A Review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children--Finally!

I know, I know.  I promised this last week.  But better late than never, right?  Right??  :D

 

From Goodreads:

A mysterious island.


An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

What I liked:

This story started out very Big Fish-esque (which may have occurred to me because I watched the movie the day before I got the book--and seeing as I love that movie, this is a huge plus for me).

Jacob's grandfather likes to tell stories, fantastic stories about a levitating girl (see cover), a bird who smokes a pipe, an invisible boy, and other peculiar things. But as much as the grandfather insists his stories are true (with gorgeous pictures to prove it), he comes across as pretty senile to the rest of his family.  That is until something horrible happens, and then everyone thinks Jacob is senile too.

So the quest for the truth is on and there are plenty of times when you wonder if maybe Jacob and his grandfather weren't just a couple of loons.  It's definitely not a story where you know right from the beginning how it's all going to pan out.  And I like that because that's what makes it a good mystery.

I have literally never read anything like this book before, and I'd be willing to bet few of you have.  Ransom Rigg's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children revolves around authentic antique photos, which litter the pages.  And some of those photos are absolutely freaky.

In fact, this book is so gorgeously crafted with antique-looking paper, scrolly details, and the black and white pictures, that it's become a work of art in itself.  In fact, if you have an ereader, I suggest you buy the hardcover anyway.

What I didn't like:

I'm honestly trying to be nit-picky here so I can come across as fair, but I can't think of anything I didn't like.  Well...maybe one of the relationships did border on creepy for a second or two, but I got over it and I'm sure you would too.

What I would rate it:

5 stars!!  As in, go and buy this NOW! 

And for your purchasing convenience, I offer you this link.

Have any of you read it?  What did you think?  And if you haven't read it yet, are you going to now?

Bad Taste in Boys! A Review! For Real This Time!!

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.



About the Author:

"Carrie Harris is a geek-of-all-trades and proud of it.  Brains are her specialty; she used to work in a lab where they were delivered daily via FedEx.  After that, it seemed only natural to write a zombie book.  Now she lives in Michigan with her ninja-doctor husband and three zombie-obsessed children.  Learn more about her at carrieharrisbooks.com."


What I liked:


Holy cannoli, people, this book is a winner.  It is so hilarious, so campy, so zany (a word I've decided to use as often as I can), so...so...worth reading.  When two of the main supporting characters are named Rocky and Kiki, you know you're in for a laugh-out-loud treat.


Kate Grable is a full-on geek with frizzy hair, glasses, and non-existent social graces and she is soooo proud of it.  Well, maybe not those parts, but she's definitely proud of the brains that come with geek-dom.  Braaaaaiiiins.  Hehe!  In a story where the high school jocks have become brain dead in every sense, having a few smarts to save the day is definitely a plus.  And with geeky little brother by her side--a pseudosword in his hand--the quest to cure the zombies is her newest life mission.


Even with all the gory bits (and yes, there were gory bits--this is a book about zombies, people), I managed to laugh through 90% of this book.


Think I'm exaggerating about the hilarity? Let's take a look at some of Ms. Harris's witty phrasing that permeates the pages:


"It was game on, zombies. Game. On."


"He giggled. Yep, it was really him. I didn't know any other teenage male who would giggle in public. Or at all."


Ahahaha!  Okay, I realize that without context these lines might be totally lost on you, dear readers, but trust me, they're hilarious.


What I didn't like:


There was literally nothing I didn't like.  Even the cheesiness at the end was so completely perfect, so in keeping with the rest of the book that I couldn't help but laugh.


I definitely give this book five stars and am wondering why you're still here reading this review!  Go buy it!  You can even click this link for your purchasing convenience.

The Curse Girl--A Review

Book Description: 

When her father tries to steal magic from the mysterious, beastly master of the "Curse House" outside her home town, seventeen-year-old Beauty is the one who becomes a prisoner of the Beast in reparation. Will isn't anything like she expected. He's the same age as she is, for one thing. He's also really handsome, contrary to local legend. Well, maybe the whole "beast" thing is meant to be metaphorical, because he's a total jerk.

Between the house's weird magic and Will's snobby attitude, the situation is nearly unbearable, and Beauty only wants to escape. But there are ... complications. The witch who cursed Will left him a riddle to solve and four years to figure it out. And now that Beauty's become a part of this messed up fairy tale, she'd better help Will figure out the riddle so they can break the curse, or she's going to remain a prisoner in the curse house too.

Because the four years are almost up.

What I liked:

I really don't know how to put into words what I liked about this book.  A few that come to mind are sweet, charming, and awww-inducing, but I find I'm at a loss to really put all those words into a coherent paragraph that will convince you to buy this book. 

The Curse Girl is essentially a cool glass of water on a very hot day.  It's refreshing.  And simple.  And really, very lovely. 

By the end of the book, you don't feel ready to tear one character's hair out or curse the MC for his/her all around foolishness.  There's none of that angsty drama that's so prevalent in so many YA books these days.  In fact, this is the kind of book you can put down after clicking to the last page and breathe a steady sigh.

So, what am I telling you?  I'm telling you I loved this book!  It's not like every other book out there where it's drama here!  Drama there!  Drama everywhere!  I mean, sure, it's a book, so there's some drama, but it's not drama for the sake of drama.  It works, and it's nice.  And Bee (Beauty) and Will are two characters you can really fall in love with.

What I didn't like:

Okay, you should know by now that I do this because I'm trying to be fair when reviewing books.  I rarely post a review of a book where this section is really very substantial, but I still like to add it so that you know I'm being honest with you. 

There were some very minor typo and inconsistency issues.  VERY minor.  They certainly weren't anything that should keep a person from purchasing and loving this book.  In fact, I'm very picky when it comes to stuff like that, so if I'm telling you it's okay, trust me.  It's okay.

What I would rate it:

4 stars!  (aka--go ahead and buy it!  You'll like it!)

And for your purchasing convenience, you can buy the kindle version here, the nook version here, and all other formats here.  To read the interview with the author, Kate Ellison, click here.

Have any of you read it yet?  If so, what did you think?

Book Review--The Hating Game, by Talli Roland

From Talli's website: 

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. 

After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. 

Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money  she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end.

What I Liked: 

I'll be totally honest here:  I did NOT think THE HATING GAME would enter my list of favorite books.  I don't tend to sympathize with man-hating women.  But I bought the book the day it came out because the plot sounded interesting and well, I follow Talli's blog!  So, of course, I had to show some support.

Dear readers, I LOVED this book.  It was witty and fun from page one to the end.  I completely sympathized with the MC because she didn't exactly fall into your stereotypical I-am-woman-therefore-must-be-worshiped-by-inherently-inferior-men man-hater.  She was like a broken little girl who hid her weaknesses behind her faux pride.  And she was wonderful!  

Not to give away any spoilers, but the ending is MORE than satisfying.  Only the most perfect little twists and conclusions can make me clap and giggle like a little girl.  And, well, I might have done that with THE 

HATING GAME. 

What I Didn't Like:

In the spirit of fairness, I like to include this section in my reviews, but I can honestly say there wasn't a thing I didn't like about Talli's novel.  

So, with all that in mind, I would give THE HATING GAME

5 stars!

And you all, of course, remember that 5 stars means "What are you doing still reading this post?!  Go out and buy this book NOW!"  

For your purchasing convenience, click this link and buy THE HATING GAME, by Talli Roland today!

Discussion:  Have any of you read this book yet?  What did you think?

Oh, and stop by Monday for a post of EPIC EPICNESS!!!!  Seriously, big news coming your way!

I'm In Love

And his name is Fluffy.

A special little guy came in the mail a couple days ago, just in time for the two of us to enjoy the amazon gift card I won from maybe genius' mash-up blogfest!  We've spent every waking hour with each other so far.  He's shared his little stories, and I've kept him warm in my hands.  I even got him a little coat to wear.

Now, before I confuse you dear readers any further, let me tell you who Fluffy is...

My new kindle!!!  Yay!  And yes, I've named it Fluffy (there's an option for naming and everything!).  I already purchased two books (FIRELIGHT, by Sophie Jordan and HUSH, HUSH, by Becca Fitzpatrick) and just finished one of them moments ago.  Oh the ease!  Oh the joy!  Oh the danger...  Buying books is waaaaay too easy on this thing.  Going broke is very likely.  But I just may see book reviews becoming a regular feature on the blog in the future!  Actually, I really need to get some revising done.  :o

Off I go!

Sharing the Love

Last week I had received yet another reward from Christi Goddard at A Torch in the Tempest. Many thanks to her! She's a wonderful writer and reading her blog just brightens my day. Unfortunately, I tend to be a stalker in every sense of the word because I secretly read her posts but rarely make my presence known. Sorry about that, Christi! :( But I appreciate the love.

Speaking of...

That's precisely what she gave me! And I'm going to spread the love right now. I would imagine that all of you lovely readers are rather sick of me tooting my own horn with all of these awards, so I'm going to focus on one particular blog by a good friend of mine:

Ex Libris Draconis

I was very fortunate to have met Jaleh over at the Writer's Digest Forum. She's really helped me with Aurumenas and I've even gotten to read a bit of her work too. Of all the blogs I follow, hers is definitely at the top of my list of favorites. Each week she reviews a new book--most of which I'm sure you have never heard of--and she describes them so splendidly that you just have to read them.

Think you know every possible cause for a war? Think again! How about a feline friend in your royal court? Or a Frying Pan of Doom? And of course, no fantasy writer's library is complete without a comprehensive list of magical creatures.

Go over there and pick her brain. There are few people I have met in my life who are as knowledgeable in everything fantasy as she is. And don't forget to ask her about filk music! Seriously. Ask.

This is one blog that I seriously love, and I hope that you will too!

~Emily White

Ender Series

Well I'll admit it--I've been putting this one off. This is why: the guy (Orson Scott Card) won a Hugo Award for these books, and there was just a lot that I didn't like about them. And who am I to question his skill? Well, to be honest, I'm not really questioning his skill as much as I'm rebelling against the content of his books. Let me break this down into what I did like and what I didn't.

What I liked:

The first book (Ender's Game) was absolutely amazing. I love books about child prodigies and this one was both exciting and complex.

His intriguing writing style continued throughout all four books, creating a fascinating glimpse of the future.

All of his characters, not just the protagonist, were well-developed and kept me interested.

What I didn't like:

The subject matter changed from a child trying to fight through trial after trial in book one to a "this is why you should convert to humanism" in the remaining books in the series. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind discussions of faith (from atheism to polytheism) in a book, but this was horribly blatant and it was painfully clear that the only "intelligent" characters could possibly grasp the fact that the notion of a living god was just plain silly. Those who did express any faith in anything were plain psycho at worst and childishly naive at best.

The inconsistencies became worse with each book. Little facts didn't blend from one book to another and even by the last book, the inconsistencies started popping up just pages later. It was horribly annoying and it felt like Card expected me to either not have a good enough memory or just to enjoy the ride without thinking about what I was reading. This always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The protagonist, Ender, started out as this lovable, honorable kid who you just couldn't help but fall in love with. He did some things by the end of book One that would probably destroy just about anybody. The result was that the character was different and at times, pretty pathetic. It seemed that even Card couldn't stand him and found no way to help him move on from what he'd done, so he devised a way to (spoiler alert!!!) split him into three different people, kill off the original Ender along with one of the copies, and be left with the Ender he had always wanted. And once this was finally accomplished, the series ends abruptly with two happy marriages.

So I read them, and enjoyed them at times, but I'd be cautious about recommending them. The first book shouldn't even be included in the rest of the series, it's so completely different. So let me revise what I said: I would definitely recommend Ender's Game, but any recommendation I might give for the rest would come with a warning.

~Emily White