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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Testing (The Testing, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<i>The Testing</i> was an interesting read, or should I say... reread?
The first time I read this (I was bored at the mall. I beelined to Barnes & Noble, plucked up a book, hid in a corner, and skimmed), I skimmed it, but I had a general idea of what was going on, what was happening – nothing very detailed. My second read though, was much more thorough and detailed – it was also a refresher of sorts.
<i>The Testing</i> is the first in a trilogy set in a futuristic United States called the United Commonwealth. Every year, the best and brightest of each graduating class in each colony are sent to The Testing, a program designed to pick out potential leaders of the future. When Cia Vale, along with four others from her colony, is chosen to participate in The Testing, her father tells her about his own experience – an experience filled with potential horrors that Cia may come across herself in her Testing.
I love Cia as a character: she's brave, she's intelligent – and oh, do I love the way she handles Will and Tomas when the tension is high between the two later on in the book. If there's ever a potential love triangle in the future, I might not be annoyed if Cia continues to handle them in the next two books the way she handled them in this book (read: I like Cia. I never said I liked Will or Tomas).
That, however, depends. Perhaps my brain will start crying in protest instead.
There doesn't, however, seem to be a major plot or storyline that appear until around the end: <i>The Testing</i> seems to be focused more on how The Testing operates from an inside look and setting up for the second book. Basically, for literally 90% of the book or more, Cia and the other testers are focused on surviving The Testing and making it to the new class of University students.
From early on in the book, similarities to <i>The Hunger Games</i> could be spotted easily: the colonies, the penalty of death, Michal, Cia's relationship with Tomas and Will, etc. Despite all of that though, I highly enjoyed reading through <i>The Testing</i>. The sequel is something that I'll probably enjoy reading (or listening) to as well.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-testing-by-joelle-charbonneau/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
The first time I read this (I was bored at the mall. I beelined to Barnes & Noble, plucked up a book, hid in a corner, and skimmed), I skimmed it, but I had a general idea of what was going on, what was happening – nothing very detailed. My second read though, was much more thorough and detailed – it was also a refresher of sorts.
<i>The Testing</i> is the first in a trilogy set in a futuristic United States called the United Commonwealth. Every year, the best and brightest of each graduating class in each colony are sent to The Testing, a program designed to pick out potential leaders of the future. When Cia Vale, along with four others from her colony, is chosen to participate in The Testing, her father tells her about his own experience – an experience filled with potential horrors that Cia may come across herself in her Testing.
I love Cia as a character: she's brave, she's intelligent – and oh, do I love the way she handles Will and Tomas when the tension is high between the two later on in the book. If there's ever a potential love triangle in the future, I might not be annoyed if Cia continues to handle them in the next two books the way she handled them in this book (read: I like Cia. I never said I liked Will or Tomas).
That, however, depends. Perhaps my brain will start crying in protest instead.
There doesn't, however, seem to be a major plot or storyline that appear until around the end: <i>The Testing</i> seems to be focused more on how The Testing operates from an inside look and setting up for the second book. Basically, for literally 90% of the book or more, Cia and the other testers are focused on surviving The Testing and making it to the new class of University students.
From early on in the book, similarities to <i>The Hunger Games</i> could be spotted easily: the colonies, the penalty of death, Michal, Cia's relationship with Tomas and Will, etc. Despite all of that though, I highly enjoyed reading through <i>The Testing</i>. The sequel is something that I'll probably enjoy reading (or listening) to as well.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-testing-by-joelle-charbonneau/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Wreck and Order in Books
May 10, 2018
Elsie is a wreck just as the title of the book suggests. She is living mostly off of her father's money with some little jobs to hold her over. She's seeing a guy who barely respects her and she doesn't really seem to have found her direction in life. Taking trips overseas to Paris and Sri Lanka improves on her recklessness, but once she's back in the states, it's hard to control old habits. Will Elsie find her place in this world before she destroys her life?
At the beginning of the book, I could relate to Elsie on some level. During my early 20's I was pretty reckless with my own life doing things that now I can look back and see weren't the best decisions. Those things have made me into the person I am today, but who would I of been without those experiences. Who is Elsie without her crazy alcohol induced, drug addicted boyfriend, Jared? Who is she without Suriya, her Sri Lankan "sister" and without her parents who continue to support her financially even if it's not the best thing for her
I was so looking forward to this book. I first discovered it through Penguin's First To Read Program, but at the time I had some difficulty downloading it to my Kindle I had the opportunity to borrow it from the library, but I was not as thrilled with the overall story as I was hoping to be from the description. To me Elsie seemed like she was going in circles instead of moving forward in her life. Continuing to make the same choices sh know are not good for her, not learning from her mistakes, or maybe she does learn from them but doesn't implement these changes into her life. I rated it three stars, but it's more of 2.5 for me. It started off strong, but the ending left something to be desired.
At the beginning of the book, I could relate to Elsie on some level. During my early 20's I was pretty reckless with my own life doing things that now I can look back and see weren't the best decisions. Those things have made me into the person I am today, but who would I of been without those experiences. Who is Elsie without her crazy alcohol induced, drug addicted boyfriend, Jared? Who is she without Suriya, her Sri Lankan "sister" and without her parents who continue to support her financially even if it's not the best thing for her
I was so looking forward to this book. I first discovered it through Penguin's First To Read Program, but at the time I had some difficulty downloading it to my Kindle I had the opportunity to borrow it from the library, but I was not as thrilled with the overall story as I was hoping to be from the description. To me Elsie seemed like she was going in circles instead of moving forward in her life. Continuing to make the same choices sh know are not good for her, not learning from her mistakes, or maybe she does learn from them but doesn't implement these changes into her life. I rated it three stars, but it's more of 2.5 for me. It started off strong, but the ending left something to be desired.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Outcast Dead (Ruth Galloway, #6) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Ruth Galloway is busy on yet another dig - this time digging up bones of what may be the famous murderess "Mother Hook," known for caring for children and then perhaps killing them. (And oh yes, for the hook she had on her hand.) Meanwhile, Nelson is busy on a case of a woman who has lost her third child, a young baby, to what looks like SIDS, or is it? And in the shadows, lurks someone who is taking children from their parents - a sinister force calling themselves "The Childminder."
If it sounds like there's a lot going on, there is. And yet, the plot in this one is a little thinner than in a typical Ruth Galloway book, hence the 3 (3.5) star rating. Still, it's pretty much impossible not to enjoy a Ruth Galloway novel. She's a dear friend by now - I love her slightly sarcastic personality and way of presenting her life. There are always moments when I laugh out loud. In this novel, we find Ruth asked to appear on a TV program about murder and archaeology (they are doing a show on "Mother Hook"), which certainly takes Ruth out of her comfort zone, and also introduces us to some new characters, including the American actor, Frank, who seems keen on Ruth.
Some of the zig zagging cases are a little crazy, and "The Childminder" line ties itself up very quickly and neatly by the end, but it's still an interesting read from a mystery perspective. The introduction of Frank adds some tension to Ruth and Nelson's drama, as well. Further, the book has some good insights on childcare in the modern day - working motherhood and the like. I find myself identifying with Ruth in a multitude of ways, and she just remains a likable character who can carry a book, no matter the plot. To date, any Ruth Galloway book is worth a read.
If it sounds like there's a lot going on, there is. And yet, the plot in this one is a little thinner than in a typical Ruth Galloway book, hence the 3 (3.5) star rating. Still, it's pretty much impossible not to enjoy a Ruth Galloway novel. She's a dear friend by now - I love her slightly sarcastic personality and way of presenting her life. There are always moments when I laugh out loud. In this novel, we find Ruth asked to appear on a TV program about murder and archaeology (they are doing a show on "Mother Hook"), which certainly takes Ruth out of her comfort zone, and also introduces us to some new characters, including the American actor, Frank, who seems keen on Ruth.
Some of the zig zagging cases are a little crazy, and "The Childminder" line ties itself up very quickly and neatly by the end, but it's still an interesting read from a mystery perspective. The introduction of Frank adds some tension to Ruth and Nelson's drama, as well. Further, the book has some good insights on childcare in the modern day - working motherhood and the like. I find myself identifying with Ruth in a multitude of ways, and she just remains a likable character who can carry a book, no matter the plot. To date, any Ruth Galloway book is worth a read.
MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Baby Teeth in Books
Sep 19, 2018 (Updated Sep 19, 2018)
Couldn't put it down!
Contains spoilers, click to show
** spoiler alert ** I could NOT put this book down. And when I was done with it, I couldn't stop talking about it. My husband's exact words: "that sounds like a f*cked up book you're reading." 100% true.
I'm not going to rehash the plot you've read about 10,000 times. You get it: evil kid, scared mother, oblivious dad-in-denial. It sounds like it could be a bad horror movie; instead it's a truly disturbing book. That's the thing about uncomfortable topics: if you're reading it, you create an image in your mind of what you perceive - rather than having the image given to you on a screen - and more often than not the image in my mind is far scarier.
The author has fleshed out the story in such a way that the reader is forced to really digest the terrible things. It's not one horrifying event on top of another; it's spaced out so that you truly think about what just happened and what it means...and what might be coming.
I was fascinated by the peek into the mind of a budding serial killer (because let's be real, that's what she'll be, with Mommy as first victim when she gets out of Marshes) and how she manipulates the world around her. There are a few moments here and there where for just a second, you feel bad for seven-year-old Hanna. But then she does something horrifying and the feeling passes, and you're #TeamSuzette once again.
I will say that Alex's willful ignorance of the situation and absolute indulgence of Hanna pissed me off - why would your wife lie to you about this, you idiot? - and I was SO HAPPY when he finally got with the program and they presented a united parental front against their evil little minion.
May I suggest you avoid this book if you have a precocious 7-year-old child? :)
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read & review this ARE.
I'm not going to rehash the plot you've read about 10,000 times. You get it: evil kid, scared mother, oblivious dad-in-denial. It sounds like it could be a bad horror movie; instead it's a truly disturbing book. That's the thing about uncomfortable topics: if you're reading it, you create an image in your mind of what you perceive - rather than having the image given to you on a screen - and more often than not the image in my mind is far scarier.
The author has fleshed out the story in such a way that the reader is forced to really digest the terrible things. It's not one horrifying event on top of another; it's spaced out so that you truly think about what just happened and what it means...and what might be coming.
I was fascinated by the peek into the mind of a budding serial killer (because let's be real, that's what she'll be, with Mommy as first victim when she gets out of Marshes) and how she manipulates the world around her. There are a few moments here and there where for just a second, you feel bad for seven-year-old Hanna. But then she does something horrifying and the feeling passes, and you're #TeamSuzette once again.
I will say that Alex's willful ignorance of the situation and absolute indulgence of Hanna pissed me off - why would your wife lie to you about this, you idiot? - and I was SO HAPPY when he finally got with the program and they presented a united parental front against their evil little minion.
May I suggest you avoid this book if you have a precocious 7-year-old child? :)
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read & review this ARE.
DW
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