Book: Tangled
Series: Tangled #1
Author: Emma Chase
Review: Drew Evans has it all-great job, fabulous body, chiseled face, never-ending confidence and the ability to seduce every woman he meets. But Drew has been shut in his apartment for the last week sick. He tells us he has the flu, but we know that isn't the whole story. Katherine (call me Kate) Brooks just graduated from Wharton and wants to excel at her new job. She's engaged to her long term high school boyfriend but that doesn't stop Drew from pursuing her.
Written from Drew's perspective, this is sexy, smart, witty and best of all-FUNNY! He's an arrogant ass but he's very self aware arrogant ass. He has some great quotes, this is one is good:
"I once heard my mother tell my father that she shouldn't have to explain why she was pissed. That if he didn't already know what he'd done wrong, then he wasn't really sorry for it. What the f*** does that even mean? Newsflash, ladies. We can't read your thoughts. And frankly, I'm not entirely sure I'd want to. The female mind is a scary place to be."
I enjoy how there is actual relationship development between Kate and Drew (instead of the 'he/she's so hot I'm in love with him/her' which a lot of books fall back on). This is a minor complaint, but the niece was slightly annoying (I'm the mother of a 5 year old and the niece, who is 4, was written more like a 2/3 year old).
Overall-loved this!
Grade: 4.5/5
Book: Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Review: It's 2044 and the world economy has tanked. Wade Watts spends almost all his time in OASIS, a virtual reality game where you can go to school and go on amazing adventures. But Wade has another purpose-he is trying to find a golden egg hidden somewhere in the game by James Halliday (one of the creators of OASIS). The first person to find the egg will essentially win the lottery and when Wade finds the first clue, he finds that there are some things people are willing to literally kill for.
The virtual reality world Cline creates is absolutely fascinating. I wasn't aware that people played video games like this but my husband (a gamer) assures me people like this do exist. I could just imagine this book coming alive on the big screen. I'm not a gamer by any means nor am I a huge fan of most 80s movies (Halliday is a huge fan of 80s pop culture so there are a lot of references) so it was a little tedious at times, but the overall story arc of the book is good. One odd thing about this book is that while I loved the world Cline created, I had absolutely no emotional attachment to the main character.
Overall-fun read. If you are a gamer and/or love the 80s, you will love this.
Grade: 3/5
Book: Clean Sweep
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #1
Author: Ilona Andrews
Review: Dina Demille runs a quaint bed and breakfast in a small town in Texas. Dina is magically tied to her inn and the only guest is a retired Galactic woman who can't leave the grounds because she's a mass murder. As an innkeeper, Dina is supposed to be neutral to all things supernatural, but when dogs start being killed in her neighborhood by something sinister, she gets involved. She asks new neighbor (and werewolf) Sean Evans for his help as well.
Anyone who follows my reviews knows I'm a huge Kate Daniels fan (and The Edge series) so I was super excited to start this book, the first in a new series. I was not disappointed. The writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews excel at world building, creating likable heroines and adding humor to a story. I like Dina's unique magic and a world that has vampires, werewolves and aliens. There is so much potential for the series, I can't wait for the next book. I also like the relationship progression between Sean and Dina. Also unusual-this book contains drawings of the characters, something I've never seen before.
Really enjoyed this one!
Grade: 4/5
Book: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Review: Hazel is a teenager with terminal lung cancer, a penchant for ANTM reruns and an obsession with a book about cancer by a reclusive author. Her life changes when she meets Augustus Waters (teen who is in remission) in a cancer support group. This is a story about life, friendship and first love.
Overall, I enjoyed the book however I found myself rolling my eyes at the main characters repeatedly. They do not speak like any teens I've ever encountered. However, while the ending was predictable, the characters wormed their way into my heart by the end and I was sobbing at the conclusion.
When I was reading this I could not imagine this translating well on film because their conversations seem very "non-teen" (I know some people say they are more mature because of what they have been through, but if anything they should have been more socially awkward, especially Hazel considering she is pretty much isolated in her house and home schooled for years). However, after viewing the trailer the film looks amazing.
Overall, I liked this. If you are looking for a short book that packs an emotional punch, you might want to try this one.
Grade: 3/5
