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Save Me (Make or Break, #3)
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Save Me can be read as a standalone. “I don’t care! Do you hear me? I don’t care Pierce!”...
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Last Namsara in Books
Jan 9, 2018
Where the Namsara brings life the Iskari brings death. Asha is the Iskari, death bringer and dragon hunter. Cursed with a lifetime of knowing it was her fault that dragons had come to ransack her town when she was a child, she is feared and reviled. It was her mother telling her the Old Stories of dragons that brought them, a balm to her nightmares with horrendous consequences. Asha has dedicated her young life to slaying the dragons, although now with them dwindling in numbers she must take drastic action to ensure a successful hunt. Asha must tell the outlawed Old Stories again.
The last Namsara is very much a book of revelations for Asha. The dragon attack when she was a child left her without a mother and also horrible scarred from the burns she suffered. Having to not only live with the fact that she is hated she also has to deal with the stares associated with her disfigurement, the armour she wears is both necessary for her hunt and for her emotional wellbeing. When her secret is out following an accident during a hunt, she is tended to by Torwin, her betrothed’s slave, who seemingly is willing to keep her secret, but at what cost to both of them?
Through a series of cruel acts she finds herself visited by the first Namsara who starts her on a path that will not only unravel the truth about what happened the day of the dragon attack, but also a much deeper and long running deception. Asha must therefore right the wrongs.
I very much liked Asha as a character, I found that she was written with both strength and vulnerability, she has always been the Iskari and that has given her an opportunity to hide behind a persona. She is however still a teenager and she has the same hopes and fears as everyone, but her hardened act is thankfully easy to scratch beyond the surface of. The book was an easy flowing read and I particularly liked how the Old Stories were interwoven into the pages, completing parts of the story and acting almost like a running prologue. It was a great way of explaining a complicated back story without being an info dump on the reader. I also found that there was a great deal of realism about the aftermaths of events, the fact that laws can’t be changed to suit the sovereign and that one persons change for the better will always be anothers change for the worse. It didn’t shy away from the ugly side of things and that always gets good marks from me.
That being said, I found the Last Namsara lacked a certain spark. I enjoyed reading it very much don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t have my pulse racing and I found it easy to put down of an evening. I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of dragons and kick ass female protagonists as it really does have a lot to like.
The last Namsara is very much a book of revelations for Asha. The dragon attack when she was a child left her without a mother and also horrible scarred from the burns she suffered. Having to not only live with the fact that she is hated she also has to deal with the stares associated with her disfigurement, the armour she wears is both necessary for her hunt and for her emotional wellbeing. When her secret is out following an accident during a hunt, she is tended to by Torwin, her betrothed’s slave, who seemingly is willing to keep her secret, but at what cost to both of them?
Through a series of cruel acts she finds herself visited by the first Namsara who starts her on a path that will not only unravel the truth about what happened the day of the dragon attack, but also a much deeper and long running deception. Asha must therefore right the wrongs.
I very much liked Asha as a character, I found that she was written with both strength and vulnerability, she has always been the Iskari and that has given her an opportunity to hide behind a persona. She is however still a teenager and she has the same hopes and fears as everyone, but her hardened act is thankfully easy to scratch beyond the surface of. The book was an easy flowing read and I particularly liked how the Old Stories were interwoven into the pages, completing parts of the story and acting almost like a running prologue. It was a great way of explaining a complicated back story without being an info dump on the reader. I also found that there was a great deal of realism about the aftermaths of events, the fact that laws can’t be changed to suit the sovereign and that one persons change for the better will always be anothers change for the worse. It didn’t shy away from the ugly side of things and that always gets good marks from me.
That being said, I found the Last Namsara lacked a certain spark. I enjoyed reading it very much don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t have my pulse racing and I found it easy to put down of an evening. I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of dragons and kick ass female protagonists as it really does have a lot to like.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated You Must Not Miss in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Magpie Lewis has been abandoned. Her father left. Then her sister, Eryn, too. Now it's just Magpie and her mom. Who truly isn't really present, as she drowns herself in booze and a haze of alcoholism. Magpie's sister left the same night as Brandon Phipps's party--after which Magpie's longtime friendship with Allison ended, and Magpie was branded a slut and left to be an outcast at school. So she starts writing in a yellow notebook, creating a world called Near. It's Magpie's magical place, where everything is perfect: no cheating father, no drunk mom, no missing sister, and no horrific school experiences. She thinks up Near so clearly, so fully, that she wills it into existence, and Magpie realizes that in Near, she can have it all: even revenge on those who have hurt her.
"There was one month left of her sophomore year of high school, and she had decided, after a mountain of evidence to support it, that the entire world was a joke."
I just love Katrina Leno, and her beautiful writing. You Must Not Miss is no exception: it's a poetic, stark take on high school friendship, rape culture, and the ties that bind us. The story is a clever variation of "One for Sorrow." Magpie is our main character and takes center stage: it's hard not to feel sympathetic for this poor abandoned girl--with no family who cares for her and, for a while, no friends.
"If you give a name to an impossible thing, does it make the impossible thing any less impossible?
But then the story takes a dramatic, dark twist--as Magpie creates Near both in her mind and in reality--and as Magpie's portal to another world takes true shape, we see our character find strength before our very eyes. I won't lie, I'm not sure this book is for everyone. It reminded me in some ways of a Maggie Stiefvater novel. It's true magical realism, and there's a suspension of disbelief to be had, to be sure. But it's a book that I feel like Leno was meant to be write. Her way of eviscerating rape culture, misogyny, and more is so adept, so searing. It is a call to arms to those who are not believed, who are ignored and mocked, who are the ones who see their lives ruined when the attackers run free.
In this way, You Must Not Miss is a strong, complex book tackling a tough topic. It may be difficult for some that this topic is underneath the magical world of Near, but I liked how that was what Magpie needed to deal with all that happened to her. Beware, this book is brutal at times (and yes, there's a trigger warning for rape/sexual assault). But it's beautifully written, too. It's complicated, much like its subject matter and its protagonist, who is still trying to figure herself out, as well. It's a different read, but if you're willing to give it a try, I think you'll be glad you did. 4 stars.
"There was one month left of her sophomore year of high school, and she had decided, after a mountain of evidence to support it, that the entire world was a joke."
I just love Katrina Leno, and her beautiful writing. You Must Not Miss is no exception: it's a poetic, stark take on high school friendship, rape culture, and the ties that bind us. The story is a clever variation of "One for Sorrow." Magpie is our main character and takes center stage: it's hard not to feel sympathetic for this poor abandoned girl--with no family who cares for her and, for a while, no friends.
"If you give a name to an impossible thing, does it make the impossible thing any less impossible?
But then the story takes a dramatic, dark twist--as Magpie creates Near both in her mind and in reality--and as Magpie's portal to another world takes true shape, we see our character find strength before our very eyes. I won't lie, I'm not sure this book is for everyone. It reminded me in some ways of a Maggie Stiefvater novel. It's true magical realism, and there's a suspension of disbelief to be had, to be sure. But it's a book that I feel like Leno was meant to be write. Her way of eviscerating rape culture, misogyny, and more is so adept, so searing. It is a call to arms to those who are not believed, who are ignored and mocked, who are the ones who see their lives ruined when the attackers run free.
In this way, You Must Not Miss is a strong, complex book tackling a tough topic. It may be difficult for some that this topic is underneath the magical world of Near, but I liked how that was what Magpie needed to deal with all that happened to her. Beware, this book is brutal at times (and yes, there's a trigger warning for rape/sexual assault). But it's beautifully written, too. It's complicated, much like its subject matter and its protagonist, who is still trying to figure herself out, as well. It's a different read, but if you're willing to give it a try, I think you'll be glad you did. 4 stars.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2019
It seems to have been a long wait since Red Country for another book from Lord Grimdark himself, Joe Abercrombie. Not only is this the first book in a new sequence, but it is also labelled as Young Adult. I have to say I had my reservations about that since I wondered how the author of the very grim and very dark First Law books would be able to make a book suitable for young adults... it would be like Quentin Tarantino making a Disney film...
I needn't have worried. It seems all Abercrombie has done is create his usual cast of dark, mysterious, vengeful and misfit characters, set them on a bloody quest during which they can philosophise, complain and make pithy remarks to each other while hacking their enemies into pieces. It seems the only nods to being a 'Young Adult' book is that there is no sex and maybe some of the gore has been turned down a notch. The writing, the plot or the characters don't suffer from this at all.
The plot concerns Yarvi, youngest son of the king in a land where strength and ability in battle is everything. However Yarvi was born with a deformed hand and he is an embarrassment to his father and fated to join the ministry - which normally only women do - to become and adviser to a king rather than a king himself.
However destiny strikes a cruel blow when his father and older brother are both killed. Yarvi is now the king - unprepared as he is and as unpopular as he is with his subjects. He is soon betrayed and sets out on a quest for revenge.
This is pure Abercrombie from start to finish. Yarvi's journey takes him from being a king to being the lowest of the low - if not lower. He might lack the strength or ability to fight but he has wisdom, knowledge, cunning and a thirst for revenge to make up for that. From a lonely and unhappy child he becomes a leader of men - and women - and has to fight for survival across a continent to get home to take his rightful place at the throne.
The book is perhaps a little slow to start - until Yarvi is betrayed - but it is essential that this time is taken to lay the groundwork for what follows. Once it gets going the book races along with barely a stop for breath as events carry the young hero along, sometimes with some control of the situation but often just as much a bystander as the reader. There are characters aplenty - some plain mean and nasty, some friendly and amusing, some mean and nasty and amusing. As would be expected from Abercrombie nobody falls into a neat pigeonhole or trope. When deaths among Yarvi's comrades occur they are touchingly written - but with the senseless random nature of war and death writ large across their last words.
Definitely a great read, hope it will not be so long before the next in the series.
I needn't have worried. It seems all Abercrombie has done is create his usual cast of dark, mysterious, vengeful and misfit characters, set them on a bloody quest during which they can philosophise, complain and make pithy remarks to each other while hacking their enemies into pieces. It seems the only nods to being a 'Young Adult' book is that there is no sex and maybe some of the gore has been turned down a notch. The writing, the plot or the characters don't suffer from this at all.
The plot concerns Yarvi, youngest son of the king in a land where strength and ability in battle is everything. However Yarvi was born with a deformed hand and he is an embarrassment to his father and fated to join the ministry - which normally only women do - to become and adviser to a king rather than a king himself.
However destiny strikes a cruel blow when his father and older brother are both killed. Yarvi is now the king - unprepared as he is and as unpopular as he is with his subjects. He is soon betrayed and sets out on a quest for revenge.
This is pure Abercrombie from start to finish. Yarvi's journey takes him from being a king to being the lowest of the low - if not lower. He might lack the strength or ability to fight but he has wisdom, knowledge, cunning and a thirst for revenge to make up for that. From a lonely and unhappy child he becomes a leader of men - and women - and has to fight for survival across a continent to get home to take his rightful place at the throne.
The book is perhaps a little slow to start - until Yarvi is betrayed - but it is essential that this time is taken to lay the groundwork for what follows. Once it gets going the book races along with barely a stop for breath as events carry the young hero along, sometimes with some control of the situation but often just as much a bystander as the reader. There are characters aplenty - some plain mean and nasty, some friendly and amusing, some mean and nasty and amusing. As would be expected from Abercrombie nobody falls into a neat pigeonhole or trope. When deaths among Yarvi's comrades occur they are touchingly written - but with the senseless random nature of war and death writ large across their last words.
Definitely a great read, hope it will not be so long before the next in the series.
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Kaz (232 KP) rated The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) in Books
May 15, 2019
An intersting, gripping read
What the 'Blurb' says:
'Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets. Then Todd Hewitt unexpectedly stumbles on a spot of complete silence. Which is impossible. And now he’s going to have to run…'
My Thoughts:
I saw this being talked about on YouTube a few months ago and it seemed really interesting.
This is about a place called Prentisstown, where there are no women and all of the men living there, can hear each other's thoughts.
The story is told by Todd Hewitt, the main central character and, because we are hearing his thoughts and he is illiterate, a lot of the words in this book are incorrectly spelled. This actually annoyed me to begin with but as the book went on, I actually think that this was a good idea, because I really believed in Todd's character and I got into the story quicker. I loved the experimental style of the writing and different fonts, to describe different people's thoughts. You could tell a lot about each speaker, by the font of their thoughts. I really liked this technique and thought it was very effective. As the book went on, I thought some of the writing was very poetic and approached the target audience in a non patronizing way.
One thing I might add, would be that throughout the book, Todd kept asking people what was going on. He was repeatedly told 'I'll explain later'. Now I know this was to keep you reading on, but I felt like some of the important information that was given, could have been more frequently placed through out the novel, instead of having quite a lengthy explanation near the end of the book.
The majority of the characters were realistic and I liked the relationship between Todd and the other main central characters. However, I thought the character Aaron, was a little cartoonish.
This is a very fast paced story and I found it difficult to put this down.The plot itself wasn't predictable and I was eager to know what was going to happen.
The ending of this book for some reason, left me a little underwhelmed. I was expecting more of an impact. However, I'm still really eager to know what is going to happen in the next book.
My Rating ****
'Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets. Then Todd Hewitt unexpectedly stumbles on a spot of complete silence. Which is impossible. And now he’s going to have to run…'
My Thoughts:
I saw this being talked about on YouTube a few months ago and it seemed really interesting.
This is about a place called Prentisstown, where there are no women and all of the men living there, can hear each other's thoughts.
The story is told by Todd Hewitt, the main central character and, because we are hearing his thoughts and he is illiterate, a lot of the words in this book are incorrectly spelled. This actually annoyed me to begin with but as the book went on, I actually think that this was a good idea, because I really believed in Todd's character and I got into the story quicker. I loved the experimental style of the writing and different fonts, to describe different people's thoughts. You could tell a lot about each speaker, by the font of their thoughts. I really liked this technique and thought it was very effective. As the book went on, I thought some of the writing was very poetic and approached the target audience in a non patronizing way.
One thing I might add, would be that throughout the book, Todd kept asking people what was going on. He was repeatedly told 'I'll explain later'. Now I know this was to keep you reading on, but I felt like some of the important information that was given, could have been more frequently placed through out the novel, instead of having quite a lengthy explanation near the end of the book.
The majority of the characters were realistic and I liked the relationship between Todd and the other main central characters. However, I thought the character Aaron, was a little cartoonish.
This is a very fast paced story and I found it difficult to put this down.The plot itself wasn't predictable and I was eager to know what was going to happen.
The ending of this book for some reason, left me a little underwhelmed. I was expecting more of an impact. However, I'm still really eager to know what is going to happen in the next book.
My Rating ****
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Defending Taylor in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Taylor has always grown up expecting the most of herself. After all, her father is a State Senator, and he and her mother have high expectations for their youngest daughter. At her private school, Taylor excels at school and is now captain of her soccer team. She has a close group of friends and a boyfriend, Ben. But all of that changes when Taylor makes a mistake--and gets kicked out of school. Now she's forced to start over at the local public school, which puts her dreams of Ivy League college in jeopardy. She joins the school's soccer team and tries to make things right with her family, but she can't deal with the secrets she's keeping, or the crushing disappointment of her entire family.
I can't help it: Kenneally's books are just enjoyable. This one leaves you in the dark in the beginning as to exactly what happened to Taylor--while frustrating, it builds suspense effectively and keeps you turning pages. Taylor's under so much pressure, but Kenneally easily captures the teen experience and the dramatic "life and death" sensation of being a teenager. Sometimes you roll your eyes at Taylor's actions, but you have to remember what it's like to be a teenager: you really do feel bad for the kid. Her parents put a crazy amount of pressure on Taylor, as do her perfect older twin siblings, and the book offers a good commentary about the burden and anxiety teens face these days regarding school and the college process. Plus, Taylor has the extra stress of her behavior being under the microscope of her father's senate campaign.
I was a little frustrated about how Taylor couldn't handle talking to her parents about her life, but could fall quickly and easily into a mature romantic relationship, but that seems to be par for the course for many YA novels these days. Besides, you can't help rooting for her relationship (and the cute guy). I enjoyed the message in this novel about taking a step back, finding yourself, and doing things your own way. I think it's a message that could benefit many teens. I also couldn't help but fall for Taylor, even if she was frustrating at times, and overall, I enjoyed this one. Kenneally has a way with words and writing teens--her books are worth the read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 7/5.
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
I can't help it: Kenneally's books are just enjoyable. This one leaves you in the dark in the beginning as to exactly what happened to Taylor--while frustrating, it builds suspense effectively and keeps you turning pages. Taylor's under so much pressure, but Kenneally easily captures the teen experience and the dramatic "life and death" sensation of being a teenager. Sometimes you roll your eyes at Taylor's actions, but you have to remember what it's like to be a teenager: you really do feel bad for the kid. Her parents put a crazy amount of pressure on Taylor, as do her perfect older twin siblings, and the book offers a good commentary about the burden and anxiety teens face these days regarding school and the college process. Plus, Taylor has the extra stress of her behavior being under the microscope of her father's senate campaign.
I was a little frustrated about how Taylor couldn't handle talking to her parents about her life, but could fall quickly and easily into a mature romantic relationship, but that seems to be par for the course for many YA novels these days. Besides, you can't help rooting for her relationship (and the cute guy). I enjoyed the message in this novel about taking a step back, finding yourself, and doing things your own way. I think it's a message that could benefit many teens. I also couldn't help but fall for Taylor, even if she was frustrating at times, and overall, I enjoyed this one. Kenneally has a way with words and writing teens--her books are worth the read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 7/5.
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
Leigh J (71 KP) rated Dreamcatcher (2003) in Movies
Nov 24, 2019 (Updated Nov 24, 2019)
Stephen King does The Thing
Contains spoilers, click to show
4 friends make their yearly trek to a Cabin in a remote part of Maine to eat, drink, be merry and Hunt. However Jonesy, Pete, Beaver and Henry are not just any ordinary group of friends. For as long as they can remember, there has been a psychic link between them, strengthened further by the addition of Duddits, a mentally disabled young boy who they rescued from bullies one day after school when they were all kids. Their link as a group of 5 is so strong that they even rescue a young girl who has been missing for a while. Now the boys have grown up and this trip is their chance to let loose and blow off some steam, minus Duddits who is still mentally a young boy. Whilst out hunting, they come across a distressed and dazed man who tells them he got lost in the woods whilst out with his Hunting group... and the man is obviously ill. He has a suspicious injury to his face and he can't stop burping and farting, which are so horrible that they make the guys nauseous. Soon enough, they guys discover the man is in a blood soaked Bathroom, dead, and an Alien Weasel looking creature thrashing around in the toilet bowl. And there's a red fungus growing on (and in) everything. Could this really be an Alien invasion? Can the 4 friends strike back against these otherworldly enemies? And what will happen when the most malevolent one of these Aliens decides that Jonesy would be a great place for him to be able to wreak havoc from?
Dreamcatcher is an adaptation of the Book of the same name from Stephen King. I'm now VERY happy I read the Book before I watched this Movie as some things in the Book don't come across that clear in the Movie. Not a lot of people enjoy the Book and feel it's quite out there for Stephen King but I really enjoyed it, and the same can be said for the Movie! The story is really captivating, especially the friendships between the guys and the interaction between Jonesy and Mr Gray (his new invader) and I really appreciated the very "Thing" quality this Movie has (I literally have no idea why it reminds me of The Thing but it just does!) Definitely worth a watch, but it's not going to be for everyone as I would recommend reading the Book first.
Dreamcatcher is an adaptation of the Book of the same name from Stephen King. I'm now VERY happy I read the Book before I watched this Movie as some things in the Book don't come across that clear in the Movie. Not a lot of people enjoy the Book and feel it's quite out there for Stephen King but I really enjoyed it, and the same can be said for the Movie! The story is really captivating, especially the friendships between the guys and the interaction between Jonesy and Mr Gray (his new invader) and I really appreciated the very "Thing" quality this Movie has (I literally have no idea why it reminds me of The Thing but it just does!) Definitely worth a watch, but it's not going to be for everyone as I would recommend reading the Book first.
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