It's a great story- and while I won't spoil it
931232
It's a great story- and while I won't spoil it, it does neatly tie up some loose plot threads from prior books. As the books go on, it's easy to see the author's experience. Where the first book was a slightly unpolished gem, with a solid concept and fun characters, this one brings character growth to the forefront as Minerva Banks faces some of her biggest obstacles yet.

More moral greyness than expected, given prior books, but it makes sense given the nature of the "protagonist" and her maturity. Lord if I didn't want to slap Victor and Co. a few times, though. Definitely worth a read! I've bought every book so far in the series, and I can't wait for the next one in April!
3642598
You can read plenty of other reviews about the plot, so I will just include some major points.
I gave it four stars because I do think it could have been better, but it's still a great story that is entertaining.

Pros
 + Fast paced story that doesn't let up until the last chapter.
 + Interesting characters that you are never sure of their true motive.
 + Some of the technology may have been a bit off, but it was fun to read anyway!
 + Thrilling story with all the usual : money, cars, and women.

Cons
I included these for the sake of others.
They had no effect on my rating.

 - Lots of profanity some people may not like
 - Some of the technical jargon may be confusing to some

I really enjoyed Paranoia, and with it being offered for the Kindle, many more people have the oppurtunity to read something they may otherwise have passed on.
570236
And best of all: the story is not propelled by anyone acting stupidly or out of character (as is common in this genre)
1138171
I'm not going to spoil it for anyone thinking about reading this. As you can see, I gave it 5 stars so you already know it's good. Onto the next one
1333998
The animation isn't the CGI quality of today, but it's a wonderful story, and the voice acting is great! So if you haven't been too spoiled, I highly recommend this. I'm not into the 'green' movement, but I still really like this show.
2478247
The Golden Compass is a wonderful story.  It differs from many fantasy and fairy tales in that it forwards the idea that people can and should think for themselves and that those who do can be good, caring people.  The antagonist in this story are highly organized, dogmatic factions that wrongly believe they know better for the rest of world.  In their hubris these people commit great atrocities and crimes, consequently doing more harm than good.

If you consider yourself a free-thinking person that holds reason, logic, and independant thinking in high regard this is a great story as these are the qualities of the story's protagonist.
4515655
It's a great story - if you are a Civil War fan, you should read it.  Peters does not pull punches, and the hell that is war is obvious - but the violence is not gratuitous, rather instructive of what happens when people set out to kill each other.  Also instructive is the dynamic among the various protagonists (there are no "heroes"), and the commentary on the politics of the time.
3889841
Doubting Thomas has a great story, but that's not what I enjoyed about it the most.  Kat Ricker is able to create a mood that is sustained not on every page, but on every paragraph.  This is hard to do, and many authors do not take this level of craftsmanship with their work.  Yes, the story must be told, but I am always more impressed by someone who not only tells the story well, but makes me feel exactly the way they intended for me to feel during the reading.

Ricker does this.  I feel like Doubting Thomas was written to the reader, not for the author.

I recently read a slim book called The Man In The Painting by Susan Hill.  Doubting Thomas reminded of that book. Unnerving but not horrific, with effective elements of horror, the traditional spooky story, and just a plain old fun tale that makes it from A to B without feeling the need to be showy or overly literary.  The opening scenes with the visionary child are fantastic, and the rest of this small book live up to the promise of the opening pages.

I look forward to Ms. Ricker's next work with great interest.
908250
I like the main character (the teacher), and was slightly annoyed with the student: this left me eager to go back to the story to see who i liked better at any given time.  I really need a story to keep my attention or I will lose interest quickly.  This is especially true if the story is 'preachy', which this one was and perhaps is why i enjoyed it so much; it was 'preachy', but in the format of an unusual and fun story instead of an 'I told you so" sort of way.  I was able to actually listen (or read) and enjoy understanding from a new point of view without getting defensive.  I liked it very much.
3286376
I read a great deal and I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
3852025
It's a great story, I just wished it had been unabridged.
3645447
I'm not going to go into what the story is about because there are already plenty of reviews out there that do that for you. I will say that I found the story well written, very riveting, and hard to put down. I think it took me 2-3 days to finish the story, but that was because I couldn't put it down. All the while, I kept having scenes flash through my head of what the story would be like as a movie. IMO, I think that this story translates well from book to movie format (anybody out there want to take it on?). It's a great read, and leaves you (mostly) feeling good at the end. Definitely pick this book up and give it a go :-D
2610624
I've just finished the third book in the saga.  I don't usually write reviews, in fact this is a first, but I wanted to give my opinion on this.

I thought it was a great series and I'm looking forward to the next installment.  The only reason for 4 stars I'm disappointed because it isn't finished, but I guess that gives me something to look forward to.  I thought it had great characters and character development.  There are so many stories, all interwoven to give the reader multiple viewpoints which add to understanding the big picture.  And it is definitely a BIG picture.  The plot has so many twists and turns, it is intricately woven with stories of love and hate, anger and kindness, strength and vulnerability.  The characters are seen as everyday ordinary people, and yet also heroes, each in their own way.

The writing: There were some glaring typos and the occasional wording that I found pulling me out of the story, but not to the extent that it ruined the experience for me.

On the whole, I would say it's definitely worth reading if you like a story that goes on and on.  I do, which is why I enjoyed it so much.  I loved going from story to story and book to book following the same characters and stories.  It's not just a story, it's an epic, drawing the reader into it so that we empathize with the characters and cheer on our heroes. *two thumbs up*
552614
This story is told by different characters at different times. I enjoy this type of narrative. Not everyone does. The story is simple: married couple with young son have been drifting apart emotionally. Husband dies young in a car accident and wife is left to deal with her guilt and her son's grief. Dead husband has to move on.  The other-worldly aspects of this story won't appeal to everyone. I understand the need to use this device. Some of the messages were so strong that I actually made time to do some of the "work" recommended for one character. Would I recommend this book? I certainly would. It falls in the category of "can't put it down."
2854362
I won't be reviewing the story here, just the audio presentation of it. So you know where I'm coming from, let me just say that I love the story, will be buying the extended editions of the Swedish version of all three films, and think the American version of the film didn't need to be made - it was ok, but didn't add a whole lot.

On to the audio review - Simon Vance is AWESOME as a narrator. He has a solid knowledge of character development, voice, dramatic tension, and all of the other things that make a voice actor great. Since Mr. Vance was (or maybe is) a newsreader for British TV, he has a very melodious and sonorous voice that makes it pleasant to listen to for long whiles. His diction is very good and his accent isn't one that makes if difficult for an American with average exposure to British accents to understand (I still need subtitles for some of the BBC exports).

I plan on purchasing the next two audiobooks in the series both because I like the stories, and I am a fan of his work. Once I'm done with them, I may need to start looking into other authors who may use Mr. Vance to narrate their books.
1645492
I enjoyed almost every page of this great story. I would have to comment that the alternating chapters for each main character was not a technique I would recommend for many stories, but for this one, it works. Since Nate and Jake are such a match, it was interesting to discover the sometimes subtle differences in their viewpoints. I don't think I would try to do this with other couples, as it could get very tedious, but once I got used to it, it was an acceptable device for this story.  I look forward to other titles from this author.
436124
It's not Downton Abbey, but I really enjoyed it