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برچسب: Review

  • Sunrise on the Reaping – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    I went into this book with a bit of trepidation. The Hunger Games series is still one of my favorites ever and I didn’t want to be disappointed. Collins writes such impactful stories, I admit I was a little scared this book would let me down. The prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, was not my favorite. The writing was excellent, the story still strong with well-developed characters and a great lookback at President Snow’s background. But it WAS about Snow and I couldn’t make myself like it too much, lol.

    However I did love this prequel. It was hard to read with well-placed moments of levity and heart wrenching ones. Toward the end I actually had to close the book at a moment when I realized what was about to happen… not many books make me do that.

    Well written, wonderful characters, awesome social commentary.
    Highly recommend it.

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  • A Study in Drowning – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning, #1)A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    Five VERY enthusiastic stars!

    What a fabulous read. After all the hype I was ready to be disappointed, but the opposite was true.
    Very well-written, extremely atmospheric, spooky and with a definite feminist aura.

    Yes, I kind of knew (or thought I knew) one of the big reveals (who the real writer was) but other than that it was all surprising (in a good way) and well crafted into the whole plot.

    Can’t wait to read the sequel.

    Well done Ms. Reid. Thank you for a wonderful trip into another world.

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  • Problematic Summer Romance – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    Problematic Summer Romance (Not in Love, #2)Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    Another great Hazelwood romance. Ali Hazelwood has quickly become a favorite rom com writer of mine because of how she balances humor with the more serious side of life in a quirky but very intelligent and feministic way. This book is no different.

    I loved almost everything about it. The setting, the banter, the extended family and friends, the dog (OMG, the dog), the slow-burn romance… I can’t tell you how much this book made me smile in almost every page. It’s as close to perfection as you can get.

    There were a couple things that I didn’t like, both very personal so don’t let that stop you from reading the book.

    One was the fact that I wasn’t quite sold on the “I-can’t-touch-her-or-let-her-touch-me” age gap thingy. Their age difference wasn’t really that wide for such a fuss and Conor’s weird “policy” of “no-touching” didn’t sit down well with me. That said, the story flows so well and the characters are so likable that in the end it didn’t really matter that much.

    The other thing was the use of a certain 4-letter word (that rhymes with punt) that has a very crass and honestly, disrespectful connotation for me. The fact that the FMC used it frequently to describe her own female parts really rubbed me the wrong way. Every time she’d say that, it made me feel that Maya really hated herself or thought of herself as filth, unworthy of respect. Hazelwood writes some seriously hot sex scenes with a lot of feeling mixed in (one of the reasons I love her books so much) but when Maya would use the C-word it just kind of ruined it for me.

    Again, personal opinions.

    In brief: the book is awesome, it will have you both laughing out loud and swooning, and both Maya and Conor are amazing together. Highly recommend it.

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  • A River Enchanted – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    I fell in love with Rebecca Ross’ stories after reading The Divine Rivals duology which I found to be fabulous: well written and so full of surprises it left constantly wondering what would happen next. So I was very excited to read her previous work, A River Enchanted duology.

    The positives first: again, she writes a beautiful, lyrical world well-developed and magical. The characters are also well developed and likable. The fact that Cadence mirrored the lands of bygone Scotland made me swoon. I also liked the fact that almost all her characters have flaws which makes them very human and therefore more relatable.

    Now the negatives: I got engaged pretty early on (this is a good thing) but after a few chapters I began to feel that something was off and I couldn’t figure out exactly what. Then I realized that there was a lot of passive voice throughout the story and frequent head-hopping. A lot of “she realized”, “he noticed”, that kind of thing. The dialogue was a bit stilted as well and at times it didn’t ring authentic to me. Now, my guess is that Ross did this to give the story a more “vintage” (for lack of a better word) feel to the story but for me it didn’t work very well.

    Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed the story and will be reading the conclusion to the duology, but I was a bit disappointed after reading her amazing “Divine Rivals” which read so much smoother. Still a fan, Ms Ross.

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  • Dreadful- A Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    DreadfulDreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    I had stumbled on Rozakis second novel and bought it on impulse (such an amazingly fun title and cover) only to find out that it was a great book. I was so impressed in fact that I immediately bought her debut novel, Dreadful, and started reading it.

    The cover is equally awesome, the title appealing, and can I say, those sprayed edges on a softcover really “talk” to me.

    I really enjoyed the story and the wonderful message within all the comical (mis)adventures of Dread Lord Gavrax and his retinue of misfits. It’s a story of outcasts and underdogs doing their best to rise to the “expected” standards only to find out that they were better off accepting who and what they were and be proud of it. After all perfection does not exist. Just my type of story indeed.

    Good writing, lots of humor laced with great messages and heart, a totally insane world that strangely enough in many ways reflects our reality these days. Great and well-developed characters (OMG the chicken, sorry, the rooster!), unexpected plot twists, and a lot of heart makes this story an awesome one to read (and even reflect on).

    That said, the narrative was at times a bit winded. I found myself skimming through some parts when Gav is thinking things through as the ideas kept being rehashed with more words than were truly necessary. It took me out of the story sometimes (which otherwise has an excellent rhythm and flow).

    All in all a great book that I recommend to anyone who loves fantasy and humor, but not as good as her second novel. I guess that’s a good thing. As a writer, Rozakis is improving and I can’t wait to read her next book. I’m a fan for sure.

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  • The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association- Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher AssociationThe Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    I was at Barnes & Noble shopping for another book (or two. Or three) and I saw this one. I was immediately attracted to the cover and title (it’s a paperback with an amazing cover and spray-painted edges). Then I read the back blurb and couldn’t resist. I bought it.

    I had just started reading another book (an overly hyped cozy fantasy) and listening to another one a friend recommended, so I started reading this book when I had a moment or two (I call this my waiting-rooms book), but as I got more and more disappointed with the hyped-up book and more and more in love with this one, it became my main read. I finished it in record time.

    This is such a fun read. A rather sarcastic view of what it’s like to be a parent of a school age child who doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids. Rozakis totally demolishes all the preconceived ideas readers may have about magic and magical creatures by setting them in situations very familiar to anyone who has a child in today’s schools. Except with magic.

    There are hilarious moments, heartbreaking ones, and others that will make the reader (specially female readers) go, “I totally get that” or “I know how that feels”.

    I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to make fun of life in general as an armor against–well, everything that is wrong in the world.

    I liked it so much, I immediately bought her other book and began reading it. I have high hopes…

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  • The Ragpicker King – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    I have to admit that I am upset. I was convinced this was a duology, so when I got toward the end of the book and things were looking pretty unresolved, I googled it. It’s a trilogy!!!!!

    This series is so good. Definitely a departure from what we were used to from Cassandra Clare, but just as brilliant in a more mature way.

    The world building is fantastic with all its parallels with reality and all the lore that goes with it. The characters have been developed in true Clare’s fashion, tridimensional and complex and the relationships between several of her characters are believable and often heart wrenching.

    There were a few totally unexpected plot twists at the end and I am now left with the awful knowledge that it will be a long while until I can read the conclusion to this fabulous story.

    Highly, highly recommend it.

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  • The Love Haters – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    The Love HatersThe Love Haters by Katherine Center
    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

    Another great book by Katherine Center.

    The humor mixes with the seriousness of the themes perfectly. I loved the characters (including the side characters like The Gals, clueless Cole, and Beanie) and who wouldn’t love an overly friendly and rumbustious Great Dane?

    I devoured the book (audio) and I only have one complaint which is the same I had with Center’s last book I read: she has the tendency to overextend the ending.

    She has a great ending–or what I think should be the ending–and then she goes on with more stuff that however interesting is kind of superfluous to the plot or enjoyment of the story. Just my opinion and the only reason I am giving the book four stars instead of five.

    Really enjoyed it and can’t wait for more books by Center.

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  • Heartless Hunter – Book Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    What a great story with such relevant themes for today’s world. Extremes of anything are bad and there is no such thing as “all bad”” or “all good”.
    Excellent writing, awesome plot, a true enemies-to-lovers romance with low spice but high (slow burn) sexual tension, a rollercoaster of emotions and quite a few surprises.
    I was a little leery about the love triangle (not a true one since she was in love with only one of the guys), but it did work very well in the end.
    I love me a tortured hero so Gideon was just up my alley even though I wanted to slap him many times for being so (understandably) inflexible on his beliefs about witches.
    Many questions went unanswered and the cliffhanger at the end killed me… but the second one is out so I don’t have to wait long.
    Hoping the second one comes with a satisfying resolution to what the first book set out for the readers and that one person in particular gets her comeuppance.
    Highly recommend.

    *I listened to the audio book and the narrator was excellent and really brought those characters to life for me*

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  • The Book of Dog – Review – Author Natalina Reis

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    The Book of Dog: A SatireThe Book of Dog: A Satire by D.J. Molles
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    This was such a surprise. A good one.
    I picked up the book after a recommendation from another writer and I’m so glad I did.
    I thought it would be a light, funny read and it certainly was, but it surprised me with much deeper themes, so relevant to the world we are living in today.
    I bought the audio book and I have to say the narrator was amazing. His interpretation of the cat’s (Sweetpea) voice and attitude had me in stitches (and it was so accurate) throughout the whole book.
    If you are a pet lover and want a good laugh while still exploring world/human issues, this is the book for you. Brilliant!

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