Tag Archives: 2-stars

Review: Robin Murarka – Akin

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Akin
Robin Murarka
Aydan has dreams that are proscribed by his tribe. He is sentenced to torture for this, but is set to witnessing his ‘brother’ suffer instead, and so he is filled with conviction that he must escape. What follows is a long distance trip that witnesses the fall of an empire.
This novel is aimed at exploring the extremities of the human condition. While Ayden is living these things, the reader struggles to understand what is going on, and that is part of the appeal for some.
This is totally literary fiction. I think perhaps I had forgotten exactly what that meant. It means high flaunting ideas in a not that logical order, for this novel at least. The text is not accessible in my opinion, and I had difficulty getting through it.
However, this novel did awaken questions in me. Those kind of deep questions that only bother you at night after you’ve finished reading. And that haunt you for days afterwards. In that respect it could potentially be very valuable.
Can I recommend this novel? I don’t think I can, to people who like similar things to me. But if you want a piece of fiction that is going to take you WAY out of your comfort zone, then this could be a novel for you.If you’ve enjoyed the reviews of novels I have studied during my university career, I have no hesitation in recommending it for you.
I received this novel free in time for a review before the Book Expo Australia event, but didn’t get around to reviewing it until very recently. Although I am somewhat excited that this event is happening (happened), their website is really poorly laid out and appears devoid of content.

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Review: Nicole Skuba – Another Kind of Free

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Another Kind of Free
Nicole Skuba

This novel is hardly a novel. It’s more of a short, reflective piece of non-fiction. It was released in response to Robin William’s suicide earlier in 2014. The author talks about her journey through Bipolar Disorder, and the peace that she eventually found within herself.
For me, it’s difficult to review. The writing style is ok, but it’s not the best I’ve ever read. I often felt like I should have been identifying with the main ‘character’ more, but instead I was thinking about what could happen next.
A key thing to take out of this is that you’re responsible for your own heath. Although, whoever put a bipolar person on purely Prozac was asking for a manic period. What the author finds is that she can keep her promises, and that self-reflection is key into managing her disorder. It’s not going to work for everyone, and I think you need to be towards that side of thinking about things before this novel will open doors for you. It might open a couple of windows however.
The only reason this PDF novel got read was because it was short, relatively painless to read, and it was sitting on my Desktop when I felt like I needed a short read. It’s not available as a paperback, and even if one is produced, I would strongly advise against purchasing it.

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Review: Ellen Wittlinger – The Long Night of Leo and Bree

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The Long Night of Leo and Bree
Ellen Wittlinger
It’s been 4 years since Leo’s sister was killed by her boyfriend. Leo is still haunted by the sight, and his mother is out of her mind. Bree leads a boring life in comparison, but when she heads out to a bar, and finds herself lost, confronted by Leo and threatened with murder.
The back of this novel is very misleading. This is not romance. It’s a horrible night for them both, but it has the potential to lead to positive things. I’m not sure exactly what though.
I felt along with the characters, I felt Bree’s terror and Leo’s confusion. I found myself being disturbed by what was happening, and not wanting to put the novel down for fear of something happening while I wasn’t looking!
At the same time, I couldn’t feel the same connection with both characters. Leo has so much depth, while Bree seems like a simple rich girl. I guess that’s her role, but surely Wittlinger could have picked a better antagonist? Or at least make me feel some sympathy for her. If I had thought it would make Leo feel better, I would have told him to kill her.
I purchased this novel because I’ve enjoyed Wittlinger’s novels in the past. It has nothing on Parrotfish, but is really much better than Hard Love. That’s not to say it’s perfect though, or anything other than a quick, worth-reading-once, novel. Don’t bother buying it unless you’re determined to collect everything from this author, just borrow it from the library to make up your mind yourself. I’d recommend this for mature teenage readers.

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Review: Stephanie Meyer – The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

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The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Stephanie Meyer
Bree is a new-born vampire. She has been created with a purpose. But she doesn’t know what that purpose is. A venture out into the sunlight with Diago means new potentials.
Considering that I pretty much completely loathed Twilight, you might wonder why I bothered to read this tacked on bit of story about a seriously minor character. Well, it was what my library had to offer at the time in the range of talking books.

One of my main problems with the Twilight Saga was that Edward and Bella were such one-dimensional characters. Their love story was set from the beginning, and neither of them could think past “I love you” “I want to protect you” “I love you”.

Meyer seems obsessed with sappy love stories, and vampires feeling connections with each other. Bree falls for Diego, Diego falls for Bree, each dies, everyone is sad. Not.

Bree shows a bit more interest in life outside. You know she is doomed from the beginning, otherwise it wouldn’t be a ‘short’ second life. I didn’t remember her at all from Eclipse though, until I got to the climax of this novel. Then ta-da! I remembered her. I also connected with her.

I wished that the background information included in this novel (such as the sparkling skin and Victoria’s violent ways) had been present in Twilight to provide a bit more substance. Somehow, this novella seems like it’s more interesting.

What I liked was that the abilities of Freaky Fred and the others. I wanted more of that! Less newborn, stupid, revenging vampires, and more smart ones. From the way The Twilight Saga was written, I expected more of the vampires to be smart and skilled. All of the Cullen family are skilled.

What can I say about a short story/novella. I always find it difficult to get into them. At least with this one, I had borrowed it as a talking book from the library. It took little effort from me to listen to it. The reader was ok, great with Bree’s voice, not so good with the male characters. There is no way I would have read it for myself – I have other things to get on with reading!

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Review: Ellen Wittlinger – Gracie’s Girl

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Gracie’s Girl
Ellen Wittlinger

Bess is a new 6th grader. She’s determined to appear different and make some cool new friends. Soon her perspective on what is important in life is going to change.

I think the relationships and development of characters is really genuine in this novel. Changing schools is a big burden, and kids do change. I would have gone with 11 being a bit young for developing boy-girl relationships, but what would I know? I completely understand Ethan and Bess’ perspectives on it, and find it funny that their third friend is the one that makes a go of it.

What this novel really does is promote social responsibility. A soup kitchen, somewhere for people to sleep out of the rain and snow. I love that it’s connected to a church, but that the church is not too churchy and preachy. I think that homelessness is more of a problem in the USA, but we certainly have our share of it here. If you have spare time, please do donate if you can.

I feel like Australian schools and parents are less pushy. In the plays I participated in, none of the stars or almost-stars were quite so Diva-y. And I was a stage manager, and it drove me nuts that people didn’t  pay attention to things, and I knew their lines better than they did. I wish I had seen more of the play. I’m not familiar with Bye Bye Birdy – maybe it is really relevant to the themes of the book? I would hope so. Charity is a virtue, and everyone should try to work to it.

I have a feeling that this novel is not good enough to jump the country divide. Grade 6 for Australians is the final year of primary school, so it wouldn’t make a difference what you looked like. Also, the majority of schools here have a school uniform. There are still uncool people, and bitchy girls, but that’s in any school. I say test it out in a classroom (because it asks lots of important questions), and see how it goes.

I have enjoyed other novels by Wittlinger, but this one falls short of the mark for me. I don’t think I’ll reread it, but I will put it on the shelf, in case I discover a home that it really needs (or that really needs it).

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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: 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: Michael Hurley – The Prodigal

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The Prodigal
Michael Hurley
I didn’t really connect the blurb on the back with the novel inside. I kept looking for romance, but didn’t get it. I didn’t really want romance, but I was promised it! I guess it’s present a little between Aidan and his next chosen girlfriend, but it’s not clear (or sexy) like I expected it to be. I didn’t get anything about a Gypsy either – it just wasn’t the big part it was suggested to be.
I received this novel for reviewing, and that’s the only thing that kept me reading for the first half of the book. I couldn’t have cared less about his lawyer drama – if he’s going to have an affair, he better let it pass by his Jury decision making process! Later we find out it’s going to be stuffed around anyway, but it seems like a waste of a bunch of pages. Additionally, the language seemed very pretentious in the first couple of chapters, but this did improve.
The second half of the book becomes much more satisfactory, and I actually felt more compelled to read it, with the race and everything. Yay, the race! Best part of the whole novel, if heartbreaking 🙁
I did like the characterisation in this novel. I felt like I was standing there looking at Marcus and Aidan. Their flaws are believable, and I loved Marcus despite of it. If only all priests were like him, I might have more patience for the whole profession.
I didn’t understand the inclusion of some of the characters. Bobbie just seems like an irritating person designed to offset Molly in the most offensive manner possible. I don’t think she was necessary at all! I felt personally offended by her behaviour, and I wouldn’t consider myself a prude.
The ship/boat, whatever she was, didn’t get a clean-cut conclusion about the contents of her hull. I’m glad she was so lovingly maintain and ended up with someone who would care for her.
This novel should come with a warning for a graphic depiction of almost rape, and references to rape culture. If that upsets you, I’d advise not reading those sections – the bar, and part of the section after the boat’s launch.

I think if you like this sort of thing, about lawyers and perhaps mid-life crises, then this could be a bpok for you. I can’t argue with its well-written characterisation being amazing, but I didn’t love the actual storyline.

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Review: Suzanne Collins – Mockingjay

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Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins
Katniss is isolated in District 13. Her role is to provide the face of the rebellion. With Peeta gone, and confused feelings about Gale’s role in her life, Katniss is cast adrift. Somehow she must kill President Snow, or die trying.
The deaths in this novel are even more futile than in the second novel. Too many secondary characters are introduced, and it feels like the deaths are just tossed in to add ‘suspense’ – which failed miserably as far as I’m concerned.
Katniss completely loses her humanity in this novel – and so she completely loses me as a character. She’s coldly calculating, which is pointed out by the other characters, yet noone seems to do anything about it. She’s just unlikeable, and gets people killed on a regular basis.
I didn’t love the ending either. I didn’t feel any sadness at the ending of the Capitol – even with some key people dying. I felt that a better ending would have been if Katniss had died – her rehabilitation wasn’t convincing either.
I’m on team Gale. Peeta is just a wuss. Yeah yeah, he’s been affected by Tracker Jackle poison and everything, but still, he’s all ‘Just let me die, I’m a casualty already’, and doesn’t make an effort to fix himself up.
It seems like the future of the world is quite doomed too. If District 13 is to control the new empire, those food rations and everything else are going to stay just as strict. As far as I’m concerned, they’re going from one tyrant to another.
Did I like anything about this novel? Not really. It had action – but it was better in the first book. It just felt forced. I realise that it had to have a conclusion, but this wasn’t what I wanted or expected.

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Review: Richard Yaxley – Joyous & Moonbeam

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Joyous & Moonbeam
Richard Yaxley
Joyous lives a peaceful life. Moonbeam’s life is in upheaval. Together, they might be able to work things around a little.
 17693389
The narrative style of this novel put me off right from the beginning. The first person narrator of Joyous was jarring, and really out there for me. I struggled to read his and the shared sections with Moonbeam.
It took me a little while, but I worked out that there was something wrong with Joyous, other than his inability to think straight. This made the blurb on the back of the novel even more intriguing – what is he going to teach someone called ‘Moonbeam’?
Ashleigh’s (Moonbeam) journal sections were much more to my liking. How could I not like a girl who writes a journal, and appears to be bucking the trend in high school? I always have a soft spot for the bad girls.
Add in yet another perspective – those of the letters from Joyous’ mother, Margaret. These added depth to Joyous’ character. I didn’t enjoy the changing perspectives, although I could understand why the author included them.

Overall I was unsatisfied with the novel. The plot lines were complicated and a bit depressing, but not really angsty enough to make this a must-have teen novel.

I’ve never read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime, which this book is apparently similar to, but I know it must be a deep and meaningful one because it’s on the VCE reading lists. If it is similar, I don’t think I’m going to go for it.
I received this book from Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia without any prompting! That made me pretty excited by the book, but as I’ve noted, I was a bit disappointed in its contents.

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