WWW Wednesday (Sept. 7)

WWW Wednesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am deciding between Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis or Across the Universe by Beth Revis. The latter is kind of depressing me so I'll probably end up reading Kat. I should finish my review books but I'm not in the mood for zombies.

What did you recently finish reading? Miss Peregrine *insert rest of title here* by Ransom Rigg and Solid by Shelley Workinger, both have been reviewed as you can see below.

What do you think you'll read next? After the two I've been deciding on? Well I have two non-zombie review books on my nook I should get to. Across Eternity by Aris Whittier and No Place Like Holmes by Jason Lethcoe.

Solid: A Book Review

Author: Shelley Workinger*

Genre: Sci-fi..?

Reading Level: ages 12 and up

Summary:Teens who discover they were secretly genetically altered before birth are brought together at a classified site where they forge new friendships, find love, develop "super-abilities," and even unearth a conspiracy.

My Review: I didn't start reading this book with any expectations. I'm not a character driven book kind of girl. Not that I like lifeless, do nothing, characters with no personality. I don't think anybody does... at least they shouldn't.

I thought I'd try out of my comfort zone for once though. The author was kind enough to send me a copy. Actually two copies. The first one got lost in the mail.

It's not a terrible novel. It's not very good either. It needs more work, more polish, not just in the plot (after all I was already warned about that) but in the characters. They weren't strong enough to hold the book together. I didn't much like Clio. She was far to inconsistent emotionally. She's supposed to be all sarcastic, but I guess I just didn't get this very much, because she kept telling me she was being sarcastic. I never actually read her being sarcastic.

The relationships all happened too fast. I didn't understand why both Clio and Bliss disliked Miranda so much, I mean I felt like they were the mean judgmental girls, not her. She was just being herself, stating her own opinions and I felt they were being overly self righteous. I don't even understand what Garret's point was other than to be the annoying goofy one. Then there's the love interest, her and Jake just met, she's already crushing cause he's just that perfect, but whatever that's okay, crushes happen...fast. But then she freaks out 'cause he didn't kiss her at a dance (one of the most confusing bits in the novel as it's their second interaction) then she's saying how much she loves him, and other such things. I like'd Colonel Clark. He was pretty cool, I would've liked his relationship with Clio explored. He so obviously felt fatherly toward her. That was sweet.

The little of the plot that was there, kept the novel interesting. It was a cliched, and over too fast, but I appreciated its existence. I think Shelley Workinger has potential, she just needs to work on developing her characters more, letting them slowly grow and form believably solid relationships...oh gawd I didn't mean that pun. -_-;

Content: just some kissing and minor violence, really tame stuff

Rating: 2 and a half stars out of 5

Recommend: Sure, try it out for yourself. There's also a sequel that can be found here.

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children: A Book Review

Author: Ransom Riggs

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

My Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was a well written, and overall interesting novel, I felt some words were overused but I can overlook this little offense.

Some of the characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the "peculiar" aspects of certain characters that I can't give away as they are plot points.

I however was not particularly fond of the novel as a whole. I felt the middle was dragging, so many things I found unnecessary I was forced to read through as I impatiently waited for the real important bits of the book to come up, and the relationships between the characters felt rushed and forced.

Then there's the bad guys. They were built up to be quite fearsome, but I only saw flashes of them in the beginning of the novel and then at the end, and I wasn't particularly scared of them, although my lady like constitution was quite upset over an episode involving them and a pack of innocent sheep.

Unfortunately for me many little plot twists were rather predictable. I wasn't very shocked when certain "reveals" came up as I saw them coming all along and I feel that the observant reader would have the same experience. In the end the novel just left me disappointed.

Content: lots of language, and violence

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Recommend: People who like quirky fantasies