First novel laudable effort.
925617
Style and crafting language superb.  Best when not centered on M.  Hype about erotic obsession often reads more neurotic.
1516809
This is Marshall's first work, and it is a respectable piece to enter the market on. However, it is not without it's flaws. There are a lot of reviews for this book which gush and glow, or alternately, give you a brief synopsis of what the book is about, without actually sharing any criticisms. This is not one of those reviews. This book does deserve a fair shake, however, so I've rated it four stars due to its context as a first novel.

The book begins well, it holds interest and is descriptively solid about particular facets of the world. This can be a little tedious sometimes, as there are pages where a character will begin speaking, but no dialogue will hit the page until two paragraphs later. It is thick with exposition, especially about the main character's past as a developer, which felt necessary, and quagmires in descriptions of the political system of New Metra. I am not often the sort to jump ahead, but it took all I had to finish reading about the politics. It would have been better 'shown' rather than 'told' and there were ample opportunities throughout the story to pair that knowledge with scenes and action.

Another failing I noted, and one that bothered me considerably, was the lack of description of New Metra City itself in any considerable detail. We learn it's on an island and that it has drainage issues. We learn of it's corporate region, carved from the body of a desiccated United States of America. We even get a few very good descriptions of particular places--the worst neighborhoods in town come to mind, for example. What we don't get is a clear sense of what the city looks like. There is a scene in a bar called 'Glass' which overlooks the city, but Marshall did not take the opportunity to really expound on what the city looks like from the glass walled palaces of the wealthy living hundreds of levels above the ground populace. It was a good moment for that sort of description, which it lacked, in favor of focusing on interpersonal communications between characters.

Toward the end, the book gets a good bit of action. The actual description of the action was quite good, but the scenes around the action took benefited from at best a few lines of description. It felt as if the characters, who were careful in their passage, much of it stealthy, moved far too quickly. The scenes also felt rushed from the perspective of the narrative, taking far less time and demonstrating less about the world than they could have.

It's a good book. You should read it. But keep in mind, it's an introduction of sorts. By the end, you may know what I mean when I say that Lightcap feels like a story about the background characters in a different novel. But on the bright side, they are background characters from a novel I'd like to read.

I wish Marshall the best of luck, and to bust his butt on whatever form a sequel takes. The writer has a bright future ahead.
4486578
For a first effort, this is a pretty good novel. Character development was a little shallow, but the story moved along. I hope this author keeps up the good work.
3990220
This is a first rate debut. As mentioned by another reviewer the pace is a little slow at the front end but that's because the author is taking the time to introduce us to some rich characters. Once the ball started rolling I found it hard to put the book (or, in this case, my Kindle) down. I've only been to Portland once but it was easy to visualize the physical locations. The players were all believable, I could compare most of them to people I have known. The plot was intricate and well-paced without being gimmicky. I'm definitely looking forward to more adventures with the Toussaint brothers and their friends.
2865491
In a good story I look for issues of some substance and interesting character development. In Grim Awakening I find both well done.  In a story that deals with subjects that are not well understood it was imaginative to see the way the author connected diverse things such as the Fountain of Youth and the Grim Reaper.  The characters have good depth and interesting perspectives that give pause for thought.  I began to care how they were going to get through their ordeal and how the story would conclude.  For a first novel this is impressive and I hope to see more in the future.
3234762
This is a truly remarkable first novel.  The author, Bo Caldwell, has made the city of Shanghai of the 1930's come alive, not only in he visual aspects of the city but in the ambience of the time.  The dharacter of the young girl is so well developed that it is difficult to believe that this is not autobiographical rather than fiction.  Her complex and conflicting emotions about her father are completely believable and even vicariously experienced in a sense.  The character of the mother, too, is welll developed and, like that of the daughter, very sympathetic.  My only adverse criticism is that the character of the father is not sufficiently developed to be completely convincing.
495559
I very much enjoyed reading this admirable first novel.  The authors presented a believable cast of characters moving through a poignant family situation to a satisfying ending.  Good dialogue.  I recommend this fast paced, entertaining book.
2171583
This is a first novel by author Margaret Verble, and is a great initial effort.  It's a story of the life of a young "mixed breed" girl and her family in the Native American community in Oklahoma in the years just before the Depression and is written in the spare, lean style often associated with Hemingway.  Maud's story is compelling and unsparing.  Maud is a fully developed person with all the qualities and weaknesses of a real person.
My only complaint is with the denouement, as it is a little too neat--not that the reader wasn't hoping for something like it to occur.  I won't spill the beans here;  the book is a worthy read and I don't want to spoil it by disclosing too much.
4900619
Actually, while I definitely got caught up in the hype for this first novel, it IS a worthwhile read.  The first two thirds were especially compelling before it got a bit bogged down into melodrama and over the top fantasy.  My willful suspension of disbelief was a bit taxed. But overall, I liked it.  A  solid first novel-and the literary references were a hilarious twist.
2068013
A very good first novel. When I started reading, at first I thought the characters needed a bit more fleshing out, but as I kept going, it was just the right amount for the story and the style he was using. It all came together and worked very well. All in all, a pretty good tale. I kept me turning pages, and that's the point. It was enjoyable, and I look forward to read your next endeavors. Good job, Ian. Keep it up.
181722
This is Carol Goodman's first novel and it certainly earns her a firm place in the sometimes slippery territory of the literary mystery. The mystery aspect of the book is not its strongest feature. The plot is convoluted and fairly predictable, frustratingly so in places. There is an intertwining of personalities, generations, fantasies, and Gothic unease set in a slightly down-at-heel girls' school in upstate New York. The dominant persona is the ever-present lake on the shores of which the school is built. The lake, depicted as more often frozen than not, seems to have the sinister power of attracting, retaining and preserving its victims. There is a metaphoric parallel with many of the women and girls who themselves become "lakes of a dead languages": their study for a remote and unused Latin being the ice that covers deeper psychological and sexual currents. Well, it is an interesting concept.

The redeeming feature, if indeed redemption is needed, is Goodman's exquisite use of language. Whether describing the brooding lake, narrating the emptiness of a mother's alienation from her daughter, or texturing the wonder of an ice storm, the words fit together with great precision and beauty. Like some other reviewers, I did put the book aside about two-thirds of the way through. However, I picked it up again not just to reach the increasingly forced denouement but to enjoy Goodman's exquisite prose. It is a beautiful read and while plots might be more interesting and characters more engaging, the writing here is delicate yet powerfully compelling.

I am very happy that I did complete the book and even happier that I have gone on to read more of Carol Goodman's literary output. This is her first novel and while good in itself it is reassuring to know that this was a beginning and things get better. I hope that you too enjoy this elegant introduction to Goodman.

David S-G
696523
This is the first novel for the author, who lives in Chandigarh, India, the site of action for much of the book.  It is unfortunate that he did not have better editorial assistance, because the ideas and the plot were really first rate.  But the book suffered a little from lack of editorial assistance in grammar, in the flow of the action, things that a good editor could have helped him with.  Despite that, it was very definitely worth reading, as it was a first rate effort for a new author.  The plot revolved around a young man Wilbur finding out that he had relatives, about whom he knew virtually nothing.  His grandfather, it turns out, had served the British during the Raj in India and had a close relationship with an Indian soldier, who had served under him, and who had later deserted the military after his son was killed in the massacre at Jallianwallabagh (many of you may recall the scene from the movie Gandhi, in which the soldiers moved into an enclosed square and opened fire on an unarmed mass of civilians).  Their frienship continued, and upon the grandfather quitting India in 1947, he wound up with coins belonging to the Indian gentleman, but at the last moment were inscribed with a message by a jeweler, dictated to him by a dying man, written in Punjabi, that eventually came into the possession of this young man Wilbur with the simple message to find the "rightful owner".  And thus the story begins, as he not only finds out about his relationship to his family, but also as to the ownership of the coins and the meaning of the message inscribed on the coins.  He goes to India and almost immediately meets the grandson of the Indian man with whom his grandfather was such close friends with, and they become friends almost instantly.  There is even a little bit of action involved in which they are nearly killed in an automobile accident, deliberately caused by some hired thugs trying to keep them away from a place that held some of the keys to the information that he sought.  Once I began reading it, I really couldn't stop.  It was quite an interesting book also if you have an interest in anything related to India, Sikhism, the British Raj, or historial fiction in general.
4766224
While the writing sytle/grammar initially put me off, I found myself compelled to keep reading.  I like the characters, their development, and the plot(s) twist(s).  I think this was an outstanding first novel and am looking forward to reading more. Kudos Kellen
796592
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was an excellent first novel. Of course it had its limitations and growing pains of a fledgling book, but I appreciated the new story and unusual gang of characters. There is a sideshow, vaudeville theme combined with creepy photos from history. The main character is dealing with tragedy and new found extraordinary life. Young adults, of a sort, coming of age, of a sort (oooo--mystery), while they travel across South England. These ragamuffins are actually quite endearing. The second book is even quite the improvement on the first gaining it an easy 4.5 stars.

This is not a horror story; this is not a pee-your-pants, bone-tingler; this is not for those who wish to shut the book in the freezer. Perhaps for this reason the books have been getting a mix of praise and abysmal reviews. Know what you are reading before you rate it in the trash bin. The book is about a group of teenagers. If you expected it to be anything but a tad bit creepy and chock full of odd, then shame on you.

The adventure continues on directly where the last book left off. This beginning is not made to just walk right into; you will need to read the first novel to understand the plight the children find themselves facing. As the story develops, we get to meet even more peculiar children and even a few peculiar animals, and the pacing for the whole plot is quite right. There is a deadline to this story, and we are certainly pushed along (while also getting to enjoy the scenery). The writing develops quite nicely in this sophomore novel as well as the plot. I can really feel this author getting his feet under him.

The book abruptly ends as with the first novel. The story itself is wrapped up nicely, but we are then presented with so many new questions. Excellent form of cliffhanger. I look forward to the third novel.
2170746
First things first: this is my first Peter F Hamilton novel. As such, my review probably has an element of novelty value assigned to it.

In short, the story moves along at a decent pace (with a few notable overly detailed fake science passages being a rare exception.) The plot jumps between the Newcastle investigation and St. Libra expedition with great narrative efficiency, building tension before diverting the reader to the other plot 'thread.' As such, a true page turner.

I enjoyed the way subtle hints early in the novel provided clues to the observant reader as to the denouement.
1194896
You don't often read on a book jacket that the author is serving a life sentence -- that made me almost as interested in the author as I was in the book.

This is a first novel and the winner of a competition for first private eye novels.  In many ways this book feels like an old-time hard-boiled private eye book.  But Clayton Guthrie isn't one of those barely making ends meet hard luck detectives.  He is on retainer from moneyed clients and has a reputation of being a good detective.  The odd thing is that he doesn't work alone, he has a new apprentice who is a young beautiful Puerto Rican woman.  Young pretty apprentices is apparently a regular feature because other characters often ask about his previous one.  The other odd thing is that he (or Rachel Vasquez) drives everywhere, even in Manhattan -- because few people who grow up in the city learn to drive and because it usually is faster to take the subway because of traffic.

Guthrie is hired by one of his wealthy clients to determine whether Greg Olsen killed a Columbia student who is a family member of the client.  In between and as part of the investigation, Guthrie is teaching Vasquez how to be a private eye.  The investigation takes them from Ivy League university campus and the clubs where privileged young people party to the realms of homeless people deep under the city, up and down the length and breadth of Manhattan and into the outer boroughs and beyond.

There are some idiosyncrasies in the writing that take a little getting used to.  Most of the time Guthrie is referred to as "the little detective" or something similar.  I'm thankful that Vasquez didn't get the same treatment but much of the book seems to be largely from her point of view so perhaps that is how she thought of Guthrie.  Also, later in the book one discovers where Guthrie came from and I was surprised because that didn't come through in his speech patterns.

I was fully engaged in the story for most of the book, though towards the end I thought the action got a little far fetched.  (Or maybe I just didn't really get the killer's motivation enough.) For a first novel I thought it was really very good. I hope the author will continue writing.

I was curious (not to mention as little concerned about praising this book if it turned out he was a cold-blooded intentional killer) so I looked up the circumstances behind the life sentence.  Apparently he and his brother, in their older teens, set some fires to distract from a robbery and someone died in the fire which makes it felony murder and thus the life sentence. Stupid senseless waste of lives but I felt better that the death wasn't intentional even if the action that lead to it was.
2306689
this was an excellent effort for a first novel. there were parts in the middle that got pretty dark and grimy but for 2.99 it's a good deal.