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Merissa (11953 KP) rated City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) in Books

Dec 17, 2018

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)

Cassandra Clare | 2008 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

8.4

(37 Ratings)

Book Rating

Book 2 in the Mortal Instruments series carries on where Book 1 left off but you are given a little breather before the action starts.

The story continues with Valentine trying to do his evil dude stuff and pretty much succeeding; Jace is trying to come to terms with who his father is, who he really is and his feelings for Clary; and Clary is also trying to do the same as Jace but also coping with the fact that her mother is in a coma with little or no chance of recovery especially seeing as she's in a mundane hospital!

All of the characters continue to have depth and grow in this book and there are enough twists and turns to still keep you gripped. This series is turning out to be absolutely fantastic and I don't see why it should be limited to the Young Adult genre!!!

I am glad that I have seen the film City of Bones but only because every time I read one of the character's names I get a image flash in my mind! YUM! Really enjoying this series and off to Book 3.

Kudos

David McK (3372 KP) rated Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1) in Books

Nov 20, 2019

Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1)

Philip Reeve | 2004 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

6.9

(8 Ratings)

Book Rating

Well, that was … unusual .. to say the least.

This was one of those stories that I'd been meaning to read for ages, but had never really got round to, and proved to (effectively) be a mash-up of Young Adult dystopian future with steampunk.

Steampunk, as a genre, is not one that I've really read all that much in - ab out the only other one that currently springs to mind is Jim Butcher's Cinder Spires series (all one book, so far!), but I tend to associate it more with an alternate past or present than the far future, which is when this one is set.

The main draw for me - and, I'm sure, many others - was the central concept of cities on wheels, cities that need to keep mobile and scavenge/attack each other in order to keep going - or, as it is described here by characters within, of 'Municipal Darwinism'.

While I found the writing and general plot a bit - how shall I say? - lacklustre? flat? I did enjoy the central premise of the story, and may come back to the world to see what else happens in future instalments.

Kudos

lurkykitty (3 KP) rated Saint X in Books

Mar 26, 2020

Saint X

Alexis Schaitkin | 2020 | Thriller

8.0

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

A compelling and intelligent mystery

When Claire is only seven years old, her eighteen year-old sister Alison disappears and is found dead when their family takes a vacation on a Caribbean island. This book takes place mostly in NYC where Claire, now called Emily, is a young adult working at her first job. By happenstance, she runs into one of the men from the island who was accused of killing her sister, but was not convicted due to lack of evidence. She befriends this man to learn more about what happened to her sister, to the detriment of her own mental health. The initial impression of this book was that it would be a fast paced thriller with a stunning conclusion. However, it is more a commentary on unresolved grief, the assumptions that are made based on race and class, and how one event can shatter the lives of so many. It could still be categorized as a mystery. I found the multiple points of view valuable in understanding the characters and events. Even though, at times, Saint X did not move quickly, it was still a compelling and interesting read.