Wanted to like this...
585961
I wanted to like this book so much. I had heard such good things about it. Specifically, I'd read that Jen L was like David Sedaris with pearls and a super cute handbag and I had to get this book, because David Sedaris is god.  I have to say that Jen L is definitely no David Sedaris, with or without handbag or pearls. The first chapter was fine, a few giggles, then the next chapter had less, by the third, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Maybe it was the footnotes or the typesetting, which made you think you were reading e-mails, or maybe it was the unrelenting whining that got to me. I couldn't finish it. I thought I got the wrong book, but no, the David quote was right there in the front. What a disappointment.
267719
I wanted to love this based on the premise and I don't like giving such low-star reviews, but because of the hype and my overreaching hope of falling in love with a brand new world, I think it made my disappointment that much more. I realise books need hype to get in front of eyes, but sometimes the buildup sets a reader up for a bigger let-down. Schwab can clearly write and has an army of fans, but I'm afraid this just wasn't for me. I was never sure if it was meant to be YA or adult, as it leaned more toward YA as far as some of the more ... derivative elements, and character development (or lack thereof, until at least 2/3 of the way through the book). As I say, she's an excellent writer, but this was just not for me. I grew bored at various stages and when I find myself skimming, with a towering TBR pile of books on my nightstand, it's time to finish it and move on. Sorry to say, I'm not one of the legions of fans!
4680689
I really, really wanted to like this book, and from the description, I had high hopes. But the truth is, "Mystery Girl" was a great disappointment. To me the story was complicated and at times down right convoluted.

The story had everything that should have made it a great read. There was a mystery surrounding a girl who starred in D rated movies (porn involving demons & succubi); a mysterious director with issues; mental patients; and a zany cast of characters that include: a defunct writer going thru a separation; his lesbian friend; the owner of a used bookstore who loves old obscure films; and an overweight detective). However, in the end, what I found to be missing was that feeling of satisfaction that you get when you finish a book and understand all. Simply stated, the potential of the story was so deeply buried in heavy words and themes that I ended up struggling to just get thru it.

Sam Kornberg is at a crossroads. His wife (Lala) wants a trial separation; he hasn't worked since god knows when; and he's having trouble writing a novel that he believes he must write. Wanting to at least show his wife that he hears her concerns, he seeks employment and is hired to be the assistant to an over-weight Detective Lonsky (a recluse suffering from agoraphobia (the fear of going outside). Lonsky wants Sam to follow Mona Naught and report her every move back to him. Soon Sam finds himself involved in a rather complicated tale of desire, secrets and betrayals.

In conclusion, it is my opinion (and yeah, I know everyone has one), that this book was simply difficult to read. The writing was heavy, at times preachy (about books and movies), and slow. I found myself re-reading portions just to make sure I didn't miss something and skimmed some others (when he rattles off the names of writers, movies or works that he cared about). I was even able to sit this book aside and read something else. Why then the 2-2.5 rating....the concept and ending were brilliant, I just didn't necessarily enjoy the journey getting there. David Gordon's "Mystery Girl" just wasn't for me.
3666896
I really wanted to like this . . . and my cats really want to like it. My big tabby keeps trying to give it a shot, but the open side keeps letting his legs and tail spill out. He likes the four walls of a cardboard box, so the missing third wall is a pain. My other cat seems to like the rivets of the cardboard bottom, but replaced this with the simple cardboard box from before, and both cats seem way happier. I really can't see this as anything but an excuse to spend money!
3543632
2.5

Sadly, I didn't like this book as much as I was hoping to.  The idea was great, but I don't know that it was executed well.

I really wanted to like Abigail.  She definitely got the short end of the stick with her marriage, but she constantly acts like a child.  She argues with her parents when all they are trying to do is help.  It just rubbed me the wrong way. Shes also very repetitive, and that drove me nuts.

She did grow throughout the novel.  I admired that she started to figure out what she wanted for herself, and realized that maybe she wasn't all that happy with the way her life was before. I did like that her world revolved around her daughter.  Although, I think that at times that was also what was holding her back.

Like I said before, I think the idea was good.  But I think it could have been done a little bit better.

On to the Narrator

I am not a fan of this book as an audiobook.  I think it would be better with actually reading the book.  It doesnt mesh well with the flow of the story.  Seems disjointed at times.  I don't think this one works well in audio.  Its more of a journal, and even though it would be possible to do audio with this type of book.  I think the random entries in the diet journal are what throw off the narration.  There are areas in the dialogue where she lists what she ate and what she does as exercise.  These are the parts that don't blend well.  There isn't really a format in these.  Its just listed throughout the day.

The narrator did a good job as far as reading goes.  She has a strong voice, and puts inflection where it needs to be added.  The best places where this happened is when shes being sarcastic about the situation.  Some of the characters couldn't be distinguished very well, but I was able to pick up who was speaking after a few words.  There were no background sounds.  The only other thing that I think would have been better is if there were small spaces of silence between one scene and the next.  They all just seem to blend in together.

Overall, the narrator did a good job, I just think this one would be better in physical format.
3117177
I really REALLY wanted to like this. It was an Amazon recommendation and the video review I watched made it seem like a great game, the type of game I would really like. So I set out to find it, found only one Gamestop in the area that had it- there are about 12 Gamestops - maybe more that are within 20 minutes of me- and finally found it hidden in the cabinet behind the register.
Then I got it into the PS3...and it was nothing like I had thought. Cute anime characters? Yes. Humor? Kind of. Disgaea characters? Didn't get that far. The story seemed very slow to me- it dragged on to the point where I just wanted to hit buttons until it got to the part where you play. Which is unusual for someone who enjoys even visual novel games and as much talking and story as possible. Here, it felt unnecessary. When the actual gameplay began, I had to struggle to find where I could go to actually play and suddenly the character was dropped into a tiny dungeon with one or two small rooms. You then proceed to beat the enemies with your giant sword once or twice and you run around for a few seconds before it's clear there is nothing else there save for one or two more mini battles. I then gave up sadly and decided that I had no choice but to return the game. It seems to me like a game for kids, minus the dialogue of course.
I guess I was hoping for something along the lines of Rhapsody- wandering around a town, talking to other characters, going on little missions, leveling up, battling bosses, and enjoying a immersive story.
Feeling very let down and maybe a little less willing to try something based on one good video review.
I still may try one more time before i return it.
I should also note it cost $25 used.
3287985
I really wanted to like this. I love cozy mysteries. The idea of a series connected to a maple syrup grove (or bush) was interesting. The author sounded terrific on her website.

But at least one of the premises underlying the story wasn't believable -- the parents refusing to be in contact with the uncle didn't ring true to me.

Nikki seemed to be chewing the inside of her cheek on every third page.

The heavy foreshadowing of the caffeine with the heart condition was ignored until the very end. And the heavy foreshadowing of one character's wife having committed suicide was ignored after three hints were dropped in the early part of the book. That's still left unresolved.

I completely didn't buy it that Nikki was so obtuse.

I know three stars is a "bad" rating but I bought this book (my library doesn't have it), and I feel like the many glowing reviews did a disservice to me. I wanted to balance that out for other readers who are deciding about buying this. I can't bring myself to give it four stars.

Perhaps this is the author's first book and she'll become a better writer with subsequent books

I did read the entire book, and I read the prequel that was a giveaway on the author's site. Before I read the books I had hoped to become a reader for this author but I don't think she'll want any more of my reviews.

Sorry, I really wanted to like it.
2947932
I really wanted to like this.  The concept is sound.  Unfortunately, the implementation just didn't work for me.  The pillow gets too heavy with the water in it, and the fiberfill over it is not dense enough so you sink right down onto the water bladder which just does not feel comfortable as a side sleeper.
2397056
This book had so much potential and I really wanted to love it, but sadly I didn't. I did love Shea. He was fantastic -- such a gentleman, and a genuinely great guy. He didn't deserve the crap he had to put up with from Elli or her family. I couldn't relate to her at all and felt that she wasn't nearly good enough for Shea.

Elli's insecurities caused so much pain for everyone, but I could have dealt with that until the (very typical of romance novels, and extremely frustrating) misunderstanding that occurred between her and Shea. Personally I wanted to slap her at that point.

The line editing wasn't too bad, and there has obviously been work done on this (see other reviews); however the content editing could have tightened up the overall story. It was LONG, and the only thing that kept me reading was wanting to see Shea get his HEA. I didn't really care whether it was with Elli or not, as long as Shea was happy.

I may read another book in this series depending on the reviews, as the actual writing wasn't too bad and I enjoyed the hockey.
4012336
I really wanted to like this book.

I wanted it to be that "dramatic novel" that touched my heart deeply. One I'd remember for years.

That didn't happen.

I read it in less than 2-days.  Probably because there were many "nothing" pages.  Pages of pictures, drawings, pages of numbers, pages that became blurred and faded.  I "get" the intended mental and visual impact the numbers & pictures were meant to create. However, they didn't enhance my reading experience. (was I supposed to de-code all of those pages of numbers?)

Why it was confusing:  In each chapter, I wondered which character was telling the story. It wasn't clear or flowing.  Not to mention... all those numbers and repetitive "visual statements" about people, buildings and planes. A Third  through the book, I still didn't understand why it received such high reviews.

Why it was frustrating:  Each time I had to figure out who was "telling" me their story, I lost track of the story. I kept wondering when "something" would happen... When it would get to the heart of the story.

When "it" happened, it was too little too late at the end of the book.

Although this is a work of fiction, I'd hoped to connect with the characters and "feel" something, but they didn't feel "real".

The concept of the storyline had so much potential ... I wish I could have experienced what author intended.
3737064
I really, really wanted to like this. But the writing just wasn't there.
4473895
I really wanted to like this book, and, for the first few chapters it seemed like I was going to, with some clever examinations of trope and cliche.  Very quickly, however, things got... uneven.  A trope would be skewered by... falling back on another trope.  Our Villain started to act differently... until the plot necessitated that he act like the villain again.  Our Hero's motivations were constantly shifting for unclear reasons, etc.
3274642
I wanted to like this book...the concept seemed so fascinating!  However, the more I read, the more impatient and frustrated I felt.  I kept wanting the book to just "get to the point" of the story, and there seemed to be a superfluous amount of detail devoted to tangential topics that failed to hold my interest.  Halfway though the book, I began skipping over whole chunks of text when I felt myself getting bored by the content, and this made getting through the book a bit easier for me.

This is a book written by people who are not authors by trade (a fact of which I was aware before picking it up) and it reads that way.  At many points, the language and style come across as vapid or juvenile, akin to having my 15-year old cousin relay a story to me.

Nonetheless, I think that this could be an enjoyable, feel-good book for a casual reader, or for someone who may be in a similar situation as the authors. If this sounds like you, then it may be worth a read.  However, I would recommend checking it out from the library instead of buying it. If you really like it, you can always purchase a copy to keep and re-read later.  Would not recommend this book for avid or high-level readers.
3319647
I wanted so much to like this and it started off with promise. Unique circuitry that clarifies dialogue, 5 front firing speakers and a small but
adequate "subwoofer" mounted underneath. The bass was OK, the dialogue amazing but the unit  had nothing that could be considered "surround sound" despite what the remote said. I would have kept it and given it a 4.
However within a few days the complete sound track would go dead from what sounded like a skip to a full 2 or 3 seconds of no sound at all. Checked everything, Reconnected my old Vizio soundbar and it worked fine, put ZVOX back  and the sound loss continued. A few days later the entire circuitry critical to the performance of this soundbase failed. Yes, sadly, it was the ZVOX and it had to go back.
Moved up to the Bose Solo 15 Series II, a little pricier, and it has been performing well. I  think I just was unlucky and got a bad unit from ZVOX.
1467151
I really wanted to like this novel.  I didn't.  The premise is great, but the writing itself felt awkward to me.  I'd recommend trying this book if you can get it from your local library, or grab a sample.  You'll only need to read about 30-50 pages to know whether or not this is your cup of tea.
754879
The premise was fun, but when it came to reading the book, I couldn't. I tried several times, but I felt like I was just reading words and sentences that didn't actually fit together. I think I got about a 1/3 of the way through, but I finally had to give up.

I thought I would like the music connection, but the references were really bizarre and frustrating if you have musical background. I felt like this could have been a decent book with some judicious editing and some plot refinement. I wanted to like it, but it just didn't have any redeeming qualities that I could find.

I received a copy of this book at no cost, in return for my honest review.
4754671
I really, really wanted to like this. I didn't know what to expect, and I was eager for the book to go in many different directions. [Cuzzy, an 18 year old father going nowhere fast, meets a flamboyant, charasmatic educated drifter named Tracy, who sort of gives Cuzzy a job, while residing in his (we are lead to believe) lovers families home. A relationship ensues. To see what kind you'll have to read it] To say the characters were rushed, had no depth, and were frustratingly incoherent with the world around them, is an understatement. There really is no momentum, the plot doesen't go anywhere, and I don't think the author wanted it to go anywhere. The insert flap says the relationship between the two main characters is "the focus of scrutiny and debate". Say what? If the debate were from some ignorant, blue collar, beer guzzling neanderthals, well then it was stereotyping rather than scrutiny. Other than that there is no real conflict. Is there a clear difference?

The author however, really does a fine job keeping you on your toes, just when a reader's initial pre-conceived notions about a situation is about to ensue, she throws you in a complete whirlwind of ignorance, and voila, the not so ordinary, ordinary happens, for lack of a better phrase.

I don't really know how long it took Sue to write this, but clearly the conflicts could have been so much more engaging, and thoughfully written chapters could have ensued if Cuzzy and Tracy were more tangible. I felt betrayed as a reader as I wanted to be in Cuzzy's world so badly from jumpstreet, yet never managed to really sit shotgun, just sort of was window shopping.

I think the gester on Ms. Halpern to use geology, material science, etc, as from her other non-fiction books of the matter, and bring it into the pre-chapters as non-binding intro's was refreshing, and to have Cuzzy with really no aspirations or intellectual stimualtion, know so much about Nature, was very pleasing. However again, falling short on Cuzzy as a person I wanted to know, the knowledge he had of Nature was not very beliveable, and as a reader I so wanted to believe he would make more out of his life than trucking rubble perhaps and we are led to believe, even in the end that nothing will change for this young man.

Donna Seaman's statement that Halpern's gripping tale about life's myriad hardships astutely considers the dangers inherent in cross cultural exploration, is giving the book accolades which it CLEARLY does not deserve. Tracy's introducing Cuzzy to a world so foreign to him, was merely passe and out of context with trying to actually show Cuzzy could perhaps have an inherent interest in these things.

In closing, it started off really intriguing, then drops off and falls hard and never seems to find solid ground again. The ending, albeit very unexpected and refreshing in a sense, is rushed and dissapointing, and that was a real shame.