3.5 stars.

Again, like the first book, I enjoyed the plot, the setting, the story a lot. It is definitely unique, it keeps you wanting to find out more, the pacing is great. It could have been a really fantastic story.

EXCEPT... like I already mentioned, the characters. They are great - at least some of them are - at least they have the potential to be great, anyway. The thing is, they are the very opposite of flat; they are well thought out, they have motives, they have moral dilemmas. Except all of this is kind of relayed to the reader through a very tell-not-show kind of style. Instead of convincing the reader - namely, me - of their personality, most of it is just thrown in the face. It makes them less credible, less interesting, it's just plain annoying. Not to mentioned the fact (thought I have already, and I will again...) that so many characters in the book seem to suddenly be "in love" with other characters; it's so shallow, so unexciting. I simply can't understand or sympathize with their all-of-a-sudden overwhelming love for one another. It is changed too soon and explained poorly (again with the tell rather than show). It makes me annoyed, and then resigned, and eventually just indifferent. Since I'm a very character-driven-stories type of a person, this really overshadowed my overall enjoyment. At least I still think Allie and Mikey are by far the best characterized of the lot (but even they have issues), so at least I have them to comfort myself with.

Anyhow, show more plot-wise this book is worth it. Definitely. I did have issues with the very last plot-points, which struck me as a little too much. I'll let it pass though; I'm still going to read the last book in this trilogy, just to find out where it's going. I'm curious, and I guess that's always a good thing. show less

I had many issues with this book: But then again, it was supposed to be a fun, quirky, sweet romance story - and on that front it totally delivered. There were quite a number of caricaturistic moments that had me cringing, but overall the characters were crazy but likeable. The writing was a little all over the place, but it kind of grew on me as I was reading, and it suited the tone of the story in a way. Also, I really liked the way this book approached the whole idea of women pursuing their career while men stayed at home with the children, as well as making a point about how hard-working and underappreciated nannies are. In short, this book had more to it than the average romance story, and I liked that a lot.

This is, sadly, my least favorite book of the series so far. I didn't connect with the main characters or found the romance appealing. Still, it was intended to be at least a 3.5 star book, until the very last chapters, which were just too predictable, and therefore tedious and dragging. I have to point out, however, that it was not a very bad book by any means. It's just that for Juliet Marillier's standards, I found it lacking. The writing was still beautiful, in typical and magical Juliet Marillier fashion, and the plot wove seemingly effortlessly, seamlessly, from one point to the next. The beautiful landscapes and fairytale-esque feel to the setting and plot was very much in evidence, which saved this book from lower rating. Overall, I was somewhat disappointed, but still think the Sevenwaters series is a beautiful one, and well-worth being read. I have yet the last book to read, and here's hoping that I would like it as much as the other books in the series...

So it has been quite a while since I actually read this book, but I was going to start reading the next part of the story very soon, and so I thought I'd put some kind of perfunctory review for the first part.
The upshot is this: I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would. Honestly, the rating kind of threw me off before picking this up, but I am very glad I did. The writing was fabulous, the characters likeable and weird and just fitting with this prehistoric, dark atmosphere that permeated everything.
This read had a strange effect on me: it was like I was under, or drugged, and just read this from beginning to end with a sort of foggy fascination. At the moment I finished the book, I snapped to, blinked my eyes, and was just: Wow...
Hopefully, I will enjoy the second part just as much if not more. And I really hope that everything will end up okay, though I have a nagging conviction that that will not be the case.
I can't wait to see what happens next.

From what I found, many readers were disappointed with this eighth addition to the madly-popular Harry Potter series. So I was accordingly apprehensive that I would end up hating it.

And I am so, so happy to report that I didn't. Not a bit.

It wasn't anything like the Harry Potter books, granted. And I did find some parts of the premise to be utterly ridiculous and far-fetched. Also, gross over-simplification of the repercussions of fiddling with time, in my opinion.

But -

It was so charming. And funny. And the characters were cute and quirky (of course, some of them were grown-up Harry, Ron and Hermione, so...). It was just the right amount of dark to suit my tastes. Also, it was FREAKIN' FUNNY. In an understated way, which was entirely awesome. And: it was about friendship. FRIENDSHIP. Is there anything greater than that?

It wasn't a masterpiece or anything. I just really, really liked it.

3.5 stars.

This is a high three and a half rating, in an it-could-have-been-a-four kind of way. Under different circumstances, perhaps.

It's no secret that it took me very long to get through this book. Mostly I hold the fact that I read it as an e-book accountable. It takes me way longer to read on the computer (I should really obtain an e-reader soon), than on paper.

Also, the story was rather slow going. Which was part of its charm - don't get me wrong. It needed to be slow, ponderous, atmospheric. This enhanced its gothic spookiness factor. But the chapters were short, and I took them slowly, one by one.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was told well, keeping up its mysteriousness almost until the very end. I guess I was just not fully taken in by it. I would just say that I was a bit - well - put off by how it all resolved; I mean, I found it a little hard to believe how everything was discovered, and when it was - I found that I wasn't all that affected. It was a nice story, and a strange one, beautifully written, but nothing in it particularly struck me. Not so much the events, nor the characters (who are always what I tend to care about the most).

I think I might have liked it better if I'd been more in the mood for it, and if I'd have read it more closely together.

It was good while it lasted.

I can't say I loved this book. It was broken and terrible and haunting; I don't know how anyone could live like this. Or maybe they just don't.

3.5 stars.

So, it was a pretty decent story, but kind of short... As an introduction to Batman, I guess I liked it. I don't know. I might just not be into the whole superhero thing at all...

I did like the art, in any case.

This was a good book. Juliet Marillier's writing can never render any story penned by her as anything less than that. The writing was simply top-notch. Beautiful, flowing, magical. Addictive.

As for the story, I did enjoy it - although the beginning was quite slow for me. And although I figured out what was going to happen, or most of it, way before it did. Still, I liked the direction it was going. And this book was definitely better than the previous book in the series, which I hadn't liked that much. I was a lot more invested in the characters, and I did like the romance for the most part, except toward the end where it felt kind of strained. I wanted their relationship to deepen, to have them readjust to it after all the changes they went through - and that didn't happen, so I was a bit let down. But overall, like I mentioned, a good book. As a whole, I would give this series 4 stars. I will most certainly continue reading more of Juliet Marillier's works, and though I liked this series a lot (especially the first trilogy), I am in a way glad it's over, so I can delve into other stories by her, and see more of what she's written; I'm actually really excited for that. I'm craving something beautifully written and engaging, but also new.

I'm not sure what expectations I had going into this book, but whatever the case, I did not overly enjoy it. I don't mean to say that it was terrible... exactly. The concept was overall entertaining. It had potential, I guess. It was a rather fast-paced, action-packed read (mostly toward the end). My personal problem with the book was that I felt that the story took precedence over any realistic or relishable development of either character or romance. The portrayal of characters felt almost flat to me. I felt pretty detached from the story in all due to that.

I liked this book about Ki and Vandien the most out of the whole four. However, I did not feel as if there was an ongoing story through the series that reached a conclusion in this one. Rather, it felt mostly like a completely seperate story, except for the fact it happened to involve the two main characters of the previous books. That being said, I have to remark that I found this book constructed well, flavored with enough mystery to keep me interested as I read on and things began to fall into place. It was a good read.

Such an amazing conclusion. I can't believe how I almost forgot all the major plotlines in this book; or at least it felt like it, so it was super fun to reread and find out how everything really went. Robin Hobb's writing is so good and I really enjoyed this book a lot. This trilogy is fantastic.

3.5 stars.

This book was so, so amazing I do not even know what to say that would do it justice. I liked Gary D. Schmidt's other book, The Wednesday Wars, which is vaguely connected to this one, very much. And that has to mean that I absolutely loved this one. It was that good. There were moments when the writing was so beautiful, so spot-on, that I got so caught up in it all I could barely breathe. I'm not trying to be dramatic here. It was true. How can a life be so full of hardships, and pain, and still manage to perserve at the same time so much hope? This is what Doug Swieteck's life is like. This is an incredible tale of one boy with such a big heart, one boy and an entire town, and I think that anyone who cares should do himself the favor and read it.

I just love this series so much. This last volume was particularly heart-wrenching, and sweet, and just right for the series to end on. I can't believe its over; now all I can do is read it all over again!

3.5 stars

Yeah, great. Hatsuharu is so sweet.

It took me kind of long to read this, but not because I didn't like the book - I have a feeling I'm experiencing a reading slump without exactly knowing it. It's like I'm in denial. Heh.

ANYWAY, concerning the book itself: I loved it a lot, but I was not surprised by that. I already read and loved it at least twice. This is Fitz, older, and gruffer, and much more mature. That I missed him and the Fool terribly I think goes without saying. Again they have to set out together to save the world - or at least the Six Duchies - at great expense for themselves. Again they succeed, but only barely. I laughed and loved and ached and cried throughout their adventure, and am sure to do so again.

The second book of the Farseer trilogy, and it seemed to have more in it from everything than in the first book. More intrigue, more growth, more sophistication, more love, and pain, and helplessness. Yet I can't fairly say that I like this one better for all of that; I've always held an affection for the first book, for its youngness and freshness and simplicity. This installment is deeper, darker. It's a fantastic continuation to Fitz's tale. I loved it incredibly.

This book has taken a much darker turn in the series. From the visitations into Voldemort's past to certain deaths and betrayals, it was a fascinating read all around. Rowling is simply a master at spinning story arcs that would somehow all draw to an astounding conclusion. The only aspect of the story that I wished would have been given a little bit more foreground, was Ginny. I just never felt Ginny was given the same depth as many of the great characters in this series; Hers and Harry's romance was short-lived and hasty, and I don't think I actually know Ginny that much as a person on her own right. We only get glimpses of her personality, which I think is a real shame. Other than that, though, I love everything about this book - except the fact that it's the one before last, which means the story's almost over...

I think it is a more of a 3.5 star book for me.

I shall have to divide this review into categories, because I can't see any clear way in which to review this book as a whole.

First, the premise: Two kids die in an accident, but instead of getting to heaven (or hell) they are stuck in a limbo place, called Everlost, where they seem to be stuck spending the rest of their existence.
The concept intrigued me from the get-go. Kids coping with death in a magical place.... Sounds interesting, and the thing is, the execution was great. I was a bit apprehensive during the first few pages; the beginning struck me as bizarre and disjoined, but once I started going, I couldn't stop. The setting was unique, the rules comprising it intriguing, and the way the plot moved forward kept me wishing to know what exactly was going to happen next. I can't say that it kept me on my toes, but it was definitely not boring.
So, as far as plot goes, I felt this book hit the mark pretty straight on.

Now for the less favorable things:

The writing style. I did not feel anything for it, really. It was just there, not beautiful or unique or anything, but that was okay. The thing that really bothered me was how un-subtle it was. It felt a bit juvenile at times, and at others simply stated the facts, throwing them in the reader's face. To say the least, I did not much care for that.

And as for the most atrocious thing about this book, that which prevented me from giving it more than 4 stars: The characters.
Oh my show more god, I hated - hated! - Mary Hightower. She was the most annoying, patronizing, goodie-goodie flat character in existence. And the romance she shared with Nick was a joke. It was the worst case of insta-love I have encountered in a long time. So disgusting, undeveloped, unbelievable. And it also kind of made me dislike Nick; it felt like there was no depth to him, eventhough I was kinda prepared to like him. I will admit, though, that I sorta liked the twist on their relationship toward the end....

Thankfully, there was also Allie, whom I liked the most out of the entire cast of characters. And her - maybe - budding relationship with **** was interesting, and still has potential, so here's me crossing my fingers, but I'm not expecting too much. The thing about Neal Shusterman's characterization, like in his writing, is that he's not subtle at all, he just comes out and says it, and the reader is left to buy into or not. Not the best method, and it kind of subtracted a lot from what sadly could have been a very entertaining read... show less

4.5 stars.
Like the three previous books of Juliet Marrilier's that I have read, I liked this one a whole lot. I don't know how she manages to make her stories so enticing, her characters so real and likeable, her plots crafted so masterfully that you find yourself following it like a dream woven of magic threads. I am head over heels in love with this series.

This was simply a near-perfect near-ending to this beautiful series.

3.5 stars.
I can't honestly say that this was an entirely wholesome conclusion to the story. It did enfold elements and characters from all books, but I didn't quite feel like the series was constructed in a way that led to this ending. But maybe it's supposed to be that way, since these are companion novels. Still, I was searching for something a little bit more from it.

Even though, it was a good book. The first too parts were kind of slow but interesting, especially the second part, which had me really invested in the characters. However, once it turned to the third part, I was slightly taken aback by the shift in perspective and the sudden gap in years. The thing that annoyed me the most about that part was I just couldn't buy into the relationships portrayed in it, especially between Gabe and Claire, which felt abrupt and not thoroughly explored or explained.

Also, the Trademaster struck me as a pretty petty villain, whose destruction came about too hastily. I did not fear him, and neve really understood what he was all about at all.

One last thig that I have to point out as a something that irked me a little was the setting. It was one world, supposedly in the future, which was caught in between progress and setback. Some villages had electricity and very strict goverment, others were all but medieval. I could not grasp how it came about to be that way, and Iwould have liked a deeper exploration of the world. Not necessarily in this book perhaps, but thrown in in all show more four.

So I wasn't a hundred percent sold on this book. Still, it was interesting and imaginative, and a pretty good and thought-provoking read. I think it is better suited to younger readers, but I still liked it pretty well. show less

This was just so beautiful and sad.

3.5 stars.

3.5 stars.
This book was weird and delightful, and a very good continuation for the first part which I had read a while ago. While I liked it, my main complaint centers around the fact that the end was a bit underwhelming; I was expecting something quite horrific to happen when everything came to a head - and it did, to a certain extent, but it all seemed to settle down quite fast and in a way that felt a bit too good, too convenient. Even so, it was an entertaining, dark read.

Phew... This seems to have taken me a long time, for some reason.

It was a very... interesting book. I don't know if I'll call this exactly a thriller, though. It never really had my heart stop beating and my lungs stop breathing with the tension of it.

Still, the premise was cool, and I really really liked Michael, the protag. And I did feel for him, especially at the end.

The very ending might have been a bit underwhelming, but over all I enjoyed the book; I'm glad I read it.

This conclusion was everything I wanted it to be; I remember loving it the first time I read it, but not how near-perfect it was.

This book is definitely my favorite of the series.

And the story is finally being told. I can't believe it. It's almost over.