Hidden by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

What's the book about?

So now Dragon is dead, Aurox is in the run, Neferet is no longer the High Priestess of Tulsa, Shaylin is learning how to use her True Sight, Kalona is a sworn warrior, Lenobia's lost love is back in a new body...as you may notice this story line is becoming a more like an old tree with TOO many branches.

What was different of this book?

Let me refer you to my review of Destined to explain why do I come back to this series. Is not because is originality, is not because the amazing prose. Is just entertaining.

What about the main character?

As more and more subplots develop is harder to identify a single main character. They are all getting a lot of things going on and at the same time they are all kind of stuck in one-dimensional characters. Aphrodite is bitchy, Stevie-Rae believes in people no matter what...and you can almost predict what they are going to say. The only ones that are kind off changing are the Twins and Nicole, but I think I know where this is going to end.

The 10% moment

So...there was a fire...and we got to see Lenobia's past. Oh and Neferet did something horrible and I shall not talk about it. Seriously, that's about it.

Final thoughts

First thing I have to say: This time it only took them 100 pages to have a "real Life" quote. What do I mean? You know when an author tries to "talk like a teenager"? well is that with all possible shows/music/gadgets in the market right now: I should really catch True Blood tonight, do you have Skype? HBO's series Game of Thrones is SOOO in right now...see what I mean, product placement at it finest? Is like trying a bit too hard. This time they talked about Fringe and Alex was saying wow for about 10 minutes. The only thing they don't seem to endorse is a particular brown soda, no Pepsi or Coke in this book, go figure why.

I liked that Zoey's Grandma had a bigger role here, but it wasn't enough to save the book. I'm slowly but surely getting tired of too many things taking you nowhere. So I will read the next one probably just because I've been following the series for so long, but I'm not desperate for the book to come out.

This is book makes part of my Sequel Challenge :)

The Clearing by Thomas Rydder

I received this book as part of the LybraryThing Early Review and here is my review.

What's the book about?

Beth Lowe is an entomology professor in Hemingway, Pennsylvania. She has recently adopted her niece Lizzie since her sister died. Lizzie is having a bit of a trouble adapting and in order to smooth things out Beth gets her a dog, Flapjack. However after a couple of weeks the dog is attacked and viciously hurt. After this attack Flapjack's behaviour and appearance changes gradually but surely. At the same time weird cattle attacks take place in the little town of Hemingway.

What was different of this book?

This was a fast fun read. What I would say was very different for me was the fact that while reading this book I had the clear feeling of watching a TV movie. Kind off what I think a horror movie made by Hallmark would look like. The imagery was very vivid but the development of the story as well as the dialogs seemed somehow straight out of a script.

What about the main character?

I'm not sure if Beth was the main character but let's take her as the main thread that unifies the story. I liked her at first, she is a scientist, so I felt easy empathy for her. She is doing her best to be Lizzie's mom. Is not that I stopped liking her but the whole relationship that develops in less than a month was so rushed that I started wondering what happened to the character I thought existed at first. I think this is the reason I had the Hallmark feeling all along.

The 10% moment

By this time Flapjack was bitten and Beth is starting to get the feeling he is not completely fine. There has been hints to the fact that behind the pack of wolves there is more than just your typical "werewolf" story.

Final thoughts

It was a fun read and a fast one for that matter. Once again I have the feeling that I was reading a movie. I enjoyed the fact that the story was well researched; some of the legends involve were new to me and the scientific in me couldn't help but to double check: everything added up. However, I don't think it was that different to a regular werewolf story. 

 

Destined by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

What's the book about?

Do you guys now the House of Night series? If not I would suggest you skip this review, since this is the 9th book of the series. Quick recap, Zoey recovered her soul, Neferet's is fooling the High Council and acting as the High Priestess although she is still dealing with Darkness. The Twins separate and there is a new fledgling in town. 

What was different of this book?

I will be honest with you. I didn't read this book because I was looking for something different. I know what this books are like and how they end (or not). I keep reading this series because is the series I started when I moved to this country and incidentally is gave me a subject to share with my first real friend here. So there. 

What about the main character?

...oh Zoey...Stevie Rae...any of the character. Does anyone really talk like that?

I suppose the main character is still Zoey, but there are so many satellites characters that is hard to tell by now. Zoey is someone who in theory has a lot of power, yet she is quite helpless.

The 10% moment

Rephaim is struggling with the whole turning into a boy and hoping his dad will accept him and eventually turn back to the Goddess. Also, Thanatos, the vampire with affinity with Death, has been sent to Tulsa to keep an eye on Neferet.  

Final thoughts

I got what I was expecting out of this and that's why it's getting 3 out of 5. That and the fact that I can read passages out loud for Alex and he just cracks about them. 

This is book makes part of my Sequel Challenge :)

An Infidel in Paradise by S.J. Laidlaw

I received this book as part of the LybraryThing Early Review and here is my review

 

 What's the book about?

Emma is a sixteen year old girl who happens to be in a diplomatic family with her mom making part of the diplomatic body of the Canadian embassy. After her parents have separated, her mother gets transferred to Islamabad, Pakistan.  Here Emma will have to "re start" her life and will meet other diplomat kids at the international school, as well as some local kids. 

          Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn't enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness and the unexpected help of an enigmatic Muslim classmate

I added the summary from Goodreads since it was that description that made me want to read the book.

What was different of this book?

I have to say not a lot. I was expecting a very different book. Instead I got a very self centered teen that claims to be all over the world and yet is super demeaning when talking about the culture of the place she is at. I was expecting off course the cultural shock, and I assumed that we would learn from both points of view. This was not the case either. 

What about the main character?

Emma is hurt, I get that. She is mad at her parents, at having to change schools...but from day one she is presented as this spoiled child, a bit racist and quite bland as a character. There is no much going on with her, except that she falls for a local boy who is engaged already. Instead of trying to learn about the culture, make friends and maybe get over her parents separation she coins nicknames for every girl around her. She is in Pakistan and is surprised she cannot go out alone...again, I was expecting her to talk about this, to disagree, to debate maybe. No, all she was is annoyed like it never occurred to her that this would happen in this country.

The 10% moment

Although the book was well written and hence it was easy to read and follow the story there was not a lot of it that intrigued me. I finished, like going with the motions, but not at the 10%, nor at the end did I have a moment of "Oh wow, I really want to know what happens next"

Final thoughts

I was very disappointed at the end of this book, and here is why:

          1. The increasingly tense political situation...was there as a faint background of her boy trouble. For most of the book, Emma acts like the biggest problem around her is the fact that she can't get a "decent cappuccino".

          2. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness...eh...no, she was not resourcefulness, their lives do not depend on her, and the only reason she feels this way is because she acted out, like a teenager. Is a big deal, sure, but the statement is over exaggerated.

          3. An enigmatic Muslim classmate...Mustapha is not enigmatic at all. She doesn't understand him, maybe. But if instead of complaining about how his girlfriend doesn't like her, she would've taken the time to get to know the culture surrounding her she would've been able to understand all the tradition behind it.