BRT: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Number of Pages: 338

My Rating: 3/5

Released: November 15, 2011

Summary (also hyperlink to GR page)

I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

I've actually read Shatter Me a number of times, but never got around to reviewing it. I reread the entire trilogy recently, so I figured to review all three over the next three weeks. 

Shatter Me has both strong and weak points. One strong point is its own self-awareness. The heroine, Juliette, is - in a word - unstable. Her thoughts read off like rambling, similar to the way words are struck out in the summary. Now, when I say the book has self-awareness, I mean that Juliette is very much a Mary Sue, but the book doesn't deny this. She knows she's ridiculous at points and has an understanding that her thought process is wrong. I do like that about Juliette's character, other flaws aside.

The strikeouts are an abundant stylistic choice in the book, one that I found irksome at first but came to admire. It's a rather neat way to see what she's thinking while denying those thoughts. They do become weak points at times due to the writing. If you want a book that DEFINES "purple prose," this is your book. Sooo much purple prose. Regardless, the writing remains interesting enough. I do think that the writing will be a hit-or-miss with a lot of readers, however, so it's best to get this from a library this before buying it.

Another strong point goes to plot pace. Nothing is too rushed and nothing is too slow. Everything happens when it feels like it should; nothing feels forced. While I'm at it, I'll also give a strong point to description. The descriptions alone make this world seem believable and immersive.

Two weak points go to characterization and world building. 

-Just because the book is aware that Juliette is a Mary Sue doesn't make it okay. She spends most of the book whining, crying, and drooling over the boys. ...All the boys. Her main love interest (it isn't even love, this is lust), and...the villain?! Yeah. Even this villain, who's maaaaybe the most developed of all the characters, is one of the smexiest people in the book, and therefore it's okay she drools over him. Because he's bee-a-you-tee-ful. 

-The world building could have worked so much better. Here's what we know: The Reestablishment claimed they could fix the world and went back on that and everything went to hell. Oh, and it's ruled by this faceless dude. ...That's the only backstory we get. It's a very "Big Bad" cop out. Somehow the world got so polluted that everything's wrong and people are suffering. How? Why? Humanity never got their act together? The [Shatter Me] world may never know.

Now for the plot itself:

I liked it. From a lot of reviews I've seen, people found it tired or convenient or annoying. I can see where all these people come from. For example, like I've mentioned, the writing can be agitating. I honestly didn't notice some of the more awkward metaphors within the prose, mostly because this book is a very fast read. The plot kept me moving.

The idea of this girl with a lethal touch being recruited against her will by a man who wants to use her power as a weapon enticed me. The coincidence that one of her 'guards' was a childhood friend was convenient, but I didn't mind it. I enjoyed the trials Juliette had to face with Warner (the antagonist) and her thoughts trying to develop from cornered-Mary-Sue to something more. The twist at the end regarding Juliette's power remains one of my favorite parts.

Shatter Me, despite its claims, contains very little action. About the most involved action scene occurs after a low-key attempted rape.  One bullet and it's over. This book is mainly about the emotions and the romance with some paranormal add-ins and a lot of mental abuse on the antagonist's part. 

Judging by this review, it doesn't seem like I liked it as much as I did. It is true that I recommend getting it from a library before deciding to buy it. I got it for $3 as a clearance deal. I enjoyed the strikeout stylistic choice, the pacing - the stuff I listed above. The book is problematic, relies heavily on love-at-first-sight ("It's the bird from my dream so we are MEANT to be!!"), and there is a lot of whining. I...just happened to enjoy reading it. For some reason.

...I do wish I hadn't bought the two sequels at full price though. More to come on that next week. Have a good weekend, everyone!

BRT: The Sky-Child and Other Stories by Danielle E. Shipley

Title: The Sky-Child and Other Stories

Author: Danielle E. Shipley

Number of Pages: e-book

Rating: 5/5

Released: July 7, 2015

Summary

Born into a world his heart knows as beneath him, an extraordinary boy becomes a man of music, hopeful that someday he’ll find a way higher.

As the first day dawns, a world comes awake, order and disorder striking a dangerous balance.

Under the stars, a princess and tailor trade age-old lore, little dreaming of the future that could trap them in the past.

All of it in, around, and far above the timeless trees of Wilderhark, the forest whose secrets reveal themselves slowly, if ever at all.

Tales of beginnings. Tales of quests for belonging. Most of all, tales of true love.

Once upon a time, you knew something of Wilderhark’s tales. Now for the stories that fall in between.

W O R L D    B U I L D I N G.

I'm one of those people who has trouble with creating lore in a fantasy/futuristic world. So, whenever I see a world that's very much had its homework done, I take heed. The moment I knew this work's title, the world building is what I was anticipating and very much looking forward to.

Gant-o-the-Lute's background is much more heavily explored in this addition to the Wilderhark Tales. For any who might have been confused about him or wondered about his past, or just want more content with him, this is your read! As far as origin stories go, Lute's is fantastic. It explains how he came to be minstrel, his gifts from the beginning, his parents, and how he came to meet Viralei. On an off note, I thought I noticed a lack of continuity regarding that, but I'm sure it's how long it's been since I read The Seventh Spell because I know Danielle wouldn't have missed something like that.

(That should tell you something about the faith you can put in this author.)

After The Sky-Child's conclusion, the Other Stories that take place regard different characters. We see some flash fiction between Sula and Villem (Fluff! <3) and a piece with Sigmund, delving more into the characters than the world around them. But then - then comes the story of the Sun and Moon.

As far as creation tales go for a fictional world, this instantly ranks one of my top favorites. I had to read this story twice just to absorb and enjoy it all properly. Another story somewhat branches off of this later into the installment as well, regarding some of the rougher times the world has gone through due to troublesome winds and a difficult Sun (and son). 

After that, the installment Starheart includes some more world-building and fluff regarding Edgwyn and Rosalba. (For anyone who doesn't know what fluff is - I just refer to it as a rather cute scene between two characters being romantic). The differentiation between what the world thinks of the Stone Kingdom legend versus the reality of it is explored here. 

Two more stories fill the pages - Affected and A Gallivanting Soul. The former takes place during The Seventh Spell and the latter finishes Gant-o'-the-Lute's backstory.

You will cry. If you don't cry, you will at least tear up.

As usual, the writing and pacing are flawless. You never get bored reading this book and there's always more to learn about the world of the Wilderhark Tales. Danielle Shipley will always give you just enough to satisfy you, but the moment you know there's going to be more - well, you're probably pre-ordering it, or waiting to have that option. 

The characters remain as investing and lively as always, leaping out of the pages and into the reader's soul. Not many writers have the ability to connect to their characters and let their characters connect to readers the way this writer does. We may cringe at some of the attitudes the characters have or ponder on why some characters act the way they do, but in the end, we relate, and we understand.

The Sky-Child and Other Stories has, once again, proven itself a worthy successor to the series, even as an in-between book. It does read a bit like a stand-alone, not too heavily requiring the knowledge of prior books to understand it, but for the full enjoyment I would highly recommend you read the others. You never know, though. Maybe this will be the book that captures you for this series!

{This review is quite late! I unfortunately had to open at work today and then attend a Tae Kwon Do meeting this evening, so I had been stretched on time. I hadn't had time to write it last night. Either way, it's still Thursday, and the review is still true. Enjoy your night and your upcoming Friday!)

Happy Book Birthday, Surrogate Sea!!!

The day has finally arrived! Liliavaine's and Muirigan's adventures are open for the world to see now, so what are you waiting for? Go Snatch A Copy! First two links for paperback, last two for ebook. 

Danielle Shipley has a huuuuuge giveaway going on that you can read about on her blog (here, specifically), but here's this to take a look at!



There are a ton of ways to enter. 
-Each copy of a Wilderhark Tale that you buy, paperback or e-book, results in a 10-point entry.
-Buying any other copy of Danielle's work results in a 10-point entry. These include Inspired, One More Day, The Toll of Another Bell, and Legends and Lore. 
-A review of The Surrogate Sea on any reviewing interface - blog, Goodreads, Amazon - gives a 7-point-entry for each instance.
-Change your social media profile picture! This can be done on Twitter or Facebook most noticeably. Change it to The Surrogate Sea for launch week and get a 7-point entry.
-Share/Tweet about The Surrogate Sea's launch! One point for each time.
- Share/retweet any “Surrogate Sea”-related post Danielle tags with: *Share/RT for entry in #WilderharkTales6 giveaway!* = 1 for each time

Lastly, here's the schedule for this week.

Thursday, March 19th =

Jodi L. Milner, Author (Spotlight)

Tuesday, March 24th =

Book Marauder (Spotlight)

D. Lee Jortner (Author Interview)

The Flight Reflex (Guest Post)

Shout with Emaginette (Guest Post)

Wednesday, March 25th =

The Black Hound’s Daughter (Letter from Author to Character)

Laney McMann (Flash Fiction)

Rewan Tremethick (Author Interview)

Thursday, March 26th =

A Drip of Truth (Flash Fiction)

Dreaming Awake (Character Profile)

The Ink Caster (Character Interview)

Rie Sheridan Rose – The Bardabee Poet (Letter from Character to Author)

Friday, March 27th =

Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Flash Fiction)

The Feather and the Rose (Author Interview)

Scribbler’s Sojourn (Poem)

Saturday, March 28th =

Flame Writer (Character Interview)*****

Four Thousand Words (Author Interview)

YA Chit Chat (Character Profile)

Sunday, March 29th =

Mere Joyce (Spotlight)

The Parasite Guy (Character Profile)

Monday, March 30th =

Julie Antonovich Reece (Flash Fiction)

OriginiquEquanimity (Guest Post)

Ravenhart (Guest Post, Author Interview)

Have at it, and go get The Surrogate Sea!

BRT: ARC The Surrogate Sea by Danielle E. Shipley

Title: The Surrogate Sea

Author: Danielle E. Shipley

Number of Pages: e-book

Rating: 4/5

Release Date: MARCH 24, 2015 - NEXT TUESDAY!

Add it on Goodreads!

(An ARC was provided by the author for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.)

My Goodreads review states that this novella, for me, can be described in one word: "unexpected." This still holds true. It isn't unexpected in a bad way. Another phrase I used was "benefit of the doubt."

Being completely honest, I didn't like this novella's conclusion. For all of the tales of true love that we've read in The Wilderhark Tales up until now, how this book ends does not feel like true love. That's why I'm sincerely hoping this turns out to be a Part-One-of-Two ordeal.

Everything else remains just as amazing as has come to be expected though. Each character has their own motivations, feelings, and methods of addressing conflict. Reading The Wilderhark Tales can be like reading a pop-up book: the characters are still leaping off the pages! 

The progression of the plot was steady and never felt too rushed or too slow. Especially considering Shipley's transitions from Liliavaine to Muirigan to Ionquin to Vesparya (and more at times), she did a beautiful job of keeping their stories separated and at the same time joined together, all the while keeping the perception of time well in place.

As for the plot's twists and turns, there are no shortage of twists throughout this novella! Unexpected, indeed. "Whoa," "Huh?," and "What!" were all uttered at least once during my reading. The Surrogate Sea's got it all - sibling rivalry and love, scorned love, playful banter, conflict and resolution. Not to mention we get to see all of the awesome cast introduced in The Sun's Rival! (*Gasp!* More Lumónd and Laraspur!)

Though, as I said before, the resolution didn't satisfy me. It might satisfy others, but it didn't work for me. The final pairing that much of the book focused on (not Muirigan's) doesn't settle well with me, and I'm sincerely hoping that I'm right that the tale of The Surrogate Sea isn't quite over.

Yet, even if it is, that doesn't change the fact that this was a deeply enjoyable read and inspired a myriad of feelings. This book is especially a good novella for moral debates. This is indeed one of the most investing books of the series.

In conclusion, Danielle Shipley's fantastic writing has struck again! 

Read The Surrogate Sea next Tuesday, and prepare for the blog tour starting on its release! Stop by Jodi L. Milner's blog (click!) for the beginning of the tour on the 24th. My own blog tour stop will be the following Saturday, so check back here then too!

By the way, have the link to Danielle's blog as well. She's got all of the other details! 

Lastly, The Sun's Rival is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time! Hurry! 

BRT: World War Z by Max Brooks

Title: World War Z

Author: Max Brooks

Number of Pages: 342

Date Published: September 12, 2006

Rating: 1.5/5

 

Summary

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

 

Review

Just like the summary itself (which is actually, what? Seven paragraphs?), this book is far too long. Much too long for us to give focus to over fifty characters! What I can give points to is the fact it's called a documentary, for indeed it is: it is long and boring.

 

Granted, I don't read much zombie lore. But when I do, I expect it to be a lot scarier than this. I didn't expect to be reading through political motivations, tactical planning, war measures, business opportunities, and especially not from over fifty different perspectives. That's just too much. In the prologue, the narrator tells you he wishes to include the human element of all these events; and take out his own. In my opinion, he took out all of it. The book felt too mechanic, like a machine in which he was fitting the cogs: the people we were reading about.

 

Sure, there were parts where I said, "Ooh, wow! So what happens next?" Thing is, whenever that happened, that was when the perspective changed and I was starting from scratch. Again.

 

The few encounters I've had with zombie lore stick to a certain set of people. I think that's the thing that most irritated me about World War Z. You didn't have one person to worry about and stick to. You never found out the real conclusion for these people other than the fact the narrator is interviewing them. I want to know how they recovered! How they got out of the horrible situations they were in. How they felt when the zombies were gone.

 

I didn't feel any emotional attachment to any of the characters. That's the worst part, I think. Emotional attachment is what makes someone want to keep reading. I kept reading because I promised someone I knew that I'd finish it. Not because I loved the book.

 

I liked the book. I didn't love it. It's a decent book, but it's not good or great. Did it scare me? Occasionally, a shudder went down my spine at the descriptors and the behaviors of the living dead. But was I traumatized or worried at the outbreak of a zombie war? Not really.

 

There's not much to say about World War Z. I have a feeling the movie will be more coherent and impressive than the novel. I'm trying to get into the zombie craze, but this didn't help encourage me in doing so. Read it if you wish; there are thousands upon millions of others who loved it. I just wasn't one of them. It wasn't my cup of tea...or hunk of flesh...

BRT: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Title: Grave Mercy

Author: Robin LaFevers

Number of Pages: 549

Rating: 4/5

Published Date: April 3, 2012

 

Summary

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

 

Review

This craftily-woven, intriguing story of female assassins takes place in Brittany, France. The blurb of the story had an addicting premise to it, and I couldn't help but make the purchase. When I started the book, I was disappointed by the slow exposition.

 

See, there's something about assassin-based lore that disturbs me. I don't like assassin lore most of the time. I've been trying to play Assassin's Creed, and it's hard for me because there's something about it that just turns me off. That would be the fact it seems like there's only half-proven opinions as to why targets should die.

 

Upon Ismae's first target, and her second; it just seemed that she was told "This man betrayed France", and she just accepted it. Same for Assassin's Creed. "This man needs to die, but I can't tell you why." That just turns me off. I want solid, visible proof that this person should die.

 

It's because of these two missions that I gave the book a lower rating--as well as the slower exposition. It took too long for the real story to kick in (around 100 pages, if memory serves). But...after that? After we join Gavriel on his mission to protect the duchess?

 

Swoon! For one, Ismae tells the story with the perfect tone. Elegant, dignified... I don't think I saw any contractions. Given the time of the book and the setting, this was more than appropriate. The amount of research LaFevers put into this was admirable. (Though, I must admit, she explains that crossbows are good for long-range shots while another book I read said the opposite. I wonder?)

 

Two, the setting of characters: ingenious. Everyone had a place in the story, whether minor or major; and the book kept me guessing with Ismae to the very moment she discovered the culprit of each trial she faced. There was something about each and every character you had to love.

 

Back to my explanation earlier of mindless assassination turning me off, this was remedied by the fact Ismae starts to question the convent's choices. (If curious, the protagonist in Assassin's Creed does the same.) She realizes not all these people are guilty of what she has been told, and that some people can redeem for their sins and might possibly seek that redemption.

 

Guys, by the time I reached the climax of this, I was squealing! This plot was so freaking beautiful. There's nothing not to love in this book, aside from maybe the slowness of the first piece of the work. Seriously, though. What comes after that is so worth it. This is a story of passion, assassination, mystery, poison, love, war...and the mercy of St. Mortain himself. Four stars, closer to five than anything! This story will stay with you. Eagerly awaiting Dark Triumph to come out in paperback.



BRT: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Number of Pages: 390

Rating: 3/5 stars

Date Published: August 24, 2010

SUMMARY

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plains--except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost. [Goodreads]

REVIEW [SPOILERS]

Mockingjay was a book with an indefinitely different feel to it than the first books had. Mockingjay felt dark and gloomy from the start, and understandably so—but there was one thing about this book that really irked me from page 1. Katniss is no longer the girl on fire... she’s the girl that fizzled out.

All of her earlier bravery seems to be malfunctioning, she’s more selfish than she is caring, and it’s even stated that she’s gone a bit...shall we say...loony? I can understand it. The Hunger Games alone are enough to drive someone insane—but it just didn’t sit well with me when Katniss’ thoughts didn’t feel fully coherent at times. Not to mention the love triangle—Katniss’ flip-flopping got irritating. Fast. This wasn’t good for my interest in the book.

There were also a bunch of characters just suddenly thrown in, and it’s not hard to guess who’s okay and who’s a corrupt jerk. Katniss doesn’t even mind even when it’s hinted she knows what’s going to happen at the end—she just goes with everything. Instead of taking charge like she did in the past two books, she did whatever she was told like a good little Mockingjay in this one. This was what the people in 13 wanted, but I highly doubt any readers did.

The deaths were all pointless—we got attached to these characters and then they were ripped away within a split second. Sure, realistic, but not something that people want to read. Suzanne Collins is commendable for her writing skill, but there is a line in which you have to be careful not to cross—the line between meaningful death and pointless death. She crossed that line far too many times in this story.

Honestly, I found Finnick’s death more traumatizing than Prim’s. Prim just felt like a placeholder in the story, a reason for Katniss to go even darker than she had been for the rest of the story. An excuse for her to finally go off the deep end. I didn’t like it. Finnick’s WAS meaningful, but at the same time, pointless. I can’t really put into words what went through me here.

I enjoyed reading about the war efforts. Watching Katniss journey with everyone else into the cities and districts in order to seize control was fun for me. I kind of got lost on how the streets near the Capitol resembled the Games but oh well. Watching the battles held a lot of interest, but at the same time, the pointless death from earlier.

I think that’s all I have to say. This book is a must-read for Hunger Games fans, but you shouldn’t spend your money on it. I’d borrow it from someone. Like I did. :3 It doesn’t seem like there was much I liked about this book, but there was a lot to like—good writing, good pacing. Katniss just messed some of it up.

BRT: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Number of Pages: 391

Rating: 4.5/5

Date Published: September 1, 2009

QUOTE

The smell of blood...it was on his breath. — Katniss

SUMMARY

Sparks are igniting, flames are spreading and the Capitol wants revenge.
Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn. (Goodreads)

REVIEW

FFFFFFFFFFF. I LOVED this book. LOVED it. BUT. There were a few issues. I’ll resolve those quickly before I get onto the good aspects of this book. This was another book I read a while back that had the potential to make me go “OH MY GOD WHAT?!” (In other words, it surprised me.)

1.       Katniss...you are meant to be a STRONG PROTAGONIST. Not a girl who’s constantly asking the reader “Which guy should I pick!?”

2.       The first part of the book was ridiculously boring. It took me around a month to get through it. After that I got more interested, but the first part made me seriously consider stopping.

3.       Too many characters mentioned in too short of a time (particularly the first part) and then two “important” characters who are only met once before they disappear forever.

4.       Back to number 1 on this one. Katniss, MAKE UP YOUR MIND. Stop flip-flopping between guys. You’re using them and it’s not very nice.

Okay, up until that point, I was severely disappointed in the book. Then Part 2 started up and I was like, “OMG, EPIC, EPIC!” And then we met SUPER-cool characters like Finnick ( <3 ) and Katniss/Peeta have more epicosity and they totally own at the interviews and just amazingness.

I make up a lot of words.

Anyway, one of my favorite parts of the book was at the interview. When Katniss is wearing her wedding dress and she talks about how it was so beautiful, and she twirls, and I shall withhold spoilers at that point. That was one of my favorite parts of the book.

After that, the tension is on. I can’t describe how hyper I felt when Katniss and the others reached the arena. And the puzzle of the arena (“tick, tock” — Wiress) just AMAZED me. BEAUTIFUL! Beautiful plotting, so cunning. Ahhhh words can’t describe it.

The final showdown confused me a little due to how fast it progressed; it was hard for me to tell who did what. Then Katniss fires that final arrow of fate, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined the actors playing that part out. I CANNOT WAIT to see that part in the film. (Unless they ruin it, which they probably will.)

You get it. Catching Fire was written just as awesome as the first book...AFTER you get through Part 1. Part 1 is the reason this book only garnered 4/5 stars, due to how drawling it was, how unlikeable the characters were at that point, etc. Except Peeta and Haymitch because they’re always fun.

Hmm, anything else? I don’t think so...except the fact both male leads had a much smaller part. It seemed like they were only there for the convenience of Katniss having a hard time to choose between them. Peeta felt essential in book 1, but not so much in book 2. I’ve never felt like Gale was very...important, either.

Anyway, those are all the thoughts I have to share on this piece of the trilogy. (;

Book Review Thursday: Sweep (Volume 5) by Cate Tiernan

Title: SWEEP Volume 5

Author: Cate Tiernan

Number of Pages: 697

Published: December 8, 2011

Rating: 3.7/5 Stars

 SUMMARY

The final Sweep collection! Morgan Rowlands is a blood witch - the last of an unbroken line of ancient and powerful witches. Though her magick is strong and she has done things that others could never dream of, even she cannot begin to explain how different she truly is. And though her soulmate - her one true love - Hunter supports her, he can never understand what it is like. But there is another who knows, more than anyone else, just what Morgan is going through . . . (Goodreads)

This was a good way to end the series of Sweep. I’m not saying I particularly like how it ended, but it’s still a good way for it to end. Anyway... Ignore my ate for Reckoning.

RECKONING

*Slams forehead into a wall repeatedly*

People, I don’t like Alisa! Ugh... There was no action, no excitement, no huge revelations, no happiness, nothing in this book. All of it was about these mysterious happenings that could get someone killed. It wasn’t even anything exciting. Alisa is still whiny in this book, weepy, etc. Sure, she has a hard life at home.

But seriously? Running away to live with people you don’t even know just because you witch mom (which, by the way, didn’t you DESPISE Wicca?) wrote to him. Come on. And everyone there coincidentally hates her accept for the one guy who turns out to be her soul mate because you know it’s that simple...

*Inserts profanity*

FULL CIRCLE

*Breathes a fresh sigh of relief*

This book was fantastic. I was hanging onto every word that came out. Everything that was going on—it was a huge blast from the past, something that I loved. I missed Cal and Selene (oops, spoilers! Sorry :P It’s not what you think though) and it was refreshing to see something from those days.

This book is another joint-POV between Morgan and Hunter. I didn’t care for Hunter’s POV in Seeker, but he was a pure delight in this book. I just sooo wanted them to be together, not in just consummate ways, but I wanted to know they would be together forever. This is the last book that has been able to surprise me for a while. Love it!

The ending was also just INTENSE. I was up until 4 in the morning finishing this. And the VERY ending was a (happy!) fistpunch to the air for readers everywhere. This literally was a full circle from the beginning of the series.

And then...

NIGHT’S CHILD

Farewell, amazing happy feeling. This book was depressing, uninformative, just...irksome in general. This skips ahead several years, Morgan and Hunter are going to get married, but btw, HUNTER DIES. Sort of. That’s ALL I’m going to tell you.

So Morgan gets together with someone else and has a daughter whose name I can’t even remember. That’s now much I don’t like her. She seems to think she’s always right and everyone else can screw off, accept for her dream guy who possibly couldn’t be bad (which, he isn’t, but his mommy’s a bit pissy). But she doesn’t listen to ANYONE and if she does, it’s mainly to get annoyed about something she’s hearing.

Morgan’s very...lackluster in this book, not at all the Morgan we once knew and loved. Until we get halfway through and then Sky comes back (yes, Sky! Sky! :D). Then the book gets super intense and makes up for most of the first half’s awfulness. But the ending was still so boring compared to books like Full Circle and Eclipse.

I am sad to say farewell to this series. Honestly, even though the last two volumes were extremely disappointing, it doesn’t mean I loved the series as a whole any less. I love the entire cast of characters, I love the events, the plot, it’s just a whole bunch of fun in fifteen quick reads. (Except for me, it took me a month to get through the last book due to disinterest.) As I said with Volume 4, the writing is still fantastic. Cate Tiernan has a true gift for writing amazing stuff. So, I bid farewell to you, SWEEP. (:

Don’t let my bad reviews for the last two volumes drive you away. If you’re curious about it, PLEASE, give it a shot. But I would NOT buy the last two volumes unless you really want to. Go to the library for them. :P