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looseleafellie's reviews
250 reviews
Best Seller by Terry Tyler
5.0
This book was a quick and interesting read with a moral dilemma -- is it ever right to pass someone else's work off as your own?
I thoroughly enjoyed Best Seller from start to finish. It was interesting to see behind the scenes of the authors' publishing journeys, but there was also plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep any casual reader entertained.
I kind of liked and kind of hated how the ending was left open. It was nice to have the room to speculate, but I still wanted to know: did Becky's fifth novel stand up to the high expectations of The First Step? Did she get found out? Did Eden actually ever write something by herself? I appreciate being able to fill in the blanks myself, but I'd still sort of like to know for sure.
Overall, though, this book is absolutely brilliant. If you have any interest in authors, writing and books (which I'm presuming you do, since you're reading this review), this book is for you!*
*Unless you're under 14, in which case you'd better wait a bit longer ;)
I thoroughly enjoyed Best Seller from start to finish. It was interesting to see behind the scenes of the authors' publishing journeys, but there was also plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep any casual reader entertained.
I kind of liked and kind of hated how the ending was left open. It was nice to have the room to speculate, but I still wanted to know: did Becky's fifth novel stand up to the high expectations of The First Step? Did she get found out? Did Eden actually ever write something by herself? I appreciate being able to fill in the blanks myself, but I'd still sort of like to know for sure.
Overall, though, this book is absolutely brilliant. If you have any interest in authors, writing and books (which I'm presuming you do, since you're reading this review), this book is for you!*
*Unless you're under 14, in which case you'd better wait a bit longer ;)
Never Ever by Gita V. Reddy
5.0
I have read several of Gita V Reddy's children's books, and I can safely say that this adult short story is every bit as good as her books for kids.
I connected with the characters of Raj and Divya very quickly. Even though I've thankfully never been in their situation, the author conveyed their thoughts, hopes and fears so perfectly and clearly that I felt like I'd known them my whole life. To do that takes masterful skill, especially in a book that's only 26 pages long.
This story also asks an important question to do with marriage: when does something become too broken to fix? Can two people change so much that they are just not compatible anymore? If so, can they still find a way to make it work?
I tend to like stories where the ending is left open, and this one is no exception.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I connected with the characters of Raj and Divya very quickly. Even though I've thankfully never been in their situation, the author conveyed their thoughts, hopes and fears so perfectly and clearly that I felt like I'd known them my whole life. To do that takes masterful skill, especially in a book that's only 26 pages long.
This story also asks an important question to do with marriage: when does something become too broken to fix? Can two people change so much that they are just not compatible anymore? If so, can they still find a way to make it work?
I tend to like stories where the ending is left open, and this one is no exception.
Spoiler
There were hints that suggested that Raj and Divya ended up not divorcing, but it could have gone either way. Obviously, I like to think that they stayed together.Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Unbullied by Angel Dumas, Alexa Dumas
3.0
I generally liked this book. Bullying is a very serious problem in schools today, and [b:Unbullied|29529103|Unbullied|Alexa Dumas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|49827328] handled the issue very well.
Before I go into detail about what I liked, I will first of all say the three things that I didn't like (save the best for last, right?).
The first thing was that the book would skip days, weeks, or even months of the story at a time. I realize that this was probably so we could get straight to the action, but I really would have liked to see things develop more gradually.
The second thing was that during the action-y parts, which were meant to be fast-paced, there was a lot of introspective thought -- several pages' worth, in fact. This really distracted me from what was supposed to be a high-octane pursuit, or a desperate fight.
The third thing was where the book ended: it was in the middle of a conversation. I actually turned the page, expecting there to be more, but there wasn't. I just felt like the authors needed to wrap the conversation up before ending the book, so that it felt like an actual ending.
Okay, now that the negative part is over, let me say what I did like. First of all, there were some brilliant phrases in this book -- one which I remember off the top of my head is, "images ... ricocheted through her brain". I love metaphors like this; so simple, yet so descriptive.
Secondly, I liked how Ethan and Kylee's relationship wasn't made a big deal of. This could so easily have turned into a "teen crush" book, but their budding romance didn't detract at all from the main problem -- the bullying.
Thirdly, I loved what happened at the end. Without going into too much detail, it showed the human side of the bullies, and showed how, at the end of the day, they're all just scared kids. I especially loved that Kylee essentially saved Dina, even though Dina had been tormenting her for months.
To sum up, this is a great book, but the erratic pacing meant that I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. No matter -- it still does the job of combating bullying.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Before I go into detail about what I liked, I will first of all say the three things that I didn't like (save the best for last, right?).
The first thing was that the book would skip days, weeks, or even months of the story at a time. I realize that this was probably so we could get straight to the action, but I really would have liked to see things develop more gradually.
The second thing was that during the action-y parts, which were meant to be fast-paced, there was a lot of introspective thought -- several pages' worth, in fact. This really distracted me from what was supposed to be a high-octane pursuit, or a desperate fight.
The third thing was where the book ended: it was in the middle of a conversation. I actually turned the page, expecting there to be more, but there wasn't. I just felt like the authors needed to wrap the conversation up before ending the book, so that it felt like an actual ending.
Okay, now that the negative part is over, let me say what I did like. First of all, there were some brilliant phrases in this book -- one which I remember off the top of my head is, "images ... ricocheted through her brain". I love metaphors like this; so simple, yet so descriptive.
Secondly, I liked how Ethan and Kylee's relationship wasn't made a big deal of. This could so easily have turned into a "teen crush" book, but their budding romance didn't detract at all from the main problem -- the bullying.
Thirdly, I loved what happened at the end. Without going into too much detail, it showed the human side of the bullies, and showed how, at the end of the day, they're all just scared kids. I especially loved that Kylee essentially saved Dina, even though Dina had been tormenting her for months.
To sum up, this is a great book, but the erratic pacing meant that I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. No matter -- it still does the job of combating bullying.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
4.0
Mostly, I loved this book. The world-building was great, and it was really interesting to read about all the aspects of mage life. I also loved the character of Titus, with his busy brain always thinking of the next step.
This would have been an easy 5 stars if it weren't for one thing: Iolanthe's character flaws. Or rather, her lack of them. She is so good at EVERYTHING (magic, cricket, sarcasm, pretending to be a boy even though she looks very girlish, etc etc), and she doesn't even have any personality defects to make up for it (and being wary of Titus does NOT count as a character flaw!). Major Mary Sue vibes here.
Time to see what the next book in the trilogy brings...
This would have been an easy 5 stars if it weren't for one thing: Iolanthe's character flaws. Or rather, her lack of them. She is so good at EVERYTHING (magic, cricket, sarcasm, pretending to be a boy even though she looks very girlish, etc etc), and she doesn't even have any personality defects to make up for it (and being wary of Titus does NOT count as a character flaw!). Major Mary Sue vibes here.
Time to see what the next book in the trilogy brings...
The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas
3.0
Slow start, but it built up to a brilliant climax. If you can get past the first 50% or so, this book is well worth a read.
Matched by Ally Condie
3.0
I don't usually like romance, but this one appealed to me because it's also dystopian. Plus, lots of people said it was good, so I thought I'd give it a go.
And it was good. Not mind-blowingly awesome, but good. There wasn't much action (booo!) but there was lots of intrigue about the Society (yay!), and I liked the characters. I've heard a lot of people say that Cassia is annoying, but I don't think she is really; she's just philosophical and talks a lot about the abstract.
It kind of irritated me when Cassia fell for Ky at the drop of a hat, but as the book went on I started to see how she could want to be with him instead of Xander. I still think that she and Xander are a better match, though. I mean, they're actually Matched.
Overall, I rate this book 3.5 stars.
And it was good. Not mind-blowingly awesome, but good. There wasn't much action (booo!) but there was lots of intrigue about the Society (yay!), and I liked the characters. I've heard a lot of people say that Cassia is annoying, but I don't think she is really; she's just philosophical and talks a lot about the abstract.
It kind of irritated me when Cassia fell for Ky at the drop of a hat, but as the book went on I started to see how she could want to be with him instead of Xander. I still think that she and Xander are a better match, though. I mean, they're actually Matched.
Overall, I rate this book 3.5 stars.
Mindspeak by Heather Sunseri
4.0
This book is more of a 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up because I'm feeling nice :D
First of all, I felt really connected to this book for two reasons. 1: I'm a competitive swimmer (the protagonist and many of her friends are on the school swim team), and 2: I'm a homeschooler (the male love interest is/was homeschooled). Maybe I just haven't been reading the right kinds of books, but I can't recall ever reading a book about swimmers OR homeschoolers. So that was awesome.
Secondly, I loved the themes throughout the book. Genetic mutation and superpowers and cloning and mystery and intrigue and playing God and oh-my-gosh-I-can't-wait-to-see-what-happens-next ... Yes PLEASE.
So why am I rating Mindspeak only 4 stars (I mean 3.5)? Well, there's a few reasons.
First of all, I found Lexi (the MC) a bit bland. Not a Mary Sue, exactly -- she has flaws -- but she doesn't have much personality (Also, I almost threw my Kindle across the room when I read that she had green eyes. I know that people with green eyes exist (I'm one of them), but it seems like half of all protagonists nowadays have green eyes. Or is it just me? Whatever, it's my personal thoughts here).
Secondly, the writing is a little clunky at times. It's certainly not bad enough to be a major flaw, but it's enough to make me notice, so I just thought I'd point it out.
Finally, I felt like several chunks of this book could have been cut out without impacting the story at all. There seemed to be a lot of conversations rehashing old discoveries, when I was dying to hear about new developments.
Overall, if you're not that bothered about fine writing and you don't get bored easily, I definitely recommend this book. For myself, I liked it enough that I think I'll buy the sequel at some point.
First of all, I felt really connected to this book for two reasons. 1: I'm a competitive swimmer (the protagonist and many of her friends are on the school swim team), and 2: I'm a homeschooler (the male love interest is/was homeschooled). Maybe I just haven't been reading the right kinds of books, but I can't recall ever reading a book about swimmers OR homeschoolers. So that was awesome.
Secondly, I loved the themes throughout the book. Genetic mutation and superpowers and cloning and mystery and intrigue and playing God and oh-my-gosh-I-can't-wait-to-see-what-happens-next ... Yes PLEASE.
So why am I rating Mindspeak only 4 stars (I mean 3.5)? Well, there's a few reasons.
First of all, I found Lexi (the MC) a bit bland. Not a Mary Sue, exactly -- she has flaws -- but she doesn't have much personality (Also, I almost threw my Kindle across the room when I read that she had green eyes. I know that people with green eyes exist (I'm one of them), but it seems like half of all protagonists nowadays have green eyes. Or is it just me? Whatever, it's my personal thoughts here).
Secondly, the writing is a little clunky at times. It's certainly not bad enough to be a major flaw, but it's enough to make me notice, so I just thought I'd point it out.
Finally, I felt like several chunks of this book could have been cut out without impacting the story at all. There seemed to be a lot of conversations rehashing old discoveries, when I was dying to hear about new developments.
Overall, if you're not that bothered about fine writing and you don't get bored easily, I definitely recommend this book. For myself, I liked it enough that I think I'll buy the sequel at some point.
Tales of Princesses and Princes Volume 1 by Sonal Panse
4.0
One magical summer (pun intended), I spent my spare time reading all twelve of Andrew Lang's fairy books. This collection of stories took me back to that time, mostly because they are based off of select stories from Lang's books, but also because they are classic fairy tales.
And yet, they seemed like new stories to me. Sonal Panse has retold them with charm and flair, while still keeping their fairy tale feel. The last story, The Blue Parrot, was especially good, even though I have read Lang's version before. Also, I loved the beautiful illustrations at the start of each chapter.
It has been a while since the summer when I read all those fairy tales, and I had almost forgotten how enchanting fairy tales are (pun absolutely intended). This book has reminded me. And I hope it will remind you, too.
And yet, they seemed like new stories to me. Sonal Panse has retold them with charm and flair, while still keeping their fairy tale feel. The last story, The Blue Parrot, was especially good, even though I have read Lang's version before. Also, I loved the beautiful illustrations at the start of each chapter.
It has been a while since the summer when I read all those fairy tales, and I had almost forgotten how enchanting fairy tales are (pun absolutely intended). This book has reminded me. And I hope it will remind you, too.