Anita W

• Rated 4 stars

“i love the fablehaven series. i recommend it for harry potter fans, although i think it has more to offer and the characters are easier to relate to. mull definitely knows how to spin a yarn and throw in twists that keep the reader hooked and waiting for more. nice cliffhanger at the end of this one. can't wait for book five!”

Anita W wrote this review Tuesday, May 5 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“this is a great urban fantasy trilogy. recommended for anyone who likes adventure mixed in with their romance.”

Anita W wrote this review Tuesday, May 5 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“i love it! very well written, rounded characters, and a true journey in finding one's own self and humanity.”

Anita W wrote this review Tuesday, May 5 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“i picked this one up because i've been increasing my GLBT collection for the teens at my library. i was expecting another typical coming out of the closet novel with the main conflict/struggle being the main character coming to terms with his homorsexuality. that wasn't the case at all and i was pleasantly surprised. instead of alex's homosexuality being the main focus of his identity, it was portrayed as being only part of who he is and that's refreshing. the main focus of his identity was his love for horses and his passion for dressage. the book was laugh-out-loud funny, the characters were extremely lovable, and there was plenty of good information about horses. i wouldn't describe this book so much as a GLBT book as i would a horse story. great for all horse lovers! i highly recommend it.”

Anita W wrote this review Thursday, November 6 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“i really enjoyed this book as far as the plot and characters. while jo got a little too obsessive about cosima for my taste, i still found her a very raw and real character, a young girl growing up on the road with nothing but her father and no female influence. it's easy to see how she can make so many bad choices in her life, especially after the only stability in her life, her father, disappears mysteriously. my biggest problem with this book is that i'm not sure it should be listed as a young adult novel. there is plenty of profanity and sex and too much mature content. it is, however, a powerful coming-of-age story and very much worth the read.”

Anita W wrote this review Friday, September 5 2008. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“when i ordered this book for my young adult collection i thought it had potential. it wasn't what i expected. the concept of reading from different perspectives was good, but i found fancy's chapters hard to read and at times irrelevant. the chapters told from the kidnapper's perspective were creepy and almost simplistic like the man didn't think like an adult. he thought like a child which made it even creepier (is this how child molesters truly think? i have no idea). the book is reviewed in the journals as a thriller but i felt like it never got going. it built up to the kidnapping and that lasted only a few chapters until autumn escaped and then the book was over. the kidnapper committing suicide was massively unsatisfactory (he should have been prosecuted - he didn't deserve the easy out of death) and autumn's situation seemed too neatly resolved by the end of the book. that child has years of therapy ahead of her but the book made it seem like, oh the kidnapping episode is over, you're fine now. i would have liked to see some chapters told from stevie's perspective and also mim. they were two very interesting characters whose stories never got completely told.”

Anita W wrote this review Saturday, August 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“i didn't think this was a very realistic take on an actual holdup at a fast food restaurant. i liked the idea of using several characters' different points of view to tell the story. however, i have a hard time believing there is a high school student (a senior no less) who would be stupid enough to believe the kind of tall tale that dylan wove for joe in order to get him to help with the robbery. i also find it hard to believe someone would be desperate enough to borrow a truck in order to go on a date with a girl he didn't really know. the two most likable characters (and perhaps most believable) are manuel and mrs. wilkins. sara was completely one dimensional as was alex, so their points of view weren't even necessary as they didn't have anything insightful to add. a quick read, suspenseful enough (as i did have to finish it to find out what happens next) with an okay ending, but for realistic literature on violent crimes among teenagers, i would skip this.”

Anita W wrote this review Monday, July 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“kind of mediocre. it had its funny moments but it seemed to try to take on the humor motif of "the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" and it didn't succeed very well. it was amusing enough which is why i gave it three stars and not two, and it read very quickly (finished it in a couple of hours) but the characterization and plot line were upstaged by the weak writing that attempted a slapstick humor. for a silly read, it's cute enough, but i wouldn't recommend it for someone who enjoys good characters and a developed storyline.”

Anita W wrote this review Monday, July 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“i really liked the first three books in this series. i find it an interesting take on the werewolf idea - a girl raised by wolves, can communicate like wolves, even thinks she is a wolf at times, yet is human. her wolf companion, blind seer, is my favorite character. my fellow wyoming-ites will berate me for this one (particularly the ranchers) but there would be nothing cooler than a wolf that can communicate and think like a human to the point of being a close friend. while the first three books in this series were so riveting that i couldn't put them down, the last two were definitely a disappointment. i haven't even attempted to read the sixth one merely because the information on the inside flap of the book jacket doesn't sound very interesting. i bought it because i have the other five and i will eventually get around to reading it. however, if anyone has any insight on the sixth book (i believe it is called "wolf's blood), could you let me know whether it is worth it, not worth it?”

Anita W wrote this review Friday, July 25 2008. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I finally read the Twilight series last year after all the hype and the fact that the book was never on the shelf convinced me that this is something the teenagers are begging for. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the book was after beginning with certain trepidation. I thought it was just another silly vampire love story. However, I immediately fell in love with Bella despite the fact that on the surface she isn't a very likable character. Her obsession with Edward borders on the ridiculous as does her desire to become a vampire and her fear of growing much older. Also, i could never understand her absolute aversion to marriage even though she adamantly insists that she wants to spend the rest of her life with Edward. If she is willing to become immortal for him, then why won't she marry him? Despite all her inconsistencies and silliness, Bella is endearing and tragic and through three books she feels real and almost like a friend. The reader really cares about what happens to this character and wants what is best for her. Jacob is my favorite character (like Luke in City of Bones, I just have this thing with werewolves!) and I find myself rooting for him even though most of the Twilight audience is obviously rooting for Edward. Edward is controlling and arrogant while Jacob (when he's not a werewolf) is kind and sweet and worshipful with a little bit of reckless mixed in. As was once observed about Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Spike, "The girl likes a little monster in her man," and this is definitely true of Bella as well. Stephenie Meyer has been keeping her fans on their toes with this complex love triangle and however the story ends in Breaking Dawn, it is sure to receive real emotional reactions. Can't wait for Breaking Dawn!”

Anita W wrote this review Thursday, July 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )