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christinereads0's reviews
307 reviews
Exile by Glynn Stewart
5.0
purplemanatees.org
purplemanatees.org
Do you like Space? Science Fiction? Aliens? Spaceship battles? Well all of this is included in this great book!
When scouring the booths of Bookcon, we stumbled upon a booth solely dedicated to Exile. The lady at the booth merely scanned our badges to allow for only one ARC per person, and we were gifted this wonderful novel written by Glynn Stewart.
The story is really well-thought out. You can tell that this book has been a long time in the making. The descriptions in this book are phenomenal and it's not your run of the mill plot line. Over 30,000 people are just shipped over to the other side of the galaxy to pretty much fend for themselves. But, this world is not as perfect as it seems to me and this new colony is going to have a few obstacles in their way to create their new lives.
Oh No's
The writing was a little bit dense with all of the references to rebellion, politics, and immense space terminology. But just a reread or two makes it all the more clearer to understand. I honestly loved the build up in this novel although it just seemed greatly slow. This is in regards to the entire story revolving around an entire population being exiled to another planet and they simply setting up home on a different planet.
Yay's
The coolest part were the computer screens that were implanted into people arms. Perhaps this is the future we wish to see. This is definitely how iPhones will evolve.
The names in this book are quite thought out and realistic. Drakehold because it looks like a dragon was a pretty cute inclusion. Although there were a few names and references that caught my eye. Yes, any and all names to copyrighted licenses are purely fictional but COME ON! Dr. Reinhardt has a daughter named Brigette (245). An even includes the word overwatch in the book as well! Keep your eye peeled for this Overwatch not-reference. ;)
I also loved how everything was in terms of lightyears. This made the future seem so much more bigger than it currently is. The overwhelming numbers used in the book were insurmountable.
Altogether, this was great Science Fiction novel that had such a lovely tone throughout the book. If you're looking for an introduction into more Space themed books.
purplemanatees.org
Do you like Space? Science Fiction? Aliens? Spaceship battles? Well all of this is included in this great book!
When scouring the booths of Bookcon, we stumbled upon a booth solely dedicated to Exile. The lady at the booth merely scanned our badges to allow for only one ARC per person, and we were gifted this wonderful novel written by Glynn Stewart.
The story is really well-thought out. You can tell that this book has been a long time in the making. The descriptions in this book are phenomenal and it's not your run of the mill plot line. Over 30,000 people are just shipped over to the other side of the galaxy to pretty much fend for themselves. But, this world is not as perfect as it seems to me and this new colony is going to have a few obstacles in their way to create their new lives.
Oh No's
The writing was a little bit dense with all of the references to rebellion, politics, and immense space terminology. But just a reread or two makes it all the more clearer to understand. I honestly loved the build up in this novel although it just seemed greatly slow. This is in regards to the entire story revolving around an entire population being exiled to another planet and they simply setting up home on a different planet.
Yay's
The coolest part were the computer screens that were implanted into people arms. Perhaps this is the future we wish to see. This is definitely how iPhones will evolve.
The names in this book are quite thought out and realistic. Drakehold because it looks like a dragon was a pretty cute inclusion. Although there were a few names and references that caught my eye. Yes, any and all names to copyrighted licenses are purely fictional but COME ON! Dr. Reinhardt has a daughter named Brigette (245). An even includes the word overwatch in the book as well! Keep your eye peeled for this Overwatch not-reference. ;)
I also loved how everything was in terms of lightyears. This made the future seem so much more bigger than it currently is. The overwhelming numbers used in the book were insurmountable.
Altogether, this was great Science Fiction novel that had such a lovely tone throughout the book. If you're looking for an introduction into more Space themed books.
WorldEnd: What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?, Vol. 1 by ue, Akira Kareno
4.0
Purplemanatees.org
Title: WorldEnd: What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us? Author: Akira Kareno Pages: 169 Genre: Fantasy, Light Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars In Japan, long titles are becoming extremely predominant in media-- hence this title. This is a harem light novel about a human being stuck in a world of monsters. When Willhem is looking for a job he takes the one with a bunch of girls who happen to be weapons capable of mass destruction. But what neither knows is that they are both connected in more ways than one. Oh No's The first couple chapters are really all over the place and I had a hard time trying to figure out what the actual plot of this story is. The main plot doesn't actually start until at least a quarter of the way in. It is also the same way at the end. The author just goes off on a tangent instead of actually finishing the story. This is really equivalent to the first episode of a show. The harem. How did I not realize this? This is your typical book turned show about one boy surrounded by twenty girls who all want to kiss him. The only thing is, the guy is absolutely uninterested in being romantically involved with anyone. This is actually quite common but I really hate this trope. The translations in this book were quite off at times. I feel that a lot of the story just didn't come through very well in English. For instance, the girls are referred to as both faeries and leprechauns when those are two different beings entirely. The dialogue was quite cut off in points as well. Luckily this is an extremely short novel so you aren't impeded in any way by this. Yay's The art! All Yen Press light novels come with artwork either from the manga or created by a mangaka for this series. It helps when trying to imagine a character, you get an actual depiction of them. Sprinkled throughout there are also random scenes that were drawn out such as some of the faeires and one of Willem. The plot of this light novel is great. It has a lot of potential to be a great anime actually but they need to cut out that weird part about him being a dad to someone the same age as him and the weird harem stuff. That just doesnt sit very well in today's age. Other than that, this story has a lot of world-building to it that we get to learn about all the way through till the end. Finally, If you love yourself some Japanese harem mixed with an actually interesting main plot then look no further. Do be warned, that you will not be satisfied with just the first book. You will have to go on to the next if you like the plot at all. Cliffhanger endings are the worst. My recommendations for this novel are perhaps Sword Art Online and Re:Zero. Favorite Quote "But that's something only bloodthirsty people do!" "Bloooodthirstyyyy! Blooodthirstyyyy!" "That's not something you repeat like a song!!" Pg. 74 │Goodreads│Instagram│Previous Post│ -PM
Title: WorldEnd: What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us? Author: Akira Kareno Pages: 169 Genre: Fantasy, Light Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars In Japan, long titles are becoming extremely predominant in media-- hence this title. This is a harem light novel about a human being stuck in a world of monsters. When Willhem is looking for a job he takes the one with a bunch of girls who happen to be weapons capable of mass destruction. But what neither knows is that they are both connected in more ways than one. Oh No's The first couple chapters are really all over the place and I had a hard time trying to figure out what the actual plot of this story is. The main plot doesn't actually start until at least a quarter of the way in. It is also the same way at the end. The author just goes off on a tangent instead of actually finishing the story. This is really equivalent to the first episode of a show. The harem. How did I not realize this? This is your typical book turned show about one boy surrounded by twenty girls who all want to kiss him. The only thing is, the guy is absolutely uninterested in being romantically involved with anyone. This is actually quite common but I really hate this trope. The translations in this book were quite off at times. I feel that a lot of the story just didn't come through very well in English. For instance, the girls are referred to as both faeries and leprechauns when those are two different beings entirely. The dialogue was quite cut off in points as well. Luckily this is an extremely short novel so you aren't impeded in any way by this. Yay's The art! All Yen Press light novels come with artwork either from the manga or created by a mangaka for this series. It helps when trying to imagine a character, you get an actual depiction of them. Sprinkled throughout there are also random scenes that were drawn out such as some of the faeires and one of Willem. The plot of this light novel is great. It has a lot of potential to be a great anime actually but they need to cut out that weird part about him being a dad to someone the same age as him and the weird harem stuff. That just doesnt sit very well in today's age. Other than that, this story has a lot of world-building to it that we get to learn about all the way through till the end. Finally, If you love yourself some Japanese harem mixed with an actually interesting main plot then look no further. Do be warned, that you will not be satisfied with just the first book. You will have to go on to the next if you like the plot at all. Cliffhanger endings are the worst. My recommendations for this novel are perhaps Sword Art Online and Re:Zero. Favorite Quote "But that's something only bloodthirsty people do!" "Bloooodthirstyyyy! Blooodthirstyyyy!" "That's not something you repeat like a song!!" Pg. 74 │Goodreads│Instagram│Previous Post│ -PM
Not My Blood by Barbara Cleverly
2.0
Purplemanatees.org
Title: Not My Blood
Author: Barbara Cleverly
Pages: 345
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
This is actually a book that I did not finish (DNF'd) last year and decided to come back to finally. Following Joe Sandilands, we are introduced to his friend's son who is in danger. Being a top detective, this was the perfect opportunity to solve another crime. We then follow Joe on his quest to solve this mystery. This is a regular crime mystery novel so if following a ragtag detective is your thing, then look no further.
Oh No's
I don't understand why they went on a wild goose chase looking for a hospital they didn't know and only ended up going to one then giving up. It was the stupidest waste of time in my opinion. Of course, that one was where everything was happening though right?
They just totally forgot about the kid, Jack Drummond. For some reason, halfway through they just dropped the main plot and took off with a totally different mystery with the school. And even still, I feel the full mystery wasn't solved. This was extremely confusing, especially since I stopped this book for a year. I took to other reviews and found my excuse would not hold up. There really are two whole parts of this book.
And just one more thing. There was way too much running around and not getting any closer to the plot. Circles and circles of useless dialogue that lead to nothing. Only some info once every 30 pages was relevant.
Yay's
Jack was a great character who was important for literally only half of the book. The author just tossed him to the side. I really enjoyed his interactions with Joe and wish he could have continued in the mystery instead of being left at school. Unprotected.
Finally,
Yeah, that was kind of the only good thing about the book. It was another run of the mill detective solving a crime mystery novels. These are nice to read if you're into the mystery and a reoccurring main character.
A few recommendations for this novel would be How it Happened by Michael Kortya and Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis.
Favorite Quote
"Anyway I'm mad. Officially mad. What are they going to do? Send me to a loony bin?"
Pg. 326
│Goodreads│Instagram│Previous Post│
-PM
Title: Not My Blood
Author: Barbara Cleverly
Pages: 345
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
This is actually a book that I did not finish (DNF'd) last year and decided to come back to finally. Following Joe Sandilands, we are introduced to his friend's son who is in danger. Being a top detective, this was the perfect opportunity to solve another crime. We then follow Joe on his quest to solve this mystery. This is a regular crime mystery novel so if following a ragtag detective is your thing, then look no further.
Oh No's
I don't understand why they went on a wild goose chase looking for a hospital they didn't know and only ended up going to one then giving up. It was the stupidest waste of time in my opinion. Of course, that one was where everything was happening though right?
They just totally forgot about the kid, Jack Drummond. For some reason, halfway through they just dropped the main plot and took off with a totally different mystery with the school. And even still, I feel the full mystery wasn't solved. This was extremely confusing, especially since I stopped this book for a year. I took to other reviews and found my excuse would not hold up. There really are two whole parts of this book.
And just one more thing. There was way too much running around and not getting any closer to the plot. Circles and circles of useless dialogue that lead to nothing. Only some info once every 30 pages was relevant.
Yay's
Jack was a great character who was important for literally only half of the book. The author just tossed him to the side. I really enjoyed his interactions with Joe and wish he could have continued in the mystery instead of being left at school. Unprotected.
Finally,
Yeah, that was kind of the only good thing about the book. It was another run of the mill detective solving a crime mystery novels. These are nice to read if you're into the mystery and a reoccurring main character.
A few recommendations for this novel would be How it Happened by Michael Kortya and Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis.
Favorite Quote
"Anyway I'm mad. Officially mad. What are they going to do? Send me to a loony bin?"
Pg. 326
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-PM
Someday, Maybe by Elise Faber
5.0
Purplemanatees.org
Someday, Maybe is an in depth look on life and how things aren't always as they seem. The book is about bullying and how it effects everyone. This story is a great slice of life plot with an actual happy romance.
We follow Brianna, a senior in high school with her whole life ahead of her. Only this morning is a bit different. Her dad wishes to live his life as a woman. Brianna's world is turned upside down but she still has to put on a brave face at school. That's when Jason Monroe asks her out. And so begins their tumulus relationship and her courage to prove others wrong.
Oh No's
The summary of this book is absolutely horrible. They make Brianna out to be someone she is not at all. The word hipster never even comes up in the novel. This book is about growth and discovering love through the hardest of times. And Harry Potter is only really mentioned once. She was just another normal girl at school. It made everything that happened to her so much real because this could happen to anyone.
A person you love coming out as transgender is hard for everyone involved. But, the one thing I didn't like was the dad asking to be called Sabrina instead of Dad. Denouncing themselves as a parent is a horrible way to go. This is fully addressed in the book but it really rubbed me the wrong way (which is a good thing).
Yay's
This beautiful inside look of what having someone close to you come out as transgender is like for some. This book opens up with one of the strongest scenes I've ever read. A father coming out to his daughter is so moving and finally shows a representation for transgenders. Also, the thought process behind everyone involved and how many people may react to this news was so descriptive. The author covered so many misunderstandings and correct way to do this such as using the right pronouns. They also covered the extreme bullying that occurs and how to better deal with these situations. And how not to.
I loved the characters and closure we find within each. Their problems and how they help each other figure out what could hurt others and what can help save them. These feelings really stacked up and the climax you think would happen at the end ended up happening halfway through. This is a story about Bri living through high school and all the ups and downs that come along with it
Finally,
This book has now become one of my favorites. With even a seven year jump at the end. I enjoyed every minute of this journey. I really didn't think I was going to enjoy this book from the horrible summary but damn. Just do yourself a favor and if u love true romance, LGBTQ, and Slice of Life then this is the book for you.
This book is very reminiscent to a completed romance manga series. Such as Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu and Toradora.
Favorite Quote(s)
"I slammed my bedroom door and hit the lock. “Alexa,” I ordered. “Play Angry Teenager playlist.”"
Arc
"He stepped back and I slid out. A moment later the hood was popped open and we were both staring inside. “What are we looking for?” I asked. Jason gave me a weak smile. “Truthfully? I don’t really know. It just seemed like the thing to do.”"
Arc
│Goodreads│Instagram│Previous Post│
-PM
Someday, Maybe is an in depth look on life and how things aren't always as they seem. The book is about bullying and how it effects everyone. This story is a great slice of life plot with an actual happy romance.
We follow Brianna, a senior in high school with her whole life ahead of her. Only this morning is a bit different. Her dad wishes to live his life as a woman. Brianna's world is turned upside down but she still has to put on a brave face at school. That's when Jason Monroe asks her out. And so begins their tumulus relationship and her courage to prove others wrong.
Oh No's
The summary of this book is absolutely horrible. They make Brianna out to be someone she is not at all. The word hipster never even comes up in the novel. This book is about growth and discovering love through the hardest of times. And Harry Potter is only really mentioned once. She was just another normal girl at school. It made everything that happened to her so much real because this could happen to anyone.
A person you love coming out as transgender is hard for everyone involved. But, the one thing I didn't like was the dad asking to be called Sabrina instead of Dad. Denouncing themselves as a parent is a horrible way to go. This is fully addressed in the book but it really rubbed me the wrong way (which is a good thing).
Yay's
This beautiful inside look of what having someone close to you come out as transgender is like for some. This book opens up with one of the strongest scenes I've ever read. A father coming out to his daughter is so moving and finally shows a representation for transgenders. Also, the thought process behind everyone involved and how many people may react to this news was so descriptive. The author covered so many misunderstandings and correct way to do this such as using the right pronouns. They also covered the extreme bullying that occurs and how to better deal with these situations. And how not to.
I loved the characters and closure we find within each. Their problems and how they help each other figure out what could hurt others and what can help save them. These feelings really stacked up and the climax you think would happen at the end ended up happening halfway through. This is a story about Bri living through high school and all the ups and downs that come along with it
Finally,
This book has now become one of my favorites. With even a seven year jump at the end. I enjoyed every minute of this journey. I really didn't think I was going to enjoy this book from the horrible summary but damn. Just do yourself a favor and if u love true romance, LGBTQ, and Slice of Life then this is the book for you.
This book is very reminiscent to a completed romance manga series. Such as Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu and Toradora.
Favorite Quote(s)
"I slammed my bedroom door and hit the lock. “Alexa,” I ordered. “Play Angry Teenager playlist.”"
Arc
"He stepped back and I slid out. A moment later the hood was popped open and we were both staring inside. “What are we looking for?” I asked. Jason gave me a weak smile. “Truthfully? I don’t really know. It just seemed like the thing to do.”"
Arc
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-PM
Melowy vol. 1 The Test of Magic by Ryan Jampole, Cortney Faye Powell
2.0
To begin, this story intrigued me as a fan of My Little Pony. Truth be told, this is literally a rip off of MLP. The characters look exactly like the MLP characters. Each Melowy has a "unique symbol" on their wings just like cutie marks on the buttocks. Oh, and the Present of Friendship!
This is still an entertaining comic if your child loves MLP. This is right up their alley.
I feel like this was such a choppy first comic. The author just rushes through the introduction of the characters and everything about the 'main character' was explained in like three pages. There was so much promise there and we just sailed on over. Drawing out the plot would have introduced the characters more and made us fall for them rather than just throwing us into their world.
I did enjoy each character's little trail they had to overcome so that was very intriguing. One day we will see more of this world and hopefully in show form.
This is still an entertaining comic if your child loves MLP. This is right up their alley.
I feel like this was such a choppy first comic. The author just rushes through the introduction of the characters and everything about the 'main character' was explained in like three pages. There was so much promise there and we just sailed on over. Drawing out the plot would have introduced the characters more and made us fall for them rather than just throwing us into their world.
I did enjoy each character's little trail they had to overcome so that was very intriguing. One day we will see more of this world and hopefully in show form.
Outbreak by Davis Bunn
2.0
Title: Outbreak
Author: Davis Bunn
Pages: 304
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
With everything going on today with the Coronavirus, this book hit a little close to home.
What would you do if there was an unknown outbreak on the other side of the world?
You most likely wouldn’t even know it was even happening. Well unfortunately for Theo Bishop, his brother is somehow at the very center of an outbreak of some virus that kills at a 100% mortality rate now. How and why this is, you will eventually find out (but of course not until the very last 10 pages).
Oh No's
This novel started out so strong but halfway through it just lost all of its momentum. All of the characters just went stagnant and stayed in one small place solving this mystery. And instead, the author brought in a new character that we decided to follow every other chapter for barely no reason. The second half of the book just did not bode well for the beginning.
The ending and Big Reveal™ were just not good at all and didn't even happen until the last ten pages which was a real headache. This also meant there was no explanation for the worlds reaction. It was just a big let down.
Yay's
I did love this concept of disease being 100% deadly and the thoughts of a pandemic happening. I mostly picked this book up because of the recent outbreak of Covid-19 and watching the series Pandemic on Netflix! This was right around my interests as of late.
Finally,
As I said, this book was kind of a letdown in the end with the loss of momentum. It was still a good mystery novel but the twist just fell flat to me.
My similar recommendation for this novel would be Zoo by James Patterson.
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-PM
Author: Davis Bunn
Pages: 304
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
With everything going on today with the Coronavirus, this book hit a little close to home.
What would you do if there was an unknown outbreak on the other side of the world?
You most likely wouldn’t even know it was even happening. Well unfortunately for Theo Bishop, his brother is somehow at the very center of an outbreak of some virus that kills at a 100% mortality rate now. How and why this is, you will eventually find out (but of course not until the very last 10 pages).
Oh No's
This novel started out so strong but halfway through it just lost all of its momentum. All of the characters just went stagnant and stayed in one small place solving this mystery. And instead, the author brought in a new character that we decided to follow every other chapter for barely no reason. The second half of the book just did not bode well for the beginning.
The ending and Big Reveal™ were just not good at all and didn't even happen until the last ten pages which was a real headache. This also meant there was no explanation for the worlds reaction. It was just a big let down.
Yay's
I did love this concept of disease being 100% deadly and the thoughts of a pandemic happening. I mostly picked this book up because of the recent outbreak of Covid-19 and watching the series Pandemic on Netflix! This was right around my interests as of late.
Finally,
As I said, this book was kind of a letdown in the end with the loss of momentum. It was still a good mystery novel but the twist just fell flat to me.
My similar recommendation for this novel would be Zoo by James Patterson.
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