shidoburrito's reviews
1535 reviews

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

3.0

A quick little back story on the villain of the Lunar Chronicles: Lunar Queen Levana. It really only justifies the fact that she is a spoiled, delusional jerk, but you get to read about how she came into power. There were certainly other family members in her way of the throne, including her even more nasty, bratty sister. Also, an incredibly creepy tale of Levana's first and only love, a palace guard, that her little teen heart becomes obsessed with. He certainly doesn't love her back in the same way, so what's a princess talented in the arts of glamour and mind-bending to do? So, a predictable tale of backstabbing that wasn't a terrible read, but short and sweet for fans of the Lunar series.

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Revival by

3.0

Aw man! Do I really have to pick between Spider-mans? I love them all! But Peter's being a big jerk to Miles, so something fishy is going on (besides the fact Peter's not actually DEAD). Methinks clones are running amok in this series...

Every Breath by Ellie Marney

4.0

Okay, let me start off by telling you that the cover of the edition I read is a LIAR. The blurb reads "What if Sherlock were the boy next door?" NO! No! I am creating a character image in my mind and you're ruining it! It should read, "What if Mycroft, Sherlock's equally smart older brother, were the boy two doors down (by the way forget we even used the name Sherlock, he's not in this book)"
Have the proper image in your mind now? Good. Mycroft is a smart, bored, and rebellious teen. He is friends with Watson ("Watts"), a country girl, recently forced to move into the crowded, smelly, city. They come across the murder of a homeless man they knew and decide they owe it to Homeless Dave to solve his murder. What ensues is a great, teen, murder mystery, characters with actual depth and back-story, believable behaviors, and tolerable, dare I say it, likable romance. Yes. No dreaded love triangles, but the budding romance between Watts and Mycroft is adorable and well done. I won't say that very often, so take heed! This was an all-around great book!

Shadows by Robin McKinley

3.0

I never know quite what to think when I read Robin McKinley. I loved the story and the characters! That was great! And that goes a long way with me, but her style of writing gives me a headache. It's all over the place, almost a stream of consciousness writing, so that I can't get into my normal book-pace. As I said before, at least the characters are intriguing, and the story is original and suspenseful toward the end.

Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

3.0

While I didn't get the usual Dexter feel from this comic, it wasn't terrible. Just a little side story. Nothing too deep. Dexter was in horrible danger for only about a page or two of montages. I understand the different chapters were the separate issues published, but the the summarizing process was a big space waster and super un-creative and repetitive. The art wasn't anything special, but not bad. So, you know, just an average comic, with an average story, with average art.

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

3.0

I suppose this book was alright, but not as good as all the hype made it out to be. It took a while to get interesting (almost 2/3 of the book), but it did a great job holding my attention once finished! Great read for teen boy readers, but perhaps not reluctant ones.

Thr3e by Ted Dekker

3.0

I've never read a book by Dekker before, so this was a title recommended to me. The characters and writing style reminded me a LOT of Dean Koontz, but with slightly more religious over-(and under)-tones. All in all, I was hoping for more, but it fell a little flat for me. The last 50 pages went by fast as I really was held in suspense, but the other 300 pages went a little slowly. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it. The characters didn't act...normal? They suffered from the Koontz characteristic of being smart, but having a disconnected, un-realistic air to them. Almost otherworldly. Which makes sense for the main character, once you find out more about his past, but the other characters too (and not just Slater or Sam). Also, I had fled to this book after giving up on Rice's "Prince Lestat" which was suffering from too much religious philosophy and the usual pages-long dialogue and banter about morality and God. Unfortunately, I ran right into the same problem in this book (although not nearly as long-winded as Anne Rice is).

Anyway, there you have it. I MAY try another Dekker book later on, but don't hold your breath.

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 2 by Fumi Yoshinaga

4.0

Another great volume with delicious recipes. Not as much character development and a lot more cooking, but it's still a fun little series. Lots of celery and onions used this volume!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

2.0

I really tried to read this book but I can't do it. It made me way too depressed. It got such glowing reviews from people I trust, but this book was not for me. I already know people are terrible, I work with the general public, but I don't want a book that goes deeper into the psyche of these terrible people! Also, I didn't want to read about a terrible failing marriage or a book full of characters in which I didn't like a single one! Plus, the author had tidbits and thoughts that every once in a while I would think, "Hm, I've also thought that" , or " That's true ", but I hate agreeing with these terrible people!!! It makes me feel like I'm terrible for agreeing with them! I gave it well past my 100 page tester limit but found myself hating the book, the characters, the general public, and life in general each time I reflected upon it. Then I looked up the summary on Wikipedia, and gladly moved on to a nice, whiny, teen book, or a delightful juvenile fiction.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

5.0

It's been many many years since I last read this book, but I recently watched the movie. When I first saw the trailers I was outraged. Spaceships/hover crafts? Futuristic bikes? A love triangle? What was this bull honky? I REFUSED to pay money to see the movie. I eventually caved into watching it, but only as a free DVD checkout from the library. And again, there were many parts I didn't remember ever happening.
After revisiting the book, my convictions solidified. There never really was a love interest with Fiona. They have planes in the book, but his friend isn't a pilot. The communities are not on top of a plateau and Elsewhere is not a foggy landscape.
The book is just as good and as moving as I remember, though. A sad but wonderful tale about what it means to be human. That our lives have both beauty and pain, but without those feelings, we are like robots.
Just another example where the book is a million times better than the movie.