Entries Tagged 'Audio Book Review' ↓
June 5th, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Audio Book Review, Coming of Age, D-F, Paranormal, Romance
by First Mate Keira
Title: Revelations (Blue Bloods, Book 3)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Narrator: Christina Moore
Format: Audiobook
CD Count + Minutes: 5 CDs (6 Hours)
Grade Reading Level: 9th Grade +
Summary: Schuyler is now officially adopted by the Forces and living under the same roof as Jack and Mimi. Talk about awkward. Some believe that Schuyler’s half-blood blood isn’t Red Blood and Blue Blood but actually Silver Blood. They’ll find her essential though when a group of Silver Bloods attack an ancient place of power in Rio de Janeiro.
In hopes of getting rid of Schuyler permanently, Mimi is rushing Jack to the altar. She wants the bonding ceremony and she wants it now. Jack isn’t exactly holding her back, but he’s not a willing participant. He might have an unshakeable bond with Mimi, but their relationship for him is more like a duty, not a romance.
Bliss is no longer blacking out, but she’s starting to have gruesome visions. The one that scares her the most is of a man claiming to be her father. How can this be true? It doesn’t make sense.
The family behind the Silver Bloods is finally revealed to readers. The clues are finally all added up. Did you guess right?
Why I started this book:
I just finished reading Masquerade and Revelations is next in the Blue Blood series.
Likes:
- Schuyler moving into the Force family home. I'm not sure how it happened, because she was supposed to be emancipated by her grandmother's will, but I'm all up for getting her and Jack into close living quarters.
- There’s a funny reference to Harry Potter in this book when Schuyler ruminates that the 2nd guest bedroom was hardly the cupboard under the stairs.
- Publicly Jack keeps up the front that Schuyler means nothing to him, but privately it’s a whole other story. They begin to meet in clandestine locations to spend time together using Oliver as a cover.
- Kingsley is still around and bugging the heck out of Mimi with his very presence. Isn’t he a Silver Blood and a traitor?
Dislikes:
- The love triangle. Oliver is a good friend, but I’m not a big fan of friends to lovers romances. I get not wanting to hurt his feelings, but Schuyler needs to suck it up and put on her big girl panties. My hope for this series is for Jack and Schuyler together. It will only happen if Jack stands up to his sister and if Schuyler puts herself forward. (Crosses fingers.)
- Jordan is a real weird kid. I’m not sure how I feel about her as a character. She’s definitely creepy. I wonder what will happen to her now that she’s been kidnapped.
Buy: Revelations (Blue Bloods, Book 3)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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June 3rd, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Audio Book Review, Coming of Age, D-F, Paranormal, Romance
by First Mate Keira
Title: Masquerade (Blue Bloods, Book 2)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Narrator: Christina Moore
Format: Audiobook
CD Count + Minutes: 6 CDs (7 Hours)
Grade Reading Level: 9th Grade +
Summary: After her grandmother’s death, Schuyler heads to Italy in hopes of finding her grandfather, Lawrence Van Alen. Cordelia felt he would be able to shed light on the Silver Bloods and help Schuyler become a better vampire… something he doesn’t appear to be too keen to do. As a half-blood she could use all the help she can get, especially after her human and vampire blood start to fight for dominance.
Meanwhile, back in New York, Mimi is helping plan the traditional Four Hundred Ball where she and her brother Jack will be presented to all Blue Bloods with their official angel/vampire names. She’s also planning an exclusive after party for the teen vampires from the Duchesne school. She can’t wait to spill the beans about how she and Jack are destined to be together forever as a bonded pair.
Bliss keeps having blackouts and waking up in odd locations. Some of the time its like she’s trying to sleepwalk and kill herself – drowning in Central Park, flinging herself off of skyscrapers, it’s maddening. What’s going on and will it ever stop? How is this normal?
Why I started this book:
I just finished reading Blue Bloods and Masquerade is book two in the Blue Bloods series.
Likes:
- I liked the Masquerade ball and the mysterious gentleman with the black mask who kisses Schuyler. It’s a cute scene.
- Christina Moore continues to excel as a narrator. I would gladly listen to any fictional story that she read.
- Dylan comes back – he’s not been killed off by a Silver Blood.
- Kingsley the new Blue Blood at Duchesne isn’t what he appears to be – but is he friend or foe?
- Making Mimi Force sweat made me ridiculously happy. I knew she'd get off, she's clearly not the one harboring Silver Bloods, that'd be too easy.
Dislikes:
- The clear set up of Oliver as a second love interest.
- Chares Force is a big pain and doesn’t act very much like an archangel to me. Is he going to rise and be Michael or is he going to remain an ostrich with his head in the sand? This constant denial of Silver Blood return is old.
Buy: Masquerade (Blue Bloods, Book 2)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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June 1st, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Audio Book Review, Book Review, Coming of Age, D-F, Paranormal, Romance
by First Mate Keira
Title: Blue Bloods (Book 1)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Narrator: Christina Moore
Format: Audio book
CD Count + Minutes: 5 CDs (6 Hours)
Grade Reading Level: 9th Grade +
Summary: When Schuyler Van Alen turns fifteen her whole life changes and what she thought she knew is turned on its head. She discovers she’s a Blue Blood vampire, that her best friend is a conduit, a girl from the cool group reaches out to her, and Jack Force, the hunky all star of Duchesne, kisses her. But at the same time bad things are happening from a murder of a popular girl to a rash of attacks. Schuyler is determined to find out the truth even if it puts her in grave danger.
Why I started this book:
I picked up this audio book and the two sequels to Blue Bloods at the library for something to listen to while traveling back and forth to a major city not far from where I live.
Likes:
- Schuyler Van Alen makes a good protagonist. She’s a half-blood—part human and part vampire. A new soul. Her existence throws everything else off balance.
- Take Jack Force for instance: He’s bonded for years and over several lifetimes with another, who in this reincarnation is his sister. Now that Schuyler is around he’s helplessly drawn to her in a way he can’t describe.
- Their forbidden romance is a good draw. It’s an arc that will obviously develop over the next couple of books. Jack is the mysterious hot well-liked popular boy with a dark streak a mile wide and centuries old to Schuyler’s offbeat, gothic, hidden in the shadow’s type personality.
- Bliss is great. I like how she became friends with Schuyler, even though they aren’t from the same high school cliques.
- Narrator is fabulous with a wide array of voices, accents, and emotions to draw from. A great choice for this book series.
Toss-Up:
- As for vampires really being cast-out angels and once followers of Lucifer… I can take it or leave it. With this background knowledge it’s not too hard to guess who the ultimate bad guy will be and it’s not the Silver Bloods (corrupted vampires).
- Mimi Force as a character is very good for the story. She’s a typical mean girl with an inflated opinion of herself. She’s snobby and entitled with a pathological need to be number one. That said, I didn’t really like her or her POV sections.
- Speaking of POV changeups… At first, I wasn’t too keen on the head hopping between the three major female players (Schuyler, Mimi, Bliss) of the story; it took time to get used to the practice. By the end of the book I was indifferent to it.
Dislikes:
- The world building elements that predispose the Duchesne kids to drink like fish, smoke like chimneys, and generally act in ways that would be devastating for normal kids yet are left unpunished because there are no consequences for vampires that indulge excessively. I don’t think it sets a very good example, especially when nearly all the perpetrators are underage, technically speaking. It’s very off putting.
- The first half a dozen or so descriptions of consumption in the historical illumination sections.
- Jack and Mimi’s supposed relationship – icky and weird – even after the explanation.
Buy: Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods, Book 1)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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April 29th, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Audio Book Review, M-O, Paranormal, Romance, YA Genre
by Captain Lyaf Yarr
Title: Eclipse
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Format: Audio
Narrator: Ilyana Kadushin
# CD's + Minutes: 13 Cd's (16 hours and 23 minutes)
Grade Reading Level: Grades 9-12
Summary: Edward must face the consequences of him leaving in New Moon. That consequence is Jacob Black. There is an uncomfortable love triangle between himself, Bella, and Jacob. Edward's and Jacob's rivalry can't last forever though. They must find a truce and work together to save the girl they both love from an army of newborns.
Why I Started the Book:
I started this book because I enjoyed reading the first two and I wanted to know what happened next!
Likes:
- I liked reading this book as an audio book. I got a lot done I was cleaning my room, writing posts and doing my homework while I was listening.
- I liked the part when Jacob kisses Bella and she punches his face but breaks her hand. Then Jacob gets threatened by Edward. Jealous boys are too much fun.
- I like how this book wasn't just about Edward and Bella or just about Jacob and Bella. It was mixed!
Dislikes:
- Ilyana Kadushin is not how I pictured Bella. I'm not sure she's the right reader for this series. Her Edward Cullen wasn't very good and kind of ruins him as a character.
- Why does Jacob think that the first kiss he gave Bella was a good one? I mean seriously? Bella breaks her hand trying to stop him and he thinks that it was a good kiss? Boy is stupid.
Last Minute Thoughts: After reading this book it makes me curious if I'm team Edward or team Jacob. What are you and why?
Eclipse is my favorite book out of the series... so far anyway. I can't wait to find out the ending. I wonder if I read this book instead of listened to it if I would like it better.
Buy: Eclipse (Paperback)
, Entire Twilight Saga Unabridged CD Package (4 audio books)
, Eclipse (Spanish Edition)
, The Twilight Saga Collection in Hardback (Books 1-4)
Book Rating: I give this book 4 Treasure Chests! I enjoyed this book very much and I'm going to read Breaking Dawn as soon as possible. I'm itching to know what happens.
Originally posted 2009-12-29 03:23:50.
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March 11th, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Audio Book Review, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Guest Review, P-R, YA Genre
by First Mate Keira, guest reviewer
Title: The Last Olympian
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Jesse Bernstein
Format: Audio Book
# CDs + Minutes: 9 CDs (11 hours, 01 minutes)
Grade Reading Level: 6 – 8 Grade.
Summary: The final showdown has begun and it’s time for Percy Jackson to hear the prophecy in full. The Titans are warring on several fronts and the forces of the Olympian gods are split. Mortals know something is up and are suitably terrified. There is a spy in the midst of the Half-Blood camp and the Ares cabin refuses to join the plans Percy and the rest of the camp are organizing. Which so much fraction and friction, is there even hope that the good guys can win especially when it all hangs in the balance of one 16 year old’s hands?
Why I Started This Book:
It’s the last in the series and I wanted to know the ending of course!
Likes:
- Riordan cuts to the chase and starts with action immediately. No running around pointlessly in the forests (Deathly Hallows) for Percy and his friends.
- Morpheus’ role in the war. He puts the mortals to sleep in New York to protect them or at the very least if so charitable a notion is impossible to believe, keep them out of the way.
- Hestia, the ‘last Olympian’ on Mt. Olympus because at home is where the last hope is kept.
- Again Hades is the first to do the right thing and join the campers in the guarding of the Empire State building, followed very closely by Poseidon providing the much needed relief against Typhon the Titan.
- The final battle on in the throne room against Kronos/Luke and the trio: Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. Very, very good!
Dislikes:
- The constant back to back skirmishes, fighting, and battles. It will certainly be an action packed with no time for breathing sequence in the movie companion that is for sure. At times it was a little overmuch, but I think that might be because I listened to it versus reading it. It seemed to drag on, especially when everyone and I do mean everyone not aligned with the Titans is involved.
- Luke’s mom and the back flashes. Creepy and weird.
- Rachel becoming the next Oracle of Delphi.
Last Minute Thoughts: Percy’s huge decision is one of two things, either: A) He trusts Luke to do the right thing. Very meh. B) His wish of the gods. There is some potential in the second. What do you think?
Buy: The Last Olympian (Audio Book)
, The Last Olympian (Hardback)
, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Hardcover Boxed Set (Books 1 - 5)
Book Rating: 4 Treasure Chests.
Keira runs a book review blog for readers by readers on romance novels entitled Love Romance Passion. She’s been reading romance since she was in her teens and began blogging about romance so she could share her passion for her favorite genre. She loves reading paranormal, Regency, historical America, and highlander most of all and completely adores blind and wounded heroes.
Originally posted 2009-11-10 03:16:50.
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