book
Three men in a boat (to say nothing of the dog) - Jerome Jerome
Summary:
Three friends: Geroge, Harris and Jerome are fed up with their work in London. So they decide to take a break and sail accross the river Thames in a little boat. The dog will also be part of the trip. After getting ready, they’re finally ready for adventures...
Lolo’s review:
This book is kind of old (first published in 1889) and I think that the situations might have been very laughable bach then are just not any longer... You barely smile. Yet, it seemed to be good at first, I loved the beginning and found it funny. And then it was over. When the journey actually begins, many “kind of funny” situations occur: how to prepare tea on a boat, how to open a can without a can opener... It’s kind of boring. This is the famous britsh humor which isn’t for everyone. I found most situations absurd rather that comical, I guess it’s a book that didn’t age well… The descriptions of the villages and historical places are interesting, but the whole thing is just average. Too bad!
Sky chasers (1/.) Glow - Amy Kathleen Ryan
Summary:
The Empyrean is a ship heading for a new Earth. Waverly is a strong and smart teenager who lives in it. And so does Kieran, her boyfriend, and future captain of the ship. They know that in this time of need, they’ll have to give children to the human race... Their life is shaken when another ship, the New Orizon (sent few years sooner for the same goal) attacks them. During the fight, the surviving adults are stuck in a contaminated area of the Empyrean and the girls are captured under false pretext. As for the boyes, they are left to decide the fate of the Empyrean. Kieran tries to save the ship, despite Seth’s efforts to take control. But Kieran’s final objective is to find Waverly whose life has became much harder...
Review:
“Glow”’s cover is gorgeous, and its story is great. Even though it’s designed for a young audience, the originality of the book conquered me ! (I read it in a day) The story reminded me of “Gone” for the adultless part, and of “Remnants” for the wandering in space. The children’s adventures are great, with a main character who is really endearing and mature. The others are darker. We don’t really know where is the politically correct, given the circumstances of the characters’s life aboard. The author talks about sex, religion, and manipulation which are all hard subjects and mixes it all up to come up with an interesting storyline. Very dynamic. I can’t wait to read the sequel: “Spark”!
I am number four - Pittacus Lore
Summary:
While their world is being attacked and destroyed by another alien species, the last children of Loric are sent to Earth. They are being hunted down, but a spell protects them: the nine of them can only be killed in the right order. The first three have been found and muredered... Number four is next.
Review:
After I saw the movie’s preview, (and waiting to actually watch the movie) I could not NOT get this book that seemed so great. And indeed, the story is very good: a hunt, a curse, super powers... The recipe for success! But it here it is: despite some major qualities, it remains a book for teenagers which is weird sometimes given the hard reality of the characters’ lives. The style is upsetting for me, too. The present and the use of first person troubles me. But the end of this book isn’t the end of the story, since it is the first of the Lorien legacies series...
Gone - Michael Grant
Summary:
When Sam looks up in his classroom, his teacher is gone. After he found Astrid “The little genius” and his friend Quinn, the teenagers have to face the truth: all people above 15 years old have vanished from the city. The Zone, whose center is the nuclear reactor, is surrounded by a barrier that no one can cross. The town becomes a bubble cut off from the rest of the world. No more grown ups, and some weird powers seem to appear among the kids. They begin to divide into groups, and the kids from a private school become agressive... Sam has also a secret... And he realises that he’s not the only one. Pete, Astrid’s autistic younger brother has a big connection with what happened. Friendships are tested, and tensions grow. But the main worry is: what happens when you turn fifteen?
Review:
Gone is writer by Michael Grant, the husband of Katherine Applegate (writer of the great Animorphs, Everworld, Remnants). Immediate best seller, Gone is great from the beginning until the end. After a few dozens of pages, I found myself feeling close to some of the kids (which might have been hard, since I’m no longer a child!). The story is great and we are eager to learn the truth. No wonder it was a hit with the teenagers! The characters are complex, even though they seem quite smart for kids. The truth is raw: we find anorexia, cowardice, autism. It never gets boring: the first words are describing the moment where every adult went missing. One weird thing happened: the animal mutations... Where is the explanation ? (same problem in Remnants, actually). But the others explanations were great and quite logical. Now I want to know where all these powers came from ! Let’s hope the other five books of the series are as good as this one!
Pandora's star - Peter Hamilton
Summary:
The ship « Second chance » is coming back after accidentaly releasing the Primes from their galactical jail. The aliens soon begin to attack the first planets of the Commonwealth. A defensive fleet is set to face the threat. Melanie, a young journalist eager to become famous choses the IA to learn more about the Primes. But the entity isn’t sure whether it wants to get involved in a conflict between species...
Review:
In France, this is the second book of the Pandora’s star. And it is just as good as the previous one. After the Primes are set free by the Human ship, they attack the Commonwealth, and it’s a perfect chance to make us see the wonders of the author! He exploits many aspects of Humanity through several characters with very different personalities. But he also uses his unlimited imagination to describe alien civilisations, whose ways of life are explained with logic, kind of the way an antropologist would do it! The suspense begins at the very first page and sticks through the whole book. The reader is waiting for the big fight (which unfortunately happens at the very end of the book!). The substories are still very rich and numerous. The only negative aspect is that a fragmented reading of this story is impossible because of the complexity of it. The conclusion is very well writen since you cant’ help but grab the thrid book to keep on reading about Pandora’s star!
Fifty shades of Grey - Erika James
Summary:
Anastasia Steele is a student who interviews Christian Grey, CEO of a big company for her faculty’s journal. She’s immediatly impressed by this man, but it’s him who wants to see her again, nonetheless. So their relationship begins... But soon, Christian explains to her that he has a weird bond with women, and he offers her a contract : he’ll always be dominant, and define precisely her role has a submissive woman. The rules are quite hard and don’t regard exclusively their sex life. In front of this deal, Anastasia has to chose between her vertue and submitting to Christian’s deviances. Or maybe her love might change him?
Audrey’s review:
The writing is very fluid and nice, the author knows how to use striking words that send you into the story. Her style is captivating! More than the erotic games, what I liked most was the very complex relationship between the two characters. They both have to face their limits and learn how to compromise. They’re getting to know each other. Despite their differences, we feel something deep binding the two characters. My romantic soul is very fond of this! I hope that behind the erotic front, deep feelings are hidden. Anastasia could be anyone, and she has to face Christian’s complex aspects. He is kind of a beast/prince. Yet, when you expect it least, he surprises! It’s kind of a fairytale that would set place in our time. Sometimes it makes it less realistic... The other characters are good too : Kate (the fearless version of Anastasia) and Jose (the handsome best friend). As for the end of the novel, it’s both satisfying and troubling: it makes you want to grab the sequel right away!
Darkly dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
Summary:
Dexter is a blood spatter analyst at the Miami metro police. He has a girlfirends, colleagues and a sister – the daughter of his adoptive parents. But Dexter is a serial killer. Thanks to his adoptive father, who used to be a cop, Dexter learned to live – and kill – according to Harry’s code : he only murders killers. Even though Dexter, this nice sociopath doesn’t actually feel anything, he tries to fake it. And he’s quite good at it, too! That is until another serial killer strikes. Some weird resamblances appear... Has Dexter lost his mind, or is there someone else... like him?
Review:
This first book of the Dexter novels is almost exactly the same story as the season one of the TV show. The description of this psychopath is quite good! (as long as I don’t have to meet the author^^) Despite everything, Dexter is a charming character, who has some good in him (since he only kills the murderers that the police couldn’t catch). Just as it is shown in the TV show, the shadow of Harry (Dexter’s late adoptive father) is always by his side, and his character acts as a guide. Deb – Dexter’s sister – is surprisingly dependent on her brother. Dexter’s colleagues and Deb are like pawns in Dexter’s game. The story is excellent and the theme awesome ! The next books of Dexter’s story don’t follow the storyline of the series (actually it’s the other way around) which will offer us different stories ! Great: more of our favorite serial killer!
Oscar and the lady in pink - Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Summary:
Oscar is a little boy, just like every others… except that he lives in a hospital. He’s got a very agressive type of cancer that leaves him very few days before the end. His days are far from being sad though: he’s surrounded by lots of friends such as Pop corn (a young obese), Peggye Blue (lungs disease) and Bacon (severely burned). A mysterious lady dressed in pink is goind to help him through his last days, to make it last as if a lifetime. It’s through his letters to God that we find out what happens to this incredible being...
Audrey’s review:
It’s a story that could unfortunately be part of the reality, but it’s also so very wonderful that it’s hard to imagine that it could actually happen... Fortunatelly, far from being dramatic, the story of Oscar is being told in a happy way and with humor and joy. We mostly enjoyed the friendship between Oscar and the lady dressed in pink. This bond is very beautiful. Oscar is like every other boys, with that thing that’s missing: time... Which is what makes him one of a kind, a spark of life. His pseudo-relationship with Peggy Blue is so cute and makes you smile. The writing is sensational and we wonder how with so few pages, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt can share so many emotions... It’s phenomenal. This is a book that I have read, and that could read all over again, because it makes you feel so much, and it makes you want to live.
Waylander - David Gemmel
Summary:
After his family was killed, Waylander became a murderer. Responsible for the death of King Drenaï, his own people is chasing him, along with their long time enemies: the Vagrians. But when he meets Father Dardalion, Waylander is going to change and try to win back his Humanity. Helped by Danyal, a strong young woman, he’s going to try and find the king’s armor which would give the victory to the Drenaïs. His dexterity and his crossbow will be his best weapons against his enemies, while Dardalion will use the powers of the Source, against his old principles… From hatred and despise, the feelings between Waylander and Danyal will turn into love… which also means “weakness” in those times of war.
Review:
Waylander is a fantasy novel written in 1986 which grew old very nicely. The writing is fluid and can be read quite easily. The text is very well split between descriptions and dialogues. The characters avec very endearing and humans, and they evolve through the story, being forced to make compromises. The strange phenomenae that leads Dardalion’s and Waylander’s souls to meet is very interesting and original. It’s even the pivotal part of the story, because they change after that… The relationship between Danyal and Waylander is less interesting: the feelings of the woman come all of a sudden without warnings. Too bad we didn’t learn more about the Drenaïs’ warriors, and we feel sorry for their tragic fate. The fights are great and the reader is right into the action. The last part of the book explaining what happened to each character is a great idea and allows the reader to know what happens to the heroes. To sum it up: Waylander is a great novel for everyone! There were many sequels to this book…
Alpha and Omega 1 Cry wolf - Patricia Briggs
Summary:
Anna is an omega : a rare type of werewolf who has the ability to calm the members of the pack, making it stronger and more united. But Anna was part of a pack where Leo, the alpha, used her badly: sharing her in a sick manner with the members... Charles, the marrok’s son (alpha of all alphas), is going to save Anna and become a mate. Between the two of them, they’re going to find the one who’s responsible for stranges attacks and learn to trust each other.
Review:
Alpha & Omega is the new series of Patricia Briggs, who wrote “Mercy Thompson”. Unfortunately, here it doesn’t work. Briggs surely knows how to write and her style is nice, but her books lately are a lot alike and don’t offer any more suprises. Her themes are often the same and give a boring aspect to the text. It’s always about who dominates whom and who is dominated by whom, with an obvious romance... Mercy Thompson is a great series because its main character is strong and ballsy. She shouts louder than the others and yet she’s supposed to be dominated by all of them ! Here, Anna is weak, she’s a victim, and the other characters aren’t very nice... It would be nice for Briggs to get new stuff, just the way Kelley Armstrong did it !
