Showing posts with label greek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greek. Show all posts

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Book Review : Starcrossed

Publisher: HarperTeen
Date Released: May 31, 2011
Pages: 496
Source: NetGalley


How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Summary Taken from Goodreads
Yani's Review:
Based on Greek mythology -which can I just say feels like the new "in" thing now- this is a Romeo and Juliette esque type story really captured my attention. I started it one morning and didn't put it down till I was done with it later that night. I felt a strong connection to awkward, yet beautiful Helen and her best friend. And I was really intrigued by Helen's dreams and the family feud. I think of all the Greek mythology stories, this one is the most original (or at least I am more unaware about The furies and their mythology).

 Some compare this book to Twilight. Like Twilight, there is a strong family connection and I can definitely see where people are getting the comparisons. But for some reason the similarities didn't bother me. Unlike in Die for Me, I really enjoyed this story, despite its Twilight comparisons. I loved the family and the lore. This book to me was the total package.

I enjoyed how the romance built as well. It was insta-hate, before it turned to love, which was refreshing. Though I promised myself I would no longer let insta-love affect a book's opinion (for more of that see here question 4), it still was a nice change from the usual
My Review in a Tweet: 
a Greek mythology like no other, you will devour this tale of Star-Crossed lovers! I look forward to learning more of the lore.

Ratings:
Plot: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 5/5


Similar Titles:
Abandon - based on Greek mythology
Falling Under - a darker story based on Greek mythology
Goddess Test - based on Greek mythology
Half-Blood - based on Greek mythology
Twilight - sorry I can't help but compare

Other Reviews:
Buy the book here!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Book Review : The Goddess Test

Book: The Goddess Test (#1)
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Pages: 297
Source: ARC
Date Read: April 7, 2011

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.
Yani's Analysis:
I was hearing a lot of blog chatter about this book and immediately requested it on Netgalley. It is very different from what I am used to reading and that is probably why I never requested it before even though its been available for a while.

What won me over about this book was the Greek mythology. It was so interesting! And inside this mythical world there was a mystery to solve. It was a super interesting backstory and I love how it was all incorporated into these tests,

However, there where some drawback. Like some reviewers wrote, you have to let go of reality reading this book, just like our main character Kate did. Obviously it’s a mythical world, so how could it be real. My issue was the characters and their actions; sometimes it didn’t seem to make sense to me. I felt like the love was a little rushed and some things could have been developed more, but the backstory and the mystery really kept me reading straight into the night.

The ending was neat, everything was solved, but still open ended enough to know there will be another book coming. One I will definitely be picking up when it comes out. Normally I would give a book like this a Great rather than Amazing rating, but since I could not stop reading and I just wanted to know more and more I gave it Amazing.


Ratings:
Plot: 3/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 4/5

Similar Titles:
I know there are some new Greek mythology ones out there, but I haven't read any yet.

Memorable Quotes:
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