Fifty years ago The Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society.
To punish the guilty, he created the Hole, a place where sinners are branded according to their sins. Sinners are forced to live a less than human existence in deplorable conditions, under the watchful eye of guards who are ready to kill anyone who steps out of line.
Now, LUST wraps around my neck like thick, blue fingers, threatening to choke the life out of me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit, and the Hole is my new home.
Constant darkness.
Brutal and savage violence.
Excruciating pain.
Every day is a fight for survival.
But I won’t let them win. I will not die in the Hole.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
I am...conflicted. In part, I liked this book but there were things so frustrating about the story! The general idea was good. I love dystopia and a society where people get branded with the seven deadly sins seems really original. However, the book could definitely use some more worldbuilding. I want to know about the world outside the Hole, how the judicial system could simply be replaced by an Inquisition in the modern times. I wanted to know more about the Hole too. This book could really use an editor. It has some major flaws, some parts of the dialogue made me roll my eyes and the characters lacked development. Also, I saw a lot of tell instead of show. Lexi was constantly crying or falling or getting herself in trouble only to be safe by Cole at the last minute. For god sake, she was so weak! And I didn't really got to see her growing as a character, because all she did was fall in insta-love and learn to fight all of a sudden. The characters were horribly flat. All of them. There was a dog in the book to provide comic relief (?). I don't know, man, this didn't feel real to me. So, I liked the concept of a world dominated by religious freaks. The Hole and this all situation reminded me of the Holocaust and that could really get me engaged with the story if only I could relate to any of the characters. This society was awful and enraging, the rebels were preparing themselves to die in order to save the rest; it had all the right ingredients to make me feel. And I did feel at some parts. I just think I could pass without the crappy romance and the crappy protagonists. I liked it, but it could be better. I can't recommend it, because there are wonderfully written dystopias out there and I would rather see everyone spending their time reading them.
Classificação:
3 out of 5 stars
Quem acompanhar as minhas críticas literárias, já deve ter-se deparado com algumas escritas na língua inglesa (e peço perdão pelos erros), a mencionar este site.
O Netgalley oferece ebooks publicados recentemente ou, na maioria dos casos, que ainda não estão no mercado. As cópias avançadas de leitura servem para conseguir críticas e divulgação, antes da obra ser publicada. Tudo o que nos pedem é que sejamos sinceros nas nossas reviews.
Este programa aceita desde bibliotecários a simples bloggers, o que significa que abrange um leque extenso de candidatos à leitura. Profissionais e não profissionais podem ter acesso a livros primeiro do que toda a gente, contando que tentem sempre fazer a crítica antes do livro ser arquivado (não dá para tornar a fazer o download e ele é removido do site), que não acumulem muitos livros sem ler e que tentem promover os títulos ao máximo.
De vez em quando, recebemos um mail que recusa este ou aquele pedido, porque estamos fora das regiões preferidas, porque o nosso perfil não agrada ao editor ou apenas porque o stock esgotou.
Já pensei em desistir uma ou duas vezes, mas acabo sempre por voltar lá. Para quem quiser inscrever-se, aconselho precaução no número de livros que pedem de uma só vez, empenho, pesquisa para saberem como aumentar as vossas chances de ser aceites e, claro, escolham títulos que parecem agradar os vossos gostos.
Sinopse:
Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
This was mind blowing.
I struggled all my life with bullying and always had (and still have) self-esteem problems. I knew people like Emma who were called "sluts", because we're raised to believe that sex positive girls are sinners. I have hated much more than I have loved and I don't know if I would ever be capable of forgiving something like this. As you can imagine, this book speaks to me on many levels.
This story was told by the bully point of view so my first instinct was to pick it up, just by the boldness of the author. I had problems at first, but once I started reading I engaged in the book and I found it really quick to read.
I felt the necessity to hate Sara because she is a bully, but instead I was pushed to her side of the story and I had to live in her world, to see things by her eyes. I didn't love her, of course, but I didn't quite hate her.
I didn't get to know Emma, but all the mean things they did to her felt very real and vivid. I can only imagine the nightmare she was living.
One thing that annoys me in TV shows and some books is that they don't seem to understand what bullying is really about. I've never heard of anyone shoved down the toilette, yet I always see it as a movie cliché about bullying. This kind of bullying, however, was believable. What I'm trying to say is that I identify with some situations and I could totally see it happen at my former highschool. It felt real and that's what made it so powerful and terrifying.
I like uncomfortable books and I think I should read them more often because they show things differently. I've read somewhere that the most frightening villain is the one you can identify with. I understood the rushing Sara felt, everytime she thought she was in control. The fact that I understood it made me sick.
I also liked Carmichael because he was in the middle of things. He wasn't one of the bullies but he wasn't exactly the hero. He was the boy who got close to the killer and he showed Sara that looks can be deceiving.
Of course I'm not trying to defend Sara, but she was definitely a character that got under my skin. It felt good to see her deal with the consequences of her actions, like a little personal revenge of mine. At the same time, seeing her regretting things and finally understanding how awful was her behavior just made the final way better.
I can understand why many people will give up on this book or not give it a try at all. And, yes, it was frustrating seeing Sara as this egocentric person that couldn't realize how mean she was. But life isn't pretty and not all criminals feel remorse.
Anyway, I'm very pleased for having the opportunity to read this book and I highly recommend it. It talks about some serious problems that happen way more often then we realize.
Classificação:
4 out of 5 stars
Sinopse:
The windswept moors of England, a grand rustic estate, and a love story of one woman caught between two men who love her powerfully—all inspired by Emily Bronte’s beloved classic, Wuthering Heights. Solsbury Hill brings the legend of Catherine and Heathcliff, and that of their mysterious creator herself, into a contemporary love story that unlocks the past.
When a surprise call from a dying aunt brings twenty-something New Yorker Eleanor Abbott to the Yorkshire moors, and the family estate she is about to inherit, she finds a world beyond anything she might have expected. Having left behind an American fiance, here Eleanor meets Meadowscarp MacLeod—a young man who challenges and changes her. Here too she encounters the presence of Bronte herself and discovers a family legacy they may share.
With winds powerful enough to carve stone and bend trees, the moors are another world where time and space work differently. Remanants of the past are just around a craggy, windswept corner. For Eleanor, this means ancestors and a devastating romantic history that bears on her own life, on the history of the novel Wuthering Heights, and on the destinies of all who live in its shadow.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
I was contacted by the publisher because I had read and reviewed Wuthering Heights recently. I was truly happy about the offering and started reading Solsbury Hill with high hopes. It promised me something similar to Wuthering Heights but, unfortunately, I think it lacked its passion.
Eleanor wasn't annoying to follow but the author gave her too much time alone and when a character is left alone, she tends to overthink about everything. I guess it wasn't the right kind of book for me.
The story is slow paced and at the beginning I just found the writing pretentious. This is not to stay that the book is bad written because it isn't, but some things don't suit books set in the modern times.
Mead was ok, but I didn't see much character development along the book. None of the characters compares to the vivid, strong characters of Emily's novel.
It's a good book but it has nothing to do with the mood set inWuthering Heights and the love story can't be compared to the haunting romance between Catherine and Heathcliff. The love triangle didn't really feel like a love triangle to me and the decision was always obvious. It was kinda predictable.
Classificação:
3 out of 5 stars
Sinopse:
When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.
Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
This is becoming an habit, unfortunately. Maybe I'm just bad at picking books, but I keep hoping something like And We Stay or Witch Finder will find its way to me. For now, this is another negative review.
I didn't like this one bit. The base idea was compelling enough, but the protagonist wasn't. I didn't like Kira, Raf was too flat and Simon was creepy. Once again, there was a love triangle and the female character couldn't make up her mind. How original.
Simon offended me at many levels. I felt uncomfortable, really. Half of the time he was just pushing Kira around like she was some kind of puppet and she didn't even try to stand for herself. Was he supposed to be the bad boy? Was I supposed to like him? Because generally I do like the bad boys, but this one was insulting and had little to no charm.
The pace was too slow, the conflict wasn't exciting. Not even the fact that there was a character from my nationality (Raf) kept me interested.
Classificação:
1 out of 5 stars.
Sinopse:
For centuries, the Furies have lived among us. Long ago they were called witches and massacred by the thousands. But they’re human just like us, except for a rare genetic mutation that they’ve hidden from the rest of the world for hundreds of years.
Now, a chance encounter with a beautiful woman named Ariel has led John Rogers into the middle of a secret war among the Furies. Ariel needs John’s help in the battle between a rebellious faction of the clan and their elders. The grand prize in this war is a chance to remake the human race.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
I didn't like it, that's it. The book didn't start bad, I was enjoying the idea of witch trials and witch hunters and all but then it shifted to modern times and it kinda ruined everything. Lets just say that John wasn't the greatest of main characters. In fact, I didn't care for him at all. He wasn't interesting and the way his relationship with Ariel started was kinda creepy. Ariel didn't convince me either, mostly because she was there just to be a love interest. If that wasn't the author's intention, then he didn't do a good job showing it. Seriously, I could continue to read if the book wasn't this long and boring. Gang fights is not my thing. This entire book is not my thing. So, after going through sixty pages of a story I didn't enjoy with main characters I didn't relate to and a love story that felt gross to me, I decided to stop. Gorgeous cover, though. Very deceiving.
Classificação:
1 out of 5 stars
Sinopse:
London. 1880. In the slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to hunting and killing witches.
Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
Pretty, pretty cover. Interesting synopsis. I liked the figures in the beginning of each chapter too (the bird, the locket, etc).
The idea behind the books was good. A secret brotherhood, Luke's power...it all drew my attention. Also, the beginning was quite great with the ritual of knife, fire and hammer.
The characters weren't greatly detailed, they didn't have much of a personality and Rosa was pretty flat, to be honest. But I liked Luke, he was ok. The most frustrating thing about this was Rosa's inaction - she was a witch who barely used her powers and let everyone abuse her.
Sebastian is a truly evil character. You couldn't like him even if you wanted; but why would you, anyway? He's controlling, possessive, abusive...There's also the mystery about his little sister and his mad mother. I would like to know more about them and I'm hoping the next book will give me some answers.
Minna was interesting and I'm also hoping to see her again. Her friendship with Luke was cute and I'm glad they didn't become a love triangle as I feared at first.
This story has a lot of animal abuse, some of it done by Sebastian and those were the most shocking parts of the book. It also deals with forced marriages and the pressure that young girls at that time suffered. Rosa supposedly has to marry in order to save her family from poverty and her father's house, which is full of memories of him.
I understand she felt bad about letting Matchenham be sold out, since it had so much meaning to her but was it really so imperative that she married to save it? Sometimes, the characters reasons didn't felt strong enough to justify their actions.
The love between Rose and Luke was too sudden. They barely knew each other and just because she was all so pretty, he didn't feel capable of killing her and considered dying himself to save her.
It was predictable and had a lot of cliches. The boy was hot and had hazel eyes (hazel eyes are becoming almost a necessity in all YA books), the girl was a damsel in distress who did nothing to save her own skin and was too weak to be consider a good protagonist. I don't mean she had to kick ass in order to be awesome or anything, but she was merely a puppet throughout the story and I still don't know anything about her - apart from her love for animals.
This sounds like I didn't like the book at all but I did, I really did! I'm just advising any future reader not to wait for lots of action and totally fleshed out characters, because you won't find them. But, it's an amusing story. I enjoyed myself reading it and, hey, cliches exist for a reason, right? They work sometimes.
This is a light reading for sure, but I felt the need of keep reading it. I liked the story, the century in which it takes place and the concept of a witch finder who can read the witches auras, as the magic floats around them. As I said before, Luke is a good character and even if it's a slow paced story, it's still a compelling romance (it's way more about romance than paranormal).
So, I'm sorry, I can't really tell you why but I liked it. It was beautifully written, it made me want to read many chapters at once and it didn't bored me at all. I know most people don't recommend it but I do.
Classificação:
4 out of 5 stars
Sinopse:
Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.
Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.
Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange of an honest review.
I didn't like it, I'm sorry. I couldn't even finish it.
Somebody told me the first thirty pages of a novel should be the most important ones because if I read thirty pages and I'm still not enjoying myself, I never will. I waited for page 40 to completely give up.
The synopsis is interesting, the cover it's not the best but I like the colors and I was really hoping for an awesome story.
First off, why does every YA book have to be written in first person? While this can be pretty amusing sometimes, at some cases it just ruins things. I didn't like the protagonist, which makes it harder to like the book. And I didn't like the narrative either; it was poorly written, in my opinion.
It had a lot of cliches in it and I honestly didn't care about any of the characters, as they were just tropes and nothing more.
Oh, and please please please let me get what I want, stop creating female protagonists who go all dumb just because a pretty boy talks to them. It's annoying and insulting for me, as a woman (this book is written by a woman afterall, so she should be more careful, I guess).
I don't have much more to say. I'm so sorry for giving up on Runes, especially because I got it through Netgalley and I don't want to sound rude. I know it's really hard to write a novel and the author must have worked very hard to do it, but I just can't bring myself to like it.
Classificação:
1 out of 5 stars
Sinopse:
When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self.
This inventive story, told in verse and in prose, paints the aftermath of tragedy as a landscape where there is good behind the bad, hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow.
Review:
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
Actually, I would give it 3.5 stars if that was possible.
I wanted to read And We Stay because the cover was gorgeous. Honestly, this is one of the prettiest covers I have ever seen! It's simple, it's not overly ornamented (that's a mistake I see A LOT, particularly, in YA and Fantasy books) and it fits the story perfectly.
This is Literary Fiction. It doesn't have much of a plot and the story is entirely character driven with a beautiful, metaphoric prose which was truly a delight. Then, it has the poems in the end of every chapter, each one of them amazingly written.
I like boarding school's novels. I was a bit afraid of it becoming just a cliché kind of novel but, well, it sure wasn't.
Don't expect to find an intriguing plot with lots of action and adventure because, as I said in the beginning, this is a book about a character, it's not plot driven and little happens. But you can certainly expect the matching of a lyrical, flowery, well constructed prose with beautiful, meaningful yet simple poems.
The pace is slow but what gets in my nerves is the fact that I don't really feel connected to Emily, at first. The POV doesn't allow me to do so. So, at times, I felt like I didn't know much about the protagonist and that maybe she was a "flat" character. It wasn't until the last chapters that I began to understand a little more about her.
Another thing that I didn't like was that the narrator kept referring to Emily as Emily Beam during the entire book...it was annoying and weird.
The relationship between Emily and Paul was simple and felt real to me (sometimes adult authors tend to complicate teenage love way more than it is), but Paul, as well as K.T., wasn't a full fleshed out character and it seems to me that I finished the book not knowing much about him.
The constant comparisons between Beam and Dickinson were a bit exaggerated like they were forcing the connection.
I end up not knowing why Paul killed himself either, but the final made me cry and it had something lovely about it. In fact, the last chapters were the best; the more I read, the more compelled about the book I felt and I was able to create empathy towards Emily in the end.
It has its flaws but I really enjoyed it and my general appreciation about this novel is pretty positive. I strongly hope I can find a Portuguese version, but even if the book isn't translated to my language, I plan to buy it.
And We Stay is not for the reader who seeks for action but I surely recommend it to everyone who finds interest in reading beautiful narrative. If you prefer internal conflicts over external conflicts, then go for it.
