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dreizehn's reviews
1164 reviews
The Shadowhunter's Codex: Being a Record of the Ways and Laws of the Nephilim, the Chosen of the Angel Raziel by Cassandra Clare
2.0
The best parts of the Codex were the funny notes and doodles from the characters. Some of the backstory and additional information was interesting, but some of it was definitely not, and I was bored through several parts. Overall, I'd only recommend it for diehard Shadowhunter fans that don't mind a textbook feel.
Medium Dead by Chris Dolley
3.0
★★★½ -- I have to admit, during the first few chapters of the book, I thought this was going to be one of those books I would regrettably have to leave unfinished )something that I loathe to do). The beginning of the book is ridiculously far-flung, but what really turned me off about it was the gore and vulgarity. However, I gave the book a chance, because I felt it was only fair. I'm pleased to say that after Brenda and Brian start working together, the story redeemed itself. Witty and entertaining, I found myself generally pleased by the rest of the book. The story is out there, no doubt about it. If you like plausibility, this book is definitely not for you. However, if you, like me, can make it past the questionable introduction, you may be quite pleased with the results.
This book was obtained freely through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
This book was obtained freely through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
The Pentacle Pendant by Stephen M. DeBock
1.0
The Pentacle Pendant had potential, but it couldn't quite live up to it. The plot itself is a generally interesting one. The synopsis of Claire's lover turning her into a werewolf, of Claire having to deal with moral/instinctual conundrums, of Claire's lover getting murdered and Claire herself being hunted sounds like an entertaining story. However, in practice, the style and approach left something to be desired.
I found that the book just did not keep my attention throughout a large portion of the story. There were times when I just didn't know if I was going to be able to make it through the book to complete my review. The first third or so of the book (and last third or so) was fine, primarily because plot development was occurring. Unfortunately, everything really bogged down in the middle. DeBock tries to use a lot of banter, which doesn't always work. Sometimes it is difficult to know which characters are speaking, or why characters say what they do or act how they do. Additionally, the story feels very non-continuous. The generous use of "* * *" throughout makes the reader feel as if they are constantly being dragged from once place to the next. Using more transitions instead of breaking up the events in such a way would have gone a long way to make the story feel like more of a contiguous whole.
Another thing I didn't particularly love about the book was how graphic it was. Graphic sex and violence are somewhat gratuitous in this book. I can deal with sex in my books, but the descriptions of eating animals and humans, particularly the parts about eating the brain and other such gory details just skeeved me out.
If you think the plot sounds really interesting, don't mind slow middle sections, enjoy banter, and don't mind interruptions, graphic sex or graphic violence, then you could very well enjoy this book. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
This book was obtained freely through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
I found that the book just did not keep my attention throughout a large portion of the story. There were times when I just didn't know if I was going to be able to make it through the book to complete my review. The first third or so of the book (and last third or so) was fine, primarily because plot development was occurring. Unfortunately, everything really bogged down in the middle. DeBock tries to use a lot of banter, which doesn't always work. Sometimes it is difficult to know which characters are speaking, or why characters say what they do or act how they do. Additionally, the story feels very non-continuous. The generous use of "* * *" throughout makes the reader feel as if they are constantly being dragged from once place to the next. Using more transitions instead of breaking up the events in such a way would have gone a long way to make the story feel like more of a contiguous whole.
Another thing I didn't particularly love about the book was how graphic it was. Graphic sex and violence are somewhat gratuitous in this book. I can deal with sex in my books, but the descriptions of eating animals and humans, particularly the parts about eating the brain and other such gory details just skeeved me out.
If you think the plot sounds really interesting, don't mind slow middle sections, enjoy banter, and don't mind interruptions, graphic sex or graphic violence, then you could very well enjoy this book. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
This book was obtained freely through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.