Tanya H.

Wow!

Revisado: 02-03-22

I've loved all the new Skyward novellas, but this one is by far the best! the characterizations, tension, pacing, and world-building were very well done.

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I need more of these characters!

Revisado: 08-18-21

I truly enjoyed this book. It's beautiful, magical, heartwarming, and at times rather dark. But in the end, it was bright and delightful, with characters I want to spend much more time with. I'll be listening to this book again for sure, I'm delighted to hear there will be a sequel.
Not only was the story riveting but the narrator was fabulous. 5 stars from me all around.

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esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

A delightfully wild ride

Revisado: 02-03-21

What a fabulous book. By the end, I loved every character, even the villains. The main characters were utterly outmatched, and it was a delight to see them persevere again and again. A true underdog story.

The narrator was fantastic. I've never heard anybody narrate so many accents as she did in this book.

If you love magic, history, or stories of someone learning they are secretly the heir to a throne, you'll love this book.

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A favorite

Revisado: 09-16-20

This is one of my favorite series of all time. And Alan Cunning is a fantastic narrator.

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WOW!

Revisado: 03-05-20

I am so in love with this book. Every character felt real to me, like there was so much more to each person underneath the surface of what we got to see. I loved the depth to the relationships. This book also has the most accurate, poignant depiction of depression that I've ever seen in fiction, which I really could relate to. The main character's determination to fight through her depression and save those she loved was really powerful.
There was a love triangle, which I am really not a fan of. That's the only downside to this book, though. It was an exhilarating, charming, powerful read, and I can't wait for the sequel.

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A wonderful, beautiful, heartbreaking book

Revisado: 01-22-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Wow. This book was such a roller coaster ride. when I first got the book, I imagined that it would be more of a fantasy mystery/crime/thriller. While there are many murder mystery aspects, that's not the main focus. In fact, I was surprised to find out that most of the book feels more like a slice-of-life fantasy. Though there is always danger and mystery lurking in the background, much of the book focuses on Hester's everyday life in Stonehenge, Colorado. Even though this wasn't what I'd expected, I found I didn't mind it. The world that Hester inhabits was so full, realistic, and enjoyable. Terrifying too, but also wonderful. The characters and setting really came to life for me.
The book was a little slow in places. Much of the first half of the book is setup, while the second half is payoff. I'm glad I stuck around. But, really, how could I have put it down when Hester was such a delight? I adore her as a character.
This book was a very emotional ride. Hester endured so much pain and heartache, so much so that I had to take breaks from the book at places. I would not recommend it too especially sensitive readers.
My only disappointment is that, although there is a delightful love triangle, the romance ended up being very bitter sweet. I'm not sure what's going to happen with the romantic elements in the next book, but I hope it has a happier ending then in this book.

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Delightful adventure for middle grade readers

Revisado: 12-20-19

What a fun book! From the very beginning, I was in love with the concept. A kid goes through a portal to a medieval fantasy dimension but takes his cool near-future gear and tech with him. That isn't something I've seen before!
The characters were very appealing. I loved their distinctive dialogue and quirks. Cornelius was my favorite.
I enjoyed seeing Sam grow. His memories and inner turmoil surrounding his father made him feel especially real to me. He was a great main character for the novel. His unusual skills at pulling off pranks came in handy time and time again. Because of it, the characters solved the problems they faced in unusual ways, often making sneaky plans instead of facing the enemy head on, which I enjoyed.
All in all, the novel was fun and original. I can't wait to dive into the sequel.

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Both emotionally gripping and heartwarming

Revisado: 05-24-19

This story fascinates me. I'm still thinking about it days later.
It straddles the border between contemporary fiction and fantasy. It reads like fantasy and feels like fantasy. Only it isn't. Or is it? There was just enough ambiguity at the end that I can't say for certain.
The story is great. A little more emotionally heavy at points than the book 'Wonder' which I keep seeing it be compared to. We really travel along with the main character into the depths of her emotional unraveling.
I will say, though, that this books has a DEEPLY satisfying, very happy ending, which is exactly what I like. It ended with everything I could hope for and left me feeling really good. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

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A fun listen, through and through!

Revisado: 10-26-18

This story was fun. It had the same delight and wonder factor as Harry Potter, with kids from a poor background being suddenly introduced into a marvelous new setting: a summer camp where they have the opportunity to learn how to play music from some of the most brilliant musicians in the world. And yet, something dark and mysterious lurks in the background, and the adults refuse to give them answers....
Part of me wants to categorize this as urban fantasy, but it's not quite that, since nearly the whole book takes place at a summer camp deep in the woods. The setting was very interesting to me, and even inspired me. It made the concept feel fresh, whereas a story involving werewolves that took place in the city would feel a little ho-hum.
The characters were incredibly well-developed as well. Impressively so for YA. I really came to like every protagonist. The story focuses mainly on two male characters, but also has two female characters that really shine. I enjoyed every moment with them (and several others).
I also appreciated that this was a clean, all-ages story, even though my first impression was that it would be a little grim-dark. It does have some creature violence, but it's still a book that older kids could listen to and enjoy.
The story wasn't without fault, though. I really think that 10-15% of the story could be cut out if the author just didn't use superfluous wording. There are countless times when one sentence would say something, and the following sentence would say nearly the same thing in a different way. And there are other times when characters or things that had little to no bearing on the plot were described in an unecessary amount of detail. I think that if these superfluous details were cut out, the story would feel more fast-paced and punchy. I'm hoping that improves a bit on the next book.
The only other fault was that the book was also bogged down at times by unnecessary perspective shifts. The book has an omniscient perspective, and certain scenes are slowed down by us hearing multiple character's takes on what's going on when using just one viewpoint would actually make the narrative stronger. All these flaws could have been fixed with another round of editing, I think.
In short, the story itself was great! The characters were engaging and lovable, and I can't wait to spend more time with them in the sequel. I hope we can get more answers on all the mysteries that were opened up in this book. I'm hooked.

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How to write kissing scenes

Revisado: 04-07-18

This is a very short book, basically an essay, but it does have some really interesting information. Going into it, I thought that when it referred to "scintillating romance", it was speaking more of the novel as a whole, but the book really only delves into kissing scenes. That's not a bad thing! This information is very useful! Basically, this book will teach you how to write a kissing scene that feels sexy even though there is no sex. The author diagrams numerous examples from her own books, and these concrete examples are very helpful.

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