Review: Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel

Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel by Megan Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute. I didn't like the frog- it didn't really seem to have a purpose. But other than that and a few other minor annoyances I can't now remember, excellent book.

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Review: Alex As Well

Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Had Alex been sixteen, this would have been an excellent book. As it was, she was a whiny brat who somehow managed to do things it should be much more difficult (not to mention illegal) for a kid her age to do. I felt bad for her, but I felt worse for her parents. Why couldn't she see that they were right? The mom was pretty crazy (although if Alex had developed some empathy maybe she would have been all right), but the dad was a good guy whose kid was being horrible. Sure, she has identity issues- but they were trying. She made sudden, impulsive decisions and expected her parents to act like this had been normality for years. She randomly decides to go into foster care without once trying to have a proper discussion of her issues. By the end of the book she's proven herself to be a selfish jerk more times than I can count, and she never once gives a thought to anyone else's feelings.
Also, interesting way of putting it, but... we're supposed to hate the mom for losing it when the main character has MPD?
And the fourth-wall breaking was awful. Thankfully limited, but terrible.
Also, I only forgive false endings in Alcatraz. Don't do that to people. Or if you do, no more than a paragraph or two. It's difficult to trust a book once its lied to you (and I knew it was lying).

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Review: Shadows of Self

Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Let me begin this by saying that I think this would have been a full three stars had I read Alloy of Law more recently. And all the other Mistborns. And maybe Elantris.
As it is, references to the last book baffled me. Writing was sometimes awesome but usually just okay. The big plot twist had me rolling my eyes because it had been so obvious. The secondary one less so, although I'd guessed that one too.
The plot of this one didn't really interest me. Wax seemed like an arrogant jerk and Wayne was a bumbling fool with occasional and odd moments of wisdom. Hoid's brief appearance was unsatisfactory (why was he there and why didn't he involve himself more?) I didn't feel that the religious questioning added anything (as a religious person myself, I appreciate his attempt to answer those questions... but I'd rather he wrote an essay instead of cramming it into a Western fantasy book).
In general, it was just okay. I'm not hugely excited for the third, and I'm questioning the $30 I spent on this book (I bought it from a bookstore to get it signed... meeting Brandon Sanderson was worth the money). I'll keep reading the series but my love for it is wearing off.

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Review: Dune

Dune by Frank Herbert
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I don't know. For the LoTR of science fiction I expected more science. And the Fremen drove me crazy. As did a variety of other things. I think I'd best return to my policy of not reading hard sci-fi. This would have been so much better if he'd given in and written it as a fantasy book.
Excellent third-person omniscient, though. I learned a lot from that.

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Review: Crown Duel

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really good. I got really into the love thing, which I never do. Less politics and more unimportant parties than I would have liked (the ending in particular wasn't anything special; I'd have preferred the magic to stay on the sidelines), but once I got to know Mel's character it was obvious that there wouldn't be any delicate politics.

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Review: The Jewel

The Jewel by Amy Ewing
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Utterly forgettable. Something about it bugged me, but I can't remember what.

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