It had promise, but fell flat
925805
The premise of Beth's Acceptance drew me in, but the extreme amount of explicit carnality left me cold. Also, this turned out to be the start of a series, so it has a CLIFFHANGER. I don't intend to read any of the other installments.
2804781
I'd give this book 2.5 stars because I'm torn between "didn't like it" and "it was okay." The concept was good and could have taken us in intriguing directions, but it just fell flat. The author uses 3 viewpoints to tell the story, but there isn't much to the storyline beyond this one plot device. This novel desperately needed MORE... more character development, more subplots, more action, etc. The writing style was readable enough, but the story itself was just lacking for me.
1355361
I wouldn't consider this book a letdown, but mostly because it never got my hopes up very high.

There is some promising stuff here. The little touches of humor worked well, the characters didn't feel like tired old cliches dragged out of cop shows and horror films, and it got somewhat more interesting as it went on. Unfortunately, that was not near enough to make it good.

The first problem is the main character, Parker Saint. The side allusions to his televised ministry, his expressed desire to "save Jesus" from the ber-conservatives, and the "destiny" drinking game suggest that we're supposed to find him shallow, absorbed with fame, and theologically questionable, but that's all the evidence we're given. I'm not sure someone outside of evangelical Christianity would get why we're supposed to consider Parker's ministry bad. His return to a deeper faith is as flat and meaningless as it is predictable.

I give Pastor Bartels kudos for making his militant Jesuits interesting and believable, at least within the context of the book, but he never used them to their full potential. Honestly, considering how he ended their storyline, i'm confused as to why he included them at all.

His female characters felt pretty well-developed, but almost immediately after an important plot point, i was thinking about women in refrigerators. Was there any point to in what happened to her besides giving Parker angst? Why did the other female character more or less drop out of the story halfway through? Actually, that applies to almost all of the side characters - the really interesting ones drop out partway through the story.

Entering spoilery territory -- i won't give much away, but i'll definitely hint at it

There was a bit of mystery and surprise with the identity of the "Blackjack killer", but honestly i'm not convinced that the bad guy could really have been as convincing as he was. If we're going with a form of demon possession based more on Biblical record, demoniacs didn't exactly blend in with the rest of the populace. And while i'm no expert on the aspirations of demons who possess people, i find his motivation and methods both puzzling and unconvincing.

The worst part was the ending. The 'climactic' final battle between "good" and "evil" was about as dramatic as watching paint dry, and took about as long. Nothing about it was convincing. The villain was not believable or a threat, and the hero's change was as superficial as his perceived flaws. And while i appreciate that the demon-possessed bad guy didn't act like someone in a cheap horror film, if your final battle is going to be resolved with strategy and guns, why are you including demons in the first place?

The epilogue was a bloated bit of telling that was probably largely unnecessary. I can't say for sure, as by that point i was skimming just to get to the end of the darn book.

Playing Saint avoids many of the problems Christian fiction is accused of having, such as the cheesy conversion scene or an abundance of cliched characters. Unfortunately, in my opinion they were not replaced with substance or quality.
4144892
The time travel idea within the restored 1909 house was an interesting hook, and connecting it to (spoiler alert!) a real-life train wreck was an excellent premise for a novel, but this book didn't really do it justice.  The whole thing seemed like a nice first draft, but certainly not a well-developed, polished novel.  The character development was weak, the plot lines meandered about, symbols were left dangling and unsupported, and loose ends were not resolved.  Georgie?  Mrs. C?  Father Gabriel?  And how did the newspaper headlines fit the chapters?  This book could have/should have been much better.  A few strong sessions in a writers' seminar or with a competent editor would have certainly helped guide this effort to a more satisfying result.
2910688
This book had potential, but got lost along the way. I felt like the story was developing and then it turned course and the author tried to tidy up in the last few chapters. It just had a very hollow feeling.
1397741
It was poorly written. An interesting concept, but it fell flat. Characters had no depth and dialogue was unrealistic
2660738
In his fourth novel, Nick Hornby tackles a very weighty subject; writing a book about suicide ultimately means writing a book about the value of life. In this sense, "A Long Way Down" starts off with promise, but ultimately ends up feeling rather empty.

The book begins on New Year's Eve, when four very different people meet on a London rooftop, each planning to commit suicide. Instead of going through with their plans, however, they form an unlikely support group of sorts. "A Long Way Down" follows these four characters as they deal with the reasons behind their suicide attempts as well as the new bonds they form with one another.

The narrative passes between the four main characters, with each relating a consecutive chapter in their story. By designing the narrative in this way, Hornby deals with the difficulties of having four main characters quite well; I felt an intimate attachment to all four without the plot losing a sense of urgency. Indeed, the narrative style is one of the high points of the book.

Overall, though "A Long Way Down" gets off to a great start, at some point it loses its ability to inspire sympathy in the reader. The main failure of "A Long Way Down" is the same as in every other Hornby book: the ending just cannot live up to the first three-quarters of the book. Hornby sets up a story that is both innovative and engaging, and addresses perhaps the most interesting questions of his writing career; everything falls flat, however, when he attempts to bring it all together.

Hornby creates characters that the reader can both understand and identify with; the reasons each character attempts suicide are communicated honestly and with heart, and the characters always seem more than their suicidal tendencies. However, at some point, I began to feel disconnected with the characters; they lost their realness, and seemed to evaporate before my eyes. I know what each character ultimately chooses, but I have no idea why; I can guess, but a large effort is necessary to pin these characters back down and flesh them out again. I cannot say exactly whether this is because Hornby's answers are too trite or too glib; either way, his answers failed to inspire reflection in me.

In short, "A Long Way Down" is a very entertaining book, but entertainment is ultimately all it has to offer: don't read it expecting insight.
4112150
The book started out with a lot of promise; but I don't feel like it delivered.  Most of the suggestions apply to any grieving situation and are not specific to adult siblings.  Many suggestions seemed trite and childish (not child-like, which can be charming, but childish), not well thought out - - like suggestions you might find on an on-line calendar, or one of those old fashioned daily paper calendars that people used to keep on their desks, turning a page every day to read a new tidbit.  In my opinion, this book just wasn't meaty or substantial enough for the subject matter.  I'm glad for other reviewers whose hearts were lightened by this book; but for my part, this book just didn't cut it.  Because other reviewers seem to like it, I'm donating it to the local library with hope that it will help someone else.
1510620
I was really excited to read this book. My sister had loved it, and it sounded like a quick, entertaining read. However, it seemed to fall flat for me, with uninspiring characters, debatable dialogue and average action scenes.

The book's first half was slow moving, but filled with descriptions of Lorien and the back story of how and why the Mogadorians took over. The imagery was strong and I enjoyed reading about the beauty of Lorien in its prime. There were also many references about the dangers of staying in one place too long, and a lot of emphasis put on Number Four not drawing unwanted attention to himself.

Of course, things don't go to plan and John soon agitates the head football captain, falls in love with said football captain's ex-girlfriend and displays his powers carelessly. His guardian Henri wants to move, but John refuses and forces Henri to stay. I found this quite unrealistic, as at the first hint of danger in the past, they had moved, whereas now when there was more than a hint of danger, John was willing to stay, for little more reason than a crush. I understand that he just wanted to have a normal life, but frankly, when the fate of a planet rests on the shoulders of you and five other teenagers, a normal life is just something that has to be sacrificed. John was selfish, and he paid the price for it later in the book.

The character development left a lot to the imagination. John's girlfriend, Sarah, especially fell flat for me. She was portrayed as kind and sweet, and wasn't at all fazed when John revealed his secret to her. I can't recall one flaw of hers that was mentioned, so she was not relatable at all, and I quickly grew tired of her. The same could be said about all the side characters - the guardian/teacher who acted more like a father, the stereotypical jock who's maybe not as bad as he seems and the outcast who is the only one that befriends John.

This is a book for people who prefer plot over character development. Plenty happens and there are some fun action scenes, but overall it didn't quite come together. I know that many will probably enjoy this book, and with the movie being released shortly, its popularity will see a rise in coming months. It just wasn't the book for me.
374380
I wanted to like this, I really did, but it just came off a little flat to me. A little too predictable, I guess. I loved the first story, with the origins of Caesar, etc... but this one just kind of plodded along with everything going pretty much the way I expected. I mean, we know the end of the story. Eventually the Apes rule the world, and mankind is wiped out... and maybe that's the problem.
362180
This book has been hyped up quite a bit for the past few months, promising beautiful prose, a dramatic, heart-wrenching take on family life, and a twist youd never see coming.

Yeah, no.

Like most super-hyped books, it didn't quite live up to its reputation for me. Not that it was a bad book, per say, but I felt it lacked the level of emotional impact promised.

Lets start with the style this time. I will admit that I found the Lockharts style fairly fresh, with its occasional verse-style lines and somewhat whimsical tone and tendency to blend events together in ways that were more about the overall message than maintaining a straightforward, entirely coherent story. Its an interesting way to tackle a novel that revolves around extreme emotional trauma and family issues, and I think, on many levels, Lockharts tone, mixed with Cadences thoughts about her family and the world, were spot on. So, in terms of style, I didn't take an issue with the book. I think the author captured Cadences traumatized mindset through a fairly unique voice.

That being said, I took issue with the plot of the book. I figured out the twist quite early on, and that made the rest of the book, quite frankly, a chore to read because the book as a whole relies so heavily on that twist. The entire novel is basically a lead up to that single twist, and outside of it, the plot doesnt hold up very well  once the mystery is solved, the story ceases to be compelling because you already have the answer to the lingering question that is repeated so frequently throughout.

That is the danger of having a storyline that rests its effectiveness on a single major event. If the book gives away even one too many hints as to the answer before you get close to the actual reveal, the tension in the story justsputters out. Thats what happened for me when I read this, and I think it happened because the story, unfortunately, stepped over that careful line of balance between two much foreshadowing and just enough to keep the reader interested in the mystery.

To compound that problem, I wasn't very impressed with the twist. Unlike Lockharts writing style, the novels twist wasn't that fresh or exciting. Its a trope Ive seen used before, in books, movies, TV shows. When I figured it out, I was fairly disappointed  I was honestly hoping that the book would live up to its reputation in this respect. That I would actually be shocked at the turn of events. That the ending would blow my mind. However, in reality, the ending came off kind of meh.

Finally, I wasn't super impressed with the characters in this one. I did enjoy Cadences character because her mindset and personality were explored in the first person, but because the other characters had so little screen time overall and because their actions and personalities were so heavily blanketed by Cadences opinions of them  we don't really get to learn about them through their own actions  they fell pretty flat for me for the entire story. As a result, the storys twist lacked the promised emotional impact, and, again, let me down.

Now, this book wasn't bad, per say, but, as happens with all hyped-up books, I felt a lot more disappointed in it than I would have if I had gone in with no preconceived notions. Its reputation promised quite a lot, but, in the end, We Were Liars falls firmly into the average book category for me. A fine story, for sure, but nothing that really stands out from the crowd.
1483096
I have read the first book in this series and I wanted to like it, but couldn't. It held so much promise but it fell flat. This is the second book in the series and it started off quite well. The two leads were likable but both a bit lost. Mackenzie is the characters who finds her direction in life -  in the desert of Australia, working as an nurse in the hospital of a mining town. Nathan, the male lead remains lost throughout the novel. At no pint did he have any real, tangible goals.

My favourite part of the novel was in the desert. The author painted the scenes there so beautifully, I felt I was there. Unfortunately, once the story left the mining town area, it fell flat.  With two changes of location after that, I was lost and the whole thing felt choppy and rushed. I actually thought we had reached the happily ever after point in the story at the 80% mark. Sadly the last 20% felt tacked on, especially the complication between Mackenzie and Nathan at the very end. With so little time before the end of the book I didn't understand why that problem had to even occur.

Again, I wanted to like this book. With a promising start and what is clearly a talent for the written word, I was sad to see the book simply fall apart after the halfway mark.  When the story doesn't work well, no matter how good the writing is, it makes a novel hard to finish it- let alone enjoy it.
1719431
The premise of Mantchev's Ticker was intriguing, but fell short in execution. Not quite a Steampunk Frankenstein, but it borrowed some of those ideas, including the mad scientists and a thematic debate about improving humanity and threw in some Victorian Spiritualism and gadgets.

What was good - fast paced, light, interesting heroine, some cool 'steampunk' concepts.

Penny was, for the most part, a good heroine facing both internal and external jeopardy. She was independent and somewhat reckless, which made for both humor and some tension. The others were more or less distinct, but verged on types rather than full-fledged characters. I felt more could have been done with at least three of the major players.

If you don't think too hard, it made for a quick, light read. I often let the details of the world slide by and while there were predictable moments, the pacing kept me from dwelling on them.

The idea of the 'clockwork' heart was the most interesting, and for the most part, was well played through the novel.

What didn't work - the world overall, the romance, predictable twists.

I tend to be patient when reading books where a new world is being presented, because I recognize that takes time. There are two things that will annoy me in a new world - an info dump early on trying to explain every aspect of the world, and when an author just expects us to accept everything with little or no explanation. Mantchev is guilty of the later. There were too many gadgets tossed in without explanation and at times I felt like I was in the second book of a series where I'd missed important details because I skipped the first.

The romance between Penny and another key character fell flat. It is a bad trope for the independent heroine to fall for a male character with little ceremony because they happen to face danger together. Worse when it happens during that danger.

Finally, I found the 'twists' predictable. While not a fatal flaw, the book could have been better, relying on not just the external events but based on Penny's reckless nature and the flaw of her 'clockwork' heart.
497800
So, maybe I had unrealistic expectations.  Sadly, this story just didn't live up to those expectations.  A retelling of Tale of Two Cities, the premise is outstanding.  And usually, I would say not many authors can do it better than Brennan.  However, this just missed the mark.  Had a rough time maintaining my interest, even though it's dark and atmospheric, almost always a winner for me.  Later on, the story got a bit better.  Sadly, the characters never did.  Flat and unaffecting, I just couldn't feel much of anything for them.  A great idea with less than great follow through.  Oh well, maybe next time.
2838487
This was my first novel by Ruth Logan Herne, and I have to confess it didn't do much for me.  The opening scene was great and led me to expect that the rest of the book would be of the same calibre (and if youve read the first scene, theres no pun intended here!) but it quickly fizzled away into ho-hum.

The biggest disappointment for me was that we never got to see Colt and Angelina spending time getting to know one another.  Yes, they had scenes together, and they thought about or noticed each other a lot, but there was nothing in any of this that developed or deepened a friendship between them.  Without that emotional attachment to one another, their romantic interactions felt like out of place clich&eacute;s; a bit over-the-top and even cheesy at times.  As far as romances go, this was of the sweet variety, but it definitely had an artificial flavour about it.

The conflict in the romance wasn't very compelling either, being expressed mainly in the characters heads (for example, reminding themselves not to form an attachment to the other, despite their attraction) and often arising from their lack of communication with each other.  Despite Colts oft-repeated assertions (to himself) that he would return to New York, I never really believed he would.  In fact, beyond the first scene, I had trouble believing that he had ever been that person at all.  Obviously he had the financial knowledge, but in terms of his character, I think it would have been more convincing if we had seen that character gradually transform into the person he was by the end of the novel.  Instead, I felt as though he had merely been paying lip-service (or thought-service) to the character he was supposed to have been.

Beyond this, the writing itself involved a lot more telling than showing, and the author didn't seem to trust the reader to understand things unless they were explained to them (sometimes quite thoroughly).  I don't need to know a characters backstory straight away, nor do I want them to continually interpret another characters actions or the subtext in a conversation.  If the writing is showing, I can see it for myself.

All up, there was the potential here for a good story, but it fell flat for me.  Nicks story will be next in the series, and as much of the ground work for his situation is laid in this novel I may still read it so that I can see how things resolve for him.  Otherwise, Im not particularly inspired to continue with the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel through Blogging for Books.  This has not influenced the content of my review.
472939
I didn't have the highest of expectations going into this one, primarily because I picked it up on a whim trying to pass time before heading into another read, but from what little expectations I did have it fell flat. It was a short and quick read, but as far as I'm concerned it only ever scratched the surface of its own potential, skirting over parts that could've taken the story to a greater level.
4485768
The book's premise drew me in, but as far as I'm concerned it didn't deliver. The characters are fairly one-dimensional, the plot is heavy on tell and light on show--in fact, there seems to be a couple hundred pages missing out of the middle that would have turned this from summary+sex to something that was truly suspenseful.