The Passionate Bookworm
My BLOG!
The Passionate Bookworm 2
1
Loved every minute of this book! I also found it extremely empowering!
Mermother is a fast paced and unpredictable novel. The synopsis does not do a real good job of telling you the best parts about the book. The book is much more exciting than how the synopsis reads. It is a first person account of Briony, a 25 year old woman who wakes up in a tide pool, next to a "girl" named Sylvie. This other "girl" is actually a mermaid who shows Briony what is like to be a creature of the sea.Sylvie's character is really superficial and I found myself not liking her at points. I also found myself super confused by Briony's choices during the novel. She agrees to stay with Sylvie and learn the ways of the sea for a few days but ends up staying much longer. She doesn't really stop to question or worry about her previous life. She is fine letting her loved ones think that she drowned at sea. Briony also seems to go along with some other disturbing things throughout the book that would have sent a normal person running in the other direction.
Mermother has some shocking aspects that reminded me of the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I found myself disgusted and mad but I just HAD to keep reading. I had the very same feeling while reading the Handmaid's Tale. I can't wait to read the next in the series because I want to know how everything turns out!
I have not read many books with mermaids but I really liked this one. I liked that it is not about a girl that falls in love with a mermaid. Mermother is a bit twisted and holds lots of surprises!
The first book in this series was something I started two different times before I read the whole thing. I just couldn't get into it but once I did, I was not disappointed. I liked the first book but I LOVED the second one, The Dream Thieves was better in all facets. The characters have greatly evolved and the story has become even more intense. Cabeswater is no longer a dream, it is a reality.There is still that lingering intense feeling that the first book had but there is a lot more to the plot in the second. Multiple things were happening at the same time rather than just the search of Cabeswater and Gansey's impending death. There is a mysterious grey man, lots of "dreaming", and someone develops a new paranormal ability. The book ends in a way that you want the third immediately.
The romance is very subtle and that is definitely refreshing. I would recommend this book to those YA paranormal readers looking for something different. The Welsh mythology in this story makes it an entirely unique read. I really enjoyed it.
Suspenseful, Page Turning, One that definitely keeps you guessing!
Full Review: http://www.thepassionatebookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/heaven-and-hellsbane-by-paige-cuccaro.htmlReview:
This book did not suffer from second book syndrome, it had a really exciting plot line with nonstop action! I even liked it better than the first! There is also a little bit more of a love story in this book so that is a win for me! When my heart get involved in books, I am even more invested. Of course, the love story is a complication for both characters and I am not sure how Paige Cuccaro will resolve it in the end!
Oh Emma and Eli, their love story is so enticing but so forbidden. I know I said this about the first one but one thing I really like about this is author is that not everything ends up happy. I have read too many books lately that don't seem to have real life consequences. Again, I know I am horrible for say that!
My only worry for the book is that the complicated plot line will overshadow everything else. SO MUCH happens in this book, SO MUCH that I just wonder how will all these loose ends be tied together. I am not sure how many books this series will be, I just hope there is more than one book left otherwise it might not be a clean finish
There is an intimate sex scene in the book so I would not recommend to young readers! However, as an adult I really enjoyed this book. It is a fun read and gave me the very same feeling that Black Wings by Christina Henry did. It is just an overall pretty good book. Check out the review here:http://www.thepassionatebookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/stepping-out-of-your-element-3.html
I found myself pulled instantly into this story and loved the plot! However, I did not like the writing style. I thought that the flashbacks took away from the better elements of the story. Full Review to come in September
I am going to do a review on my blog hopefully this next month but I LOVED this book! Mindy Hayes you are awesome!
I received a free copy of Rick Hautala's The Demon's Wife from LibraryThing. I really liked this book and totally wish there was going to be a second book! This book is a quick, exciting read. I loved the characters and was very invested in the story by the end. Definitely an adult paranormal romance with some humor! I only wish I knew there was going to be a second book. :(
Full Review: http://www.thepassionatebookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/stepping-out-of-your-ya-element-4.htmlHellsbane is a fast paced, quick read. I was fully invested in the plot line and will be reading the next immediately. Emma, the main character, is a lovable character with YA girl problems. She confirms her suspicions very early that she is not normal, not even fully human. Of course, they are men in her life that complicate life even more (YA girl problems)! She even seems to embrace her non humanness and her ability to kick some "fallen" butt!
This book is like a roller coaster ride in the dark. Only about half way into the book Paige Cuccaro crushes your heart and all you are left to do is keeping reading. I have not read a book like that in a long time! The sappy part of me was hoping something magical would happen and make it all better, nope! BUT, as much as I was super sad, it is nice for things to seem realistic sometimes. Am I terrible for saying that or what? However, Emma doesn't have time to do the Bella sit and stare out the window thing, she has some butt to kick!
This book is listed as New Adult but I think it is also a great fit for YA readers. Emma's character is relatable and the story is creative and fast paced. Minus some swear words and some slight sexual references, I also think that this book would be appropriate for teens. I have not read further in the series but this one is definitely ok!
Overall a pretty good read with some awesome series potential!
This book was everything I have been missing in the YA scene. It has the imagery and the story line of a great fantasy novel. I have not read anything this imaginative since Lord of the Rings or even Harry Potter. Yes, you know how much I love Harry Potter. The book is so beautifully and creatively written that I was lost in the story the minute I started. The paperback is 478 pages so it's long but it is well worth the time. Here are my quick words of wisdom about the story: The first two chapters are a sort of prologue to Fate's story. It was a bit confusing and choppy but once those two chapters are over it is smooth sailing. Also, some younger readers may not appreciate this writing style because it is not a quick story like so many are in the current YA scene but this is a writing style I really appreciate.
In a reader's world, there is not much to time to do any re-reading but I will be rereading this story again and again. Already can't wait until Fate's Keep!
My favorite interaction between Fate and Finn:
Tears stung her eyes as she shook her head, "If you're trying to say you're leaving me again, I'll just follow. You're stuck with me, buster. Just think of me as barnacle...or one of those suckerfish. Better yet, duct tape."
The book started slow but the ending oh Julie Kagawa, I sort of despise you! It took me a bit to get back into the story but once I was invested I couldn't stop! When does the next book come out? I need to know!
I read the book in one sitting! Overall a very good but a bit apprehensive to start the second because the plot seems too similar!
This has been sitting on my shelves forever! Full review to come soon!
Link to review: http://www.thepassionatebookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/follow-white-rabbit-review-author.htmlThe most important aspect to note about this book is that it is actually a novella. It is only about 100 pages! I think knowing that part really helped me to enjoy the book. Most reviews I have read about it have given it a lower rating due the story being too short, well it is a novella! I hated that it was so short because I was immediately left wanting more. That is my usual feeling after reading a great novella.
The novella follows three different perspectives plus Alice eventually! Four perspectives was a bit confusing at first but it got easier as the book went on! I love this type of writing because you get to know so much more about the story.
This book is a definite must read if you love Alice in Wonderland retellings. I think it offers a really unique take on the retelling and is different than most Alice retellings. I love Kellie's take on the characters! The white rabbit is no longer an animal! The mad hatter is no longer a crazy and manic type of character. Alice is also not your usual Alice.
Link to original review: http://thepassionatebookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-infinite-moment-of-us.html First I would like to say that I couldn't wait to get started with this book because I had read Shine by Myracle. I fell in love with Shine due to Myracle's ability to paint beautiful, but terrifying pictures with her words. I did not expect any less from this book.
This book would definitely be categorized as YA romance, as nearly the whole book is based off the incredibly fast and consuming relationship of Wren and Charlie. Their steamy, first-love relationship takes over 3/4 of the book with not much left for the ending. The sex scenes are very frank and might I add not that appropriate for YA readers. While it is categorized as YA, The Infinite Moments of Us has sex scenes that are very Adult, and I would personally not recommend this to my high school students. However, I am sure most of them have read worse than this content.
I felt the ending was a sort of an after thought in the book. I was 90% done with the novel before anything major really happened. In that 10% Myracle had to resolve the major conflict and end the book. The relationship of Wren and Charlie overshadowed so much of what was good about the book. I loved that Wren was able to take charge of her life and become someone she wanted to be and not take the exact path her parents had made for her. I also loved that Wren was able to look at a guy like Charlie and see past his troubled upbringing and not turn him into a "make his life better" project. The book had wonderful execution at points and then terrible the next. Entirely a let down compared to her other novel, Shine.
