Something Strange and Deadly Read Along Week 4 October 31, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk, Read Along.Tags: book talk, books, read along, reading, something strange and deadly, susan dennard
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It’s the final week of the read along! How this month has flown by! Then end of the read along comes at a perfect time, Halloween! So Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you enjoyed this experience as much as I did.
1. On page 284, Eleanor gives the same advice to Clarence as Jie gave to her: “You always have a choice.” Eleanor has started to evolve in her thinking a little bit and become more independent. How did Clarence take these words of wisdom? How do you think it’s affecting the relationship between Eleanor and Clarence at this point in the novel?
Clarence didn’t respond to the advice very well. In fact he rejected it outright and scoffed at her. It made their relationship very uncomfortable at that point. I don’t think either of them knew where to go from there.
2. We finally find out what’s happened to Elijah – and it’s something that puts Eleanor in a very difficult position. Why do you think Elijah chose this path? And how do you think Eleanor handled the news? What would you have done in her situation?
Oh boy. I didn’t exactly see this coming. I think Elijah had been hounded by bully’s and his father’s mad ravings gave him the motivation to seek revenge. Eleanor handled it naturally at first. She was completely horrified! After the initial shock, she handled it like a champ.
I’d like to think I’d have handled it the way Eleanor did, but it’s so hard to say. I don’t have any close siblings. I have no idea what it would be like to be anywhere in that situation. I might be in denial a little longer then Eleanor was!
3. The last quarter of this book brings us a LOT of surprises and twists. What would you say was the biggest surprise to you?
The biggest surprise was what happened to Clarence! I didn’t see that one coming! I was shocked. I kind of did a little shout when I read about that one.
4. Now that we’ve finished with the book, what did you think? How did you feel about the book as a whole? Where do you think her story will take us in the next book?
I loved the book! Eleanor was a little annoying at times but I really liked her on the whole. I loved the rest of the characters. I thought Elijah was a bit too cardboard though.
Hopefully the next book will have Eleanor traipsing after the Spirit Hunters across the country! That’s what I’d like to see! A reunion. I think there’s still some unfinished business between Daniel and herself. Then again, maybe she’ll come across vampires!
Review – Death Weeps October 30, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4.5 stars, Paranormal, Young Adult.Tags: "book review", books, death weeps, paranormal, reading, tamara rose blodgett, young adult
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Title: Death Weeps
Author: Tamara Rose Blodgett
Publisher: Tamara Rose Blodgett
Publication Date: May 18, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1475200867
From Goodreads:
Caleb faces possible jail time for using Clyde as a undeadly weapon. When he’s exonerated with probation lasting a year, Caleb has to watch his every action. Tensions run high when after the death of Jade’s only relatives, she must live with an undesirable foster family who are anything but what they seem….
Life gets complicated for everyone when the scientists responsible for the paranormal manifestation threaten a parellel world to Caleb’s own. In a bid to stop the destruction of their world, while saving his own, Caleb must defend two peoples against the long arm of the Graysheets.
Time begins to run against him when he discovers through an unlikely source that his friends have been given a drug that causes progressive insanity. Can he find the antidote in time to save them? To save Jade?
Review:
I’m not sure where to begin this review or what to say. I loved this book so much! If you do read this book, you should read Blodgett’s Savage series because there is crossover. If you happened to read my review of Savage Vengeance or if you read the book, then you know a little bit of what happened. Read my review here. In Death Weeps, we get the story from Caleb’s point of view and more information about the crossover.
What I love about Blodgett’s writing is that in this book it becomes more polished while maintaining its original flavor. There were moments when the book got a little over the top but that’s what makes it great! It’s what I’ve come to expect of these books. It’s like a comic book with a big balloon word that says “pow!” You expect a little over the top punch.
Caleb and the gang have gotten older and their maturity has reflected such a change. It was a job well done. Their growth was seamlessly integrated into the story as there was a lot of action to absorb.
Clyde’s character was also more fully developed. If you haven’t read the novella, Death Inception then do. It gives you a more in depth look into his past and how he became a zombie. I kind of fell a little in love with Clyde when I read Death Inception.
The Graysheets, the evil government agents, are more heinous then ever. I grew to hate them even more. As the book wore on, Caleb’s purpose in life became even more clear and he may be meant for more then simply escaping the clutches of the Graysheets.
If you haven’t picked up this series, what are you waiting for? It’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s romantic. The final book is coming out soon. I’m both looking forward to it and dreading it as I don’t want this series to end.
It's Monday! What are you reading? (23) October 29, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: blood song, book talk, books, reading, tamara rose blodgett, the duchess of the shallows, the portal
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This Monday meme is held by the The Book Journey. Feel free to join in and tell us what you’re reading!
Title: Blood Song
Author: Tamara Rose Blodgett
Available at: Kindle – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
Julia has been ripped from the escape she’d planned for herself. When she awakens to discover that her reality has shifted to include a supposed soul-meld with a man she hates, and who hates her… she rebels. Julia doesn’t want to be captive in a gilded cage.
Broken from the horrific events surrounding her friends, Cynthia migrates to the very city that Julia resides, determining to find her as the police follow the bread crumbs she’s left in her wake.
The Feral has come full circle and must begin a new life from the shadow of the old. His placement in the hierarchy of the pack is uncertain when he finds that he has an integral enemy and a pack member to protect.
Can the vestiges of Julia’s former life be restored so she might reunite with her one true love or has that door closed forever because of supernatural circumstances beyond their control?
For some reason I’m not enjoying this series as much as I have the Savage series or the Death series. There are a lot of reasons why and I’ll enumerate them in my review of the book but basically there’s no tie in to the first book so I’m not sure where the book left off. It’s been awhile since I read the first book, I needed a little refresher. All I’ve been able to do is piece together what I can remember from the clues in this current book. The plot is complicated and this hasn’t been easy so I’ve been pretty lost for a lot of the book. That’s one of the main reasons I’m not enjoying the book. You could chalk it up to the failings of myself as a reader, but I like to think that I’m not the only one that has had read many other books since the first came out and has had a memory lapse. I’ll keep plugging away in the hopes that things get better!
Title: The Portal
Author: Alan Zendell
Available at: Kindle – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
Harry Middleton is born in an America staggered by a century of decline, a time of medical and technological marvels beyond the reach of most people in a shattered economy. Pessimism and despair are more common than optimism and hope, and a desperate government bets the future on space. The lunar and Martian colonies have not provided the hoped-for salvation, so despite an angry, disillusioned public, the first star mission will soon be launched.
Harry is a special child, smart, precocious, his only confidante an embittered grandfather. When the old man dies, Harry is lost, until he meets Lorrie. At thirteen, they bond, certain they’ll spend their lives together, but a year later, she disappears, and Harry is desolate.
With help from his friend Carlos, Harry begins a quest to find her, but he quickly learns how powerless he is. Even the police lack the resources to help. Harry and Carlos can only depend on themselves and each other. An unlikely duo, Harry is an academic prodigy while Carlos is a stud athlete. Realizing that school and baseball are their tickets out of the morass they’re caught in, they inspire each other to greatness in both.
Trying to move on with his life, Harry has a college sweetheart, but as long as Lorrie haunts him, he knows the relationship is doomed. He gains celebrity and wealth, but the thing Harry wants most, finding and saving Lorrie from whatever fate took her from him remains beyond his reach. And always, in the background, are the deteriorating state of the country and the coming star missions.
And of course, there’s the Portal.
I plan on reading The Portal next. It’s was submitted to me for for review by the author. I read a sample of the book and I enjoyed it so I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
Title: The Duchess of the Shallow
Author: Neil McGarry and Daniel Ravipinto
Available at: Kindle – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
A game is played in the fog-shrouded city of Rodaas, and every citizen, from the nameless of the Shallows to the noblest of the Garden, is a player or a pawn. And no one is as he appears.
Not Minette, brothel-keeper and obsessive collector of secrets. Not Uncle Cornelius, fearsome chief of the gang of brutes and murderers known as the Red. Not the cults of Death, Wisdom, and Illumination, eternally scheming and plotting along the Godswalk.
And certainly not the orphaned bread girl known as Duchess.
Yet armed with nothing more than her wits, her good friend Lysander and a brass mark of dubious origin Duchess will dare to play that game for the most coveted of prizes: initiation into a secret society of thieves, spies and rumormongers who stand supreme in a city where corruption and lies are common coin.
The Grey.
This book is another book submission. It looks really good and I look forward to reading it. I love reading about thieves and assassin guilds.
That’s what I’ll be reading this week! What will you be reading?
It’s Monday! What are you reading? (23) October 29, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: blood song, book talk, books, reading, tamara rose blodgett, the duchess of the shallows, the portal
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This Monday meme is held by the The Book Journey. Feel free to join in and tell us what you’re reading!
Title: Blood Song
Author: Tamara Rose Blodgett
Available at: Kindle – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
Julia has been ripped from the escape she’d planned for herself. When she awakens to discover that her reality has shifted to include a supposed soul-meld with a man she hates, and who hates her… she rebels. Julia doesn’t want to be captive in a gilded cage.
Broken from the horrific events surrounding her friends, Cynthia migrates to the very city that Julia resides, determining to find her as the police follow the bread crumbs she’s left in her wake.
The Feral has come full circle and must begin a new life from the shadow of the old. His placement in the hierarchy of the pack is uncertain when he finds that he has an integral enemy and a pack member to protect.
Can the vestiges of Julia’s former life be restored so she might reunite with her one true love or has that door closed forever because of supernatural circumstances beyond their control?
For some reason I’m not enjoying this series as much as I have the Savage series or the Death series. There are a lot of reasons why and I’ll enumerate them in my review of the book but basically there’s no tie in to the first book so I’m not sure where the book left off. It’s been awhile since I read the first book, I needed a little refresher. All I’ve been able to do is piece together what I can remember from the clues in this current book. The plot is complicated and this hasn’t been easy so I’ve been pretty lost for a lot of the book. That’s one of the main reasons I’m not enjoying the book. You could chalk it up to the failings of myself as a reader, but I like to think that I’m not the only one that has had read many other books since the first came out and has had a memory lapse. I’ll keep plugging away in the hopes that things get better!
Title: The Portal
Author: Alan Zendell
Available at: Kindle – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
Harry Middleton is born in an America staggered by a century of decline, a time of medical and technological marvels beyond the reach of most people in a shattered economy. Pessimism and despair are more common than optimism and hope, and a desperate government bets the future on space. The lunar and Martian colonies have not provided the hoped-for salvation, so despite an angry, disillusioned public, the first star mission will soon be launched.
Harry is a special child, smart, precocious, his only confidante an embittered grandfather. When the old man dies, Harry is lost, until he meets Lorrie. At thirteen, they bond, certain they’ll spend their lives together, but a year later, she disappears, and Harry is desolate.
With help from his friend Carlos, Harry begins a quest to find her, but he quickly learns how powerless he is. Even the police lack the resources to help. Harry and Carlos can only depend on themselves and each other. An unlikely duo, Harry is an academic prodigy while Carlos is a stud athlete. Realizing that school and baseball are their tickets out of the morass they’re caught in, they inspire each other to greatness in both.
Trying to move on with his life, Harry has a college sweetheart, but as long as Lorrie haunts him, he knows the relationship is doomed. He gains celebrity and wealth, but the thing Harry wants most, finding and saving Lorrie from whatever fate took her from him remains beyond his reach. And always, in the background, are the deteriorating state of the country and the coming star missions.
And of course, there’s the Portal.
I plan on reading The Portal next. It’s was submitted to me for for review by the author. I read a sample of the book and I enjoyed it so I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
Title: The Duchess of the Shallow
Author: Neil McGarry and Daniel Ravipinto
Available at: Kindle – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
A game is played in the fog-shrouded city of Rodaas, and every citizen, from the nameless of the Shallows to the noblest of the Garden, is a player or a pawn. And no one is as he appears.
Not Minette, brothel-keeper and obsessive collector of secrets. Not Uncle Cornelius, fearsome chief of the gang of brutes and murderers known as the Red. Not the cults of Death, Wisdom, and Illumination, eternally scheming and plotting along the Godswalk.
And certainly not the orphaned bread girl known as Duchess.
Yet armed with nothing more than her wits, her good friend Lysander and a brass mark of dubious origin Duchess will dare to play that game for the most coveted of prizes: initiation into a secret society of thieves, spies and rumormongers who stand supreme in a city where corruption and lies are common coin.
The Grey.
This book is another book submission. It looks really good and I look forward to reading it. I love reading about thieves and assassin guilds.
That’s what I’ll be reading this week! What will you be reading?
Stacking the Shelves (20) October 27, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, books, reading, stacking the shelves
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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted byTyngaReviews.com and is a book haul post to show off everything you purchased or received for review.
Word and Breath by Susannah Noel
The Last Temptation of Clarence Odbody by John Jughead Pierson
Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Another week of very little purchases. All the books I got were free! Word and Breath is a dystopian novel with a very interesting premise.
Riana’s sister has been kidnapped and someone is trying to kill her so she’s forced to turn to her ex-lover, the leader of a rebel movement. She also ends up needing the help of the Soul Breather, someone who can taste her spirit with a touch. Except someone sent him after her to begin with so can she really trust him?
A very intriguing book. The Last Temptation of Clarence Odbody is whimsical book. Basically it asks the question, what if George Bailey hadn’t been saved by is guardian angel? It’s a reimagining of It’s a Wonderful Life, which is one of my favorite movies. I watch it every year during the holidays. I plan on reading this book around Christmas time.
Hollowland is a zombie book. It promises to be a good zombie book for what it’s worth. Glimpse is about Zellie Wells who has a crush on a boy and when she touches him she has a vision of his death with herself alongside him. She learns that she must never be with him or her vision will come true. But of course the two of them wish to be together!
Those are the books I got. They all look pretty good to me. Even the zombie book! I’m trying not to spend too much money on books these days so you might be seeing me spend less on books and start reviewing more Indie books in the future.
See you next week for more Stacking the Shelves!
Review – Don't Be a Hero October 26, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4 stars, Fantasy.Tags: "book review", books, chris strange, don't be a hero, fantasy, reading, superheroes
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Title: Don’t Be a Hero
Author: Chris Strange
Available on: November 2nd, 2012
From Goodreads:
It’s a bad time to be a superhero.
When the world turned its back on metahumans, the golden age of superheroes came crashing down. But now a mysterious supercriminal is making one final bid for power, and with no one else left to protect the world, ex-hero Spook must risk everything to take him down. There will be no reprieve, no negotiation. War is coming.
Put on the mask. There’s work to be done.
Review:
Spook isn’t a classic hero. She’s not out to save the world. In fact she doesn’t like the world very much. What she wants is to go to the lunar colony that the metahumans have and the job she takes guarantees the money to get there. All she has to do is find a missing boy. Except it’s not so simple as that. It turns into something much more sinister.
Spook did have a classic sidekick in the hero named Carpenter. Carpenter has an affinity with wood as his superhero name would suggest. He can communicate with trees and manipulate wood to do what he wants. He’s also a prefect foil to Spook’s cynical outlook. He’s an idealist who believes that the world will always need superheros. Carpenter also believes it’s their duty to protect the normals from villains and criminals alike no matter how society views him.
Quantra is a complex supervillain. He is multi-layered and has many facets to his character. His motives were manifold and varies, too many to really penetrate and delve into in one review. It gave the story a lot of dimension and depth. I became very invested in finding out what made him tick and what his true objective was.
The world the story takes place in is a contradiction in itself. It has rocket ships yet it doesn’t have advanced computers. It has dirigibles and helicopters yet doesn’t have things like cell phones. I found it intriguing and different. It gave it a Sam Spade feel with a technological or “steampunk” edge.
Don’ t Be a Hero was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to be as great as it was. I thought it would be passingly entertaining. Instead it captured me and held me in its grips. I wasn’t completely sold on the concept of superheroes in a novel versus an action movie but I am now. I consider this book a win.
Review – Don’t Be a Hero October 26, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4 stars, Fantasy.Tags: "book review", books, chris strange, don't be a hero, fantasy, reading, superheroes
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Title: Don’t Be a Hero
Author: Chris Strange
Available on: November 2nd, 2012
From Goodreads:
It’s a bad time to be a superhero.
When the world turned its back on metahumans, the golden age of superheroes came crashing down. But now a mysterious supercriminal is making one final bid for power, and with no one else left to protect the world, ex-hero Spook must risk everything to take him down. There will be no reprieve, no negotiation. War is coming.
Put on the mask. There’s work to be done.
Review:
Spook isn’t a classic hero. She’s not out to save the world. In fact she doesn’t like the world very much. What she wants is to go to the lunar colony that the metahumans have and the job she takes guarantees the money to get there. All she has to do is find a missing boy. Except it’s not so simple as that. It turns into something much more sinister.
Spook did have a classic sidekick in the hero named Carpenter. Carpenter has an affinity with wood as his superhero name would suggest. He can communicate with trees and manipulate wood to do what he wants. He’s also a prefect foil to Spook’s cynical outlook. He’s an idealist who believes that the world will always need superheros. Carpenter also believes it’s their duty to protect the normals from villains and criminals alike no matter how society views him.
Quantra is a complex supervillain. He is multi-layered and has many facets to his character. His motives were manifold and varies, too many to really penetrate and delve into in one review. It gave the story a lot of dimension and depth. I became very invested in finding out what made him tick and what his true objective was.
The world the story takes place in is a contradiction in itself. It has rocket ships yet it doesn’t have advanced computers. It has dirigibles and helicopters yet doesn’t have things like cell phones. I found it intriguing and different. It gave it a Sam Spade feel with a technological or “steampunk” edge.
Don’ t Be a Hero was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to be as great as it was. I thought it would be passingly entertaining. Instead it captured me and held me in its grips. I wasn’t completely sold on the concept of superheroes in a novel versus an action movie but I am now. I consider this book a win.
Throwback Thursday (17) October 25, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk.Tags: book talk, books, reading, throwback thursday
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Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books.
It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.
You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can put up a Throwback Thursday post on your non-bookish blog; or if you don’t have a blog at all, just use the comments to tell us about a book you remember fondly.
Here’s how it works:
1. Pick any book released more than 5 years ago. Adult, YA, Children’s; doesn’t matter. Any great book will do.
2. Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it. Make sure to link back to The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books in your post.
3. Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list!
Title: Coyote Blue
Author: Christopher Moore
Original Publication Date: January 1, 1993
Available at: Amazon – Kindle – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
As a boy growing up in Montana, he was Samson Hunts Alone — until a deadly misunderstanding with the law forced him to flee the Crow reservation at age fifteen. Today he is Samuel Hunter, a successful Santa Barbara insurance salesman with a Mercedes, a condo, and a hollow, invented life. Then one day, shortly after his thirty-fifth birthday, destiny offers him the dangerous gift of love — in the exquisite form of Calliope Kincaid — and a curse in the unheralded appearance of an ancient Indian god by the name of Coyote. Coyote, the trickster, has arrived to transform tranquillity into chaos, to reawaken the mystical storyteller within Sam … and to seriously screw up his existence in the process.
This was the first book I read by Christopher Moore and I loved it. Christopher Moore is one of the funniest authors I’ve ever read. I need to reread the book to get a sense of it again because I last read it in 2008 but Coyote was one of the best characters ever. Ever since then, whenever I’ve come across a book with a Coyote character I’ve tried to read it.
It’s because of this book that I was turned onto the world that is Christopher Moore. I usually save his books until I’m feeling pretty down. His books will lift me out of a funk and cheer me up. His writing helps me gain perspective. Needless to say, I’m a huge Christopher Moore fan.
Something Strange and Deadly Read Along Week 3 October 24, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in Book talk, Read Along.Tags: books, read along, reading, something strange and deadly, susan dennard
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It’s Week 3 of the Something Strange and Deadly Read Along! I’m really enjoying this book. I hope you all are reading along with us!
1. We’ve watched Eleanor chase after the Dead and after Daniel without hesitation. Do you perceive Eleanor as brave or foolish to act with little thought to consequence?
I see Eleanor as brave. She’s led a very sheltered life yet not only risks injury to herself but her position in society as well as her Mother’s disapproval when she gives chase. That in itself is brave. She cares about her brother Elijah so much she would do anything for him including risk all those things. I think she realizes how much she jeopardizes herself in her pursuit of him and Daniel.
2. Eleanor gets a letter from Elijah to tell her to stop searching for him – that it’s a bad idea and it’s hurting him rather than helping him. Is Eleanor in denial that her brother is working with the necromancer? Or do you think the necromancer is threatening Elijah now that he knows Eleanor is searching for him?
I’m afraid that Elijah is working with the necromancer. That’s my fear. It’s my hope that he isn’t.
3. We find out the history of Daniel Sheridan in these chapters and that he has quite an interesting connection to the Fitt family that Eleanor never knew about. Were you surprised to find out Daniel’s history in Philadelphia? If you were Eleanor, how would you have taken the news?
I was very surprised to find out more about Daniel’s history. I thought he had a personal history with Clarence not with the Fitt family. My initial reaction would have been to be much angrier then Eleanor. In the end, I would have forgiven him. After all he was manipulated by much older men who had vaster resources.
4. We also find out the real story of the Wilcoxes and that both Clarence and his father have a major connection to the Fitts also. We’re clearly getting closer to solving some of the mysteries that have been building up in the story. What do you make of this connection? How do you think this will affect the climax of the book??
The connection between the Fitts and the Wilcoxes should play a big role in the climax. I think it’s extremely important. I knew I couldn’t trust Clarence! He’s going to be a major role player in the end and it’s not going to be good. His true character is showing.
That’s it for this week’s Read Along questions! See you back here next week for the finish!
Review – Flicker October 23, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4 stars, Fantasy, Young Adult.Tags: "book review", books, fantasy, flicker, kaye thornbrugh, reading
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Title: Flicker
Author: Kaye Thornbrugh
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: May 26, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1477479292
From Goodreads:
When sixteen-year-old Lee Capren is spirited away to Faerie, she is forced to serve capricious faeries as a prized portrait artist… and live as their prisoner.
A chance encounter with the charming Nasser grants Lee a chance for freedom—but what felt like mere days in Faerie spanned years in the human world, and Lee no longer has a home to return to.
Nasser is a Seer—a human with magical powers—and Lee is quickly plunged into his world: a sprawling city teeming with magic and mystery, where supernatural creatures walk hidden among humans. With the help of a rag-tag group of teenage Seers, Lee must master her newfound magical talent and outwit a cunning faerie determined to destroy her.
Review:
After reading the premise for this book I had high hopes for this book, I was not to be disappointed. The writing was smooth and breezy. The characters were well developed and the plot was well paced.
Lee in particular reacted just like any other 16-year-old would react when confronted with the sudden knowledge that shape-shifting faeries existed. She reacted badly. One part of me wished she had shown more mettle, another part of me realized that she was only sixteen! She’s just a kid! Naturally she’s going to freak out a little.
The character I liked the best was Filo, which may come as a surprise. He was bristly and moody. Yet he was badly used by the fae so there was just cause for his behavior. He had to harden himself to the abuse he had suffered. He also felt he had been abandoned by everyone he had ever cared about. Bottom line was he was damaged.
Jason was a bit of a wild card. He was unruly and impetuous. He really was spontaneous, but I also wished he would grow up a little. I also wished he’d be more understanding of his brother, Nasser. Of course he acted just like any teenager would though. Once I had that understanding I was able to tolerate him a little better.
Nasser was like a rock. He was steadfast and comforting. I really responded to him. He had a gentle, caring nature. I liked how he’d show Lee how he felt in little ways. I really liked the romance between Lee and Nasser. It was sweet and very romantic. I thought it might have been a bit like insta-love? But the explanation that went into it made it seem acceptable.
All of the teenagers in the book had qualities that were endearing. I took to them well. It was fun reading about them and by the end of the book I had a lot invested in them. The antagonists were equally fleshed out. None of them were shallow, cardboard cut-outs. Byrony in particular was well-rounded and that gave the book a lot of depth.
The empathy with the characters was great. You could really feel the tension the characters felt when they were in danger. That added a lot of excitement. Except there was one point when the characters were bored. I felt the pace slow down considerably at that point. I did think that served a point though. When the action revved back up again, it was even more exciting then it was before.
This was a very strong debut novel. I was sorry to see the book end. I hope there are more adventures with the Seers from Flicker in the future!
* A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Akamai Reader 