Just letting you know that the only reason I wanted to read this was because it is mentioned in Twilight (haha). I am never a classics reader so I thoJust letting you know that the only reason I wanted to read this was because it is mentioned in Twilight (haha). I am never a classics reader so I thought its reinterpretation in a form of a graphic novel would help.
I didn't think so. I disliked all the characters to the point where I didn't care about what happen to them next.
I think it's very unlikely that I'll ever pick up the original novel....more
An Advance Reading Copy was provided by Pan Macmillan Australia in exchange for an honest review.
DNF-ed at page 133.
I did try. Really, really hard. ThAn Advance Reading Copy was provided by Pan Macmillan Australia in exchange for an honest review.
DNF-ed at page 133.
I did try. Really, really hard. This is only the third physical ARC I've ever received in my life and I appreciate the publisher's generosity so much.
But I can't read it any further. I never thought I'd DNF-ed this because the first chapter was so well done. Unfortunately, following that it reads like a non-fiction book delivered with unfunny and disjointed narration....more
To be honest, I never really wanted to read this book until I saw it was available from my library. It has a pretty good reviews so why DNF-ed at 59%.
To be honest, I never really wanted to read this book until I saw it was available from my library. It has a pretty good reviews so why not? I should've known better as I'm never into contemporary books.
I think this book has the same problem as We Were Liars. It's trying too hard to impress me until it came across as being phoney. Or maybe the problem is that I'm such a heartless bitch. Take your pick.
DNF-ed at page 26. This book made me so angry! I clearly underestimated how bad and wrong Teardrop would be. I thought Fallen is the worst book I've eDNF-ed at page 26. This book made me so angry! I clearly underestimated how bad and wrong Teardrop would be. I thought Fallen is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune of reading.
I was wrong.
Lauren Kate has outdone herself.
I will not tolerate a book with a message that basically says; 1. Attempting suicide is okay if your parents are divorced, your mom is dead and your stepmom sucks. 2. Not trying to get out of your depression and deny all helps offered by people around you is okay because nobody understands you anyway. 3. Being rude to the people who stick with you and try to help you even after you've given up on yourself is okay because it's not like you need help anyway. You want to kill yourself, remember?
Dear Eureka, [image]
I wanted to believe that Lauren Kate is one of the bestselling authors because she must've done something right.
I still don't know what is that something.
Or maybe there's never something.
It's just a sign that the world has come to an end.
Bonus time:
My Twitter outrburst while reading those 26 pages of Teardrop.
Oh God, I'm only reading the synopsis and I'm already cringing! #teardropbylaurenkate
Full disclosure: I only read the start-chapter 40 and chapter 85-the end of this book. Glad I did. Because I'd be wasting my tim[image] I hated it, yo!
Full disclosure: I only read the start-chapter 40 and chapter 85-the end of this book. Glad I did. Because I'd be wasting my time otherwise. So, technically it's a DNF.
Sorry but I didn't see anything mind-blowing about We Were Liars. Maybe I'm too poor to relate with Candace's problems LOL! The disjointed narrative annoyed the hella me....more
I'm going to stop here because all the spookiness has gone along with my curiosities once the book hits the halfway mark.I'm going to stop here because all the spookiness has gone along with my curiosities once the book hits the halfway mark....more
That's it. This is to my DNF pile, sorry! This time I gave the audiobook a chance and still, 3 hrs in and I had enough. Not even Review on 30 Jan 2017
That's it. This is to my DNF pile, sorry! This time I gave the audiobook a chance and still, 3 hrs in and I had enough. Not even a talking cat could sustain my attention.
Review on 19 Sep 2014
Hmm...I don't know if this is on hold or straight into my DNF pile. Seeing that this is from an Australian author, I think it's a curse - I can never truly enjoy books by Australian authors. There is something about the way they write that is just so distractingly rich and extravagant until it's impossible for me to be able to enjoy it (yes, even for Stolen by Lucy Christopher which I have rated a 5-stars).
Enough rambling. Yes, I am disappointed in myself because I really believe this is truly an amazing book (it has a talking cat, for God sake!) and it's not even that long. Oh well...maybe someday I'll try again.
Considering that Strange Chemistry is out of business, I feel really mean about DNF-ing this book.
Don't know what's wrong to be preciseDNF-ed at 62%.
Considering that Strange Chemistry is out of business, I feel really mean about DNF-ing this book.
Don't know what's wrong to be precise, I just lost all my interests and curiosity. As opposed to life on the run in Pantomine, Micah Grey in this book feels too complacent for my liking....more
DNF-ed at 45%. But I want to rate this book anyway because I think I've read enough to be able to make a fair judgement. The only reason why I made itDNF-ed at 45%. But I want to rate this book anyway because I think I've read enough to be able to make a fair judgement. The only reason why I made it to 45% was because I was curious, otherwise I'd DNF it right after Chapter 3.
Yup, once again it's that pwehty cover that lured me in.
This book isn't particularly bad. The premise is quite fresh too. But it reads too much like typical paranormal YA book. Female lead thinks she's nuts because odd things start to happen to her, male best friend has a crush on her,she met a brooding, mysterious and potentially bad guy who refused to tell her the full story but keeps teasing her with the bits of the big secret she is dying to know.
Now I'm truly convinced that Shiver should be a stand-alone. Linger and Forever were so mediocre. And Sinner definitely should have never existed.
I doNow I'm truly convinced that Shiver should be a stand-alone. Linger and Forever were so mediocre. And Sinner definitely should have never existed.
I don’t even know why I was even remotely interested in reading Sinner. I never liked Isabel. I never liked Cole. Maybe I was hoping that Maggie will make the series right again with Sinner? Maybe I thought ‘just another one book, why not give it a try because then you have another completed series because you are OCD like that’? Maggie is a wonderful writer but I think she tried too hard this time. Too damn hard. It’s almost cringe-worthy and I feel sorry for her because I know she’s better than this;
All of us blonde little monsters. Bangs sliced jagged and frosty, eyes lined kohl-black sinister, lips bubblegum or cherry, all of us kissable as a plane crash.
Nah, Maggie. All aboard on the nope train.
SO yeah, DNF shelf it is for me this time. [image] Oh well, maybe this book is written for hipsters. That’s why I would never understand it. ...more
Despite how short the book really is (281 pages), I could make it to page 93 only. Everything felt choppy and disjointed. Not enough world-building anDespite how short the book really is (281 pages), I could make it to page 93 only. Everything felt choppy and disjointed. Not enough world-building and backgrounds given. The characters were uninspiring too. ...more
His eyes darted over me, from my haggard face down my forest green uniform to my mud-stained shoes. To DNF. Stopped at 20%.
What's written on the page;
His eyes darted over me, from my haggard face down my forest green uniform to my mud-stained shoes. To the Psi number that had been written on their canvas toes in permanent marker. A look of horror flickered over his face. "Did you just come from a camp?"
What's actually in my head;
Psi.... [image] Wait, that can't be right. He is Psy not Psi. *Chuckles* *Looks at the cover* That's the symbol of Psi! (Duh!) I think I saw the symbol before. In math? Or was it in Physic? *Googles Psi*
The letters Ψ or ψ can also be a symbol for: psychology, psychiatry, and sometimes parapsychology (involving paranormal or relating with the supernatural subjects, especially research into extrasensory perception).
Whoaa, that makes sense!
Wait, where was I??
(And that was how the book ended up in my DNF pile)
You see, even before that, The Darkest Minds and I fell into this unhealthy relationship; I picked it up, I dozed off, I picked it back up, I got bored, I moved to other book, I tried to pick it back up, tried SO HARD TO CONCENTRATE, failed miserably, I ended up watching five movies, tried to pick it up again.
Repeat 188 times.
I gave up.
[image]
I'm sure this isn't a bad book. Teenagers with superpowers? I'd totally dig that. But I just don't have the patience. This book is really difficult to be read.
Giving up was one of hardest decisions I've ever made. It's like admitting that I'm actually intellectually impaired.
I honestly couldn't understand anything past the blurb!
The writing. It's chaotic. It's all over the place. It's everywhere.I couldn't keep track of who's who, who's doing what, where are they, what's going on. It's so frustrating. And I couldn't actually point out what's wrong either. The sentences were long but I've read books with longer sentences. No purple prose, no fancy vocabulary - I don't know, can I just say that the writing is...messy? One second I was in flashbacks, another second, there's action and confrontation, next, the scene reeled back to Ruby's own thoughts, and the next thing I knew, I'm in other people's memory.
**An ARC was provided by HarperCollins Australia in exchange for an honest review....more
**This review contains mild spoilers. Continue at your own risk.
Had to stop at 40% into the book.
No, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!
Another interesting pr**This review contains mild spoilers. Continue at your own risk.
Had to stop at 40% into the book.
No, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!
Another interesting premise down the drain...
A historical fiction YA book set in Venice during Renaissance era? C-c-combo breaker! Sadly, the execution was done at a very sub-par level.
Okay, I believe in common sense. With that in mind, there are so many things that I found as ridiculous and non-sensible about this book. I disapprove this book until I would go to the extent of pasting Nicholas Cage picture on every single page of this book if what I have is a physical copy.
Nicholas Cage should feel so lucky because I only have a digital ARC of Venom.
Venom opens with the funeral of Liviana, a close friend of our main protagonist, Cassandra or Cass. Strangely, we weren't told of how much Liviana actually meant to Cass i.e. how Liviana was a good friend to Cass, how did they spent their times, and all the good memories. The only thing we learnt about Liviana is that she is a good girl. That's all. During the funeral, Cass seems to focus more on how tight her dress is, how the priest seems to target her personally, how her aunt is falling asleep...I mean, does she really care that her best friend is dead?
It turns out Cass likes to hang out in the graveyards. How...morbidly fascinating. I read something similar in Ember but contrary to in Venom, this kind of behaviour makes sense in Ember because the protag can actually sense death. But for an elite like Cass to actually likes hanging out in graveyards, well, I don't buy it. Let alone, when she actually had the nerve to dig out Liviana's grave.
Cass had her second encounter with Falco in the graveyard just after she dug Liviana's grave out and found the body had been replaced with an unidentified courtesan. This gets the ball rolling as Cass and Falco are set for a quest to find the murderer and Liviana's missing body.
Cass Okay, I believe Fiona Paul had this vision of a strong, brave heroine when she wrote about Cass but Cass for me, came across only as a reckless and dumb heroine. She is so trustworthy of Falco despite having an absolute zero knowledge about him. Look, he met this guy for the first time when he somehow ran into her and he jokingly admitted that he did that on purpose. Second time they met, it was in the graveyard and Falco had Cass' journal but refused to give it back. Later, he talked Cass into not telling the authority about the murder, decided to break into possibly the murderer's lair, stole Cass' aunt gondola and claimed he has some business to tend to at 2 am in the morning. And oh, Falco also somehow knows about the secret knock to a brothel house!
Falco Falco is not your classic 'I am a mysterious and dangerous guy', he is an immoral prick. Only idiots would find him attractive.
Furthermore, he always taunts and mocks Cass into doing all those stupid acts, challenging her 'unless you're too afraid to' or 'or you can't wait to go home to your satin sheets?'. lolwut? Was it Cass' fault that she was born into a family of elites? It was as if Falco views all the rich people as spoiled little brats. How mature!
Oh, I'm not done with Cass yet Cass characterization can also be confusing at times. I understand that she also faces a death threat from the mysterious murderer but most of the time, her primary motivation is to find Liviana's body. Remember she acted like she didn't give much shit during Liviana's funeral? Moreover, when she found out about the identity of the murdered courtesan, she feels excitement and wonder and fear? Fear is understandable but excitement and wonder? Hate to break your bubble, girl but while you've been dumb enough to undertake this so-called little mission on your own, it doesn't hurt to react appropriately according to common sense.
So...this is a YA book, you say? [image] During Cass and Falco little visit to the brothel house, Cass accidentally stumbled upon a room in which a couple were you know, doing it. While of course I had issues with Cass seemingly content with watching people having intercourse and even imagining herself with Falco in their places, the narrative is kind of descriptive for a YA book.
Rich and vivid writing Is the only thing good about this book apart from the setting (hence, the 2-stars). I could totally imagine myself in Venice during Renaissance Era while reading Venom. It's obvious that Fiona Paul put a considerable amount of efforts in putting this book together and it clearly reflected in the way she built the tone and setting of Venom.
The Verdict I did try to reconsider taking this book back from my DNF pile by browsing through other reviewers' opinions. What I can gather is, I don't think it's worth to continue with the book. So yes, it will stay in my DNF pile for good.
**An ARC was sent by HarperCollins Australia in exchange for an honest review....more
Okay, I'm joking. It's been 2 years. Yes, I'm serious. I started this book at the end of 2012 and read pieces of it over the course of 2013 and[image]
Okay, I'm joking. It's been 2 years. Yes, I'm serious. I started this book at the end of 2012 and read pieces of it over the course of 2013 and 2014. I thought of DNF-ing.so.many.times but somehow I always pulled through, seeing all those glowing reviews for this book.
Until today. With just 100 pages to go, I knew I had to stop because I didn't care about this book at all anymore. I probably had a different book in my hands. Because for me Immortal Beloved is probably the most boring book I've ever read....more
Lets recall how I decided to pick this one up, Rage Comic style! [image]
Pffftt...this book just isn't fThis review is also available on my blog, Qwerty
Lets recall how I decided to pick this one up, Rage Comic style! [image]
Pffftt...this book just isn't for me. I made it up to 50% and then I couldn't go on anymore. Realizing just how many 4-5-stars ratings for this book, I decided not to rate it because I think the problem partly lies in me.
Patience. I don't haz it.
Aria and Perry both have a very unique and distinctive background with countless terms dedicated to describe their daily lives. Reverie, Realm, Bliss, Unity, Aud, Aether, Blood Lord, Mole, Outsider, Dweller, Tides *tries to catch a breath* Luster, Scire, Seer and etc.
The funny thing is, the author barely described the terms when they were first intoduced. I needed to come across each particular term two to three times before I finally understand what they mean.
*Just remembers to check the back of the book for glossary*
Owh, none! Bummer!
Hmm...looks like I have to shelve this under DNF for good.
The problem with terminology done, I still had problem making sense what was going on majority of the time. The writing and the word building was very...odd. It was as if Veronica Rossi left out bits and pieces here and there. Things seemed calm and normal, and suddenly boom!, we got major conflicts and suspense.
(view spoiler)[I was like 'Wait, they thrown Aria out in the desert?', 'Wait, the Dwellers took Talon away?, 'Wait, Perry killed those men?' (hide spoiler)]
The characters while they are given names, they come and go. Some made an appearance for two pages max. I don't know about anyone else but for me personally, I prefer these unimportant secondary characters to not be given names, otherwise I'll try to commit the names into my memory in anticipation that they'll contribute more to the story.
So yeah, please don't hate me if you're a fan of this book. I have a very short winter break. So, I need to utilize my holiday for enjoyable reads only :D...more
DNF-ed at 65%. I know right? So close! Only 35% to go but nope, no more. *sigh*
I really tried, guys. Like seriously, I did. But Pivot Point reads likeDNF-ed at 65%. I know right? So close! Only 35% to go but nope, no more. *sigh*
I really tried, guys. Like seriously, I did. But Pivot Point reads like a light contemporary when I was so invested with the idea that this is a dark sci-fi, action-packed flick based on the title, the cover and the blurb. I planted the idea in my head myself (I don't know why I did that) and yeah, I guess I'm the one to blame, not this book.
Definitely not this book because Pivot Point is cool, refeshing and entertaining. I'd totally hang out with Addie, Laila, Trevor and Duke in real life and I'd probably never feel bored in my life ever again.
But in a fictional world, their story didn't carry enough depth for me to care (yeah, I'm such a heartless bi*ch)....more