[Review] Touch of Frost

English Cover

German Cover

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‘Touch of Frost’ by Jennifer Estep

Mythos Academy # 1
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Synopsis:
My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy; a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody’s head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I’m determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why; especially since I should have been the one who died…
(Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
What should I say about this book? First of all I’ve to say, that I don’t understand, why so many readers entitle this book as a ‘masterpiece’, or rate it with 5 points?!
Okay, I don’t want to be unfair, the book was quite nice and I could read it very quick because of the easy writing style, but well, it wasn’t really special for me – rather a box full of cliché and without much inventiveness.

Am I now too hard with the book? Maybe a little, because nevertheless I still rated it with 3 points (EDIT: after writing this review I had to reduce it to 2.5 points), which means it’s actually an average book. But now if I think back to it, I’ve to confess that there were a few things in it which have exceptionally disturbed me.

I want to start with the very childish language and go on with the naive, babyish, intolerant main protagonist Gwen. (I just had to look up her name, which I do almost never, so you can see, how much I’ve liked this character or how she got stucked in my memory – ‘almost‘ not at all.)

It begins in the middle of the plot in the Mythos Academy on which Gwen goes recently, and here now it is constantly written, over pages and pages, how attractive and special everybody here are, how swanky, vain and rich and that this school, which is lead like an élite university, as well as the students themselves show off everything.
Of course Gwen isn’t rich, doesn’t come from a snobbish family (*surprise*) and stands totally above those things. It’s only funny, that their wealth and money it’s mentioned in every chapter …

Well, apart from that fact, the plot with the murder cases in the Academy is interesting at first, but the twist and the ways which lead to the end and present the ‘real’ culprit, however were very unimaginative or better said predictable. I don’t know why, but the more I think about it, the more does this book upset me, because I can’t understand, that everybody find it so great?!
For me it seems that Estep has just goggled a little bit, easily put up a quite normal ‘snob’s school’, and added a poor, small girl and a few mythological aspects, which even weren’t used originally, but simply in such a way, as well as every other could come up with.
A white building with ivy here, a few statues of gods there, some swords and weapons over there … and violà – everybody is excited and praise the book! Unfortunately I don’t.

What adds to that is this is arcane, dark, strong, mysterious … *bla bla bla* guy, who can break all girl’s hearts, was even already in the bed with 90% of these snob’s schoolgirls– but of course he falls for the little, naive, dumpy-dressed Gwen. Oh, how cute! Or rather not authentic?

I don’t know how someone can find that so great again. First of all something like that was in books already the 2.000 times! And secondly, the guy isn’t actually nice and with such a reputation, I wouldn’t want at all, that he gets interests in me, regardless how hot he may look. Please, there have to be less superficiality in a book, or at least a guy who isn’t completely ugly, but with humor, intellect and a good heart, who doesn’t only want to have sex but also other things?

Now we come to the question what I’ve liked in the book: As I’ve already mentioned, it was very easy and simple to read. Also I was interested myself in the Greek mythology and god’s stories and was glad to read about that subject. (Even, if it wasn’t used notable creatively…)
Moreover I could like Daphne and her friend quite well and it was nicely to read, with a little tension, even if I’ve foreseen a lot before.

German Cover:
It was a reason for me to read the book. I like this one much better than the English cover and especially the colored eyes are great.

All in all:
The book was a big disappointment after the long anticipation of it. I think that with the basic idea of the Greek mythology and the mix of a Young Adult book and the other creatures, there could have done more of it. *what a pity*

Rating:
2,5 of 5 points – (It was okay)

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Succession:

# 0,5 Jennifer Estep – First Frost (Short Story – ebook)
# 1:    Jennifer Estep – Touch of Frost »»
# 2:    Jennifer Estep – Kiss of Frost »»
# 3:    Jennifer Estep – Dark Frost
# 4:    Jennifer Estep – Crimson Frost
# 5:    Jennifer Estep – Midnight Frost

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Jennifer Estep:
Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin adult urban fantasy series for Pocket. Books in the series are SPIDER’S BITE, WEB OF LIES, VENOM, TANGLED THREADS, SPIDER’S REVENGE, and BY A THREAD.  (Source: goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »».

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Review: Torn

English Cover

German Cover

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‘Torn’ #1
by Erica O’Rourke

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Synopsis:
Everyone has secrets. Even best friends.
Mo Fitzgerald knows about secrets. But when she witnesses her best friend’s murder, she discovers Verity was hiding things she never could have guessed. To find the answers she needs and the vengeance she craves, Mo—quiet, ordinary, unmagical Mo—will have to enter a world of raw magic and shifting alliances. And she’ll have to choose between two very different, equally dangerous guys—protective, duty-bound Colin and brash, mysterious Luc. One wants to save her, one wants to claim her. Which would you choose?
(Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
Reviews for average books are always the most difficult ones to write – as well as it’s also with the book ‘Torn’. But this fits equally well on the subject, because this story is about an average girl, or about one that tries everything to remain invisible and ordinary.

Where we got already to the storyline, all around Mo (Maura) who has up to now quite well managed to remain in the background – silently, quietly and nice – as long as, until her best friend and the luminous star in her life is killed before her eyes. But not from ‘normal’ humans, but from some supernatural beings. With what it’s immediately clear for the reader that this book is about fantasy, but which Mo isn’t able to admit to herself for a long time, and therefore at first it’s a little dull and the author ‘beats about the bush’. I think not until at the half of the book finally some questions get answered, which the readers could already make sense of from the beginning by themselves. Unfortunately, the same one happens not only with the fantasy aspect, but also with the conclusions from it. But also the family story and the business of her uncle Billy were no surprise for me, as well as the thing with two guys.

Yes, you’ve read correctly – Mo: a quiet, insignificant, average girl, not especially attractive, never had a real boyfriend before, gets suddenly the attention of TWO really hot guys and I can only ask myself ‘Why?‘
For me Mo doesn’t have many aspects which they would make her special or particular. She whines a lot, doesn’t manage the loss of her friend – what is also understandable – but it is not quite clear, why she now constantly tries everything to act like her friend Verity would have, or why she suddenly wants to be so much like her and nevertheless feels always like the seconds quality. Mo also often cries, is constantly unconfident and has several long monologues which fill the pages and where I often could only roll my eyes.

To my luck there were these two hot guys in the book with whom the author has taken more care to describe them positively, even if it often happened by the portrayal of the external attributes. Nevertheless I liked Colin and Luc much better than Mo and I hope to read even more about them. The irritating thing is only that Mo has to kiss both guys – yeah, because she’s so shy – and therefore it was difficult to get really embed with one of this two and make a choice between them.
At least Mo changed a little till to the end and luckily became more snappish, headstrong and didn’t put up with everything anymore and stood up to herself and her decisions. A plus factor for this change, which was really necessary.

Unfortunately the writing style wasn’t my taste, because I felt that it was written very simply and sometimes a little bumpy. Whereat the normal text passages were still okay, but the dialogues didn’t work at all. The chats and the dialogues were often absolutely without any connection and they sometimes showed little sense to me. Not only, the answers to some questions or indications, but also in the middle of a dialogue of a person. For example, at first Mo says something to Luc, something personal, and then she changes from that to a completely other subject – so fast, that I became dizzy.
And there were also sometimes word repetitions and some stuff in the book unfortunately seemed to me like a raw version, instead like a real finished book.

Cover:
The German cover is really nice and an eye-catcher with the blurred people on it. In comparison I don’t like the English version at all.

All in all:
It was a good idea with the magic and four elements, which the author had here but unfortunately it lacked in the conversion. Also this love triangle is more than unnecessary and I hope that these points will improve in the next part.

Rating:
2,5 of 5 points – (It was okay)
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A huge THANKS for the reviewer’s copy to:

© Random House

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Succession:

#1:  Erica O’Rourke – Torn »»
#2:  Erica O’Rourke – Tangled
#3:  Erica O’Rourke – Bound (dt. Titel unbekannt)
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Success.

(© goodreads)

About the author – Erica O’Rourke:
What she says about herself:
“I write books about girls who make their own fate and fall for boys they shouldn’t.
I live outside Chicago. I like to travel but I’ll never really leave this city.
I prefer cookies to cake (even cupcakes), television to movies, and autumn to all the other seasons.
I like sushi, naps, coffee, and driving stick shift.
I hate fish, emoticons, bridges, and talking about myself..”
(Source: goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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Film Critic: The Woman in Black

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The Woman in Black

Official English Trailer
(All rights belong to Momentum Pictures)

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© http://www.deadline.com

German Titel: Die Frau in Schwarz

Puplishing Year: 2012

Production: Hammer Film Productions

Regie: James Watkins

Cast:
Daniel Radcliff, Ciarán Hinds,
Janet McTeer, Liz White

English Website: »»

German Website: »»

Novel written by:
Susan Hill.

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© http://www.klatsch-tratsch.de

Synopsis:
A young lawyer, struggling with work after the death of his wife, is sent to a remote village to settle the estate of a deceased eccentric woman who owns an English manor. The village residents want him to leave as they are trying to conceal a deadly secret. But he refuses, and soon discovers that the house of his client is haunted by the vengeful ghost of a woman dressed in black. (Quelle: imdb.com)
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My thoughts about the movie:
After I’ve read the book, I also had to watch the film for ‘Book2Movie’ Challenge. Of course I was curious about the movie and now I don’t know whether I should regret it or not.

In my opinion the movie is built up like also all the other spooky-/ghostmovies, in which less storyline but more effects seem to appear, which should frighten the audience. Suitably to that of course also the right sound is added; at first the subdued background music, then the creepy tones which announce ghosts and other supernatural things, while loud rumbling or a loud scream underline the shocking, frightening pictures.

Therefore the producers are not using lot of special effects or a big ballyhoo, but the more subtle fear is demanded and the foreboding, that something is going to happen soon and then horrifying pictures of dead children, dark rooms or a desolate wood or area do their add to build up an uncanny atmosphere throughout the whole movie. .

copyright: http://media.kika-dresden.de

Unfortunately, the storyline is very foreseeable, as well as in the book, and often I already know in advance what will happen next. But to be honest that was not so bad, because hence I could hold up my hands before my eyes, so I don’t have to watch every terrifying thing in it. Although I must admit that I was really frightened, nevertheless, 2-3 times during the movie, where I also screamed and got almost a heart attack. But such films are simply not meant for me and this move has shown me that simply fact again.

The end was also easy to guess and has reminded me, although it was sad, very much of a typical Hollywood-end, in which everything is done to get a great highlight for the audience and to leave a remaining impression.

I didn’t like the movie very much, as well as the book hasn’t worked for me, and also the actors couldn’t persuade me. Actually, I usually like Daniel Radcliff and I’ve expected more of him, but throughout this movie he had the same agonizing and distorted, if not even a sleepy, expression on the face and unfortunately he also didn’t vary it.

In addition the actors were very flat and behaved weirdly and strangely, not only because of the ghosts, but they didn’t seem real at all. The same was with the plot in the move, which seemed to me as blank.

copyright: http://www.viva.tv

Differences to the book:
The film keeps to a few details and the basic mood of the book and the movie is same, but the rest is completely different. These are virtually almost two different stories, only that in both the ghost of a black woman is up to no good. The beginning, the middle and the end are different than in the book and I didn’t completely like one of these two ends. Also the character of Arthur Kipps was changed completely, who was a fun-loving, curious lawyer at the beginning of the book, although also a little arrogant but nice. But in the movie he was presented as a broken father, who has already lost his beloved woman during childbirth.

Soundtrack:
There was no real soundtrack included, because rather creepy noises were in the background or a melancholy, mysterious music were dominant. But all in all, it was what everybody expect in a horror move and hence also very suitably.

copyright: https://wordonfire.org/getmedia

All in all:
For me it’s not a movie which I would watch again and I also wouldn’t like to recommend it to anybody, except to those who are great fans of horror movies and ghost stories and who like it to be frightened to death without thinking too much about a great, unpredictable storyline.

Rating:
2,5 of 5 points – (It was okay).

copyright: http://www.gutefrage.net

copyright: http://doeid.blogspot.com

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.This Film Critic is for the ‘Book2Movie – Challenge’ 2012 !

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Snapshot: Starters (en.)

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Snapshots are short- reviews of my already read books, which sould give a litte insight of how I liked the books, if I think it’s worth reading and for which taste it would fit...

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‘Starters’
by Lissa Price.

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(© goodreads)

After I’ve read the pre-story ‘Portrait of a Starter’, I decided also to read the book ‘Starters’ by Lissa Price. To my luck I found out that the writing style, which is written in the present, hasn’t bothered me so much in the book then in the pre-story, because I’ve read it in English.

At the beginning everything was a little confusing, particularly with this war, by which I wasn’t sure what the war was about or who fought against whom and what spore/illness was there, that killed so many people. Another question was why only children and old people have survived this. Unfortunately, this all was a little too much at the beginning and I had to read a great piece through the book to get some few answers of many, important questions.

The basic idea wasn‘t bad but for me it was too overloaded and there were too many different things going on in this dystopia, as example: * this war, * the deadly illness Spores, * that the medicine has worked out a way that the people can become more than 200 years old (Enders) or * this organization which make it possible for the old people to slip into the bodies of teens.

Hence, I can say that some ideas were great and also at the beginning, the characters were well worked out and were likeable, but throughout the book it lacked in a good structure and elaboration of the story and also the persons in the book changed; in my opinion to the negative.

I really liked the first half of the book very much because I cared for Callie, the plot were exciting and had thrilling twists in it and it was definitely a page–turner for me.
Moreover, I liked that Callie, although now she was living in this luxurious world, she has always thought of her brother Tyler and Michel and referred what she could get for this or that in this luxurious flat (for example for a ring she could get so much food which would be able to feed 10 ‚friendlings’ for a week, and so on…) and this stretched out through the book, what I found really great.

But unfortunately, after the second half my enthusiasm changed and then it has decreased rapidly. The plot stretched in the last pages and a lot was foreseeable and even Callie became more unlikeable. Also the end was only ‘expressionless’ and took a twist (keyword: Blake) which only make me shake my head!

It wasn’t also not helping the book that there was again a love triangle, which was more than only unnecessary and for me it was just annoying.*sigh*

At the end I was really disappointed and to tell the truth, I wasn’t interested in how it went on at all anymore. Now I’m so undecided whether I should still read the second book or not. But I’ve still time to decide that.

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! SPOILER ALERT !

What else I would like to say: What’s the thing with all these love triangles? This can’t be or I just don’t get it! Especially here it would better without one. Moreover, I thought that it was more than idiotic that at the end one guy (Michel) simply runs away without saying a word to Callie and the other guy (Blaek) isn’t any more the guy she knew or believed she’ve known – everything very weird and not thrilling –> only the contrary!

This thing with Blake still disturbs me and I found it really terrible! My question to that: What does this then say about Callie, when she knows Blake isn’t himself any more or the guy she felt in love with, but she still wants him, nevertheless? To look at it exactly, actually she has fallen in love with the enemy, the ‘old man‘, whichI find quite disgusting, but okay …!
What do you think about it and what is your opinion to that topic?

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Succession:

# 0,5:  Lissa Price – Portrait of a Starter
# 1:       Lissa Price – Starters »»
# 2:       Lissa Price – Enders

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Review: Dearly Departed

English Cover

German Cover

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‘Dark Love’ by Lia Habel

(Dearly, Departed)

Gone with the Respiration # 1
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First Sentence:
“‘I was buried alive.
When the elevator groaned to a stop in the middle of the rocky shaft, I knew I was buried alive.”

Last Sentence:
“For my mother, who taught me early on that real ladies can give orders, real gentlemen can take them, and real zombies don’t eat brain.”

Synopsis:
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.  (Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
Although I’ve found the basic idea of the book with the zombies in connection with a dystopia really interesting and have been glad about this book, then nevertheless it was a little disappointing in the end because it wasn’t what I’ve expected.

Just at the beginning I’ve had a hard time to really get into the story and it was also presented rather dull and stereotypically and this hasn’t motivated me to read on. I found very strange that the story plays in the future, but nevertheless the same circumstances ruled like at the time in the Victorian age:
With etiquette, long skirts to show no leg and over conservative behavior etc., but nevertheless modern technology was mixed in it which was further progressed than ours. Others may find this attractive, but I found it rather illogical and also not realistically, although the author really had tried to explain the circumstances which have led to this situation.
I can’t say exactly what has disturbed me so much in it, because in general I’ve nothing against a mixture of different elements or genre. But here everything didn’t fit completely anyhow and it just didn’t worked and I also had the feeling that it was too enforced and fitted.

First was the almost destruction of the humanity, then they scrap themselves together again and choose willingly to life alike the people in the Victorian age, but nevertheless they use without refusal a lot of more modern technology than we have nowadays -> there I had all along the feeling that the author actually wanted to write a story in 18-19 centuries to use a certain language and clothes for the characters etc. and also to pick out some problems of this time
as a central theme like class differences, enforced marriages, virtuousness, … But at the same time the author wants to insert something modern and to play it in a dystopischen future… and if that wasn’t enough, she also add besides zombies who aren’t angry like the one we know, but who can act quite normally and who only need special food to sustain their body. I find this is really too much hotchpotch and as I’ve already mentioned it was also too fitted. And some things in it weren’t always quite understandable, rather illogical.

What has also disturbed me was that every chapter was told by another character and therefore was a constant change. Most chapters were naturally of Nora or Bram, but there were also some by her best friend, by her father or by the bad person in the story and this hasn’t made this book more exciting, but the opposite. Because exactly whenever it became interesting and thrilling in a chapter, it appeared a change of the chapter to another character and when we were taken back the whole tension from before was away. Unfortunately this has disturbed me very much and has stopped extremely my reading fluency every time.

Also the action of the characters wasn’t always understandable and I found it partially just terrible. The thing with the whole ‘good’ zombies was for me rather an absurd image and I can make more with the idea of ‘good’ vampires! *lol* The ‘good’ zombies were quite nice and amusing and they also had their authorization et cetera, BUT as a romantic antagonist, as a love partner – sorry, but I just can’t picture this, even if I’ve just read it and the author has struggled to describe it romantically.

Moreover I can’t imagine that in the real life normal teenager’s girls would react so heroically when they find out about zombies and quite simply push a parasol through the head of a zombie?! *rolling my eyes* First her best friend Pamela has constantly pitied herself and was rather annoying and moved around like a small little mouse and then suddenly she acted as if she could put away everything without problems. She just fights along the way a few bad zombies and risks her life every few minutes without an eyelash. One can also exaggerate it with heroism and that was here often the case.

English Cover:
I like it incredibly much with the nice coloring and the great picture with the parasol. The cover is really beautiful and for me one of the reasons to read this book.

All in all:
Some things in it haven’t worked for me but nevertheless it gets 2.5 points for the basic idea and for the main character Nora who was quite okay. At the moment I’m still undecided whether I continue this row or not.

Rating:
2,5 of 5 points

My Recommendation:
Only to borrow!

For Fans of:
Zombies, Young Adult, Dystopia, Lovestories

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Quotes:

Nora: “If my heart had feet, it would have been up the staircase before the rest of me.”

Bram: “I ran this through my “girl talk” translator and said, “I could eat him, if either of you’d like. Seems like it might be the easiest thing to do.”

Bram: “She likes me.”
Samedi didn’t even look at me. “Well of course, you’ve
had that bloody uniform on all day. I was half ready to
tell you how much I liked you.”

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Succession:

# 1 : Lia Habel – Dark Love »»
# 2 : Lia Habel – Dearly, Beloved

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Lia Habel:

She is an author, and consequently spend the majority of her days locked up in her own head. When she is actually actively participating in the groundbreaking experiment in groupthink known as “reality,” you’ll find her designing and sewing costumes, trying to teach herself to play roller derby, planning trips, and watching zombie movies.
(Source: goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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Snapshot: The Fellowship of the Ring

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Snapshots are short- reviews of my already read books, which should give a litte insight of how I liked the books, if I think it’s worth reading and for which taste it would fit.

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‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
by J. R. R. Tolkien.

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(© goodreads)

I don’t know where I should start and it’s really hard for me to write an appropriate review. I love the films and I’ve seen them already countless times and so often that I’m already able to join in the dialogues. Hence, everybody can probably understand that the book hasn’t offered a lot of attraction or tension for me anymore and that it was a laborious reading. I have already bought the book years ago in English and since then I tried to read it twice and have broken off every time.
And also this time I have quarreled so much with myself, but everybody told to me and said that I just have to come to a certain point and then it’ll become better and more interesting. But unfortunately, this point has never really came for me, that I would say ‘wow, now I must read on because it’s so interesting’ but it was always a compulsion to finally finish this book, which I have already started at the end of December –> probably this says everything.

The writing manner of Tolkien was definitely not what I usually like. For me it was too overloaded, too poetically and everything was described too precisely. Particularly the beginning was a horror for me, when the whole family relationship by Frodo and Bilbo were explained. Does somebody like this our find this interesting?

I like it when something is happening, but here the real action has only begun after the first third of the book! Also everything wasn’t easy to understand and in my opinion at the beginning it was also difficult to come into the story, mostly because of the Old-English from Tolkien, which he has exaggerated too much and which I’ve not liked at all. Later when the story did go on, it become better, but the dialogues remained very ancient and conceited, so that I had to force myself to read on.

Nevertheless, now I can’t rate the book only negatively, because I love the main story and the characters in it so much …though, if I’m honest, mainly from the movies. But here I couldn’t really build up a good connection and it wasn’t a joyful reading. But as said, this is certainly because I already know the movies in and by heart. Hence, I would recommend this book for everybody who likes fantasy, but maybe for those who haven’t already seen the movies or not too often.

The plot and the action in the story gets better and more interesting after the point, where the hobbits leave the woods in which Tom Bombadil lives in. I know, some of you love Tom Bombadil but I thought he was only annoying with all his singing and prancing and therefore I’m glad he wasn’t also in the movie. Sorry- but that’s my opinion on that subject.
However, it become really exciting when they decide to destroy the ring, to bring him to Mordor and when they form the fellowship of the ring, to make their dangerous and almost impossible way there. My favorite characters are Sam (Sam is the real hero in my eyes!! Gandalf, Strider/ Aragon and of course Pippin *lol*)

I’m happy to be able to finish this book after nearly 3 months I certainly won’t read the other 2 books. There I‘m completely content with the movies.

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Quote:

Frodo: “I wish it need not have happened in my time.”
Gandalf: “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times.
But that is not for them to decide.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

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Succession:

# 1: J. R. R. Tolkien – The Fellowship of the Ring
# 2: J. R. R. Tolkien – The Two Towers
# 3: J. R. R. Tolkien – The Return of the King

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I read this book for the ‘Book2Movie – Challenge’ 2012 !

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Review: The Lightning Thief

(© goodreads)

(© goodreads)

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‘The Lightning Thief‘
by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson # 1.

Synopsis:
After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There’s little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus. (Quelle: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
This book was my first audio book and on account of that it can also be possible that my opinion has shifted in some way about this book or was changed. At the beginning I thought that my‚ experiment – the first audio book‘, and that listening to someone who is reading the book, is exciting. Furthermore, it was particularly funny when the speaker tried to sound different in the dialogs with every new character which appeared.
Hence, as mentioned above I was enthusiastic at the beginning by this ‘new‘kind of going through a book. But soon this first curiosity faded and it started to annoy me for example that the speaker shifted his voice over and over again in such a childish way. Moreover, because of the listening to the book I felt much less involved in the story and in the plot, than it would have been if I had read it by myself. On top of that comes that I’ve listened to the audio book just seldom, because I am, nevertheless, rather a person who prefers listen to music while going to work or while jogging – and also while this exercises I had to concentrate too hard not to miss anything and get all that happens in the book. As a summary I can say that my first attempt with an audio book hasn’t really succeeded. I’ve expected more and would have hoped for more passion at my part, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case and now I consider and ask myself whether I should leave audio books be or if I should try at a later time with another series once again. The time will show it, but at the moment I remain with reading the books by myself.

Now to the actual story of Percy Jackson, for which I’ve also had high expectations because of the great resonance around these books and also of the other members of the book forum, where I’m part of. Unfortunately, I was also disappointed concerning the contents of this book.
Though there were no serious mistakes which startled me or disturbed me intensely, but parts of the plot or of the characters haven’t worked right for me. From the beginning, I immediately felt that it’ about a children’s book, which would haven’t disturbed me further, because I’m also a big fan of Harry Potter and these were at the beginning of the series also children’s books. But here in Percy Jackson’s case, some things in the storyline and some thoughts of Percy weren’t coherent in my opinion.
Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old boy who experiences some unnatural things, until it’s revealed to him that he is a demigod and he’s also accused of being the thief of Zeus’s lightning bolt. The next things which are happening in the story or particularly how Percy reacts on them or also the other characters, are not quite realistic and are shown too heroically, as that it fits to a young lad, even if he’s full courage and pure heart. It was simply too exaggerated and unbelievable and which let me roll my eyes from time to time.

Also I didn’t found one character in the book which was really likeable or which let me worry for them much. For example Grover was for me not an amusing companion which should lighten the mood of the story, but he rather was a little bit annoying and too afraid and Annabeth was also not a very winning over character by her constant better knowledge and self-confidence. The plot, apart from the characters, was okay but hasn’t moved me in the way other books did or it wasn’t so exciting that I couldn’t put it away. Now it’s hard for me to say where the reason for that lies. Although I really try to stay objective, I think that it’s cased partially also because of using the audio book. Parts of the storyline were really interesting and I wanted to hear more, others were sucked from the fingers to pull the plot in the length.

Unhappily, the end was also not so good either and because of that I had to decrease my review points further down. Although I was surprised at the end when I got to know who really was the traitor in the whole story, there were still two or three things in it which I didn’t like very much. The most serious point was the letter to Percy from his mother, where she described how she has got rid of her boyfriend. I don’t know how someone can write such a thing in a children’s book? In a book where it is about heroism and morality, in the end it is virtually shown how the mother of the hero used the head of Medusa on her boyfriend and his buddies to transform them into stone. Not only that she has killed people with that, she has also shown an irreparable weakness. Which good characters would rather kill their enemies or somebody else to get away from, instead of pulling themselves together and show strength and face them, without murdering someone!? Moreover, especially unbelievable was the fact that there was also written that she has sold this‚ ‘stone sculptures’ for a lot of money. At first she murdered somebody and afterwards she also got a great benefit out of their death? Wow, I think it couldn’t be worse or more mean.
I am sorry, but I think that I need a longer break now before I’ll pick up the second book in this series and when it’s so far, then I’ll read it by myself and refuse to use an audio book.

German Cover:
I don’t think it’s very gorgeous, but I also don’t belong to the preferred target group. A boy at the age will probably like it and find it exciting.

All in all:
To be honest the book hasn’t really persuaded me, on account of several factors. But in some day I certainly will give the second book a change to impress me more than this one did.

Rating:
2,5 of 5 points

Quotes:

Percy: “If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”

  Man: “How did you die?”
“We er….drowned in a bathtub.”
“All three of you?”
“It was a big bathtub.”

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Succession:

# 1: Rick Riordan – The Lightning Thief »
# 2: Rick Riordan – The Sea of Monsters
# 3: Rick Riordan – The Titan’s Curse
# 4: Rick Riordan – The Battle of the Labyrinth
# 5: Rick Riordan – The Last Olympian

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Rick Riordan:

Rick Riordan is an American author from Texas, famous for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He attended The University of Texas at Austin in 1986, where he double-majored in English and History. He also wrote The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles) and, most recently, The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus). He also wrote the Tres Navarre series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series. He also wrote book one of the 39 Clues (The Maze of Bones) and co-wrote book eleven (Vespers Rising) published by Scholastic Corporation. (Source: Goodreads.com)

Visit his Website »»

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I’ve read this book for the ‘Book2Movie – Challenge’ 2012 !

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Review: Handle With Care

(© goodreads)

(© goodreads)

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‘Handle With Care‘
by Jodi Picoult
(Zerbrechlich)

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Synopsis:
Charlotte and Sean could have been with their daughters a normal and happy family in New Hampshire, wouldn’t there be the inborn disease of her little daughter Willow, who has osteogenesis imperfecta, also called OI or glass bones disease. All their lives changes after Charlotte got the idea from an attorney that she could take her gynecologist, and also her best friend, to court and if she wins she could get enough money to guarantee a good live for Willow – the only thing she has to do is, that she has to say she would have aborted, if she would have known earlier about Willow’s illness. Although Charlotte would never have done it, the possible money in her reach for Willow’s and her family’s better future, drives Charlotte on to say this thing in the court. But such things to say are not going by unnoticed by journalists and TV Stations and also by association of handicapped people… and therefore the question ‘what if’ and the debate about abortion get out of hand… not only by the people who are tracking the trial, but also within her friendships and her own family…

First Sentence:
“Things break all the time.”

My thoughts about the book:
It’s very hard for me to write a review about this book and I already delayed it some days. The reason for it is that I’ve positive as well as negative feelings when I think about this book and the story within.
At first it was hard for me to get in the story, because it’s writing as an epistolary novel and therefore every chapter is written from different characters POV, and so it got very confusing sometimes. Furthermore it takes some time to become more interesting and that things actually happen… it’s kind of sagging beginning. Moreover I’m a YA and fantasy addict and to Picoults story and her writing style is very different to my common reading field and so nothing I’m used to read and therefore I hadn’t a fluently read. Though Picoult did a good job to let the reader feel all the sad feelings and hopelessness and all the suffering and pain… but it didn’t make the book easier or fluently to read and so it took me some time to finish this 600 pages long book and sometimes it got strenuous for me.
Another reason why I’m having a hard time to rate this book, is that I’ve also to ask myself: “What is a good book for me?”, “Should it make me smile and should it entertain me… and should it make me fall for the characters?”, “Or is a good book one that presents a sad, stirring story, in which I can also feel the pain along with the characters and in which I also feel devastated and depressive, because of all the pain they have to suffer and endure? Which wake the reader up and let them honour their own life a little more and be thankful for all we’ve got?”, “Or do I like books more which distract me from the already sad and cruel real world and guide me in a fantasy world full of wonders and colorful landscape, with a villain of their own but who can be conquered in the end and isn’t real?” I think everybody has to answer these questions before he’s able to rate this book… Like I did for me… And I have to say that I already know that there are bad, sad and cruel things out there in the world which are painful and devastating… and therefore while I’m reading a book I want to have a distraction from all of it, I want to forget about this awful things and want to enjoy my read and have a good feeling at the end and want to smile when I think back to a good book. So therefore with the book ‘Handle with care’ I didn’t make a good choice for my needing and so I can’t rate it very positive. It was a tragic and sad story with hopeless persons and a sorrowful plot in it which didn’t give me any good feeling at all. Though I know it’s important to let the people know about this illness called OI, but I think there are better ways to show them or at least to show a better ending.
I don’t know why Picoult is choosing such an ending in most of her books – is it because she wants to wake up the reader at the end or wants to shock us… but she didn’t get me with that. I finished this book I was just sad and I didn’t see any point in it… and for me is just one thing clear after reading this book – that I won’t ready any books of her again. (or maybe not for a very long time)

German Cover:
The Cover is fascinating and the best part of the whole book and it was the reason why I wanted to read it. At first I thought it shows a woman on it, but when you see closer, you agnize that it’s a little girl who braves all adversities – and that’s Willow.

All in all:
A book which lets the people share tears and let them talk about it. Though it helps to indicate of the illness OI and to help involved people, but the end is still disputable and so it’s not a book I would recommend to my friends.

Rating:
2,5  of 5 points

Quotes:
Willow: “When you love someone, you say their name different. Like it’s safe inside your mouth.”

Sean: “People always say that, when you love someone, nothing in the world matters. But that’s not true, is it? You know, and I know, that when you love someone, everything in the world matters a little bit more.”

Charlotte: “You know how sometimes, your life is so perfect you’re afraid for the next moment, because it couldn’t possibly be quite as good? That’s what it felt like.”ou..
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rights: http://www.jodipicoult.com.au

About the author – Jodi Picoult:

Picoult studied creative writing with Mary Morris at Princeton, and had two short stories published in Seventeen magazine while still a student.
She married Tim Van Leer, whom she had known at Princeton, and it was while she was pregnant with her first child that she wrote her first novel,
Songs of the Humpback Whale.
In 2003 she was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction….
She and Tim and their three children live in Hanover, New Hampshire with three Springer spaniels, two donkeys, two geese, eight ducks, five chickens, and the occasional Holstein. (Source: http://www.jodipicoult.com.au/author.html)

Visit her Website »»

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