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Review Date: 6/25/2006
Helpful Score: 1
This started off a little slow, but after the first couple chapters, I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down.
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 2: The Magicians of Caprona / Witch Week
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
93
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
93
Review Date: 8/14/2007
Helpful Score: 2
Diana Wynne Jones has an incredible imagination which she showcases in this sophiscated YA fantasy volume of two of her Chrestomanci books. I liked this book, but to be honest, I preferred the first volume to this one - maybe because I'm partial to Christopher Chant, and he didn't appear that much in these stories. That being said, it's still a really enjoyable and fun read with surprising twists.
Review Date: 7/24/2006
Excellent book, and very original. I couldn't put it, or it's sequel - The People of Sparks - down.
Review Date: 3/16/2006
Helpful Score: 1
I adore this book, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles in general. This is the first of the series which centers around the anti-princess Cimorene and what happens when she tries to distance herself from the stereotypical damsel. All of the characters are quite memorable, and the story itself is very clever and fun - every fairy tale cliche gets parodied in the series, so cameos are made by all the familiar archtypes from those stories. I HIGHLY recommend this.
Review Date: 4/14/2006
Helpful Score: 1
Useful guide to all sorts of DIY beauty tips and recipes organized into hair, skin, make-up, and general categories. Interesting facts appear at the top of each page, and there are interviews with celebrities and professional hair/make-up artists, fitness people, etc. interspersed throughout the book.
Review Date: 5/31/2006
I liked this book enough to hope to read the second book in the series, but it wasn't really spectacular or anything. It did keep me interested through out, and curious about some of the historical information it contains, wanting to learn more about alchemy. I did find some of the subject matter to perhaps be a bit heavy for the intended audience - the debate of whether one can practice something considered occult and at the same time be Christian, the idea of 'playing god' and creating a being from dead matter, Beelzebub, etc. Overall, it was pretty intriguing to read.
Review Date: 8/14/2007
Helpful Score: 1
This book contains four short stories - two retold fairy tales, and two original fairy tales. Each piece is excellent and unique - my particular favorite is "The Hunting of the Hind," one of McKinley's original tales.
Review Date: 8/14/2007
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely adore Francesca Lia Block - seriously, she is like a complete goddess in my eyes - that being said, this is my least favorite of her books. I'm not sure why, but something was different about it - the writing style is still beautifully poetic and her ability to make even the most ugly things in life seem dazzling is still there, but I didn't connect so much with the characters, I couldn't feel the magic. Still, for me at least, a so-so FLB book still beats many other writers at their best, so it's still worth giving a shot, especially if you want a modern interpretation of Greek myths.
Review Date: 3/16/2006
Awesome take on Cinderella. Very clever and original, with highly likable characters - I have to admit I developed a literary crush on Char! If you were turned off by the film version, you're not alone - they're basically two completely different stories, one very good and the other very bad, that happen to have a title and a couple character names in common - so give the book a chance!
Review Date: 8/8/2006
I found this book delightful, and laughed out loud at some parts.
Review Date: 8/14/2007
Helpful Score: 3
Out of the three books in this series I've read, this is probably my favorite, which is probably attributed to the introduction of characters from Arthurian legend and the female perspective absent from the first two books. Just as fast-paced and action-filled as the others, the co-mingling of Norse mythology and legends of King Arthur are intriguing, and leave me interested in what happens next in the series.
Review Date: 8/14/2007
Helpful Score: 2
This is the first two books of the Everworld series, "Search for Senna," and "Land of Loss," in one volume. It's a pretty exciting read, with the fast pace and continuous action - I couldn't put it down and finished within a couple hours. The premise of a world where ancient mythologies, such as Norse and Egyptian, co-exist is quite intriguing, and the first-person perspective changes with each book, giving fuller insight to what's happening. Though the writing is a bit simplistic, and the books are rather short and end abruptly, this only adds to the desire to read further into the series.
Review Date: 6/22/2006
Helpful Score: 4
Gail Carson Levine's Fairest will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Like Ella Enchanted, this book is based on a fairy tale - "Snow White," in this case - and the author demonstrates an uncanny ability to stay true to the original story while introducing new and unexpected elements to make it completely unique and original. Aza, the novel's heroine, is refreshingly imperfect - she's deeply self-concious due to the fact that she's considered ugly by other people, which should resonate well with girls who feel out-of-place and awkward. The antagonist, Ivi, is not the evil queen we would expect, but demonstrates a range of emotions and ability for generosity that breaks the one-dimensional villainess convention, which causes Aza to question whether or not they are really all that different. Overall, Fairest is an excellent retelling full of excitment, humor, romance, and lessons that will leave readers deeply satisfied.
Review Date: 7/17/2006
This is the first Mercedes Lackey book I've read, and now I definitely want to look into more of her work. I really enjoyed this, and found the whole concept of the Tradition interesting. I've read lots of fairy tale retellings, and this book is totally unique by comparison. Highly recommended.
Review Date: 8/14/2007
Helpful Score: 5
Quite exciting and interesting story. Left me intrigued to find out what happens in the rest of the series.
Review Date: 3/16/2006
Very cool urban fantasy with a bit of mystery/detective flavor to it. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Emma Bull's novel, War for the Oaks - still, she does this genre very well, so much so that it seems perfectly natural for the Fae and humans to openly live side by side.
Review Date: 5/31/2007
Helpful Score: 2
The anime this is based on is brilliant. Unfortunately, the randomness, humor, and frenetic energy that made me love it didn't transfer well to manga form. Perhaps the scratchy, messy, penciled-in style of the art is done purposefully in an effort to capture and emphasize the insanity of Fooly Cooly, but half the time I could barely make out what was happening - granted, that could be the whole point, but I just found it distracting. The story and dialogue didn't flow very well, making it more confusing (yes, it's possible) than the anime, and the jokes felt pretty flat, as did the characters. Overall, I was pretty disappointed by this.
Review Date: 8/14/2007
I had to read this for American Lit, and unlike most of what I had to read for that class, I actually enjoyed this! The story is great and the characters are memorable - I found myself relating to Laura in terms of shyness, and Amanda was highly amusing. It's just overall a classic.
Review Date: 8/18/2007
Helpful Score: 1
I found myself thoroughly gripped by this book - it's not at all what I expected. Ellie's desperate determination to find her brother is such a heartbreaking journey, you really feel for her along the way. The parallels between the twists Ellie's search for Danny takes and Argent's quest to find and save a baby dragon really adds to the novel's suspense. And the ending - wow. I had my suspicions, but the last scenes of the book were still absolutely shocking. With each turn of the page, I was more and more absorbed by this story - Ann Coburn is definitely an author to watch.
Review Date: 8/14/2007
It's been a while since I read this, but I remember having a hard time putting it down and the ending leaving me hoping for a sequel.
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