Squeaky Books: December 2007

Mr. Darcy's Diary-- Amanda Grange

Thursday, December 27, 2007 8:57 AM Posted by Enna Isilee , 18 Comments
Labels: Book Review

It’s Mr. Darcy’s turn to tell his side of the story.

LOVED THIS BOOK! Go read it now if you like P&P.

I was afraid, since I had just barely read P&P, that I wouldn’t agree with Ms. Grange on what she thought Darcy was thinking but I do! (Not all of you will probably, so don’t shoot me)

It was great to see through Darcy’s eyes, I fell in love with him even more. A lot of people are very shrewd when it comes to Austen “sequels” but I think this one is great. You can totally see how perfect he is for Elizabeth. In all honesty after I read P&P I wasn’t in love with Darcy (at least, not as much as I was with Firth) but after Mr. Darcy’s Diary I’m swooning. Completely swooning.

The other characters were also very well developed. I loved seeing how truly wicked Caroline Bingley is and how sweet Georgianna is.

SLIGHT P&P SPOILAGE (though you all should know this)

A little warning, Ms. Grange takes the liberty of going a couple months after Elizabeth and Darcy are married. I know that this might bug some of you because it’s not actually in the original P&P, but I found it absolutely delightful. Positively charming!

*happy sigh*

~Enna Isilee

Um... I'm not really sure what's coming soon. It could be Spellspam, Freakonomics, The Sea of Trolls, or The Land of the Silver Apples. Let ya know soon.

Fairest-- Gail Carson Levine

Friday, December 21, 2007 10:40 AM Posted by Enna Isilee , 13 Comments
Labels: Book Review

Aza isn’t beautiful, she isn’t even cute. She’s ugly. Everyone knows it, she knows it. She’s big, awkward, and her dark hair clashes horribly with her pale face. She’s surprised when she’s asked to the castle and even more so when she’s asked to stay. Soon she starts to realize that not all is well in the kingdom, but if she plays her cards right she may find beauty… or more.

Fairest… Fairest, Fairest, Fairest. Hm… I’m just going to say it. I’m disappointed. I wonder if I wouldn’t be disappointed if Levine hadn’t written something like Ella Enchanted. Then again… Fairest really wasn’t very good. The story was interesting, but the characters were confusing and complex. And things happened that didn’t seem right. People changed their minds too quickly. The love story in the book didn’t capture me, in fact it made me think, “You think that is love? Are you crazy?” there were a few rare moments when I thought it was a really fascinating story, but not many.

Levine is going to be in my area soon and I’m planning on going to see her. I suppose I’ll have to bite my tongue instead of shouting, “What happened?!”

I think… I would recommend this book, but not if you’re a die-heart Ella fan, because it’s no Ella. Have patience, some parts may not agree with you, but I thought the epilogue was very sweet.

So there’s my slightly-ambiguous entry.

~Enna Isilee

Coming soon, a review on Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange.

A Second Blog

Monday, December 17, 2007 5:41 PM Posted by Enna Isilee , 0 Comments
Labels: Other

I have a second blog that I'm going to use for movies, stage performances, and other media stuff. It's called "An Aspiring Actress's Antics." I might not update it so much as I do this one, and I'll probably be a bit more random there, but I hope it works out.

~Enna Isilee

Percy Jackson and the Olympians-- Rick Riordan

Sunday, December 16, 2007 3:56 PM Posted by Enna Isilee , 3 Comments
Labels: Book Review

Percy Jackson isn’t a normal kid. He’s dyslexic, has ADHD, and can’t seem to stay in school. Year after year he’s been expelled, his poor mother doesn’t know what to do and his idiotic stepfather doesn’t care. But when Percy discovers that he can see monsteres and be begins to wonder over the identity of his birth father, his whole life changes…

I read the first two in this series, The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters and they were both great! Perfectly delightful reads. It’s fascinating to see ancient Greek legends from a modern standpoint. The characters are very intriguing and the plot is fascinating. A definite page turner.

They’re simpler books; I read both of them in about two days. But I definitely recommend them. I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book in the series The Titan’s Curse which came out earlier this year, and then the fourth book comes out spring 2008. Can’t remember the title, something about a labyrinth…

~Enna Isilee

Coming soon, a review on Fairest by Gail Carson Levine, and after that a review on Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange.

The Last Days-- Scott Westerfeld

Sunday, December 2, 2007 6:12 PM Posted by Enna Isilee , 3 Comments
Labels: Book Review

This is a hard book to review, because I haven’t posted anything about the prequel Peeps but I’ll give it a go.

A disease is spreading through New York. Masses of people are going crazy. They begin hating things they once loved. Rats roam the streets, and “angels” are the only thing saving us so far.

What is this disease? The answer is simple, if unbelievable.

Vampirism.

Throughout the book we learn that this is not the first time vampirism has emerged, but this may be the worst, or best.

A warning. This book is the epitome of “edgy” and should not be read lightly. There are some sexual references and bad words. The people in this book are not saints. But, if this doesn’t bother you I definitely recommend it. The story is interesting and the characters are intriguing. But please be sure to read Peeps first, it gives some more background to the plot.

I won’t say any more because I have no interest in giving it away. So if you’re the kind of person who likes to read a book without fear, don’t read this one. But if you can handle it I say go for it. Had I known how “edgy” it was going to be I probably wouldn’t have read Peeps, but I got caught in the story and couldn’t get out.

With that I wish you good luck.

~Enna Isilee

Coming soon, a review on The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan