I love to read and my bookshelf is often packed to overflowing...until I can buy or bargain a larger one to hold the overflow. Currently, I'm reading the Whitney Chronicles by Judy Baer. I'll be reviewing books, etc, by the guidelines below.
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Setting: Could you see it, feel it, taste it, smell it? Did they story stay within it's historical/timeline framework?
Characters: Do you know who they are? How have they grown in this chapter? Did they do anything that seemed out of place for them? Are they believeable?
Plot: Is it moving the reader forward? Are you asking the right questions at the end of the chapter?
Grammar: Are there any grammatical errors?
General: Is there room for improvement? Where? Was the POV consistant? What are your thoughts overall?
Closing thoughts: Give an honest, personal assessment of the work. What did you really think?
Newest reviews are on top.
Reading "Reluctant Smuggler" was time well-spent! I sat down to skim through the first few chapters and ended up reading half the book! Between a gutsy heroine-Desiree Jacobs-to her honest and determined fiancé-Tony Lucano, the cast of characters set the scene for a truly thrilling read.
It started in Mexico with hints of spies-and-secrets, as Desiree takes a test to prove her company's worth. Working as a security consultant, she demonstrates her abilities and excellent self-restraint when the test gets twisted.
I admired her inner strength, especially when facing hardships and near death, she is able to pull herself together and still pray! It would seem like that isn't a whole lot, but when you're kidnapped and smuggled away, your fiancé is reported dead and you're stuck with a jerk you'd really like to strangle, we see Desi's true colors and we're glad to be adventuring with her.
The interwoven romance was sweet and simple, I especially enjoyed her search for the perfect wedding gown and how prayers and her sweet, Mama Gina make this dream a reality come through! As she struggles with losing her engagement ring and trying to plan her wedding, she finds friends she can lean on, prayers that reassure her and God's love following her to prove that He still has everything in control.
Mystery doesn't much deeper than missing artifacts slipping away right under the authorities' noses. From the first page where an artifact turns out to be a clever fake, to the end where a copy of her stolen Medallion is hers to keep.
You feel as if you are trekking along with Desi in her search for pieces of missing history and looking over Tony's shoulder as he tries to protect and support a woman that's completely stolen his heart-while recovering from a near death himself.
Jill Elizabeth Nelson has penned a truly wonderful mix of romance, mystery and culture. Kudos to her!
(c) 2008 Sara Harricharan
A definite must read!
Frank Creed: Flashpoint, book 1 of the underground.
Setting: Could you see it, feel it, taste it, smell it? Did they story stay within it's historical/timeline framework?
YES! The descriptions are vivid and we can relate to things, like wet boots and dry socks. The you-are-there atmosphere sucks you in and doesn't let go.
Characters: Do you know who they are? How have they grown in this chapter? Did they do anything that seemed out of place for them? Are they believeable?
Loved the characters. Calamity Kid is great. I like that he has weaknesses that I struggle with myself and that he overcomes them in time, with prayer and God's help. He is very believable and the character transparency just makes him even more likeable. His kid sister, E-girl, is my favorite. A girl with pink hair and gold eyes? I'm sold! She has great tech skills and I like the dialouge between her and Calamity Kid.
Plot: Is it moving the reader forward? Are you asking the right questions at the end of the chapter?
It moved forward all right. You can't finish one chapter without starting on the next one. Every time I pick this up, I can't read just one page...I keep reading until the end of the chapter...and then to the end of the book, great stuff.
Closing thoughts: Give an honest, personal assessment of the work. What did you really think?
I think this was great! I can honestly say it's the best YA fiction I've read in two years. The message hits home and the approach is just right. Loved from cover to cover, can't wait for the next installment. I rate it a 10+
ORGINAL REVIEW:
Author: Frank Creed
Review: Flashpoint, Book One of the Underground
Flashpoint is a reading roller coasted of non-stop action and mind-blowing adventure-literally! From the first chapter to the last, you can barely take a breath. We meet our two characters, David and his kid sister Jen, in a running leap for their faith. Their family is captured by Peacekeepers for being “Fundamentalists” –or true Christians. Religion has boiled down to a feel-good-do-whatever-your-supposed-conscience-tells-you-to mindset.
We follow them as they meet a Sandman-and their destiny. David becomes Calamity Kid a sandman in training to serve God and save his family. Jen becomes E-girl, a cyber-hack with totally tricked out web skills. They barely have time to get their feet wet before Calamity Kid begins to see the there’s more than just his family at stake in an epic God’s love versus evil battle. This is where you fasten the seatbelts and whisper a prayer.
Calamity Kid slogs his way through understanding and spiritual growth. He learns to rely on God and not himself, while forgiving a betrayal that cuts at his heart. His sense of humor stays in tact until the end and I cheered when he finally gave his will into God’s hands. The outcome? Read for yourself!
Meaningful verses are well-placed throughout the entire read and the message is expertly presented that you come away with something more than when you started. I started reading before dinner-I don’t remember what I ate, but I do remember what I read. Flashpoint is a favorite that will go down in reading history!
Sara Harricharan
Maximum Ride : The Angel Experiment : James Patterson
Setting: Could you see it, feel it, taste it, smell it? Did they story stay within it's historical/timeline framework?
Pretty much. I enjoyed reading about the different hideouts and how they'd blend into the surroundings or not. It was very real, you-are-there sort of atmosphere.
Characters: Do you know who they are? How have they grown in this chapter? Did they do anything that seemed out of place for them? Are they believeable?
I could identify with Max a little. Not a whole lot, but a little. I agree with the modern "Boxcar Children" take on it, but the Boxcar Children still trump, on account of the 'warm fuzzy feeling' and the easy dialouge with no language in between. We see Max evolving slowly, we see her losing her mind a lot, but keeping her head together, even when she's discovering all kinds of things, like the chip in her hand and losing Angel. We see her failures and this makes it real. I like Fang best of all. The nice, silent guy who happens, of course, to be strong and stable. I wish his character was developed a little more. Iggy is fun. I like the fact that though he is blind, it doesn't make that big a difference, even though Max addresses it in the beginning, it changes, and of course, he can cook. How neat is that? Nudge, I can't say I really liked her character, I almost always wanted to skip ahead, except for the pieces in which she was with Fang. Gasman was okay, but I liked "Gazzy" better and he doesn't really do a whole lot. Angel is cute, but her cuteness kind of overdoes it, a good comeback though is she's telepathic. For a six year old, that's interesting. As for the erasers, the badguys....I absolutely cannot stand Ari. I so wish he would die and end of story.
Plot: Is it moving the reader forward? Are you asking the right questions at the end of the chapter?
It moves forward all right. It doesn't stop moving, even in the end. There's a whole lot of running, changing, fighting for thier lives sort of thing. It can get predictable after awhile, but you keep with the pace. The Short chapters are good for the POV switches.
Grammar: Are there any grammatical errors?
Grammar? Not that I noticed. I was mostly reading for enjoyment.
Closing thoughts: Give an honest, personal assessment of the work. What did you really think?
Good. I would've liked it better if there were less use of a few words in particular and if Max could screw her head on straight. On a scale of 1-10. I would rate it an 7 and maybe a 1/4 . It was good. Just the language that popped out every once in awhile.
Maximum Ride : School's out, forever : James Patterson
Setting: Could you see it, feel it, taste it, smell it? Did they story stay within it's historical/timeline framework?
You could definitely feel the settings here, except for at the school. There it's kind of sketchy. I didn't like that a whole lot.
Characters: Do you know who they are? How have they grown in this chapter? Did they do anything that seemed out of place for them? Are they believeable?
This was better than the first. There was less emphasis on all their abilities, in this case, more show and less tell. I really liked that. I felt sorry for Iggy though, I did like how there was more of Fang in this one than the last. Nudge sort of smooths out a little here. Angel gets another power besides reading minds and breathing underwater. I don't like how Max let down a lot of her guard here. Adding the dog, Total, kind of drags on. It was a nice touch to have him talking though. I like his smart remarks. We also see a glimpse of Max and Fang's deeper friendship here, I like how for a moment, Max isn't all puffed up and we find that Fang really is more than just another one of the flock. He's the backup leader. I like the fact that he deals with everything Max throws at him and just takes it in stride. I did not like the agent, I especially didn't like her taking over and sending them to school. That, I just didn't agree on. And I didn't like the headmaster either. So glad that they busted up the school and got away free. And that Max finally got a new power.
Plot: Is it moving the reader forward? Are you asking the right questions at the end of the chapter?
It moves forward a little bit. I didn't see much purpose in this one. They're just going around and though they do find Iggy's parents and Angel and Max get new powers.
Grammar: Are there any grammatical errors?
Wasn't really looking for any.
Closing thoughts: Give an honest, personal assessment of the work. What did you really think?
Fun to read. But needs the first book behind it. Except for some language, a good read. An even 7 1/2.
Maximum Ride : Saving the world and other extreme sports : James Patterson
WARNING! SPOILERS! If you want to read for yourself, you probably want to skip this review until later!
Setting: Could you see it, feel it, taste it, smell it? Did they story stay within it's historical/timeline framework?
Yeah. It was a little jumpy in some places where they kept running from country to country and all around the world, yet they didn't seem to really stop long enough for you to get the feel of it. Like after they break away from the prision place and are in a French Cyber Cafe. That just didn't click with France.
Characters: Do you know who they are? How have they grown in this chapter? Did they do anything that seemed out of place for them? Are they believeable?
Well, Max certainly didn't grow. lol. At least not that I saw. I'd previously enjoyed the invisible chemistry between her and Fang. In this book, they're just too busy yelling at each other and then they break up. What a bummer, because they don't meet up again until the end of the book and the reunion is so ordinary it seems out of place. Angel, we see her blossom into a courageous little kid for a 6-year-old and, yes! finally, her powers develop to the point where she can easily manipulate people to letting her, Max, Nudge, a talking Total and Ari onto a plane in the first class section! Oh, did I mention that Ari turns good now? Turns out his expiration date is very near. So he kind of undergoes this whole change of heart thing. He actually is nice to Max even after all the fights in the two books before. Max lets him join the flock because she senses that he's really changed and he saves them and Total. Fang doesn't like that and it is one reason that he 'breaks up with her'. I mean, good greif, this is high school drama here, but then again these are bird-kids. lol. We also discover that Max really does have a mom. Whoop! And we know who she is! And of course, Jeb really is her father...and he is the Voice that she's been hearing.
Plot: Is it moving the reader forward? Are you asking the right questions at the end of the chapter?
It moves along all right. There is an incredible amount of info crammed into it. If you so much as skip a page, you're pretty much lost. Even if Max tells you to. It moves along at a high pace and is constant action and on the edge of your seat sort of stuff.
Grammar: Are there any grammatical errors?
Wasn't really looking for any. I just wanted to read the book.
General: Is there room for improvement? Where? Was the POV consistant? What are your thoughts overall?
I liked that we got to read a few chapters from Fang's view and Nudge's. It was a definitely a nice change of pace.
Closing thoughts: Give an honest, personal assessment of the work. What did you really think?
I think I like the other two books better. Book two was the best out of them all. lol. Even though I previously thought the Angel Experiment was the best, I changed my mind. On a scale of 1-10, it's a good read, there is language in there though and as before, that seriously cut down on my main enjoyment of it, but still, I rate it a : 7 for creativity and realistic characters.