"constant reader" disappointed
355480
For me to rate a Stephen King book so low is difficult, bordering on physically painful.  SK books are literally one of the reasons that I read as much as I do.  I've always enjoyed not only his storytelling, but how he told a story.  My wife once asked me why I thought I should read one of the books I'd recommended for her because she doesn't get into that scary, horror genre.  I told her that no matter how good or bad the plot/subplot and overall story is, the quality of the writing, how the language is used, is also a very important component to the reading experience.  Therefore, I thought that she'd enjoy his writing style regardless of the story.  Well, good thing I didn't recommend THIS book.  While King's writing was still above average in Dome, it seemed tedious at times, something I've NEVER thought when reading his books, even those that my interest waned at times like Lisey's Story and Hearts in Atlantis.  I don't know the source of this feeling of tedium, probably a combination of a number of things, overall length, out of his character thinly veiled political commentary and a more inconsistent character development than we're used to.  I got the feeling that he was using the story to carry a message instead of having the message flowing from the story naturally.

The length of this book (I read on my kindle, thank goodness) requires somebody like me that can only find a few minutes here or there, a considerable investment of my reading time.  I felt cheated in my investment (of time) for the first time ever during and after reading King.  I'm sure I'll continue to be a constant reader, as I'll hope for those moments that give me chills or when I simply have to stop reading and say, WOW such as at the end of Talisman, through portions of the Stand and Gunslinger series and even more recently but not as profoundly in recent works such as Duma and Long Walk.

Here's one constant reader hoping for that old magic to return to his writing. . .
4731279
Since I received the book as a Christmas gift, I really wanted to love it-- and with all the awards, I had high expectations.  I was even excited by its length, since I read quickly and like a good, dense book to last a while.  Instead, the writing is inconsistent:  sometimes passable, more often dull.  I find my mind wandering as I read, and forget what she's talking about.  When I pay close attention, I notice that the characters are flat and predictable, the plot improbable.  Is the emperor actually naked?  Will I ever get to the last page?
3316405
Without reading other reviews, I can see that mine is a minority voice.  I apparently dislike time-travel books--this is only the third I've  happened upon, quite unwittingly.  I am unengaged, as a reader, by the time-travel writer's ploy.  The constant interruption of one tale by a remotely connected second plot is a strong irritant to me--not at all intriguing or enticing.  Why not write a good historical work of fiction instead?  Furthermore, I never understood the point of this particular story.  Is it that one can't change the past?  That people are the same in every era?  I forced myself to complete the Audible edition, well-read, and I suppose written well enough.  I was a reluctant reader throughout.  I learned nothing at all except that I shouldn't have spent time on the book just because I had purchased it!  There are so many better ones available.
2982099
When this book became available as a no-wait audio book at my library, I got it because I was looking for something to read/listen.  It is so monotonous, and like other reviewers mentioned, I understand that it's the set up for what comes later.  But it took so darn long to get past it that I gave up and found something else to read.  Well, because of the glowing Amazon reviews and the fact they listed it as one of the best books of the month, my book club, much to my horror and dismay, selected as our next read.  So, I dutifully got the book on CD (because I knew I would not have the patience to read it and finished the whole thing.  It builds up half way through, but it takes sooooooo long to get moving, even after that.  And the ending is absolutely blah . No one character seems to learn from the experience - they just repeat the cycle and/or run away. Again. Spoiled little brats get away in situations that some accountability should be expected for a good thought out conclusion.  I'm all for helping a friend in a tight spot, but really, if I'm driving said friend to a place where the friend does not want to use her name but gives them mine instead, I'd put on the breaks and come up with a different name altogether.  How hard is that?  Just very disappointing.
4129630
As an avid reader, it pains me to come across a book other readers hold in high esteem and feel that it falls short.  Dystopians are usually my favorite reads, and thus it usually takes me the least amount of time to read them.  It has been years, and I cannot bring myself to finish it.

Simply put,  Swipe did not live up to the expectations I had for it.  It is written for middle-grade readers, so I expected a simpler writing style and plot line.  What I did not expect was the extreme boredom I would feel as the protagonist was thrust from one impossible scenario to the next with little time to breathe between overcoming obstacles.  It isn't that I disapprove of the actionI love a good thrill as much as the next reader.  What was frustrating for me was that so much happened without much description or detail that it was difficult for me to connect with the characters and insert myself into the story.

I know the overall idea behind the story has great potential, and perhaps I went into the book with the wrong expectations.  If a middle-grade reader picked up this book, perhaps they wouldnt notice the flaws I found with my own reading experience.  However, I don't think the book would attract the attention of a struggling reader, or of an individual who does not passionately enjoy reading young (young!) adult sci-fi.

Needless to say, I will not be seeking out the next book in the series.

**I received this book through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions expressed here are my own.
1451251
This book is taking me forever to read.  I am almost done and have been tempted numerous times to put it down and go to another book.  Unfortunately I will stick out the last little bit of the book I have left.
Problems so far with Protecting Alabama....
1.  This meek, weak, mute who had a terrible childhood all the sudden opens up to this SEAL
2.  He's a SEAL, however he only has 1 mission assigned in all the time they are dating???
3.  She is this meek, weak, mute (UGH)
4.  This entire storyline is predictable....
5.  There is NO Protecting, no drama, no intrigue...
6.  Please stop with the pet name of "sweet"... Really couldn't come up with anything better?  The H/h are sickling cute with stupid pet names.  UGH

That is all for now, I will add more as I struggle to finish reading this book
132581
I tried to like this book. I truly did. I got it from the library and tried to read it. In six weeks I barely got past the first 100 pages. But then advertisements for the next season on Starz renewed my interest and I purchased the first book in the series. Four months later and I was barely past 150 pages. I can devour a Game of thrones book in less than a week - Philippa Gregory novels usually don't last more than three or four days before I have consumed every last word and they always leave me begging for more. Even when parts of the books I'm reading get bogged down in detail or minor plot points that don't seem to have anything to do with the main story, I can power through based on the extreme interest to see how it all will end. I love historical novels and Scottish folklore and time travel so this seemed tailor made for me.

But nothing could keep my interest in this book. The characters are barely developed and difficult to like. Claire seems to barely blink an eye at learning she's traveled back in time and Jamie flips between being a noble do-gooder and a smug jerk. Every other character seems to be just background noise and the author shows a slightly disturbing fascination with descriptions of violence against both men and women. While some of what is described might be chalked up to historical accuracy, some of it is just plain unnecessary and the reactions of the characters unlikely and unbelievable.

But not one to give up easily, I thought that reading some reviews of the book might give me better insight to why this series is so popular and might help motivate me to get over the hump and find that part that will hook me. I read dozens of 5 star reviews talking about the engaging characters and the "love story." But since I like to get multiple opinions, I also looked at some of the negative reviews. And reading those made my decision to throw this book in the trash extremely easy and almost satisfying. I am happy to say I didn't make it to the part where marital rape is celebrated and will be eternally grateful for that. The beatings and near rapes I read in the first 180 pages was enough for me and this book is now resting exactly where it belongs - in a landfill.
2482891
To the Reader:  The latter 60% of the book is worth it.

I wanted to hear the story. I wanted to get to know the man.  I wanted to read his testimony.  I wanted to read how God sustained him during the tough times and brought him through to a new beginning.  I could overlook the grammatical errors.  I could withstand the repetitious telling of several main events.  But when page after page made little mention of God, and one entire section was nothing but bitter Obama bashing(*), I said, "Enough!"  After reading 130 pages, I put the book down, very disappointed.

Three weeks later, "something"  made me pick up the book again.  The rest of the book was what I had hoped to find when I bought the book!  God was on every page.  Now there were Bible references, parallels made, and lessons learned.  I finished the book the same day!

To the Author:  I "followed the clues" and found this book.  The End(*).
1185867
I always make it a point to read the Booker Prize winner selections and normally I am not disappointed.  This book was definitely a major disappointment however.  As an avid reader who generally reads at least one book a week; this book two me nearly three weeks to get through.  As I was reading, I would find myself mentally making grocery lists, remembering things I needed to get done, etc. because I was so bored. There were several times I would be ready to throw it in the garbage and then I would read the reviews and think, "Well, maybe it will get better soon."  Forget it!  It didn't.  I love me an adjective as much as the next person but this was ridiculous.  Most of the time, the writer would go off on some adjective-ridden tangent and three pages later you would be left trying to remember what had been going on in the story.  A story with no plot I might add.  And if I read one more fragmented sentence I was going to scream.  Two hundred pages of flowery descriptions aside, you found yourself not caring about the characters at all nor caring about what happened to them.  I could go on for three hundred pages with how much I didn't like this book but I'll be smarter than the author and stop with a final recommendation - don't waste your time.  There are thousands of other wonderful books out there just waiting to be read.
1037382
The disaster that was the wretched Web site for this book should have given me a clue:

It was SLOW.

It DIDN'T WORK WELL.

It was hard to stay ENGAGED with.

It quickly grew tiresome.

Others have already pointed out the flaws in this story---too many characters, none of whom you care about, too much of the same thing over and over and over again ("the room rippled" et al) and I final admit that I gave up at Page 267.

It seems Mr. Koontz did too since for the previous 10 pages, the sections had simply listed a character's name, their room rippling or a "monster ghost" stalking them.

So no, I didn't finish it, hence the two stars. I couldn't give him one--he kept me hoping/reading to page 267, but there was no way I was going to continue on to page 451.
569684
I really, really wanted to like this book. I just got really tired of Regi's preaching. If it only happened once, I think I could have moved on, but it was paragraph after paragraph, at a couple of points in the book. Arik was just so...weak, as well as boring. I put the book down multiple times and I had trouble finishing it. It was well written, but I think this formula is starting to grate on me. "Forgive your family no matter how terrible they have been to you in the past." "Give more chances." "People can totally change." "You're just projecting onto others and your decisions have lead to what happened to you, so it's just as much your fault." (not quotes from the book, paraphrasing what seems to be preached) I understand that Andrew Grey is trying to give redemption arks, but half the time, these side characters get more redemption than the main characters get...well, character. It wouldn't be so cliche if it didn't seem to happen in nearly every book he writes (that I have read).
It was nice seeing some of the old characters come back, but it didn't save this particular book.
Andrew Grey is not a bad writer, not by any means. It just seems that he's clutching at straws and recycling plots. Boring. Preachy. Read if you dare, but honestly, a reader can happily stop at the fifth book in the series.
2395899
I was having a great time reading this book.  I adore Thibodaux.  Such a good time that I did not notice the word "Epilogue" nor did I see that I was at 99% of this book on my Kindle.  When I touched the screen for the next page, low and behold the pop-up screen was there for me to rate this book.  I just knew I had hit something wrong and spent 10 minutes trying to find chapter 69.  Well, here's my rating:  I have all the books in this series, however, there are waaaay too many good authors to choose from to be left hanging with absolutely NOTHING!  To me, it appeared Mr. Cameron just got tired of writing and stopped.  I will not look for his next book in this series.  "Once bitten, twice shy."  And what a shame.
780475
My experience reading this book many years ago was that I hated it so much I through it in the trash.  What I recall is the author saying she got nothing substantial out of anything she read, that she was essentially addicted, and reading so many books without purpose except to while away the time, or as some escape.  She didn't title it Ruined By Reading for nothing - she pretty much said she wasted time and didn't learn a thing.  I agree with the few negative reviews.  I was looking for inspiration, and wound up with the exact opposite!  I'll use the quote from a fellow reviewer, about what the author said about reading:  "'It will gain us nothing but enchantment of the heart.'  But for those of us who are `book addicts, perhaps that is' enough.'"  Ugh!
2517135
Well, this was a disappointment! I always read the reviews, and I thought with so many liking it, how could I go wrong. Since it was so affordable, I treated myself to the audible. Well, I listened to 4 chapters of a high octive cheerleader narrating until I couldn't take it anymore! So, shut off the perky narrator and tried 5 more chapters with good old fashioned reading. Sorry I blamed the narrator....thing is, this is a boring, hyper-adjective book! Too much conversation! Sad thing is, the only thing I liked was the famous people quotes. I would feel bad actually giving this author 1 star, so read the two star rating as a warning. :(
3692740
I could not finish this book.  I gave up just before the half-way mark.  I couldn't take anymore of the author's repetitious language.  How many times can a character's mouth form a "perfect O"?  In the case of Elizabeth, the heroine, apparently it happens in just about every conversation she has with anyone.  Talk about annoying!

In addition, whenever a character asks someone else a question, it's called "wondering" instead of "asking", as in:  "What makes you say that?" George wondered and "So, what do you suggest I do?" he wondered.  I always thought when someone wondered something, they usually thought about it in their mind or perhaps said the words very quietly to themselves.  But when they speak the question out loud to another person, isn't it just called "asking" as in "she asked", "he asked" etc.?  According to the author, in this book, although many questions were asked, they were only wondered.  Like the "perfect O", this occurs constantly in the half of the book I managed to read.

I wanted to finish the book as overall I think I would have liked the story and most of the characters but I just couldn't do it.
368253
Obviously, with nine 5-star reviews, I am the odd reader out.  But even so, I cannot recommend this book.

I felt the beginning was not just slow, it was unbelievably slow.  We were given a hint of what would propel the protagonist to act as she did fairly quickly but then left hanging for pages and pages and even chapters before further attention was paid to what was supposed to be the triggering incident that set the story in motion.  And even then, the author so often ventured off into distracting side trips into her past that it was frustrating.

The other major problem I had with this novel was that I never connected with the protagonist.  She was not especially likable. She went off half-cocked on a mission to uncover 'the truth' of long-buried family secrets, against her mother's wishes and when her mother was perhaps a week from death--in a hospice facility, no less.  It was impossible to understand why her mission, which didn't seem that earth shaking, couldn't have waited.  Then, she proceeded to upset aging relatives. I found her not only heartless, but stupid--entering her aunt's empty house after her aunt ordered her to leave earlier and rummaging through personal documents while the aunt was gone?  Who does something like this??  And then to lead another man who was connected to the family by marriage years before to believe she would have sex with him in exchange for information, and take him to her hotel room? Good grief!  It wasn't as if she was on a mission to save the country from multiple nuclear bomb attacks!

As for the writing, I found it passable but far, far too heavy on description after description. The book also could have used tighter editing, which was not part of my decision to give only three stars.
4105192
I used to LOVE this series, it was interesting and I loved the characters and setting. However, that has started to change with the last few books and with this book in particular.  There is SO much repetitive story telling going on!  Having the characters relay the same story to half a dozen characters many times is boring.  Mentioning some characters last names over and over again - ridiculous!  We know them!!  Even if it was a new reader to the series - mention them once in the beginning and that's it, no need to still say them 3/4 of the way through the book. We aren't suffering short term memory loss while reading. Also - the excessive mention of coffee, the month of July, what Cassie's schedule is like every single flippin day. If I was reading a paperback version of this book, I would have tossed it in the garbage instead of forcing myself to finish it. I did guess who did it early on, it was fairly obvious to me and I'm not one to usually catch on to this stuff.