Do you want to read a book where literally nothing happens? Do you enjoy stories where you’rOriginal review:
What a snooze fest.
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Updated Review:
Do you want to read a book where literally nothing happens? Do you enjoy stories where you’re led to believe there’s some big discovery about to happen only to find that no, it’s actually fucking pointless? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then boy do I have the book for you.
Here’s yet another Overdrive audiobook I snagged while waiting for more credits. Life with the World’s Busiest 18-Month Old leaves little time for “actual” reading but offers ample opportunities for audiobooks! And I have been burning through them at the speed of light!
Anyway, I did a very brief scan of the description of this one before deciding that it sounded interesting. A stripper, a psychologist and the potential for things to get dirty. The potential lied. This was boring, under developed and exaggerated.
We’ve got a stripper with a bad case of stage fright. But that’s not all folks! (Cue the sappy music) She’s trying to get her child back from Evil Baby Daddy. Oh, you thought that was it? Nope. Not even close. She’s also being threatened by her Russian Mafia boss! Yup. I think this author wanted to see how many clichés could be jammed into one character.
We’ve got a doctor who is so apathetic it’s kind of terrifying. His patients’ lives mean nothing to him. And while I can see where this is important- separating their lives from your own as their doctor- I still think it’s important for a doctor to want to help his patient out of genuine concern for their well-being. I don’t know exactly what I’m getting at here, other than to say that his indifference to everyone else’s life was reason enough for me to NEVER want to go see a psychologist.
The writing was decent. I particularly liked the formatting. The psychologist teaches a class at a local college at night and you get his lectures which relate to something that is about to occur between him and his patient. He uses the phrase “The good psychologist” quite often while lecturing indicating the do’s and don’ts of doctor/patient relations.
Literally nothing really happens. It was a neat little insight into phycology but that was about all it had going for it. I didn’t like anyone in the book nor could I relate. The narration was not great either which did not help me enjoy it. ...more
I read a really great review for Allegedly and thought it sounded awesome. Sometimes when this happens we too think that the book is awesome. OtheUgh.
I read a really great review for Allegedly and thought it sounded awesome. Sometimes when this happens we too think that the book is awesome. Other times we are let down and remember that our tastes are different; that what others look for in a book might not be the same thing we are looking for in a book. What I can say is that I enjoyed Deanna’s review more than I did the actual book.
I had to set the bad grammar aside in this book because it was told from the first person point of view. The grammatical errors were done intentionally to showcase the lack of education of our narrator. So who is our narrator? Why is her grammar so bad? What story does she have to tell us?
Mary B. Addison.
When Mary was only 9 years old she was convicted of killing a baby. The baby was in the care of her mother and the details of the death are hazy and confused. When Mary is accused, she doesn’t speak. She refuses to answer questions or talk at all to detectives. All they have is the testimony of Mary’s mother and the evidence. While the evidence indicates there may be more to the story than meets the eye, Mary’s refusal to speak leaves them with no choice.
The story is told in parts. We get Mary’s firsthand experience in the world of juvenile detention facilities. She refers to her first six years in the facility as “baby jail”. She was released to a halfway house of sorts for children who have committed crimes. The girls in this house are violent and cruel. While the house is meant to be a means of rehabilitating these girls, the “wardens” within it are worse than the criminals. They are aware of the goings-on and yet refuse to intervene. They do nothing to help aide these girls in their attempts to better themselves- merely mocking and demeaning the girls at every turn.
Mary is far from innocent. She is allowed out to work at a nearby hospital where she tends to the elderly. She sneaks off with her boyfriend, Ted, who is 2 years her elder and also housed at a detention facility for criminal youth. And Mary is pregnant with Ted’s baby.
Mary decides that the only way for her to keep her baby is to convince her mother to tell the truth about what happened that night when Mary allegedly killed the baby.
The events in this book were frustrating to me as a reader. It seemed to take forever for the author to get to the point and tell us what happened. Instead we get the everyday mundane rituals of the halfway house, underdeveloped side characters and the confusion of what actually occurred that resulted in the death of a baby.
I felt the ending was garbage. After reading almost 400 pages I expected something much better than what I was given. And I didn’t care for a single person in the book. To me, there is no worse feeling than not having a single character to pull for, or stand behind. Mary’s refusal to say outright what happened annoyed me. At the very least let the reader know. It was uneventful and I found myself bored more than once. If you want to read the great review that led to me reading this book you may do so here. The book just didn’t do much for me personally....more
Undivided is the last book of the UnWind series. By the time all was said and done I was completely uninvested in these characters. What started out s
Undivided is the last book of the UnWind series. By the time all was said and done I was completely uninvested in these characters. What started out so strongly ended so poorly.
Our cast of characters have lost sight of who they are. And, like the previous installment, they are indecisive and spread out all over the place. We get an additional 14 side story lines that seemingly came out of nowhere to add plenty of confusion to the storyline.
Lev’s whole storyline just drove me nuts. It was great in the beginning to see someone who was brainwashed into believing that being unwound is a holy experience. But where his story went from there was just….UGH. I can’t even come up with a word that explains it well enough! Lame? Overdone? Desperate? Pathetic? I think, honestly, given where the story goes, Lev should have just been killed off in book 2. I just did not fucking care about anything he had going on past the first book.
Risa and Connor are supposed to be madly in love with one another. We are told this repeatedly throughout the book. But I just didn't feel it. Some authors are WONDERFUL at creating relationships that feel real. You read these couples and know that they belong together. You are reminded of your hormonal teenage years where LOVE was everything and there was nothing in the world that could stop it. This romance was forced and just did NOT work.
All the side characters seemed to be distracting to the whole storyline. I feel like the author meant to use them as a way to tell a broader story, but it just didn't work. They were either underdeveloped, thrown in last minute or so overdone you weren't sure what the REAL storyline was.
The ending of the series did very little for me. I just thought there were aspects that could have been done better, and a LOT of things that could have been left out completely. It felt like things were thrown in as an afterthought and it just did NOT work for me. It makes me sad because as you all know, I just love YA Dystopians. (I also feel bad because my dear friend Ashley recommended these to me and I always hate when I don’t jive with a book a friend recommends.) Overall the series would get a 3 star rating from me. I really enjoyed the first two but the last two were HUGE disappointments.
Unsouled is the third book in the Unwind series. And probably the most forgettable.
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The characters I had grown to love in the first two books alUnsouled is the third book in the Unwind series. And probably the most forgettable.
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The characters I had grown to love in the first two books all come to a halting stop in this edition. The gang is all split up and everyone’s angry and confused. No one knows where they’re going or why they’re doing anything. They can’t make a decision about anything.
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It’s like all of a sudden our once-heroic MC’s just shut down completely. It’s probably the BIGGEST downfall of every YA series ever written. Katniss shuts down in Mockingjay. Bella(grosssssssss) shuts down in pretty much every scenario in every single Twilight book. Tris and Four both have moments in the Divergent series where they shut down in some way. It’s fucking exhausting and stupid and YA writers need to STOP doing this.
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Seriously. Fans do not want wishy-washy indecisive MC’s. We want kick-ass ones who go into every endeavor without thinking or planning. It’s exciting! It’s fun! It’s a fantastic reading experience!
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I just really was let down after having read the first two books. They were so promising. But there were just way too many story lines going and I felt like the author lost his sense of direction somewhere along the way. Or was trying to make too many statements at once. It just left me feeling very unexcited about reading the final installment.
Initial Reaction: Did I miss something? I have no fucking clue what this book was even about. Someone please explain.
Full Review: The Little Friend is oInitial Reaction: Did I miss something? I have no fucking clue what this book was even about. Someone please explain.
Full Review: The Little Friend is one of those books that pulls the rug out from under your feet- and not in a good way. At least not for me. I had read The Goldfinch and the Secret History first. I love both of those books as if they are my children. No exaggeration, folks. I get all sorts of ragey at any negative comment about either of those books. I had such high hopes for the Little Friend. It came highly recommended by a dear friend of mine. Not to mention that it’s Donna Tartt.
I had tried on two previous occassions to read this book. The prologue drew me in and then I got stuck. It isn’t the writing- Tartt is one of the most elequoent writers out there. It wasn’t the characters- they all were fleshed out and vivid. I just can’t really put my finger on what I struggled with. But, I found an audible copy of it and thought maybe just listening to it would do the trick. It did to an extent- I was able to finish it.
I just didn’t care about anyhting in the story. I don’t even know what this book was supposed to be about. You’re led to believe that this book is about a murdered boy. Our main character Harriet’s older brother is found hanged from a tree in their famiy’s front yard on Mother’s Day. A house full of people and yet no one sees a thing. Harriett swears she remembers even though she was only an infant at the time it happened. But one thing is for sure, the family is never the same.
So while this is kind of the driving force behind the story, it isn’t at all what the story is about. Sure, Harriett is on a mission to find out who murdered her brother. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to find out. Instead you get a coming-of-age story that reminded me a bit of To Kill a Mockingbird. Only in this story, I didn’t care for the characters, didn’t understand their motives or know why half of them were even there.
I still don’t know if it was me or the book. I couldn’t tell you what this book was about or what the point of it was or what message it was trying to tell me. I honestly feel like I was duped. I was led to believe it was about something it wasn’t. And that was a huge disappointment to me. ...more
What Jeff? FINE. Go to the bathrooGather round, gather round. *waits patiently*
Everyone settled? Jeff, put your hand down.
Ok, so now that everyone’s-
What Jeff? FINE. Go to the bathroom, but come RIGHT back.
*10 minutes later*
Finally! Can I tell my story now? Great. Here we go.
So, let me just tell you all this quick little story. I received an email from Goodreads. It was one of those Dear John letters that tells you about this wonderful new book that is going to be the Next Big Thing. You know the type.
In this email it said: Stepheny, you’re going to love this book. It’s YA. It’s “the modern day version of The Stand”. Read it, Stepheny and you will see just how awesome this book is and then go tell your friends about how awesome it is.
Well, I thought about it. But the price tag on Kindle didn't agree with my budget so I sat on it a while longer. I went on a Barnes and Noble run with my best friend Andrea- you have to understand- our nearest bookstore is over an hour away.
Before we went in there I told her- Andrea- don't let me buy more than X amount of books! And of course we laughed because I’m a book-buying junky and no matter what boundary I try to set I always come home with more. *hangs head in shame*
Anyway, we go in and immediately I am lured right in by the incredible smell of books…and coffee. God bless bookstores with cafés built right into them. I went directly to the YA section because I was hoping to snag a copy of All the Bright Places- a book I loved so much when I bought it on Kindle that I knew I needed a hardcover version as well.
There I was amidst rows and rows of YA books when what should catch my eye, but We All Looked Up. I grabbed it the instant my eyes took notice. I loved the cover, the title- but mostly the cover. It was soft. And not just in the literal sense of it being a paperback- but it was almost like a suede-feeling. It was amazing. I literally stood there petting the book. But once again- the price tag made me hesitant. After 2 hours or so of carrying the book around in my arms(while petting it) I eventually put it back and went with The Buried Giant instead-which I still haven't read yet.
Yes, Jeff?
I’m getting there!
For those of you who didn't hear what Jeff asked- he wanted to know how it was that I finally came to read this book. Amazon Kindle Daily Deals. It went on sale for 1.99 or 2.99 and BAM- one click shopping.
Let me just tell you- this book is absolutely 100% NOTHING LIKE THE STAND. I repeat- this book is NOTHING LIKE THE STAND. In all my years of reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a horrible comparison.
We All Looked Up is the story of high school kids in Seattle finding out that an Asteroid is going to hit Earth causing the end of the world. No survivors. Do Not Pass Go. DO NOT COLLECT $200. One big bang to end the world- ohhh the irony! Am I right?
One would think, that with such a great plot line that the book would be filled with deep philosophical thoughts. We would see what really matters at the end of the world. We would watch them make their final stand.
Instead what you have is a half-assed attempt to show how the government would, like try to control you man. *passes doobie to Jeff* It’s like…no one understands us. We’re so tortured and like…fight the system. Parents just don’t get it, dude.
Absolutely the most ridiculous end-of-the-world story I think I have ever read. There seemed to be no point to this book. In fact, the ending wasn't even a fucking ending. I had continued reading in hopes that the ending would salvage it all and give me that GAHHHH moment that I wanted. But no, the ending was as lame and boring as the rest of it.
I really don’t enjoy writing reviews that trash the book. I try to find redeeming qualities but truly- I am completely underwhelmed. It was a huge letdown and I am thankful that I only spent, at most, $3 for it. Don’t be fooled by the fancy cover. Don’t be fooled by that outrageous claim that it is “the modern day Stand”. I will not tell you NOT to read it, but just don’t go into it expecting much and maybe you won’t be so disappointed.
Jeff- get out of the cookie jar. Jesus. Back to the cellar, NOW. ...more
The Given Day taught me something very important about myself: I don’t like historical fiction.
I like fiction. Apparently I only like certain parts of The Given Day taught me something very important about myself: I don’t like historical fiction.
I like fiction. Apparently I only like certain parts of history.
When I read Mystic River I was blown away. I absolutely loved Lehane’s writing. He was eloquent and thought-provoking-even moving at times. So when Honk, Graymeat and the White Candle (sometimes Candlestick) and this here crazy MahFah decided we were going to read a Dennis Lehane book I was over the moon about it. I already owned the Given Day and thought it was a perfect choice.
Boy was I wrong.
I only liked one person in this whole book- Luther. For me, Luther was the only real character in the book. The others felt like ideas, or shadows of people we know. They fell flat for me and I had a very hard time connecting with anyone but Luther. Luther’s decisions, though at times were horrible, made sense to me. He acted without thinking, he committed a crime and he left his pregnant wife behind in the wake of his heinous acts. BUT, I understood those decisions. I couldn’t completely sympathize with him but I could at the very least understand that once one thing happened a whole slew of other things happened right after before he had time to evaluate it.
That’s what happens in life. And I like when writers capture those real-life situations. It’s my favorite. That’s why Mystic River struck such a chord with me- he captured very realistic reactions by the characters in his book.
I didn’t like a single person in the Coughlin family- no not even Danny- who for some reason was called Aiden randomly. Danny was a big time whiner. If there is one thing in men that drives me nuts the most it would be whining. Maybe it’s because my dad was never a complaining type and I grew accustomed to men who just went about their life knowing they did what they had to and did so without complaint. Luther reminded me a lot of my father. (view spoiler)[Not the part where he kills a guy (hide spoiler)] No, not that part, but even given his situation he rarely, if ever, commented on it. He didn’t wallow in his own self-pity. He worked, he saved, and he lived.
Danny, sometimes Aiden, did nothing but play the victim. He complained incessantly and there were times I wanted to reach through the pages and rip his throat out just to get him to shut up. He was also the Ned Stark of this book- “But this is the LEGAL and RIGHT and JUST way of doing things!” He failed to understand that in life there are grey areas. He wouldn’t bend, he wouldn’t budge and he certainly would not open his eyes…even when the facts were laid out before them.
I hated his father the most though- an arrogant and self-righteous man who needed to control every aspect of his family’s life. He was filled with hate, anger and resentment and I grew to loathe him like I did Professor Umbridge. He was a mean old bastard.
None of the other characters even warrant discussion in my opinion. They were background noise on an already muddled storyline. As I have already mentioned- the only storyline in the book that I cared for was Luther’s and he is the reason this book gets the rating it does. I almost one-starred it but in the end Luther resonated with me and I can’t discredit Lehane too much for that. I just think this book was bogged down with history. OBVIOUSLY I won’t be trying historical fiction again. This clearly was a huge failure. Maybe I should stick to Nicholas Sparks? (view spoiler)[FUCK YOU, Kimberly (hide spoiler)]
This is not to say that my buddies didn’t make the experience better. It’s always a hoot to get the gang together! This book just happened to be a mind-numbing slog for me!
Carmen and Steve both joined us late but ended up finishing before any of us(I think)....more
Everyone has been talking about The Martian. And I literally mean everyone. Since the moment I saw the cover and the raving reThank god that's over.
Everyone has been talking about The Martian. And I literally mean everyone. Since the moment I saw the cover and the raving reviews I knew I had to pick it up. There’s a reason people are talking about this book.
I just don’t fucking get it.
I think I am the only person on GR to give this pile a one star rating. I’m ok with that. This is a classic case of- it’s not you, it’s me.
I wanted desperately to fit in with the Goodreads community and love the shit out of this book and start farting rainbows every time I saw the title. Unfortunately I was not blessed with a Science Brain and this book went far over my head. My brains were floating in outer space waiting patiently to be brought back down. I think they’re still up there somewhere because I can’t for the life of me understand why people find this book is so awe-inspiring.
I loved the concept. Mark Watney gets left in space by accident. His crewmates think he’s dead and they take off for home. But Mark is not dead. He’s very much alive and he knows his shit. Boy, does he know his shit. He knows it so well he can’t wait to tell you about it in lengthy detail. He goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on…
Oh, I’m sorry. Forgot you were reading.
When it comes to Sci-fi I need it to be just enough detail to get me by. There’s a fine line that needs to be walked between vague and in-depth. Andy Weir was in so much depth I think he might be in the wrong career all together. In fact, Andy, if you’re reading this, why don’t you go apply for NASA. Clearly your brains are far superior to my own. Just for the love of god, don’t write another book.
Ok, that’s rude, I’ll admit. Next time you write a book though, I will politely pass it up and save myself the time and effort all together.
I listened to this book on audio and the narrator did a great job telling a boring story.
I kept waiting for something awesome to happen. What exactly, you ask? Well, I don’t know….but with a name like The Martian; I guess I was kind of hoping our MC would discover life on Mars. Or he would maybe figure out a way to live on Mars permanently-becoming the Martian himself. No such luck. Just boring tales of growing potatoes and drinking urine while listening to Disco music.
It takes quite a bit for me to give a one star rating. I read because I love books. I almost always find redeemable qualities in a book but I was counting down until this one was over. The Martian gets one star for the concept behind the story. That’s it. For all of you science lovers- I’m glad you enjoyed it. This book was just not for me.
I really wanted so much more from this book. I wanted to know things about the characters that we had been introduced to in the first three books. InsI really wanted so much more from this book. I wanted to know things about the characters that we had been introduced to in the first three books. Instead we are introduced to all new people 13 years prior to the events that take place in books 1-3. All this did was give us a history of what happened, how the world ended, how the virus came to be and how they found out about people being immune.
Through the first three books there are references to Thomas and Theresa's involvement in setting up the Maze and how they worked for WICKED. Well, wouldn't you think that the prequel to those stories would involve us getting more insight into what it was that they actaully DID?! That's all I wanted. I longed for character development. Getting to know Thomas and Theresa before the Swipe could have salvaged some of my indifference towards them. But instead the author decides to tell me a story I could really live without.
Dashner was strong in the areas of keeping his readers intriged and on the edge of their seats. One area he severely dropped the ball was in the climax. He leads you to believe you are going to have some huge revelation that changes the game and then he pulls the carpet out from under your feet and says "Nope, it really IS that boring story!". I think he could really use some tips in character development as well. I honestly have never cared less about any character in my life. I didn't like a single character in any of these books. Nope, not one.
I am so let down by this series in so many ways. I think it really had the potential to be something great. Personally, I think that Dashner just had too many ideas and wanted to put them all in one book rather than developing the top few. These books are kind of all over the place and I won't be recommending them to anyone at any time. Unless I don't like you and want to see you suffer, in which case- here, read this book. ;)
Did I like it? Was it for me? Is it a series I will continue? Did it resonate with me
What can I say about Outlander?
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Not a whole fuck of a lot.
Did I like it? Was it for me? Is it a series I will continue? Did it resonate with me? Did the characters compel me to keep reading?
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Was there an excessive amount of body parts quivering? Did the MC say “OH JAMIE!” more times in one day than I apply nipple clamps to that MahFah Jeff in a week? Was the forbidden M word used to describe the female sex organs repeatedly making me simultaneously uncomfortable and angry? Did the MC profess her undying love for her husband while fucking another man?
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Was there time-travel? Were there several instances where the MC blatently interfered with history therefore possibly causing major differences in the present? Did she think even for a minute “Hey, I’m time travelling…maybe I shouldn’t do this.” where she went ahead and did said thing anyway? Did our MC do ridiculous things that were near impossible because plot?
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Did the overall story make me want to bash my face repeatedly off a wall? Did it make me realize that while this book is advertised as a time travel romance it is 97% romance and 2% history lesson and 1% time travel?
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There was enough gushing in this book that I felt it unnecessary to add to it with a raving review. No I will not read any more of this series. No you can’t change my mind. No I do not care about how awesome it gets later. No. No. Noooooooooooooooooooooope. Thanks but no thanks.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is on the lips of every Harry Potter fan in the world lately. With the announcement of the movie production I Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is on the lips of every Harry Potter fan in the world lately. With the announcement of the movie production I am sure that sales skyrocketed for this book.
This was one of the books I had in my 3 book collection and I read this one after my competition of Tales of Beedle the Bard. I was so excited to read this…until I started reading it. Talk about a snoozefest. Holy moly.
I had to keep reminding myself- “Stepheny, this is a textbook. Remember? Harry had this book in his Care of Magical Creatures course. TEXT book. Not book. TEXTbook.” *sigh* Well, I guess I expected more of a story. Even in typical textbooks there is some sort of cohesive flow.
This, my friends, is literally a dictionary of beasts*. Starting with A and ending with Z. A definition of each animal, its classification and a few key points.
I can see where the movie will be going- the author’s adventures discovering these animals will be an absolute riot! But why couldn't some of those stories be incorporated in this book? I think even as a text book it could have worked. Instead we get boring definitions and explanations. I think JKR is much better than this book proved to be.
The best parts of this book are Harry and Ron’s commentary on the sidelines. However- this was so few and far between that it made little difference in my overall reading experience. I won’t say don’t read it but don’t go into it thinking you’re getting a story.
I've been busy lately. I haven't had a lot of free time to write my reviews because I was recently promoted at my job and unfortunate
Here's the thing.
I've been busy lately. I haven't had a lot of free time to write my reviews because I was recently promoted at my job and unfortunately that means I have to actually work at my job instead of killing a few hours a day on goodreads with my fellow book junkies. Now I have to read and then try to hammer out my reviews when I can.
Normally this wouldn't be a problem.
But normally I don't forget that I read a book.
In fact- I don't even remember the last time I forgot that I read a book.
But this book? Forgettable. I couldn't tell you a single character's name. What we have here is a classic case of great potential meets poor execution. An original storyline that was juuuuuuuuust on the verge of being something great.
The things I remember are the major plot points- I could give you a passable 7th grade book review if needed.
If i had to sum it up in a word I'd use atmospheric. It was great in that sense. It was like reading a classic horror story where you just know doom is lurking around the corner! You're scared to turn the corner. Only, when you turn the corner you just find an average boring person looking for a smile and a nod back as they go on their boring path.
Whenever I got excited that this would be the grand moment, it just fell flat and I would roll my eyes.
I enjoyed the originality of the storyline and think it could have been a lot more in the hands of a better writer.
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