Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

A Spoiler Free Bit About the Book

Jane Austen's most famous and beloved novel tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet, a witty, intelligent and sometimes sharp-tongued middle-classed girl in early 1800s Britain. A comedy of manners focusing on first impressions, friendship, snobbery and of course pride and prejudice.

My Review

I don't feel like I can or should criticise this excellent novel in any way. All the things I found difficult about it were the language and era it was written in which soon began to fascinate me. I've always loved history and it didn't take me as long as I imagined to fall into the 1800s and live there for an hour or so every day. It amazed me that over 200 years later the characters are still relatable even though their day-to-day lives are nothing like our own in the 21st century.

What struck me most about the way this was written was the complex sentences. Sentences went on for lines and lines and there were hardly any instances at all of a short sentence. I love short sentences but my eyes have been opened to how beautiful a long sentence can be. Because of this, there were more semi-colons than I've ever seen in one go before. No wonder people don't know how to use them these days, they've practically fallen out of use. But like Austen, I love a good semi-colon in writing.

The amount of words in italic also surprised me. There's more of it than I've ever seen in one book and it's not quite used in the same way as it is today. If anything was exaggerated even in a small way it was in italics. Like I said before, I was fascinated not only by the plot and characters but by the way it was written.

I have nothing else to say as Pride and Prejudice was crafted with such mastery I feel like I'm not able to criticise. Why would I want to speak ill of one of the greatest authors of all time?

But through all this, I'm still a Wuthering Heights girl. Sorry Austen!

Evaluation

Overall 8/10

Would I recommend it? Yes. The world of the 1800s fascinated me and Elizabeth entertained me so much more than I expected.

Would I look up the author? Yes, of course I would! I am rather interested in Sense and Sensibility as a friend told me years ago that it was better than Pride and Prejudice.


Pride and Prejudice made me feel sophisticated while I was completely in awe.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

International Women's Day 2015

Last year I celebrated this incredible day by posting a list of my favourite strong female characters to be proud of. You can read it here!

This year I thought I'd go for a different approach and list some of my favourite female authors. They're not in a ranked order, just alphabetical by last name.

1. Cecelia Ahern
2. Jane Austen
3. Emily Bronte
4. Suzanne Collins
5. Jenny Downham
6. Becca Fitzpatrick
7. Cynthia Hand
8. Stephenie Meyer
9. Lauren Oliver
10. Cat Patrick
11. Veronica Roth
12. J.K. Rowling
13. Carrie Ryan
14. Maggie Stiefvater
15. Paula Weston
16. Moira Young

I want to add myself but feel like that would be a little arrogant so I'll just say it down here. I'm also an awesome female author!

Keep up the good work ladies.

Molly Looby
Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

My YA Imaginary Literary Tea Party for World Book Day

Happy World Book Day everyone! Because I had so much fun making a list for WBD last year (40 awesome books from my shelf - read it here!) I decided to do the same this year! Here are the five characters from YA books that I would invite to my imaginary tea party.

Saba - Dustlands Trilogy by Moira Young

Gaby - Rephiam Series by Paula Weston

Todd - Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness

Patch - Hush, Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Annah - The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Just so you know, picking just five is not easy! Who would you invite to your YA tea party?

Molly Looby

Bookworm

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Abandon - Meg Cabot

Blurb

Last year Pierce flatlined following an accident.

During that time she saw a dark world and met a mysterious, irresistible boy.

Now that boy, John Hayden, has turned up at school. Every time she sees him Pierce finds herself in terrible danger. Yet she's still drawn to him.

John wants to take her back to the place she fears the most: the Underworld.

The question is, why?

My Review

I sort of got what I expected from this book. I didn't think it would be a favourite but I knew it wouldn't be terrible - and that was before I picked it up. I'm pretty good at guessing YA novels by now.

Well I was right with my prediction.

The first chapter was good, kicking the story off with a bang. I was asking so many questions as I turned the pages and I needed them answered, so I kept reading. This intrigue continued for a while and I kept reading, dying to know what on earth was going on.

By the time I started working it out, I also started to get bored. I felt like the protagonist, Pierce, was teasing me by withholding information. I know pretty much all books do this but it was the way Pierce spoke to the reader that made me feel like she was dangling the answers in front of me and then yanking them away. After fifty or so pages, Pierce was getting on my nerves.

And it wasn't just Pierce. I disliked John, the love interest, too. He creeped me out a lot and I couldn't see the romantic appeal to him at all. I actually found it really disturbing that Pierce would be attracted to this danger in her life. I couldn't understand his motives and that had me really struggling at times. I just couldn't understand him.

When I got to the end, I realised why I felt like that about John. It was because Cabot has saved all her brilliant plot twists and action and reveals and things for the next two books. Abandon really was pretty boring. It had an anti-climatic ending that was obviously supposed to make you crave the next one in the trilogy because you still have so many questions. 

That just irritated me. Save some stuff for the rest of the trilogy, of course, but give your first book in it more of . . . well something! It was just . . .meh.

Evaluation

Overall 6/10

Would I recommend it? No. I definitely didn't enjoy it enough and I won't be reading the next one.

Would I look up the author? No. I know about Meg Cabot and I'm not that impressed.

Abandon was nothing special. It was clear Cabot was saving herself for books two and three.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Haze - Paula Weston

Haze is the second book in the Rephiam series, Shadows being the first. If you want to read Shadows, which you most certainly should, you should avoid this review because of spoilers.

Blurb

Gaby Winters' life used to be pretty normal.

She lived with her best friend. She worked in a library. She was slowly getting over the death of her twin brother, Jude. Until Rafa arrived.

Now Gaby has discovered she is one of the Rephiam - descended from fallen angels. She knows demons exist. They are coming for her. And that Jude might be alive.

What she does next could change everything.

My Review

Just like Shadows before it, Haze blew me away. Everything I loved about Shadows I loved all over again and it took all of my strength not to pick up Shimmer (book three) straight away which is waiting on my shelf. I can't read it yet because I know Burn (book four) isn't out until August in the UK! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Even though it's been a while since I read Shadows, I still felt like I perfectly understood Gaby. I really felt for her. I thoroughly enjoyed following her through another action-packed story, guessing what was going to happen next. You can send Gaby Winters an invite to my imaginary fictional tea party please! I admired her strength just as much as the first time and it made me want to be braver and fight alongside her. Not many characters get that response out of me.

Again, like Shadows, I just couldn't put this blasted book down. I read the entire second half in one day. I just kept turning pages, not caring the sky was growing darker. I couldn't help myself. The breathless pace doesn't let up from the first sentence and that truly is incredible.

I have to commend Weston for her fight scenes. They're fantastic. Usually, I really struggle my way through a fight scene and have to skim them to catch the gist. It's very rare for me to follow every punch and every flash of a sword. But Weston just has this way that not only keeps me hooked on every word, but makes me understand what's going on all over the place. And Haze is not a simple book. No way. And yet, I followed every action sequence. In fact, I was always secretly hoping for one.

I just have to add that Haze was as good as Shadows and sometimes that's half the battle.

Evaluation

Overall 9/10 - the only reason I feel I can't give this book a 10 is because it was borderline too confusing at times.

Would I recommend it? Yes. Get book one and read it and tell me how much you loved it!

Would I look up the author? Yes. Have done it. Am eagerly awaiting anything else that comes out of this woman.


Haze's breathless pace doesn't let up from the first sentence and I was left with no choice but to keep turning pages.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Chancing the Truth is HERE!

At long last, I am proud to say that I'm finally ready to let it go. Chancing the Truth is out now for all the world to purchase and devour!

I couldn't be more excited to hear your reactions.

Buy it here in Paperback! 

Buy it here on Kindle!

Please drop me a review on Amazon or Goodreads, they really do help me out. All your good reviews help strangers to click the 'Buy' button and any boost you can give me will be highly appreciated.

*Chancing the Truth will be free to download on Kindle on Saturday 14th of February 2015 to celebrate Valentine's day!*

Before I let you go and buy or download my latest work of blood, sweat, and tears, I just wanted to thank you. Whether you've been with me and Felix since day one, waiting for chapters as I wrote them, or whether you've only just heard about the trilogy.

I wouldn't have the energy to do this without you.

From myself, Felix, Damien, Lilya, and the whole cast of the Immorality of Immortality trilogy, thank you for the support, love and encouragement do to this. I hope I've done you proud.

Molly 

Author of the Immorality of Immortality trilogy

molly.looby@hotmail.com

Kiss of Life - Daniel Waters

Kiss of Life is the sequel to Generation Dead, so if you plan to read Generation Dead do not read this review because it'll spoil parts of book one for you. You've been warned.

A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book

Adam's back and with that brings a whole host of problems. Not only has Phoebe got to work out how she feels about it all, she's got Pete's trial, Undead Studies and Tommy to worry about.

My Review

I didn't enjoy Kiss of Life quiet as much as Generation Dead, probably because the novelty had worn off. The characters didn't feel like old friends and some of them were starting to irritate me. Especially Pete. Usually, I love the antagonists. I love hating them and loving them. Pete had nothing going for him. I didn't feel sorry for him like I did in Generation Dead, I was just angered by his continued existence. I almost started to skip his sections entirely, though I couldn't because of the plot of course.

The first chapter though, did a good job of thrusting me back into the story and making me want to read on. Adam's struggles really made my heart ache and he was my favourite character this time around. I was always rooting for him and what he wanted, not Phoebe, the protagonist.

Unfortunately it went downhill from there because I got bored half way through. I saw where the plot was going and where we were going to end up but it seemed to take ages to get there. This book didn't have to be 400 pages long. It was dragged out way too far. I wanted a real conclusion I knew I wasn't going to get because there's still one more in the trilogy, Passing Strange, that I'm probably never going to be motivated to read because this one wasn't exciting enough.

One last thing, I found a pretty huge typo. The text said, "Tommy said" when in fact Pete was talking. I don't think there could've been a bigger mistake. Pete and Tommy are nothing alike and are on the opposite sides entirely. I just cannot believe that wasn't noticed by somebody! It's a huge unforgivable mistake to make. The two characters hadn't interacted for the whole book. Pete was talking about Tommy but that does not excuse the mistake. I was just speechless when I saw it.

Evaluation

Overall 6/10

Would I recommend it? No. The first one was good because it was new but familiar. This one didn't have that.

Would I look up the author? No. I wasn't blow away. My reading pile's big enough!

Kiss of Life was a mediocre sequel.

Molly Looby

Author / Ghostwriter / Editor / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly.looby@hotmail.com