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katrinrosf's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this! Everything that has anything to do with Rose and Dimitri is awesome, they are definitely my book OTP.
nssutton's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I enjoyed the idea of the writing prompt being covered by so many different authors. But as with other YA anthologies, I liked the ones by authors I was familiar with the most, and those I didn't like at all, the least. I think Mitchell was the only surprise on the list.
Favorites:
Gentlemen Send Phantoms, Laini Taylor (redemption for the Days of Blood and Starlight granted)
One True Love, Malinda Lo
The Chosen One, Saundra Mitchell
The Killing Garden, Carrie Ryan
The ones that were weak were WEAK: Cabot, Grant, Elkeles.
Also, for those keeping score at home, book #3 read during the first week of concussion recovery.
Favorites:
Gentlemen Send Phantoms, Laini Taylor (redemption for the Days of Blood and Starlight granted)
One True Love, Malinda Lo
The Chosen One, Saundra Mitchell
The Killing Garden, Carrie Ryan
The ones that were weak were WEAK: Cabot, Grant, Elkeles.
Also, for those keeping score at home, book #3 read during the first week of concussion recovery.
arryiae's review against another edition
2.0
I am going to rate this according to the short stories inside and as a whole.
The main reason I really wanted to read this is because of Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bones) and Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy and Bloodlines). Though i haven't read Daughter of Smoke and Bones, I have been hearing positive feedbacks so I am hoping that by reading this I will have a good introduction on the book. For Richelle Mead, Well i just missed Romitri. :>
Homecoming: Richelle Mead
Rating: 1.5 stars
Well, it was an okay story. I really missed Rose's POV and RoMitri but I felt that it was lacking in the romance department. I was expecting some quality time with the family. I wanted to know more about Dimitri. Dimitri's past. How his sisters sees him. I expected more of a family bonding plus romance short story. That was what I was expecting. I also expected to have an insight of how some of the guys were doing at that time. So I was kind of disappointed when the story turned out to be another action filled vacation. Because come on, Rose's life was already full of action that i just wanted her to experience a normal love story life with a mix of that Rose perspective. You know it would be really interesting.
Maybe, Yes, Rose and Dimitri really are some people who can't avoid the action but It wouldn't hurt if Mead made the short story longer to add those aspect in the story. I really felt that RoMitri was just somehow used for promotional purposes, because really Homecoming could've been just an bonus feature in one of her books. Maybe an event from one of the Vampire Academy book in another character's perspective would've been more interesting. I think a story about Abe and Jeanine would've been better.
Gentlemen Send Phantom: Laini Taylor
Rating 5.0 stars
The story is about this village with their superstition that when teenage girl do this traditional act of baking a cake with special something a phantom of a guy will appear and this will be the one they'll end up with. This story revolves around this tradition and Pippin.
Awww. This was one of my favorites of what I have finished up to now. I have 5 stories left to read The story is so cute. I really love how their love story went. The whole superstition thingy really was a very nice touch. I just had some difficulty with the writing at first because all that rhyming was kind of annoying, but after a while I got used to it. I don't have so much to say about this story because I don't know, it just went so smoothly and I was fangirling over Matty and Pippin. It was good that for a short story, Taylor made me fangirl over the two lead characters. If a short story from Taylor made me feel all tingly inside and ship for her characters, then I am expecting a lot from Daughter of Smoke and Bones.I will expect a lot of feels from that book. haha. :)
Burned Bright: Diana Peterfreund
Rating:3.0 stars
This story is about Bright and a prophecy. The prophecy says that the end of the world is near and that it was Bright and his family's (well mostly his father's) job to deliver those who would believe them to salvation. But what if it was all a lie?
This story was very interesting. The topic really piqued my curiosity. This is certainly one of the most interesting story so far. The head jump also helped in making this story more interesting. The thing is the two perspectives are literally so different from each other which is good, which means you really had a distinct image of what is happening. Bright sees things as all part of God's plan. In the end, she really had that strong faith that it is her job to lead all these people to salvation. While Sam, sees the truth in all of it.
The story had an open ending but it is enough to make me decide that this story is REALLY CREEPY. I mean really creepy. Bright is creepy despite of all the goodness and her will of just to help her followers. She is just plain creepy. I mean she is already on my border line of crazy. o.O
Sam, on the other hand, is the total opposite of Sam. If Bright sees lies, Sam sees the truth, the only problem is, if Bright is so determined to do what it takes to redeem her people, Sam on the other hand, is a coward. So all in all, the story was okay. It is compelling but it's just plain creepy in my opinion. o.O
The Angriest Man: Lisa McMann
Rating: 1.0 stars
This story is about a girl who believed that she is bad to the bone. She's abused by everyone around her, even her mother. So basically that's what I understood in the story. I don't know if it was just me, but I think the author was trying so hard to hide the story through symbolisms, and that for me was so uncool. I mean, okay fine, you want to be deep and put symbolisms in your story go ahead, just don't get carried away. I don't know if I just have to read this story again for me to be able to get the point of the story because frankly after the part where in she states that she was put by a jerk in her school in a closet, after that i'm really not sure about what's happening.
Though yes I can assume that it was about making peace with your inner demons in order to overcome them, but i don't know. I just didn't get it. o.o Maybe i'll re-read this just to get the point of the story.
Out of the Blue: Meg Cabot
Rating: 5.0 stars
I love this! The story is about these fraternal twins who they claim that they saw an alien that stated that they are destined for greatness.
I loved everything about this story. The story was a series of interviews among the main and supporting characters of the story. What I love about this story is that the format gave each characters the opportunity to shine. It was like a short story inside a story. I also love that it was not just a story about aliens and stuff, but a cute love story too. haha. I love how Cabot kind of squeezed in that teenager life angle in the story and also managed to squeeze in the alien part. I also liked the idea implied in the story that telling the truth is always the best. :) It was amazing. One of my favorites so far. :)
One True Love: Malinda Lo
Rating 3.5 stars
Another controversial story. The story is about a prophecy about the king finding his downfall when his daughter finds her one true love. So you will go and read this movie and expect that, Oh it's a fairy tale type story. The girl will somehow at some point of the story will meet the prince charming of her life and that they will secretly fall in love with each other and then the king will find out and the Prince will be exiled from the kingdom and will then gather strength and train and will rescue the Princess and kill the King and they will live happily ever after.
Well, that's basically how the story went. Your basic fairy tale story well except for one major detail. The prince is a she... And that's basically what I love in this story. It's a basic re-telling of a fairy tale formula but between two girls. And that my friends is enough reason for me to like this story. haha :))
This Is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant
Rating: 4.0 stars
This story is about a guy named Tomaso Hockmeier, and his struggles with this certain Teacher Ms. Gills and his struggle with learning.
I love Tomaso, yeah despite the weird name, I really love him. He's witty, smart, and stands for his principles. The story is set in the near future specifically 2019 where in there were no actual school, where in you have just this electronic gadget that set-ups what you have to take up for today, your assignments and all that jazz. You face it on whatever time you want. I know isn't it awesome?
As a student, I really am fascinated with this story. The set-up of the story is like a dream come true for every student. College, elementary or highschool alike. So in this story, Tomaso kind of offended one of his teachers which is Ms. Gills. He was put into trouble by getting information outside the prescribed reading list. So, as the time went by and Tomaso is now enjoying the easy set-up, he was suddenly kidnapped and put on Ms. Gill's "Troubled Youth" school were in teenagers the same age of Tomaso were put into a classroom set-up and force them to learn the way Ms. Gills wanted them to- by the book.
So the story is basically a slap in the face of those who believe in the by the book teaching. I love that this story is encouraging learning outside the book and to make people a lot more open-minded with how we should learn. But this also somehow frightened me, because in the latter part of the story, information was just literally a blink a way. You will have this chip implanted and you can access information through your brain (reminds me of Cinder) Although, this is really very helpful, I think once in a while it's good to work hard for something.
Misery: Heather Brewer
Rating:3.5 stars
This story is about Alek and the town of Misery, where in everything is bland. You can probably call it "The gray zone".
This story is a good metaphor of Misery itself. In the town of Misery, everybody receives his/her respective every year, and it is this time of the year for Alek. Alek received a gift that entails him disappearing from existence. It would be like he never really existed. so when he found out that there was a way to avoid being erased from existence he does it.
So the metaphor for Misery was really nicely done in this story. The more you drown in misery the more it is that you would lose and not move on with life. I really like what the author did to portray this message.
The Mind is a Powerful Thing
Rating 2.5 stars
How paranoid can you be? I mean seriously? The story is about a girl named Joana is celebrating her 16th birthday but she gets this mysterious fortune from her fortune cookie which made her believe that she's going to die on her birthday.
So yea, this story is just... WTF. I mean seriously. This girl needs to see a psychiatrist. She's so paranoid that I am really wincing every time she brings up something that might be dangerous. I mean, okay fine, you can be afraid because of some fortune but according to the story she's paranoid even before she received that fortune so, yea. i was kinda wondering how hard it must be to be her. She doesn't feel safe everywhere. I just wished someone told her that it's a fact of life and that it doesn't matter how hard you try to be safe if it's your time then you're gonna die. I so don't want to be in her shoes. I don't want to be like her. How can you enjoy your life being cautious every time. o.o
The Chosen One: aundra Mitchell
Rating: 3.0 stars
The story is about a princess who went on a quest to find the fabled cup so that she can help heal her sister who was dying. Well the story was okay. But i kind of felt that the adventure part of the story was a little bit forced. It was lacked the excitement and the I found myself scanning the adventure part of the story. Though the cute love story redeemed it for me. I find the main character a little unappealing. I kind of liked her sister's cleverness better. I just hated the fact that she's so insecure and think of herself as no one. so yea. the story was okay.
Improbable Futures: Kami Garcia
Rating: 3.5 stars
I liked that the story featured con men. haha. Well i really liked how this is a story about changing your fate. Ilina is a very strong character. Despite of all that she's been through, she still managed to stand up for herself. I really like the spunk.
Death for the Deathless: Margaret Stohl
Rating: 4.0 stars
Really nice story, The premise of predicting the end of the world is once again used in this story but gave it a different take. I really like the characters, and the love story squeezed in the story. It was nicely done and though the major plot twist was a little predictable it was still nicely done. One of the best stories in the book :)
The Killing Garden: Carrie Ryan
Rating:2.5 stars
The story is about a girl who was trying her hardest to get his father's approval. At first the story was very good, the plot really did great to get my attention. It had a very good premise, but as soon as the author tried to insert that love story, I kind of felt that it was a little forced. I didn't feel the connection between the girl and Rete. after the resolution of defeating her father was semi-resolved, i felt the story went downhill from there.
Fate: Simone Elkeles
Rating:4.5 stars
I loved it!!! The characters are so adorable. Though at first I thought Carson was a girl, it turned out he was a boy. This story is a cute love story. It liked everything about it. The chemistry between Carson and Willow was off the charts. oh and the ending. Perfect.
So the book had it's strong points and weak points, but overall it was a good collection of short stories. The theme of prophecy and prediction can be clearly seen all throughout the stories.
Actual Rating: 2.5
The main reason I really wanted to read this is because of Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bones) and Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy and Bloodlines). Though i haven't read Daughter of Smoke and Bones, I have been hearing positive feedbacks so I am hoping that by reading this I will have a good introduction on the book. For Richelle Mead, Well i just missed Romitri. :>
Homecoming: Richelle Mead
Rating: 1.5 stars
Well, it was an okay story. I really missed Rose's POV and RoMitri but I felt that it was lacking in the romance department. I was expecting some quality time with the family. I wanted to know more about Dimitri. Dimitri's past. How his sisters sees him. I expected more of a family bonding plus romance short story. That was what I was expecting. I also expected to have an insight of how some of the guys were doing at that time. So I was kind of disappointed when the story turned out to be another action filled vacation. Because come on, Rose's life was already full of action that i just wanted her to experience a normal love story life with a mix of that Rose perspective. You know it would be really interesting.
Maybe, Yes, Rose and Dimitri really are some people who can't avoid the action but It wouldn't hurt if Mead made the short story longer to add those aspect in the story. I really felt that RoMitri was just somehow used for promotional purposes, because really Homecoming could've been just an bonus feature in one of her books. Maybe an event from one of the Vampire Academy book in another character's perspective would've been more interesting. I think a story about Abe and Jeanine would've been better.
Gentlemen Send Phantom: Laini Taylor
Rating 5.0 stars
The story is about this village with their superstition that when teenage girl do this traditional act of baking a cake with special something a phantom of a guy will appear and this will be the one they'll end up with. This story revolves around this tradition and Pippin.
Awww. This was one of my favorites of what I have finished up to now. I have 5 stories left to read The story is so cute. I really love how their love story went. The whole superstition thingy really was a very nice touch. I just had some difficulty with the writing at first because all that rhyming was kind of annoying, but after a while I got used to it. I don't have so much to say about this story because I don't know, it just went so smoothly and I was fangirling over Matty and Pippin. It was good that for a short story, Taylor made me fangirl over the two lead characters. If a short story from Taylor made me feel all tingly inside and ship for her characters, then I am expecting a lot from Daughter of Smoke and Bones.I will expect a lot of feels from that book. haha. :)
Burned Bright: Diana Peterfreund
Rating:3.0 stars
This story is about Bright and a prophecy. The prophecy says that the end of the world is near and that it was Bright and his family's (well mostly his father's) job to deliver those who would believe them to salvation. But what if it was all a lie?
This story was very interesting. The topic really piqued my curiosity. This is certainly one of the most interesting story so far. The head jump also helped in making this story more interesting. The thing is the two perspectives are literally so different from each other which is good, which means you really had a distinct image of what is happening. Bright sees things as all part of God's plan. In the end, she really had that strong faith that it is her job to lead all these people to salvation. While Sam, sees the truth in all of it.
The story had an open ending but it is enough to make me decide that this story is REALLY CREEPY. I mean really creepy. Bright is creepy despite of all the goodness and her will of just to help her followers. She is just plain creepy. I mean she is already on my border line of crazy. o.O
Sam, on the other hand, is the total opposite of Sam. If Bright sees lies, Sam sees the truth, the only problem is, if Bright is so determined to do what it takes to redeem her people, Sam on the other hand, is a coward. So all in all, the story was okay. It is compelling but it's just plain creepy in my opinion. o.O
The Angriest Man: Lisa McMann
Rating: 1.0 stars
This story is about a girl who believed that she is bad to the bone. She's abused by everyone around her, even her mother. So basically that's what I understood in the story. I don't know if it was just me, but I think the author was trying so hard to hide the story through symbolisms, and that for me was so uncool. I mean, okay fine, you want to be deep and put symbolisms in your story go ahead, just don't get carried away. I don't know if I just have to read this story again for me to be able to get the point of the story because frankly after the part where in she states that she was put by a jerk in her school in a closet, after that i'm really not sure about what's happening.
Though yes I can assume that it was about making peace with your inner demons in order to overcome them, but i don't know. I just didn't get it. o.o Maybe i'll re-read this just to get the point of the story.
Out of the Blue: Meg Cabot
Rating: 5.0 stars
I love this! The story is about these fraternal twins who they claim that they saw an alien that stated that they are destined for greatness.
I loved everything about this story. The story was a series of interviews among the main and supporting characters of the story. What I love about this story is that the format gave each characters the opportunity to shine. It was like a short story inside a story. I also love that it was not just a story about aliens and stuff, but a cute love story too. haha. I love how Cabot kind of squeezed in that teenager life angle in the story and also managed to squeeze in the alien part. I also liked the idea implied in the story that telling the truth is always the best. :) It was amazing. One of my favorites so far. :)
One True Love: Malinda Lo
Rating 3.5 stars
Spoiler
Another controversial story. The story is about a prophecy about the king finding his downfall when his daughter finds her one true love. So you will go and read this movie and expect that, Oh it's a fairy tale type story. The girl will somehow at some point of the story will meet the prince charming of her life and that they will secretly fall in love with each other and then the king will find out and the Prince will be exiled from the kingdom and will then gather strength and train and will rescue the Princess and kill the King and they will live happily ever after.
Well, that's basically how the story went. Your basic fairy tale story well except for one major detail. The prince is a she... And that's basically what I love in this story. It's a basic re-telling of a fairy tale formula but between two girls. And that my friends is enough reason for me to like this story. haha :))
This Is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant
Rating: 4.0 stars
This story is about a guy named Tomaso Hockmeier, and his struggles with this certain Teacher Ms. Gills and his struggle with learning.
I love Tomaso, yeah despite the weird name, I really love him. He's witty, smart, and stands for his principles. The story is set in the near future specifically 2019 where in there were no actual school, where in you have just this electronic gadget that set-ups what you have to take up for today, your assignments and all that jazz. You face it on whatever time you want. I know isn't it awesome?
As a student, I really am fascinated with this story. The set-up of the story is like a dream come true for every student. College, elementary or highschool alike. So in this story, Tomaso kind of offended one of his teachers which is Ms. Gills. He was put into trouble by getting information outside the prescribed reading list. So, as the time went by and Tomaso is now enjoying the easy set-up, he was suddenly kidnapped and put on Ms. Gill's "Troubled Youth" school were in teenagers the same age of Tomaso were put into a classroom set-up and force them to learn the way Ms. Gills wanted them to- by the book.
Spoiler
So the story is basically a slap in the face of those who believe in the by the book teaching. I love that this story is encouraging learning outside the book and to make people a lot more open-minded with how we should learn. But this also somehow frightened me, because in the latter part of the story, information was just literally a blink a way. You will have this chip implanted and you can access information through your brain (reminds me of Cinder) Although, this is really very helpful, I think once in a while it's good to work hard for something.
Misery: Heather Brewer
Rating:3.5 stars
This story is about Alek and the town of Misery, where in everything is bland. You can probably call it "The gray zone".
Spoiler
This story is a good metaphor of Misery itself. In the town of Misery, everybody receives his/her respective every year, and it is this time of the year for Alek. Alek received a gift that entails him disappearing from existence. It would be like he never really existed. so when he found out that there was a way to avoid being erased from existence he does it.
So the metaphor for Misery was really nicely done in this story. The more you drown in misery the more it is that you would lose and not move on with life. I really like what the author did to portray this message.
The Mind is a Powerful Thing
Rating 2.5 stars
How paranoid can you be? I mean seriously? The story is about a girl named Joana is celebrating her 16th birthday but she gets this mysterious fortune from her fortune cookie which made her believe that she's going to die on her birthday.
So yea, this story is just... WTF. I mean seriously. This girl needs to see a psychiatrist. She's so paranoid that I am really wincing every time she brings up something that might be dangerous. I mean, okay fine, you can be afraid because of some fortune but according to the story she's paranoid even before she received that fortune so, yea. i was kinda wondering how hard it must be to be her. She doesn't feel safe everywhere. I just wished someone told her that it's a fact of life and that it doesn't matter how hard you try to be safe if it's your time then you're gonna die. I so don't want to be in her shoes. I don't want to be like her. How can you enjoy your life being cautious every time. o.o
The Chosen One: aundra Mitchell
Rating: 3.0 stars
The story is about a princess who went on a quest to find the fabled cup so that she can help heal her sister who was dying. Well the story was okay. But i kind of felt that the adventure part of the story was a little bit forced. It was lacked the excitement and the I found myself scanning the adventure part of the story. Though the cute love story redeemed it for me. I find the main character a little unappealing. I kind of liked her sister's cleverness better. I just hated the fact that she's so insecure and think of herself as no one. so yea. the story was okay.
Improbable Futures: Kami Garcia
Rating: 3.5 stars
I liked that the story featured con men. haha. Well i really liked how this is a story about changing your fate. Ilina is a very strong character. Despite of all that she's been through, she still managed to stand up for herself. I really like the spunk.
Death for the Deathless: Margaret Stohl
Rating: 4.0 stars
Really nice story, The premise of predicting the end of the world is once again used in this story but gave it a different take. I really like the characters, and the love story squeezed in the story. It was nicely done and though the major plot twist was a little predictable it was still nicely done. One of the best stories in the book :)
The Killing Garden: Carrie Ryan
Rating:2.5 stars
The story is about a girl who was trying her hardest to get his father's approval. At first the story was very good, the plot really did great to get my attention. It had a very good premise, but as soon as the author tried to insert that love story, I kind of felt that it was a little forced. I didn't feel the connection between the girl and Rete. after the resolution of defeating her father was semi-resolved, i felt the story went downhill from there.
Fate: Simone Elkeles
Rating:4.5 stars
I loved it!!! The characters are so adorable. Though at first I thought Carson was a girl, it turned out he was a boy. This story is a cute love story. It liked everything about it. The chemistry between Carson and Willow was off the charts. oh and the ending. Perfect.
So the book had it's strong points and weak points, but overall it was a good collection of short stories. The theme of prophecy and prediction can be clearly seen all throughout the stories.
Actual Rating: 2.5
nickystrickland's review
3.0
Many new-t0-me authors and a curiosity about the use of the theme of prophecy . Found a few where the theme felt a bit of a stretch. Standouts for me were One True Love by Malinda Lo, Gentleman Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor and The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell.
yviie_reads's review against another edition
5.0
THAT WAS AMAZING, OKAY? ♥
It made me love Dimitri and Rose even more!! In general i really enjoyed this short little story - there was action, fun & snarky parts and moments where you go: AWWWWW *___*
Oh and + points for Dimka's grandmother - she's awesome and i loved her so much! :D
It made me love Dimitri and Rose even more!! In general i really enjoyed this short little story - there was action, fun & snarky parts and moments where you go: AWWWWW *___*
Oh and + points for Dimka's grandmother - she's awesome and i loved her so much! :D
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
I read this slowly over the span of a week, reading a short story at a time, just squeezing them in when I could.
I picked it up wondering if any of my favorite series had short stories in here. Although I did not find any short stories that matched series that I loved, I did enjoyed just about every story for it's own little twist. Some of them were so unique, I really hope they become a full story and give us a series.
I picked it up wondering if any of my favorite series had short stories in here. Although I did not find any short stories that matched series that I loved, I did enjoyed just about every story for it's own little twist. Some of them were so unique, I really hope they become a full story and give us a series.
inabookishworld29's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this was going to be a cute little story of Rose and Dimitri.
That fight was kind of ridiculous...
That fight was kind of ridiculous...
bkc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Nearly all of the stories involved a background romance, but all included a prophecy. Most of them were great, but there were a few duds. My overall rating is the average of my individual ratings for each of the short stories, and my thoughts on each of them are detailed below.
Introduction - Carrie Ryan | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a nice, open introduction. Very essay-like, but short and captivating.
Gentlemen Send Phantoms - Laini Taylor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was absolutely captivated by this story. The writing style was very artistic and not easy to read, but the story itself was magical.Cathy was oblivious but then again, she was basically a child, and I loved her character. Also, I can't fault a happy ending!
Burned Bright - Diana Peterfreund | ⭐⭐
The writing style was easy to follow but I was bored of the story from the beginning. I didn't care for the message, and felt like the ending was cut off too soon. The whole story felt pointless, but was intriguing enough to get two stars from me.
The Angriest Man - Lisa McMann | ⭐
This was another boring story and I didn't like the writing. The whole "growling" metaphor was irritating and I didn't care for the plot.
Out of the Blue - Meg Cabot | ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I loved Meg Cabot as a teen and this story was interesting from the start. I liked the way that thestory unfolded through transcripts, and I liked the characters. Although I enjoyed the happily ever after, I felt that the resolution was quite abrupt.
One True Love - Malinda Lo | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For some reason, the writing didn't feel easy to read, but the story was fantastic. It was like a twisted fairy tale with high stakes.
This Is a Mortal Wound - Michael Grant | ⭐⭐⭐
This one had a weird, child-like writing style and a strange story. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either.
Misery - Heather Brewer | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story didn't grip me immediately but I was interested in what was going on and it was easy to follow. It ended up being fantastic and left me feeling warm!
The Mind Is a Powerful Thing - Matt De La Peña | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This story was AMAZING! It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
The Chosen One - Saundra Mitchell | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The author used a lot of words that I'd never heard of before, and could be overly descriptive at times. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and loved Corvina! Very clever.
Improbable Futures - Kami Garcia | ⭐⭐
I loved Kami and Margaret's Beautiful Creatures series, and that fabulous writing style was reflected in this short story too. Unfortunately, I hated the theme of this short story. I wish I had trigger warnings for sexual abuse (off-page but heavily insinuated).
Death for the Deathless - Margaret Stohl | ⭐⭐
I wonder if VE Schwab copied ideas from this story because, like Addie LaRue, the characters in this story were Luc and Adi, and they were in France and immortal. Or maybe there is something I am missing here. The intermittent French made the story harder to read, but the story itself was decent. Not great, not terrible, but very slow.
Fate - Simone Elkeles | ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I initially thought this was just a simple love story, and I was intrigued but not captivated. In a way, it was just a love story, but it slowly drew me in and made me feel very emotional at the end.I'm a sucker for a happy ending (and my hormones are out of wack).
The Killing Garden - Carrie Ryan | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The main character's constant desire for approval was tiring. The pacing of the story was good and I was interested throughout. Unfortunately, the ending was a disappointment. It didn't feel right for the character and left me annoyed.
Homecoming - Richelle Mead | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story that I read the entire anthology for! I absolutely adored the Vampire Academy series and loved this bonus story. If I hadn't read the other books though, I don't think I'd have cared for the story. Richelle tied in relevant information well, but it felt like a lot.
Introduction - Carrie Ryan | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a nice, open introduction. Very essay-like, but short and captivating.
Gentlemen Send Phantoms - Laini Taylor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was absolutely captivated by this story. The writing style was very artistic and not easy to read, but the story itself was magical.
Burned Bright - Diana Peterfreund | ⭐⭐
The writing style was easy to follow but I was bored of the story from the beginning. I didn't care for the message, and felt like the ending was cut off too soon. The whole story felt pointless, but was intriguing enough to get two stars from me.
The Angriest Man - Lisa McMann | ⭐
This was another boring story and I didn't like the writing. The whole "growling" metaphor was irritating and I didn't care for the plot.
Out of the Blue - Meg Cabot | ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I loved Meg Cabot as a teen and this story was interesting from the start. I liked the way that the
One True Love - Malinda Lo | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For some reason, the writing didn't feel easy to read, but the story was fantastic. It was like a twisted fairy tale with high stakes.
This Is a Mortal Wound - Michael Grant | ⭐⭐⭐
This one had a weird, child-like writing style and a strange story. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either.
Misery - Heather Brewer | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story didn't grip me immediately but I was interested in what was going on and it was easy to follow. It ended up being fantastic and left me feeling warm!
The Mind Is a Powerful Thing - Matt De La Peña | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This story was AMAZING! It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
The Chosen One - Saundra Mitchell | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The author used a lot of words that I'd never heard of before, and could be overly descriptive at times. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and loved Corvina! Very clever.
Improbable Futures - Kami Garcia | ⭐⭐
I loved Kami and Margaret's Beautiful Creatures series, and that fabulous writing style was reflected in this short story too. Unfortunately, I hated the theme of this short story. I wish I had trigger warnings for sexual abuse (off-page but heavily insinuated).
Death for the Deathless - Margaret Stohl | ⭐⭐
I wonder if VE Schwab copied ideas from this story because, like Addie LaRue, the characters in this story were Luc and Adi, and they were in France and immortal. Or maybe there is something I am missing here. The intermittent French made the story harder to read, but the story itself was decent. Not great, not terrible, but very slow.
Fate - Simone Elkeles | ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I initially thought this was just a simple love story, and I was intrigued but not captivated. In a way, it was just a love story, but it slowly drew me in and made me feel very emotional at the end.
The Killing Garden - Carrie Ryan | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Homecoming - Richelle Mead | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story that I read the entire anthology for! I absolutely adored the Vampire Academy series and loved this bonus story. If I hadn't read the other books though, I don't think I'd have cared for the story. Richelle tied in relevant information well, but it felt like a lot.
Content Warnings
Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia mentions rape. It's not graphic, just insinuated, but is a trigger warning.
eb00kie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is YA heavy. The genre expectations came a long way since 2014 so this book should mostly be enjoyed by closing one's eyes to loose ends, vague plot, meandering prose and teenage characters with the complexity of your average spoon
Did enjoy the Richelle Mead story in the Vampire Academy universe. It's been awhile
Did enjoy the Richelle Mead story in the Vampire Academy universe. It's been awhile