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chapter_adventure's Reviews (801)
Legend gets right to the point. I loved how fast paced it was but yet, extremely descriptive. The characters and world were built up well but not overdone. Day and June are two of a kind but also uniquely different. I loved to see how they each came to the same conclusions but while following two different paths. It's their love for their families and also their desire for true justice that finally brings them together. I thought Thomas and Tess were interesting characters and I liked how they fit in to the story. I'll be interested to see how much of a part they play in book 2. Legend reads just like watching a movie and it seemed to be over too soon. I wanted more! Bring on Prodigy!
This is my first steampunk book! Steampunk has been a genre that I knew nothing about before last year and I've been really fascinated with it. I love the historical context of most steampunk novels, so I really thought this was a genre I could get in to. Leviathan did not disappoint. I listened to this on audio which was kind of fun. It was narrated by Alan Cumming, who did a great job. I understand the book has some illustrations, which I would be interested to see. Some of the descriptions of the war beasts and war machines, were a little difficult for me to imagine, just hearing them described. (I'm a visual person) I may pick up a copy of this at the library just to check the drawings out. I looked up a couple of them on the web and that helped my understanding a bit.
So about the plot- loved it! There are some frustrating bits, when the characters act rashly without thinking- but this is a middle grade book, with young protagonists, so that is to be expected. If the characters didn't act the way they did, they wouldn't seem real. I fell for Deryn Sharp right off. She's really bright and holds her own just fine in any situation. I liked Alek from the beginning too. He's a little stiff, being raised a royal, but he relaxes a bit as the book goes on and he gradually begins to realize that he could be doing something really important.
The book deals with Darwinists who have genetically altered animals into war ships and other useful beasts and the Clankers, who rely on machines and metal. I found this aspect to be very interesting- Darwin plays a secondary but important role in the book. One thing I have to note is that at the end of the audio, Scott Westerfeld gets on and explains some of the historical context of the book as well as what parts of the book are real and where he veered off to create his alternate world. I found that really fascinating- but I'm a history junkee. Anyway, if you like middle grade fiction that borders young adult- you should pick this up. I'll be picking up book 2 in the series (Behemoth) soon.
So about the plot- loved it! There are some frustrating bits, when the characters act rashly without thinking- but this is a middle grade book, with young protagonists, so that is to be expected. If the characters didn't act the way they did, they wouldn't seem real. I fell for Deryn Sharp right off. She's really bright and holds her own just fine in any situation. I liked Alek from the beginning too. He's a little stiff, being raised a royal, but he relaxes a bit as the book goes on and he gradually begins to realize that he could be doing something really important.
The book deals with Darwinists who have genetically altered animals into war ships and other useful beasts and the Clankers, who rely on machines and metal. I found this aspect to be very interesting- Darwin plays a secondary but important role in the book. One thing I have to note is that at the end of the audio, Scott Westerfeld gets on and explains some of the historical context of the book as well as what parts of the book are real and where he veered off to create his alternate world. I found that really fascinating- but I'm a history junkee. Anyway, if you like middle grade fiction that borders young adult- you should pick this up. I'll be picking up book 2 in the series (Behemoth) soon.
There were parts of this book that tugged at my heart and parts of it that disgusted me. I wasn't too fond of the main character- mostly I just didn't like her actions a lot of the time. But the writing is good and the story was interesting. I didn't want to stop reading just because I found the main character to be 'not my cup of tea.' I honestly was rooting for her and I did enjoy the book. I'm glad I chose to listen to the audio book because the narrator was easy to listen to. I guess when I read personal stories, I want to feel like I got something beneficial out of it. I don't think this inspired me in any way, but it was a good book otherwise.
What a great little book! It didn't take me long at all to whip through this one at just 180 pages. Just a touch of humor, some quirky characters, and an endearing conclusion that brought it all together. I loved how Georges and Safer know from the very beginning that they are the perfect friends for each other. Even though they know that, it still takes them time to understand each other. Things slowly unravel in this great and magical way. The side story of bullying is a common theme these days and I liked how it was resolved. The main theme- seeing the big picture as opposed to many little dots all put together- was magic in this story. I wish this book had been around when I was in 8th grade. A real treat to read this!
The first Sherlock Holmes book by Arthur Conan Doyle. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this. I've never read a Sherlock Holmes story before and thought the book would be a little more engaging. I listened to the audio book. I am uncertain that I would have finished the book if I'd just been reading it. The first half of the plot focused on Sherlock and then, suddenly, the book was talking about Mormon's. I was so confused. I actually checked my Ipod to make sure it hadn't skipped over the second half the book. In the end it was all tied together, but the way it was written just seemed jerky. I will read another Sherlock book and hope it's better.
The history lover in me was drawn to this book because I thought it might offer a more human view into what the war was really like. Boy, did it ever. Yes, this is a piece of fictional work, but for me, it was very interesting to envision what things might have been like for those involved first hand in the war. Studying history as my undergrad was great- but it was always approached with a sort of systematic method. We did analyze the why, who, what, where, etc. But it was still very methodical and hard to get that sense of what life was truly like for people smack in the middle of it.
Anyway, I truly loved the friendship between Maddie and Verity. It was so genuine and fierce and added this whole new dimension to the story. I felt that the scenes of torture in the prison where graphic but I expected them to be much worse. I did feel on edge each time Verity was threatened with torture or beaten.
For me, the strength of the characters is what made this tale such a favorite. I found myself wondering if I would be able to handle what they went through. I did cry in this book several times. At the end of the book Elizabeth Wein gives a great narrative on how her research progressed while writing the book including what was based on fact and what was not. I liked her insight on why she chose to include certain things.
I really enjoyed this book and even if you're not in to history, you will too. I highly recommend the audio book which is narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell. There is a lot of German, French, and other languages in this book and I think it would have slowed me down and ruined the suspense of some moments if I'd been trying to read it myself. The narration helped the flow of the book.
Anyway, I truly loved the friendship between Maddie and Verity. It was so genuine and fierce and added this whole new dimension to the story. I felt that the scenes of torture in the prison where graphic but I expected them to be much worse. I did feel on edge each time Verity was threatened with torture or beaten.
For me, the strength of the characters is what made this tale such a favorite. I found myself wondering if I would be able to handle what they went through. I did cry in this book several times. At the end of the book Elizabeth Wein gives a great narrative on how her research progressed while writing the book including what was based on fact and what was not. I liked her insight on why she chose to include certain things.
I really enjoyed this book and even if you're not in to history, you will too. I highly recommend the audio book which is narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell. There is a lot of German, French, and other languages in this book and I think it would have slowed me down and ruined the suspense of some moments if I'd been trying to read it myself. The narration helped the flow of the book.