What are you going to do when you see this in the bookstore besides want to buy it?
So, I finally did. It was compelling and weird, so I got my money'sWhat are you going to do when you see this in the bookstore besides want to buy it?
So, I finally did. It was compelling and weird, so I got my money's worth.
Kid's grandfather tells him crazy stories about children with strange powers. Kid thinks they are just tall tales meant to entertain. After Gramps passes away, kid and father make pilgrimage to visit where Grandfather grew up, and visit the ruins of the school where all the stories originate.
Kid finds out those children were real...
Any teen or tween into fantasy would have a good read with this. Fast, interesting and has freaky pictures, duh?
Almost as weird is the world of orphan pictures and the people who collect them. All these pictures are actually real pictures the author bought out of old flea market bins and borrowed from collectors, then created a story from.
If you've read any of my reviews, you already know that Twilight was not a positive experience for me. However, I'm always looking for something to fiIf you've read any of my reviews, you already know that Twilight was not a positive experience for me. However, I'm always looking for something to fill the Harry Potter hole, so I keep trying...
So, why this series?
First, I found out that Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) is engaged. Her fiance is the actor who played Dumblemore's teenage bromance. He is also cast as the romantic lead for our heroine in the movie version of this book, which is still trying to get off the ground.
City of Bones was pretty cool. A group of teenage demon hunters who fight all manner of monsters and ooga-boogas. Sarcastic, snarky banter. A romantic triangle. I'm a big Joss Whedon fan, and this had many moments of Whedony goodness to enjoy.
Our heroine is Clary, a normal girl thrown into a supernatural situation. She's far and away a better heroine than Bella Swan, and more fun than Katniss Everdeen.
Characters - good, smart-ass Magic - plenty Creatures - everywhere Action - fight scenes and end battle appropriate for a first book Cool places - New York is already pretty cool, but now we can see all the creatures for what they are
It was a quick,fun read, and I enjoyed it a lot.
NOTE: I should stop reading about the authors in this particular genre. I am tired of being a participant in some overweight housewife's fantasy about teenage boys. Makes me feel yucky... So, I'm choosing to ignore the overt similarities between the author and the heroine this time, and I make a promise to myself to remain blissfully ignorant in the future.
Well, this is the all out war book we knew was coming. It’s war. Lots of action. Plenty of fights and battles. The Capital is the final battle and bigWell, this is the all out war book we knew was coming. It’s war. Lots of action. Plenty of fights and battles. The Capital is the final battle and big surprise, it’s a city turned into an Arena – the biggest, baddest Arena yet. Only the rebellion are the only ones televising the outcome.
Some twists and turns, which I liked. Definitely not a fairy tale ending. You fan girls can argue all you like, but I think Kat’s choice between Peeta and Gale is made for her. Me? I really didn’t care which one she picked.
Quick read. I’d say it’s a great read by the pool, but it’s so quick I don’t recommend buying the hardback. Get it electronically and plow through in a matter of hours. I look forward to the movie. ...more
I liked it. Once again the word is compelling. Kat is still not lovable, but I’m OK with that. I like her and respect her for not being lovable. She sI liked it. Once again the word is compelling. Kat is still not lovable, but I’m OK with that. I like her and respect her for not being lovable. She still kicks ass and takes care of the people she cares about. She’s smart and strong. I want her to win. She’s growing on me.
Other characters are plenty of fun – some you hate, some you love – but a good group. The arena is really a maniacal machine disguised as a tropical island. I would say the arena is another character. And it’s probably the character you hate the most besides the President. Quick read. I’d say it’s a great read by the pool, but it’s so quick I don’t recommend buying the hardback. Get it electronically and plow through in a matter of hours. ...more
I bought this yesterday morning because I needed a pool read. The chick behind the counter at Barnes and Noble gushed, “You will LOVE this! It is GREAI bought this yesterday morning because I needed a pool read. The chick behind the counter at Barnes and Noble gushed, “You will LOVE this! It is GREAT!” I smiled and responded with something appropriately positive, but I was inwardly seething. I was pissed that I was doing the “band wagon” thing. I don’t like to do it. It generally does not go well for me. I can name half a dozen Tom Hanks movies as examples. “Get Shorty” is another one. If you read my reviews, you know how badly “Twilight” went for me. I have some serious self-loathing issues over that one. When people go apeshit for something, I end up disappointed, and in the case of Twilight, ashamed.
So, I hit the chair at the pool, pulled Hunger Games out of my bag, and started reading with the determination of a person pulling off a large band-aid. Let’s get this over with.
Strike one – No map. You got my attention with ruin of North America. Now give me a map.
Gold Star – Katniss. She is a much better character than Bella Swan, which is what I feared. Tough, smart, capable – she’s taking care of her family after the death of her father.
Because the writing is first person and the voice is Katniss, the style is very compelling. She has a family to care for, and it takes all her waking hours to do it. So, her narration is no frills, no wasted descriptions or thoughts. Every word, description and flashback has a mission. She doesn’t have time for the rest.
The world is different, but relevant. A republican wet dream of a world where the easiest way to keep the undesirable masses in check are to keep them sick, poor, uneducated and afraid. They spend so much of their time just trying to stay alive they have no time to question, let alone rebel.
The Capital is part Vegas, part Emerald City, part modern-day Rome. The “Haves” have so much of everything that they have become frivolous, eccentric, human cartoons with their fashion and cosmetic modifications.
The modern gladiator games have been done before, but not quite this way.
Lottery from Logan’s Run + Survivor + Gladiator + Running Man = Hunger Games
Katniss isn’t really likeable. When one spends 10 hours a day trying to put a meal on the table, being charming or funny isn’t exactly on the “TO DO” list. I think of that scene from “Gladiator” when Maximus goes into the arena for the first time and kills 8 guys in 10 seconds. The crowd goes silent and he yells, “Are you not entertained!?!” No. They weren’t. He didn’t give them a character to love or anything to cheer for. Oliver Reed had to teach him to play to the crowd. The love of the crowd means survival. Kat has the same problem. However, she has her own Oliver Reed, which I loved.
Strike Two – The “romance”. She’s not a romantic girl for good reasons. Romance leads to dangerous things like feelings, responsibility, kids – and she has already had too much of this thrust upon her to openly choose it. She starts the staged romance for the cameras, the games, survival (trying to work on that likability thing) – then gets understandably confused. But then I felt like it was getting shoved down my throat toward the end.
I think the story is pretty predictable, but I’m not going to make it Strike Three. The plot of Star Wars was predictable too, but I love it anyway.
Because there seems to be several books, I will assume this becomes a large scale rebellion against the Hunger Games and the government. The possibility has me intrigued.
I bought this partially because it’s coming out as a movie. The fantasy angle of “Hunger Games” got my attention, where “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” or “Water for Elephants” did not. I looked the cast up on IMDB. I was super-pleased with Jennifer Lawrence as Kat. She was terrific in Winter’s Bone and X-Men and her look on the cover of Entertainment Weekly was spot-on for me. I don’t know about Josh Hutchison as Peeta, because that guy seems like he’s been in everything and I guess I was thinking more unknown.
I finished in a few hours and I’m still thinking about it. I hesitate to declare my feelings because of my baggage from previous “band wagon” experiences, but when I’m finished and still thinking about it, that’s a good sign.
As I walked toward the door of the bookstore yesterday, the cashier chirped, “You’ll be back for the next one as soon as you’re done!” I think she’s right. ...more
For those of you always looking for something to fill the Harry Potter hole, this blows everything else away - complThis is a very, very special book.
For those of you always looking for something to fill the Harry Potter hole, this blows everything else away - completely.
Our hero, Rossamund, is now a Lamplighter in training. Lamplighters are a branch of the military whose job it is to light the Emperor's highways, and help keep traveler's safe. The fortress where he lives and trains, is as large and mysterious as Hogwarts ever was. Although there is no magic, there is Alchemy EVERYWHERE, large and small, helpful and lethal.
The world is full of monsters. As Rossamund learns his trade, he becomes increasingly aware that people are not always good, monsters are not always evil, and figuring out which is which, can be deadly. He wrestles with choices, finds friends in unlikely places, riddles out greater mysteries, and wonders why he is different - and what that means.
Sound familiar?
It's not. This book is SO different. Example: A lamplighter's tool/weapon is called a Fodicar. Part pike, part screwdriver, it's used on the lanterns to turn and crank the inner workings and light them. It's also used against monsters as a weapon. Well, I wondered what it looked like. Then I went to the back of the book, and found a two-page detailed illustration of, not only a Fodicar, but the entire uniform of a Lamplighter, with 21 various detailed accoutrements and their respective uses.
Did I mention the maps? Did I mention the Explicarium (glossary)?
Ummm, Wow!?!?!
The larger world is vast, and filled not only with monsters, but political intrigue. The Emperor and his wars with other countries, where they don't kill monsters (???). The economy, the guilds, the trades - how they revolve around monsters, how they work together, and how they relate to politics locally and nationally is COOL, and just so beyond some Harry-Potter-hole-filling kid's book.
I'm going into my Foundling review and giving it a 5th star. I think I was just so surprised by the detail, and the characters, many of whom are so strange and slightly disturbing - that I just couldn't embrace it at the time.
But the whole experience is really growing on me. Book Three just came out and I'm off to find it....more
Tolkien loved inventing languages, and designed Middle Earth, and wrote Lord of the Rings to have someplace to put those languages.
DM Cornish is an ilTolkien loved inventing languages, and designed Middle Earth, and wrote Lord of the Rings to have someplace to put those languages.
DM Cornish is an illustrator, and has been drawing characters, creatures and maps for years, and wrote this book to have someplace to put them.
The world, called the Half Continent - is GINORMOUS. The map is roughly 8 x 10, and the book covers about a square inch...of the world, and this is the first book. Lots of potential here.
World of Dickens, with alchemy and iron clads. Humans inhabit walled cities...and the rest is monsters (yes, I am soooo happy). Big ones, and small ones, land monsters, and sea monsters (oooh, did I mention the ocean is made out of toxic acid?). Blood thirsty, lots of teeth and claws.
Characters - a lot of great characters Magic - more alchemy than magic, but lots of it Critters - Monsters, monsters everywhere (yay) Action - a fine amount for a first book, and more to come Cool Places - it's a haunted, monster covered world - it's all cool
Our hero, Rossamund, is an orphan, who gets enlisted into the service of the Emperor, as a Lamplighter. Keeping the Emperor's road lit and safe for travelers, from all manor of Ooga-Booga's.
I don't think I want to really classify this as a kid's book. This is an incredibly detailed world. Did I mention there is a 120 page Explicarium (Glossary) in the back of the book? Umm...Wow! Don't freak out, you don't have to read it. At the beginning of each chapter, he introduces you to a one new word or phrase, in a tasty, bite-sized dose.
This was just a super, cool book. I'm already on to book 2....more
My current Zombie jag started when I saw the trailer for the upcoming AMC series, "The Walking Dead". The series looks amazing, and I immediately got My current Zombie jag started when I saw the trailer for the upcoming AMC series, "The Walking Dead". The series looks amazing, and I immediately got all zombie obsessed.
First was "Zombie Nation". Big disappointment (see my review). Then came "Feed". LOVED IT! (see my review) Then I went and bought "Forest of Hands and Teeth", and "Plague of the Dead".
Decided to start with this one (better cover). I was thinking it would be kinda like the movie, The Village, with zombies. And it is. Except there is a real fence, not just little yellow ribbons tied to branches, and instead of the Elders running the show, it's the Sisterhood in the big, looming Cathedral.
A big, iron, chain link fence surrounds everything, and on the other side of the fence is the Unconsecrated, always sticking their hands and fingers through the fence.
There is no electricity, and no gunpowder, so you don't have any clues when this takes place - future, past, parallel universe.
There's no lack of creepy, disturbing secrets. Our heroine, Mary, is a bit of a Nancy Drew, so there's plenty of trips down creepy staircases in the dark, and the like - to try to find answers to our questions.
What I understand, but was still frustrated by, was the passivity of all the characters. When I said Mary is a bit of a Nancy Drew, I wasn't kidding. She's not a total Nancy Drew. She's about 1/3 to 1/2 of a Nancy Drew. These people don't fight the zombies. They don't hunt for a way to communicate with the rest of the world. They don't make new weapons, or stockpile supplies for the eventual breach in the fence. They have some platforms built for emergencies, but there's only a mention of drills.
It really gets frustrating after the inevitable fence breach. There are hardly any weapons for this village, so when zombies get through, there's a lot of running and hiding, not much fighting. There are a lot of bows and arrows, which don't seem to be effective. Did all the metal get used on the fince? How about crossbows with metal bolts? How about shovels with sharpened edges? I don't want to spoil, but there are days and weeks in the storyline of just waiting - not trying to kill zombies, not trying to figure a way out - just hanging out and doing NOTHING.
That's the thing I really hated about Blair Witch Project, and I had flashbacks to that movie during this book. Our food and water is running out, so let's just sit down and cry, or argue, or take a nap. Let's not try to be productive. They only act when they are forced to. That made me kinda nuts.
The most compelling thing about this book is all the unanswered questions like: Where in time are we? Are there other towns? Is this an isolated zombie pocket, or is the entire world overrun? What's with the Sisterhood? Is there any government? Who built the fence? Has anyone done a map for this (or do I have to Zork it)? Some of those questions don't even get answered by the end of the book. I think that's the reason I kept reading it, and want to read the next one. I keep thinking about it, even though I really didn't like the story that much.
It made me kinda tired of zombies. But Plague of the Dead awaits (see my review)....more
Read this while waiting for the Harry Potter series to finish. Then bought them all for the kids. Didn't really grab me the way I had hoped.
Kid = richRead this while waiting for the Harry Potter series to finish. Then bought them all for the kids. Didn't really grab me the way I had hoped.
Kid = rich, criminal mastermind - Love it! Butler = The battle trained 007 bodyguard - Love it!
Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit - that's where I got off the bus. Fairy cops in little flying ships - umm, no. [insert Price is Right loser music here:]. I just couldn't love it.
Since I own them I will try #2 at some point. But for your post HP phase, I recommend the Grey Griffins, Fablehaven and Percy Jackson series more....more
**spoiler alert** This one is just too trippy, and the ending sent me into a frothy rage.
I am generally a big fan of war-in-heaven stories. Greg Keyes**spoiler alert** This one is just too trippy, and the ending sent me into a frothy rage.
I am generally a big fan of war-in-heaven stories. Greg Keyes Age of Unreason series was so cool. God's Demon, Prophecy, Legion, Dogma, Neverwhere, even the last couple of seasons of Supernatural. I like it all. Smote away! So as this book geared up for a mega-angel smackdown, I was plenty happy.
I like all the various reasons for heavenly battles. And I can get into all the various roles that God plays in these scenarios.
Having God be eternally separated from his creation because of the physical laws (which he also created) is an idea I can buy into.
Having God be a force of creation so sentient he's unaware of his creations is an idea I can also swallow.
Having God be this weak, shriveled creature who just dies on the battlefield like some helpless innocent? Nope. No. Can't go there. How did we get from God Creator of the Universe to helpless victim? Did all that Creating make him tired? Huh?
Then the end - they have sex and save the universe because the Dust changes direction, and starts flowing back instead of away. That's trippy but not my problem.
Will gets to keep the knife and go back to his world, but Lyra loses her power with her virginity and can't read the compass anymore. She has to go back to her world and just be a girl in a society where women aren't allowed to be educated, just marry well and have babies. She saved the Universe and now she's supposed to just be decorative?!?!?!?!!!! I'm not a fan of book burning, but this ending makes me want to find a blowtorch....more
Most action, highest stakes, most magic, most creatures, most characters, most magical places.
It was great. I As it should be, the best of the series.
Most action, highest stakes, most magic, most creatures, most characters, most magical places.
It was great. I liked it a lot. Of all the series I've tried to fill the Harry Potter hole with, this is one of the best.
However, there was a moment that I heard the Price-Is-Right-You-Just Lost-the-Car music. I don't want to spoil, but it has something to do with human, unicorn relations and unicorns being able to take human form.
See what I mean? You are already going there aren't you? Your brain is going down the dark WTF highway.
Sometimes you have these moments in books and you can just choose to ignore them and move on. For instance, there was a sentence in one of the books from my recent zombie binge about water mammals getting infected (i.e. zombie dolphins). It was a SINGLE sentence - just a throw away, really - like the author just needed to prove he'd really thought through it all, down to the last detail. I had to take a moment and walk away. Then I chose to just let it go, and went back to finish the book. Don't talk about it anymore. I forgive you.
BUT THIS WAS A DISTRACTION. I valiantly fought through it. "It's book five, you are in the home stretch. Just keep going. No. Don't think about it. Keep going. We're reading, we're reading..."
But, it's taken some of the joy out of the experience. I just can't love it like I wanted to....more
This is a fun series. The kids are smart and funny. The creatures are plentiful. The magic is mythical. The action is great. If you or your kids are nThis is a fun series. The kids are smart and funny. The creatures are plentiful. The magic is mythical. The action is great. If you or your kids are needing something to move on past your post Harry Potter grief, pick this series.
Also, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. ...more
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