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[REVIEW] Bloody Fool for Love
Oct. 26th, 2024 06:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apachefirecatTitle: Bloody Fool for Love
Author: William Ritter
Genre: Supernatural/Fantasy/TV
Review:
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apachefirecatTitle: Bloody Fool for Love
Author: William Ritter
Genre: Supernatural/Fantasy/TV
Review:
( Read more... )
luvbarryfefe
Title: Party Games (Fear Street Relaunch #2)
Author: R.L. Stine
Genre(s): Young Adult, Horror, Thriller
Content Warnings: Mentions of animal death (taxidermy)
There’s an adage that says: “You can’t go home again.” That’s certainly the case with this Relaunch (AKA reboot) of the original “Fear Street” series by R.L. Stine. Let me tell you, as a teenager, I devoured Stine books by the barrel full. (After I randomly picked up a copy of The Knife at a Scholastic book fair - I’m showing my age here, aren’t I? - I was hooked!) As an adult, I still collect copies of his 90’s novels.
R.L. Stine's books are special to me because they helped develop my imagination and discover the love of reading. When I was a lonely, misunderstood teenager they kept me company and gave me something to wile away the hours I wasn’t in school.
So, I almost feel bad - okay, I do feel bad - saying this book was not good, but I can’t lie. It wasn’t. While Stine’s books have never exactly been Shakespeare, they had an addictive quality to them that kept you wanting to turn the pages to find out how it was all going to end. The only reason I kept turning the pages of Party Games? I wanted it to end so I could be done with it. That’s a huge distinction.
What made this book so unlikeable?
As a loyal R.L. Stine fan, I have to advise you not to bother with this novel and instead seek out his original series of Fear Street books. Some of his best ones include The Overnight, The Knife, The Wrong Number, Haunted, The Stepsister, The First Evil (Fear Street Cheerleaders), and Fear Hall: The Beginning & Fear Hall: The Conclusion. Enjoy!
mozaikmageI Hope This Doesn't Find You
Author: Ann Liang
Genre: YA Romantic Comedy
(Sorry for the delay I thought I posted yesterday but I forgot to hit the button)
(Sorry for the delay I thought I posted yesterday but I forgot to hit the button)
I read This Time It's Real by Ann Liang last year and it floored me. For a YA fake dating romcom to be that genuinely funny and inventive seemed like a miracle. A few months ago I read her debut, If You Could See The Sun (a title I only later realized is a silly pun) and loved that too, and now I just finished reading her third book, about a people-pleasing high achiever whose senior year is almost ruined by all of her mean email drafts getting sent out at once.
My conspiracy theory is that this book, while published third, was actually written before either TTIR or IYCSTS, because it's noticeably weaker than either of those in multiple ways.
The thing that bothered me the most about it was the setting, but I'm inclined to chalk this one up to editorial meddling: I'm willing to believe that an editor thought American high schoolers would not be able to relate to a story about Asian immigrant kids in Australia and thus mandated any Australian-ness be toned down, but I think the level of vagueness made the whole story needlessly confusing. Melbourne is mentioned as the setting all of two times, and I managed to skip over it the first time and was then left wondering for half the book where it was happening. Australia's school years start in January and end in December, unlike the American school year, they have different weather and scenery, neither of which are very described or can be described if we're trying to pretend the story is not set in Australia. But this lack of description makes the location feel vague, and makes it harder to visualize. Both of Liang's other books had very strong senses of place, and that's something I would've appreciated more of in this book.
The other thing that felt weaker to me was the character writing, which is usually a strength for Liang as well. Sadie keeps going in circles and repeating herself in regards to Julius, which might be realistic teenage behavior but gets annoying to read about fast. Although their relationship dynamic is something I would've latched on hard to at age 13, and I understand her people-pleaser thing really well, I think Julius is a less interesting love interest than those of her other two books. The school also feels smaller, though Abigail is a very fun best friend character.
I Hope This Doesn't Find You is not unfunny, but less funny than Liang's two previous books. The plot hook is fun, but less fun than her previous two books. If it was anyone else writing this, I'd probably think it was a pretty okay YA romcom. Unfortunately, I know she can do better, because I've seen her do it. I hope her next book outshines them all.
[Review] Kiss of Darkness (Charmed #2)
Oct. 13th, 2024 05:44 pmluvbarryfefe
Title: Kiss of Darkness (Charmed #2)
Author: Brandon Alexander
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, TV
Content Warnings: N/A
Note: I’m super sorry this is almost a week late going up. I was in a serious reading slump. That rarely ever happens where I just can’t get motivated to read, but of course, it happens when people are depending on me to do a review. That’s the irony of my life for you. Anyway, thank you for your patience.It might be considered taboo - perhaps even downright tacky - to start a book review quoting another person’s book review, but I feel I must. As apachefirecat says in their wonderful review of the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch novel, All You Need is a Love Spell, “It seems almost to be a rule that books based off of movies and/or TV shows are never as good as their predecessors, and vice versa.” And that is the truth. The novel writers are paid but yet never seem to know the characters, their quirks, or their histories, as well as we, the fans, do. I have found an abundance of fan fiction stories that are far superior to any of the TV companion novels based on Charmed, Buffy, Angel, you name it. But - yes, there’s a but - I still find myself seeking out these books out of devotion to the shows I love. Even if they’re sometimes disappointing. And hey, sometimes you find a gem in the lot. Was Kiss of Darkness one of those gems? Well…
Overall, I’d give this book a 3.5/5 stars. Maybe that’s too generous but nostalgia is a powerful thing. I collected these books as a teenager. The Charmed series is still a huge part of my life. I remember watching the live premiere episode and being instantly hooked. I will always love this franchise, even the parts that aren’t exactly a perfect fit.
[REVIEW] Sabrina the Teenage Witch #3
Oct. 10th, 2024 08:38 pmapachefirecatTitle: (Sabrina the Teenage Witch #3:) Good Switch, Bad Switch
Authors: David Cody Weiss and Bobbi J G Weiss
Genres: Teen, Fantasy, TV
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Authors: David Cody Weiss and Bobbi J G Weiss
Genres: Teen, Fantasy, TV
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[REVIEW] Sabrina the Teenage Witch #7
Oct. 2nd, 2024 10:42 pmapachefirecatTitle: (Sabrina the Teenage Witch #7:) All You Need Is A Love Spell
Author: Randi Reisfeld
Genre: Teen, Fantasy, TV
NOTE: Please forgive the VERY late posting on this! I came to check my dates (have been thinking I missed something along the way, and sure enough have!) - and found out that I was supposed to have posted back on the second! My sincerest apologies! Not sure how I missed that from my schedule, but better late than never and again, please humbly forgive the very tardiness!
REVIEW: ( Read more... )
Author: Randi Reisfeld
Genre: Teen, Fantasy, TV
NOTE: Please forgive the VERY late posting on this! I came to check my dates (have been thinking I missed something along the way, and sure enough have!) - and found out that I was supposed to have posted back on the second! My sincerest apologies! Not sure how I missed that from my schedule, but better late than never and again, please humbly forgive the very tardiness!
REVIEW: ( Read more... )
Wrap Up for three books
Aug. 9th, 2024 08:56 pmsenmutMoonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee (Y.A. Sci Fi)
The Sewing Circle by Axel Madsen (Non-fiction, sort of)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (Mystery)
Three most recent completed book, my final reaction thoughts.
The Sewing Circle by Axel Madsen (Non-fiction, sort of)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (Mystery)
Three most recent completed book, my final reaction thoughts.
