128
Followers
25
Following
Scott Reads It!
I blog over at Scott Reads It! I'm a reader, a writer, a blogger, and a humanitarian. I'm prone to fanboying about the latest nerdy films and books on a consistent basis! I'm nerdy and I know it.
Review: The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch
I actually own all of Jeff Hirsch's YA titles and they have been sitting on my shelf for a while. I finally felt an urge to read one of Hirsch's books recently when I received The Darkest Path in the mail. The Darkest Path is one of hundreds of dystopian books that I've read this year. The Darkest Path isn't the strongest dystopian novel, but it is extremely entertaining and was worth a read!
I personally wanted to learn more about The Glorious Path and The Feds. Hirsch provided the reader with a view of both sides, but I really wished this information was expanded upon. I would have loved to learn how The Path started and how the conflict escalated into a full-out war. I personally craved more world-building because the world building was minimal and very lacking. How did the states break up into The Path and The Feds? Why would people decide to join The Path? I wanted answers and I never really received any throughout the entire novel.
I really enjoyed reading about this "Civil War" from Callum's point-of-view. I really loved Callum's relationships with Bear and his bother James. I really wanted to give furry Bear a cuddly hug and never let him go. I really wish the reader was given more finality on what happened to Bear; after a certain part in the story, Bear isn't mentioned ever again. Despite my small qualms with him, I really loved Callum's character and his determination to get home.
The Darkest Path is filled to the brim w/ heart-pounding action scenes that were extremely well-written. The plot may not be the most original or the most refreshing, but it is extremely fast-paced and well-written. Aside from a shaky opening with an overwhelming amount of choppy sentences, the rest of the book is well-written and thrilling. Hirsch definitely knows how to write a gripping dystopian tale w/ extremely likeable characters.
The Darkest Path isn't my favorite dystopian book, but it had just enough action and adventure to keep me turning the pages. The Darkest Path is a perfect read for those looking for a quick, gripping adventure that never has a dull moment. I guess soon I'll be reading The Eleventh Plague and The Magisterium!
The Darkest Path isn't my favorite dystopian book, but it had just enough action and adventure to keep me turning the pages. The Darkest Path is a perfect read for those looking for a quick, gripping adventure that never has a dull moment. I guess soon I'll be reading The Eleventh Plague and The Magisterium!
2
Review: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Antigoddess is delightfully strange and imaginative with a plot that is sure to appeal to fans of mythology. Kendare Blake's Antigoddess is a completely original take on classic Greek mythology and I loved seeing the Greek gods in a new light. Antigoddess was an extremely pleasant surprise, I really never really expected that Blake would follow up Girl Of Nightmares with something that is just as horrifying and engaging, if not more.
The horror in Antigoddess is definitely not as obvious as it was in Blake's Anna Dressed In Blood novels; this time around, the horror is a bit more subtle. I just might have a new fear of feathers, if I dream of being internally murdered by feathers--I know who to blame. It really takes an extremely talented writer to make something as beautiful and delicate as a feather into something truly terrifying.
These aren't the mythological beings of legend that you know from books like Percy Jackson. The gods and goddesses are more brutal in Antigoddess than in most depictions that I have seen to date and it seems that these gods have an endless capacity for deceit and cruelty. Despite the fact that the gods and goddesses aren't exactly the most likeable motley, Blake manages to instill a sense of protectiveness into her readers. I slowly grew to really like Athena and Hermes, even if their actions didn't always perpetuate them in the best manner.When it came to the action scenes, I was truly scared that Blake would endanger their lives somehow. Readers will really come to understand the gods and goddesses and how they must feel when their existence is threatened after thousands of years.
Of all the characters in Antigoddess, I really felt like Cassandra really grew and developed the most. By the end of Antigoddess, Cassandra has really undergone a complete transformation and I really hope she continues to be such a likeable character in following books. I wasn't a huge fan of Cassandra's relationship with Aidan as the book progressed because it seemed to teeter on the fine line of being too angsty. I really did enjoy their romance, it was just a bit too much for me to handle at times.
I'm not knowledgeable about The Trojan War by any stretch, but Blake manages to explain with ease. This novel will best be enjoyed by those with a taste for mythology, but I really think that newbies to the world of Greek myths will be easily ensnared. All of the Gods are easily distinguishable and iconic in their own way in this novel making it a perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with the myths.
Antigoddess by Kendare Blake is clever, action-packed, and sure to capture the heart of mortals everywhere. This the type of book that will stay with you long after you finished, I don't think I'll be forgetting Blake's depictions of Athena and Hermes anytime soon. Antigoddess was definitely worth the wait and I hope I can say the same thing for the sequel!
1
1
Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
Check out Scott Reads It! for reviews, giveaways, & more!
Looking back on Unbreakable, I'm overcome with a sense of disappointment at both myself and the book itself. I had been looking forward to this book for ages and it was one of my most anticipated books of 2013. I am a huge fan of the Beautiful Creatures series and so I had astronomically high expectations for Unbreakable. In other words, I was 100% convinced that I would love this book to no end. I was so convinced that it would become one of my favorite YA novels, that is until I actually started to read Unbreakable.
I enjoyed Unbreakable right from the start due to Garcia's compelling writing skills and her ability to create such a creepy atmosphere. Kami Garcia is talented and there's no denying that, but I really don't think Unbreakable really showcases all of her writing abilities to their utmost capabilities. The beginning of the novel gave me an idea that the characters would be well-developed, but as the novel went on, it seemed that some of the characters morphed into personality-less husks.
Kennedy Waters is really unsure of herself at the beginning of Unbreakable and she is saved by Jared and Lukas Lockhart. I really liked Kennedy, but I kept waiting for that moment when Kennedy would accept who she is and take action. When her mother dies, Kennedy really doesn't seem to be affected all too much by this death until later. I understand that Kennedy is blinded by her loss to see that she is a member of the Legion, but it was all too much. The fact that Kennedy had to kept denying that she was apart of Legion and acted immature when the matter was brought up, really irked me. I expected a little bit of denial, but for her to keep shooting down the idea so often really didn't work for me. I expected to see Kennedy more comfortable in her skin and more comfortable in Unbreakable, but the reader doesn't see much of a character progression on her part.
When it comes to the brothers, Lukas and Jared Lockhart, I can only express statements of disappointment. I love the way Garcia (and Stohl) portrayed Ethan in Beautiful Creatures, but Lukas and Jared really lacked the believability that Ethan wore like a cloak. Lukas and Jared's characters are never fully scoped out through the novel and I felt like I never really understood either character at all. Unless a name was mentioned, I couldn't really differentiate between Lukas and Jared too much because both characters just felt incomplete like they were missing something so essential. Not to mention the fact that the brothers are constantly fighting like juveniles when there are bigger problems like demons and vengeance spirits. I understand that the brothers have an irreconcilable backstory, but the brothers attacked more like elementary school than mature teenagers.
The plot of Unbreakable is full of enough mysterious and creepy happenings to sate my macabre cravings. Garcia really knows how to weave a paranormal novel, making each encounter with a supernatural being exciting and intense. This book is insanely creepy, like leave your lights on at night kind of creepy and I appreciate all of the horror elements that went into this book. Garcia never truly holds back when it comes to the horror and Unbreakable isn't for the faint at heart.
I'm really not sure where the whole romance angle of this book is going at all. There are only romantic tinges that really didn't stick out much in my mind. I'm not sure if there's going to be in future installments because the romance in this book doesn't really go anywhere. I won't mind reading a love triangle in this series, as long as it's executed well.
Unbreakable really had promise and it's really a shame that I didn't enjoy it more. I really loved the plot and the horror aspects, but the characters and the romance really fell short for me. I will be continuing this series because I know this series has tons of potential and I just love Garcia's writing. I know I didn't enjoy Unbreakable as I would have liked, but I have a feeling that fans of horror novels will absolutely love it.
2
1
Reminiscent Of A Michael Bay Film
Readers' perception of Day One will ultimately come down to whether or not they enjoy mindless fun in their thrillers. I have never seen Cloverfield or watched the entire Terminator movie, so I can't comment on how precise the comparisons are. I have watched the Transformers movies which really reminded me of Day One by Nate Kenyon. Day One kind of reads like a Michael Bay screenplay in my opinion. Day One is filled with all of the classic Bay elements: tons (and tons) of explosions, thrilling chase scenes, non-stop action, collapsing civilization, and mindless fun.
Day One wasn't anything sophisticated at all, but it was a really entertaining book. I kind of expected a little bit more than the whole technology will destroy us theme. I have seen this theme portrayed in media so many times, that I feel like this theme has no effect on me. Day One is nothing new at all and there are so many books and movies that have the same exact plot with a few alterations.
Despite the fact that the plot's nothing new, I really was hooked on Day One. It took a bit of time in the beginning for me to really get into the novel, probably because I was a bit skeptic about reading another reiteration of the whole "tech goes bad". Once I got into the story, the pages really flew by and I had arrived at the conclusion. Besides the poorly paced introduction, Day One is an extremely quick and easy read that reads like a summer blockbuster on steroids.
The characters in Day One are just cardboard reproductions of characters from thriller movies and yet that didn't bother me at all. The MC is the typical husband/father who needs to reunite himself with his family in the middle of a crisis. Even though I really had zero emotional connection to the characters, that didn't really hinder my enjoyment of Day One. All these negatives really took the backseat for me because this book was so much fun in a nonsensical sort of way. Even if things weren't executed all that well or didn't make much sense, I was having too much fun to care.
Day One will enthrall readers from start to finish, but it's not anything spectacular. Beyond the fact that it's extremely addicting, it lacks substance. That being said, Day One was the perfect book for my mood at the time. This isn't one of the better thrillers that I've read to date, but it succeeds in being more of a mish-mash of notable ones. Without a doubt, Day One is going to be very hit and miss for most fans of thrillers.
1
3
Check out Scott Reads It! for reviews, giveaways, & more!
Witchstruck is everything you'd expect from a book about a witch in a Tudor Court. There's secret paramours, court politics, magic, intrigue and tons of historical context. Witchstruck definitely delivers an exciting novel with a historical backdrop. I'm pretty impressed with Lamb's debut for the most part and it's definitely worth reading.
For me, the best comparison I can make regarding Witchstruck is "Grave Mercy meets Anne Rice." Readers will get all of the historical, court politics they loved in Robin LaFevers' YA novel along with the peculiar, magical happenings of Rice's novels. The difference between the two aforementioned authors and Lamb is that I didn't really fall in love with Witchstruck or it's characters. Yes, I enjoyed Witchstruck and it's characters were fairly interesting, but it's just not a book that will stick in my mind.
I really felt like I understood the urgency of being a witch in such a dangerous time. Lamb really conveys well the high-stakes, tense feeling that any moment Meg will be found out and hell will break loose. I really wanted to see more of Meg's magical abilities and I felt that the author really didn't take advantage of the situation. There wasn't nearly enough magic enough in this book and I really could feel its absence. You would a novel about witches wouldn't suffer from this kind of a problem? I understand that Lamb wanted to include historical events and romance, but I just couldn't believe that this book didn't have enough magic to satisfy me. The magic I did end up reading was extremely interesting and that made the absence even more noticeable.
The relationship Meg had with Alejandro de Castillo really mirrored Ismae and Duval's relationship in Grave Mercy. That isn't a bad thing per se, but the whole romance really felt like a deja vu to me and I couldn't shake off this feeling. I know it isn't Lamb's fault at all, but I just couldn't gloat over a relationship when it just felt so eerily similar to another literary couple. The romance in Witchstruck didn't really have as much depth as I would have liked.
I kept waiting for that moment in Witchstruck when Meg would finally surprise me with her strength. Meg is a witch so why does she need Castillo's help so often? I really didn't like how she seemed to rely on Castillo so often especially when the Spanish is supposed to be England's enemy. Why does Meg seem to shake off the idea that Castillo is the enemy so easily? Not to mention the fact that he's training to be a priest, that plot line didn't blend with the romance at all. The whole priest affair seemed to have been disregarded so easily and it never was dealt with in a proper manner.
Witchstruck isn't the best witch novel by any stretch, but it was pretty enjoyable. I'm not sure if I'd like to continue the series at this point, but I am not ruling out the possibility at the moment. Witchstruck really adds nothing new to the paranormal or historical fiction genres, but it's worth reading. For those looking for a quick, light read, Witchstruck will fit your criteria perfectly!
