Category Archives: Book Reviews

I review books, comics, and short stories, and occasionally post author interviews. Previously, I wrote book reviews at FreakingBookworm.com.

Review | Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins

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I reviewed both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire on Goodreads without spoilers, but Mockingjay hit me so hard that I feel like I need to do one of those reviews where I just pour it out. It goes without saying that if you haven’t read it yet, don’t read this review.

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After I finished Catching Fire, I debated going on to Mockingjay for about two hours before giving in. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

Mockingjay is a completely different beast. We see Katniss in action in a whole new way. While the Hunger Games are very real in the first two books, the war between the Capitol and the districts bring the Games to a whole new level. The arena is the entire country of Panem instead of a contained area. The tributes are everyone Katniss has ever cared about and the entire rest of the country. And, the violence depicted in the first two books looks like nothing compared to the physical and psychological destruction in the third book.

This book sucked me under its tidal wave. Swell after swell pulled me under: Peeta’s capture and torture, the loss of life in District 12 (I so loved Madge), Peeta’s return and brainwash, and… the loss of Prim. This hit me like I imagine the house in The Wizard of Oz hit the witch. This series had already repeated pulled at my big sister heartstrings, but when Katniss lost the very person she’d been trying to protect all along, I lost it. There had already been times when I physically looked away from the book as if I could stop what was happening as I read, but when Prim died, I stopped reading, tears streaming down my cheeks. I think I even screamed. It was bad enough that countless numbers of children had been killed, but together it made me heartsick.

I cried on and off while reading the rest of the book. It hurt because like Katniss, I would do anything to protect my little sister. Even worse, the age difference between Prim and Katniss is the same age difference between my sister and I. When Suzanne Collins dropped the bomb that it may as well have been Gale who killed her, I lost it all over again. I hadn’t been able to decide whether I liked Gale or Peeta more, but by then it was clear that even if Peeta didn’t recover, Katniss wouldn’t end up with Gale.

I tend to get very invested in characters as it is, but Collins may as well have taken people from my life and put them in these books — that’s how real they felt to me. Long after finishing Mockingjay, I couldn’t stop thinking about Prim. It was a couple of days before I really started thinking about the ending.

I hate books that end neatly. Real life isn’t neat and there aren’t always happy endings; even when things are good, your life could just as quickly be disrupted by bad things. I liked that the ending mixed positive and negative aspects: Katniss and Peeta fell in love all over again; Katniss had finally created a world that she felt was safe enough to bring children into; the loss of Prim and all that she’d been through in the Games and the war haunted her until the very end. I think that was truly the point of these books; throughout the entire time, Katniss kept saying that she would never have children because of the Games and the way things were, but by becoming the Mockingjay and assassinating Coin, she changed Panem for the better. Things weren’t perfect, but they were better.

A lot of people said they thought the ending was rushed, but I don’t think so. I think it could have felt abrupt because Collins slams the reader with Prim’s death and Gale’s involvement so close to the end that you have to really let your mind and heart settle before you can think about anything else. My only complaint about the ending is that I would have liked to know a little more about Haymitch later on, but then again, this was never his story.

There was quite a bit of symbolism in this book and the series, but I loved the Mockingjay and phoenix comparison the most. Katniss is quite a dynamic character; in The Hunger Games, she doesn’t really want to change anything — she just wants to protect and take care of her family — but by the time Prim is killed, she quite literally rises from the flames and takes initiative to change Panem. Things may not be better for her personally, but they are for the country and its people.

I also liked that Collins wasn’t at all afraid to kill and maim characters, especially since these books are for middle grade kids. I often felt shocked at the amount of violence in them, but doesn’t that violence only just mirror our world? I’m still not sure how I’ll feel about my own child reading these at twelve, thirteen years old, but I commend Collins for fearlessly tackling these issues. In the world we live in, children are often used to solve adults’ problems. Just look at the kids used to lure in soldiers from the other side, kids hiding bombs in their clothing.

I think these books impacted me so hard precisely because they so clearly reflect the violence we try so hard to ignore these days. And, of course, because the loss of Prim felt as real to me as if I’d lost my own sister.

Even though it hurt like hell, I appreciated that the loss of Prim echoed the loss of Rue in The Hunger Games. It seems kind of obvious now that both Rue and Prim had to die, otherwise Katniss wouldn’t have assassinated Coin.

I gave all of these books five out of five stars, and would rate the series as a whole the same. I recommend that parents read the series before handing them over to your children, and that you be prepared to discuss these difficult topics with your kids.

I think it’ll be a while before I read any of these books again. It all still feels so fresh, and I’m still quite heartbroken over Prim. I haven’t been this hurt by a book since Stephen King’s The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass. However, you know a book is good if it makes you feel – and Mockingjay sliced me up in ways that no knife ever could.

Review | The Fifty Shades Trilogy, by E L James

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Guest Post by Jessica at The Fevered Pen

I’m not an erotica reader. I also tend to stay far away from romance novels. But I can’t seem to go anywhere without hearing about The Fifty Shades Trilogy, so when Jess said she was reading it, I asked her to let me know what she thought… and if she could write a review for me. Thank you, Jess, for letting me read vicariously through you!

  

I’ve never written a book review before, and I’m pretty stoked for it.

I have a lot of conflicting feelings about Fifty Shades of Grey, written by E.L. James. I felt the entire trilogy was rushed and not written very well at all. I found it choppy, and as a result… frustrating. Wishy-washy. You see where I’m going with this, right?

I’m not a published author, nor do I claim to be a fantastic writer. However, I do feel that she rushed the entire thing, that it was published before it was ready. It could have been polished up a lot more.

Terrible, hurried writing aside… I did enjoy several parts to it. E.L. James kept me constantly entertained by Christian Grey. I read for him, to find out why he ticks the way he ticks. I’m pretty sure that was the intent, but regardless. E.L. James worked hard on making Christian an intriguing, remarkable character, and despite his “50 shades of fucked up”, I found him lovable. I found Anastasia Steele to be an easier character to swallow (puns aside) than Bella Swan ever was. She contradicted herself, a lot. There was several interesting dramas unfolding all at once, and I liked that too as they all seemed to unfold into one another.

Obviously, Christian Grey meets a lot of points on the abusive partner checklist, however he wants to change and that’s animate. I’m not sure I enjoy the idea it releases about how “your love can change a messed up man”, but then and again this novel isn’t directed at impressionable teens. I certainly wouldn’t allow my impressionable teen to read it.

I do think that E.L. James has re-opened the market for Erotica stories, a genre that was struggling before. I don’t want to keep writing and end up spoiling the fun for someone, but I will say that if you’re looking for an easy read then go ahead, you may enjoy it. If you’re going to be critical and knit pick everything that doesn’t make sense (and trust me, there is A LOT), you might want to skip this series all together. Erotica isn’t a genre that I’m familiar with, but from what I hear there are far better developed stories in the erotica genre.

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Jessica blogs at The Fevered Pen and enjoys family, reading, and writing.

You should ignore what she says about not being a good writer; aside from being a great mom, she’s very talented with words!

You should also like Jess on Facebook.

Other Guest Posts by Jessica

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Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey? What did you think?

Review | White Heat, by Paul D. Marks

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Private investigator Marion “Duke” Rogers can’t get anything right. Most days he wishes he’d just stayed in the SEALs. When a seedy client comes in asking Duke to find Teddie Matson, he thinks nothing of it — it’s just quick and easy money… until Teddie is murdered, and Duke is left wondering whether it’s his fault.

White Heat sucked me in right away with its noir style. You get to know Duke right away, and even though he’s a self-professed fuckup, I liked him instantly. Part of me wondered the entire time whether he killed Teddie Matson himself without remembering it, but I still liked him. Duke’s voice is very strong in the narration. Usually, I hate slang and dialect in prose because it frequently overpowers the story, but Duke’s way of talking made this story.

The plot was interesting, and full of twists and turns. Duke’s investigation felt realistic, even when he was chasing down people like a cop. The characters’ interactions, mannerisms, and dialogue also felt realistic. I fell in love with Duke, Jack, and Rita. I also loved Teddie, even though we never met her alive.

My only complaint about this novel was its lack of dialogue tags. For the most part, I could tell who was speaking on their way of talking alone, but sometimes it got quite confusing and interrupted the flow of the story; I kept having to go back and reread those long strings of dialogue to determine who said what.

White Heat is set during the days of the Rodney King riots. I liked that it had a strong historical element that heavily impacted how the characters acted toward each other, as well as impeding the investigation at times because of the involved characters’ innate prejudices. The novel explored cultural bias based on skin color, and did an excellent job depicting different cultures’ attitudes toward each other.

I can’t say whether it properly captured LA, as I’ve never lived there, but I trust Marks’s judgment, as he’s lived there his entire life. I did, however, like that the setting shifted between California and Nevada, giving readers a taste of what lay beyond Duke’s hometown.

The scenes between Duke and Rita were steamy, without really being overly descriptive. Marks has a knack for language and description. It was a refreshing change from novelists who try to make sex scenes so sexy that it reads like erotica.

I had a lot of fun with White Heat. It was riveting, sexy, and provocative. The best part of this novel? There’s a sequel (due out in November 2012).

White Heat is now available on Amazon and Smashwords in all digital formats, and in paperback. Read an excerpt, and check out the novel’s official blog.

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Disclaimer Thingy: I was provided an ARC in exchange for a written review.

Review | Four D, by Gregory Morrison

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Four D is a set of “four different stories and how they all connect to each other,” according to a press release I received with the novel. In “Space,” a nameless character watches as everything around him literally disappears, and must choose between his best friend and his love. In “Four Rooms,” Elise must find a way to free herself from her mind and learn the truth about her existence. Luidgi becomes bored with his life and shakes things up in “The Principle of Luidgi.” In the fourth and final story, “Guest,” another nameless character spends his last days with a female Grim Reaper-like entity.

The concepts of each story were very interesting. I especially liked the concepts of “Space” and “Four Rooms.” However, I had a very hard time feeling engaged in any of the stories. Mostly this was due to the fact that the characters were rather two-dimensional and did not feel real to me. They merely moved through the stories, and I barely got a sense of any of them. It bothered me that two of the four main characters had no names. It made it hard to relate to them or paint a picture in my mind of who they were.

It also bothered me that while reading, I was told how to feel, rather than made to feel any certain way. For example, in “The Principle of Luidgi,” I knew I was supposed to empathize with this guy who was bored with his life and friends, but I just couldn’t. I did not at all understand any of his actions toward friends that he supposedly loved and cherished, but deemed uninteresting. I did not like or even dislike him, because I couldn’t get a grasp on who he was. I felt the same throughout all four of the stories; completely, irrevocably indifferent toward the characters and their problems.

Each of the stories, though interesting in concept, were confusing to read. I kept having to reread things and struggled to make a connection between each each story. “Four Rooms” switched to a completely new, also nameless character’s point of view at the end. I suspected this character was the man that Elise met after escaping her four rooms, but couldn’t be sure because I had no name or description — whether physical or emotional — of this new narrator. I hoped that each new story would help explain the last, but instead they just left me feeling more confused and frustrated.

I knew going in that this wouldn’t be light reading, and I think I am pretty well-versed in puzzle and mystery stories, but Four D completely missed its mark with me.

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Disclaimer: I was supplied with a copy of Four D in exchange for a review. This did not in any way affect my opinion.

On Raising Children While Writing Vampires — An Interview with Rebecca Hamilton (+ Giveaway!)

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Rebecca Hamilton

Rebecca Hamilton

I’ve been stalking following Rebecca on Twitter for a while now because she’s pretty and shares great writing resources. Her debut novel, The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey, recently became an Amazon best seller and is generating tons of buzz. She is a mom of three, yet built a fantastic beginning to her writing career. In celebration of the release of her novel and as part of The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey book tour, I recently interviewed her.

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I was thrilled when I found out that Sophia is a witch. What made you decide to make her Wiccan instead of just another “regular” human?

It was something that just happened. It could be because Wicca is one of the religions I’ve always had interest in. In the end, it worked out toward themes of acceptance that later emerged as I wrote the story.

You’re a mom of three. I know several moms with small children who want to be writers but just don’t know where to start. How do you balance your family with your writing career? What advice would you give other aspiring writers who have children?

Find the times of day where things are possible. For example: I can’t write during the day, because I can’t be interrupted when writing. But I CAN edit and use social media. Those things are easy to do start/stop for me. Send a tweet, give a kid a bath. Send a tweet, make lunch. Send a tweet, fold some laundry. I do also have a lady who cleans our house though, so that helps. I do my reading while at my daughter’s gymnastics classes (if I can stop watching her long enough to read lol). For writing, though, that’s the hard part. I often write at night, after the kids go to bed and before I do. I’m often a very tired lady. But you really just have to figure out what time is good and devote that time consistently to writing. I know one women who has kids AND homeschools. She writes in the morning before the kids wake up, so she’s opposite of me.

I saw that you have two more upcoming releases for the Forever Girl series. Are there more in the works?

There will be 7 books in all and also some journals. The journals are novellas that are “more” standalone than the series, though I think all the books in the series work pretty well as standalone. I do think books 1, 4, and 7 would be best not read out of order, though.

My family thinks I’m slightly crazy for leaving my career as a web designer and finding a part-time retail job and writing during the rest of my time. Has anyone ever questioned your sanity? How would you respond to the “Why?!” question?

They were already questioning my sanity am lucky that I have their support. No one asks why, though. I am lucky that I have their support.

This is obligatory: Who are your favorite authors, and which novels are your favorite?

Nancy Pickard and Marisa de los Santos. But *especially* Nancy Pickard. I really enjoyed Love Walked In (Marisa de los Santos), The Scent of Rain and Lightening (Nancy Pickard) and The Virgin of Small Plains (Nancy Pickard). Another favorite book of mine is Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum.

Which elemental in the novel is your favorite? Personally, I’m intrigued by the Chibold. I love the story from Sophia’s grandfather at the end, tying the Chibold even further into her past and destiny.

I have some cool things planned for the chibold, but my favorite are the Ankou! What I do with them in book 2 has me really excited. I think that’s going to be my favorite book in the series. My only fear is how any other books in the series will be able to follow that one!

Speaking of elementals, where did you get the idea for them?

Mostly from Vampires, Shifters, and different type of Fae. I played around with naming them “elementals.” Eventually my editor suggested the same term as fitting my characters (because each is based on a different element).

What’s your favorite writing snack? (Mine are those flavor-blasted Goldfish.)

When I write, I tend to get so lost in my writing that I forget to eat. Which is saying a lot because I’m a foodie (if you couldn’t tell by my writing lol)

If you could be one of your characters for a day, which would you be, and why?

I don’t think I could handle being Lauren, because I know some of the things she’s been through that never made it to the page (at least not in this book). Hmmm. I’d love to be Paloma for a day, or maybe one of the bad guys (Queen Callista, maybe).

Which of your characters would make the best babysitter?

Lauren. Though it might be hard for her in some ways, she has a good heart and would take the best care of a child.

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Giveaway

As part of the book tour, I reviewed The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey. You can win your own copy! In celebration of the release, Rebecca is giving away an ebook copy of The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey. The ebook giveaway is international, but if you live in the US, you will receive a scented candle as well. To enter, leave a comment between today and 11:59pm EST on March 26th telling me your favorite vampire myth. I will choose one winner using random.org and will notify the winner by email (so make sure your email address is correct).

This giveaway is now over! Thank you to all who entered!