H. J. Ortiz

I was hesitant at first but ended up loving it

Revisado: 01-12-20

I am one that loves science fiction and fantasy, so I am not unfamiliar with this type of story; however, I did have my doubts about this particular story. When it gets to robots, I am not much of a fan. Robot and alien are not my type of science fiction stories. But I still gave this story a chance. The story was surprisingly entertaining with some funny and enjoyable parts.

I will admit that the story was more than I was expecting. I did not expect much for the length of the narration, but it surprisingly held my attention throughout. There were some parts that really drew my attention and had me wanting to know more and more. After a while, I felt like I was reading a sci-fi mystery. I'm really into mysteries, so I was down!

Audible Review:

I did not have any narrations with any of the narrators, and I really enjoyed the additional sound effects that play throughout this audiobook. I have listened to other Audible Originals where the background noise is too distracting from what is going on and for someone who gets easily distracted like me, that is not a good thing. However, I did not have that problem with this narration. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire narration and could listen to it as fast as a 3x speed. 

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A new, more hip mystery

Revisado: 01-07-20

I was nervous in reading this novel because I am not usually one for mystery or murder novels. It is not my preferred type of story, so I did hold off on reading this book for some time. I had it for a couple of months before deciding to pick it up and give it a chance. I simply had more books on my TBR list that caught my attention more. So from the very beginning, I had a distrust in the story and wether it would actually hold my attention until the end or if it would end up on my DNF list. I admit that I enjoy mystery and murder novels every now and then, but the shape this book took had me questioning it from the beginning. I feared that because the story would revolve around a DJ that I would not be too interested. It is not a character I didn't think I would enjoy reading about. However, I will admit that the book held my attention throughout the entire story. 

From the very beginning, the story throws you into the main conflict, as most mystery or crime books do. It is with the progression of the story that more and more details are revealed. As the main narrators learn more of the developing case, so does the reader, creating the ill-using that the reader is walking alongside the narrator and understanding the story alongside the narrators. I appreciated that aspect of the story and was happy that the story was not told from the perspective of a detective or investigator. For some reason, those type of crime and mystery novels do not hold my attention at all. I generally do not like the detective characters and find them too boring to really care about. 

This story follows two protagonists, Fuse and Kya, as the work to get to the bottom of what happened to Paris Secord (DJ ParSec). The story follows the accounts of the two narrators and their dynamic throughout the story was very interesting. The story is setup in a way that held my attention throughout. I was invested in the lives of the characters and found myself wanting to know more about the characters. I was very satisfied with this read and was glad I gave it a chance. 

Audible Review:

The Audible narrations for Spin were enjoyable. Their narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me and seems like its in slow motion. Their narration 1.25 speed was at what I would consider normal, conversation speed. The favorite listening speed for me was at 1.5 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 speed to be the best speeds. 2.5 speed was good too, but I liked 2.0 speed better and easier to follow. 3.0 was manageable but too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. However, it is manageable to those who are used to listening to audiobooks at a really fast pace. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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Not entirely sure how I feel

Revisado: 01-07-20

My initial reaction: Not entirely sure how I feel. I think I would have to re-read it again and see if I can really take it in. 

When I picked up this book, I was not quite sure what I was going to expect. I thought it was going to be similar to The Hate U Give, hitting on racial tensions, racism, and discrimination. The plot of the novel was really up in the the air, so I was prepare for whatever was to come. I will say that the novel was not what i was expecting. To me, it seemed as though there was not one major topic that was the focus. There were a lot of complications in the life of the characters, but I actually quite enjoyed that. 

I found it quite interesting that the novel did not narrow in on one major issues as The Hate U Give did for me. Barely Missing Everything rather focuses on the struggles of the characters, all of those struggles, and how those problems affect their lives. It was more realistic in the sense that the major plot and conflicts did not seem overdone or overdone as is the case in many books. I very much enjoyed the idea of portraying the problems the characters have in a realistic way and having the reader walk with the characters through those issues. 

I will add that I do wish the ending could have been different. I was not a huge fan of the ending. In my mind, I was imagining the story going in a completely different direction then the novel actually took. However, the ending was not a deal breaker for me. I still quite enjoyed the story altogether.

Audible Review:

The Audible narration for Barely Missing Everything was very enjoyable. The only really issue I had with the reading is the pronunciation of Tomasito in the story. It drove me nuts, but that was the only real issue I had with the narration. After a while, the pronunciation of this character got on my nerves. Their narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me and seems like its in slow motion. Their narration 1.25 speed was at what I would consider normal, conversation speed. The favorite listening speed for me was at 1.75 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 speed to be the best speeds. 2.5 speed was good too, but I liked 2.0 speed better and easier to follow. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. However, it is manageable. If you're used to speed listening, 3.0 speed should be manageable. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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This reminds me of Thirteen Reasons Why

Revisado: 01-07-20

I read this novel for a book club and was reading it at a point when I was watching Season 2 of Thirteen Reasons Why on Netflix. I got similar vibes and made connections in the two story lines. Though there are significant differences in the two stories, I enjoyed the connection of the two as I continued reading this novel. 

This story drew my attention from the beginning and sustained it until the very end. I will admit that I was somewhat doubtful when this book was selected for the book club. I did not think it was going to be a story that would hold my attention. The beginning of story did somewhat confuse me as it introduced the different characters. I had a similar experience with the beginning of this novel as I did with Lisa Jewell's Watching You. Both opening had me question whether or not I would be able to keep track of the different characters and remember who was who. It was more difficult for me to remember who was who, but the synopsis of the book helped me track who was who, and I used it as a reference if I ever forgot. 

The story moves at a fairly rapid pace and the transitions in narrative changes are clear. I really enjoyed the entire story and did not have any real problems with it. I enjoyed it throughout and, though the book is intended for a younger audience, I found it well written and enjoyable. I found no major issues with the writing, the story, or the characters. 

Audible Review:

The Audible narration for One of Us Is Lying was very enjoyable, and I did not have an issue with any of the narrators. Their narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me and seems like its in slow motion. Their narration 1.25 speed was at what I would consider normal, conversation speed. The favorite listening speed for me was at 1.75 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 speed to be the best speeds. 2.5 speed was good too, but I liked 2.0 speed better and easier to follow. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. However, it is manageable. If you're used to speed listening, 3.0 speed should be manageable. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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The Sun Is Also a Star

Revisado: 08-04-19

My initial reaction: Eh. It's okay. Just not for me. 

I had a similar reaction to this book as I did to the one I read before it, My Favorite Half Night Stand. In a way, I can see how someone could fall in love with these characters, their stories, their struggles, and the romance of the whole novel. However, I was not one of those people. I am not one for romances or any love stories. I read this, per a friend's request. It was not originally my intention to pick this novel up, and after reading it, it confirmed my thoughts that this book would be a good read for its audience but not for me.

For me, the struggles that I cared about (the struggles within the families) got glossed over. There were some really good moments of tension that gave me the understanding that there were issues within both characters' lives; however, I would have loved more of it. The main struggles that guided the characters throughout the novel kind of took over the story for me, and I times I felt the need to know more about both Natasha and Daniel to really understand them and empathize with them. Again, their families, their backgrounds, and their current struggles were mentioned, but I don't know why they weren't enough for me. I had conflicting emotions about how to feel toward both characters.

Another aspect of the novel that did not work for me was the structure. The way the chapters were set up made sense so the reader knows the point of view of the narrator, but for me, the setup annoyed me more than other multiple narration novels. After a while, the "Observable Fact," that kept popping up in the novel just got on my nerves. If it would have persisted throughout the entire novel, I would have just put it down and gave up, because it did get to the point that it just completely annoyed me. However it did stop after a while, which I was grateful for. Also, the small chapter interjections of other characters that the main narrators (Natasha and Daniel) run into simply confused me. I didn't know if I was supposed to care about those characters, if their parts were supposed to be important later on in the story, or if it was added simply to give a summary of those characters.

I do believe that, for the appropriate audience, the novel hit the mark. The novel was a very quick read for me, and I was able to get through it without much difficulty (reading-wise). I do think that for someone like me who is not accustomed to reading this genre, the book may go as far as seeming bland or lacking action or other elements. I am accustomed to reading books full of action and tension scenes. I got the tension from this novel but not enough action. I got one of the elements I enjoy when reading and therefore was able to get through it; however, I also see how someone reading outside their genre may not enjoy this book.

Audible Review:

Turpin, Lee, and Hoffman's narration was done well, and I did not have an issue with either narrator. Their narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. For a lot of audiobooks that I listen to, 1.0 speed is way to slow for me and seems like its in slow motion. This is one of those audiobooks that I have to speed it up to at least 1.25 speed, which I would consider normal, conversation speed. The favorite listening speed for me was at 1.75 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 speed to be the best speeds. 2.5 speed was good too. 3.0 was too fast for me; however, it is manageable. If you're used to speed listening, 3.0 speed should be manageable. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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My Favorite Half-Night Stand Book Review

Revisado: 08-04-19

My initial reaction: Eh. It's okay. Just not for me. 

This was not my type of book. I read it for a book club, otherwise I would have never even have thought of to pick it up. The plot line in interesting and kept my attention, so it was not bad. It was good enough to keep me invested in the story to see what would happen next. I found the idea of the group of friends searching for dates interesting and wanted to see where that would take them; however, I was fairly disappointed when the book took a turn down a plot that I was not really invested. Given that the main point of them searching for dates was the black-tie gala, I was expecting the story to lead the story and characters in that direction. However, the book did take a path that I was not expecting or cared much about. 

The characters themselves were not fascinating or interesting to me. I really didn't care about any of them. The only one I ever truly sympathized with was Ed. He was the only character that I was somewhat interested in. I would have really enjoyed knowing more about each of their lives, and honestly, as soon as I found out their professions, I somewhat disconnected from the story. I don't quite know why I didn't want to connect with them. Maybe it's because I am currently a college student . . . I don't know, but as soon as I found out their profession, I didn't really care much about any of them.

I finished reading this book for the sake of the book club, but it was not one that I would pick up and read a second time or recommend to anyone. Again, this book was simply not for me. It doesn't mean it is a horrible book. It is simply not the type of book that I like reading; that made the reading experience difficult for me. By the time I finished the book, I found myself saying, "really that's how this ends." I was let down by the ending and was expecting more.

Audible Review:

Thibodeaux and Lee's narration was done very well, and I did not have an issue with either narrator. I really enjoyed the sarcastic nature Thibodeaux adds to her narration; it gives the story an added layer that brought the story and characters to life for me. I enjoyed Thibodeaux's narration more than I enjoyed Lee, but Lee also does an excellent job in his part of the narrating. Their narration at 1.0 speed was also well done. For a lot of audiobooks that I listen to, 1.0 speed is way to slow for me and seems like its in slow motion. However, both of their narrations at that speed is really good. Their narration 1.25 speed was at what I would consider normal, conversation speed. The favorite listening speed for me was at 1.50 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 speed to be the best speeds. 2.5 speed was good too, but I liked 2.0 speed better and easier to follow. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. However, it is manageable. If you're used to speed listening, 3.0 speed should be manageable. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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The Fates Divide Book Review

Revisado: 08-04-19

My initial reaction: I don't know what is happening. 

If I am being honest, I read this book at the wrong time. I began reading this book during a busy time and found myself putting it down for days before picking it back up again. I really wanted to enjoy it, but given that I did not pay much attention to the first book, I had a hard time figuring out what all was going on in this second part of the series. I do blame myself for my lack of attention while reading this book and admit that some of my confusion and lack of interest in it is partially on me. 

However, with that being said, the story progressed in a way that didn't really draw me in. Again, due to putting the book down for days and not remembering what went down when I next picked it up, I found myself wanting to abandon the book altogether. I may simply have to re-read the series at a later point in time in order to really enjoy it. Though, I would like to comment that I did not find myself connecting to any of the characters in the story. When reading, I always like to find one character I want to follow and know more about, and I, honestly, did not find that character in this novel. I actually found myself confused with all the characters. I found myself forgetting who was who and which characters I was supposed to care about.

I would like to give this book another go in the future and have a much better and worthy review of it. But for now, I must simply state my thoughts when I read this book. My reading experience of it was not the same as with other books I have read. There are those stories that I read that go by so fast (the Shatter Me series) and end too soon (Girl in the Blue Coat and the Warcross duology) or those that I find myself completely invested in the lives of the characters (A Reaper at the Gate series); however this was not one of those books for me. I found myself asking when the chapter would end so I could take a break. The reading of it seemed to go by so slowly for me, that by the time I finished it, I was like, "about time." It was definitely not an experience I wanted to have, given that I really enjoy Roth's other series: Divergent. I will revisit this series and give it a second chance. I would like to think that the lower-than-usual review I am giving this book is partially my own fault. If that is the fact, I will be doing a more worthy review of the story when I revisit it. 

Audible Review:

Their narration was well done, and I did not have an issue with any of the narrators. Like with Carve the Mark, their narration at 1.0 speed was done really well and not so slow that I had to speed it up to be able to tolerate it as I have done with other audiobooks.  Their narration 1.25 speed was at what I would consider normal, conversation speed. The favorite listening speed for me was at 1.75 speed. The speed was just right for me. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 speed to be the best speeds. 2.5 speed was good too, but I liked 2.0 speed better and easier to follow. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. However, it is manageable. If you're used to speed listening, 3.0 speed should be manageable. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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Carve the Mark Book Review

Revisado: 08-04-19

My initial reaction: This book took me a while to get into. I had seen this book multiple times and have heard about it before but never really heard anyone say that this was a "must read!" I didn't hear much buzz on this book, but I still wanted to give it a chance. I wanted to read more from Veronica Roth. I had read the Divergent series which I was impressed with, so I decided to give this book a chance.

Now, my I will admit that I made a mistake when I started reading/listening to this book. When I normally read something unfamiliar to me, I usually do not listen to the audiobook while doing something else until I get a feel for the book and the author's narrator. However, for this novel I did just that: I started listened to this novel while I was working on household duties. That was a mistake I greatly regret as this novel really required my full, undivided attention from beginning to end. The reason I say that is because I had an issue trying to figure the world out. I didn't really know where the characters were for a very long time, and I will admit even when I finished, I didn't really know if I had figured that out. That may have been my fault, so I will give the novel the benefit of the doubt. It probably explained the movements of the characters in this world, I was simply not paying enough attention to realize it. Keep that in mind when reading. Above all other books I have read recently, this one required more attention at the beginning. 

When I did finally place my full attention into the novel, it still took me some time to get into it. I didn't really care for the characters. There was not one character that stood out to me. I usually like to latch on to a character in every novel I read; it doesn't necessarily have to be the main character. I look for my "book bestie" in the book and continue to follow their every move to see what the author has in store for them. I unfortunately did not find such character, which I think was the reason it took me longer to finish this book than it did the previous books I had read. The characters did not seem all that well-developed, and that made me disconnect some from this book. 

The main conflict of the novel didn't draw me in either. Nevertheless, I still got through the book. Even though I did not find my "book bestie" in this story and I was not too into the major driving conflict, I was still interested in what Roth was doing. I wanted to know what fate would await her characters, and I will say that I was drawn in near the second half of the book. I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first half, for the second half seems to be more action while the first half is more world and character building. I do think that the second book in the series will be more like the second half of this novel. I think that Roth had a tricky task at building such an intricate world. I am interested to see what will take place now that I am somewhat familiar with it. I do admit that I may have to reread this book in order to really get a feel for it though. 

Audible Review:

Butler and Rankin's narration was well done. It was not over enthusiastic or overdone. It also was not dull and boring. To me, it was just right. Their narration at 1.0 speed was done really well and not so slow that I had to speed it up to be able to tolerate it as I have done with other audiobooks.  Their narration 1.25 speed was at what I would consider normal, conversation speed. The favorite listening speed for me was at 1.75 speed. The speed was just right for me. It's hard to explain, but at that speed I could follow it best. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 speed to be the best speeds. 2.5 speed was good too, but I liked 2.0 speed better and easier to follow. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. However, it is manageable. If you're used to speed listening, 3.0 speed should be manageable. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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The Hate U Give Book Review

Revisado: 08-04-19

My initial reaction: Wow! This is so powerful! 

I was left speechless. I felt so many emotions when reading, that I did not know what to say. The narrator was created in such a realistic and relateable manner. I loved her! I was immersed in her life and the conflict she undergoes is difficult to imagine. I couldn't imagine how a teen would react in such a situation.  

The character's struggles were so powerfully written. Starr goes through so much! As if school was not hard enough, she endures so many inner struggles that bring the reality of what its like to feel like one doesn't belong. I found myself relating to her struggles. Not only that but Thomas expresses the injustices that take place.

There were so many different issues going on in this novel that brought the character's reality to life. The fact that Thomas did not hold back and simply focus on one main conflict makes this novel that much more powerful. What I enjoyed the most about this novel was that Thomas provides a variety of different struggles that reader can latch onto. 

Audible Review:

Turpin's narration was amazing and really brought the story to life. Her narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me, but starting at 1.25 speed, her narration was excellent. The best listening speed for me was at 1.50 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 or 1.75 speeds, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. However, it is manageable. If you're used to speed listening, 3.0 speed should be manageable. 3.5 speed was definitely too fast for me.

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Defy Me Book Review

Revisado: 08-04-19

I had been anticipating the release of this novel. I had spent the previous two months rereading the series in preparation for the release of this fifth installment in the Shatter Me series. After finishing Restore Me, I had high expectations for this novel. I was somewhat nervous in reading it. Mafi had announced that there would only be one more novella and novel following Defy Me, so I was hesitant in reading this one. I was scared that this novel was going to either make or break the finale for me.

As with the previous novels in the series, Defy Me held my attention throughout. I have enjoyed reading all of them so far, but I do have to admit that Defy Me fell short of the pace the others had for me. As soon as I picked one of the other books in the series, I had to force myself to put them down. However, Defy Me was easier for me to put down and do without picking it back up. Now, I was busier when reading this book than I was when I read the four previous books, and I went through several days without picking it up. However, I didn't have much desire to pick it back up right away. Naturally, I had to ask myself why that was.

The main reason I found that kept me from staying invested in the story was that it had a lot more back-flashes and background information in them. I just wanted the story to go on forward. I didn't enjoy the amount of backstory that was included. It slowed the tension of the story for me, and essentially, that was the main reason I didn't care much for picking the book back up right away.

Now, let me clarify that, I still enjoyed the events that took place in the story. Though the background info was a no for me, I was still fascinated with what was going on in the present for the characters. I will also admit that out of all the books in the series, this is the one that I found Juliette to be the most tolerable. I had mentioned in previous reviews how I wasn't too into Juliette, but this one was not bad. Before, I didn't care for the whole love triangle that carried the series, and I was very much glad that the very triangle I loathed was absent in this novel. With all of that said, I cannot wait to see how Mafi closes out the series. I am getting anxiety just thinking that is it . . . that is all for the series. I can't bear the reality of that right now. 

Audible Review:

Simses continues the narration of the Shatter Me series and is joined by Fouhey, who narrates Warner's portions of the novel, and Adam, who narrates Kenji's. I really enjoyed their work; though, like with the previous novel in the series, the narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. Their narration at 1.25 speed was the slowest speed I would listen at. The best speed for me was 1.50. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a either 1.50 speed or 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator's reading speed. 

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