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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
definitely something I wouldn't normally pick up, but I'm glad that I did.
definitely something I wouldn't normally pick up, but I'm glad that I did.
In all my excitement over finishing Rebel of the Sands I actually forgot to mark this as read!
This was the last book I managed to finish for TBRTakedown 4.0, and while it was a fun story of time-travelling adventures, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Nix is a sailor living on board The Temptation with her father, who is also the Captain, and the rest of the crew. The Temptation is far from ordinary though; it's a time-travelling ship. Nix's father uses maps from different eras to navigate through time in his search for the one map he truly wants. The map of Hawaii, 1868, that will allow him to go back to just before Nix's mother dies and save her life.
The premise for this book had me really excited, but all the elements of the story just weren't executed as well as they could have been. The plot was dramatic at times, but quite confused at others and I sometimes found myself asking why certain things were happening because there seemed to be little reasoning behind them. Now I've got a degree in Literature, so I'd like to think I understand books and can unravel and analyse their complexities pretty well, but there were times when this book just left me feeling baffled by the motivation (of lack of) behind certain events.
Some characters, such as Nix and Kash, had detailed personalities and engaging interactions with one another, but others felt under-developed. We barely learned anything about Rotgut, and I would have liked to hear more of Bee's backstory. Also, naming the minor characters 'Mr D' and 'Mr T' just came across as silly.
The writing style alternated between buoyant and underwhelming. It took me a while to get into this book and I think it was because the writing style in the first 50 pages just didn't grip me. There was little that thrilled me about it until about page 70, and I think the style overall could have used more flare and unpredictability.
The book's saving grace was its world-building. As adventurers through time, the main characters go to a number of different countries and eras, and the way these places were built up was luxuriously detailed. It's clear that Heidi Heilig did a lot of research for this book, and it shows in the narration of the Hawaiian landscapes and description of prominent places in Oahu.
I wanted to love this book, I really did, but there were too many issues with the writing and the plot for it to live up to my expectations. A good book, but not the brilliant one I was hoping for.
This was the last book I managed to finish for TBRTakedown 4.0, and while it was a fun story of time-travelling adventures, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Nix is a sailor living on board The Temptation with her father, who is also the Captain, and the rest of the crew. The Temptation is far from ordinary though; it's a time-travelling ship. Nix's father uses maps from different eras to navigate through time in his search for the one map he truly wants. The map of Hawaii, 1868, that will allow him to go back to just before Nix's mother dies and save her life.
The premise for this book had me really excited, but all the elements of the story just weren't executed as well as they could have been. The plot was dramatic at times, but quite confused at others and I sometimes found myself asking why certain things were happening because there seemed to be little reasoning behind them. Now I've got a degree in Literature, so I'd like to think I understand books and can unravel and analyse their complexities pretty well, but there were times when this book just left me feeling baffled by the motivation (of lack of) behind certain events.
Some characters, such as Nix and Kash, had detailed personalities and engaging interactions with one another, but others felt under-developed. We barely learned anything about Rotgut, and I would have liked to hear more of Bee's backstory. Also, naming the minor characters 'Mr D' and 'Mr T' just came across as silly.
The writing style alternated between buoyant and underwhelming. It took me a while to get into this book and I think it was because the writing style in the first 50 pages just didn't grip me. There was little that thrilled me about it until about page 70, and I think the style overall could have used more flare and unpredictability.
The book's saving grace was its world-building. As adventurers through time, the main characters go to a number of different countries and eras, and the way these places were built up was luxuriously detailed. It's clear that Heidi Heilig did a lot of research for this book, and it shows in the narration of the Hawaiian landscapes and description of prominent places in Oahu.
I wanted to love this book, I really did, but there were too many issues with the writing and the plot for it to live up to my expectations. A good book, but not the brilliant one I was hoping for.
The book with maybe the coolest cover for a YA book I had seen in some time, this was a weird time travel story that... well, it did a ton for me in being a rich and colorful time travel novel with history and mythology and a neat little heist plot. I just don't see where the YA appeal sits, and I don't really know why this wasn't just made into something a little more mature. A book and story as solid as this shouldn't be shortchanged in any way (and this is not a condemnation of YA, which I love), and I just felt like the story was constrained by the genre. Overall? Great, great read that had some potential to be even better.
I read something new, and it actually wasn't that bad. I'm usually not one for pirates, and sea voyages, and the sort of past that can change your future (time travelling) but I actually liked this book. Sure, it isn't my favorite, but the adventure was fun, and a little romance didn't hurt anyone.
Nothing wrong with this book and I know some people who would really enjoy it that I am going to suggest it to but this one just wasn't for me.
The book starts gently but gives you the hook right away, and that hook will keep you on the line until the end! The writing is beautiful, easily giving us the voice of a girl who's been to many times and places but has mostly lived in books. I haven't had to look up so many vocabulary words in years, maybe not since college, but I loved it! (And thank goodness for Kindle's built-in dictionary. ;) ) Such diction was totally in character for Nix and felt effortless.
The characters were lively and layered, which I appreciated. Slate, in particular, as Nix's addictive, obsessive father, was well-drawn. I wished Nix had given us a little more of her feelings, though. Not every 16-year-old girl needs to be a drama queen, thank goodness, but she seemed unusually resolute at ignoring hers (though perhaps not without reason).
The plot was well-orchestrated; not super taut or tight or fast-paced, but with enough twists to make sure you're paying attention! I confess I prefer my time travel to be a little more wibbly-wobbly/timey-wimey, as opposed to exposing itself to the bootstrap paradox (which, in true wibbly-wobbly fashion, Doctor Who has also utilized).
Still, I'm looking forward to the sequel! (Which is already out. I'm a little behind. ;) )
The characters were lively and layered, which I appreciated. Slate, in particular, as Nix's addictive, obsessive father, was well-drawn. I wished Nix had given us a little more of her feelings, though. Not every 16-year-old girl needs to be a drama queen, thank goodness, but she seemed unusually resolute at ignoring hers (though perhaps not without reason).
The plot was well-orchestrated; not super taut or tight or fast-paced, but with enough twists to make sure you're paying attention! I confess I prefer my time travel to be a little more wibbly-wobbly/timey-wimey, as opposed to exposing itself to the bootstrap paradox (which, in true wibbly-wobbly fashion, Doctor Who has also utilized).
Still, I'm looking forward to the sequel! (Which is already out. I'm a little behind. ;) )
The premise is delightful, and I really liked the characters, but there's some serious slump in the middle where everyone just sits around looking at each other.
Also, a suspicious lack of Hawaiian characters for a book whose plot partly hinges on Hawaiian history and politics.
Also, a suspicious lack of Hawaiian characters for a book whose plot partly hinges on Hawaiian history and politics.