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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's a tale as old as time really. Girl kills vampires in the night only to fall in love with one, it's just like Avril Lavigne says in her magnum opus Sk8er Boi "Can I make it any more obvious?" Speaking of obvious, everything in this story felt very straightforward. In that way, I felt my engagement was more based on its action and romance rather than the story if that makes sense. There were no real twists, not that there's anything wrong with that. Very solid paranormal romance. Looking forward to reading, the next book, One Foot in the Grave.
Has everything I like and had such a good time reading this story. Lost of action and vampires good and bad. The ending was a bit sad and I'll definitely be reading more of this series.
finished 11/24/12
This book took a long time for me to finish because it got so eye-rollingly cheesy in some places that I just couldn't deal with it or take it seriously enough to go on. I don't know if it's due to the writing style or the reader of the audiobook, but some of the declarations of feeling came off ridiculously over the top.
That said, I have heard/read some short stories in this universe and look forward to reading (listening to) more of the series.
This book took a long time for me to finish because it got so eye-rollingly cheesy in some places that I just couldn't deal with it or take it seriously enough to go on. I don't know if it's due to the writing style or the reader of the audiobook, but some of the declarations of feeling came off ridiculously over the top.
That said, I have heard/read some short stories in this universe and look forward to reading (listening to) more of the series.
Halfway to the Grave is the first in a series of novels about a half-human, half-vampire hunter named Cat. She is the product of a rape and carries her mother’s vendetta against all things vampire, and she became a hunter so that she could eventually find her father and kill him, but she doesn’t mind killing every vampire she comes in contact with along the way.
Initially, I’m not sure what rating to give this novel. I enjoyed it. I’m glad I read it. I will leisurely make my way through the rest of the series.
If I just rated based on my overall feeling at the end of the book, I’d give it four stars, maybe even five. But if I take into account my initial feelings, that’s way too generous, and I’d give it a solid three stars.
It didn’t suck (no pun intended). In fact, the beginning had a good “hook,” and immediately I wanted to keep reading. I love it when a book just kind of drops you into the action, and I wanted to get into that. It was well written and well edited, so I can’t complain about that.
My problems in the beginning were more to do with the characters than anything. That being said, one of the things that I loved the most about reading this was being able to watch Cat and Bones both grow and develop as characters. That is good writing. I wasn’t told, I was shown, subtly and over the course of the entire novel, the changes that made the characters go from “tolerable” to actual likeable people, and it wasn’t crammed in my face.
I know that basically everyone that’s ever read this series drowns in puddles of their own drool over Bones, and I’m going to be frank here, I don’t get the appeal. Even after reading the whole book, I don’t get the appeal. But hey, to each their own. Initially, I couldn’t get past the Spike similarities to even give him much of a chance. And, okay, it might be because I read too many comics, but I really have a problem with authors that try to “write” an accent. I can pretty well imagine what it sounds like without having to hurt my brain to figure out what the hell a character’s saying. One of the things that made Bones grow on me through the book was the fact that the author stopped writing his accent and trusted that I could remember it on my own.
Catherine, to be blunt… was a brat. To some extent, I could understand. But sometimes it just rubbed me the wrong way. There’s nothing I hate more than reading about someone who thinks they’re the end-all in maturity when they’re really like a child. Like I said, this wasn’t entirely her fault—I get that she was just following what she had been taught, and to some extent, I pitied her because her mother just couldn’t accept what she was. On the other hand, I found myself wishing that she’d started having a few thoughts of her own before the book started, just so I wouldn’t have to grind my teeth while she grew up.
All that being said, by the end of the book, Cat had really grown into a heroine I liked, but not in a way that felt unnatural. You know that perfect wife making machine in The Stepford Wives? Sometimes I feel like there’s a special model just for making you like a heroine that’s a little too obnoxious. I do think that Jeaniene Frost managed to avoid using the perfect heroine making machine, and I find myself respecting the characters a little more than usual.
I really do hope that the future books in this series drive the plot by something a little more profound than flirting. It was fine for this one. And it’s paranormal romance, I get it. But this book seemed to me, if I’m looking at it as part of a series anyway, that its primary purpose was to establish the relationship between the characters more than anything. That’s been accomplished, so now I’d like to see some actual conflict (not just throwing Francesca and Timmie in when there’s absolutely no tension there whatsoever) and a little less… I don’t know, does this count as erotica?
Initially, I’m not sure what rating to give this novel. I enjoyed it. I’m glad I read it. I will leisurely make my way through the rest of the series.
If I just rated based on my overall feeling at the end of the book, I’d give it four stars, maybe even five. But if I take into account my initial feelings, that’s way too generous, and I’d give it a solid three stars.
It didn’t suck (no pun intended). In fact, the beginning had a good “hook,” and immediately I wanted to keep reading. I love it when a book just kind of drops you into the action, and I wanted to get into that. It was well written and well edited, so I can’t complain about that.
My problems in the beginning were more to do with the characters than anything. That being said, one of the things that I loved the most about reading this was being able to watch Cat and Bones both grow and develop as characters. That is good writing. I wasn’t told, I was shown, subtly and over the course of the entire novel, the changes that made the characters go from “tolerable” to actual likeable people, and it wasn’t crammed in my face.
I know that basically everyone that’s ever read this series drowns in puddles of their own drool over Bones, and I’m going to be frank here, I don’t get the appeal. Even after reading the whole book, I don’t get the appeal. But hey, to each their own. Initially, I couldn’t get past the Spike similarities to even give him much of a chance. And, okay, it might be because I read too many comics, but I really have a problem with authors that try to “write” an accent. I can pretty well imagine what it sounds like without having to hurt my brain to figure out what the hell a character’s saying. One of the things that made Bones grow on me through the book was the fact that the author stopped writing his accent and trusted that I could remember it on my own.
Catherine, to be blunt… was a brat. To some extent, I could understand. But sometimes it just rubbed me the wrong way. There’s nothing I hate more than reading about someone who thinks they’re the end-all in maturity when they’re really like a child. Like I said, this wasn’t entirely her fault—I get that she was just following what she had been taught, and to some extent, I pitied her because her mother just couldn’t accept what she was. On the other hand, I found myself wishing that she’d started having a few thoughts of her own before the book started, just so I wouldn’t have to grind my teeth while she grew up.
All that being said, by the end of the book, Cat had really grown into a heroine I liked, but not in a way that felt unnatural. You know that perfect wife making machine in The Stepford Wives? Sometimes I feel like there’s a special model just for making you like a heroine that’s a little too obnoxious. I do think that Jeaniene Frost managed to avoid using the perfect heroine making machine, and I find myself respecting the characters a little more than usual.
I really do hope that the future books in this series drive the plot by something a little more profound than flirting. It was fine for this one. And it’s paranormal romance, I get it. But this book seemed to me, if I’m looking at it as part of a series anyway, that its primary purpose was to establish the relationship between the characters more than anything. That’s been accomplished, so now I’d like to see some actual conflict (not just throwing Francesca and Timmie in when there’s absolutely no tension there whatsoever) and a little less… I don’t know, does this count as erotica?
adventurous
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Ursprünglich als Überbrückung bis zum nächsten Kim Harrison Buch gedacht, hat mich dieses Buch sehr überrascht. Mit unglaublich viel Witz, einer interessanten neuen Erweiterung der Vampir- Theorie, prickelnder Erotik (Vampire haben den besseren Sex) und viel Spannung hat sich Cat zu meiner neuen Lieblingsheldin gemausert.
SPOILER
Besonders interessant ist mir die Stelle in der Höhle aufgefallen, als Bones innerhalb von 2-3 Zeilen vom bösen Mörder- Vampir zum neuen sexy Lehrer wird. Das hat sie wirklich gut gedreht!
SPOILER
Besonders interessant ist mir die Stelle in der Höhle aufgefallen, als Bones innerhalb von 2-3 Zeilen vom bösen Mörder- Vampir zum neuen sexy Lehrer wird. Das hat sie wirklich gut gedreht!
I really enjoyed this book. It was a lot of fun, and I think the series definitely has potential. After finishing, I immediately bought all the rest of the books in the series.
I listened to this book on audio so any name misspellings can be attributed to myself being too lazy to bother looking things up. Any other mistakes are entirely my own and are either due to my being distracted by driving and/or my piss poor memory. I usually take notes when I read but it’s hard to take notes when driving without taking out some fellow schlub just trying to get home from work intact.
Cat (Catherine but don’t EVER call her that) is the offspring of a human woman who was raped by a brand new vampire. He still had swimmers when he attacked her mom so Cat is human with some neat-o extras. Her eyes flash green when she’s all worked up (just like the vamps in this book), she can move at almost superhuman speed, she’s stronger than your average college gal and she can booze it up without getting her tummy pumped. In order to avenge her mom (who was a real bitch for dumping her angst on her innocent child, btw) she slays vampires. Mom is only happy when Cat tells her that she’s beheaded another monster. I didn’t like Mom. Mom was selfish and needed psychological help. I liked her even less as the book went along. Yeah, I get that she was traumatized but what she did to Cat was pretty traumatizing too. Anyway, one night Cat goes after a vamp named Bones who is on to her game. The two have a major smack down and Bones, intrigued by his tough little “kitten”, wants her to stick around and coerces her into a “deal”. Cat finds herself pairing up with Bones to weed out and destroy only the evil vampires. But Cat has issues dealing. She’s been raised to believe that all vamps are evil creatures but she has feelings for sexy Bones that he won’t let her deny.
I loved this book, despite the mom hate. It was fun (as well as funny), gloriously violent, and pretty darn sexy. Bones and Cat have amazing chemistry and their love for one another was really sweet. Cat wasn’t a bitch and I liked her a lot. Bones was surprisingly tender and patient with her. He put up with a lot of crap and frustration and dealt with it well. Especially when she consistently murdered people he wanted to interrogate. Instead of getting super angry he’d spout out funnies such as: “You’re not a woman. You’re the grim reaper with red hair!” You’ve got to love a guy with patience and a sense of humor. As a bonus, I never felt lost or bored as I usually do when reading some of these paranormal/urban fantasy type books. I have to say that the cliffhanger end really aggravated me and that’s why I can’t give this book 5 stars.. I don’t have book #2 here on audio and now I have to go track down #2 to continue the story. Grrrrrrr.
Cat (Catherine but don’t EVER call her that) is the offspring of a human woman who was raped by a brand new vampire. He still had swimmers when he attacked her mom so Cat is human with some neat-o extras. Her eyes flash green when she’s all worked up (just like the vamps in this book), she can move at almost superhuman speed, she’s stronger than your average college gal and she can booze it up without getting her tummy pumped. In order to avenge her mom (who was a real bitch for dumping her angst on her innocent child, btw) she slays vampires. Mom is only happy when Cat tells her that she’s beheaded another monster. I didn’t like Mom. Mom was selfish and needed psychological help. I liked her even less as the book went along. Yeah, I get that she was traumatized but what she did to Cat was pretty traumatizing too. Anyway, one night Cat goes after a vamp named Bones who is on to her game. The two have a major smack down and Bones, intrigued by his tough little “kitten”, wants her to stick around and coerces her into a “deal”. Cat finds herself pairing up with Bones to weed out and destroy only the evil vampires. But Cat has issues dealing. She’s been raised to believe that all vamps are evil creatures but she has feelings for sexy Bones that he won’t let her deny.
I loved this book, despite the mom hate. It was fun (as well as funny), gloriously violent, and pretty darn sexy. Bones and Cat have amazing chemistry and their love for one another was really sweet. Cat wasn’t a bitch and I liked her a lot. Bones was surprisingly tender and patient with her. He put up with a lot of crap and frustration and dealt with it well. Especially when she consistently murdered people he wanted to interrogate. Instead of getting super angry he’d spout out funnies such as: “You’re not a woman. You’re the grim reaper with red hair!” You’ve got to love a guy with patience and a sense of humor. As a bonus, I never felt lost or bored as I usually do when reading some of these paranormal/urban fantasy type books. I have to say that the cliffhanger end really aggravated me and that’s why I can’t give this book 5 stars.. I don’t have book #2 here on audio and now I have to go track down #2 to continue the story. Grrrrrrr.