Lisa’s Comments (group member since Jan 14, 2021)

Lisa’s comments from the ARTBA 2021 group.

This book had such a good story line, but it just didn't live up to it. I found myself skimming through the last half of the book. Really unique idea, but I feel like something was missing. 3/5

Loved this book! It was almost non-stop action which made it a quick read. I think it would be great for a book club, there were so many good talking points! The main character has OCD and he has to deal with that as well as the fact that aliens are invading, because ODC doesn't just go away when you've got other stuff going on. He also is trying to find his older brother. His mantra is "whatever it takes", so you can talk about whether it's ok to hurt some people to help others. AND you've got the whole alien thing going on and how we should act if we're ever contacted by other beings. 4.5/5

I didn't expect much from another Snow White retelling, but I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected I would. The steampunk element kept the story fresh. I had a lot of questions that didn't get answered (How did they keep her alive while they built the clock heart?! What was up with the enormous bug servants?!), but it was a quick, fun read. 4/5

The story was ok, but I don't feel like this book belongs on the teen list. The main character is 14, but the story feels more geared to middle school. And the cover is very juvenile. You're not going to get teens to read it with that cover. 3/5

Good story by a great author. Should appeal to boys and girls both. It was fun to try to solve the clues as you read. 4/5

I wanted to like this one so bad! I had been eagerly waiting for it's release date. But, for me, it just didn't live up to the hype. It's a neat idea, but it just felt like there was something missing. I'm a big fan of this author's other works, and it just didn't measure up to them. 3/5

I started out not liking this one. At first, Alesandra just wants the power the king can give her. She's very cold and hard. But as the story progresses, she starts to have real feelings for him and becomes a more likeable character. Sure, there's no real surprises in the story and you can see the plot changes coming a mile away, but I still enjoyed it, and I think teens will, too. I also like that this is a stand alone novel and everything was wrapped up neatly by the end. 4/5

Really liked this one! Great little story. 3.5/5

This isn't the worst book I've ever read, but it's a close runner up. We're told what a good survivalist the main character is and then she makes one stupid decision after another. It's not realistic at all. I give it a 2/5, and that's being generous.

I agree with Kristin that it was a good story, but very confusing. I liked the main characters and think if it is a series the books will probably get better and make more sense. I just don't know if I liked it enough to read the next one. Disappointing, because I usually like this author. For me it was just a 3/5.