Science Fiction Fantasy Books

Rick Riordan's THE LIGHTNING THIEF is the first in his children's fantasy series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and it sets up a world in which denizens of ancient Greek mythology are alive and well in our contemporary times. I dig Greek mythology, so this book was a no-brainer must-get for me. Halfway thru reading THE LIGHTNING THIEF, I jumped online and ordered the three sequels (and then, of course, I went back to reading).

A bit on the plot now: He's never been quite that ordinary boy, hasn't 12-year-old New Yorker Percy Jackson. Suffering from dyslexia and ADHD and always having peculiar things happen to him, Percy has always felt like an outcast. The schools he's attended have all singled him out for expulsion, and at home he shares an uneasy existence with his abusive dad-in-law. The only bright lights in his life are his supportive mother and his only friend, Grover, who's a bit of a sissy. But, it turns out, there's a reason for all of Percy's woes...

After even more weirdness in his life (including his math teacher's attempt to kill him), Percy Jackson finds his way to Camp Half-Blood (a magical refuge and training ground for fellow demi-gods), where he finally learns that he is the son of the sea god Poseidon and destined, it seems, for big things. He also learns that his best bud Grover is actually a satyr. Percy's tumultuous time at Camp Half-Blood ends abruptly when he's charged with a quest to retrieve Zeus's stolen lightning bolt, a task intended to avert a cataclysmic war among the gods. But the quest comes with a ten day deadline. Ten days, to trek cross-country from New York to Los Angeles, where the Underworld and its god Hades await. Bad for Percy, good for the reader.

There's also a little running subplot centering on Percy being wanted by the police for juvenile delinquency. Percy's also implicated in the disappearance of his mother.

Rick Riordan aims his urban fantasy at a pre-teen audience and hits his mark, but also manages to net older readers. At 375 pages long, THE LIGHTNING THIEF doesn't claim the heft of a Harry Potter novel, or its complexity, inventiveness, or resonance - not yet, anyway. Comparisons to Harry Potter are near inevitable, what with both lead protagonists embroiled in prophecies and heroic destinies. Not to mention, Annabeth - half-mortal daughter of Athena and, with Grover, one of Percy's quest companions - might seem too familiar a character, reminiscent of a certain brainy teenaged witch at Hogwart's. To me, so far, Rowling's stuff is superior, but then, I've only read the first book in Riordan's series. THE LIGHTNING THIEF still qualifies as an entertaining and lighthearted fantasy adventure. I'm not at all surprised that a film series is in the works (I hear, sometime in 2009).

I really enjoyed the sense of fun running thru these pages. Particularly when the author unveils his wicked chapter titles, my favorites being "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-algebra Teacher," "Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death," and "I Battle My Jerk Relative." And, yet, Riordan instills enough seriousness in Percy's adventures and the epic stakes are treated with enough concern that you can't just dismiss the story as strictly a farcical fantasy romp. I admit, though, that the sequence with the bed & mattress store may be a bit too silly.

I like the conceit of gods dwelling in our midst, and specifically the Greek gods, who, in many ways, seem to be as petulantly human as we regular mortals. Riordan postulates that the gods have always been drawn to where western civilization is at its most potent. And this time around, that's in the States. As such, we get to read about the kids braving the Empire State Building, on which 600th floor the hidden Mt. Olympus is anchored. That the Underworld is now located in Los Angeles seems too perfect for words. Meanwhile, a passing familiarity with Greek mythology is nice and heightens the enjoyment, as Riordan goes to reveal how certain mythological figures have adapted to modern day life.

I'm not yet sold on Percy Jackson, the character. The story is told thru Percy's first person perspective, which means that at times the narrative is streaked thru with attitude and pre-teen anxieties. Percy displays all of a modern kid's characteristics; he's at times hip and sardonic but also abrasive, foolish, hot-headed and exasperating. And I guess that's realistic enough. I think I like the kid, and I certainly can't wait to read more about him. Himself new to the magic around him, Percy makes a good point-of-view character, as he interacts with these folks cut from old legend and as he stumbles onto his demi-godlike abilities. I also dig the magic pen.

Fast paced and with enough moments of Percy and company being beset by monsters, THE LIGHTNING THIEF ends in a way which lets you know that Percy's challenges will only continue to mount. The stage is set in later books for Percy to face off against a foe perhaps even more formidable than the Olympian Gods. Percy Jackson will certainly have a chance to become a great hero. And, really, when your name is short for Perseus, there's a lot to live up to.

I had read the Harry Potter books and like most I was dying to find my next read. I picked up Percy Jackson and was shocked. I ended up enjoying the series MORE then Harry Potter and can't wait till book 5 is release.

Fans of Harry Potter will love this! It may be for children, but I enjoyed this book ALOT!! Good story plot & it will test your knowledge of Greek legends & mythology.

Don't believe the reviews that call this book a masterpiece or a classic. Where in the world did this over the top hype come from? I bought the first three books based on the overwhelming claims it was so good but the books are absolutely horrible.

Of my four kids, not one finished the books. That speaks volumes for how awful this is. I was the only one to keep going as I was certain there had to be something. There wasn't.

Riordin's writing is sophmoric. At times it seems English is his second language. His reuses the same or similar phrases. He uses many unnecessary modifiers. He adds extraneous words for filler. The dialogue rings false almost in its entirety. To make matters worse, the story is derivative and cliche. Anyone who's read about Hercules and Greek myths knows where the story was taken from, and the concept has been done to death already.

I know it's a matter of taste, but nearly anything would be better than this.

It was a good book. I am waiting to read the 4th book. I am on the wait-list at the library!

Sweet and well written. Easy to read. Loved the characters.
There are certainly flaws, but I easily forgave them because I was so engrossed by the story. Like many other reviewers, I was sad it ended and could not stop thinking about it for days after.

I may be too old for romances (I'm more in love with grandchildren than lost loves these days} but I read this book upon a recommendation from a friend and I appreciated the emotional power of this book. It reminds us of love found and lost over a life time. I would recommend it to anyone with an open heart. It is very moving.

I'll say it up front; the book is not perfect. There are a few moments of deus ex machina that stretch credibility - even for a time travel story - and a few sections where I wondered just where the author was going with the story. However, in spite of its flaws, I finished this more moved by anything I've read in a very long time. I fell in love with Henry and Clare early on, as the author's delicate prose sucked me in. I thought at first the 1st person/present tense, switching back and forth between the two characters, would be distracting, but it took no time at all to forget that was what she was even doing. Her voices at Clare's different ages were clear and distinct, and while I sometimes lost track of all the Henrys, I wasn't that bothered by it since frankly, Clare did, too.

I was entranced by the first two-thirds of the book, but the last third came with an ever-impending sense of doom, as the ending hinted at came barreling closer and closer. I read faster and faster, desperate to get to the full disclosure. I can't say that I regret it, either, in spite of the heartbreaking last few chapters. A keeper for my shelves, most definitely.

AMAZING! AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING. You will not regret buying this book. It is now my all-time favorite.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It's multi-layered and leveled--and so are my feelings about it. I would say for about the first 400 pages or so, I considered this novel something analogous to an old pair of comfortable shoes. I enjoyed it once I picked it up and got into it but it was rarely anything to which I looked forward....and it was always around and comfortable to go back to but certainly nothing flashy or exciting. That being said, the last hundred pages are terrific and you can't turn the pages fast enough. What impressed me the most is that the author did not, at the end, go for the cheap emotional fall out. It would have been very easy to manipulate the last pages into a tearjerker but it was handled in a very dignified way. To say more would approach "spoilerdom".

I'm not a science fiction fan at all and the whole concept of time travel is difficult to fathom. I guess I'm too much of a realist. I must say, however, the subject matter, time travel included, was handled very matter of factly and that speaks to the author's skill. In other words, I was not put off by it at all. I see almost no way one can come away from this book not caring about Henry and Clare and their circle of significant others. Actually, if the truth be told, I think a little too much of the book was spent on what was going on with different people at different times and probably could have been edited down a bit. I say this because at several points the novel started to ramble--although never boringly.

The one beef I may have is with the "Bridges-of-Madison-County" ending. To me, it seems highly impractical, if not unrealistic, that someone will remain so fervently in love with a person who is not around for many, many years--almost to the point that they exist only to worship at the "shrine".

It is my understanding that a movie of this novel is being made. It will be most interesting to see how they handle the time changes without confusing the audience. I will probably be the first one in line. Good book...and by and large, very well done.

Betrayed is book 2 of the "House of Night" series. It is freshly written about teens that become marked to potentially become vampires. This is not your run of the mill series about vampires. It is more about teens who feel they don't fit in either at school or at home and have not had someone to help them realize their full potential in life. The metaphor of "the change" from human to vampire is subtle but easily grasped by teens that everyone has great potential even if they may not see it at a point in time of their life. The series is full of wonderful characters both good and evil and some who may have lived a life of evil and truly want to change if only someone showed them they could. There is great light comedy throughout and perfectly used when things get too serious. I would highly recommend this book for mothers and daughters to read and talk about. While it is completely entertaining you can't help but see the underlying messages which are all positive!

I wasn't a very huge fan of Marked because it started painfully boring for me. My review for that book was very brutal. For redemption, though, I think that this book is a good light read. Ohhhh~ I like.

This is the 2nd book in the House of Night series by the Casts. It follows in the same vein as the 1st book. The writing is mediocre but the plot is fairly engrossing.

Zoey has only been at the House of Night for a little while yet she is taking over the most prestigious group in the school; the Dark Daughters and Sons. While she struggles to figure out how to make this group a positive one, she is still being haunted by vampire ghosts. She is starting to think things are not what they seem and something deeper and darker may be happening at school. Then there is her ex-boyfriend Heath to deal with and a super-hottie vampire that seems to have an attraction to Zoey; of course she is supposedly dating the drop-dead fledgling Erik, but how is Zoey to deal with all the love problems and the more life threatening ones?

This book just isn't written that well, and neither was the previous one. There is lots of teenage drama and a fair amount of action. Despite the poor writing the story is engaging and interesting to read. I really find myself wondering what will happen to Zoey next. Some of the drama with her boyfriends gets bit old and some of the plot is pretty predictable. Still, it kept my attention so I guess it must be an okay book.

Will I read the next one? Again, maybe if I can find it somewhere for cheap, used.
karissabooks.blogspot.com

Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird is adjusting to her new life as a vampyre fledging at the House of Night. She's also learning the ropes on being a nurturing leader of the Dark Daughters. She is still dealing with Aphrodite, her biggest competitor and nemesis at the academy, but she soon learns that there is more to this rogue teen than meets the eye. However, things take a turn for the worse when a couple of football players from her old high school turn out dead. Who could be causing this? It is rumored that they are vampire killings, but neither Zoey nor her friends would do such a thing. If that wasn't bad enough, Zoey is happy with her boyfriend Erik, but is drawn to her ex-boyfriend Heath and intrigued with a hottie teacher with a knack for haiku. Oh, and is Neferet -- Zoey's beautiful and wise mentor -- all she appears to be? And what is happening to Stevie Ray, Zoey's best friend? Someone very close to Zoey will betray her. As the leader of the Dark Daughters, she will have to handle the situation on her own...

Betrayed, like Marked, is a dark and compelling teen paranormal novel. Zoey is a believable character, and her friends -- with the possible exception of the very caricatured "twins," Erin and Shaunee -- are three-dimensional and wonderful. The story takes a few steps away from the storyline in Marked. The most noticeable one is Erik as the main male character. Somehow it seems that the story will shift more toward Loren's direction as Zoey's possible male lead in her life. He does sound pretty hot, though the older teacher thing kind of creeps me out in a teen novel, even if it's one centered on vampires. I have no attachment to any of the male characters so far, so this is sort of a weak link for me in this series. The twists and turns are interesting, but I'm not thrilled with the cliffhanger type of ending. I do look forward to reading Chosen, but I probably won't crack it open for a while. If you're looking for a compelling YA vampire series (especially now that Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series is coming to an end), then this one's worth a try.

I had problems with the first book - mainly the anti-organized religion message & the high level of sexuality for the teen readers' age group. However, it was a fun story. I enjoyed it.

I read Betrayed hoping that the story would get better and the other stuff disappear. The opposite happened. More church-people-are-evil, and now Zoey is interested in a teacher. And there is a lot less story.

I mean a LOT less story. I kept putting the book down because it was so BORING. The characters who were cute in the first book are now just annoying. ("Easy" "Peasy" "Japanesy") Zoey is behaving out of character (how could she be interested in Heath again?). And all our understanding of who is a good guy/bad guy is thrown up in the air.

On the last, if that had been well done, it would have worked. The problem was it was badly done, obvious, and seemed like it was more for the effect than anything else.

I wouldn't recommend this book. I'm done with the series.

The sixth of seven magical sisters, Joley Drake has the gift of spell-singing, a talent that has helped her skyrocket to fame and fortune. For the beautiful rock star, life on tour can be crazy, hectic, and fraught with peril. The paparazzi hounds her, and the trappings of success have brought down some of her band members, bringing the Russian mob to her doorstep, and with them, the one man she cannot resist.

Ilya Prakenskii has lived his life in isolation, cultivating his reputation as a ruthless hit man and bodyguard as he works to bring down his current employer. His existence had been cold, emotionless, until the first moment he heard Joley's voice. And after meeting Joley in person, he knows she is the one woman fated to be his. For Joley isn't the only one with magic in her blood, and Ilya is prepared to use every seductive trick he can to keep the songstress into his life, forever.

As danger explodes around the pair, Joley turns to one man she believes to keep her safe. But even as passion burns bright between the two, Joley has a decision to make. Should she play it safe or risk everything and give her heart to a man she isn't completely sure she can trust?

Prepare yourselves for a fiery, passionate romance which is, indeed, as turbulent as the sea. Christine Feehan has written yet another incredible installment in her Drake Sisters series. Ever since book three of the series, Oceans of Fire, I've waited for the dynamic pairing of Joley Drake and Ilya Prakenskii and Turbulent Sea lived up to my expectations. Ilya was dark, dominant, and completely endearing in his absolute certainty of his love for Joley and his determination to keep her safe. In Turbulent Sea, Ms. Feehan shows a more vulnerable side to Joley, who on the surface seems so strong and carefree, and the contrast only makes her more endearing. The desire brewing between Ilya and Joley was spellbinding and pulled me in from the start. The passionate draw between the two could have carried the story on its own. Yet Ms. Feehan drew me in further with the underlying tenderness between Joley and Ilya as I watched two souls learn to trust one another with their love.

So often I read books where the heroine, though likeable, is simply the mechanism for me to fall in love with the hero. Not so with the Drake sisters. Each sister is a fully-fleshed, realistic character I love for herself alone, and Joley is no exception. Where Ilya is dark and cold with hints of lightness in his soul, Joley is brilliant, vibrant, with just enough darkness to understand Ilya. The two compliment and complete one another, but even before I fell in love with their romance, I had connected to both Ilya and Joley for themselves alone.

If I could ask for one thing to be included in this book, it would be for Ilya to share more of his past with Joley. As it stands, however, the book was fantastic from beginning to end and both the characters and the story felt fully realized. Ms. Feehan does not disappoint - I Joyfully Recommend Turbulent Sea and cannot wait for the youngest Drake sister, Elle, to get her story. Simply fabulous!

Shayna
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Let me tell you about author that is versatile in the paranormal venue. MS Feehan is a master! As Nora Roberts is the queen of romance writing. MS Feehan is the ( I feel ) undisputed queen of paranormal. You did Ellie good.

I CAN SEE WHY SOME WOULD WANT MORE FROM THIS STORY REALLY ITS BECAUSE YOU JUST WANT MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE. I LOVED IT AND OF COURSE I TOO WANTED MORE HOWEVER I RECOGNISE WHY I WANTED MORE. IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ A CHRISTINE FEEHAN BOOK START AT THE VERY BEGINNING AND READ ALL HER BOOKS THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT FOR MS FEEHANS NEXT BOOK AND THE NEXT AND THE NEXT

I was utterly disappointed in this book. After waiting a year for this book to come out because the chemistry between Joley & Ilya was incredible in Safe Harbor, I was waiting for a spectacular book that delved deeper into their connection, why they had a connection, why all 7 sisters have the same sort of powers in limited form, why they have powers, and why, if #7 has the most power, are there 6 others with power?

Instead, I got a lot of nonsense about a mobster trafficking young girls to the white slavery market...where did that come from? A lot of new characters I could care less about, almost no interaction with the other sister, and still no answers.

This book was a mess. The only redeeming quality were the love scenes.

However, I would love to see a book about the Prakenski brothers if someone else could write it. I'm only going to wait for the last one because I don't like unfinished business, but that will be the last Feehan book I read.

Turbulent Sea was a great book!! Definitely one of the best Drake Sisters novels that Feehan has written. I love Joley's character and Ilya is hot!! I do wish there would have been a more in depth explanation about Ilya's background, but all in all, the book was great!

Michael Scott's THE MAGICIAN: THE SECRETS OF THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLATTIEL tells of a dangerous magical book of Abraham the Mage which could destroy the world, and which holds the secret of eternal life. Dee is two pages away from knowledge and destruction - and only Josh and Sophie - who are thousands of miles away - can stop him. Immortality, magic, and a fast-paced pursuit make for a gripping story high school students will relish.

I am a huge fan of Percy Jackson & Harry Potter. It is hard to compete with books like those. This series is just as good. All 3 series are similar yet they all have their niche. Great books, highly recommened.

I had been waiting for the Magician since I read the Alchemyst. The author has captured my attention. History, fantasy, and mythology are seamlessly blended into a story that pulls you along in an exciting, action-filled plot.

The author rarely wastes our time, every chapter he brings to us new developments, some answers, and yet more questions to be answered in the next novel. The characters are all utterly believable, and the questions that surround characters like Flamel and Dee kept me hooked.

It is rather hard to believe that Scott managed to cram this book in a short time (a day or two,) but living through every second with the characters makes the story, their actions, and everything else more credible.

I simply cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.

I ordered The Alchemyst to see if I'd be interested in this proposed series. Even though it is written for young adults, it is interesting to see how the author handles the rumors of Flamel's long life. It's a fun read.

Loved every word in this book! I miss the Harry Potter books terribly, and picked up the first book in this series simply because it mentioned Nicholas Flamel, a name I recognized from the first Harry Potter book. I was hooked and waited impatiently for the next book to come out, was so happy to see it! I just finished reading it, and found it better than the first!! I love the inclusion of historical places, and characters! I get thrilled "meeting" characters from the past! It is such a great series!!! I CAN NOT wait for the next one! Great story.

I am writing this review to share my thoughts about this book, Ender's Game. First off my feelings about this book are mutual. I both liked and disliked this book.

First, what I disliked. I did not like how they treated Ender at the Battle School he was asked to go to. He was only six years old at the time he entered and the things he went through would have been tough for any preteen these days. Clearly what the Battle School was doing was trying to make him a better soldier but instead they just about ruined him for life. He would never be the same.

Second, what I somewhat liked. I did like how the book always kept me guessing and left me with questions that were eventually answered. I liked how Ender finally made some friends and became a great soldier.

Basic Outline of the Story:

This book is about a boy named Ender who is selected to go to a Battle School. We experience all of the hardships he goes through and all of the good things. We come to know both sides of him. The bad side most like his brother Peter and the good side most like his sister Valentine. Ender becomes a great soldier and is graduated to Command School. There he learns a lot of military tactics to fight off the enemies from a different planet, the "buggers".

This is what I basically thought and a brief outline of the story. I hope this was helpful to all viewers.

I kept seeing Ender's Game recommended by others but it seemed like a young adult type book so I moved on several times. I finally couldn't ignore the shear number of 5 star ratings for this book. It lived up to it. I devoured the book in a few days (fast for me.) I was surprised to find that I actually took some things away from this book that I used in dealing with people who work for me. What a fantastic story. Left me wanting more. I have already purchased "Ender's Shadow" and "Speaker for the Dead" - you will love what that means by the way - and can't wait to read them as well. The basic story line is aliens have attacked the Earth twice and nearly decimated the human race. The last time they attacked was about 80-100 years ago. In the meantime, humans have devised a way to identify and train a "super leader" to save us the next time the aliens attack. Ender is six years old when he is identified as a potential candidate. He is sent to battle school to learn to lead and fight, etc. He is basically pushed to his limits because he is our last hope. That's all I will tell you. The pay off was worth it for me. Enjoy!

This book is the first part of an astounding series of four books; Ender's game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind. Although interesting, deep and often fun in itself, Ender's Game serves a greater role of introducing the child Andrew Wiggan, his sister and brother Valentine and Peter, and the concept of another rational (the books use "sentient") Alien Species, known unaffectionately as "The Buggers". Ender is a sensitive but brilliant young boy whose combination of intelligence and desperateness for survival, and extraordinary empathy make him invincible in any setting, physical attack, mind games whatever. And hence set him up to be the potential saviour of the the human race in their war to the death against the Buggers. But this book is really a lot like "The Hobbit" is to "Lord of the Rings", and establishes characters who are in the later books a vehicle for astounding ideas and insights ranging across science fiction, physics, religion, psychology, romance, courage and self sacrifice. With a few small tussles between good and evil thrown in. I feel certain that in 100 yrs after their writing these books will be considered a pinnacle of a style of literary creation. Get reading

I had to read this book for my AP Literature class in 12th grade. I found this to be my favorite of all 5 books we had to read. This novel is not only a spectacular example of science fiction, but it is also an examination of the human spirit, humans as a species, how much control one has over one's life, and children. I thought Card did an interesting job of casting away the typical stereotypes by presenting children in a very mature light.

For those of you who are reading this to learn about the plot, this is the story of a young boy whose "destiny" is to save the human race from the buggers, an alien race that is trying to wipe out humanity. Ender trains in Battle School, led by the IF, and in the process, learns more about himself. I won't spoil the ending, but remember that not everything is always as it seems.

This is a terribly overrated book. The writing is dated, and card doesn't seem to have ever met any children. In one review Card says that "The ideal presentation of any book of mine is to have excellent actors perform it in audio-only format." Yeah, that's because he can't write well enough to give the characters any real depth, or, well, character.

Also, is it a coincidence is it that virulent homophobe Card has named his alien enemies "buggers?" I think not.

Unless you are 10 years old, I wouldn't waste my money on this book. It is definitely a book for a young reader who doesn't require an in-depth plot to keep up his/her interest. Definitely a disappointment for those who are Patterson fans.

I was very disppointed in Patterson's new series for Young Adults. The kids at our library liked the Maximum Ride series for the first couple of books, so I was waiting for Daniel X's series. The teens at our library read a much better caliber of writing than this book. There were very interesting story lines in the book, just no development. Perhaps a few less books by the author, and more effort put into the books he writes, would be wise.

THIS BOOK WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED OF JAMES PATTERSON. I AM A FAN OF JAMES PATTERSON'S WORK. IT WAS OK, BUT IF I HAD KNOWN WHAT THE CONTENT WAS I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT.

James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge's THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X receives a fine narration by NBC actor Milo Ventimiglia as it tells of a man born with the power to create - a secret which has helped him survive yet is proving his greatest challenge. Add a dilemma which makes his power key to mankind's survival and you have a gripping thriller which springs to life in audio.

This book is sophomoric, trite, poorly written, and boring. Older elementary readers might enjoy it.

I just finished the 3rd book in the series-Chosen-and I have to warn you.
It's an intertaining story; however, MANY of the books characters are poorly undeveloped. The "twins" are too much alike and have no real personality of their own, and you hardly ever hear from Erin. The story itself takes place over the course of 2-3 months (that's ALL 3 books.) And yet these people she meets are her best friends right away, but once Zoey runs into some problems they turn on her. Then the nastiest character ends up being more of a friend then the rest of them.
The guys are all 3 the same, and fall for Zoey sooo fast for no reason. I thought there would be a lot more to Erik Night and was totaly let down. Zoey starts of telling Erik how "I'm not that kind of girl," and then she ends up being "that kind of girl," with 3 diff. guys!! Don't get me wrong, Zoey is a likable girl and even relatable, but for a smart girl, she sure is dumb! And then there is the whole repetitive problem...after the first book-Marked-the other two books repeat almost everything over in the fist half of the books!! I don't know about you, but if i need THAT much of a recap, then I can just go back to books 1 and 2!!...GET ON WITH THE STORY! lastly, I really feel that the books should span a much longer deration of time; all of book 2 takes place in a matter of a week. Come on, give us some more time with the characters, let ginuine love and trust, and friendship develop for a while longer so that the things that happen between the charachters is more beleivable.

In the beginning of this series I was a little worried but each book has drawn me in. Definitely a good read for this genre.

Okay I tried to like this book. I'm young at heart and enjoy a good high school story, but this one has a some glaring problems that I could not get past.

1. There are more run-on sentences and typos in this book than I have ever seen in a professionally published novel. Two sentences cannot be hooked together with just a conjunction. The comma is not optional. This mistake is nearly on every page of the book, at least every other page.

2. It is never okay to portray a student having sex with a teacher as a good, exciting thing. This book is listed as a teen novel. What worse message can you send than it's exciting and wonderful to get physically involved with the teacher? I'm no prude, but it's not cool for a young high school girl to make out with an adult male teacher. It's not even legal.

3. Zoey is a spoiled and unlikeable character. She'll make out with anyone with lips, and we're supposed to think it's okay bc she has a fleeting moment of guilt? Wrong. She's spoiled and cruel. If a guy were physically involved with 3 or more women at the same time he'd be portrayed as a player and a jerk, not a hero. It's not okay to toy with people's emotions in a relationship by cheating on them, and it's not okay to describe it as a fun thing. If it happened in the book with the attitude that it was a bad thing, then it would be different. Honestly if a guy were playing Zoey like she is playing them, wouldn't we hate the guy? Then how can we like Zoey without having a sexist double standard? In fact the only redeemable trait I can find for Zoey is that she wants to help Stevie Rae. That's just not enough for me. Who wouldn't want to help a friend in an extreme circumstance?

4. Zoey's grandmother was the most likable person in the book for me up until when she became a hypocrite. She seems to be an open-minded accepting person bc she is kind to Zoey when her mother is not. However she is angry with Zoey's mother and step-father bc they won't accept Zoey's religion, but then she makes a blanket comment about Christianity's main tenant being that things that are different are evil. I don't doubt that many people claiming to be Christians behave this way, but there are idiots in every religion. The main tenant of Christianity is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Love your neighbor as yourself.) That seems pretty tolerant of everyone to me. I KNOW many people don't follow this, but if they don't they're not really a Christian at all. You can't criticize someone for being intolerant of your religion while making a snarky, incorrect, generalization about another. It is hypocrisy, and characters that we are supposed to love should not be hypocrites. I'm all about tolerance, but it needs to be tolerance for all, not just those that you personally like.

5. The twins behaving like they're in a Doublemint gum commercial for the entire story also drove me crazy.

6. Every guy is described in the same way. They're all tall and drop-dead gorgeous. It's like they're all mannequins from the same department store, except for the one Christian male in the story. Characters need to be diverse, and love has to be based on more than being gorgeous. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with beautiful characters, but they can't be cardboard cutouts. Each needs to be unique, and if they're a romantic lead they need to have other admirable traits besides being Zoey's lapdogs (or how's about a personality?). In this book it's one cardboard cutout that's been xeroxed a few times.

I can enjoy a great dark story provided that it's well-written, with likable characters, and a good message. Even the most brutal tragedy can have a good overall message. Chosen, however, had none of these details for me. I'm sorry to leave a book a one star review, but I can't bring myself to rate it any higher.

This saga has been quite consistent. To be honest, I fell in love with Twilight but New Moon and Eclipse broke my heart and Breaking Dawn was a painful read; I almost killed myself. But this series continues to provide me a consistent stream of entertainment since it didn't get my hopes up that high and then shatter it. This book is adequate but a good read none the less. I think this one is not as good as Betrayed though. but yey, go zoey get that neferet!

I read the reviews on this book before I bought it and was really surprised at the number of people that didn't like it since the previous books were so awesome. I am even more surprised now that I have read the book because I think it complements the series extremely well. Zoey is not perfect and neither are her friends. Throughout the book I kept asking myself what would I do if I was in Zoey's shoes and I never did come up with an answer. She has to make extremely tough decisions and as such, she becomes a stronger and wiser "fledging". A reoccurring theme in the book is forgiveness so I feel that although the ending left you hanging and was more somber than the others have been, you still feel the hope of a better tomorrow for book 4.