Thursday, May 26, 2016

Lightning Thief- 5 Stars


Written in a way which is appealing to children and adults alike, I think just about anyone could be entertained by this book. The dialogue is witty and sharp. While the story is completely fantastic, the characters come off as very realistic. The pace was well done as there was a new obstacle every few chapters, yet each was unique and unexpected.

Percy- Our young hero, he is unassuming and delightfully fresh. Told from his point of view, the story is honest about his short comings as well as his strengths. He is very singular in his lineage. I can't recall ever having read a book about a son of Poseidon, and this is certainly a creative twist.
Annabeth- Brave and intelligent, she is probably the real leader. Annabeth is resourceful and gets Percy and Grover out of quite a few messes using her cunning.
Grover- Probably my favorite character, if only for his humor. He is always doubting himself, but comes through for his friends when they need him. I predict he will be successful in whatever pursuit he chooses, quest or finding Pan.
Mr. D- Also a very humorous character, but in a more sharp, sarcastic way. He's grumpy and wonderful, and I hope to see more of him.
Chiron- I really wish we'd gotten more of him because I think he would have been a wealth of Greek history and stories. Since I'm sure we'll visit camp again, he will definitely pop up.
Clarisse- Quite a little bully, but after meeting her dad, Ares, I can understand why. She is the perfect example of children being bullies when their parents aren't too kind either.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters. However, I will admit that the trio of Percy, Grover, and Annabeth reminded me very much of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The reluctant hero, comic-relief best friend/side kick, and the know-it-all girl who pokes fun at the two boys.

This was a crazy adventure. It was none too serious, but still kept me guessing what would happen next, which is odd for a children's book, at least for me. There were some great twists and turns, especially at the end. I really enjoyed the predicaments that the three MCs got into: Medusa's "lair", the casino, and of course, Hades

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Court of Mist and Fury- 5 Stars


In a book this long, the writing has to be fantastic. And it was. Maas managed to weave more current phrases (i.e. "I don't give a shit.") with a more classical, almost lyrical writing style that comes off as both realistic but fanciful. I loved it. The characters are introduced at just the right times, and I felt as if I knew them without huge info dumps about them. Settings change, but the transitions are smooth and seamless.

We have our "Big Three" throughout the story. Tamlin, Rhys, and of course, Feyre.
Tamlin- Though he didn't play a bog part, he played a huge role, if that makes sense. He wasn't in much of the book, however, without him, Feyre never would have gone with Rhys, so he was nonetheless important. He was quite delusional and probably paranoid with Feyre, though I understand his worry. I could even forgive his smothering her in the beginning if it weren't for his betrayal at the end. Was he truly delusional enough to believe she wanted to leave her true mate to go back to him, whom she'd run from? I guess so. Eager to see how they do in the next book.
Feyre- Ever the bad ass, I can understand why she felt so oppressed with Tamlin. However, I didn't expect her to be with Rhys, regardless. She proves herself among his friends/comrades, which I did expect, and did so quite well. She's gritty and doesn't give up, which I admire. 
Rhysand- Surprised me throughout this book again and again with his softness, of all things. He's still dangerous, of course, but vulnerable with Feyre as well, which we learn at the very end. He has lost of secrets, but I know that he would share them with her, and I look forward to see that happen.
Rhys's Council/Family- A tough team for sure. Azriel was probably my favorite, but I always go for the damaged ones. I think he could have a story of his own all about how he grew up. Amren is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and I am hoping that Rhys unleashes her, maybe even on Tamlin to get Feyre back, but I have a feeling he would save it for something more. Mor is lovely, but still bad ass. She has a nice duality about her, like she could be your very best friend, or kill you if you look at her wrong. I adore her.

So many ups and downs and betrayals through this book. Of course, there was a lot of book. The book really picked up with Feyre left Tamlin at their wedding and moved to the Night Court with Rhys. It never stopped from there. There were a good amount of battle scenes, which were all wonderfully done with great detail. My personal favorite was the one with the ice wolves.I would have loved to have seen that! There were also a few sex scenes, which earned the "adult shelf" label for me. They definitely bumped this up from YA. Rhys, Feyre, and his little gang travel quite a bit in the story, but it's smoothly done and didn't feel jumpy at all. The end was a surprise for sure. Tamlin's betrayal was something that I never would have seen coming, though I did wonder when he would pop back up in the story. He never would have just left Feyre without a fight and he pulled quite a trick to her back. Big cliffhanger at the end, and I can't wait for the next book.

A wonderfully written story. Very vibrant and detailed. Characters came alive and the setting never got dull. There was always something new to discover!

Only the Good Spy Young

Pretty much the same characters. So glad to see Zach. He adds something to the story, even though he's pretty bland. Not really caring for most the characters in this one actually. Liz and Bex are still favorites though. Cammie has a lot of spunk, but they just give her a boost.

The story really picked up in the second half. The problem is that this book was so short, the second half isn't much. I was surprised by how worried I was about Mr. Solomon. I never really cared much for him until he was missing. Also there were some leads on Cammie's father. Her mother believes he's dead, and she would know, but I still think he's out there somewhere. I have a feeling this will be sort of a happily ever after where she gets her dad back by the end of the series. It was interesting to see Blackthorne, and I think what they really do there is pretty brutal considering the ages of the boys

Wednesday, May 4, 2016






Pretty much all the suitors ran together for me. Eadlyn never spent enough time with any of them for them to come off as individuals. I can't tell you anything about Fox. Hale fixed her dress. Ean, who knows? Even Kile played almost zero part until the very end. I was rooting for Henri, even more than Erik, I think, just because I think he was more likable. The problem here was there were too many guys and not enough time with any of them. It would have been different had she narrowed it down to two. At least they would have been memorable, if not likable. I didn't like what Marid did to her, but honestly, it still wasn't enough to make me really hate him. The characters were just blah to me.


Not gonna lie. This plot was pretty much nonexistent. It was a bunch of Eadlyn running around not really doing much. I mean, she was doing a lot. Well, not not even. She talked about doing a lot. But we don't SEE her do much of anything. We hear all about how tired and stressed and exhausted she is, but really it's because all she did was complain about how tired and stressed and exhausted she is.  When I read the original three books, I was hooked. I could not put them down. As it was here, not much happened.


There just wasn't the world building there had been in the other four books. There was a lot in the, what do they even call it? Castle? But nothing was really described. There really was no real setting here and I just couldn't get into it. I didn't FEEL there, which I need to really engage in a book. Just bad descriptions overall.


Writing was nothing special. Honestly, it came off a bit like a Selection fan fiction more than anything edited. Everything felt too easily wrapped up. Just didn't care for it. REALLY wish this hadn't been the last of the series. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Review: Corrupt

Corrupt by Penelope Douglas My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews