Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice by Stacy King, Po Tse, & Jane Austen

Final Rating: 4/5 Stars

Pages: 377
Edition: Adobe Digital Edition
Time Read: 10.15.14 - 10.15.14

Summary:
"Beloved by millions the world over, Pride & Prejudice is delightfully transformed in this bold, new manga adaptation. All of the joy, heartache, and romance of Jane Austen's original, perfectly illuminated by the sumptuous art of manga-ka Po Tse, and faithfully adapted by Stacy E. King."

Review:
If you loved Pride and Prejudice, you will likely enjoy this graphic novel. If you liked Pride and Prejudice but thought the story dragged on or was uninteresting at some parts, I recommend you give this a try still. If you read Pride and Prejudice solely for its social commentary, I recommend passing on this.

It's hard for me to comment specifically on the story, as it wasn't written by the author; merely rearranged.

The artwork was beautiful. While I feel like Darcy always looked a little on the crazy side, all other character's appearances were incredibly accurate, and changed slightly to fit more with the personality. For example, Darcy is tall and dark and brooding all the time: he looks like he acts! Mr. Collins is a real hoot in this graphic novel as well.

The biggest reason I cannot give this a 5/5 is because this feels more like an abridged version of Pride and Prejudice. There are events that are changed either slightly or significantly, or are left out altogether. I can think of multiple times where I was waiting for some memorable quote to be said, or an important event to occur, and being disappointed when it didn't actually happen.

Elizabeth's personality is also a bit weaker than I would have liked; I wanted a more headstrong and sassy woman than what I got. Their portayal of her at the end, however, was one that I could really appreciate.

Overall, this is a simple graphic novel that might be a great read for a fan of Pride and Prejudice who wants a little different take on the whole situation.

I was given this book for free by the author for an honest review.

The Night of Elisa - Illustrated Edition LITE by Isis Sousa

 

Final Rating: 4/5 Stars

Pages: 214

Edition: Kindle

Time Read: 10.12.14 - 10.12.14 

Summary: 

"Sometimes, life and love can follow the most obscure paths, just as they did for Elisa.

Her life becomes a dark, cold, lonely cage the day the devil takes her as his wife. He robs her of almost everything she holds dear: her health, her wealth and what is left of her family.

Trapped between the nuances of life and beyond-life, Elisa finds herself struggling for a better tomorrow. With her health deteriorating, how will she summon the courage and strength to stand her ground? And how far will she go in the pursuit of a dream?

Embark with Elisa on this puzzling Gothic adventure set in the late Victorian era, between the world of the Living and the picturesque, melancholic Duskland."

Review:

Let me just say, I was extremely excited for this book when I saw it on a giveaway. I immediately signed up, and when I got the book I read it right away. I was not disappointed. While this is not the best novel in the world, I still was captivated by it. The entirety of this novel felt much like a Tim Burton story, and let me just say now: I love Tim Burton.

The illustrations of this story were, by far, the best part. I don't say this to sell the story itself short; it felt incredibly unique and held true to its gothic origins. But this author has some major talent in drawing as well. Every image I saw took my breath away and I couldn't help but fall more in love with the story as a result.

When putting images in novels, there are generally two outcomes; I've read both. Like this story, it can either greatly enhance the reading by clarifying objects or giving a better physical imagery, or, like another book I've read and reviewed, it can actually detract by having little or no relation to the plot.

While there was a lot I loved about this novel, there's also a few things that bothered me. The first is the romance. It was very insta-love on all sides, but I'm VERY happy to see that a certain romantic fad wasn't put into the story. Every character has some sort of immediate connection with another, and while I can appreciate connections, they were totally head over heels for each other within a week.

Another thing that bothered me was the writing flow. At times, there were a large amount of simple sentences put together, pulling me out of the story because of disruptive sentence breaks.

Finally, Elisa herself really made it hard for me to like her. For a vast majority of the book, she's laying in bed sleeping or in pain. While I get that it did work for certain parts, it honestly dragged on with how little action occured during the middle, where she stayed in bed for days at a time. I must say, Elisa did a great job at impressing me at the end though.

Overall, I'm glad to say this novel did NOT disappoint. I've been reading some novels that really didn't deliver like I expected them too, and this novel was a ray of sunshine in my dull reading experiences recently (pun intended).

I was given this book for free by the author for an honest review.

Breaking Up With Barrett (The English Brothers, #1) by Katy Regnery

Final Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Pages: 200

Edition: Kindle

Time Read: 9.27.14 - 9.27.14

Summary:
"Barrett English, aka "the Shark," is the fair-haired, first-born of the English brothers, and the CEO of the oldest, most prestigious investment banking firm in Philadelphia. He rules the boardroom with an iron fist, refusing to take no for an answer and always getting his way.

Emily Edwards, a first-year doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, grew up in the gatehouse on the outskirts of Barrett's childhood estate. The daughter of his family's gardener and housekeeper, she was always looking through the window of privilege, but forced to remember her place at the very periphery of the kingdom.

When business partners suggest that a fiancee might soften Barrett's image over business dinners, he approaches Emily for the "job" of fiancee. And while love wasn't necessarily on Barrett's radar, he begins to realize that Emily always has been. But will his take-no-prisoners boardroom tactics work on the heart of the woman he loves."

Review:
The concept of "friends to lovers" is one I feel I heard about more than I read, and it's refreshing to see a romance that doesn't go from enemies to lovers like that. The transition from friends to lovers, while quick, was one that seemed relatively believable. I didn't have to question where there sudden tender feelings towards each other came from.

The "steamy" parts of the story were incredibly well executed, and while some lingo was used multiple times and got slightly repetitive, they were not overly graphic and were not something for me to blush over and skip the part.

Both characters have personalities that are set immediately. Barrett is the big, bad, businessman. He is calculating and completely willing to manipulate people in order to get what he wants. He also doesn't take no for an answer. Thankfully, inside all that he is a huge romantic who wants nothing more than to please Emily.

Emily is the sweet, beautiful college girl. Unlike some books, though, Emily is not a pushover. She doesn't allow Barrett's commanding ways sidetrack her, and she does what SHE wants. Strong heroines are incredibly pleasing to read.

By action, I mean that the book does not start ridiculously slow and from the very beginning. It starts immediately in the story, giving information about what is going on as it occurs. The past few books I've read have all started in that same, slow, building up way, so I am thankful for a change of pace. When introduced, Ms. Regnery makes sure to not introduce too much without background, and includes it relatively quickly, answering your questions before you can really start to get irritated by the confusion.

The only complaint I have about this book is that it wasn't longer. I feel like much more in the way of details and conflicts could have been added. As it stands, all conflicts in the book are incredibly trivial and are resolved within the chapter, minus the main conflict of the book.

This was a book I struggled to put down. Granted, it took me all of four hours to read including breaks, it was still interesting. I would highly recommend as a beach read, as you will likely be able to finish it in a day. I would especially recommend this if you need a feel good, cute romance on a rainy day. The plot isn't overly complex or hard to follow, and in the end it will leave you with a big smile on your face.

I was given this book for free by the author for an honest review.

Asylum (Asylum, #1) by Madeleine Roux

 

Final Rating: 3/5 Stars

Pages: 313

Edition: Hardcover

Time Read: 9.24.14 - 9.30.14

Summary:

"For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried."

Review:

I am totally in love with the idea of asylums. The stories behind them are just so fascinating to me. Because of that this book's concept is automatically something I enjoy.

However, the characters in this story were relatively stagnant throughout the entire book. While you had the obvious changes such as when Dan begins to see memories and receive notes from an unknown source, their personalities do not grow in any way. To be frank, I didn't feel any sort of connection with any character and I didn't see any change or development.

The plot of this story was so predictable the only thing that surprised me was the very end. Every single time something new was introduced it was painfully obvious was was going to happen with it.

If you are looking for a teen romance, do not read this book. The relationship in here is appallingly weak; I need to pull out a microscope to see it. It honestly seems like something thrown into the story just to appeal to those who find it necessary for a couple to be in every book they read. The friends dynamic was more than enough for the story, and the romance felt clunky at best.

Throughout Asylum, there are photos that are used to give visuals on certain parts of the story. There were some that I really appreciated and even found creepy; others were very obviously fake and did nothing to immerse me more in the story. I feel like the pictures would have been much better if they weren't all green and were more sepia or black and white.

The ending held the major plot twist that surprised me, and I quite enjoyed it. The action involved in it really drew me in and kept me into the story until it finished.

This book was a quick read for me, and while it was interesting it didn't do much in the way of really drawing me in. The only reason I held so much interest was due to the subject of Asylums. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a somewhat quick read that might give them some chills if they're easily scared. I also recommend it for anyone who is interested in Asylum related books. It's a decent read for any fan of YA for Halloween!

The Silent Deal (The Card Game, #1) by Levi Stack

 Final Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Pages: 359

Edition: Kindle

Time Read: 10.1.14 - 10.11.14

Summary:
"WHEN VIKTOR AND ROMULUS, two peasant boys, dig into their town’s strange past, they awaken the wrath of a mysterious overlord. As the blood brothers struggle to survive, their search for answers takes them through gambling parlors, fortune-teller dens, and moonlit forests full of monsters and men alike. But even with the help of their friends, can they escape the dark experiments that their foe is creating in Staryi Castle?"

Review:
It is a wonder I finished this book. While the topic seemed interesting, it was so incredibly difficult to want to finish it. The only motivation I had was getting it done and over with; not any interest in the story itself.

The first two thirds of The Silent Deal go so slowly that I had to force myself to read a chapter a day. The chapter titles are essentially summaries of the chapter itself; it defines a lot of what is going to happen.

The last third of the book should have been about 100 pages sooner. It is the most redeeming quality of the story by far, and is incredibly action packed. It is the reason this book has 2.5 stars instead of 2.

There are a few issues I have with this story. The characters in this story didn't grow at all; they all had personalities that flatlined in the first few pages of meeting them. The girls in the story seemed to have the answers immediately; they were solutions that were thrown in merely to move the story faster. The pacing in this story is horribly inconsistent. As stated above, it goes from painfully slow to having everything that progresses the story happen at once.

Another thing to note - I'm not sure if this story is supposed to be fantasy, or historical fiction. It seems kind of like it should be fantasy, but there's no telltale signs.

Overall, I can't really think of a group to recommend this to.

I was given this book for free by the author for an honest review.

Nothin' But Trouble (Echoes of Ossiria, #1) by Vivan Lane

 Final Rating: 3/5 Stars

Pages: 122

Edition: Kindle

Time Read: 10.13.14 - 10.13.14

Summary:  
"Trouble—that’s what Catherine was from the day William laid eyes on her. He didn’t get involved with clients, and after his sire broke his heart and abandoned him, women were of little interest beyond sating his occasional lust. But when a college girl is dumped in his lap, he soon discovers an irresistible temptation he only has six weeks to explore."

Review:
This book... was not terrible.

If you've ever seen the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you are going to have one heck of a time reading this book. The ENTIRETY of it felt like a Buffy fanfiction, complete with even the names.  Tallis, who calls himself LIAM (Angelus' human name) when he meets Catherine, is an Angelus clone. His personality is the exact same.  Celia, parallel to Drusilla, was William's (Spike in the show)sire, who ended up going crazy because of Tallis. Sounds familiar, huh? It gets better.  William had gruesome conquests up until Drusilla- oops, I meant Celia, left him, after which he was heart broken and decided to settle down and start a business with Alicia (Anya in the show), who is a GENIE. She's greedy for all the cash she can get.  However, Catherine, the heroine of the story, really isn't like Buffy until halfway through the story, when she suddenly gains the confidence to backtalk with a guy who could kill her right there if he wanted to. Sounds very Buffy-esque, right?  PLUS, William is majorly british, and uses terms like: bloody, wanker, and the most Buffy of all: PET.  He starts to call Catherine PET.  Daaang.

The dialogue at times was witty and cute, mostly towards the middle/end.  The writing was average.  I had a major problem with the constant PoV switches between William and 3rd person; they really weren't necessary and didn't add much to the story. At times they just confused me.

The world building was less than average. Why does there need to be a house/school devoted to making prostitutes? What is the reason for that?  It existed for the sole purpose of having a reason for sex to occur.

And what was going on with that ending? I had really enjoyed the book up until the last chapter or two, when it got really bad. It honestly SHOULD have ended about halfway through chapter 31. The epilogue really ruined a lot of the story just for the sheer unbelievability and randomness it throws out there. I'm going to go on a rant using the spoilers now.

 THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE ENDING...

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Tallis is an old vampire. Like, at least two centuries old from what I got out of this. HOW IS IT that some girl who randomly discovers her "powers" as a paladin less than a year ago managed to not only hide said powers from him, but stake him, just like that? It was painfully unrealistic and should have been left out, as it honestly took away from the story.  And WHO is Mike? Why did he have to exist? Mike was thrown in at the last two pages as Catherine's fuck buddy, who had no reason to exist at all besides some sexy dialogue to finish off the book.  Not happy about that guy.  All the romance that was built up between William and Catherine (which wasn't much) was totally null and void at that moment.

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NO MORE SPOILERS. CONTINUE READING NOW.

There was little romance between William and Catherine.  It was mostly lust between the two throughout the whole story, which I can actually appreciate in a book like this. There was no instalove, no sudden relationship or feelings that pop out of nowhere. Catherine actually mentions not wanting Stockholm Syndrome, something that I could really appreciate in a romance like this.

Overall, it's not BAD, but it's average.

I was given this book for free by the author for an honest review.