Really like the concept of the gate
596128
Really like the concept of the gate, but the door part is significantly higher than the latch so the door has to be pressed down in order to latch closed properly.  The pressure mounts are as tight as they can possibly go, and yet we still have this problem of the door and latch not quite lining up.  It's a nice gate in concept, and we are willing to work with how it arrived, but I believe it was either bent in production or it is faulty.
2392009
Very easy to use.  But not too easy for my grandson. Not bad to install, love the option to have the gate open one direction.  NO BAR to step over, so this gate is not a trip issue for older family members.  We have three of these gates, the first was harder to install than the last and you can take it off the wall mounts easily if needed to move larger items through a doorway.  It may not cover your widest hallway so measure prior to purchase.
4356572
It is a well written book with a very plausible concept. Not really a new concept mind you, authoritarian governments abound in dystopian fiction but this one strikes pretty close to home with it's essentially current-day setting. My guess is that it was pushed forward a few years to allow for the technology in the book to be close enough to real but just beyond what we have now.

The premise that we watch what we say so as not to offend anyone becomes government jurisdiction and that it becomes so aggressively enforce is plausible but just a bit of a stretch. I'm really curious to see <i>how</i> this came about. Was there some landmark case that set precedent legally for offensive behavior to be regulated in such a manner? How does this get over and above The First Amendment? What is Commissioner Lafferty's motivation? He indicates at loss but not much more is given.

Really it is a cleverly written premise. I found myself pondering the plausibility of it in real life. Could we ever restrict statements or behavior like this? Could I have just said what I said if this were the U.S. in the book?

It made me think and that is a very good thing.

I look forward to Book Two. Perhaps more backstory will be given.
1878454
Jackson has the ability to jump through time. When his girlfriend, Holly, is shot, he wakes up two years in the past and must find a way to get back to the present to try and change Holly's fate or risk losing her forever.

Tempest is, by far, an intriguing idea and was a great read. I must say that I thought the premise and plot were highly interesting. I've only read/seen a very few movies and books about time travel, and this would be my first time reading a YA novel on the subject.

Now let's go to my review. For the first half of this book, I felt somewhat disconnected with Jackson and didn't relate or even understand his character at first. Everything seemed to happen so fast that he ended up feeling like a stranger that I was just following around. I couldn't grasp who this character was, or even feel any empathy for him in the beginning. He just kept jumping from one place to the other and it was a little difficult to keep up with at times. In a way, it's like the movie "Inception" (which I thought was a pretty great movie) for me. Not story-wise, but in the sense that I felt I had to be alert and really pay attention to what was going on throughout or else I'd end up confused by the end. Personally, I think that is great. It keeps the mystery going, but it got a little distracting when I had to go back and read a few things to get back on track, especially with the consistent jumping.

Things did level out in the middle and end, and careen toward a somewhat cliffhanger that indeed has me curious as to what will happen next. And while Jackson still isn't my favorite character in the world, by the time I finished this novel, I did find him to be very interesting and likable enough to continue onward with this series.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed Tempest. It makes for a great read to pass time, especially  when snuggled up on the couch with a nice mug of hot chocolate. I will of course see the movie whenever it comes out, and will more than likely pick up the sequel because I am still interested in seeing what will happen for Jackson and Holly. I feel that Julie Cross has created a great book that will make a fantastic movie. And I'm sure when Tempest comes out, there will be tons of other readers who will love this book a little more than I did. (I still really liked it!) I commend Julie Cross on her debut novel, and feel that it will garner great success come January. I am highly interested in seeing where this author goes and reading future books by her. I hope that she will go far in this career!

*I would like to thank LibraryThing and the publisher of Tempest for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
61563
Many good things here.  I particularly liked the whole concept of "abstraction" and how the further people get away from actual interaction and become more of a number, it's easier to make "number" decisions instead of people decisions.

A little disappointed in what felt like a weak ending.
4312237
I have read so many mixed reviews of The Lost Code but I really liked the premise of it. I mean seriously a book about Atlantis sounds like such an original and cool idea. The Lost Code got off to a bit of a slow start but I definitely enjoyed it. The Lost Code tells the story of Owen who goes to Camp Eden, a camp located inside a dome that mimics conditions before the oceans rose. Global Warming much? Anyway the reader is whisked on a strange journey that takes the reader to Atlantis.

I'll be honest Edenwest BioDome (the location of Camp Eden) isn't such a spectacular setting. We vaguely learn about the world and The Great Rise (when the oceans rose) but not nearly enough. I had tons of questions about the domes being the inquisitive reader I am and most of my questions were not really answered. The world building isn't bad but it definitely was lacking. I did like how The Lost Code takes place in an unique and different kind of setting (a camp) as opposed to the barren wasteland or a totalitarian metropolis.

From the first few pages I wasn't a big fan of Owen but he definitely grew on me. In the beginning I thought that Owen seemed rather childish with trying to impress Lily. Owen kinda reminded me of Percy at first but then again Percy was 12 and Owen is supposed to be 15. I mean dude if you can't swim, don't take a swimming test just to impress the hot life guard. There was a bit of insta-love between Owen and Lily but that didn't really bother me. Luckily Owen really matured throughout the novel, at the end he was no longer that lovelorn boy. Lily is the "smart-girl" that really puts Owen in his place and reminded me a bit of Annabeth from Percy Jackson. She was very likeable from the start and I hope she continues to be a big part of The Atlanteans series. I do hope we learn more about Lily because even though I found her to be a likeable character, she wasn't developed that much.

In terms of plot The Lost Code starts off rather slowly but it eventually picked up the pace. We spend much of the beginning reading about camp activities while slowly strange happenings occur. Even though I think the camp activities were necessary in order to establish the characters and their relationships, I think it could have been shortened. Once the major conflict of The Lost Code I was definitely hooked and compelled to read more. I wish there was more Atlantis, codes, and strange happenings though. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first half. I really liked Kevin Emerson's writing style and it reminded me of the compelling style of Michael Grant.

The Lost Code is a fun read that took me on a journey unlike anything I have read. Sure it had some faults but overall it was an entertaining book. The first half of the book is slow-paced but it's necessary to add tension leading up to the second half. Will I read the sequel? I'm definitely ready for a sequel because after the ending I am pretty pumped to see more Atlantis. Unlike most books, The Lost Code's romance is cringe-worthy and I really enjoyed reading about Lily and Owen's relationship. I just hope that there's no love triangle introduced in the next book!
2472094
I thoroughly enjoyed the author's use of the ideal of a quantum universe in this novel that revolves around magic. It's nice playing pretend, but it's even nicer when you can grasp a real concept that can push your imagination to the limits. However I do feel as some of the loose ends aren't tied up as concrete or as resolute as they could be. Mercy's role at the very final chapters feels like a push towards the classic fairy tale happy ending, clashing with the magic-science blend throughout the book. There are some relationships that I was sad to see disintegrate, and others that made me happy. I also feel the line was imperfect in recreation - suggesting a more human perspective instead of "omniscient power force." If it had suggested a fusion of the two, it would have been a more conclusive end. All in all, a fun series that both entertains science fiction and fantasy themes.
4229936
I actually love the gate, both in its aesthetics and functionality, but my 3 month old Vizsla puppy is putting its durability to the test. I bought this gate because it was made of wood, but the wooden spindles seem to be a bit of a magnet for my puppy's teeth.... and the puppy is winning. Besides that I'm completely happy with the gate.
1547654
This gate is great. It tightens against the door way which makes it very sturdy. We have large dogs and they were not initially respectful of the gate when we first put it up so they attempted to get past it, but the gate held firm. It also swings both directions which is really nice. Has an extension kit for larger doorways, but our doorway was quite small so we didn't need it.

My only complaint is that it was wrapped in styrofoam which is ironic considering the packaging proudly stated it was environmentally friendly by being partially made of bamboo.
2697889
I tried to read this before reading The Lost Gate & was just confused & frustrated so I stopped after a few pages. Now I've almost finished the previous book & can understand where this was coming from.
2099808
The concept was very interesting and believable.
3004360
The gate is as described it's super cute and easy for everyone including my 6yr old to step over but with the ease of knowing our puppy won't venture into the kids rooms at night and pee lol The only I guess "complaint" would be the holes where you install the bumper for the wall are a bit stripped some more than other but it was snug enough that at this point it doesn't affect the functionality.  Also the little door for the dog to walk thru when you allow them is great as well!
4027039
Short and Sweet:

The premise of Minders was so exciting and I actually really loved the entire concept, but there were just several moments throughout the story that took away from my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

To Elaborate...

Minders started off really strong for me. I like the main character, Sadie. I enjoyed the mysteriousness of her situation with Mind Corps. There was such a great buildup. Beginning with the idea that not all of the candidates were going to make it with the fellowship program. I wanted to know what was going to happen to them. In many ways I felt my curiosities were going unanswered as the story took turns I had not considered. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I found it distracting.

However, while the story didn't deliver answers to many of my questions it was often uniquely beautiful in its descriptiveness of the mind. When Ford, the boy who's mind Sadie is inhibiting, feels strong emotions there are smells, colors and sensations that Sadie also experiences. I found this aspect of the story interesting to consider. Sadie begins to see patterns in his unique mental symphony and becomes more and more invested in his story.

However, outside of the unusual relationship of Sadie and Ford there are corruptions occurring within the city he lives in. It seems the closer he gets to the truth the more likely it is that he will meet his untimely end, a possibility that Sadie begins to realize would break her heart. Impossibly and against every instinct that she has nurtured she begins to fall in love with her subject. As her emotional connection to Ford grows stronger, so does her ability to interact with him. But Sadie hasn't even begun to realize that she could be as trapped as Ford in a situation where they are both running out of time!

Overall, Minders wasn't my favorite, but still a solid, original story!
858990
I discovered Jeff Wheeler through his Kingfountain series, and I suggest starting there first. If I had read the Muirwood series first I don't know if I would have continued. Don't get me wrong, I really like the first two books of this series (The first being The Wretched of Muirwood). But I think Jeff's storytelling has improved over time. The Kingfountain series and Muirwood are not related in any way other than style, but Kingfountain is better written in my opinion.

I read Wretched of Muirwood and was lukewarm about continuing. But I needed a book to listen to while I am in the kitchen, and the deal with being able to listen to this book for free with Audible when you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber is just terrific. So I gave it a try and was pleasantly pleased.

PROS: The main characters are very likable. They are noble and just and all the things a hero should be. The main female character is strong and determined. The descriptions are lovely, and taken from various beautiful areas of the USA (Redwood forest in particular). I like the magic and the "learner" concept. The story is easy to listen to both in narration (the narrator in the Audible book is terrific) and in overall feeling and tone. It's a good bedtime read - nothing to awful to give you nightmares or set your heart racing.

CONS: There is a religious subtext that you have to get over or be okay with. I am not religious, but do have an idea of spirituality. The idea of the "medium" is not unlike the Christian "holy spirit" or Chinese "qi (chi)" or Star Wars' The Force, for that matter, or other life force/spiritual energy ideas. I enjoy the idea of this, and it actually makes the book more fantasy than religious. But there are some cringe-worthy moments where the LDS (Mormon) teachings come through, like the idea that "the scholars won't be able to concentrate because of the mere presence of a young woman at the abbey in a very low cut dress". [insert eye rolling here]. There are other ideas about how men can be fools for women that are uncomfortably truer than most want to admit. And 15 year old girls talking about marriage with 18-19 year old men is a little uncomfortable in modern times, although truly not unusual in medieval times.

The ending for me was so predictable. So predictable that you are like "how can these "scholars" not figure this out?".  Although the reason for that may be explained in the 3rd book.

All in all I do recommend this series if you like clean fantasy with likable characters.
356068
I wish the gate to walk through was a little bigger. I often hit my hip on the gate walking through when I'm in a hurry
3202749
Iain Rob Wright's saga of the apocalypse that began in The Gates continues here in Book 2: Legion. This one is quite different from the first, and I enjoyed it much more.

The story doesn't continue much past the point of The Gates. In fact, at least half of Legion takes place concurrently with the previous novel, introducing new characters or giving the point of view of those who were previously secondary characters. The chapters are longer this time, and this was the part I really liked. In The Gates the story jumped quickly from person to person, which worked well for the fast paced action but left me wanting more character material. These longer chapters gave me just what I wanted, and I felt more connected to new additions like Richard Honeywell after one chapter than most anyone in The Gates.

Legion isn't the thrill ride that The Gates was, and there are fewer "Holy @@@@!" moments, but the addition of more fully formed characters made this a much more satisfying read. I'm excited to see where the story goes next. 5 stars, highly recommended. (I was provided an advance copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
3725862
Easy to install, fits the wide hallway, keeps our dog upstairs, and allows the cats to go back and forth. My only complaint is that my pregnant self can't fit through the people opening. My sister and husband also have trouble fitting through the gate and have to turn and slide through. We're not overweight, so I'm confused why the gate is so small.