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looseleafellie's reviews
250 reviews
Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand
2.0
Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
This book frustrated me, because it had the potential to be really good. The concept sounded cool, and I'm a sucker for cool YA dystopian (also, that cover ... *drools*).
In practice, though, the whole idea of Imitations wasn't set up very well. We're supposed to believe that Ven has been engineered as a carbon copy of Raven Rogen. If that's true, then Ven should behave at least a little like Raven, right? But Ven's personality is the complete opposite of Raven's. She doesn't care for fashion, she doesn't like flirting, and she doesn't have Raven's sarcastic bite. This just doesn't make sense -- if she's Raven's clone, then she should be, well, Raven's clone.
Furthermore, the "training" that the Imitations go through is way too slapdash. They're training to be able to take their Authentic's place, if necessary. That means they should know everything about their Authentic, learn about the place where their Authentic lives, and develop social skills which match their Authentic's. But ... they don't. They just watch a few videos, and occasionally experience things from the outside world. That's it. Ven even says at one point that she only rode in a car once during her entire training. It's no wonder she doesn't do a very good job of impersonating Raven. But if her entire purpose is to impersonate Raven, shouldn't the scientists in Twig City have trained her to slot into Raven's place with ease? That just made no sense, and that's the main reason this book frustrated me.
I also have to mention Ven's romance with Linc, since instalove is one of my pet peeves. It's pretty much the boilerplate "really hot guy with a nondescript dark past falls in love with girl he's only known for two days because reasons." I found it annoying, but I've read so many YA dystopias with this exact romantic subplot that it really didn't surprise me.
All that being said, this book did have its good points. Like I've mentioned, the concept is really cool. I also liked the political intrigue sprinkled throughout, even if it wasn't the main focus. I liked the Obadiah/Ida thing. I liked the prose itself -- Ms Hildenbrand is clearly a very good writer. And the book obviously wasn't terrible, because I read it in two days.
Overall, this book was pretty much your typical YA dystopia with some cloning thrown in. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. If you're looking for a quick, dystopian read with a bit of a twist, Imitation isn't a bad choice.
This book frustrated me, because it had the potential to be really good. The concept sounded cool, and I'm a sucker for cool YA dystopian (also, that cover ... *drools*).
In practice, though, the whole idea of Imitations wasn't set up very well. We're supposed to believe that Ven has been engineered as a carbon copy of Raven Rogen. If that's true, then Ven should behave at least a little like Raven, right? But Ven's personality is the complete opposite of Raven's. She doesn't care for fashion, she doesn't like flirting, and she doesn't have Raven's sarcastic bite. This just doesn't make sense -- if she's Raven's clone, then she should be, well, Raven's clone.
Furthermore, the "training" that the Imitations go through is way too slapdash. They're training to be able to take their Authentic's place, if necessary. That means they should know everything about their Authentic, learn about the place where their Authentic lives, and develop social skills which match their Authentic's. But ... they don't. They just watch a few videos, and occasionally experience things from the outside world. That's it. Ven even says at one point that she only rode in a car once during her entire training. It's no wonder she doesn't do a very good job of impersonating Raven. But if her entire purpose is to impersonate Raven, shouldn't the scientists in Twig City have trained her to slot into Raven's place with ease? That just made no sense, and that's the main reason this book frustrated me.
I also have to mention Ven's romance with Linc, since instalove is one of my pet peeves. It's pretty much the boilerplate "really hot guy with a nondescript dark past falls in love with girl he's only known for two days because reasons." I found it annoying, but I've read so many YA dystopias with this exact romantic subplot that it really didn't surprise me.
All that being said, this book did have its good points. Like I've mentioned, the concept is really cool. I also liked the political intrigue sprinkled throughout, even if it wasn't the main focus. I liked the Obadiah/Ida thing. I liked the prose itself -- Ms Hildenbrand is clearly a very good writer. And the book obviously wasn't terrible, because I read it in two days.
Overall, this book was pretty much your typical YA dystopia with some cloning thrown in. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. If you're looking for a quick, dystopian read with a bit of a twist, Imitation isn't a bad choice.
The Gate Guardian's Daughter by K.T. Munson
4.0
The Gate Guardian's Daughter is a great little prequel to what could be a fantastic series. In it, we see ten-year-old Elisabeth coming to terms with who she is, her powers, and the fact that she has to stay isolated for her own good. We're also introduced to characters such as Tiss the snake demon, Elisabeth's tutor Milo, the hellhounds Nathan and Duke, and Malthael, Elisabeth's demon father. The mini story arc hung together very nicely, with a twist or two towards the end.
The book also contains a preview of The Sixth Gate, which will be the first book in the main trilogy. This excerpt built on the prequel story, and I was especially taken with A.J., the sentient stardust. I'll certainly be giving The Sixth Gate a read when it comes out.
The book also contains a preview of The Sixth Gate, which will be the first book in the main trilogy. This excerpt built on the prequel story, and I was especially taken with A.J., the sentient stardust. I'll certainly be giving The Sixth Gate a read when it comes out.
Literally by Lucy Keating
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5 (but I rounded it up because I'm feeling nice)
I thought this was a really cool concept, and very cleverly executed, but the reason I'm not giving it a full five stars is simply due to my personal taste. I'm not really a fan of romance for romance's sake, and it seemed strange that Annabelle attached more importance to her love life than to her parents' divorce or her house getting sold. Her big beef with her author wasn't that her family was breaking up; it was that she was forced into a relationship with the perfect guy (boo hoo) rather than getting to choose her brother's weird best friend.
So the short version is, the story was cool, but the stakes should have been higher.
I thought this was a really cool concept, and very cleverly executed, but the reason I'm not giving it a full five stars is simply due to my personal taste. I'm not really a fan of romance for romance's sake, and it seemed strange that Annabelle attached more importance to her love life than to her parents' divorce or her house getting sold. Her big beef with her author wasn't that her family was breaking up; it was that she was forced into a relationship with the perfect guy (boo hoo) rather than getting to choose her brother's weird best friend.
So the short version is, the story was cool, but the stakes should have been higher.
Snow Island by M.Y. Zeman
4.0
After reading the first two books in this series, I'm a big fan of Chronicles of a Wererabbit. As such, I was thrilled to receive an advance review copy of Snow Island, and I'm pleased to say that it did not disappoint.
This instalment had quite a Jurassic Park vibe to it, with some hints of [b:The Maze Runner|6186357|The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1)|James Dashner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375596592s/6186357.jpg|6366642]. I was pleased to see Snow learning more about her world and the people in it, acquiring new skills, and trying new things. I loved how she decided to try and program her own robot, even if it didn't quite work how she intended. The side characters' development was just as delightful -- Josh still adjusting to life as a human, David learning to accept himself despite his inability to shift, and John getting used to the fact that his little girl has a boyfriend.
There were a lot more environmental themes in this book than in the previous two. Animal poaching, hunting of endangered species, and animal cruelty are prominent issues. Even though some of the endangered animals featured are mythological, I felt like that helped to drive the point home -- if humans allow animals such as tigers and rhinos to go extinct, then these creatures might be as mythical as unicorns in the future. Other awesome themes which continue from previous books include family, friendship, and science. A new theme that was introduced in this book was fate, which I had mixed feelings about -- on the one hand, it detracted from the scientific themes, but on the other hand, it's only natural for a young person (or wererabbit) to wonder if there's anything beyond the physical realm.
As for major criticisms, I only have two. First, the scenes in Alaska felt rather unrealistic -- after struggling with the cold for several pages, Snow and Josh seem to get used to it and it stops affecting them. Even though they're shifters, that seemed a bit unlikely. Second, like many other indie books, Snow Island could have used some better editing.
Basically, if you've read the other two books in this series, you won't be disappointed by reading this one. It's a great continuation of the story, with all the heart and charm of its predecessors.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This instalment had quite a Jurassic Park vibe to it, with some hints of [b:The Maze Runner|6186357|The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1)|James Dashner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375596592s/6186357.jpg|6366642]. I was pleased to see Snow learning more about her world and the people in it, acquiring new skills, and trying new things. I loved how she decided to try and program her own robot, even if it didn't quite work how she intended. The side characters' development was just as delightful -- Josh still adjusting to life as a human, David learning to accept himself despite his inability to shift, and John getting used to the fact that his little girl has a boyfriend.
There were a lot more environmental themes in this book than in the previous two. Animal poaching, hunting of endangered species, and animal cruelty are prominent issues. Even though some of the endangered animals featured are mythological, I felt like that helped to drive the point home -- if humans allow animals such as tigers and rhinos to go extinct, then these creatures might be as mythical as unicorns in the future. Other awesome themes which continue from previous books include family, friendship, and science. A new theme that was introduced in this book was fate, which I had mixed feelings about -- on the one hand, it detracted from the scientific themes, but on the other hand, it's only natural for a young person (or wererabbit) to wonder if there's anything beyond the physical realm.
As for major criticisms, I only have two. First, the scenes in Alaska felt rather unrealistic -- after struggling with the cold for several pages, Snow and Josh seem to get used to it and it stops affecting them. Even though they're shifters, that seemed a bit unlikely. Second, like many other indie books, Snow Island could have used some better editing.
Basically, if you've read the other two books in this series, you won't be disappointed by reading this one. It's a great continuation of the story, with all the heart and charm of its predecessors.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
İçimdeki Diğerleri by Kathryn Evans
3.0
This book is a tricky one to rate, because I really did like the story. The concept totally intrigued me right from the start, and it just got better and better all the way to the end. I was skeptical about how the author would end up rationalizing the whole cloning thing, but she came up with an explanation that made complete sense. That was what impressed me most about [b:More of Me|27270184|More of Me|Kathryn Evans|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445740787s/27270184.jpg|47323384] -- I can think of plenty of books which have an intriguing sci-fi element, but never explain it in a satisfying way.
I was also really impressed by Teva's character development. She starts off as somewhat selfish, but she grows throughout the book to complete an amazingly selfless act towards the end. I genuinely loved seeing her learn more about her world, and how she reacts to the changes in her life.
My problems with this book are twofold. First, there was a LOT of passive voice, mostly to do with overuse of the word "was". It really took me out of the story, especially near the start, and I found myself rewriting sentences in my head to make them active. As an example, here's a sentence from chapter 38:
(More of Me, p. 291)
To rewrite this actively, it should be something like:
Of course, I wouldn't have a problem with the above quote if it were an isolated case. But the whole book is like that. I once counted eight uses of "was" in one paragraph. I will admit, though, that I'm a writer myself, so I spotted this only because I've studied the craft. The casual reader probably won't care much about the book's technical issues.
My second problem with the book is that I was never sure whether it was set in the USA or the UK. Having lived in both places, the description of the institutions in Teva's life really confused me. The characters talked about SATs, referred to school years as "grades," and called their mothers "mom," but Teva also mentions attending "primary school" (the English term for elementary school), going to Thorpe Park (a theme park in London, England), and laments the fact that she'll "never be old enough to drive," even though she's sixteen already (in England, you can't start learning to drive until seventeen). These are just some of the examples I found.
Why did this weird mixing of systems happen? I suspect that the author wanted to set a book in America, but didn't do enough research to make it convincing (she lives in England). Again, these discrepancies really took me out of the story, and made me a little angry as well. However, I will admit that most readers probably won't care -- American readers will assume the book is set in the UK based on the differences from their culture, and British readers will assume it's set in America based on the differences from theirs. As a half English, half American reader, I think I'm in the minority.
So, to sum up: I've been especially hard on it because of my personal experiences, but I think most casual readers will love this book. If you don't care about passive voice and/or don't have experience with both US and UK culture, then pick up a copy of this book and prepare for a cracking good read.
I was also really impressed by Teva's character development. She starts off as somewhat selfish, but she grows throughout the book to complete an amazingly selfless act towards the end. I genuinely loved seeing her learn more about her world, and how she reacts to the changes in her life.
My problems with this book are twofold. First, there was a LOT of passive voice, mostly to do with overuse of the word "was". It really took me out of the story, especially near the start, and I found myself rewriting sentences in my head to make them active. As an example, here's a sentence from chapter 38:
The gym was buzzing again, and it was catching.
(More of Me, p. 291)
To rewrite this actively, it should be something like:
The gym buzzed, infecting everyone with excitement.
Of course, I wouldn't have a problem with the above quote if it were an isolated case. But the whole book is like that. I once counted eight uses of "was" in one paragraph. I will admit, though, that I'm a writer myself, so I spotted this only because I've studied the craft. The casual reader probably won't care much about the book's technical issues.
My second problem with the book is that I was never sure whether it was set in the USA or the UK. Having lived in both places, the description of the institutions in Teva's life really confused me. The characters talked about SATs, referred to school years as "grades," and called their mothers "mom," but Teva also mentions attending "primary school" (the English term for elementary school), going to Thorpe Park (a theme park in London, England), and laments the fact that she'll "never be old enough to drive," even though she's sixteen already (in England, you can't start learning to drive until seventeen). These are just some of the examples I found.
Why did this weird mixing of systems happen? I suspect that the author wanted to set a book in America, but didn't do enough research to make it convincing (she lives in England). Again, these discrepancies really took me out of the story, and made me a little angry as well. However, I will admit that most readers probably won't care -- American readers will assume the book is set in the UK based on the differences from their culture, and British readers will assume it's set in America based on the differences from theirs. As a half English, half American reader, I think I'm in the minority.
So, to sum up: I've been especially hard on it because of my personal experiences, but I think most casual readers will love this book. If you don't care about passive voice and/or don't have experience with both US and UK culture, then pick up a copy of this book and prepare for a cracking good read.