Category Archives: Book Reviews

Review: James Phelan – The Last Thirteen #2

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The Last Thirteen #2
James Phelan
Sam is still dreaming. For him, it is getting more difficult to tell the difference between dreams and reality. He’s been stranded in several countries, including Egypt, but now it’s his job to convince the 12th dreamer that she belongs with him.
18498291Once again this is an action packed novel, story-focussed and story-driven. I don’t think I spent a minute thinking about the individual characters, only the overall picture of action.
Alex, whose character development I complained about last time, certainly gets a lot more back-story. I can’t believe I picked that! Well, at least picked him out as a probable suspect…
I still wish there was more about the actual abilities of the current Dreamers. The experiments by a certain group certainly lend themselves to me learning more about it. Not to mention extending them. It sounds good in theory, but in practice? We’ll have to wait for the next book.
Each novel of this series has a nail-biting cliffhanger. I don’t know if the author came up with this method by himself, or whether this is a bigger novel chopped into serialised bits, or just a fine marketing technique. Either way, you can tell when the end of the novel is coming, because it will be just before you get a great piece of information.
Repeat from my earlier review: It’s a bite-sized spy/genius/warfare novel that’s going to get your non-reader interested in reading again. If you’re not sure, to me it seemed similar to Robert Muchamore’s Cherub series. If you’re not sure if your son/daughter is ever going to get away from comic and graphic novels, offer this instead. The action is fast-paced and there’s hardly any emotional baggage or ‘feels’ to get in the way.
I received this novel directly from Scholastic as an Advance Reader copy. This has in no way influenced my review. This novel was released to the public before I got a chance to write up my review. You can still get on it in time for Christmas!

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Bastion

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Bastion
Mercedes Lackey
Mags is still recovering from being kidnapped, and his memories falsified. So that he can have some peace and quiet, he’s sent out on circuit near where his parents and the bandits were left. It seems like he is going to find out more about himself – one way or another, dead or alive.

First off, what’s up with the title anyway? It feels like a little bit of named countryside that I’ve never read about before. It’s not mentioned in any of the other novels of Valdemar that have been listed in the Guard archives, and you’d think a piece of history like that would be in there, like the Vanyel references.

I’m not sure whether to object or not about the pace of this novel. It seems to me like nothing happens in the first half, literally, except some flashbacks to previous novels. I enjoy scenery descriptions and so forth, but there needs to be some substance behind it. Like the others in this series, it felt empty and unsatisfying and could have been combined into one of the other novels. Yes, it did have a pretty distinct storyline in the end, but there was so much filler!
I felt really uncomfortable with the treatment of Mag’s and Amily’s relationship. Mags is a Herald! The conversation he and his mentor have is just awkward for Mags and readers alike. It’s not similar to any other novel she’s written that I’ve read, which is most of them, and I don’t like it and don’t feel like it added anything to the story. In fact it felt crude. The dramas between the two mentors had a little bit of interest in it, but the eventual resolution of it was a let down.
Once again, I got to the end and wondered if it was finished. This time, I wasn’t even sure if it was the end of the series or not! This seems like a publishing money cow, but it’s not a tasty one. I didn’t even remember the book before this one very well – this one is just as forgettable.
I’ve got another Mercedes Lackey novel waiting for me to review it – I’m not that excited, but it’s from a series she hasn’t stuffed up yet too much, so hopefully it is good!
This was just the right novel to get me into reviewing again – something to partially tear apart by an author who should have known better. I’ve been reading but not reviewing lately. I just got a fabulous stack of books from Scholastic to review though so I should have some more going on really soon.

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Review: Lian Hearn – Tales of the Otori 2: Grass for his Pillow

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Grass for his Pillow
Lian Hearn
Takeo has gone with the Tribe in order to fulfil what he feels is his birthright and duty. Lady Kaede has gone home, pregnant but without Takeo. They must each find their strengths and wait for the spring – where perhaps they will meet again.
Once again, I really enjoyed this series and found myself sitting in my car listening to it by choice! I guess I could have brought it inside to listen to, but the atmosphere wouldn’t have been there!
Takeo is a bit dense sometimes, but he does try to do the right thing. You can tell what his weakness is, and he knows as well. He’s haunted by the people he kills in his role for the Tribe and yearns for something more. Kaede is much more commanding and suited to being a warrior, but alas she’s born female and it’s hardly a choice for her.
The ending is decidedly unsatisfactory and reeks of being a second book in a series. Plenty of cliff-hangers and uncertainties. Bah. I’m just a bit irked because I don’t have the third book waiting for me to listen to! Instead I have the prequel to this series.
I had a moment of doubt when I heard the introduction, because it wasn’t in the same voice as the first novel – but then it turned out to be the same readers as before and I was happy. I was used to them sounding the way they did, and I didn’t want change! I think I wouldn’t have listened to it, if it didn’t have the same expressive readers.
As with the first novel, I don’t think that the title of the novel is particularly true. He doesn’t really spend all that much time free to sleep with grass for his pillow. It seems like he spends much of his time locked inside a room, or battling against the snowy elements of Autumn.

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Review: Jodi Picoult – The Pact

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The Pact
Jodi Picoult
Chris and Emily have been friends, and closer than friends, for as long as anyone can remember. Their parents fully expect them to get married in the near future. So something must have gone dreadfully wrong when it looks like the two have entered a suicide pact, but only one of them dies.
Well, this wasn’t what I was expecting. Or maybe it was, but I had been hoping for something else. I wanted more focus, and more information from Emily before her death. I wanted Melanie to answer some of my questions, and for her to realise there was more at stake than she thought.
I felt frustration, and an inability to connect with the characters. I didn’t want to see inside the jail. I didn’t care what happened to Chris. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t suicidal, why he didn’t see the same ways out as his cellmate. Ugh! He frustrated me!
I did want to know what really happened that night, and drawing out knowledge of that until the end just drove me nuts. I almost skipped to the end just to find out, because I was so sick of the filler and the ‘feels’. This novel did take me on an emotional rollarcoaster for some of the time. I tend to feel deeply with characters, usually regardless of how well they are written.
Being open-minded, I like to think that Gus and Michael could have had something happening there. And the ending is just unsatisfactory. Melanie is such a cop out. It seems so unfair that Gus and James should also lose their friends, as well as their potential daughter-in-law.
Everything was set up perfectly. You could see that the story was constructed to fit a particular plan. There didn’t seem to be any spontaneity in the novel.
I guess what Picoult likes to do is draw in her readers, and then leave them wanting more at the end. I get that, but it still annoys me. The ending to this one, with the exception of the very last page which seemed to have been put in just to torment readers, is actually one of the more concrete ones.
I also bought Vanishing Acts at the same time as this one. I’ve just started into it, and can’t believe it’s another jail storyline. Seriously, it’s not my thing.
Sorry to all of you who love Jodi Picoult’s works – I’ll agree that they are well researched, and that they aren’t meant to be comfortable reads (they should be thought provoking), but I simply couldn’t love The Pact.

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Review: John Steinbeck – Tortilla Flat

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John Steinbeck
Tortilla Flat
Danny and his friends have tales told about them in a series of short interconnected stories. It’s an interesting insight into their lives of relatively early American (USA) [well, what I call early because I’m a young person!].  
 
I really like the know it all of the group, Pilon. He’s just so engaging and scheming and bright! Well, you know, bright in relative terms compared to everyone else.
 
Eh, Danny I could have taken of left. I just didn’t ‘get’ him very well. He’s such a friendly and easy-going guy, and clueless in his own way. For god’s sake man, take control of your life and those useless drinkers you call friends! Maybe I’m just not tolerant enough, which is my usual problem…
 
Pirate! Oh Pirate, how clueless. But he’s such a good example to the others, who seem to do nothing but drink wine. I find it sad and also sort of funny, the story about his candlestick. The others would have loved to be there too no doubt.  
 
The ending of this novel seems very final in its own way. Not unexpected, and has a certain parallel to other events in the novel. There’s another book after this one, and although I was aiming to read the second book in this ‘series’, I didn’t get around to it in time. It is my intention to borrow the other book from the library at a later point. 
 
I read this after the suggestion (and lending of books to me) by an Aunt while on holidays on the US. I saved my draft review on my other laptop, and then didn’t get around to posting it. Oops.

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Review: Lian Hearn – Tales of the Otori 1: Across the Nightingale Floor

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Across the Nightingale Floor
Lian Hearn
Taeko has lost his family, his life and everything precious to him. Now he is a pawn for getting revenge on the warlord that rules most of the country. The nightingale floor will sing if he stands on it – is he up to the challenge?
77160Despite my little blurb there, it doesn’t feel like the nightingale floor is actually that important. Most of this novel is about the respective journeys of Taeko and Kaede towards the evil Iida. Taeko makes such a willful apprentice, it’s a wonder he ever gets anything done! Shigeru could have had a bit more airtime in my opinion.
I found myself wanting to sit in my car to listen to it, far after I should have been at work. I’m thinking that’s a good sign. Some parts were just so suspenseful I couldn’t bear to leave. This even held true after I looked at the wikipedia page to find out the name of the book in the series, and accidentally looked at the synopsis.
Whoever translated this novel (from I think Japanese??) did a great job. The turns of phrase were natural, although I found it more difficult to keep track of the characters because of their foreign sounding names.
I actually really enjoyed this novel. The readers on my talking book were great, particularly the male one. His voice was soothing, and yet rose to the occasion at points of tension. The female narrator was a little more sketchy, but ok.
While I was looking up how to spell the author’s name, I stumbled over a rather scathing review, that said that the characters were weak and the settings completely unrealistic. While I agree that Kaede was a bit of a sook, I still liked Taeko. And the lack of description was perfect for a talking book that I wanted to listen to while driving – no distractions!

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Review: A.J. Rochester – Confessions of Reformed Dieter

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Confessions of Reformed Dieter
A.J. Rochester
This is the weight-loss diary of A.J. Rochester, and is the first book before Lazy Girl’s Guide to Losing Weight and Getting Fit which I previously reviewed. I didn’t realise that both of them were available as audiobooks, and so I listened to them out of sequence.
I’m sort of glad I did listen to them out of sequence. Not this this book was no good, but that I found the sense of humour in ‘Lazy Girl’ more to my liking. I’m just not that interested in the size of her arse!
There were a couple of bits that irked me, such as when she goes on about Pluto Pups (again?!?) and lists food items off. But I am excited for her as she goes through the plateaus and faces exercise challenges such as breaking her leg.
Rochester’s formidable personality shines through. I found it engaging to listen to, and was very sad when I got to the end. There were so many things left unanswered! I was frustrated that I didn’t know what happened to ‘the boy’, and I wanted her to find some sort of closure with Nutcase. I know it’s unrealistic to expect that in real life, but it should have avoided…
While then end of this novel is really very positive, when googling to check I spelt her name correctly, I found several less-than-flattering pictures of her more recently. She appears to have piled the weight back on, despite saying that she never would. Not very inspiring by someone who claims her new weightloss is for life!
When struggling with my own desire to thin down and get fit, inspiring books like these are just what I need. I don’t have 50 kg to lose, but knowing that someone else (on a personal level like what I felt with Rochester) has done it, and done it well is inspiring.

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Review: Stella Gibbons – Cold Comfort Farm

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Cold Comfort Farm
Stella Gibbons
Flora Poste has been recently bereaved of her parents. Left with 100 pounds per year, she writes to four different relatives to try get sympathy and somewhere to live. She chooses the most unlikely charity – because she doesn’t want to have to share a bedroom!
92780Flora is an annoying character always poking her nose in self-righteously where she can. She does sort things out I suppose, but some people are happy being miserable! And other people, such as poor Adam, just want to get on with life in the same way they always have.
Look, this is supposed to be comic in the style of PG Wodehouse. I’m just not seeing it! I found it rather sad, and Flora just irritating. In fact, she reminded me of Jane Austin’s Emma, right down to the last chapter. Interfering busy-body nuisance. Perhaps I’m just not tolerant enough.
I have to say that the novel is well-written, if a little repetitive owing to Flora’s own repetitive issues. I could imagine each of the characters easily, and saw the squalor of their conditions. If they were written so that I wouldn’t like any of them, it was a success.
The question that everyone wants to know the answer to – what did Ada Doom see in the woodshed – and is indeed, the whole reason I persevered with this novel, is not answered. Sorry if I just spoilt it for you. But arg! No answers! And there were a couple of other things that weren’t satisfactorily answered either, and it just irritated me.
I borrowed this from a friend who thought I might enjoy it, but sadly I can’t say I did. I tolerated Flora, but didn’t feel anything but pity for the other characters. Except perhaps the other young girl, and that was an extra helping of pity because she allowed herself to be shaped so much.

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Review: A.J. Rochester – The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Losing Weight and Getting Fit

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The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Losing Weight and Getting Fit
A.J. Rochester
A.J. has struggled with being big all her life and when she realises she is obese she decides to get professional help – Dr. Nutcase, Crusher and a nutritionist. This book chronicles how other people can follow her process and aim towards being thinner themselves.
As a talking book read by the author herself, the expression and nuances of language were amazing. It was engaging to listen to, and although I couldn’t say the topic matter was that interesting to me personally (knowing most of the things already), I was happy to listen to it on my walks to the bus.
Something that irked me were references to Pluto Pups. What is a Pluto Pup anyway? Additionally, the subscription to eating diet yoghurt. I’m of the belief that yoghurt’s fats are good for you, because that’s the way it’s made by cows. The amount of sugar added to those things to make them palatable is going to kill your diet anyway, and could have major effects on your metabolism. So my suggestion would be to eat pot-set yoghurt, because it naturally has lower sugar, and the fats are good for you.
Another thing that didn’t work in the talking book format were the lists of allowed food (too long, couldn’t remember most of them by the end) and the listed menus (boring to listen to). The passages about what to do about food in general, the psychology element and exercise were good though, and I didn’t get bored.
If you haven’t heard/read the first book (which I’m currently in the process of listening to), then the human element is slightly missing in this novel. However, A.J. does a good job of projecting her personality into it, and there’s a good chance you’ll be hooked anyway.
I think this book is a valuable addition to any ‘dieter’s’ bookshelf, provided you actually get into it. A.J. has some super valuable points that are useful. I disagree with fat being the only enemy (added sugar is also bad), but the underlying bones of the diet – eat less, move more – are solid.
I completely support A.J.’s suggestion that if you have abuse in your life, you need to get professional help before you can do anything about your weight. I often see smokers who should be thin because of the effect cigarettes have on the body that are fat. There has to be some underlying cause there, and getting psychiatric help is a great idea. If you can prove you have a problem, Australia has a ‘Mental Health Care Plan’ that means you will be able to see a psychologist cheaply. No excuses!

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Review: Tamora Pierce – Battle Magic

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Battle Magic
Tamora Pierce
Evvy, Rosethorn and Briar have been travelling the world so that Rosethorn can visit lots of different plants. Little do they know that they will be caught up in political intrigues and find themselves fighting for what is right, and for their lives.
Rosethorn’s mission just lacks urgency. She has to do it, she goes, she comes back. There isn’t any real danger for her. And despite Briar being in danger, you know he has to survive. The same with Evvy. Oh no! Something bad happened! Well, oh well, she’s just telling us this part next, and I’ve read Melting Stones, so I know she’ll be ok.
I wish Briar had had more action. Yes, this book is about him, but so much of it is on the fighting action, not his development. He spends so much time looking at things that are moving (you’ll get it if you read it), and making seed bombs, we forget that he surely has a life of his own.
Something that pleasantly surprised me about this novel were the references to Rosethorn’s lovers. This had been hinted at in some of the other books in this series, but it was particularly explicit in this one. Not that there were explicit sex scenes – not at all – but that hetero- and homo- relationships were treated equally. The only thing missing was a bit of action for Briar which I felt sure he should have after reading the others in ‘The Circle Reforged’.
Well this one is labelled number 3 in ‘The Circle Reforged’ series. But it’s not really. It comes before The Will of the Empress and Melting Stones. It’s important background for both of these books, introducing Evvy and explaining Briar’s nightmares. If and when I reread this whole series, I’ll be reading them in chronological order.
I know I’ve ragged a bit on this novel, but perhaps it’s because I’m moving past the teenage fiction era of my reading (NOOOOO!!). It’s perfectly satisfying and in line with others in this series, and I’m not complain ing about it really. Love Tamora Pierce? You’ll love this novel.
I can’t wait for the next novel which should be about Tris. Tris has always appealed to me (perhaps not quite as much as Daja), but all the same, her university experience has the ability to be electrifying (ha, see what I did there?).
I received this novel directly from Scholastic Australia. It’s a lovely paperback that fits in well with the rest on my shelves. I was unbelievably overjoyed to receive it unexpectedly in my mailbox.

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