Next Page Reviews now has a promo video up! Go check it out, both authors and readers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcBPXa6_XEI&feature=youtu.be
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Warm Bodies by Issac Marion (Book Review)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: November 1st, 2011
Genre: Paranormal, horror, fantasy, science fiction, romance, action
Medium: Paperback, bought
Warm Bodies is one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life. It was an amazing breath of fresh air, a cleansing, wonderful, piece of art. I absolutely love how what this author and novel has done to expand the genres of Young Adult and fiction overall, and I am completely and utterly pleased with this novel.
Now, on to my real review. The characters in this novel were simply stunning. R is a character that I instantly fell in love with, not just on a personal level, but a deeper level also. His character was completely lovable and in touch with his human side. Julie became one of my favorite characters throughout the novel also, as she is not your typical female protagonist. Straightforward, open-minded, and free-willed, she was my type of character.
Onto the writing: I can imagine Issac Marion's voice jumping out in a room of nondescript words and faces, a light at the end of the tunnel, one bright spot in a life of grayscale... I could go on and on. This new author has the voice and talent half the other authors his age can't possibly possess. His writing completely conveys every sense of fear, love, courage, and of course, hope, the very things R stands for. I seriously got so immersed in this novel that I caught myself believing that I was living inside that world, like I forgot that I was reading the novel, not living in it. But this is a perfect example of Marion's work: magical, unforgettable, and completely mind changing and memorable. I give it five stars.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
White Cat by Holly Black (Book review)
Title: White Cat by Holly Black
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genres: Fantasy, romance, drama, mystery, paranormal
Medium: Paperback, bought
To be completely honest, I have never been a really big fan of fantasy of any degree, not mild or high, but I will regularly read this. I started reading this book with an open mind, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it when I finished the novel. I have read a bit of Holly Black's work before (Spiderwick Chronicles) but nothing else. White Cat opened up this great new big world and dropped me smack in the middle, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. That being said, I felt like I was inside the novel, right there with the characters. I love Holly's writing and the way she builds her characters, none of them perfect and all accepting their many flaws. Her writing also shows how the characters develop from the beginning to the end of the novel. The writing is clear, the emotions are there, and he mysterious drama is there until the end.
Another thing I would like to hit on is the romance. Some author (I will not state names, you may look for yourself though) had her review on the back cover of the book. In the review, she stated that the book was a "tour de force of romance" and "a sexy noir." She must not have even read the book, because if you read the novel, there is only a few instances of anything slightly resembling this, none coming close to what she describes. This novel does have some flirty situations, but no romance, love, or anything really sexy. The amazing cliffhanger at the end suggests that the sequel will contain all the romance.
Getting off my soapbox here, I thoroughly enjoyed the drama, fantasy, mystery aspects of this novel. My only problem with this story is that the beginning was very slow. Very slow. It was until about halfway that it really got interesting. I feel like that may be a problem for readers who get distracted or uninterested easy. But I'm writing this review like this for a reason, and I tell you this book is worth it, so please stick with it once you start and don't abandon it. I give this book four stars.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton (Book review)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Norse, Mythology, Action
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: June 25th, 2013
Medium: ARC from Random House Ambuzzador Program
I loved this novel. Seriously. It was fantastic. A breath of fresh air. This novel takes you on an amazing ride from start to finish, as it brings you into a world like no other.
I will go ahead and say, I have never read anything about Norse mythology before (unless you count watching Thor and Loki in The Avengers) I have only read Egyptian, Roman, and Greek mythology, but none of those novels/series has delved into the mythology as much as this one.
" Fans of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Holly Black's The Curse Workers will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard. Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood--the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That's not all Astrid dreams of--the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities.
When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they've been told they have to be." -From Amazon
Again, I was reading this because I was chosen to spread the word about this upcoming novel through the Ambuzzador program hosted by Random House. But after reading this first installment, I can assure you I will be reading any upcoming sequels in this series of The United States of Asgard.
I give it 4.5 stars. Excellent read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, or simply wants to disappear into a completely different world.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Book review)
Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Date Published: October 12th, 2010
Date Read: August 11th, 2013
Genres: fantasy, paranormal, romance
Medium: Hardback, bought
Beautiful Darkness was a delicious read. In my opinion, it was better than the first novel, Beautiful Creatures, which is something I do not get to say often. This series harnesses all the great points that make a novel so good. The characters, bother new and old in this sequel, were all perfectly described and built. They each have weaknesses and strengths, have their own unique personalities, and all make you feel like you know them personally. This novel had more twists and turns in it, all of which I devoured. There were moments of romance, jealousy, sadness, anger, horror, all perfectly spaced. I personally fell in love with Link's character from the beginning. His humor and personality caught my eye, and I was glad to see him having a larger part in this sequel. This novel was gorgeously written, and ended with a pretty good cliffhanger. I will be staring on Beautiful Chaos within the next few weeks.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Destined by P.C. Cast (Book review)
Title: Destined (The House of Night book 9) by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Date Published: April 30th, 2013
Date Read: July 30th, 2013
Genres: fantasy, drama, romance
Medium: Paperback, bought
The House of Night is (highly known by all of my readers) one of my favorite series. This sequel (Destined) definitely did not disappoint. I absolutely loved this novel and everything about it. From the hot romance, the perfectly timed humor, the elements of friendship, love, family, and the recurring theme of the difference of darkness and light, this story has it all. The characters are well conceived, the plot is great and full of twists and turns, and the writing is absolutely perfect. I will definitely be reading the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it!
Author Talk with Erin Vincent
Author Talk!
Erin Vincent- (Author of Grief Girl)
Erin Vincent has recently completed the novel Grief Girl, a compelling novel based on the true-story of her life, as her parents were killed in a car accident. At the age of seventeen, she is forced to take on the responsibility of raising her younger siblings. Her novel is her story of their deaths and how she learned to cope with grief.
I asked Erin (if she could write anything else after/besides this) what she would write.
Her response: "There's a book I have adored since I was 12 years old - THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend. It is so funny and heartfelt and brilliantly written. Oh how I wish I could write like that. But, there's no point in trying to mimic someone's writing style. I tried that when I was younger and it just doesn't work. One must be true to oneself. I'm a bit of a quote freak and there is one I love about expressing your true self by the innovative modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham -
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)