Entries Tagged 'Action & Adventure' ↓
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.
March 7th, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Audio Book Review, Book Review, G-I, Mystery, YA Genre
by Captain Lyaf Yarr
Title: Hoot
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Format: Unabridged Audio Book
Narrator: Chad Lowe
# CDs + Minutes: 6 CDs (6 hours and 25 minutes)
Grade Reading Level: Ages 12+
Summary: Roy Eberheardt moves to Florida. On the first day of a new school he spies Napoleon running to an old ice cream truck. Unlikely friends, the two team up with a third, Napoleon's sister Beatrice, in order to save an endangered owl species habitat from developers. But the Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House corporation will do anything it takes to stop them. Can the trio prove the existence of the owls in time to save them?
Why I Started the Book:
I've seen the movie a while ago and wanted to know if the book was as interesting as I remembered the movie to be.
Likes:
- I liked how Mullet Fingers aka Napoleon is very adventurous. He never seemed frightened of what was happening or what might happen. He never gave up, and did anything he could.
- The numerous pranks the trio did against the pancake house construction site and team. My favorite was when alligators were put in the toilet. Look before you sit!
- It was clever when Napoleon had to be taken to the hospital to treat a dog wound and the kids all pretended Napoleon was actually Roy.
Dislikes:
- I didn’t like when the vice principle was talking to Roy about Roy's retaliation against the school bully Dana. Where was the principle's talk to Dana? It didn't seem very fair.
- Chad Lowe, the narrator, wasn't a very good reader compared to others I've had the pleasure of listening to. Don't get me wrong, he wasn’t awful, but he wasn't very good either. I had a hard time getting involved in the story and my attention wandered a lot. The more I think about it, the more I feel I should have read the book as opposed to listening to it.
Buy: Hoot (Audio Book)
, Hoot (Paperback)
Book Rating: I give this book 3.5 treasure chests!
Originally posted 2009-11-06 03:42:50.
March 5th, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Audio Book Review, Fantasy, Guest Review, P-R, YA Genre
by First Mate Keira, guest reviewer
Title: The Battle of the Labyrinth
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Jesse Bernstein
Format: Audio Book
# CDs + Minutes: 9 CDs (10 hours, 33 minutes)
Grade Reading Level: 6 – 8 Grade.
Summary: Annabeth finally gets her own quest and she’s breaking all the rules. If 3 is a powerful number, surely 4 is better? Tyson, Percy, Grover and Annabeth are off to find Daedalus in the Labyrinth. They need to ensure his aid of Camp Half-Blood as Luke is gathering more forces to march on the demigod camp. Can they avoid an epic battle?
Why I Started This Book:
Because it’s book four in the series, of course. I’m very glad I got this audio book and the next (final) one from the library at the same time. No waiting! Pure back-to-back enjoyment.
Likes:
- That Annabeth, Percy, Tyson, and Grover all go on a quest together. I really liked seeing the gang head off to fight and conquer together. Nobody was lost and needed rescuing (e.g. Grover book 2, Annabeth book 3.)
- The Labyrinth. It’s very cool and beats Harry Potter’s maze in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
hands down. You have dirt floors, underground sewers, aqueducts, great marble halls, skylights, and more. The maze is living and growing how it pleases.
- The Telchines, while being particularly loathsome monsters are the ones that made Poseidon’s trident. That’s pretty cool. I looked them up on Wikipedia and they’re said to be “excellent metallurgists” and to have raised Poseidon. I wonder if they’ll be an important part of the final book. Maybe be redeemed, as they were exiled in the first place for turning against the Olympian gods.
- There’s a really sweet sequence with Calypso on the island of Ogygia. She’s important in Greek mythology for trying to waylay Odysseus on his way home and by wanting to marry him. Anyway, she’s a nice (Titan?) person and falls in love with Percy. I really liked what Percy said about her as he said goodbye, calling her his biggest what if.
- Kronos/Chronus and Luke. I’m not telling, but it’s pretty darn wicked and a bit scary. I liked it a lot and I wonder how Luke is going to mess things up for Kronos in the end or if he will pull a Draco Malfoy.
Dislikes:
- Hera. Honestly, no wonder Zeus is not a god of marriage. She’s all about her perfect little family and is not happy to have anything or anyone not fit in just so.
- How many times this novel had someone say to the questing kids “you know the answers… just think about it.” Really irksome.
- Ethan – Evan – whoever he is, Jesse Bernstein does this super awesome voice for the guy but the character’s a nimrod. He’s the son of the god Nemesis and literality is the last piece of the puzzle.
- The Triple G Ranch pit-stop on the way to find Hephaestus' workshop. Flesh eating horses and manure clean-up? Yummy.
Last Minute Thoughts: Nico di Angelo is growing up but at times he can be trying. I do think his powers are pretty fantastic and I feel sorry that because he’s the son of Hades he isn’t likely to be accepted by anyone. I hope he and Percy somehow cement a strong friendship.
Buy: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Audio Book)
, The Battle of the Labyrinth (Paperback)
, 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 2009-11-04 03:51:44.
March 4th, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, A-C, Action & Adventure, Book Review, Dystopia or Utopia Societies, Guest Review, Science Fiction, Suspense or Thriller
by Second Mate Embry, guest reviewer
Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 374
Grade Reading Level: 6 – 8 Grade.
Summary: Katniss Everdeen’s sister was picked for the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games were established a long time ago when one district of thirteen tried to rebel against the capital. After squashing the rebellion, every year one boy and girl is picked from each district to go and take part in the Hunger Games, which is a battle to the death. Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place. Will she and the boy from her district survive? Will the other kids?
Why I Started This Book:
My teacher told me about it. She said it was a really good book. All my friends who have had the opportunity to read this book have loved the book. I also like Suzanne Collins as an author. It was a no brainer to pick this book up and read it.
Likes:
- I like how the Game Makers are in control of the game. They’re there to make sure that the audience is entertained. It reminds me a bit of the Roman Coliseum and the games of the gladiators.
- The weird creatures – mockingjays, tracker jackets (kind of like wasps) with hallucinating venom, and the wolf-human tribute hybrids.
- I like the setup of the story with the districts and the capital and the games. I really love how it’s supposed to be a futuristic society but that it seems so current too.
- Suzanne Collins always ends a chapter with something exciting, gross, or foreshadowing that makes you want to immediately start the next without a moment’s hesitation. She’s really good at keeping your interest in that way.
Dislikes:
- One of the themes that Suzanne Collins writes about is war and the cruelty it imposes on children. It bothered me at first that it was kids going into the Hunger Games but the story soon sweeps you away.
- I was disappointed how the book just kind of ended. I was expecting it to continue for a while more and do some more wrap up.
Last Minute Thoughts: I didn’t want to finish the book because I didn’t have book two to start right away, but I did finish it and now I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, Catching Fire
!
Buy: The Hunger Games (Hardcover)
, Hunger Games (Audio book)
Book Rating: 4 Treasure Chests.
Originally posted 2009-11-03 03:20:44.
February 24th, 2010 — 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Audio Book Review, Fantasy, Guest Review, P-R, YA Genre
by First Mate Keira, guest reviewer
Title: The Titan’s Curse
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Jesse Bernstein
Format: Unabridged Audio Compact Discs
# CDs + Minutes: 7 CDs (8 hours, 48 minutes)
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Summary: When saving two Half-Bloods from a monster, Annabeth is captured. The goddess Artemis goes off and also gets captured. The days are ticking down to the winter solstice, but there’s nothing Percy can do as his question to the oracle was left unanswered. However, the oracle prophesizes to one of Artemis’ Hunters and a new quest with new and greater dangers is undergone. Will they be able to rescue Annabeth and Artemis in time?
Why I Started This Book:
The Titan’s Curse is the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and having read the first two, it only made sense to keep going.
Likes:
- All the “A-list” gods are in this one: Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, and Ares.
- Apollo is a hunk who likes fast cars (no chariots for him) and is always randomly spouting off terrible poetry.
- Aphrodite’s maneuvering to get Percy on the quest. It’s hilarious when you get to how she did it and why.
- Hades’ kids come to play, but not in a way you would expect. Percy will explain as he figures it out and understands before the others do.
Dislikes:
- Jesse Bernstein missed the mark on several voices. Dionysus sounds different to me in this novel than in the previous editions. His voice is more like Tyson than Dionysus. Actually a few of the characters who were periphery to the quest and bad guys also sounded like Tyson. It was weird and I didn’t like it.
Last minute thoughts: I do hope the others on the library waiting list hurry up and get done with the next couple of books so I can get all caught up and soon!
Buy: The Titan's Curse (Audio Book)
, The Titan's Curse (Paperback)
, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-3)
, 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 2009-10-26 03:26:08.
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