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Review Date: 8/8/2006
Great humor and good pacing of the plot - different things happen; it's not like the same exact thing is said over and over again.
Review Date: 2/17/2007
Helpful Score: 4
One of my favorite books; it was sad and disturbing to read about how Adeline's stepmother treats her (and that her father allows it!), but it is inspiring and very interesting to read how Adeline survives and gets through a difficult time. I loved the part where she was talking about how she loved and kept re-reading the book The Little Princess.
Review Date: 3/30/2007
I really liked the way relationships were described and unfolded in this book in addition to the story/mystery/suspense.
Review Date: 2/17/2007
Helpful Score: 8
Much better than I thought it would be - I thought it would be a fluffy little light read, but there was a lot more to it than that - characters were well-drawn and interesting, lots of action and tidbits about animals.
Review Date: 3/16/2012
I love the Monstrumologist series. This second in the trilogy (yes, read the first one first) continues the adventures of Dr. Warthrop and his trusty 12-year-old assistant, William Henry. This time, they're off into the wilderness to rescue an old school friend and fellow monstrumologist of Pellinor Warthrop's who has gone missing. Mentor to both the Dr. Warthrop and his friend, John, Dr. von Helrung warns the mythical Wendigo has devoured John and as such, what was once John must be destroyed. The writing is crisp, sparkling, magical in its ability to hold you captive and make you think. Is there such a thing as a Wendigo? Or is a man, minus his humanity and sanity, a kind of monster masquerading as a Wendigo? Brilliant, fast-paced, and missing nothing (warning: there is graphic gore and violence), this book is a perfect blend of action, education (life, love and other things), relationships and the great unknown. I loved it.
Review Date: 7/31/2008
Helpful Score: 3
What drew me to this book was its premise ("good" alien with special powers/intelligence hunting down the "Most Wanted" of the alien world - those villains who have nothing but violence, death and destruction on their minds), and although I didn't think the book as a whole was stellar, I still feel the idea is interesting enough; I just feel it wasn't developed much. The plot felt shallow and a bit TOO comedic, and I just didn't find myself able to get involved in the book much. I guessed long before it was revealed what was going to happen, which isn't always bad - but it is if the characters are weak (think of the roughest Disney character pencil sketchings, where they are only outlines, without any color or sometimes without noses or facial expressions - these characters are like that). I think these characters could be developed into very enjoyable/likable/interesting people. There are hints at who they are (there is one point in the story where Daniel is telling his sister a rather painful fact, and this telling and reactions from his family made me FEEL something, which is what I wanted to do more of), which I cheered and hunted hard to find but was not very successful. On a positive note, I found the way Daniel "gets into" Seth's head (#6 on the Most Wanted List) to be very clever; the book is not completely without imagination ... it was just a bit too sketchy (malnourished) for my taste.
Review Date: 9/29/2006
Didn't really care for it, but someone else might really enjoy it.
Review Date: 12/3/2006
Worth reading.
Review Date: 2/20/2007
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting (if you like to write or are interested in writing/the process there's an extra intrigue) and kept my attention throughout, but I didn't really think it was "scary" as it says on the book (comments). One one level there's the mystery of the casino robbery and what happens to a missing woman. On the other level, there's a man in Ivy's prison writing class who fascinates her with his stories... Much more to the story, of course, but there's the idea. I guessed part of the outcome before the end, but it didn't really bother me because there's plenty to wonder about here. Great ending.
Review Date: 10/18/2006
OK, but I enjoyed "Morrie" and "Heaven" much more.
Review Date: 2/10/2007
First paragraph of inside jacket: (Pat Williams and Jerry B. Jenkins) As the young, brash general manager of a Phillies farm club, Pat Williams led a life that was one tough challenge after another. He would use just about any spectacular gimmick to sell another ticket to a ballgame, including hiring a skydiver to parachute into the stadium. But the taste of success was flat and stale until Williams met his toughest challenge - a personal confrontation with Christ.
Review Date: 7/1/2008
Helpful Score: 1
Really enjoyed this book. Dream-givers begin and end the book, and they're interesting and their "job" fascinating and fun to learn about. The people who benefit from the dream-givers are well-drawn - not all good, not all bad. As a matter of fact, the blend of real-life horrors with hope and compassion felt just-right (not too much horror, not unbelievably sweet). Each character has a challenge and each dream-giver helps with the characters' challenges as well as the bumps in the dream-givers' road. The Sinisteeds (nightmare-bringers) seem to be just a pothole - they don't take over the show, which is nice.
Review Date: 9/5/2006
Really loved it - King is an amazing storyteller, giving the mystery and the characters depth and life. Haven't read a book of hers yet that I haven't enjoyed.
Review Date: 9/7/2006
From the back cover:
Group 6 knew they were special but they didn't know why...Coldbrook Country was the perfect boarding school: expensive, innovative, discreet. So when five entering students were told to hike to a rough campsite deep in the woods as part of orientation, they didn't think to ask questions. It was strange that their leader and advisor, Nat Rittenhouse, was so young. And why had he been so careful to cover their tracks? It wasn't until the next morning that Marigold, Ludi, Sara, Coke and Sully learned the impossible truth: Nat had been hired by the Coldbrook Country School to make sure Group 6 never came out of the woods alive. And their own parents were paying the bill.
Group 6 knew they were special but they didn't know why...Coldbrook Country was the perfect boarding school: expensive, innovative, discreet. So when five entering students were told to hike to a rough campsite deep in the woods as part of orientation, they didn't think to ask questions. It was strange that their leader and advisor, Nat Rittenhouse, was so young. And why had he been so careful to cover their tracks? It wasn't until the next morning that Marigold, Ludi, Sara, Coke and Sully learned the impossible truth: Nat had been hired by the Coldbrook Country School to make sure Group 6 never came out of the woods alive. And their own parents were paying the bill.
Review Date: 11/10/2006
Helpful Score: 1
I love Dekker's books, but this one wasn't one of my favorites.
Review Date: 12/8/2020
Very readable, and interesting. Are emotions inborn (classical belief), or are they constructed (are you an architect of your experiences)? What does prediction have to do with emotion (and what happens if your body tries to correct the prediction but your brain either won't listen or doesn't get the message)? What's a body budget, and what does it, and perception, mean in relation to building emotions?
What do emotions have to do with the law (loved this chapter)? Do animals (apes, chimps, dogs, rats guinea pigs, flies) experience emotion? Why or why not (and how)? The questions Barrett poses are as fascinating as the experiments and answers (or possibilities ... uncerainty is good; variation is also good). Barrett uses some easy-to-understand examples to help the reader relate to new ideas, and that helped me as I was reading- to stay interested, but also to understand more than I otherwise might have.
As compelling (and at times, fun) as the reading was, I had to go slow - I found some of the vocabulary and ideas sometimes just a bit out of my reach, but other times despite the terminology or concepts, my recovering brain latched onto an idea that made sense. An enjoyable - and refreshingly different, thoughtful kind of reading experience.
What do emotions have to do with the law (loved this chapter)? Do animals (apes, chimps, dogs, rats guinea pigs, flies) experience emotion? Why or why not (and how)? The questions Barrett poses are as fascinating as the experiments and answers (or possibilities ... uncerainty is good; variation is also good). Barrett uses some easy-to-understand examples to help the reader relate to new ideas, and that helped me as I was reading- to stay interested, but also to understand more than I otherwise might have.
As compelling (and at times, fun) as the reading was, I had to go slow - I found some of the vocabulary and ideas sometimes just a bit out of my reach, but other times despite the terminology or concepts, my recovering brain latched onto an idea that made sense. An enjoyable - and refreshingly different, thoughtful kind of reading experience.
Review Date: 6/29/2006
Plot is as great as the romance - draws and keeps your attention!
Review Date: 9/24/2006
I'm 35 years old and still found this book fun, interesting, engaging all the way through. There's some interesting strategy going on and the "cherubs" are human (not at all "perfect," which I liked because it made it easy to relate to them) and well-detailed. I started with this book because the first in the series wasn't available - and didn't feel I was missing out (there were a few references to earlier books but it didn't take away from this story), though I'll definitely go back and read the others in the series!
Review Date: 2/19/2007
Really, really good book - George's life is very interesting; the kind of person he is is even more interesting. I enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes and his attitude about life is inspiring ... doesn't mean he never made any mistakes, but he learned from them and went on, instead of worrying about everything.
Review Date: 2/5/2007
Helpful Score: 5
Very clever! I haven't read anything this entertaining about Greek mythology in a very long time - if ever. The characters are well-detailed and interesting, and the action is fresh and flowing.
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