Review: Double Identity

Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Meh. Even as a kid's book, very very meh.

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Review: Drowning Instinct

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It has its problems, but it gets the elusive four stars for the following reasons:
I really, really enjoyed it.
The ending drove me crazy but was actually sort of brilliant. I'm still thinking, trying to find clues and untangle what happened.
It was honestly really well done. I can't blame Jenna because I couldn't help but fall in love with Mr. Anderson too.
I finished it desperately wanting a sequel even though I know there could never be a good one.

My main problems were:
Occasional passages made no sense, but considering how it's being told I can forgive that (and some odd tenses).
Her parents never really made any sense to me. The father more so than the mother- I honestly just don't get it. I wish we knew more about them and whether Jenna's skewing what's really going on.
Danielle was frustrating. I wouldn't be surprised if the author wanted to leave room for a book for her.

Overall, very well done. I don't know if I can recommend it, but I liked it more than I've liked a book in a long time.

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Review: The House on the Gulf

The House on the Gulf by Margaret Peterson Haddix
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Simple and cute.

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Review: Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Dull and predictable. The ending was also weird- did they solve all their problems off-screen?
For an assassination book, there's not much assassinating and a good deal too much kissing. This would also have been a much stronger book had the author not shied away from the seduction aspect.
The villain is incredibly obvious. The plot in general bored me.
Ismae is honestly disturbing. She's just fine killing people until it affects her own emotions. It's hypocritical and does not make me believe that she truly is devoted to her god, as she of course later decides that doing whatever she wants is the best way to serve him. Her faith was really the part I respected about her most- at times she really did seem willing to serve her god regardless of the emotional rifts it might create, but in the end she chooses her own selfish desires.
In general, disappointing.

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Review: Thirteenth Child

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Patricia C. Wrede is a very good author. I spent the entire book admiring her technique. Something about her books just never quite does it for me, though, and this one was no exception.

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Review: Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot

Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Absolutely delightful. The ending wasn't perfect, and it dragged a little, or it would have gotten the elusive fourth star.

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Review: The Impostor Queen

The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Utterly predictable, forgettable, and mediocre. Precisely what YA should be.

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Review: The Last Star

The Last Star by Rick Yancey
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, this didn't even end with an eh. It just got bad. That book was a serious mess.

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Review: The Autumn Republic

The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I enjoyed it, which I didn't the second, and I found myself caring what happened again. That's why two stars, because I can't really pretend it was more than okay. McClellan's world feels lazy to me- differences between it and our own are too hard to find for a fantasy novel. Plants, animals (with the exception of a cave lion, but it's never been clear to me if those actually exist), people, technology, seasons- it's all the same. His plot is too neat and tidy, and yet there are still too many loose ends for my taste. He's created an excellent final thesis for Brandon Sanderson's class, but as a published fantasy series there's something lacking.

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Review: Splintered

Splintered by A.G. Howard
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Ugh. I assume everyone else has already complained adequately.

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