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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
Good YA Fantasy. Interesting take on the battle between good & evil. I plan on reading more of the series. Peace
I would have rated this five stars, but when I finished it I was still left with many unanswered questions. Still thoroughly enjoyable however.
Jacob was living in Hawaii with his mom (his dad died in the war in Afghanistan). They got in a car crash and his mom died. Jacob is forced to go live with unknown cousins in the MidWest. He is having odd dreams about what really happened during the car crash, however, and even weirder things are going on at the house across the street. Especially when the woman who lives there takes him on as an apprentice to learn how to be a Soulkeeper.
This book was ridiculous. I refrain from calling it plagiaristic because I don't think trying to squash together ideas from every book and movie you've ever read or watched qualifies, but we can very safely call this "unoriginal", as well as "unbelievable", "juvenile" and "preachy".
I'm very confused by all of the positive reviews here. I understand that this was a free book and that perhaps standards are lowered for young adult fiction, but even when I was a teenager I could tell the difference between a good book and a bad book. And I'm not just talking about the bizarre story line, but the actual writing and editing as well.
Teens deserve great books as much as adults do. Lets raise the bar a little here, people.
I'm very confused by all of the positive reviews here. I understand that this was a free book and that perhaps standards are lowered for young adult fiction, but even when I was a teenager I could tell the difference between a good book and a bad book. And I'm not just talking about the bizarre story line, but the actual writing and editing as well.
Teens deserve great books as much as adults do. Lets raise the bar a little here, people.
I really wanted to like this book, I did. Unfortunately, while the story idea was sound, the way G.P. Ching executed it just bored me. There wasn't much mystery to keep me energized and the slow pacing didn't help much either. Maybe it was just this book came at a wrong time for me as I've just been overly inundated with fantasy lately, but I don't think so. I gave this book 12 chapters to become the great book it could have been... it just failed to mold into it for me.
I'll admit, I'm not usually into the "battle with the fallen angels" kind of books, but this one caught me. I didn't know that's what it would become when I started, but by the time I recognised what was going on, I wanted to know what happened so I just shrugged and carried on. And it was worth it.
An interesting read. I found some parts difficult to believe, but G.P Ching does a great service in ensuring is explained to the fullest.
Like most great novels it leaves a few questions unanswered, giving the reader just enough to want to know more about the characters, their lives, and the world the pive in.
Very well written, with some amazong qoutes. It contains a set of believable complex characters, however their aren't many smaller plot arcs to solve which gave the book a refreshing storyline.
On an added note almost all of the main characters are some form of POC, which is nice to see. Can't wait to read the next book!
Like most great novels it leaves a few questions unanswered, giving the reader just enough to want to know more about the characters, their lives, and the world the pive in.
Very well written, with some amazong qoutes. It contains a set of believable complex characters, however their aren't many smaller plot arcs to solve which gave the book a refreshing storyline.
On an added note almost all of the main characters are some form of POC, which is nice to see. Can't wait to read the next book!
While I actually appreciate the story, which was fun, and the worldbuilding, which was pretty interesting, the book itself was clunky too much of the time. For all that I liked the story itself and found some of the ideas really unique, and even generally liked the main character, it was chock-full of writing cliches and clumsiness. Not to mention the author should be going to writing jail for the characterization of Malini who is Not Like Other Girls and (Jesus take the wheel) "exotic."
There are a lot of religious themes present, and Christianity is discussed several times, but I felt pretty pleased by the fact that it wasn't touted as "The Answer" and that they made use of dreams, Native American religious practices, and more.
I've seen a few reviews from people who were turned off by the "small town bigots" concept at work in the story, but that actually . . . well, resonated with me. I'm from a small community that behaved like this toward people who were "different" or "outsiders," and just because it didn't happen in your town doesn't mean that it never happens. That part was painfully realistic.
I'm not NOT recommending this book, but I wouldn't go into it expecting brilliance, rather something to pass the time.
There are a lot of religious themes present, and Christianity is discussed several times, but I felt pretty pleased by the fact that it wasn't touted as "The Answer" and that they made use of dreams, Native American religious practices, and more.
I've seen a few reviews from people who were turned off by the "small town bigots" concept at work in the story, but that actually . . . well, resonated with me. I'm from a small community that behaved like this toward people who were "different" or "outsiders," and just because it didn't happen in your town doesn't mean that it never happens. That part was painfully realistic.
I'm not NOT recommending this book, but I wouldn't go into it expecting brilliance, rather something to pass the time.