It's been a while since I've read a book that was this hard to put down. I think this was my favorite of the three books in this series and helped to put all the pieces together from the first and second books.
Zeitoun
I've seen the footage and heard the news reports on Hurricane Katrina, but reading this man's first-hand experience living through the storm was pretty shocking.
I wanted to quit reading a few times, but I hate leaving books unfinished, so I gave it another chance. I got about a third of the way in and there was a surprising twist that got me I interested again. Starting at part two, the book just goes into a really weird direction and I don't really care at all to see it through to the end.
I decided to read this again before seeing the movie, it's even better the second time. I usually can't read something more than once, but now I want to read the entire series again.
Sequels to these kind of books always seem to be a let-down, so I went in with pretty low expectations. The writing style used was interesting, I think the back and forth between the past and present was a good way to keep the reader's attention. The author definitely leaves you wanting more; now to wait for the third book in the series...
I enjoyed this one more than the first in this series. The author reveals the reason behind Will's rude, cynical personality and there are a few more clues as to what and who Tessa's parents were.
I had a harder time getting into this book, but once the plot really got going, it was full of surprises. It does mention an incestuous relationship, but it does it tastefully. I think it's a necessary part of the story to explain why the twins were so backward. The epilogue is the only part that I had a problem with. It seems like it was just added without any real explanation.
This book got so many really good reviews so I feel a little guilty about not liking it. I have never been able to get into books or movies that replay the same day over and over (in this case 7 times) so that is probably a large part of the reason that I didn't enjoy it. Some of the situations were a little hard to believe, but maybe that comes from growing up in a different area. I did like that the author really made you think about the fact that we never know what day could be our last and to make sure to never leave anything unsaid or unresolved.
A lot like Matched, this book is set in a future where jobs and spouses are chosen by the government. The difference is that love is considered a disease that causes suffering and even death if not "cured" by brain surgery by a person's 18th birthday. I loved the writing in this book, I couldn't put it down.
The first half was really slow for me and I felt like I had to learn a new language to understand what was going on. It would probably be more enjoyable to listen to rather than read. Once the plot really got going I really liked it, but I wasn't quite as impressed with this one as with his other books.
Really interesting facts about how much our high school's text books omit and sometimes even change about our US History. It got a little repetitive so I skimmed the last half, but still a good read.
One of the best books I have read since The Hunger Games. Loved the characters, there was plenty of action, and it was just different enough that it doesn't feel like a rip off of any other book.
