Full of potential but lets you down.
580820
While the filter is great the actual bottle feels like an after thought. I bought two of these, one bottle on arrival would never close properly and therefore spill the water from the gap between the filter and the bottle. Amazon, as awesome as they are, immediately dispatched me another bottle free of charge. This second bottle worked fine, however, after a couple of months of using this (note that the filter is meant to last about 6 months as I understood) the bottle began to be give in slowly. With the passing weeks whenever I close it, it spills more and more when you attempt to drink from it, and if you are out on business and all of a sudden the bottle spills while drinking it can be a bit annoying resulting in wet clothing!

I am now scared every time I take a sip as I do not know if it will work properly this time or spill again. I would enjoy this product much better if it included a better bottle than the cheapish feeling plastic one they include which obviously has issues. It's a shame really, because the filter does make the water taste great and lasts longer than other ones on the market. It almost feels like the people who designed the bottle went for economy so much they forgot the actual bottle is important as well. They could solve this problem by offering a stainless steel bottle or something, but since you have to squeeze the bottle to drink I imagine that is impossible!

PS.- I have many purchases on Amazon and I am not usually one to leave a bad review, but this bottle has let me down so much lately that I felt it was my duty to the customer base who usually helps me with great honest Amazon reviews, by leaving a honest one of my own.
2275979
This book had so much potential! I wanted to keep reading at the beginning to discover the heroine & hero's history but as the story develops I couldn't believe someone would be that forgiving!  She saves his life, continuely protects him, and lets him treat her like dirt.  How can he say she was the love of his life but cry out his mistress's name during a sex scene?? How can she forgive him (for the thousandth time) after he calls her a whore?  Then he finally believes her and acts completely out of character with 10 pages left in the book.
Authors should not have husbands / heroes love their wives and love their mistresses too!!

The author writes well and the plot had a ton of potential but the author has to develop the hero/heroine relationship in a fulfilling way.
1056099
This book has a ton of potential, but there is a ton of wasted growth.  There are several time in the story were I thought we would see the main character have to deal with adversity after finding happiness, but there seemed to be a lack of desire to push things in that direction.  I'm never happy when interesting characters are used as plot tools, but some just beg to be used and stick out like a soar thumb.  The over all concept of the story is worth the read and hopefully we see some of these one dimensional characters grow a little.
2553648
This book started with a bang!  But then it went downhill, the writing stalled the action with too many words and too much description of things I couldn't care less about.  Also sentence structure needs some work to make the reading flow better.

I really wanted to like this book, but I only liked parts.  The concept was good and I think parts of the book pulled it forward, but the dialog was stilted and fell flat.  Jordan is a great character, but he made mistakes that didn't really fit with who he was suppose to be.  The end was also a bit to convenient and staged in my opinion, it was big and exciting but needed a bit more realism and less James Bondish.

At rare times a great story can rise above ok writing, this may be one of those books for some readers out there.  But I believe that with a bit more work on the writing, especially the dialog and the over descriptions, I think that this series could be very good.  The author has written great supporting characters and a good mystery.  In its current state I don't see it going as far as it could with a bit of tweaking and rewriting. The potential is there, the story and characters are there, and the writing could be there if given a bit more work. 2 1/2 stars on my blog.
4121858
This YA Fantasy has a very promising beginning - it is a sort of blend of dystopian fiction and high fantasy, and like all the best high fantasy, the book opens with a map. From its prologue, the book is both engaging and intriguing - and not just because I am a sucker for books about twins!

Unfortunately, its initial promise quickly falls flat. The timeline for this wintry dystopia is not even 250 years from the "Healing" of modern society - a pretty short span of years for how little remains and how twisted the views are of the citizens of the Aerie. They weave stories to remember the wickedness of before - the worship of the false gods Apple, MasterCard, Tylenol, etc. - in their efforts to uphold the new moral standards imposed by their leaders in this New North. The book reads a bit like a fun archaeology assignment - imagine modern life as the subject of a dig and try to re-create what will be told about society. And if perhaps if Terrell had stuck to that, the book would have felt a bit more fun. Instead, the author muddles this with a weak romance, unbelievable actions taken by her "barely trained" heroine and a pointless and quite blatant rip-off of a&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Hunger-Games-Book-1/dp/0439023521/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Hunger Games (Book 1)</a>-like competition.

The ending hints of a more interesting plot for future books, but I am not quite sure I will continue on with the series. Its mimicry of Suzanne Collins' books are pretty blatant and Terrell wavers in her undertones on the "evil" of current society. The "Boundary People" (Inuits) are an interesting facet of the book, but unfortunately the book does not spend enough time on them to redeem it. And as for the endorsement that compares this to George R. R. Martin's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/George-R-R-Martin-s-A-Game-of-Thrones-5-Book-Boxed-Set-Song-of-Ice-and-Fire-series-A-Game-of-Thrones-A-Clash-of-Kings-A-Storm-of-Swords-A-Feast-for-Crows-and-A-Dance-with-Dragons/dp/0345535529/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire series): A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons</a>&nbsp;series, well, the only similarity I see is that there is a lot of snow... Maybe the younger (or less widely read) en of the market will be more impressed with this premise and consider it to be more original. It is fairly fast-paced and there is a nice multi-media aspect with a few drawings and some journal entries.
2316806
I liked the Hero, David, and the heroine, Amelia, and I liked their story until they got married. Up to that point there was plenty of fun and frolicking, with handsome David brooding pleasantly, and Amelia being wonderfully lively and a bit immature. Both characters had immense potential. When David saves her from a rakish villain bent on kidnapping and ravishing his way to a fortune, the plot is moving along swimmingly to a satisfying end. But no, we have to endure too many more pages of David's brooding as it becomes selfish and cruel. In addition, the plot begins to unravel as several superfluous subplots are plopped in and become distracting. Admittedly, the sex scenes were very hot, but by the time they were introduced, I was becoming frustrated with the lost focus of the story. For example, I could have forgiven the addition of Amelia's struggle to become a mother to David's distrustful daughter, but by the time the daughter's illness and a madman's attempt to murder Amelia were also thrown in, it just became a jumble. This could have been a 4 star novel but Ms. Willingham tried to make it be too many things at once.
4233433
I went into this wanting to like and understand the characters, but I didn't quite get there. The story definitely has potential, but the third dimension of the characters was not quite reached. First, I did not like the names given to the characters. Travis, Shepley, America called Mare and Abby called Pigeon as a pet name from Travis. The author did not provide enough descriptors to really help you envision how the characters looked. Travis' attraction and then obsession with Abby does not make any sense. The fact that she presents a meager challenge is not drawn out enough. The writing lost me at times as I would go back thinking I missed a segue, but it wasn't there. There are some good moments, but it reached a point where I didn't read anymore because I didn't care what happened. I have not given up on this author, though. I will maybe check out some of her other stuff. This particular book just wasn't drawn well enough for me, even though it had the potential to do some interesting things with two seemingly opposites who are essentially exactly alike.
2591639
Let's start with the positive things.

Tempest had great potential to be a beyond epic young adult novel. The idea was brilliant (the idea being that Hurricanes are caused by half-humans called Tempests who are able to transform into storms when they touch ocean/briny water). The very basic plot of the book sounds great, as well: Janelle has just moved to Florida with her single Dad - her mother had died when she was very young. But right in the middle of moving, her neighborhood gets hit by Hurricane Gary. Her dad acts very strangely about the whole thing; as if the hurricane would never be able to hurt them. After convincing him to go to the high school for safety, Janelle and her father watch a mini-tornado touch down onto the street, and after it dissolves a boy - also named Gary, coincidentally - stumbles out. Janelle hurries to bring him into the high school and then discovers that he has the same birthmark as she does. And since her dad never told her anything about it, Janelle is set on going to the hospital the next day to talk to him about it.

Eventually she unlocks the answers: the she is a Tempest, and is fated to one day become a hurricane that could kill hundreds of people. Janelle is horrified at her fate and finds herself sandwiched in between two groups of tempests: those who want her to harness her incredibly strong power to help wipe out all humans, and those who want her to follow the course of nature and follow through with her storm when the time is right.

The plot is filled with twists and turns that make it easy to keep reading, and is, all together, an entertaining book.

Now onto the negative. Janelle is not the strongest main character an avid reader could hope for: her determination to get the answers she wants could easily be interpreted as her being bratty and insolent, by the manner by which she demands them. She breaks down easily and can be selfish at times. The romance between her and the other main character, Gary, seems unrealistic and poorly written to me. It doesn't really seem to develop.

The writing itself is a little more than mediocre. It's good and doesn't take away from the plot too much, but it's far from spectacular. Everything written seemed very blunt; there was no reading between the lines or elaborate descriptions that make visualizing a scene so much fun. Also, the author very quickly wears out "crap" and that ever-sarcastic "great".

Over all, I did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped to, and I would recommend it if only because of the great price.
3402728
I really think this book had a ton of potential. It was gripping when it came to the plot. The characters were likeable and it had a good amount of steam. I really felt that it was too fast paced. The author could have drawn it out, added flashbacks and added more scenes and it would have been a huge winner for me. All the main stuff happened in a matter of days, and to me, that too away from it. I did enjoy it for the most part though and would be willing to read more from her. She took something unique and had me hooked from the start, even if I was really confused.

Im giving 3 stars because while I enjoyed it, all o could do way picture the potential that the storyline had. I think the characters deserved more then what was told. As a reader, I didn't feel like o got the whole picture when it came to what happened in the past to everything that transpired in the few days that the majority of the book took place. #2OCCJD
3663340
Starts out great and rolls along with all the right ideas and action then some things seem to be left out. A short ramble across the US seems a bit unrealistic. Horses? A few more descriptions and details would help and then the basic premise has to be fleshed out. I read the second in the series and it falls apart early. Dropped plot points, unrealistic action, shallow characters, mar a promising story. Non the less I enjoyed it like a mid day drink, not good for you but lots of fun.
4858364
This book was really good but had potential to be so much better. I liked the characters, Broc and Kensey were both very appealing and I came to care about both of them. The supporting characters were also very good and you could feel the love the family had for each other. On the down side, there was not enough time where the two main characters got to be together. First it was misunderstandings and then circumstances kept them apart. I really would have enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom and the book be more about them as a couple. I also felt as though the wedding night was a huge letdown. There was a big buildup and then it was just glossed over. I like the sex scenes to be descriptive and steamy...so that was a big disappointment. The ending was a bit abrupt as well.
All in all, this could be a nice start to the series....I will have to read the next book to see if how it goes.
4672535
The book really needs more development - so much potential, but leaves one half frustrated.
Even more frustrating is the fact that 79% into the book it ends, and the rest of the pages are taken up by extracts from 2 other books...?
These "fillers" exacerbate the disappointment
2759031
The beginning has great potential. Then once Gabriel showed up the writing changed. Felt forced. The problems they faced were stock ideas. And Ben's whole tantrum was stupid. I felt like someone told the author more conflict was needed and an excuse for Ben to be angry  at his mates......Again. I felt bad for Sin and Gabriel the fates gave them exactly the opposite of what they needed. This author had potential but they need to practice on their mystery writing skills. I'm glad she is trying. Too many romance authors focus on just romance and that is bad story telling.
4039537
My review of this book will be mixed.  I really wanted to give it 2.5 stars because I am divided on this 50/50.  I thought it had great potential, and if it were presented as a first draft I would give it 5 stars as a starting draft.

First of all, if you are going to start the beginnings of a love interest, then you should finish it.  He started to show the main character's feelings for this girl-cop, and then it was dropped - not good to do.

The characters, all of them, were never really fully developed so the book appears flat and pulpy, like a cheap novel with cheap writing.  The main character was only about 6% developed, and his sidekick was about 8% developed.  And what happened to the story about the sidekick's niece?  It was like sub-plots were started, then dropped.  The antagonist wasn't fully developed either.  If anything, I think this book should have been longer to give more development to the characters, or at least cut out all the static description and use the space for character development.

And that's another thing - a good writer doesn't statically describe things (allot of that in this novel).

However, it was an interesting idea, which is why I did like it as little or as much as I did and it had great potential.  I just think he should have taken more time re-writing it.

Still, it did hold my interest, even though I couldn't fully enjoy the story because of the flat characters.

The ending was pretty bad for an ending.  Again, more time should have been spent on the ending.  It looked like he just wanted to get it over with, which really robs the reader of any kind of satisfying resolution or climax.

But I would still recommend this book because of the interesting plot idea.
3303977
I really loved the idea of this and I was so eager to start it. Sadly, it didn't deliver.

The beginning was promising and I really liked Keeley. Until I didn't. She became such a selfish brat that I struggled to continue. I hated the choices she was making and how she was treating people. There were a few secondary characters that could have added something, but it felt like everyone was pushed aside for The Keeley Show.

My main issue was that the plot moved so slowly. I ended up skimming a lot of passages because it started to get really repetitive. The fun, frivolous "end of the world" aspect I was expecting never seemed to show up and as the story progressed, I just wanted it to be over.

Overall, I loved the prologue and the set up for the story, but not much else. I can definitely see how people will love it, ultimately it wasn't for me.

**Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
4270049
I thought the storyline was great but not evolved enough.  This story had the potential to be amazing but instead I finished the book with a shrug of my shoulders.  Maybe I'm so used to reading longer books??  I definitely felt that the author tried too hard to make her man character "Cas" sound like a boy.  It just seemed like Kendare Blake was new to the writing world (not sure if she is or not) and has room to grow.  The artwork on the cover is stunning.  Whoever they used for the artwork-- keep it up. I don't know if I would recommend this book... maybe if it was a rainy day and there was nothing left to do?  It wasn't horrible, I just wasn't imporessed.
1739584
Premise? Solid. World? Intriguing. Execution? Stumbles.

Seed is a book with a lot of promise, but unfortunately, it fails to live up to all of it. Let me begin by saying: don't mistake me. It's a good book, it's simply not a great one.

As a exercise in ideas and potential, it is absorbing, and there are a lot of directions it could have taken. As a stand-alone novel, I think it went in the right direction story-wise, but the problem in its execution was two-fold: poor editing and unfortunately shallow characters.

Seed is post-apocalyptic sci-fi centered in a world where climate change has run amok and brought about a second dust bowl. It's the 22nd century (so, first of all: hurray! We made it to the 22nd century!), and as the residents of America struggle through a perpetual migrant existence, a corporation has risen to the top of the food chain (literally). Satori manufactures climate-resistant seed to feed humanity, while doing predictably darker things behind the scenes.

The nomadic life and particularly the incorporation of many Hispanic and other multiracial characters and themes (characters and themes tragically skipped over in many fantasy and scifi works) lends a unique air to things that immediately piqued my interest. Mexican slang and a decent amount of the dialogue is in (pretty easy to figure out) Spanish. These characters also come with, what appears to be, a rich amount of background to draw from: a special-needs brother, traumatic family situations, military backgrounds, partner/love interests.

Unfortunately, while many of the characters seem to think "about" these things, we rarely get any depth to them. We get quick glimpses, but much of the writing style is just that--quick-paced, never seeming to want to dwell too long on any one particular point. In that regard, at least there's no "bog down," but we also sacrifice an emotional and sensory complexity that might have otherwise pulled us deeper into the depths of Ziegler's world.

If you want action, you will have plenty. That is one thing that is never sacrificed, and generally speaking, if there's going to be an action scene, there are going to be consequences. You will feel for the characters therein; largely because you may be about to lose some of those you quite liked. The character Doss is typically the star of these particular scenes, and while she could have been something more, unfortunately, her role largely is to be the "action star" of the book, while the character Brood gives us the more human angle of things, as well as experiences some actual growth.

The writer is obviously skilled, with a lot of ideas, but the editing is not great. I mean this in several ways.
  1. While post-apocalyptic settings aren't necessarily grounded in the scientific, sci-fi has a strong tradition of bearing up that undertone, and particularly where we are getting into genetically modified crops, seemingly organic cities, and clones, we somehow weave through them all with very little explanation. There was no "grounding."
  2. Furthermore, it's not uncommon to happen across things like "souls of their feet" and skin "pealing" off, grammatical and spelling errors, as well as a great many reused bits of language to describe certain happenings. A solid editor could've corrected many of these, and while taken individually one might say, "Things happen," the fact that there are so many really does add up over time.

In all, this book can be choppy at times and it's nothing that's going to knock your socks off, but for a couple days' entertainment, it's a fun and active stroll through the wasteland. It has its issues, but Seed is worth a read.