Well, I feel absolutely guilty about writing such a review, cause I absolutely love the Parasolverse, and I loved all the characters from the FinishinWell, I feel absolutely guilty about writing such a review, cause I absolutely love the Parasolverse, and I loved all the characters from the Finishing School series dearly. The author also writes really well, and the story is valid and characters act realistic, so it's not like I've got anything to complain about. But this story was about a really messed up and damaging relationship in my opinion, and it just left me angry. Perhaps this story works for other readers, and the author has perfect freedom to do whatever she wants with her world, but... This book seriously didn't work for me.
I'm quite surprised by how sad and depressing it was. Agatha, the way she treated Pillover, reminded me of a friend who dumped me years ago (hey, non-romantic break-ups mess you up!) I thought Agatha cold and hard-hearted, despite understanding that it was meant to display her guardedness and that she was hurting herself too. (view spoiler)[The way she strung him along for so many years was brutal, and then kept coming back only when it was selfishly convenient for her. It was hard not to hate this character for that. I was also very angry on Pillover's behalf. (hide spoiler)]So here I was at the 80% mark, and the story is still depressing and the romance hasn't really started?
In my review of Poison or Protect, I said I thought the book was weak because it was just a romance - nothing else going on. Everything that happened was a backdrop, and a very flat one, at that. Just to accommodate the romance. This one though... Sad to say, I couldn't even call it "just a romance" (not that being "just a romance" is bad, it's just that after the Finishing School series, I expected more world building and general "going on" rather than just dealing in emotion, and to hell with the brilliant world the author built). But back to the point, this book has absolutely nothing going on in terms of the spy lifestyle (unlike Dimity's book had), but it also had precious little going on in terms of romance. To top it off, the main character acted like a cold hearted bitch to the poor soft boy. It was a very sad book. Totally out of left field, as I'm used to Carriger's books being a little more upbeat. Nothing wrong with a philosophical book, but... Sigh. This is an odd series, I guess.
About the only bit of this book I enjoyed was the snippets we get about what's going on with Dimity's family as time goes on. So not much.
Perhaps the author wanted to make this a different book? Make the characters starkly different from the norm, make them independent and complex? I guess that worked. But for me, that made the book profoundly unsatisfying, and it made the relationship appear to be very damaging, maybe even manipulating. I liked Agatha in the Finishing School series. I have a firm dislike of Agatha and her choices now. Ugh.
I wonder what other reviewers will say about this one - I'm off to read some of the other reviews......more
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from author
I loved this book. It was fun, fast paced and full of action. It even broke my reading slump thatHow I read this: Free ebook copy received from author
I loved this book. It was fun, fast paced and full of action. It even broke my reading slump that I've had for a month or two. And not only that – I absolutely fell for the characters. What's more, this book is perfect for D&D lovers, cause there are just so many related Easter eggs for the reader.
There is something about getting attached to an imaginary universe, and I believe this is happening to me in regards to Arvia and its lore. Hazelhearth Hires Heroes is the third book set in this mythical place, and despite me not typically being overly fond of fantasy stories, I am head over heels for this series, because I just love returning there.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from a publicist
Wow, was this a quirky little book! Bernice Takes a Plunge - I wondered why that name? Well,How I read this: Free ebook copy received from a publicist
Wow, was this a quirky little book! Bernice Takes a Plunge - I wondered why that name? Well, you won't have to wait long to find out - some 'plunging' is involved, but I don't want to spoil! (It's quite unexpected and funny, I'll give you at least this much info.) Overall, it's an adorable and quite short lovely story about how a little girl makes a friend and solves a crime (better than the adults too, ha!)
I really couldn't help falling head over heels for this quirky, adorable bundle of energy that Bernice, the main character, was. She has all sorts of ideas, and usually there are so many, her mind runs faster than the world spins! For the adults, she would be a tough kid to handle, most likely, but for me, as a reader of a book? She is the perfect character!
Perhaps one of my favorite 'Bernice moments' was when she was making an ointment for her friend, who had chicken pox. She put all the ingredients in the bowl and smashed a tomato to bits over it! Why? "Because that is what ensures only the right amount of it goes in! Whatever bits weren't supposed to be part of the magic potion stay out!" -- Adorable. Gotta love Bernice.
It was an adorable story, and it would be a great book to read with your kid.
I thank the publicist and author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
This was very good, but while I think it's meant for children, I would never give this to a child to read. It was proHow I read this: bought on Amazon
This was very good, but while I think it's meant for children, I would never give this to a child to read. It was proper adult scary and dark. Like, super dark. Gory and bloody too. And awfully depressing, even if the end message was good. (view spoiler)[But even so, while the ending IS positive, there is a lot of depressing stuff in it. (hide spoiler)]
There are also tons of triggers. (view spoiler)[Serious bullying, murder, ripping out hearts, killing a dog, abusive parents. (hide spoiler)] I was pretty shook as an adult.
This book was just so perfect. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars, and I find myself completely unable to write a review, because the story, as This book was just so perfect. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars, and I find myself completely unable to write a review, because the story, as well as everything in between the lines, was so much bigger than anything I could ever say about it. It's one of those unique books that will always stay with you. I read hundreds of books every year, but there are perhaps only ten that I'll still remember after years and years. And this one will definitely be one of them. I'm sure of it....more
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from author ★★★✬☆ 3.5 stars
This was a delightful, quick read. I only wish it was a little longer!
Tamsin is a How I read this: Free ebook copy received from author ★★★✬☆ 3.5 stars
This was a delightful, quick read. I only wish it was a little longer!
Tamsin is a young scientist at a cutting-edge school for teenage scientists. It’s a pretty cool futuristic school, the type you’re used to seeing in cartoons – in fact, the whole graphic novel had a pleasant, cartoonish style which I enjoyed. The kids talk in sciencey ways and it makes reading it fun – truly did remind me of the cartoons I watched in my childhood and my teens, because this is exactly the kind of stuff I enjoyed then. I only wish there were more stories like this back then!
There are a few reasons why I say this – first of all, it’s a very good read for girls – girls are scientists in this story, they’re very empowered and strong and they do all sorts of stuff – prepare to colonize uninhabited planets, run labs, do experiments and are just generally being mad scientists! There’s only one boy in the flock and he’s a secondary character, and there are a few men as teachers – the headmaster and others, but that’s all. The young generation is all girls and that was delightful.
Another reason is because the cast is so diverse! Pretty much every character is of a different heritage, and the two main characters are girls who fall in love. So in this regard, it’s a very refreshing read.
In this story, Tamsin learns that you may not always trust the people closest to you, as sad as it is, and you should always trust your own thinking and your decisions. It was a lovely read and I definitely want to read the next issue! The only drawback for me was that everything seemed to happen a little too quick, and for a graphic novel it felt a bit short – a lot of moments could have been fleshed out a little bit more, things could have been a little less rushed. It would have certainly been good for the novel to have more “bulk” – and I hope this will be the case in the new issues of the story. Other than that, it’s a delightful read that sparks your fantasy and keeps you interested. Definitely give it a go!
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from the author
3.5 stars, rounded to 4 - this was a really unusual adventure that centers around a very unliHow I read this: Free ebook copy received from the author
3.5 stars, rounded to 4 - this was a really unusual adventure that centers around a very unlikely friendship between a helpless human and a large predator, a harpy. The read was quite funny! And yet, touching at times as well. If you want to read more, here is my full review: https://avalinahsbooks.space/tales-of...
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from the author
So a little while ago I read a middle grade book where this guy writes a secret journal (PleaHow I read this: Free ebook copy received from the author
So a little while ago I read a middle grade book where this guy writes a secret journal (Please Return To: Norbert M. Finkelstein). He’s a teacher by day and wrestler by night! The book was cute, it was about finding your true self, strength and self-confidence – just basically learning to let go and live your life. It was a cute read.
And recently, I learned it’s about to have a sequel! I can tell you, I loved the idea right off the bat. Turns out, the teacher wrestler l loses the journal! And a big grump of a bully picks it up. Toby used to be a big, “important” kid back home. One who terrified everyone in his class. But now… Now he’s moved – to a new place where he’s a big old nobody. And where his dad isn’t with him anymore.
Lost in his feelings, Toby tries to pretend it’s everyone else who’s stupid and he just doesn’t care – that’s why he won’t even talk to anyone around. Not that he’s upset about moving or not having his dad anymore. Not that he’s out of his element and is feeling insecure.
Despite him being a bully and a grump at first, Toby’s attitude is awesome (don’t take me wrong – awesome for a book, to read!) He’s sort of a grumpy cat personality? It reads really nicely – he’s got some good sarcasm and wit, and he’s also got a mean joke to throw at anyone. But only on paper, in his diary – because this ex-bully somehow comes across as shy and quiet in this new setting he’s not familiar with.
But the thing is – Toby wants to change. He still doesn’t quite know it, but he’s been different since his move. So maybe he doesn’t know how to practice empathy yet – but it doesn’t mean he’s not up to trying. And sometimes it’s enough to open up just a tiny bit, and a lot of good life lessons can come of it.
As we get to know Toby better throughout the book, we realize that he’s just trying to come off all big and mighty, but he’s actually something of a softie inside, and his way of pretending to be a big bad bully is just a protective mechanism. Luckily, Toby meets a few people who will motivate him to stay off the dark side and try to work out who he really wants to be.
That’s also part of what I liked about this book – that the characters who motivate Toby on getting a grip on his life are the same people the first book was about – and the second book isn’t just about Toby – there’s a lot about the side characters too, there’s even a whole mini-arc aboout the main character of the first one, Mr. Finkelstein – who is now Toby’s teacher and also wrestling training buddy. So this book isn’t just about a single boy – it’s about a lot of people. It really does have a community feel.
And I have to say, I really loved the ending :) not spoilering you though! Read it for yourselves to find out.
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
This was a great story, chaotic and colorful, and what I liked about it most was the detail, for example, the magical house, all of the various familyThis was a great story, chaotic and colorful, and what I liked about it most was the detail, for example, the magical house, all of the various family members with their quirks and things like that. The story itself incorporates an interesting mix of ancient knowledge (alchemy, old books, legends, old libraries) and current science (DNA, medicine, some ideas of quantum mechanics - although of course they're all fictionalized, because it's a book about witchcraft - nonetheless, a lovely touch). All of that made for quite an original story.
The only things I didn't enjoy 100% was the inconsistency of the main character and the middle of the book where for at least a quarter of the story literally nothing was happening, but some boring romance in a castle. I didn't enjoy the main character, because at first she appears to be wilful and headstrong, and hell bent on her career and achievements. But just as soon as she's in love (which is also not typical for her, apparently), she forgets all reason she had for keeping with her career and achievements. I REALLY didn't like it. I couldn't see a woman who was so focused stupidly drop her every goal like that. It felt out of character. In the first bits, she literally risks her life to get more stuff on the page of her research. But just as she gets into their little love nest in France, where she conveniently has all the resources at her fingertips, she writes down a sentence a day 2 days a week and decides she's too lazy that day for more. I just can't see it. It's not the same woman. How did her research suddenly stop mattering? Before she even knew the big plot? Doesn't make sense.
As for the romance bit - the romance itself was fine, and I enjoyed the interactions with Matthew's family when they were all in France, but at the same time - here's mortal danger and a lack of time, and you guys are here cavorting and eating picnics? What? It felt unnatural and a little bit too long. Just day after day of nothing happening. I almost abandoned the book at that point. But eventually, that bit ended, and everything was much better afterwards! So if you're stuck in the middle bit, it's definitely worth pushing through. The story picks up, and then you won't want to put the book down again.
I loved it!!! ★★★★✬ 4.5 stars I can’t believe a book like that just randomly landed on my reading list. (Remember when I said, take that, universe? WelI loved it!!! ★★★★✬ 4.5 stars I can’t believe a book like that just randomly landed on my reading list. (Remember when I said, take that, universe? Well, maybe there is balance. Thanks, universe!) I would have never chosen to read this book on my own – the cover choice would have kept me off it. I usually steer clear of books that look “too epic fantasy”, because it’s usually not my thing. And it does seem to be that from the cover. But it’s not! This is a middle grade with a lot of paranormal in it, but it reads more like an adventure or a fairytale, with a moral to the story as well. It was very good! And I’m very glad I got to read it.
Anyway, to tell you more about the story – Lucifer is… *gasp!* dying. And despite all you might think, the world DOES need a Hell, just as much as it needs a balance between good and evil. So, Lucifer gets a boy from earth in a last attempt to train a successor. Sadly… A mistake gets in the way, and instead of getting the worst bully the world has ever seen, Lucifer ends up with a boy who does all his chores because he wants to be good, would rather volunteer to be a punching bad so that others wouldn’t get punched and has also never told a lie, even a white one – even at the cost of losing a friend.
I loved the writing of this book – it reads really easily and is instantly engrossing. The Hell in which Phillip, the boy, ends up, is pretty imaginative as well! It had a lot of interesting things in it. It actually reminded me of another book that was about the afterlife, called List of 13, which I also greatly recommend.
But this isn’t just a book about a good boy landing in Hell, as great as that premise sounds! It’s so much more. While Hell itself is plenty simplified, the balance between good and evil is not. When Phillip comes to Hell, he has this one-sided understanding of life. Good things are only good, bad things are only bad. It’s so very natural for us to think that – I think all of us feel this way when we are children, and some of us never do grow out of it, because it’s hard. It’s hard to imagine that “bad people” have families and friends they love and respect. It’s hard seeing “bad people” as “just people”. We always want to exalt the good and demonize the bad. It makes life easier.
But that’s what Phillip learns – the good, as well as the evil, can all be found inside of your own self.
It’s incredibly easy to be tempted into evil – it doesn’t matter how “good” you essentially were. Good and evil is a choice, and we all make it every day. Every second of each day! Sometimes we may be forced into a choice, and sometimes it may be that we’ve been tempted. But it is important to OWN that choice. To realize that it was you who made it.
Another thing I really loved about this book was how it portrayed growing up – the change from a child to a teen. Learning to stand up for yourself and learning how to defend yourself isn’t “evil”. Being strong and decisive doesn’t have to be “evil”, and being meek and soft doesn’t always have to be “good”. Embracing your anger and understanding it is a natural part of growing up – in fact, I think that’s what we are learning through our teenage years. Shutting up all that anger inside of you won’t make you a better person – understanding the anger is what does.
Apart from these bigger themes, The Devil’s Apprentice is one big adventure a nice boy experiences in the evilest place of the world – Hell. Surprisingly, he makes friends and even manages to convince some devils that there is virtue to kindness. Because that’s what life is – it isn’t black or white. Life is a lot of grey. And when you realize that, the adventure becomes fun.
I can truly recommend this book! It was fun to read and made me ponder bigger themes. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
I thank the author, publisher and The Write Reads blog tours for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Triggers: (view spoiler)[There is some (demon)cat torturing, although not graphic, mostly just mention. Of course, this is hell, so the sinners taking their punishment are always in the background. What I particularly didn’t enjoy was the punishment of people who killed themselves and I morally didn’t agree with it (they dig holes for themselves and are the buried alive every day) . There is some torture of these “people of hell”, but not very graphic. Also, there is death in a car accident and some really bad bullying at the start of the book. But none of it is presented very seriously, so I was able to just gloss over it all, without being too triggered myself. Another trigger may be that you could be uncomfortable with this depiction of hell. It may help understanding that this is just a work of fiction and nobody is really questioning your religious beliefs. (hide spoiler)]
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I really loved the format of this book. It starts with a short history of Galileo's life anHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I really loved the format of this book. It starts with a short history of Galileo's life and then moves on to the much more interesting fictionalized dialogues with him - some of Galileo's words are actually taken from his works or letters, so it's real stuff he's said!
What's interesting though, is that it's not just about Galileo himself - it's also like a window into the life in his times - the social problems, the conventions, the atmosphere. For example, women could not marry if their families were poor because they couldn't pay their dowries, and so many were forced to go into convents because there was nowhere else to go. But not only the women - men with no means could also not marry. So it seemed preferable for a man to 'have a companion' - an illegal wife or lover and illegitimate children - if you didn't have the money to marry. In a world where the church could put scientists under house arrest or ban books for 'devilry', this marriage convention... Just seems so backwards. Humans are weird!
I also always thought that the famous inventors and scientists of the past didn't struggle - after all, they must've had all that time to invent things, clearly their life wasn't a 9 to 5 like many of ours! Right? But as it appears, Galileo hustled like mad! He really struggled with finances although he was famous and had a good income. He came up with so many side hustles you have no idea. Who would have thought!
This was definitely an interesting read - also short, fast and to the point. I enjoyed it.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
And I'll tell you, it's a wild ride. I hadn't read / listened to anything of Night Vale before, although mayIt Devours!? Oh yeah, I've read that book.
And I'll tell you, it's a wild ride. I hadn't read / listened to anything of Night Vale before, although maybe I should have. The book wasn't harder to get into because of that, but it is not your typical read! On one hand, it's a crazy mix of stuff that doesn't seem to make much sense, but on the other - it makes perfect sense and you know that's exactly the way it has been intended. (Don't ask me how this works, it's Night Vale. Nobody knows how anything works.) It's pretty wild!
If you enjoy bizarro and scifi / urban fantasy comedies, you should enjoy this.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I certainly enjoyed this small and quite simple, easy to follow book about spiritual freedoHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I certainly enjoyed this small and quite simple, easy to follow book about spiritual freedom. But I must say - this is only for those who don't fear a little (or maybe, quite a lot of) woo woo. I happen to be quite woo woo tolerant, but a few things tickled even me the wrong way. By the way, I can totally understand those who roll their eyes at woo woo, and I can also understand why. So consider yourself warned!
Anyway, the philosophy of this book is a nice New Agey mix of some Zen Buddhism, some Hawaiian spirituality and probably some even personal findings of the author. It's not judgemental, very free in its spirit and easy to read. What I liked was that the author nicely explained Pascal's wager - or why you simply can't lose anything by believing at least something about your undying nature - that's for the unbelievers who have a deeply rooted fear of death. A large part of the book is dedicated to that.
The book also talks a lot about reincarnation, easily explains karmic cycles and stresses the importance of meditation. It even uses analogies to quantum mechanics, which I thought may be a little oversimplified, but still interesting. However, meditation was touched upon twice, and yet I didn't feel like everything was covered - I still had questions and it felt like the author was going to follow up, but he never quite did. That, and the general fumbling lack of editing is what brought it down from 4 to 3 stars for me.
And yes, then there's the serious woo woo. I say l'm woo woo tolerant, but the eye color of aliens and sorcery - that firmly belongs in the scifi / fantasy category for me at this point. I wasn't even sure why the author left that in - short mentions of things that are quite unrelated to 99% of the content, but are largely disconcerting to the average reader don't belong in such a book. Perhaps, as I say, editing could have helped, but from what I gather, it's an indie.
Overall, it was a nice, peaceful and motivating book to read on some soul-searching, but it has its flaws. Still worth a read though. I liked it.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
One of the best scifi series ever, and what's interesting, it remained just as good throughout the entire three books. I am in awe.One of the best scifi series ever, and what's interesting, it remained just as good throughout the entire three books. I am in awe....more
God, these books are so incredibly good!!! I haven't enjoyed a story this much for a long time. Although I have to admit, the humans in this particulaGod, these books are so incredibly good!!! I haven't enjoyed a story this much for a long time. Although I have to admit, the humans in this particular one are a solid pile of turds. Like you almost don't want them to survive as a species! Anyway, I can't wait to see how this story ends....more
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again – Stay is a serious, deep and very beautiful, yet realHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again – Stay is a serious, deep and very beautiful, yet realistic and down to Earth novel. This is my second book by her, and I was completely blown away by the first one, Where Is Luis Velez, so I was a little bit worried about reading another one
(despite buying up ANYTHING by her that went on sale for the past half a year!)
Because what if I didn't like it as much? It's hard to start reading an author at a 5 star book.
But I needn't have worried – Stay is touching, heartfelt, it has deep subjects, is steeped in a worldview based on kindness,and while it didn't hit me as strongly on the personal level as the first book did
(the problems in the story were less close to my heart)
, it's still a strong 4.5 star and I was incredibly invested in it straight after I started reading.
In Stay, we get to see the world through the eyes of the people who we would ordinarily be told to avoid because "they're not someone you should mix with". Draft Dodgers. Addicts. Mood killers. The simply different. Those who will not bow down to some pointless notions of society. What the book puts out there is that you can't possibly judge them if you know them like the story helped you know them, but if you were to hear about them in passing, you probably would. You might even think they're not very good people. And how many times do we make that kind of a snap judgement in our real lives?
Stay is an amazing book. It warms your heart. It makes life seem more meaningful, if only for a little while longer. It makes you want to believe in humanity again. More reasons to read it here:
Triggers include (view spoiler)[attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, addiction to alcohol and substances, imagery of war, war wounds, losing or injuring limbs, PTSD, children dying in a fatal car accident. (hide spoiler)] This may not be a full list of triggers.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Evelina | AvalinahsBooks
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