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Kyera (8 KP) rated Everything, Everything in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon is such a powerful story, especially for her debut novel. It tackles the tough topic of living your life with a disease that affects absolutely everything. Maddy has SCID, a disease that essentially makes her allergic to the world. She doesn’t know what all of her triggers are, but she knows that if she is exposed to other people, spicy food or even nature outside – she could become severely ill and even die.
Her life has gone by, day by day, with no change. Her nurse Carla takes care of her, checks her temperature and blood pressure and she eats exactly three meals and two snacks a day. Every Friday, she has a special French food night with her mom but her meals are less than authentic with her allergies. But despite all that, she never gives up. She takes classes, reads books and is happy, despite the huge thing looming over her life and unlikelihood that she would ever be allowed outside in the real world.
But everything changes when a new family moves into the house near hers. Normally, she would just let the sound wash over her, ignore the beeping of the moving truck, but not today. For some reason, she goes to the window and her entire world changes. She makes a new friend, one she won’t allow to pity her, and his name is Olly. He opens up her world and before long, they’re messaging one another long into the night.
Their story together was so precious, that you couldn’t help but fall in love with each of them. The strength that Maddy had to live, cheerfully, day by day and the heart that Olly had to love and want to protect his family no matter what. The tale was heartbreaking and lovely, and to my surprise, it was not predictable.
I would highly recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy character-driven plots and unique contemporary book. This novel really delves into Maddy’s head and gives you a glimpse into her thoughts through a variety of mediums.
Her life has gone by, day by day, with no change. Her nurse Carla takes care of her, checks her temperature and blood pressure and she eats exactly three meals and two snacks a day. Every Friday, she has a special French food night with her mom but her meals are less than authentic with her allergies. But despite all that, she never gives up. She takes classes, reads books and is happy, despite the huge thing looming over her life and unlikelihood that she would ever be allowed outside in the real world.
But everything changes when a new family moves into the house near hers. Normally, she would just let the sound wash over her, ignore the beeping of the moving truck, but not today. For some reason, she goes to the window and her entire world changes. She makes a new friend, one she won’t allow to pity her, and his name is Olly. He opens up her world and before long, they’re messaging one another long into the night.
Their story together was so precious, that you couldn’t help but fall in love with each of them. The strength that Maddy had to live, cheerfully, day by day and the heart that Olly had to love and want to protect his family no matter what. The tale was heartbreaking and lovely, and to my surprise, it was not predictable.
I would highly recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy character-driven plots and unique contemporary book. This novel really delves into Maddy’s head and gives you a glimpse into her thoughts through a variety of mediums.
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Call (The Call #1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Be prepared for a dark ride that will hit you with every emotion. The book starts off a little slow as it lays the groundwork for a riveting and horrifying novel. Once you are introduced to the various characters and the world they find themselves in, the book becomes a really quick read. This book takes place in Ireland, but the island is separated from the rest of the world. Thousands of years ago, the Irish people banished the Sidhe (fairies) to another world and now they're back for their revenge. The people are trapped and their teens are being taken. The Call lasts for 3 minutes and 4 seconds in our world, but they have to survive a day in Sidhe. Most don't. Those that do usually aren't the same, either physically, mentally, or both. When they reappear after those 3 minutes, they're likely dead and quite horribly mutilated. The Sidhe enjoy twisting and bending their prey into new shapes as a form of amusement. Dark.
Sidhe is beautifully, yet horrifically depicted in the book as a place of nightmarish terrors, distorted humanity and deadly Sidhe (fairies). Humans are twisted and shaped into grotesque beings just as depraved as their creators. The landscape is no more forgiving with acid pits and razor folliage. While well represented, I wouldn't recommend this novel to younger teen readers because its pretty dark. Despite that, you're drawn into the book and just <i>need</i> to know what's going to happen.
One comment I have is that the main characters, Anto, Connor, Nessa, Megan, etc don't read like they're 14 years old and that's how old they're supposed to be. Perhaps it's living in this strange new word where you know you can be called at any moment and likely lose your life which might age you prematurely, but I kept being surprised when I was reminded of their ages. They definitely act older than they are, perhaps 16-18 years of age.
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn't like anything I've read before. Highly recommended for (older) young adult/teen readers who like fantasy, great world-building and don't expect everyone to have a happy ending.
Sidhe is beautifully, yet horrifically depicted in the book as a place of nightmarish terrors, distorted humanity and deadly Sidhe (fairies). Humans are twisted and shaped into grotesque beings just as depraved as their creators. The landscape is no more forgiving with acid pits and razor folliage. While well represented, I wouldn't recommend this novel to younger teen readers because its pretty dark. Despite that, you're drawn into the book and just <i>need</i> to know what's going to happen.
One comment I have is that the main characters, Anto, Connor, Nessa, Megan, etc don't read like they're 14 years old and that's how old they're supposed to be. Perhaps it's living in this strange new word where you know you can be called at any moment and likely lose your life which might age you prematurely, but I kept being surprised when I was reminded of their ages. They definitely act older than they are, perhaps 16-18 years of age.
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn't like anything I've read before. Highly recommended for (older) young adult/teen readers who like fantasy, great world-building and don't expect everyone to have a happy ending.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Red Rising in Books
Feb 1, 2018
I did not immediately fall in love with Red Rising. Rather the storyline slowly built over the first third of the book and then I found myself wanting to know what happens next. Darrows life as a Red is important to experience so you know what made him the man he is today, but didnt captivate my attention.
The world that he knows is a lie. He is not the sacrificing pioneer his society led him to believe, but rather little more than a slave. His entire outlook and being is altered so that he may fight his way to the top, and maybe change the Society.
Darrow is filled with love for his people and his family, but does not understand the world at large. He must learn, and quickly, to fit into this new world without losing himself in the process. Each character in the book is unique and contributes differently to the story. Some force Darrow to question his resolve to the cause, others show him a different side of humanity, while a rare few make him wonder if all Golds are bad.
Mustang and Sevro are probably my two favourite supporting characters. Mustang is smart, strategic and caring even though she was not raised to be that way. Her father is the leader on Mars, so she led a sheltered but harsh childhood. Sevro is a strange human, but he grows on you over the novel and his dark humour is infectious.
The most fascinating parts of the book were when he was attending the Institute and proving that he had what it took to become a Peerless Scarred. It was almost a study on the absolute lowest that humanity can sink to, the darkness they can embrace when there are no consequences to their actions and the leaders that can rise despite it. It was disgusting and horrifying at times, but you cant put it down.
Relationships form and are torn asunder, lies build and fester, and humanity sinks lower. The book was well written and I kept picking it up, needing to know what happened next, despite the darkness. I would recommend it to older young adult/teen readers, or adults, who enjoy science fiction novels.
The world that he knows is a lie. He is not the sacrificing pioneer his society led him to believe, but rather little more than a slave. His entire outlook and being is altered so that he may fight his way to the top, and maybe change the Society.
Darrow is filled with love for his people and his family, but does not understand the world at large. He must learn, and quickly, to fit into this new world without losing himself in the process. Each character in the book is unique and contributes differently to the story. Some force Darrow to question his resolve to the cause, others show him a different side of humanity, while a rare few make him wonder if all Golds are bad.
Mustang and Sevro are probably my two favourite supporting characters. Mustang is smart, strategic and caring even though she was not raised to be that way. Her father is the leader on Mars, so she led a sheltered but harsh childhood. Sevro is a strange human, but he grows on you over the novel and his dark humour is infectious.
The most fascinating parts of the book were when he was attending the Institute and proving that he had what it took to become a Peerless Scarred. It was almost a study on the absolute lowest that humanity can sink to, the darkness they can embrace when there are no consequences to their actions and the leaders that can rise despite it. It was disgusting and horrifying at times, but you cant put it down.
Relationships form and are torn asunder, lies build and fester, and humanity sinks lower. The book was well written and I kept picking it up, needing to know what happened next, despite the darkness. I would recommend it to older young adult/teen readers, or adults, who enjoy science fiction novels.
Kyera (8 KP) rated There's Someone In Your House in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This young adult thriller brings the feeling of Scream to a captivating if a bit on the nose book. I liked the characterization in the book, as each person felt unique but they weren't developed in any meaningful way. As a result, it was an enjoyable and quick read but you're likely to not connect strongly with any of the characters.
One of the toughest things in a book versus a visual story when building suspense is that everything needs to be laid out for the reader. You can't just expect the reader to notice an out of place egg timer as they might when watching a tv show, you need to expressly tell your reader that it keeps moving to strange locations. I feel like this could have been executed more smoothly in the book, but as I am not an experienced thriller writer (nor reader), I don't feel I have enough knowledge to know for sure. It just seemed like the author tended to tell, rather than show throughout the narrative. The clues and scares were shoved in your face, rather than letting the creep factor build on its own.
A lot of readers have mentioned knowing "whodunnit" the moment that character appeared on the page, but I did not have that same experience. I felt that there was enough misdirection thrown your way and too-obvious clues pointing to certain characters that it was able to remain a mystery for a while. The only problem I had with the reveal is that it seemed to occur much too early in the book. It seemed to be about halfway into the story and we already knew who the killer was. As this was an incredibly short, easy read that makes the reveal feel premature.
I would be a little hesitant to recommend this book to younger readers or anyone who is squeamish about gory scenes because there were a number of them in the book. In general, she wasn't vividly descriptive but her clinical detachment while describing the scenes might be off-putting to some. Some of the murders are incredibly violent and others are just very stabby.
One of the toughest things in a book versus a visual story when building suspense is that everything needs to be laid out for the reader. You can't just expect the reader to notice an out of place egg timer as they might when watching a tv show, you need to expressly tell your reader that it keeps moving to strange locations. I feel like this could have been executed more smoothly in the book, but as I am not an experienced thriller writer (nor reader), I don't feel I have enough knowledge to know for sure. It just seemed like the author tended to tell, rather than show throughout the narrative. The clues and scares were shoved in your face, rather than letting the creep factor build on its own.
A lot of readers have mentioned knowing "whodunnit" the moment that character appeared on the page, but I did not have that same experience. I felt that there was enough misdirection thrown your way and too-obvious clues pointing to certain characters that it was able to remain a mystery for a while. The only problem I had with the reveal is that it seemed to occur much too early in the book. It seemed to be about halfway into the story and we already knew who the killer was. As this was an incredibly short, easy read that makes the reveal feel premature.
I would be a little hesitant to recommend this book to younger readers or anyone who is squeamish about gory scenes because there were a number of them in the book. In general, she wasn't vividly descriptive but her clinical detachment while describing the scenes might be off-putting to some. Some of the murders are incredibly violent and others are just very stabby.
Kyera (8 KP) rated A Darker Shade of Magic in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The first book set up the idea of the different Londons: magic-less grey London, vibrant red London, starving and desperate white London, and decimated, dead black London. Each built upon a foundation of London but developed in completely different fashions. Their cultures, religion, speech, manner and being is so unique in each world.
It was a really intriguing way to build the world and immediately fascinated me. Good world building is so important to books because it is immersive, it pulls you in and makes you forget that its not real. You are living the story with the characters. She even created languages that were utilized by characters from different places, from the magic language of the Antari to the flowing words or harsh tones of the neighboring lands. It shows a passion for authenticity and true love of what she has created.
I love the characters. Rhy with his charm always brightens the room (or a scene). Lila is cunning, ruthless, ambitious and a thief. She doesn't need anyone and she would never admit to needing anything. She takes or does what she wants, no matter the cost with no regrets. She is tough as nails and her grit is inspiring. Her first instinct is to protect herself above all.
Many people may not agree with me, but Lila was probably my least favourite of our main characters. She was smart and tough, but a little too ruthless for my taste. Kell was the character that I liked/related to the most, even though he was a powerful magic user he seemed the most down to earth.
Not only does she introduce us to unique main characters, but she brilliantly gives depths to those in the background. There are some supporting characters that at times I liked even more than some of our leads.
Overall the story is more of a slow-burn/build rather than quick action packed scenes. I think that it worked really well for this story and have no complaints. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy or magic books with characters that have very diverse personalities/outlooks on life and great world-building.
It was a really intriguing way to build the world and immediately fascinated me. Good world building is so important to books because it is immersive, it pulls you in and makes you forget that its not real. You are living the story with the characters. She even created languages that were utilized by characters from different places, from the magic language of the Antari to the flowing words or harsh tones of the neighboring lands. It shows a passion for authenticity and true love of what she has created.
I love the characters. Rhy with his charm always brightens the room (or a scene). Lila is cunning, ruthless, ambitious and a thief. She doesn't need anyone and she would never admit to needing anything. She takes or does what she wants, no matter the cost with no regrets. She is tough as nails and her grit is inspiring. Her first instinct is to protect herself above all.
Many people may not agree with me, but Lila was probably my least favourite of our main characters. She was smart and tough, but a little too ruthless for my taste. Kell was the character that I liked/related to the most, even though he was a powerful magic user he seemed the most down to earth.
Not only does she introduce us to unique main characters, but she brilliantly gives depths to those in the background. There are some supporting characters that at times I liked even more than some of our leads.
Overall the story is more of a slow-burn/build rather than quick action packed scenes. I think that it worked really well for this story and have no complaints. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy or magic books with characters that have very diverse personalities/outlooks on life and great world-building.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Greenfield in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Jack Clayton is retiring from the police force and dreaming about a calm life in retirement. All that changes when he meets Officer Yolanda Tilden, a young hotshot officer on the force he's just left. Once a prospective FBI Detective, Yolanda had to leave the FBI after getting injured and she's not happy about it. Jack's former boss, Chief Varner, convinces (tricks?) Jack into coming back for a special assignment to work with Yolanda for thirty days as a mentor. At first, the set-in-his-ways Jack and the angry Yolanda clash, but eventually the two work together on a drug case and start forming a true partnership.
Full disclosure - I only read this book because the author is a friend of a friend, and my friend bought the book for me. I knew the author wrote the book in his spare time, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.
The first part of the book wasn't my favorite. It lagged and was totally unrealistic (let's completely solve the drug wars in 48 hours!), but did a good job of setting up Jack and Yolanda's friendship and partnership. The writing can be a little stilted at times (must Yolanda say Jack's name every time she speaks to him?), with a few typos. Still, as I thought about it, the plot certainly wasn't any more outlandish than the New Adult romances that are all the rage right now.
Things certainly improved with Part 2, and I found myself staying up late to find out what happened. Part 2 sets up what appears to the "Cold Case Series" that Krammes writes (he has several books after this one). I really enjoyed Part 2 and found the plot to be engaging and interesting. While Jack and Yolanda's relationship is still a little far-fetched, the two are rather endearing at times, and amusing. The mystery portion was interesting and very solid. Overall, it was a fun book and Part 2 probably pulled it to a solid 3 to 3.5 stars. I look forward to reading the next one, since it's basically set in my hometown!
Full disclosure - I only read this book because the author is a friend of a friend, and my friend bought the book for me. I knew the author wrote the book in his spare time, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.
The first part of the book wasn't my favorite. It lagged and was totally unrealistic (let's completely solve the drug wars in 48 hours!), but did a good job of setting up Jack and Yolanda's friendship and partnership. The writing can be a little stilted at times (must Yolanda say Jack's name every time she speaks to him?), with a few typos. Still, as I thought about it, the plot certainly wasn't any more outlandish than the New Adult romances that are all the rage right now.
Things certainly improved with Part 2, and I found myself staying up late to find out what happened. Part 2 sets up what appears to the "Cold Case Series" that Krammes writes (he has several books after this one). I really enjoyed Part 2 and found the plot to be engaging and interesting. While Jack and Yolanda's relationship is still a little far-fetched, the two are rather endearing at times, and amusing. The mystery portion was interesting and very solid. Overall, it was a fun book and Part 2 probably pulled it to a solid 3 to 3.5 stars. I look forward to reading the next one, since it's basically set in my hometown!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Shadow Fall (Shadow Fall, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Rating 1.5 stars
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
For almost a decade, dystopian literature has become mainstream amongst the young adult community, and it appears set to stay as another debut author joins the bandwagon. <i>Shadow Fall</i> by Audrey Grey encompasses ideas from popular series, such as<i> The Hunger Games</i> and <i>The Maze Runner</i>, to create an original apocalyptic story. In barely more than a fortnight the Earth is doomed to be destroyed by a passing asteroid, only a handful of humans can survive. The question is who?
Maia Graystone, a fugitive, has been given the opportunity to win a place on Hyperion space station – a castle in the stars – and safety from the asteroid, Pandora. However in a game of life and death it is not going to be easy to get through the trials. Posing, quite literally, as the Lady Everly March, Maia hopes not to be recognized by the tyrannous Emperor, nor by the mother who abandoned her. Yet Maia’s supporters have an ulterior motive – kill the Emperor.
To be brutally honest, <i>Shadow Fall</i> was a rather tedious book to read. Granted there was a lot of action – mostly unnecessary, bloodthirsty murder – however the confusing storyline, rude characters and the inability to evoke a visual idea of the setting, resulted in a painstakingly uninspiring story.
With so many dystopian novels to compete against, it is going to be hard for a new writer to stand out from the crowd. Audrey Grey used a lot of Greek mythological references as the basis of her ideas, something that appealed to me, but may be lost on other readers.
On the other hand,<i> Shadow Fall </i>contains a couple of scenes that will conjure emotion up in the majority of readers, and mildly excite and engage. Yet, for me, this was not enough to save it from a negative review. I really wanted to like this book but I struggled to get into the story and appreciate the author’s hard work.
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
For almost a decade, dystopian literature has become mainstream amongst the young adult community, and it appears set to stay as another debut author joins the bandwagon. <i>Shadow Fall</i> by Audrey Grey encompasses ideas from popular series, such as<i> The Hunger Games</i> and <i>The Maze Runner</i>, to create an original apocalyptic story. In barely more than a fortnight the Earth is doomed to be destroyed by a passing asteroid, only a handful of humans can survive. The question is who?
Maia Graystone, a fugitive, has been given the opportunity to win a place on Hyperion space station – a castle in the stars – and safety from the asteroid, Pandora. However in a game of life and death it is not going to be easy to get through the trials. Posing, quite literally, as the Lady Everly March, Maia hopes not to be recognized by the tyrannous Emperor, nor by the mother who abandoned her. Yet Maia’s supporters have an ulterior motive – kill the Emperor.
To be brutally honest, <i>Shadow Fall</i> was a rather tedious book to read. Granted there was a lot of action – mostly unnecessary, bloodthirsty murder – however the confusing storyline, rude characters and the inability to evoke a visual idea of the setting, resulted in a painstakingly uninspiring story.
With so many dystopian novels to compete against, it is going to be hard for a new writer to stand out from the crowd. Audrey Grey used a lot of Greek mythological references as the basis of her ideas, something that appealed to me, but may be lost on other readers.
On the other hand,<i> Shadow Fall </i>contains a couple of scenes that will conjure emotion up in the majority of readers, and mildly excite and engage. Yet, for me, this was not enough to save it from a negative review. I really wanted to like this book but I struggled to get into the story and appreciate the author’s hard work.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated This Raging Light in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This Raging Light</i> is a contemporary young adult debut novel by Estelle Laure. It is a fast paced story of family, friendship and first love. Seventeen-year-old Lucille should be worrying about her senior year at school, spending time with her best friend Eden and admiring Eden’s twin brother, Digby. Instead both parents have disappeared, leaving 9-year-old Wren and a pile of bills in Lucille’s unprepared hands.
Whilst trying to keep up appearances so that no one finds out what is going on at home, Lucille struggles to maintain her friendship with words-of-wisdom-quoting Eden and curb her ever-growing fascination with Digby.
Laure’s writing style instantly connects the reader with Lucille’s personality and circumstance. Lucille is an admirable character who has already been through so much before the story even began. Her father had a mental breakdown and then disappeared from the hospital with no word of where he was going. At a time in their life when they needed as much support as possible, Lucille and Wren’s mother takes off as well. It is unfathomable how Lucille managed to cope and keep it secret for so long; readers are sure to question how they would cope in the same situation.
Toward the beginning of the book the phrases used to describe Lucille’s father and his mental health problems were a bit stigmatic. This almost made mental illness appear to be a negative problem to be avoided and shunned. Hopefully this will not fuel any reader’s prejudices about the mental ill.
Lucille and Digby’s relationship was a little confusing. It was not delved into deep enough to create any climax within the storyline. The key theme was about Lucille surviving on her own rather than her romantic experiences.
Overall, <i>This Raging Light</i> is so easy to read that many people will find it difficult to put down. Lucille is such a lovely character that you will want to see through to the very end to make sure she is okay and looked after.
This Raging Light</i> is a contemporary young adult debut novel by Estelle Laure. It is a fast paced story of family, friendship and first love. Seventeen-year-old Lucille should be worrying about her senior year at school, spending time with her best friend Eden and admiring Eden’s twin brother, Digby. Instead both parents have disappeared, leaving 9-year-old Wren and a pile of bills in Lucille’s unprepared hands.
Whilst trying to keep up appearances so that no one finds out what is going on at home, Lucille struggles to maintain her friendship with words-of-wisdom-quoting Eden and curb her ever-growing fascination with Digby.
Laure’s writing style instantly connects the reader with Lucille’s personality and circumstance. Lucille is an admirable character who has already been through so much before the story even began. Her father had a mental breakdown and then disappeared from the hospital with no word of where he was going. At a time in their life when they needed as much support as possible, Lucille and Wren’s mother takes off as well. It is unfathomable how Lucille managed to cope and keep it secret for so long; readers are sure to question how they would cope in the same situation.
Toward the beginning of the book the phrases used to describe Lucille’s father and his mental health problems were a bit stigmatic. This almost made mental illness appear to be a negative problem to be avoided and shunned. Hopefully this will not fuel any reader’s prejudices about the mental ill.
Lucille and Digby’s relationship was a little confusing. It was not delved into deep enough to create any climax within the storyline. The key theme was about Lucille surviving on her own rather than her romantic experiences.
Overall, <i>This Raging Light</i> is so easy to read that many people will find it difficult to put down. Lucille is such a lovely character that you will want to see through to the very end to make sure she is okay and looked after.
This book was provided as a complimentary and signed copy from the author, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to review another piece of writing by this talented author.
The story is told by Bullheaded Black, the horse of Alexander the Great, or Alex as the horse calls him. It covers the basic history of the life and triumphs of Alexander from a young boy and even includes some overarching history to help the reader grasp the overall history of the era and the other ancient peoples involved in the tale.
I have always been taught to be honest, and that is exactly what I will do, I felt this style of writing, at times, oversimplified the history. Now, I think I find that less appealing as I am an avid reader of history books of a much more detailed level, however, for the target audience, I feel it was pitched quite well. The history covered is interestingly put to the reader and is well described in context, which I think helps you absorb more of the history.
It was quite slow to get going, and never really gained a great pace, however I would find this very useful as a classroom text to introduce this era of history to any child over about 7 years old as it is at a level that they could understand. Also, the novelty of using the horse to tell the story is something that I feel would appeal to the intended audience, perhaps a little more than it did to me!
Overall, this is a good book for younger children and teenagers to learn about history in a fun and interesting way. It is written in a very different style to the author's other works I have read, which only goes to show his versatility in writing for the adult and children's market! Despite the apparently low rating, 3 stars means I liked it, and I would recommend it to younger readers, and to my teaching friends who are looking for some interesting historical fiction to assist their own knowledge, and to engage the children in a fantastic era of history.
The story is told by Bullheaded Black, the horse of Alexander the Great, or Alex as the horse calls him. It covers the basic history of the life and triumphs of Alexander from a young boy and even includes some overarching history to help the reader grasp the overall history of the era and the other ancient peoples involved in the tale.
I have always been taught to be honest, and that is exactly what I will do, I felt this style of writing, at times, oversimplified the history. Now, I think I find that less appealing as I am an avid reader of history books of a much more detailed level, however, for the target audience, I feel it was pitched quite well. The history covered is interestingly put to the reader and is well described in context, which I think helps you absorb more of the history.
It was quite slow to get going, and never really gained a great pace, however I would find this very useful as a classroom text to introduce this era of history to any child over about 7 years old as it is at a level that they could understand. Also, the novelty of using the horse to tell the story is something that I feel would appeal to the intended audience, perhaps a little more than it did to me!
Overall, this is a good book for younger children and teenagers to learn about history in a fun and interesting way. It is written in a very different style to the author's other works I have read, which only goes to show his versatility in writing for the adult and children's market! Despite the apparently low rating, 3 stars means I liked it, and I would recommend it to younger readers, and to my teaching friends who are looking for some interesting historical fiction to assist their own knowledge, and to engage the children in a fantastic era of history.
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated The 5th wave (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Films about invaders from space have been a staple of film and television since the golden age of cinema. Playing on many Cold War fears in the aftermath of W.W.II, aliens bent on destruction has been an enduring staple of cinematic culture.
In the new film “The 5th Wave” which is based on the book of the same name, Chloe Grace Moretz plays Cassie, a teen who has her entire life turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious craft. A few days after the arrival of “the Others” as they are known, a pulse wipes out all electronics on the planet. This is soon followed by tsunamis and earthquakes as well as disease and death.
Cassie along with her father and brother find shelter but their community is soon disrupted by the arrival of the military who say that the invaders are now amongst them and posing as humans.
The military under the leadership of Colonel Vosch (Liev Schreiber) has a plan to train the children to spot and defeat the alien invaders thus setting in motion the main conflict of the film. The secondary story consists of Cassie attempting to reunite with her family and her relationship with a mysterious stranger named Evan (Alex Roe).
The film is clearly aimed at a young adult market and as such I was able to spot the big twist in the film a long ways off as the clues were blatantly obvious to me. That being said, the film is better than you might expect and being the first chapter in a trilogy of books does set up the possibilities of sequels.
The dialogue and acting is pretty groan inducing at times, but again, remember the target audience, the film should entertain and it is nice to see Moretz deliver a solid performance in what in many ways could have been a limited role.
While it is not going to make you forget “The Hunger Games” anytime soon, the film is still a decent escape for those willing to overlook the flaws.
http://sknr.net/2016/01/22/the-5th-wave/
In the new film “The 5th Wave” which is based on the book of the same name, Chloe Grace Moretz plays Cassie, a teen who has her entire life turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious craft. A few days after the arrival of “the Others” as they are known, a pulse wipes out all electronics on the planet. This is soon followed by tsunamis and earthquakes as well as disease and death.
Cassie along with her father and brother find shelter but their community is soon disrupted by the arrival of the military who say that the invaders are now amongst them and posing as humans.
The military under the leadership of Colonel Vosch (Liev Schreiber) has a plan to train the children to spot and defeat the alien invaders thus setting in motion the main conflict of the film. The secondary story consists of Cassie attempting to reunite with her family and her relationship with a mysterious stranger named Evan (Alex Roe).
The film is clearly aimed at a young adult market and as such I was able to spot the big twist in the film a long ways off as the clues were blatantly obvious to me. That being said, the film is better than you might expect and being the first chapter in a trilogy of books does set up the possibilities of sequels.
The dialogue and acting is pretty groan inducing at times, but again, remember the target audience, the film should entertain and it is nice to see Moretz deliver a solid performance in what in many ways could have been a limited role.
While it is not going to make you forget “The Hunger Games” anytime soon, the film is still a decent escape for those willing to overlook the flaws.
http://sknr.net/2016/01/22/the-5th-wave/