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zanybibliophile's reviews
291 reviews
Freeks by Amanda Hocking
4.0
I really liked this book - a bit of mystery, a bit of paranormality, a bit of YA romance and a pretty decent plot. I must admit, it was the cover that first attracted me to this book, but the story within was a nice read. I liked that it was set in 1987 before mobile phones and computers could interfere with the story. I also liked most of the characters, including Mara and Gabe, and the simple format it was printed in, including the tarot cards separating each day. I just felt there was a little something extra that could have been added to improve this book and possibly earn it a 5th star from me.
Hunted by Meagan Spooner
4.0
I would have given this book a 4.5, because I did love reading it but I decided to round down for this one so it is a 4.
There are two main characters in this book and they are Yeva, also known as Beauty, and Beast.
The chapters are all from Yeva's point of view, but we 'here' from the beast through journal like entries between each chapter. This was something I really enjoyed, even if I did find the font used for the Beast hard to read. I like the characters and they seem realistic. I also enjoyed the plot and how it unfolded.
I recommend this to anyone looking to read a retelling that is a new story while still remaining true to the original work it was inspired by.
There are two main characters in this book and they are Yeva, also known as Beauty, and Beast.
The chapters are all from Yeva's point of view, but we 'here' from the beast through journal like entries between each chapter. This was something I really enjoyed, even if I did find the font used for the Beast hard to read. I like the characters and they seem realistic. I also enjoyed the plot and how it unfolded.
I recommend this to anyone looking to read a retelling that is a new story while still remaining true to the original work it was inspired by.
Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O'Neill
5.0
I first read this book 2 years ago and loved it. I was nervous to reread it because I didn't want to lose the love I had for it, but Reluctantly Charmed is still safe on my favourites list!
I have always been obsessed with fairies so it is no surprise that I adored the Irish folklore in this novel. I would have liked to have seen more of the fairies, however, given the storyline, it is understandable why we don't. In terms of the story, I really enjoyed it! I love the mystery and I liked that there was a dash of romance but it was done in a way that didn't distract from the main story.
Kate McDaid can be slightly annoying with her denial of the obvious, but in many ways she is a relatable character. Most of the other characters were described in just enough detail to give me an idea of what they looked like, their personalities and so on, but not enough to become annoying.
Overall, I enjoyed the way it was written and absolutely loved the story. I only wish there was a follow up story about the fairies and/or an alternative ending to this one so the story could continue!
I have always been obsessed with fairies so it is no surprise that I adored the Irish folklore in this novel. I would have liked to have seen more of the fairies, however, given the storyline, it is understandable why we don't. In terms of the story, I really enjoyed it! I love the mystery and I liked that there was a dash of romance but it was done in a way that didn't distract from the main story.
Kate McDaid can be slightly annoying with her denial of the obvious, but in many ways she is a relatable character. Most of the other characters were described in just enough detail to give me an idea of what they looked like, their personalities and so on, but not enough to become annoying.
Overall, I enjoyed the way it was written and absolutely loved the story. I only wish there was a follow up story about the fairies and/or an alternative ending to this one so the story could continue!
The Enchanted Island by Ellie O'Neill
3.0
I was excited to read The Enchanted Island because I absolutely loved Ellie O'Neill's Reluctantly Charmed. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.
It is not that it is a bad book because I did like it, it just could have been a whole lot better. Basically, I was just bored. The story was not overly interesting, the characters were either annoying or dull and the charm of O'Neill's first novel was nowhere in sight, even if there was a tiny mention of Hugh, his wife (so he and Kate got married, good to know) and Knocknamee in chapter 38.
The main character of The Enchanted Island is Maeve O'Brien and she is simply annoying and shallow. Being a girl who doesn't like makeup and high heels, I could not relate to her at all at the start of the book. By the end, she became a little more relatable, but it wasn't until the very end that she became somewhat likeable. I think what made her more of an annoyance is her dedication to her boss, Harry Holmes, and his friend Dan and getting the signature from Sean Fitzpatrick, a guy we know basically nothing about until the end. That wild goose chase that seemed to be the main focus of the book was also the worst part of the book.
Most of the other characters faded into the background until they were needed, which is normal so I am not labelling it as a bad thing, but there was one that is featured a little more and that is Killian McCarthy. From the synopsis, I knew he was going to pop up somewhere and I was so happy when he did because finally, something interesting was going to happen. It was still slow and not anywhere near exciting to take away from the somewhat boring lead up, but it did give the book a bit more life.
I was honestly contemplating giving this book 2 stars but the ending was enough for me to give it one more. I am disappointed that it took 350 pages for something interesting to happen and that is wasn't until chapter 39 that all the weird little bread crumbs, that were less than interesting during the book, finally got explained in a somewhat interesting way.
Just to wrap it up, I feel this book could have been a lot better than what it is and I hope that any future books by Ellie O'Neill are more on par with Reluctantly Charmed.
It is not that it is a bad book because I did like it, it just could have been a whole lot better. Basically, I was just bored. The story was not overly interesting, the characters were either annoying or dull and the charm of O'Neill's first novel was nowhere in sight, even if there was a tiny mention of Hugh, his wife (so he and Kate got married, good to know) and Knocknamee in chapter 38.
The main character of The Enchanted Island is Maeve O'Brien and she is simply annoying and shallow. Being a girl who doesn't like makeup and high heels, I could not relate to her at all at the start of the book. By the end, she became a little more relatable, but it wasn't until the very end that she became somewhat likeable. I think what made her more of an annoyance is her dedication to her boss, Harry Holmes, and his friend Dan and getting the signature from Sean Fitzpatrick, a guy we know basically nothing about until the end. That wild goose chase that seemed to be the main focus of the book was also the worst part of the book.
Most of the other characters faded into the background until they were needed, which is normal so I am not labelling it as a bad thing, but there was one that is featured a little more and that is Killian McCarthy. From the synopsis, I knew he was going to pop up somewhere and I was so happy when he did because finally, something interesting was going to happen. It was still slow and not anywhere near exciting to take away from the somewhat boring lead up, but it did give the book a bit more life.
I was honestly contemplating giving this book 2 stars but the ending was enough for me to give it one more. I am disappointed that it took 350 pages for something interesting to happen and that is wasn't until chapter 39 that all the weird little bread crumbs, that were less than interesting during the book, finally got explained in a somewhat interesting way.
Just to wrap it up, I feel this book could have been a lot better than what it is and I hope that any future books by Ellie O'Neill are more on par with Reluctantly Charmed.
Gap Year in Ghost Town by Michael Pryor
5.0
I will be honest. When I saw the cover I did not think I would be interested. It looked like a book aimed at a 12-year-old boy. Well I have not been 12 for quite some time now and I have never been a boy, so I was very wrong because I loved it. I will not say it is perfect because nothing ever is, but it does deserve all 5 of those stars I am giving it.
Our main character is male, which is somewhat rare in the books I tend to read but it worked so well in this book that I want to read more male MC books. So Anton Marin, our MC here if that was not clear, has the ability to see ghosts and ease their transition from earth to where ever it is the dead go next. Anton does not really want to be a ghost hunter but has agreed to try it for a year to please his father, Leon, which basically explains the title of the book.
Family history includes:
- The Marin family moving to Australia after parting with the Company of the Righteous, a ghost hunting organisation in London.
- A tragic event occurring in Anton's childhood that tore his family apart.
- A mysteriously missing Aunt Tanja.
I would like to congratulate Michael Pryor on including these in a way that felt natural and only because it made sense to the plot. However, there is one thing that doesn't make as much sense and that is Anton's best friend Bec, or Rebecca as Leon calls her, having only one eye. Sure, this is kind of a cool detail but it doesn't really have a place in the story except for when cosplay is mentioned.
Our other significant character is Rani Cross, a member of the Company of Righteous, a total badass and has a tragic backstory of her own. She has her flaws, just as Anton does, but together the two ghost hunters make an efficient team and an interesting duo to read about.
Now, I mentioned before about the Marin family moving to Australia and this probably influences part of my love for this book. It is set in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs so I was able to picture some of the locations in my head. Being in Australia means we are also gifted with some very Aussie sayings, my favourites being 'huh', 'thingos', 'whatsits' and 'yeah, nah' - all part of my daily vocabulary. We may sound uneducated but we Aussies generally know what we mean with little words.
All of the above would count for little if the book had a terrible storyline or had been written horribly, but I am happy to say I believe neither is the case. I found the storyline interesting and captivating. I did not want to put the book down until I had read every page. The writing style was somewhat different to many of the books I read in that it didn't feel polished, which is actually a good thing. It felt natural as if Anton was telling me the story of all the crazy ghost things that had been happening around Melbourne.
I am not sure if everyone would agree with me as we all have different opinion and tastes in books, but I really did love this book and I am even adding it to my favourites shelf because I am just that serious about it.
Our main character is male, which is somewhat rare in the books I tend to read but it worked so well in this book that I want to read more male MC books. So Anton Marin, our MC here if that was not clear, has the ability to see ghosts and ease their transition from earth to where ever it is the dead go next. Anton does not really want to be a ghost hunter but has agreed to try it for a year to please his father, Leon, which basically explains the title of the book.
Family history includes:
- The Marin family moving to Australia after parting with the Company of the Righteous, a ghost hunting organisation in London.
- A tragic event occurring in Anton's childhood that tore his family apart.
- A mysteriously missing Aunt Tanja.
I would like to congratulate Michael Pryor on including these in a way that felt natural and only because it made sense to the plot. However, there is one thing that doesn't make as much sense and that is Anton's best friend Bec, or Rebecca as Leon calls her, having only one eye. Sure, this is kind of a cool detail but it doesn't really have a place in the story except for when cosplay is mentioned.
Our other significant character is Rani Cross, a member of the Company of Righteous, a total badass and has a tragic backstory of her own. She has her flaws, just as Anton does, but together the two ghost hunters make an efficient team and an interesting duo to read about.
Now, I mentioned before about the Marin family moving to Australia and this probably influences part of my love for this book. It is set in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs so I was able to picture some of the locations in my head. Being in Australia means we are also gifted with some very Aussie sayings, my favourites being 'huh', 'thingos', 'whatsits' and 'yeah, nah' - all part of my daily vocabulary. We may sound uneducated but we Aussies generally know what we mean with little words.
All of the above would count for little if the book had a terrible storyline or had been written horribly, but I am happy to say I believe neither is the case. I found the storyline interesting and captivating. I did not want to put the book down until I had read every page. The writing style was somewhat different to many of the books I read in that it didn't feel polished, which is actually a good thing. It felt natural as if Anton was telling me the story of all the crazy ghost things that had been happening around Melbourne.
I am not sure if everyone would agree with me as we all have different opinion and tastes in books, but I really did love this book and I am even adding it to my favourites shelf because I am just that serious about it.
The Genesi Code by Tristen Willis
4.0
I was sent a copy of The Genesi Code by the author, Tristen Willis, along with some related merchandise in exchange for an honest review. Please note this does not influence my review and the following is my honest thoughts and feelings on the book.
This review can also be found on my blog https://zanybibliophile.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/the-genesi-code
The Genesi Code follows Luka, an 18-year-old girl who has spent 10 years training to get accepted to the Delta Force, a military task force, in order to uncover the truth surrounding her father's murder. When her father died, he had been working on a cure for a genetic enhancement gone wrong, known as the Genesi Code.
I am going to start by saying that I was worried. Before even opening the book, I knew it would be a dystopian type novel which I have generally not enjoyed in the past. Then the first two chapters felt so repetitive and I was even more worried. I understand the need to set up the story and it is not always an easy task, but, for example, on page 12 there are two paragraphs that start with basically the same sentence just worded different. This was not enough to bring the overall book down because the rest of the novel made up for it, but I felt the need to mention it. I also did not like Luka at the start. She was focused on getting into the Delta Force and discovering the truth about her father's murder, which is understandable, but she seemed more analytical towards people rather than considering emotions. This did not make Luka a bad character because she was wonderfully portrayed, she just was not relatable for me.
Thankfully, all of this worry and negative opinions me left me once I got to chapter four. For me, this is where the main story really begins. The writing style improved greatly and the pacing smoothed out. The plot also began to unfold in an organic way, not feeling forced, which I very much appreciated. We are introduced to most of the characters and, while they were described in detail, it was easy to picture them. This helped to get a real feel for the training facility where the majority of the story takes place and how everyone worked in this environment. There were a few predictable events that occurred in the following chapters during training and lessons, but it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for some of these to have been a shock.
An element I really enjoyed was the little nod to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventures Sherlock Holmes. It is one of Luka's favourites and one of mine too. While it did feel a bit odd to have this little scene in the book, page 84 did change my feelings towards Luka. After that scene, it is sort of quiet until chapter 10, which is about the half way point of the book. From here some of the big questions set up from the start of the novel begin getting answered and this really pushes the story forward.
The last 75 pages of this book are where the bulk of the excitement is at for me. The pacing here was great; it was exciting enough to have me sitting on the edge of my seat while still allowing the necessary information to shine. The end of the book contained more answers, more questions, a somewhat surprising plot twist and one amazing cliffhanger ending. Yes, The Genesi Code has one of those dreaded cliffhangers, but I was expecting it given this is book one of the series and it happened in a great spot. The suspense for book two is already building.
Overall, the writing was pretty good from chapter 3 onwards and although it took me a bit to warm up to, the story had me captivated by the end. The characters were detailed and easy enough to picture and I enjoyed the little references they make, specifically on page 84. So time to award The Genesi Code a number of stars. I would probably stretch it to a 4.5 but for Goodreads purposes, I am giving it a 4-out-of-5. I liked this book so much by the time I read the final page that my first thought was wondering when the release date for book two will be, and book one is not even officially released until September 1.
Speaking of its release, you can pre-order yourself a copy of The Genesi Code by Tristen Willis from Amazon, Book Depository or Booktopia!
This review can also be found on my blog https://zanybibliophile.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/the-genesi-code
The Genesi Code follows Luka, an 18-year-old girl who has spent 10 years training to get accepted to the Delta Force, a military task force, in order to uncover the truth surrounding her father's murder. When her father died, he had been working on a cure for a genetic enhancement gone wrong, known as the Genesi Code.
I am going to start by saying that I was worried. Before even opening the book, I knew it would be a dystopian type novel which I have generally not enjoyed in the past. Then the first two chapters felt so repetitive and I was even more worried. I understand the need to set up the story and it is not always an easy task, but, for example, on page 12 there are two paragraphs that start with basically the same sentence just worded different. This was not enough to bring the overall book down because the rest of the novel made up for it, but I felt the need to mention it. I also did not like Luka at the start. She was focused on getting into the Delta Force and discovering the truth about her father's murder, which is understandable, but she seemed more analytical towards people rather than considering emotions. This did not make Luka a bad character because she was wonderfully portrayed, she just was not relatable for me.
Thankfully, all of this worry and negative opinions me left me once I got to chapter four. For me, this is where the main story really begins. The writing style improved greatly and the pacing smoothed out. The plot also began to unfold in an organic way, not feeling forced, which I very much appreciated. We are introduced to most of the characters and, while they were described in detail, it was easy to picture them. This helped to get a real feel for the training facility where the majority of the story takes place and how everyone worked in this environment. There were a few predictable events that occurred in the following chapters during training and lessons, but it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for some of these to have been a shock.
An element I really enjoyed was the little nod to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventures Sherlock Holmes. It is one of Luka's favourites and one of mine too. While it did feel a bit odd to have this little scene in the book, page 84 did change my feelings towards Luka. After that scene, it is sort of quiet until chapter 10, which is about the half way point of the book. From here some of the big questions set up from the start of the novel begin getting answered and this really pushes the story forward.
The last 75 pages of this book are where the bulk of the excitement is at for me. The pacing here was great; it was exciting enough to have me sitting on the edge of my seat while still allowing the necessary information to shine. The end of the book contained more answers, more questions, a somewhat surprising plot twist and one amazing cliffhanger ending. Yes, The Genesi Code has one of those dreaded cliffhangers, but I was expecting it given this is book one of the series and it happened in a great spot. The suspense for book two is already building.
Overall, the writing was pretty good from chapter 3 onwards and although it took me a bit to warm up to, the story had me captivated by the end. The characters were detailed and easy enough to picture and I enjoyed the little references they make, specifically on page 84. So time to award The Genesi Code a number of stars. I would probably stretch it to a 4.5 but for Goodreads purposes, I am giving it a 4-out-of-5. I liked this book so much by the time I read the final page that my first thought was wondering when the release date for book two will be, and book one is not even officially released until September 1.
Speaking of its release, you can pre-order yourself a copy of The Genesi Code by Tristen Willis from Amazon, Book Depository or Booktopia!
Disney Beauty and the Beast Book of the Film by Elizabeth Rudnick
4.0
For once I find myself saying the movie was better, but I believe that is only because this is the 'book of the film'. Still, it is a nice read and was a wonderful teaser to hold me over until I saw the film!
Warcross by Marie Lu
2.0
I will begin by saying that I purchased Warcross for the cover and I read it for a book club. If not for those reasons, I probably would not have read the book. To be honest, the most positive things I have to say about this book is I kind of like the idea behind the story and I felt the writing was pretty good.
Warcross is a virtual reality game that is being tampered with, so the creator of the employs a teenage hacker to find the person and stop them. Sounded somewhat interesting, but it is not my usual preference in reading material. I was pleasantly surprised when I liked the first chapter, but for me, it went downhill from there.
The main character, Emika Chen, annoyed me with her ‘I was poor but now I have lots of money’, the constant reminder that she was more skilled than her level let on, and that whole rainbow hair being her identifying feature.
The secondary characters were not much better, all of them being vague at best. In fact, I cannot remember their names without flicking through the book. The exception to the vagueness is Hideo Tanaka – the young billionaire who created Warcross –but he is a jerk and kind of a creep. Emika idolises him and actually seems inappropriately obsessed with him, which is probably the reason we know so much about him and so little of everyone else.
Regardless of my dislike for and disappointment with the characters I spent most of the novel confused about the virtual reality and how it was supposed to work. There were a few times I thought I had finally got it, but then there would be yet another action or feature I did not understand and I was back to confused.
The part of the story that had Emika looking for the hacker tampering with the game was a sort of a mystery, which I kind of liked, but the answer to the mystery was basically handed to us on a platter. Seriously, it was about half a dozen chapters after being given the task of finding the hacker that Emika has 80% of the mystery figured out.
My last issue is the ending. It was terrifying and not in a good way. I am talking nightmare worthy and I did not sleep that night because I was freaked out. Sure, points for succeeding in scaring a 21-year-old into insomnia, but I am not a fan of the turn the story is set to take in book two.
I have given this book 2 stars mostly for effort, the pretty cover and the fact I want to reserve 1 star for books I detest. While I do not detest this book, I was not a fan of Warcross and do not see myself reading the next book.
Warcross is a virtual reality game that is being tampered with, so the creator of the employs a teenage hacker to find the person and stop them. Sounded somewhat interesting, but it is not my usual preference in reading material. I was pleasantly surprised when I liked the first chapter, but for me, it went downhill from there.
The main character, Emika Chen, annoyed me with her ‘I was poor but now I have lots of money’, the constant reminder that she was more skilled than her level let on, and that whole rainbow hair being her identifying feature.
The secondary characters were not much better, all of them being vague at best. In fact, I cannot remember their names without flicking through the book. The exception to the vagueness is Hideo Tanaka – the young billionaire who created Warcross –but he is a jerk and kind of a creep. Emika idolises him and actually seems inappropriately obsessed with him, which is probably the reason we know so much about him and so little of everyone else.
Regardless of my dislike for and disappointment with the characters I spent most of the novel confused about the virtual reality and how it was supposed to work. There were a few times I thought I had finally got it, but then there would be yet another action or feature I did not understand and I was back to confused.
The part of the story that had Emika looking for the hacker tampering with the game was a sort of a mystery, which I kind of liked, but the answer to the mystery was basically handed to us on a platter. Seriously, it was about half a dozen chapters after being given the task of finding the hacker that Emika has 80% of the mystery figured out.
My last issue is the ending. It was terrifying and not in a good way. I am talking nightmare worthy and I did not sleep that night because I was freaked out. Sure, points for succeeding in scaring a 21-year-old into insomnia, but I am not a fan of the turn the story is set to take in book two.
I have given this book 2 stars mostly for effort, the pretty cover and the fact I want to reserve 1 star for books I detest. While I do not detest this book, I was not a fan of Warcross and do not see myself reading the next book.