This book failed. It was about three privileged girls from different backgrounds around the world building a friendship over the course of three summeThis book failed. It was about three privileged girls from different backgrounds around the world building a friendship over the course of three summers at a posh summer camp (which was really just a boarding school). Oh yeah, and it took place in the 70's. I don't know why it took place in the 70's, but WWII did play a small (and hilarious) part in the novel.
Well, I can tell what this book wanted to be. It wanted to be this beautiful, stunning story of how three girls from such different backgrounds with such different personalities are able to find common ground in the bonds of womanhood and are able to develop a friendship that is able to transcend time and life's difficulties. Eh, no. What I got was three annoying, unrelatable characters whom I never felt connected, and all the stupid shit they did at summer boarding school.
And then they become friends without ever really being that close, it appeared to me.
And then the WWII revelation at the end? I laughed my ass off. That concept would have been great as a novel of some NYT bestselling sort, but instead it is wasted on the end of this crappy book in a gimmicky way. And I smelt it from five miles away. I was like IF GARCIA PUTS THAT IN HERE THIS BOOK SHALL BE DEAD TO ME.
Book, you are dead to me.
Overall, the book was a gimmicky sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants wannabe that wasn't nearly as significant as it wanted to be. I would say skip it. ...more
This could have all been avoided if everyone wasn't so damn self-centered and just freakin talked to each other without storming ouOooooh the drama :0
This could have all been avoided if everyone wasn't so damn self-centered and just freakin talked to each other without storming out of the room every two seconds. ...more
I read Girl, Stolen because some bastard at my library stole Stolen: A letter to my captor (yes, the irony is not lost on me). I figured Girl, Stolen,I read Girl, Stolen because some bastard at my library stole Stolen: A letter to my captor (yes, the irony is not lost on me). I figured Girl, Stolen, a book of similar premise and title, would have to do.
Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder, blind and sick with pneumonia, is napping in the back seat of her step-mother's Escalade when someone gets in the car and drives away. Griffin, the car thief, just reacted when he saw the keys in the ignition, not noticing the girl in the backseat until it was too late to turn back. Griffin takes both the car and Cheyenne to his criminal father, thinking that the car could be a present and they would drop Cheyenne off somewhere. But once Griffin's father discovers Cheyenne is the daughter of Nike's CEO, the crime quickly elevates to a ransom situation. Cheyenne, impeded by her lack of sight and worsening illness, knows she must escape, because she isn't so sure her kidnappers plan on returning her to her family alive.
This book, although it was suspenseful in several scenes, lacked an edge. I never really believed Cheyenne was in any great danger. I knew from the 2nd chapter that Griffin was never going to let anything bad happen to her. It would have been better if we didn't know Griffin was completely good guy, if there was some doubt over his good intentions, something dangerous about him other than his father. The book would have been more intense if all the angles had been played. Even though Henry tried to give her characters some depth through really obvious info dumps (sometimes the book read like a text book, I swear), she really didn't dive that deep into the psychology of being kidnapped.
The book was okay. Some scenes were better done than others, but overall it lacked the urgency and panic I would expect from a kidnapping novel. It wasn't bad, but it could have better is all I'm saying.
I did learn some new facts about blindness, though.
I think Hailee Steinfeld would be an excellent Cheyenne.
If you ever read a Jodi Picoult novel, you know the drill. Multiple perspectives, courtroom tension, controversial topic, a little twist, insightful lIf you ever read a Jodi Picoult novel, you know the drill. Multiple perspectives, courtroom tension, controversial topic, a little twist, insightful little quotes here and there. Lately, though, I haven't really liked her novels, the more of them I read, the less I like them. However, this one wasn't too bad. It wasn't my favorite by any means, but it wasn't her worse either. It divulged into corniness sometimes, but there were some humorous moments that, in retrospect, I really wish I had written them down.
My main complaint of this book is Picoult's one-sidedness about the topic at hand. Usually she is very good at maintaining a sympathetic POV on either side of the case, but in this book it is clear she favored one side. On one hand, we have the religious zealots who will do anything to prevent gay marriage, and on the other hand, we have a lesbian couple just trying to get a baby. Just from that description, you can probably tell what side I favor, and it was just as obvious in Picoult's novel. Her treatment of the Christians in this novel was just so harsh. She portrayed all of them as obnoxious, oppressive fanatics, who hide their fear and hate behind the Bible. There was no one in the book that was mildly religious, just obsessively so. Even though I have been confirmed as a Catholic, I don't really practice any faith, but I still felt kind of offended bythe stance Picoult took. I know she was being sympathetic to the defense of gay marriage, a cause I am all for, but she risked being offensive towards religious people, which I did not like.
A minor complaint, but I also felt the timeline of the story was bit rushed. So all in a period of around six months, the principle character, Zoe, has a miscarriage, gets a divorce, has a new best friend, falls in love with the best friend, embraces lesbianism, gets married, decides to have baby, and gets taken to court............gah. Know what I have accomplished in six months? Poo. All that has changed is that my Senioritis is reaching its boiling point.
Overall, I liked it. Even though my review is mostly criticism, I really liked the book. Enough to give it four stars immediately after reading. In retrospect, perhaps it deserves less, but I will leave it as is. A solid Jodi Picoult. A good transitory novel for readers looking to get into Picoult, as well as a solid read for fans.
Thanks, SImon & Schuster for letting me read an advanced copy. ...more
Andi Alpers, a troubled Brooklyn teen, is always one step away from the edge. The only thing keeping her going over is her love of music, but even thaAndi Alpers, a troubled Brooklyn teen, is always one step away from the edge. The only thing keeping her going over is her love of music, but even that doesn't seem enough at times. Two years ago her younger brother, the glue keeping her family together, died. Now her mother, a talented French painter, is suffering from a psychotic break down, and her father, a workaholic scientist, refuses to acknowledge his old family while he lives a new life. Andi is content with flunking out of her prestigious liberal high school, but her father, in a rare burst of parental concern, forces her to come with him to Paris so she can focus on working on a project that might save her grade. Her father is called to Paris because a colleague of his, a famous historian, needs his help in identifying a shriveled up heart encased in crystal that might just belong to the young Louis XVII, the son of King Louis XVI, who was guillotined in the French Revolution. While shifting through some artifacts, Andi discovers the long-hidden journal of Alexandrine, an aspiring actress and companion to young Louis, who is struggling to save herself and her charge. Whilst reading this diary, the fates of the two young women are woven together, and Andi will come to discover that internal revolutions are just as affecting as external ones.
I loved this book. It was lovely. The writing was beautiful, lyrical, and intricate. Andi was intriguing and relatable. Sometimes her constant negative attitude, especially towards the beginning, could become bothersome, but she was extremely interesting. Her sarcastic comments were often funny, and she had a lot going on underneath the surface. Her feelings, as well as her love for music, seemed to transcend the page. I loved Alexandrine too. Although she was in the book less than Andi, her role in it was just as vital. One thing I loved about this story was how everything connected. I could mentally see the puzzle pieces coming together, and it was a thrill to watch everything unfold. Also, I learned a buttload about the French Revolution, but it never seemed like I was reading a text book. I can tell Ms. Donnelly did her research, and it was very in-depth and well-done.
The only thing I did not like were the hints of the supernatural. To explain myself without giving away to much of the plot, I will say that this book is a lot like the movie Happy Feet. I do not mean to allude that there were dancing penguins in the streets of Paris. But, you know how towards the end of the movie, the plot does a complete 360, and the film is no longer about cute tap-dancing birds, but rather some heavy-handed environmental message? This book is kind of like that. Towards the end, it took a really sharp turn, and I'm not sure whether what happened was real or not. I mean, I guess it worked, but it shook me out of the story for a little bit. That's what kept me from giving this novel 5 stars.
Anyway, I recommend this book. I recommend it to fans of A Northern Light. I recommend it to fans of historical-fiction. I recommend it to those interested in a more personal look at the French Revolution. I recommend it to music lovers. And I recommend it for anyone looking for a satisfying, thought-provoking read.
An awesome read that will stay with me. I have a feeling it will help me when my history class studies the French Revolution next month. ...more
[image] At least thats one thing this book got right.
In this book, not only are vampires real and known, they are taking over the world, with only sma[image] At least thats one thing this book got right.
In this book, not only are vampires real and known, they are taking over the world, with only small numbers of Hunters to fight them off. The Salamancan Hunters are a band of Hunters, the first of its kind, and by the way things are going, it may be the last. This hodge-podge band of fighters are having a wee bit of trouble getting along. Even though they are based in Spain, they all come from different parts of the world. There is Eriko, a former Japanese school girl, and the silent leader of the band; Jamie, a hot-headed Irishman with an immense hatred for werewolves, vampires, and the English; Skye, a witch from England with a dark secret threatening to rear its ugly head; Holgar, a secretive Danish werewolf; Antonio, a Spanish vampire severely devoted to Catholicism; and lastly, Just Jenn, a nothing-special from California. Not only do these hunters have to fight the prejudices and suspicions amongst themselves, they have a full-out war on their hands. Jenn's younger sister has been kidnapped by a manipulative and powerful vampire, and the group must come together to get her back, hopefully alive.
Gah. Sounds like an interesting cast, right? Not exactly. Jenn, the MC, is pretty much insufferable. She has worse self-esteem than Charlie Brown. Jenn refers to herself as "Just Jenn", meaning that she feels inferior to the rest of the group. Well, most of the time, she is right. It was only when she is California by herself that she shows any sign of bad-assery. Whenever she is with Antonio (her lurver), she turns into some limp noodle that must be carried from room to room because she is too distraught and tired to pick her own ass up. Characters are constantly insisting that she is "special", but she insists she's not (a point I can agree on). But still. She should have some confidence. She went to an academy with 90 young adults in her class. Out of those 90, only one-third of them made it to graduation. Out of the thirty that graduated, only 16 or so survived the final test. Out of those sixteen, only six got to be hunters. So have some pride, girl, you've obviously had enough balls to get you this far.
The rest of the characters were also unlikable. Actually, I take that back. I liked Holgar. He was nice and didn't annoy me. Eriko, I didn't really like or dislike. She was rarely in the story, and was uninteresting for the most part. Skye was annoying because she is keeping a secret that could get them all killed, and chooses her secrecy over the well-being of the rest of the group. Also, she gave no explanation as to why she was in love with Jamie. Personally, I think she should end up with Holgar. I was sensing some vibes. Jamie was a douche bag. There is a line between being charmingly hot-headed and being a jackass, and he was one the jackass side of the line. Seriously, this guy needs to STFU. He had too bring up his werewolf prejudice in every goddam conversation, and its him that will get the group killed, not Holgar (Holgar, I gotcha back). And then there was Antonio......Guess what he wanted to be when he grew up. Go ahead, guess. That's right! He wanted to be priest. Howdya know? Could it be that it was mentioned on EVERY GODDAMN PAGE?! You're Catholic. I get it. You probably shouldn't be trying to get in Jenn's pants then.
The romance between Antonio and Jenn, supposedly a driving force behind this novel, was the most lackluster, chemistry-less coupling I ever read. Seriously, it was horrible. I won't even got into how absolutely terrible it was because it makes my lip just now stopped curling, and I don't want my face to get stuck in a grimace.
This novel tried to give it's characters depth through multiple perspectives, which is a tool, when done right, is extremely interesting and effective. This book failed miserably at it. The narrative had absolutely no focus, and would shift perspectives in the middle of the page, which made it confusing and frustrating. It also failed in creating three-dimensional characters, because in attempting to give everyone a voice, it skimped out on everyone. I couldn't care less if everyone in this book died. I have absolutely no attachment to them, and frankly, I was hoping someone would stab Jenn most of the time. Ironically, the only truly intriguing character was the villain, but unfortunately, to finish hearing out her story, I would have to read more books in the series, which is something I will not do.
The writing was just bad. There was nothing unique, purposeful, or enjoyable about the style, and for some reason, I despised it. As soon as I read the first paragraph I was like "Oh shit". I knew then I was in trouble. But yet I hoped the characters or plot would pull through. Nope.
Overall, this book was a such a flippin' mess. The writing irked me to no end, and the characters were all pretty stupid. I ended up skimming most of the second half of the novel. Most people say it starts out slow, and then gets better, but no. It pretty much sucks the whole way through.
East was written when fantasy could still be fantasy. When young adult books weren't required to have a love triangle, a sexy love interest, and a herEast was written when fantasy could still be fantasy. When young adult books weren't required to have a love triangle, a sexy love interest, and a heroine with low self-esteem. Rose, this novel's main character, is intelligent, resourceful, and courageous. She has a strong drive and a true moral compass. The plot reminds me of more classical fantasy that involves epic journeys over several countries over the course of years. The book is chaste and simple, which makes me think its more suited to a middle-school audience nowadays.
Yet, despite the intriguing premise, I found myself bored with it. There was little to none action, for instance. Since the book had such a large scope in following different characters over an extended period of time, it read like this: "We journeyed across the tundra. Weeks passed." (not an actual quote) It was just very slow pace, and there was more telling than showing.
Also, being a romantic girl, I wanted there to be more immediate romance. The romance was slow-building, more about trust and compassion, than about physical lust. Which, don't get me wrong, was certainly refreshing, but the novel was slow-paced already, and having nothing in the romance department along with nothing in the action department lead for a bored Morgan.
I did like this book, but when you are used to action-y, romance-y YA, it can be a bit too slow. I do appreciate it though. It was an altogether pleasant change of pace. ...more
I think this one might be my favorite in the series so far. It just seemed more suspenseful and "action packed" than the other ones. Despite the many I think this one might be my favorite in the series so far. It just seemed more suspenseful and "action packed" than the other ones. Despite the many annoyances, I couldn't put this book down.
As for the identity of A and Ali's (supposed) killer, I would like to be all smart and say I knew who they were all along, but I honestly didn't. There were enough red herrings along the way that had me guessing the whole way.
But as for the girls, I just can't get over their life styles. I find the books unrelatable with all the brand name-dropping, and discussions of summer homes, and tennis courts, and country clubs. Sometimes it just gets ridiculous.
But I'm a bit concerned with how Shepard will write the other ones. I understand there is a new A, but isn't that kind of redundant? Wasn't the whole point of the books to find out who A and Ali's killer are? Now that we've done that, shouldn't they be over? If she wanted to, she could have easily tied up all the loose ends in this one. I just don't want to start all over again.
If I had been home long enough, I would have read this book in one sitting. But then again, maybe not.
I had to keep putting the book down because it If I had been home long enough, I would have read this book in one sitting. But then again, maybe not.
I had to keep putting the book down because it would get so intense. I felt hyper-aware of people watching me read this book, and I dreaded the question "Whats that book about?". My friend did ask me that, and when I told her, she said "But they're not really brother and sister, right?" Her face looked horrified. And I understand that. I have a younger brother and EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWW times a million. Yucky Yucky poo poo.
But disgust was only one of the various emotions I felt while reading this book. And despite everything, you do route for Maya and Lochan to somehow find a way to be together. The character development of the book was just plain awesome, as was the writing. Just read the first couple sentences:
"I gaze out at the small, crisp, burned-out black husks scattered across the chipped white paint of the windowsills. It is hard to believe that they were ever alive . I wonder what it would be like to be shut up in this airless glass box, slowly baked for two long months by the relentless sun, able to see the outdoors- the wind shaking the green trees right there in front of you- hurling yourself again and again at the invisible wall that seals you off from everything that is real and alive and necessary until you succumb: scorched, exhausted, overwhelmed by the impossibility of the task."
I read that and was like "Daaaaamn."
I connected to all the characters, including the little kiddos. I loved them and could imagine them as real people. I wanted to punch the mother and much more that I cannot say because I am a lady.. I am going to make a terrible parents shelf in her honor.
And I didn't cry while reading the book. I cried afterward. It was just an emotional journey, and any book that can make me feel like that is a good book in my opinion.
I wouldn't have picked this book up under normal circumstances. But everyone I talk to here on Goodreads adores it, so I felt compelled to give it a shot. And I'm glad I did. ...more
Well, I didn't like this book as much as the first one. I also have to admit I'm liking the TV series a little more and it kills me to say that becausWell, I didn't like this book as much as the first one. I also have to admit I'm liking the TV series a little more and it kills me to say that because I'm sure TV will one day eat my brain (if it hasn't already).
I just couldn't ignore some of my complaints about the series this time around. I mean, the mystery part of it is still really really good. I have absolutely no flippin' clue about what will happen next. But I'm not liking the girls as much. Is it me, or are they becoming even more air-headed and flippant?
It just annoys me when Shepard goes into insignificant detail about clothing, throwing out brand names left and right. I have nothing against brand names, but that is only because I have zero to none knowledge about them. I do not know the difference between Gucci and Prada and Marc Jacobs, and I have no idea what Chanel Number 5 smells like. So please stop reminding me that I am poor and fashion-ignorant, Ms. Shepard, if you'd be so kind.
It's also hard for me to believe what these girls supposedly did in 7th grade. I probably still ate glue in 7th grade (exaggerating, but you get my point). I don't do the stuff they did when they were 11 now, and I'm a senior in high school. Well, this might be because of my limited social life, or it could be that Ms. Shepard wants these girls to appear overly glamorous. But alas, maybe that really is how the other half lives....
Despite my personal qualms, this series is like a big greasy bag of chips. Even though you know they are bad for you, you can't have just one. (or two....or three....or eight)...more
Sixteen-year-old Jessamine lives with her father, an apothecary, in an abandoned church she calls "the cottage". Her father's obsession is a forbiddenSixteen-year-old Jessamine lives with her father, an apothecary, in an abandoned church she calls "the cottage". Her father's obsession is a forbidden garden where he keeps deadly and poisonous plants from around the world. Jessamine lives a boring life- taking care of her father and the plants, writing in her journal, doing household chores. Until a stranger shows up at her home with a present for her father. The present is Weed, a strange and introverted boy, whom with Jessamine builds a friendship, and later, a romance. Weed has a secret, though: plants communicate with him, and he is especially wary of the Poison Garden. But when Jessamine falls inexplicably ill, its up to Weed to unlock the secret of the dangerous garden in order to save her life.
When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be good. The premise was unique and the writing was lovely. I really liked Jessamine's journal and how her voice fit the time period. Quickly, though, I got sick of it. The writing soon became (pardon the pun) too flowery, and the beginning was incredibly boring. No conflict was introduced until nearly 50 pages in.
And once Weed was introduced, it was too late. I already had a sour taste in my mouth. Jessamine proved herself to be a weak character. All she did was cook, clean, and then become unconcious. I thought we had gotten past the whole Disney Princess concept. I guess not. And Weed and Jessamine's romance was incredibly awkward. I kept wincing and getting embarrassed for them. Weed would have been interesting if his ability wasn't so silly. He talks to plants, or more correctly, plants talk to him. I kept getting these absurd mental images of flowers with lips, and too soon I was past the point of taking this book seriously.
And the ending was pretty horrible. Once Jessamine got deadly ill, she couldn't very well write in her journal, could she? So Weed had to pick it up. From there, things got even weirder. It would shift between Weed's POV (which was eerily similar to Jessamine's), and these weird tripped out visions which Jessamine had of a Plant Prince or something. It was quite difficult to follow. And of course it ended openly because we can't have a stand-alone now, can we?
*sighs* There are just some books that don't need to be written. ...more
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