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looseleafellie's reviews
250 reviews
Unfathomable Chance by K. T. Munson
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The strange thing is, I'm not exactly sure why.
Unfathomable Chance is a little bit like the movie Jupiter Ascending -- a normal human discovers that she is the Empress of the Universe, and must avoid the evildoers who would wish her harm, meeting several weird and wonderful extraterrestrial creatures along the way. And yes, there is a hot alien boyfriend as well.
I found the various species and worlds very imaginative, but I felt that the book suffered from a lack of description. I couldn't really picture a lot of the scenes in my mind. Also, the ending was somewhat anticlimactic. Finally, I was a little bit leery of the fact that the protagonist is 23, even though this book is marketed as YA.
Despite all this, Unfathomable Chance pulled me into the story with both hands. I really cared about what was going to happen to Diana and her friends, and I found myself always wanting to read "just one more chapter". This is the X factor which differentiates a good book from a mediocre one, and for me, Unfathomable Chance had it. Because of this, I decided to only dock one star for the issues mentioned above, which means that this book measures up at a rather lovely four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author, though I am reviewing it of my own volition.
Unfathomable Chance is a little bit like the movie Jupiter Ascending -- a normal human discovers that she is the Empress of the Universe, and must avoid the evildoers who would wish her harm, meeting several weird and wonderful extraterrestrial creatures along the way. And yes, there is a hot alien boyfriend as well.
I found the various species and worlds very imaginative, but I felt that the book suffered from a lack of description. I couldn't really picture a lot of the scenes in my mind. Also, the ending was somewhat anticlimactic. Finally, I was a little bit leery of the fact that the protagonist is 23, even though this book is marketed as YA.
Despite all this, Unfathomable Chance pulled me into the story with both hands. I really cared about what was going to happen to Diana and her friends, and I found myself always wanting to read "just one more chapter". This is the X factor which differentiates a good book from a mediocre one, and for me, Unfathomable Chance had it. Because of this, I decided to only dock one star for the issues mentioned above, which means that this book measures up at a rather lovely four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author, though I am reviewing it of my own volition.
A Tapestry of Tears by Gita V. Reddy
4.0
A Tapestry of Tears is a collection of short stories about Indian people, whether living in India itself, or abroad. The stories are set in many different time periods, and the protagonists range from young to elderly.
Gita V. Reddy's stories for adults are just as charming as her stories for children. She has a particular flair for creating characters whom you can sympathize with in just a few pages. My favorite stories in this collection were the titular A Tapestry of Tears, and The Empress' New Clothes, a thought-provoking re-imagining of the classic folk tale. However, all the stories are captivating in their own right.
If you like reading about other cultures, this collection definitely deserves a place on your shelf.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Gita V. Reddy's stories for adults are just as charming as her stories for children. She has a particular flair for creating characters whom you can sympathize with in just a few pages. My favorite stories in this collection were the titular A Tapestry of Tears, and The Empress' New Clothes, a thought-provoking re-imagining of the classic folk tale. However, all the stories are captivating in their own right.
If you like reading about other cultures, this collection definitely deserves a place on your shelf.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
3.0
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
I thought the prose in this book was beautiful, and the ending set the next instalment up nicely, but I knocked one star off for the over-the-top romance, and another star for the characters, plus another half for a bonus gripe ...
The romance wasn't exactly instalove, but it was close. Juliette and Adam have been talking to each other for three weeks, and then they decide that they're madly in love with each other. Yes, I know that they sort of knew each other in school, but they never actually talked to each other. You can't fall in love with someone without talking to them. And if you do, that's not love -- that's crazy (I had the same problem with The Hunger Games, though I don't know how much of that was real, and how much was just Peeta making things up for the audience).
And my problem with the characters? All of the major ones are described as devastatingly gorgeous. Juliette is gorgeous, Adam is gorgeous, Warner is gorgeous, Kenji is gorgeous. And all three of those guys are attracted to Juliette. I don't know what kind of love potion she uses, but I want some.
Bonus gripe: Juliette's relationship with mirrors. Supposedly, she hasn't looked in a mirror for half of the book, despite going into several places where there are mirrors. This includes a room where one whole wall is a mirror. How can you not look in a mirror when one is right in front of you???? This aversion to mirrors seems to just be a plot device for describing her physical appearance (which is gorgeous, of course) when she actually DOES look in a mirror on purpose.
Overall, there were several points about this book which annoyed me. The ending posed some interesting questions, though, so I'm going to see if I can borrow Unravel Me from my library.
I thought the prose in this book was beautiful, and the ending set the next instalment up nicely, but I knocked one star off for the over-the-top romance, and another star for the characters, plus another half for a bonus gripe ...
The romance wasn't exactly instalove, but it was close. Juliette and Adam have been talking to each other for three weeks, and then they decide that they're madly in love with each other. Yes, I know that they sort of knew each other in school, but they never actually talked to each other. You can't fall in love with someone without talking to them. And if you do, that's not love -- that's crazy (I had the same problem with The Hunger Games, though I don't know how much of that was real, and how much was just Peeta making things up for the audience).
And my problem with the characters? All of the major ones are described as devastatingly gorgeous. Juliette is gorgeous, Adam is gorgeous, Warner is gorgeous, Kenji is gorgeous. And all three of those guys are attracted to Juliette. I don't know what kind of love potion she uses, but I want some.
Bonus gripe: Juliette's relationship with mirrors. Supposedly, she hasn't looked in a mirror for half of the book, despite going into several places where there are mirrors. This includes a room where one whole wall is a mirror. How can you not look in a mirror when one is right in front of you???? This aversion to mirrors seems to just be a plot device for describing her physical appearance (which is gorgeous, of course) when she actually DOES look in a mirror on purpose.
Overall, there were several points about this book which annoyed me. The ending posed some interesting questions, though, so I'm going to see if I can borrow Unravel Me from my library.
Beyond the Red by Gabe Cole Novoa
4.0
I got this book because it's supposedly recommended for Star Wars fans, and I can now say that the rumors are true. If you love Star Wars, you'll eat this story up.
Reading Beyond the Red was like reading a checklist of all my favorite things to put in a book. Awesome technology? Check. Well-developed alien society? Check. Twisty-turny plot that keeps you guessing? Check. It's one of those books that your thoughts keep drifting back to while you're trying to focus on something else. "If I can just finish doing the dishes, I'll be able to read more of this book!"
The one thing I wasn't so keen on was some aspects of the romance. It seemed to me that Eros only liked Kora for her body, and not her personality. He kept going on and on about her figure, but he barely mentioned anything else about her. I generally got the feeling that Serek loved her more for who she was. This made me feel kind of conflicted -- I felt like the book wanted me to root for Eros, but I actually found myself wanting Kora to go ahead and marry Serek (though I understand why that couldn't happen ... but spoilers).
Despite this, Beyond the Red is still a wonderful and thrilling read. It's well-crafted, it's unpredictable, and it gave me FEELS. Basically, I need the sequel, stat.
Reading Beyond the Red was like reading a checklist of all my favorite things to put in a book. Awesome technology? Check. Well-developed alien society? Check. Twisty-turny plot that keeps you guessing? Check. It's one of those books that your thoughts keep drifting back to while you're trying to focus on something else. "If I can just finish doing the dishes, I'll be able to read more of this book!"
The one thing I wasn't so keen on was some aspects of the romance. It seemed to me that Eros only liked Kora for her body, and not her personality. He kept going on and on about her figure, but he barely mentioned anything else about her. I generally got the feeling that Serek loved her more for who she was. This made me feel kind of conflicted -- I felt like the book wanted me to root for Eros, but I actually found myself wanting Kora to go ahead and marry Serek (though I understand why that couldn't happen ... but spoilers).
Despite this, Beyond the Red is still a wonderful and thrilling read. It's well-crafted, it's unpredictable, and it gave me FEELS. Basically, I need the sequel, stat.
Beyond the Red by Gabe Cole Novoa
4.0
I got this book because it's supposedly recommended for Star Wars fans, and I can now say that the rumors are true. If you love Star Wars, you'll eat this story up.
Reading Beyond the Red was like reading a checklist of all my favorite things to put in a book. Awesome technology? Check. Well-developed alien society? Check. Twisty-turny plot that keeps you guessing? Check. It's one of those books that your thoughts keep drifting back to while you're trying to focus on something else. "If I can just finish doing the dishes, I'll be able to read more of this book!"
The one thing I wasn't so keen on was some aspects of the romance. It seemed to me that Eros only liked Kora for her body, and not her personality. He kept going on and on about her figure, but he barely mentioned anything else about her. I generally got the feeling that Serek loved her more for who she was. This made me feel kind of conflicted -- I felt like the book wanted me to root for Eros, but I actually found myself wanting Kora to go ahead and marry Serek (though I understand why that couldn't happen ... but spoilers).
Despite this, Beyond the Red is still a wonderful and thrilling read. It's well-crafted, it's unpredictable, and it gave me FEELS. Basically, I need the sequel, stat.
Reading Beyond the Red was like reading a checklist of all my favorite things to put in a book. Awesome technology? Check. Well-developed alien society? Check. Twisty-turny plot that keeps you guessing? Check. It's one of those books that your thoughts keep drifting back to while you're trying to focus on something else. "If I can just finish doing the dishes, I'll be able to read more of this book!"
The one thing I wasn't so keen on was some aspects of the romance. It seemed to me that Eros only liked Kora for her body, and not her personality. He kept going on and on about her figure, but he barely mentioned anything else about her. I generally got the feeling that Serek loved her more for who she was. This made me feel kind of conflicted -- I felt like the book wanted me to root for Eros, but I actually found myself wanting Kora to go ahead and marry Serek (though I understand why that couldn't happen ... but spoilers).
Despite this, Beyond the Red is still a wonderful and thrilling read. It's well-crafted, it's unpredictable, and it gave me FEELS. Basically, I need the sequel, stat.