I posted my official review on Tor. But, seriously. Just everything about this book is made of win, guys.
Oh, and Veronica Rossi is a goddess of amazinI posted my official review on Tor. But, seriously. Just everything about this book is made of win, guys.
Oh, and Veronica Rossi is a goddess of amazing genius who I adore with complete abandon. Thank you so much for Perry, Aria and Roar. I'm so sad their amazing story is over! ...more
I’m not going to be short with the praise here. I loved Shadows on the Moon pretty hard. But this isn’t a light-hearted novel to be embarked upon by jI’m not going to be short with the praise here. I loved Shadows on the Moon pretty hard. But this isn’t a light-hearted novel to be embarked upon by just anyone. Hardcore epic fantasy fans used to large tomes, new worlds, language and speech that they’re not previously familiar with and novel pacing that takes its time, will be the ones who really get this book.
Suzume is a complicated character with an intense story to tell. Shadows on the Moon chronicles this sprawling, high fantasy tale faithfully and with great attention to detail. Once again, this will probably be something those familiar with the genre will appreciate. The nerdy details and pedantic chronicling of a new world and submersing yourself into it occupies a particular reading niche that’s not going to endear itself with everyone. This is a book for a patient reader, someone easily swept up in something different and amazing. A lot of it hinges on how you relate to Suzume, who I personally adored.
She’s not a typical heroine in that she is vengeful and very dedicated toward that revenge. Bloodthirsty and, at one point, vicious. She doesn’t lie to herself to make nice with the world, she doesn’t make up excuses for other people being horrible. She is an astute observer of human nature, intensely aware of the people around her – flaws and all.
The novel is flush with rich language, and gorgeous writing. Marriot takes her time in description to give form and purpose to every aspect she focuses on. I assure you I don’t want to wax poetical about this and, I’m about to sound really wanky when I say that she often manages to describe the essence of something just as much as what it is.
Steph will say that it just kind of moseyed along and stalled at points. I have a very respectful, well-thought out argument to the contrary.
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Don’t go giving me your reasonable, understandable criticisms! I won’t have it!
Of course, there’s two absolute scene stealers in the book: Otieno and Kano. Kano Akira, the fairy godmother, because she was just delightful and sweet and hilarious. Then Otieno because he was delightful and sexy as hell. I loved him so hard and that little lawn scene between him and Suzumi? DAMN girl!
Over all, I loved the writing, the attention to detail, the story telling and the characters. This is most certainly not going to be a book for everyone but it is one of the best damn Cinderella retellings I’ve ever read.
You just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be sYou just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be something happy? Something heart-wrenchingly sad? Both? Is she just going to straight up gut you and leave your innards lying on the floor at your feet while you hollowly ask, “Why, Hannah? WHY!?”
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“Don’t know! Seemed like fun to make you give up on humanity and despair for the world!”
Marco Impossible is one of those books that will make you laugh, laugh some more, fall in love with all the characters and float around buzzing afterwards. Marco and Stephen are so effortlessly charming and wonderfully fun. Moskowitz has captured that awkward balance between child and teenager. Marco and Stephen are just at the tipping point and the grand Heist in this novel is their last hurrah before life takes them in different directions. The novel perfectly captures that ennui of two friends close to saying goodbye to childhood and each other and their desire to also charge forth and grow older and mature. Throughout the novel there is an intense tug and pull between the two. Between wanting to play and solve mysteries, and looking for something deeper and intransient.
As always, Moskowitz’s signature ability to create characters that jump out of the page with their complexity and personality is here on display. From big loud Marco and quietly suffering wingman, Stephen. Two words to describe them and this story? Utterly charming. Words to describe how much I want to lock Hannah Moskowitz in a basement and force her to write 24/7 for my own personal satisfaction: Restraining Order.
It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s just about perfect. I’m very likely sneaking it into our local Catholic High School library, and the local council library, and every school library we can possibly get it into. If you’re a teacher, a librarian or a parent – this is a great book that I highly recommend.
It’s coming to the end of 2012 and I’ve already read all of Moskowitz’s 2013 books. I can’t express how depressing that is for me.
I can't review this yet. I quite liked it, yet don't know how to describe it.
I know I read it instead of doing Buzz Worthy News, which is a big no-no I can't review this yet. I quite liked it, yet don't know how to describe it.
I know I read it instead of doing Buzz Worthy News, which is a big no-no for me. But I just couldn't help myself. And whilst I won't give anything away, I finished it like I had a spell over me.
Something Strange and deadly had a really rough start with me. There is a divide between the writing of the first chapter and the rest of the novelSomething Strange and deadly had a really rough start with me. There is a divide between the writing of the first chapter and the rest of the novel. The first chapter gave me the false impression that this book was flimsy, badly written and suffering from stagnant characters and plot.
However, this quickly faded away as Dennard hit her stride – introducing fresh, interesting characters, and intriguing plotline.
Dennard creates an interesting and fresh mythology in Something Strange and Deadly that mixes aspects of Steampunk with good ol’ zombie fun. In Elanore we find a fun, willful protagonist – driving the story forward and fleshing it out with wit, humour and a charm. She also makes a perfect balance between what you would expect of well-bred lady of her times, and a strong-willed, intelligent woman eager to prove herself. She certainly makes excellent use of her parasol at certain points in the novel in a way that would make womankind proud. However, I’m convinced that the parasol was its own character in this novel. Parasols make everything better. Parasols are awesome, but I digress…
[image] Everything!
Daniel, Jie and Joseph are the icing to a very fun cake. Particularly Daniel, with his abrasive, working class attitude and grouchy personality, which played nicely against Joseph’s gentlemanly persuasions and Jie’s serious case of kickass. Like, she just really kicked everyone’s butt in this novel at least three times and never once complained.
I’m one of those people who like steampunk things with monsters. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter sounds like a terrible, stupid movie that is perfect for me.
What was extremely refreshing was that whilst there was some romantic involvement, it clearly took a back seat to the more pressing issue of masses of walking undead trying to make mince meat out of your internal organs. Plus there was mystery and intrigue and more mystery and action and butt kicking interspersed evenly and generously throughout the novel.
My only real complaint – putting the first chapter aside – was one minor issue and that relates to the simpleness of the mystery.
The ending was simply too obvious and came as something of a letdown to realize my suspicions from the very beginning were confirmed.
[image] When you resemble an owl and make this face, you know the mystery has been too easy.
Overall, this was a great read and I strongly anticipate the next one!...more
Where She Went is the successional addition to Forman's spectacular If I Stay. If the seminal theme of If I Stay were about finding a reason to continWhere She Went is the successional addition to Forman's spectacular If I Stay. If the seminal theme of If I Stay were about finding a reason to continue living, then Where She Went’s theme could be construed as finding what makes life worthwhile and livable. Adam, an infamous badboy rocker, has been in a perilous emotional and mental state since his longtime girlfriend, Mia Hall left him. Chance brings them together for one more night and this novel chronicles those precious twenty-four hours together and Mia and Adam get down to what’s really important.
[image] You guys would not believe the horrible search terms I needed to use to find this image...
Okay, not really. But there’s a lot of dissecting their relationship and what happened between them to result in a three year absence that has crippled Adam emotionally.
In form and function, Where She Went is very similar to If I Stay. They’re both character driven novels sparse on action and heavy on reflective and emotional content. They’re also almost entirely reliant on the strength of their character voices, giving Forman and veritable tightrope to balance on between pained and raw characters, or whiny emo complainers.
There is a noticeable difference that is strongly pronounced between this novel and the last one though. In If I stay there is a full cast of varied, lovable, interconnected characters common history but divergent personalities. Where She Went is a departure in this area. Adam is an isolated character, having lost even his passion for music which had been fueling him.
Where Mia had been a self-introspective prone to examining the people around her, her relationship to them and everyone’s motives, Adam is more of a reactive character.
“My hand is shaking and my heart is pounding and I feel the beginnings of a panic attack, the kind that makes me sure I’m about to die.”
We get a lot of this physical narrative and you have to search within the circumstances and dialogue to make sense of Adam’s motives and reasoning because he is usually quite vague about it himself. Mia was a character who knew herself and the people around her. Adam is a character who is almost wholly blind to his and other people’s motivations and reasoning.
Gayle uses a variety of rich, descriptive language without seeming ingenuous to the voice of a twenty-one year old musician – at least to the layman.
Still, despite all the praise, I struggled to connect to Adam and the narrative to the degree that I had in If I Stay. But don’t confuse my admittance that this is a less emotive novel, with it not being an emotional novel at all. Where She Went still packs a falcon punch to the heart strings and still manages to illicit some seriously strong passion.
Perhaps my favourite aspect of this book is the song extracts at the beginning of each chapter. Stiefvater’s debut, Shiver, never resonated with me as I never connected to Sam’s poetry. It always felt contrived and weak and lessened the novel for me. Adam, on the other hand, I would listen to and read were he a real person.
Perhaps that's Forman's strongest ability. Her characters have a complexity and depth to them, missing in so many other YA novels. It's not exactly hard to make musicians seem sexy but Forman certainly knows how to exceed past all expectations. For most readers, this novel will not disappoint.
[image] Tuba? More like Tuboner! Hahahahahaha! Okay, no more musician jokes....more
I was hanging out with my good friend, Elizabeth May. We were riding unicorns along a deserted beach as our hair whipped in the wind, occasionally strI was hanging out with my good friend, Elizabeth May. We were riding unicorns along a deserted beach as our hair whipped in the wind, occasionally strands of her red and my brown locks blending together. We gazed lovingly together as we rode, smiling as joy filled our hearts in an almost mutual amount.
When we pulled our unicorns to a break, having reached the peak of a cliff overlooking the sea, I took an opportunity to ask her a question.
“Elizabeth,” I said whimsically as I gazed out at the setting sun glinting off the ocean, “Why did you break my heart with the ending of The Falconer?”
She smiled sadly and beckoned me forward, cricking her finger in my direction to encourage me closer. I leaned in expectantly. In a flash she was on me, stabbing me several times in the abdomen before whipping behind me, yanking my hair back and slitting my throat. As the blood spewed out my throat, drenching my chest, she whispered in my ear, “The House of May sends its regards.”
Then she dumped my body over the cliff, but I wasn’t paying attention to that. Because I was dead. My soul wasn’t, though. That is until she shot it, and it died too.
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I really enjoyed The Falconer. It wasn’t a perfect read. For example, I loved Aileana’s tinkering, and the various Steampunk aspects of this book. However, I feel like some of the aspects (Like a hovering hand that retrieves library books) were a little far-fetched. The world interacted a little with the Steampunk aspects, but most of the innovations seemed limited to Aileana’s Fae killing usage.
There is a love interest. He is hot. Like, splooge hot. But after a while of going:
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I was like: JUST KISS ALREADY!
Then there may or may not have been kissage. And I may or may not have been like:
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The writing was great. But you know what the best part is? May didn’t get all flowery about the romance. No. She got all flowery about the violence and massacre. I swear to god, for anyone who likes kicking ass, and protagonists who can do so – this is the perfect book for it. There is just a surplus of things that need to be shot, stabbed or blown up and Aileana is so very ready to oblige! With delicious, delicious abandon.
The plot is the really healthy dose of angst, murdering the living hell out of things, and romantic tension. They cycle around you, one after the other, like you’re a little kid on a Merry-G0-Round. You know what’s coming next, but it’s so much fun that your mind is rocked any way.
I’m kind of ready to rage quit over the ending. Like, I finished it and flipped the closest table I could get to. It’s the kind of ending where you’re going to want to be glad Elizabeth May is on twitter so that you can rage at her about it. (Her handle is @_ElizabethMay btw. You’re welcome.)
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m off to go harass Elizabeth May some more.
This ARC was provided to me by the author for reviewing purposes. This did not entice me to be any less annoyingly opinionated than I would otherwise be. I am also friends with Elizabeth May. You have my permission to feel sorry for her....more
Okay, you know that guy, THAT guy. The one so insanely hot that any flaws, personality issues or intellectual deficiencies pale in comparison to his sOkay, you know that guy, THAT guy. The one so insanely hot that any flaws, personality issues or intellectual deficiencies pale in comparison to his smoldering sex appeal.
[image] And you know how he looks a lot like Ryan Reynolds...
This is how I feel about this book.
I will be the first to admit that it is not a perfect novel and rightly so, I should only give it four stars. The problem is that I just can't help myself. It has its issues. Whoever edited it did an appalling job. There were a couple of aspects of the story that were borderline silly. Not to mention that this novel could have been improved with richer, more tactile descriptions. Lastly, I just know that some readers are going to struggle with being tossed into the deep end on the story-telling side of things and struggle to keep up with this new and unfamiliar world.
But I don't fucking care.
This book is a glorious, shirtless Ryan Reynolds to me and I don't care if he does corny movies, can't act and is a little strange. HAVE YOU SEEN THAT SIX-PACK?!
[image] In case you missed the first one
Seriously, he could sacrifice babies as part of his religion, he could have single-handedly caused the extinction of every cute animal on the planet, he could like NICKELBACK and I would still be attracted to him!
So I don't care about the issues mentioned above regarding Burn Bright. This book is a wet-dream for any teenage emo. Retra escapes from her morally rigid home to find her runaway brother on the party island of Ixion. There are basically no rules on Ixion except for one: When you get too old, the party's over and nobody really knows what they do to you then.
Retra causes some upset with the "Ripers" (the people in charge of Ixion) and with the strange Night Creatures who lurk in the dark. At first Retra, a morally uptight shut-in, is an outcast among the wild youth whose only purpose in life is the freedom to party. However, when she becomes a catalyst for change on Ixion, she begins to unlock its secrets and form strong bonds of friendship with others.
This book is dark, gothic and mostly original. It stands out amongst a sea of interchangeable paranormal YA. It's sexy, it's mysterious and very readable. It's everything Fallen and its ilk wanted to be and failed miserably at.
Juliet Marillier is my arch-nemesis and main rival. We've been competing against each other for the cThe problem with this book is that it's not real.
Juliet Marillier is my arch-nemesis and main rival. We've been competing against each other for the coveted title of #1 most followed Australian for awhile now. The battle has been vicious. The competition fierce.
[image] Okay, maybe she's not as "aware" of this competition as I am... so what if it appears that she's almost never even ON Goodreads and by all accounts may actually have forgotten that she has a GoodReads? It still counts as a competition, right?
But since I've beaten her three weeks in a row, I feel confident that I can once again read her books.
This was a mistake. My jealousy only makes me hate her more. Because this book was fantastic, fantabulous, fantasmagorical.
Recipe for a Juliet Marillier book:
3 parts brilliant written prose 2 parts whimsical fancy 1 awesome female protagonist 1 can of whoop-arse
[image] Available from all major grocery chains and retail outlets
I doubt anybody does magical faery realms and myth retellings with the style, flair and gothic majesty of Juliet Marillier.
I strongly recommend this book to anybody with an inner child and a desire to have their mind blown.
Imagine for a moment that you were at an event, like the 1995 Rugby World cup where South Africa both hosted and won. Imagine being there in the heat Imagine for a moment that you were at an event, like the 1995 Rugby World cup where South Africa both hosted and won. Imagine being there in the heat of that moment - the cheer and ebulation. That light, almost unreal sense that the world has faded away and there is only that moment. Nothing else is important and you want to quietly capture the complete bliss you are experiencing and put it in a bottle somewhere. Hopefully at some future date you can take it out and rekindle those emotions and bask in that one, perfect moment again.
Then imagine that you are standing outside of a train station. A train has just crashed in front of you. Pleople are screaming, and the stench of smoking meat is tickling your nose as your eyes sting and water. There's that same feeling. That feeling of, "Is this really happening?" Light. Dizzy. Disbelief. Overwhelming to the point of nausea. You can't forget that moment. It will haunt you. Every time you catch a wiff of smoke those memories will come flooding back, whether you want them to or not.
Same feelings, at their most basic level, but entirely different in their mode. In the first situation you jump and holler. You'll hug those around you, even if you don't know them, and celebrate together. Knitted into temporary friendship because you're experiencing the same, awesome event. For weeks later you'll tell anybody who listens that you were there. You'll tell them about how incredible it was and try to impart on them some semblance of what you felt.
Cut back to the second scenario where you'll stand quietly in solidarity with those around you. Once again, knitted together. Brothers and sisters formed from tragedy. You may hold each other and gather around silently. When other people ask you about it, you'll get that look in your eyes that tells them you've seen things.
You're just as altered as the first scene, but where there was ebulation then, there is horror now.
This is what happens when I read certain books. Books like Stolen fit in the first category. They touch me and move me, so I run around telling everyone that I read it. It was amazing. Share in this experience with me. I want to help you feel what I felt.
Then there are books like this. Now I quietly tell you that I read it. That it touched me. Changed me. I look you in the eye and I don't want to elaborate. I quitely turn away and think a little bit more on what I've seen and read, and how it made me feel.
And maybe if you've read a book like this too, you might be able to understand why there's really nothing more for me to say.
Kat Kennedy
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