Concursuri active

Dati click pentru a participa la concurs, pe siteul The Search For Something More.

Iar aici pentru concursul pe site-ul Carte pentru mine.

Book Review: Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (5/5 stars)

"Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future."

-summary taken from goodreads-


My Thoughts: 


Surprisingly, Cinder was a really good book. After I heard that it's a retelling of Cinderella, I though it was just another rip-off.. but it wasn't !

I really liked Cinder, and you know me, not liking heroines who do everything by themselves and all that, but I liked her. Plus, I never read a story where the main character is a Chinese cyborg. A few days before I read this book, I was talking to my dad about how easily the Chinese could buy the whole world in a blink of a minute, and reading how powerful the Chinese are even in a dystopian world, it really makes you think of what's around you.

The story was very well written, I can't wait to read more of her works. Though I wonder, could she have not written an equal great book, the same story and all that without mentioning it was a Cinderella retelling ? Because I for instance except for the big ball (and the little detail I'm not going to mention) did not feel the retelling. It was just a good story, well written.. and ok, the name's alike. But I mean it, and I plan on talking about this in a separate post.

Overall I loved this book, I devoured it in a day (or less, I think), and as soon as I was finished I searched for the release date for Scarlett. 2013.. you've got to be joking.

I'm sorry my reviews are getting shorter, I just didn't feel like talking a lot about this book.

In My Mailbox #1

So, this is my first ever In My Mailbox, I've been putting it off for almost a month, now. I can't say I got some interesting stuff but here it is:

   

Book Review: The Dust of 100 Dogs

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King (5/5 stars)

"In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with "the dust of one hundred dogs," dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body-with her memories intact.

Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica."

-summary taken from goodreads-

My Thoughts:

At first I didn't really feel myself getting into the story at all, but after the start of Emer's life, I couldn't stop. Good thing I was sick, so I finished it in almost two days.

The story starts almost plain, even though the first chapter pretty much represents one of the most dramatic parts in the whole book, I couldn't get into it that fast. I liked Emer's reincarnation, but I think a seventeenth century girl's mind in a twentieth century girl's body is just wrong. First off, Emer was way too smart for my liking and of course for the people in the 80's (I think it was) she either seemed a genius or just silly. Other than that, she was way too perfect in her mind. I hate characters that think the others are nothing compared to them, especially because maybe they went through a terrible incident and that makes then super people.

The other main character, Jake I think his name was, annoyed the hell out of me. Ok, I understand he was somehow a big part in the story, but he was just useless, and I just hate the way King wrote him. She just added a useless, super gross character to the story so she could end it "well".

Getting to that, the ending was ridiculous. At first I though I didn't have a complete copy of something, because it just ended, right there. I don't even understand why you'd actually try to build up a superb plot only to end it like that.

A lot of you may ask if I'm so repulsed by the book why am I giving it five stars. Well that's because I loved it. Even though it has huge flaws, I loved every minute of it. I guess all those flaws is what makes a excellent book, in my opinion.

Updates

Inca o postare in romana; oricum, trebuie sa-mi revin si sa ma apuc de recenzii. Poate chiar in seara asta, daca termin cartea pe care o citesc (The Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King)

In primul rand, Simona organizeaza un concurs de Dragobete; in ultima vreme m-am inscris cam pe oriunde am dat de Uratii de Scott Westerfeld, pentru ca mor sa o citesc, si m-am saturat de kindle-uri.

Am lasat-o moale rau cu cititul, si nu pot sa zic ca am avut treaba la scoala, pur si simplu imi e cateodata prea lene. In curand o sa postez primul meu "In My Mailbox". A, si inca trebuie sa-i trimit Simonei cartea, am primit deja de la ea Pretul Sangelui.

Goth and the Ghost

Iata ca cei de la Leda ne mai fac o surpriza, acum puteti precomanda Naluca si Naucul (Goth and the Ghost), si aveti 25% reducere si livrarea gratuita. Cartea apare pe 1 martie, iar pretul intreg va fi 39,90.

Precomandati aici.

Book Review: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (5/5 stars)

"Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

-summary taken from goodreads- 

My Thoughts:

I've heard about the Infernal Devices and the Mortal Instruments for a really long time before they were finally published here. At one point I was desperate because I couldn't read them (of course that was before I got myself a free kindle off Amazon and I realized I could read books in digital format as well), and then I went to a Book Fest and I saw it, and I didn't leave the place without it.

The Infernal Devices caught my attention more than the other series, mainly because it's set in a Victorian England, which is one of my favourite periods in time. I though the story was special, of course there are lots of paranormal books out there that include vampires and wizards and werewolves, but non were as good as this one. I loved the humour, especially Will's, it gave the book just that little something it needed to get to five stars.

Now, for the characters, I plan on naming the new golden trio, because that's what they remind me of. Of course, based on that I also have a theory that I could share with whoever asks, just so I won't spoil the book. Tessa, I really liked her, and for those of you who know me, you know I'm a big fan of non-perfect characters. Just like her. I like that she's not that type of heroine that just does everything by herself, that proudly defeats the evil and shares a bit of fame with her friends. No, Cassandra Clare gave every member of "the trio" a special attribute, at least that's what I think, so together they'd be probably unbeatable. I think Tessa has the tactics, Jem the logic on how to put everything in action, and Will is the fighter. I like these kind of characters, that you just want to know more about every one of them. Will's humour knocks me out every time, I couldn't turn the page without reading his lines three or four times just so I'd get a good laugh.

I think this book should be a mind opener for the writing style, the scenery, the characters, for the books that are to come, so this way we all win. I can't wait for Clockwork Prince, even though I've got it on kindle, I still want to hold it in my hand while reading, and that's good, because in my last post I've announced that it's going to be out soon. Maybe I'll get a chance to buy her other series as well, I don't know, it doesn't attract me as much, but I'll probably give it a try.