Review: Reached

Reached by Ally Condie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reached is the culmination of the Matched trilogy, quite a fitting end although not altogether satisfying. I'm giving it 4 stars out of 5, simply because it was quite the trilogy and well-written, an enjoyable read and something I'm glad I read even if I didn't truly appreciate the final book.

The book itself focuses mainly on the Rising infiltrating the Society with a plague that was created by the Society in the first place. Only, things don't go quite as the Rising had planned, and things start falling apart very quickly.

The pacing of the book was awkward, as weeks and months would pass with only a small note such as "We had been here for two months" or "The still had been under for three weeks," etc. Jumping around in time was obviously necessary, as it would take time to get the cure and the plague under control. However, by having a lot take place in a small amount of time, and then skipping a few weeks or months and having more take place, well, it got a little confusing. I feel like the entirety of the book happened in the span of a couple of weeks, when it really took what I believe may have been close to six months or more.

I thought Xander's voice had changed from the last book to this one. He seems hopelessly bent on Cassia, but also blindly following the Rising and the Pilot with no question. His belief is total and is near unbreakable, until he finds another Pilot to follow, at which point it's like he never believed in the real Pilot at all. He is blind to a lot that is going on around him, faith without question, and trust without thought. It bothered me that someone who was so bent on fixing things would follow so completely.

Something I really appreciated was the lack of sex and sexual themes. This book was an adventure and a love story, and it didn't need the characters constantly groping each other and getting it on to make the story happen.

**Spoilers Ahead**

Review: Away

This is a sequel, so if you have not read The Line, go read that first!


Away by Teri Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It can be difficult to review book 2 of 3 because there's still so much left unsaid from book 1. I'm most irritated with the end of Away because it skipped so much time, things happened way too quickly, the climax came in the last few pages (which is not the way to end a book, even if it's to be continued), and there's still another book to come.

I think Teri Hall has grown into the format and story, there was more character development (albeit only slightly), but it seems there was less of a real plot this time and more of people traveling to accomplish something.

I'm hoping the final installment will be better (and longer) than this one, as I don't want to have to finish it and go "What the heck?"

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Just a little fangirling going on...

Please pardon me for a moment, as this is nowhere near professional of me... Hero by Alethea Kontis


Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

I was so excited that Enchanted was a stand-alone, and now it has a sequel? And a third book? WTH?

Not that this is bad news, in fact I loved Enchanted and wanted to read more of Kontis' work, but I admit the fact that it's become a series is a bit disappointing. At least it's the story of another of the sisters, and not a continuation of the last book.

ANYWAY... YAY I GET TO READ MORE KONTIS SOON!

BOO IT'S NOT COMING OUT UNTIL OCTOBER!

YAY I LOVE THIS COVER!

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Review: Smoke And Mirrors

Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This collection of short stories by one of the most talented writers of today is surprising and haunting, and will leave you thinking "What if this were real?"

I really enjoyed the different types of stories in this collection, as some were about vampires, some about odd happenings, some were straight-up fantasy or science fiction, and one was about an angel who no longer has wings.

The component I liked the most about the book was the introduction by Neil Gaiman himself. In it, he explains the ideas behind each of the stories, or where the stories started out, or where they ended up. The book is also interspersed with poems that tell quick, creepy and intriguing tales.

There were a few stories I didn't enjoy, and most of them are definitely adult (one is practically porn but I didn't mind it), so don't let your pre-teens get hold of it. But if you like a dose of weird and creep, and a dash of Cthulu, or even if you've just never experienced the mind of Gaiman, this is a must-read.

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This Week's Haul

A few weeks ago I won a gift card to Amazon from On The Edge, which I promptly spent on books!  One of the books I ordered ended up not being shipped, I guess the person didn't have it or something.  But I did get four others: The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott, The Girl who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow, The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip, and The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw.  Lots of fantasy and YA to go around, there :)

I also got an e-mail from BooksFreeSwap letting me know that a book I wanted was available.  I've already read it (and written about it here and here but I didn't own a copy.  So finally, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is mine!  And in hardcover, no less!

Lots of links, I know, but this is a pretty big book haul.  Very exciting!  Looks like I have a lot of reading to do this year.  I also picked up a copy of Away by Teri Hall, the sequel to The Line, from the library this week.  I'm waiting on a few more books too, sequels to other books I've enjoyed (and I think one I didn't, but I figured why not).

Exciting News!

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Neil Gaiman, quite a brilliant story-teller, and someone I'm currently reading, has a new book coming out!  He announced it a few months ago, which made me a bit antsy, but then I got on to other things and promptly forgot all about it.  I am a bad reader.

BUT!  This week he announced that the book is coming out in June in the US, which makes me happy.  What makes me even happier is that his local bookstore in Cambridge (only two hours from me!  Stalker time?) has them available for pre-order.  But not just any pre-order, he's signing them!  Unfortunately not in person, but hey, they'll be signed!

Of course this means the book must be mine, complete with signature, as it would be the only signed Gaiman I own.  Also, now that I know he's in Cambridge, I can keep an eye out for readings and such.  I'd gladly sacrifice the four-hour round trip and the gas money to see him in person.  Who would get that kind of fan-devotion from you?  How far have you traveled just to attend a reading?

If you're interested and want to get your own copy, you can pre-order right here from Porter Square Books.

In other news, I have five books coming to me in the mail!  Pictures and info coming soon!