Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Mini Reviews: Pandora Hearts, Vol. 1 (Pandora Hearts #1), Stolen, Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty (Triple Shot Bettys, #1), Oh. My. Gods. (Oh. My. Gods. #1)

Title: Pandora Hearts, Vol. 1 (Pandora Hearts #1)
Author: Jun Mochizuki
Pages: 192
Publication: December 15, 2009
Publisher: Yen Press
Summary taken from goodreads: 
The air of celebration surrounding fifteen-year-old Oz Vessaliuss coming-of-age ceremony quickly turns to horror when he is condemned for a sin about which he know nothing. Thrown into the Abyss - an eternal prison from which here is no escape - Oz meets a young girl named Alice who is not what she seems. Now that the relentless cogs of fate have begun to turn, will they lead only to crushing despair for Oz, or will Alice provide him with some shred of hope?
4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

I watched the anime last year and have finally gotten around to reading the manga version. Can't decide which I like better since the anime followed the book very closely. Either way, Pandora Hearts is a great series to watch out for. There's great art, a mysterious plot, complex characters, and compelling storytelling.




Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Pages: 299
Publication: May 1, 2010
Publisher: The Chicken House
Summary taken from goodreads: 
Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty - rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar - pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. 
Stolen is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare - or die trying to fight it.
2 STARS - IT WAS OKAY

MY REVIEW: 

The summary sounded so intriguing and original. I was so excited to read it. Maybe also because I was planning on reading it when I was at the airport...although that didn't end up happening.

Anyway, I ended up not being that interested in the book. The beginning managed to capture my attention, but after that, I quickly lost interest. I had to keep on forcing myself to read a little more just to see if I really wanted to quit the book or not. By the time I realized that I didn't care for the book anymore and was tired of forcing myself to read a book when I had so many more books to choose from, I was already more than halfway done with the book, so I made myself finish it since I didn't want all of my time spent on this book to be wasted for nothing.

Don't get me wrong, Stolen wasn't poorly written or had terrible characters. In fact, the author had created real, dynamic characters that I could both understood and sympathized with and the book was written in an honest, raw style that I liked very much. However, the book just wasn't compelling enough for me, especially since I had to force myself to read the majority of the book. It just wasn't something that I'd like to read.

Even though Stolen isn't my type of book, I know that a lot of people will enjoy it. It's all in their preferences.




Title: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty (Triple Shot Bettys, #1)
Author: Jody Gehrman
Pages: 255
Publication: April 17, 2008
Publisher: Dial
Summary taken from goodreads: 
Geena can't wait to spend summer vacation with her two best girls: her friend Amber and her cousin Hero. All three are working at the Triple Shot Betty coffee shop together, but the moment Amber and Hero meet, the claws come out. They hate each other on sight. Geena's dreams of a girl-bonding summer fl y out the window, and then threaten to disappear completely when a few cute (okay, drop-dead gorgeous) guys come along to woo the Bettys. But all is not what it seems, and in a story of mistaken identities, crazy summer high jinks, and enough romance to make Shakespeare proud, Geena and her friends learn that when Bettys unite, they can take on the most powerful force in their world: a hot guy.
3.5 STARS - I LIKED IT 

MY REVIEW: 

I remember reading someone's post a while ago about how she wanted books to be more realistic citing some examples such as wanting to read about characters who were actually hungry or who had to use the bathroom and stuff like that. If I ever remember where I read that post or who wrote it, I would definitely recommend this book to her because not only does Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty depict most of the daily natures that people go through (using the bathroom, having a zit, etc.), but Jody Gehrman manages to write them in such a hilarious way that you can't help but snort out loud as you read it.

While the first half of the book was light and humorous, the second half was much more serious. Though, if anything, it was even more engaging and compelling than the first half as the climax reached its point.

I really enjoyed this book, and I think that it was very well-written, especially considering that this was the author's debut YA book. Can't wait to read the sequel!




Title: Oh. My. Gods. (Oh. My. Gods. #1)
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Pages: 264
Publication: May 1, 2008
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Summary taken from goodreads: 
A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods. 
When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uberexclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes—supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they're on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.
4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

A quick, fun read that had great, snorting-induced funny moments.

Didn't end with a cliffhanger, so I'm actually interested in what's going to happen to Phoebe in the next book.

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