Review: The Actor and the Housewife

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I liked it. A little different than her typical novels and risky for Shannon Hale's usual audience but this woman knows how to pull off a good story. Great characters. Funny, sweet, charming, and heartbreaking at times. There's a good reason why she's one of my fave authors.



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Review: Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



Ugh, I tried. It's an interesting idea and all that, and could have been a good story, but I just can't get into the main character. She's not believable. And neither are the other two corners of her love triangle (the prince and the captain). She's supposed to be this notorious assassin, but she doesn't have a hardened, dark, conflicted, or menacing bone in her body. She gets excited about candy and puppies for crying out loud. There are not nearly enough examples of cold calculation or searing flashbacks or nightmares or self-loathing struggles that you would expect a youngish girl to have if they've spent traumatic years training and earning a living as an assassin. Am I right? If Maas could make me believe that Celaena is the troubled and conflicted assassin that she claims to (and should) be, I might read on. But it just seems like she created the same old love triangle formula and then slapped the label "assassin" on it to make it more interesting. But didn't really follow-through.



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Review: Shatter Me

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I love that the author found a new narrative style with the "strike-out" phrases. That alone made the novel feel more unique. The story is well-told from the point of view of Juliette, whose "stream of consciousness"-like narration reflects her state of mind after going through some traumatizing experiences. It's more interesting than disorienting; not overdone. I'm just not sure why the novel decided to go all super-hero at the end with her in a skin-tight purple suit ready to take on the world. Uh, what? It felt abrupt and unnecessary; I just wanted a better idea of how Juliette's "disease" is going to serve a purpose moving forward. And it didn't really answer that question.



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Review: City of Heavenly Fire

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



As usual, a page turner. I'm kind of relieved that I'm done with this series. I'm getting a bit tired of YA books with all their teenager makeout scenes. What happened to the thrill of anticipation and the chase?



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