Just stunning. Made me cry, and I think that is the absolute goal of a novel - to make you feel so intensely that you have to release it somehow. AuguJust stunning. Made me cry, and I think that is the absolute goal of a novel - to make you feel so intensely that you have to release it somehow. Augustus is just... Just... Well, if you've read it then you know....more
**spoiler alert** This would have been a solid three star read had it been a zippy standalone thriller/murder mystery. Because it's being eked out ove**spoiler alert** This would have been a solid three star read had it been a zippy standalone thriller/murder mystery. Because it's being eked out over three books into a trilogy I felt a lot of the impact was lost. I want to know who did it, but, because there was such a lack of resolution, I'm not tempted enough to pick up the other two books. I also found the concept of Soul Beach a little *too* difficult to swallow, which often jarred me out of my reading experience. I do commend the writing though - it was sharp....more
Soulless, really, compared to what L J Smith wrote for this series. Not impressed by Aubrey Clark's effort.Soulless, really, compared to what L J Smith wrote for this series. Not impressed by Aubrey Clark's effort....more
It is a long, long time since I have read a book in a day and this one is the one that absolutely captured my imagination. It was so intense, so full It is a long, long time since I have read a book in a day and this one is the one that absolutely captured my imagination. It was so intense, so full of meaning and emotion and reality. I LOVED it. With every book, Cat Clarke becomes more and more the YA author that should be watched. Oh, and that ending made me weep....more
- The character of Bitterblue. I liked how conflicted she was. I liked her determination to do right by her people. - The romance. It waWhat I liked:
- The character of Bitterblue. I liked how conflicted she was. I liked her determination to do right by her people. - The romance. It was understated and all the better for it. - The idea of dealing with a world once a tyrant has been overthrown.
What I didn't like:
- Bitterblue came across much younger than I felt she actually was. Her voice was all wrong for the story being told. - There were several points where I skimmed rather than read and I felt little inclination to keep picking the book up. I felt it could have been a good hundred pages slimmer than it was. - The confusion of the plot. I found myself wondering what the hell was going on for a large portion of the time.
It just didn't have the same pace and zip as Graceling and Fire, although I do like Cashore's writing and her ability to handle complex ideas in a fantasy world. Not my favourite of the series by any means - that is still Graceling for me....more
A very good novel let down by the ending, which seemed to fizzle out to nothing. Lots of stuff that could have been explored further. Didn't much likeA very good novel let down by the ending, which seemed to fizzle out to nothing. Lots of stuff that could have been explored further. Didn't much like the epilogue neither. That last line of the final chapter was a fitting end. But, altogether, a gripping novel....more
Probably more 3.5. Still very entertaining and quick to read. Katniss much more sympathetic in this novel, and more aware of those around her. Quite rProbably more 3.5. Still very entertaining and quick to read. Katniss much more sympathetic in this novel, and more aware of those around her. Quite repetitive in the nature of the storyline and what happened in the arena....more
The perfect slice of contemporary romance - a girl finding out who she can be, a tremendously hot but sweet guy who loves her just the way she is. WonThe perfect slice of contemporary romance - a girl finding out who she can be, a tremendously hot but sweet guy who loves her just the way she is. Wonderful stuff....more
And so ends my hands-down favourite YA series. I think Maggie Stiefvater is so talented, her writing so beautiful, and it combined wonderfully with thAnd so ends my hands-down favourite YA series. I think Maggie Stiefvater is so talented, her writing so beautiful, and it combined wonderfully with this melancholic story. My favourite character by far is Cole. His deep thoughts on his own attitudes to life and how they change is one of the most rewarding parts of this book. I love the spikiness between he and Isabel and wish that they can make it work. And I appreciated the downkey ending, the idea that these lives will continue long past when we've finished reading about them....more
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