I read Stardust by Neil Gaiman about a week ago, and I didn't really like it. I bought Stardust, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the same time I read Stardust by Neil Gaiman about a week ago, and I didn't really like it. I bought Stardust, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the same time when I went to the bookstore. What made me buy two books of the same author without ever reading something of the author? The high acclaim of most people regarding Gaiman.
While Stardust was one hell of a mediocre novel for me , The Ocean at the End of the Lane was a huge improvement. The main character was very interesting. I liked reading about him growing up, and experiencing things that normal kids don't. Ursula and the parents were also very interesting. All of them were very well developed, and they did what they were supposed to do. Lettie and her grandmother were both pretty powerful characters too, and the mystery of Ursula, and Lettie both were fascinating. I wouldn't consider any aspect of the novel as horror though.
If one were to ask me what I hated about this novel, I'll be honest and say that I'll have no answer in return. I didn't hate anything, but on the other hand, I also didn't love anything. Clearly I liked this more than Stardust, but I'm still not seeing what all the fuss is about, regarding Gaiman. I do have around 3 more novels of his on my bookshelf, and also his graphic novel Sandman. There are more works of his that could still make me realize how amazing of an author he is. ...more
After months of putting this aside, I finally decided to read this. The premise was very gripping, and the execution was adequate. It's not the best gAfter months of putting this aside, I finally decided to read this. The premise was very gripping, and the execution was adequate. It's not the best graphic novel I've ever read, but it does have the type of plot that would keep you reading till the end. I can't wait to read the second volume and find out what happens next.
Ups: -Fantastic plot -Likable Characters They all had their own problems, and each one resulted positively in terms of enjoyment. I enjoyed the graphic novel more because of that because it added a feeling of psychological thriller to it. -Decent Artwork It could've been done better, but I've seen way worse. I'm not that fond of it, but it's something I can bear with.
Downs: -While the plot was fantastic, at times it was all over the place -Contrary to my usual preference, I didn't like the shifting of timelines here. It was a bit confusing. Maybe it's because of the graphic novel format, but I didn't enjoy the shifting that much.
4/5 stars.I heard that the series improves even more, so I'll be reading the next volumes real soon. While I was not blown away, I can still consider this a very good graphic novel. Highly recommended for horror and psycho-thriller fans....more
I was given a review copy of this novel, but that did not affect my opinion in any way.
Nadia was kidnapped all of a sudden by three men. Despite I was given a review copy of this novel, but that did not affect my opinion in any way.
Nadia was kidnapped all of a sudden by three men. Despite her constant begging of wanting to know the agenda of the kidnapping, the kidnappers clearly stated that they ask the questions, and she answers.
This novel in a way reminded me of Dan Brown. It felt like a Fantasy-Historical Fiction, just like most of Dan Brown's novels. This one though felt lighter, despite the topic it discussed.
This had three point of views. Nadia, Helene, and Lilith. I'm not going to discuss the plot of the novel, as that would spoil everyone of the experience. I can't really say much without giving away a huge spoiler. I'd like to say though that Lilith is one of my favorite fictional characters, so that made me like this novel even more.
The characters were really good. Interesting character development. Like I said, I can't even describe the characters without spoiling, so I'll just leave it to the readers to find out.
More of a 3.5. Some parts in the middle were quite tedious to read. The overall plot was very enjoyable, and the mystery was solved. For fans of Dan Brown, Historical Fiction, and especially of the paranormal, this is a novel you should read. Quite lengthy to be honest, but it didn't bother me that much to give this a low rating. ...more
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard. He is also a detective, and he's best at what he does. When a suspicious magic related murder occurrHarry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard. He is also a detective, and he's best at what he does. When a suspicious magic related murder occurred, the Chicago P.D. comes to him for answers. Aside from that though, he also has other personal cases at hand.
My very first Urban Fantasy novel. I've been wanting to read this for months now, and I'm glad that I finally did. Crime/Detective-Fantasy is something new to me, but not anymore. Two of my favorite genres combined, and executed wonderfully. I heard ravishing remarks regarding this series, and I now understand all the hype. This is not a perfect novel, it had a few flaws here and there, but it was enjoyable overall.
Harry Dresden reminded me of a lot of characters that I love. Tony Stark, Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. House to name a few. He was not created as a perfect character, and that is the right way to do it. Despite being a wizard, he still had flaws. Aside from him reminding me of some favorites, the novel itself felt like it was a crossover of NCIS and a superhero TV show. His relationship with Murphy was really similar to those of the crime genre. The woman hates him yet ends up giving him what he wants, and ends up arresting/hating him in the end. Typical crime stuff that I really enjoy.
I was a wizard. Wizards control their power. They don't let it control them. And wizards don't use magic to kill people. They use it to discover, to protect, to mend, to help. Not to destroy.
I was not expecting that at all. I've watched quite a few shows and movies regarding wizards, and they're all badass crazy. Dresden was just crazy, but he was good. He obeyed the first law thing that magic shouldn't be used to kill. I heard about that rule already somewhere, but I remember main characters breaking that rule and getting away with it. I was expecting the same form Dresden, but didn't get what I wanted. I was expecting a lot of magic spurting out of his staff and all, but the magic present in the novel was mellow. There were a lot of action in the novel, but I wanted it to be more badass than it was. This novel seemed to follow realistic ideas, despite it being a fantasy novel. It's not a huge problem for me, but I am hoping for more action in the next ones. And more magic.
Little did I know that wizards are weaker than witches. Weaker in a sense that they follow the rules more, so they use less magic. If you use less magic and battle with someone who uses a shit load of magic, then odds are you'll lose. Or die. I still like Dresden a lot though.
The plot itself was not bad. Despite this being a huge series, this novel still ended with closure. I hate forced cliffhangers, and this one didn't have that. There is a note somewhere on goodreads stating that each novel from the series is sort of a standalone, but each one heavily relies from the latter. I like those kinds of series, because sometimes you need a break from it. Especially those never ending ones. I'm quite excited of what the author has in stored for the next books.
4.3/5 stars. My very first Urban-fantasy novel, and it will not be my last. I'm starting to enjoy this genre. Recommendations will be greatly appreciated! ...more
So I just bought the last book of the Maximum Ride series, and when I clicked on the series button thing here on goodreads, I stumbledUpdate 5/25/2015
So I just bought the last book of the Maximum Ride series, and when I clicked on the series button thing here on goodreads, I stumbled upon a note from James Patterson saying that this Max is different from the Max from Maximum Ride. It's quite impossible how different they are. They're too fucking similar to be different. I can't do anything about it though because I guess what the author says is true. Sucks big time.
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I bought this book (in hardcover, for only $2) because of the mere fact that Patterson wrote it. Patterson introduced me to the world of Crime-mystery-thriller novels, so when I saw this months ago I bought it in an instant without even reading the synopsis at the back. I had no idea that this was a prequel of his young-adult series, Maximum Ride. I was a huge fan of Maximum Ride then, and I'm sure I enjoyed the series as a whole. After reading a few pages of this, I realized that Max was the same character as the one from the MR series. I did a little research and confirmed my speculations. All I can say is that I can't believe I'm reading the prequel to the series that I loved when I was younger.
Frannie and Kit were the adult main character in this novel. They were the usual main characters that Patterson writes, and they were really enjoyable. The best character of course would still be Maximum. I liked her before, and I still like her now. The author also decided to add in Icarus, another member of the Maximum Ride crew. I'm not sure if the others were also a part of the crew. I've read the MR series years ago so my memory is not that fresh anymore. Back to Fran and Kit. Their relationship felt forced and unbelievable, but aside from that, they were well developed characters. They were really likable, so that was good enough to keep me interested on what's going to happen to them.
Plot wise, it feels more YA than Crime/Adult. The plot was a bit shallow, and really similar to the MR series. I know this is a prequel, but the synopsis wasn't that obvious. Aside from the name Max, nothing else screamed Maximum Ride to me. The plot wasn't that cliche, but it could've been done better. The character development beats the plot, and that's not always a good thing.
3.5/5 stars. I rounded this one up because I was such a huge fan of the MR series. This was not a bad novel. In fact, this novel was a bit fast paced and interesting. It just didn't have that adult writing of Patterson feel to it. Maybe the fact that I've read the YA series influenced my reading impression of this, but I've read better works of Patterson. I'm going to read the sequel to this, and also the last book of the YA series(coming out this 2015). Patterson will always be the reason why I love the crime genre, in reading at least. I still find that I enjoy crime movies more than novels, but if the crime novel is good enough, then I'll still feel the enjoyment one way or another....more