also increased.
The ability to connect the thermostat to an app controlled with our mobile phones means that it recognises when no one is home and so the house does not need to be kept warm, and instead is kept at the minimum temperature we set, and also when we are returning home and can begin to warm the house up. Similarly, I can also turn the heating up when I'm away from home so that it's nice and toasty when I get in during the winter months, or can increase the minimum temperature if I want to keep it a bit warmer for the pets while we're all out.
The device can also be paired with Amazon's Echo devices and so controlled with Alexa - great when I'm working and want to crank up the heat in the room without breaking from what I'm working on.
It's so easy to read and operate, even our 5-year old can use it (and could almost as soon as it was installed) to increase or decrease the heat to a specific temperature. Probably my only criticism is that the input of things like the WiFi password could be a bit more straightforward - I accidently put it in wrong first time, and even the electrician who installed it had to jump through hoops to go back and change it.
Overall, I would buy it again and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking to get a smart thermostat.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Bronze Horseman in Books
Jan 6, 2021
2.5 stars.
Reading this on Scribd probably wasn't the best idea ever. Having to sit at my computer for god knows how many hours while I read all 800+ pages...
It started great, I loved Tatiana and her first meeting with Alexander...but then it went downhill from there when it turned out Alexander was the guy her sister had been seeing. It got progressively worse for me when she decided to end whatever blossoming thing they had as she felt she would break her sisters heart if she got together with him instead. This continued for almost half the book, which drove me mad--it was pretty repetative, especially considering it was set during the war and they might not live to see the end of it.
People changed over that time, lots of people died. I think one of my updates quite clearly captured this:
<blockquote>"Really driving me mad now :( You're sister is not a nice person anymore, Tatiana. If anyone deserves Alexander it's you for still being the same person you were at the start of the book, the same person that Alexander fell in love with. I hope, beyond everything, that you break your promise so that he has a reason to call things off with your sister so you can be together!!!!" </blockquote>
The ups and downs every few % did my head in. One minute they were kissing and saying nice things and the next they were shouting and arguing with each other.
I thought it would improve after the halfway point when they finally leave Leningrad but it continued for another 10% or so. I was expecting them to do the deed and then be all nice and happy. And this was the case for a while. Eat, have sex. Swim, have sex. Wash up, have sex...Repetative once more.
By the 70% mark, after reading each page word for word--and after almost a month of reading--I just wanted it over with and skimmed the remaining 250 pages. I got the gist and though I was happy they got together in the end I can't say I'm interested in finishing the trilogy. Really, stupidly, long books are not for me.
Reading this on Scribd probably wasn't the best idea ever. Having to sit at my computer for god knows how many hours while I read all 800+ pages...
It started great, I loved Tatiana and her first meeting with Alexander...but then it went downhill from there when it turned out Alexander was the guy her sister had been seeing. It got progressively worse for me when she decided to end whatever blossoming thing they had as she felt she would break her sisters heart if she got together with him instead. This continued for almost half the book, which drove me mad--it was pretty repetative, especially considering it was set during the war and they might not live to see the end of it.
People changed over that time, lots of people died. I think one of my updates quite clearly captured this:
<blockquote>"Really driving me mad now :( You're sister is not a nice person anymore, Tatiana. If anyone deserves Alexander it's you for still being the same person you were at the start of the book, the same person that Alexander fell in love with. I hope, beyond everything, that you break your promise so that he has a reason to call things off with your sister so you can be together!!!!" </blockquote>
The ups and downs every few % did my head in. One minute they were kissing and saying nice things and the next they were shouting and arguing with each other.
I thought it would improve after the halfway point when they finally leave Leningrad but it continued for another 10% or so. I was expecting them to do the deed and then be all nice and happy. And this was the case for a while. Eat, have sex. Swim, have sex. Wash up, have sex...Repetative once more.
By the 70% mark, after reading each page word for word--and after almost a month of reading--I just wanted it over with and skimmed the remaining 250 pages. I got the gist and though I was happy they got together in the end I can't say I'm interested in finishing the trilogy. Really, stupidly, long books are not for me.