Saturday, February 4, 2012

Mini-Reviews

I've been slacking on writing reviews, and there are a bunch I need to catch up on. Unfortunately, they're for books I read at least a week ago and neither loved nor hated, so I don't have all that much to say about them. I decided to just throw a bunch of mini-reviews into one post so I could catch up (and then be immediately behind again because of the Wicked Winter Read-A-Thon)!

Across the Universe
Beth Revis
Across the Universe #1

I really enjoyed this book.

Amy and Elder were great main characters, and seeing the story from each of their perspectives really emphasized the differences between their worlds. The split narrative worked really well, because one character's point of view always revealed something the other would never have thought of.

The plot twists were somewhat less than surprising, but I very much enjoyed the ride in this scifi/murder mystery/political thriller. This book wears a lot of hats, but it does it well. I can't wait to see what Beth Revis has in store for us next. I'll definitely have to read A Million Suns in the near future.



Beauty
Robin McKinley


It took me a while to get into the book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. It was a little slower-paced than I expected, and I think I would have been happier if there were a villain. But as it was, it was light and fun.

I loved Beauty; she was practical and proud yet sweet. The Beast was unexpectedly nice, and Beauty's family was great.

I've read (or watched) a lot of different versions of this story, so you could safely say I had some expectations. This one didn't stray far out of the normal storyline, which was a bit disappointing. However, it was a fun read, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance.




The Mockingbirds
Daisy Whitney
The Mockingbirds #1

The Mockingbirds was a pretty unusual story for me (because I don't often read YA contemporary) but I liked it. It gave some interesting insights into justice and fairness, in a student-administered sort of way.

I did find it difficult to believe that there was no one in any kind of position of authority that Alex could talk to. I'm glad she did find herself questioning this kind of justice system, and while it was surprisingly fair, it still seemed a little sketchy as well as strange that no one at the school was able to handle problems. Or, you know, the police. But overall, it was a good, emotional story, and I'll definitely read the next one.




The Piper's Son 
Melina Marchetta

I really really loved Saving Francesca, so I started The Piper's Son right away after I finished. It was also good, though not as wrenchingly and wonderfully emotional as the first book. I think part of that is because it's told in third person, which is generally not as immediate. Some of it was also because there was a lot about Australian politics and unions and things that I don't really know anything about. It didn't by any means make the story impossible or even difficult to comprehend, because the specifics of all of it didn't make that much of a difference, but I do think the story would have meant more if I knew what they were talking about.

But I really liked the characters and the story itself, so this book is more than worth the read. I'm currently hunting down every book Marchetta has written, because I really love her writing.


Blood and Chocolate 
Anette Curtis Jones

For some reason this book made me think of Sunshine, which I love, so I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it was nothing like Sunshine and I didn't much like it. Vicky was a really unlikeable character; she was self-centered and jealous and just really annoying. And since the plot was very centered on her thoughts and relationships, disliking her was definitely a problem. The story was okay, and it wasn't difficult to finish, but I also didn't particularly enjoy it.

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