pelicanfreak's reviews
854 reviews

This installment is pivotal for the series as it is the first in which someone dies, and the first in which Harry (that he can remember, as he was too little to remember his parents murders) witnesses death itself. Voldemort makes a pivotal move as well for his side, without saying more (don't want to spoil).

In this installment we see the children sort of coming of age, emotionally and mentally with all that they endure and we know that going forward the series will take a darker turn. This is also as far as you can pull off just watching the movies as - after this point they are hard, if not impossible to follow if you haven't read the books.

A great read, thanks to brilliant writing the reader can actually see the children growing up here - all of them, not just our three main characters - grow emotionally and mentally significantly here.

Harry, as always faces new challenges but there are several in this book which are life-threatening. A nail-biter for sure and as I said - pivotal to the series as well as a perfect sort of bridge from children into young adults happening all the while.

Brilliant. Read it.

Refreshingly NOT predictable as so much is these days... no nonsense as it picks up right where it's predecessor left off and continues with action and excitement . Without posting any spoilers I will say that the ending was great, semi-surprising without being totally predictable if that makes any sense and completely satisfying.

You will not regret a minute spent on this series and may even need to periodically re-read it. As a strict NON re-reader, I have read and re-read this series multiple times - it doesn't get old. The excitement doesn't fizzle out, even when I know what's going to happen. Suzanne Collins is well spoken which helps.

I read this in a matter of hours - it was IMPOSSIBLE to put down and it was impossible to not delve right into it upon finishing The Hunger Games. Beware - upon the ending it is also impossible to not delve right into Mockingjay - no matter how many times I have read these books, it still happens to me every time. Do not start unless you've got some free time coming up and will not be missed as you submerge yourself into the remainder of the series completely.

The action gets started pretty early into the book and doesn't stop until the end of the next book - all of it exciting and little to none predictable - this coming from someone who predicts EVERYthING and hates herself for it. Do not rely on the movies - read the books. Even if you're not a reader - you'll love this series. I haven't steered anyone wrong yet - readers and nonreaders alike -with that advice.

IMpossible to put down - don't say I didn't warn you. ;)

This book will suck you in rather early, albeit with some cringe-worthy moments but Owumi's candor is important and refreshing. Alex survived thanks to more than one miraculous event and his own perseverance. As one reader who is adamantly against religion, I must say I did not mind one bit his attributing much of his tribulations and subsequent accomplishments to his deity. His honesty in all aspects of his experience is refreshing, as I stated and his story in general is one that everyone living in a developed nation, accustomed to all that encompasses - taking much of it for granted - should experience.

Please do read this, share it - it is important that we all become more aware of the events he had the misfortune to experience. Kudos to him for writing about all of it and therefore educating those who take the time to read his story.

Oh and you won't be sorry- as it is fascinating all the while.

I only give it three stars because despite being difficult to put down, I did predict just about every movement every character made. To be fair, I have an obnoxious habit of doing that - that said, I hold more respect for those stories that catch me off guard and am always searching for them!

Dust Pan Girl was impossible to put down, I read it quickly-ended up blowing off other day-to-day activities because I simply needed to keep reading, despite feeling that I knew what was going to happen I did have a need to keep reading and find out.

For those who can simply enjoy a book without those annoying predicting thoughts coming at them all the while, you will likely rate this 4-5 stars and I highly recommend it either way. I do anxiously await the rest of the series as I do enjoy this writer and will seek more of his work.

I posted a review on amazon - he replied, seemed to be quite offended by my remarks. I do apologize if this review is offensive but I am told by my author friends to ALWAYS post "honest, spoiler-free" reviews and that is what I try to do. Mr. Fox, as I said it was predictable but I enjoy your writing and want to see more. Readers : read this!!! It's a great read, predictable or not.

I cannot say enough about this book and everyone I've recommended it to is in agreement. I read a lot, always have. I'd graduated from kid stuff and moved onto Stephen King by the time I was 8; there was just never enough for me to read. Now with school, work, & general being-an-adult-stuff I do not read as much as I used to so something has to be really good for me to have that "couldn't put it down" feeling about it , let alone for me to find the time to talk about it with others. I've been soliciting this book to everyone I know since I read it because I truly feel like everyone needs to read it AND I think it would make an amazing movie (if done right, as most books-to-movies aren't). Best thing I've read in years!

So. It does start out on a sad note as one reviewer pointed out but I was immediately hooked. I wanted to know, to understand what was happening to Riley. I had to keep going and it picks up right away. A lot of books take awhile for me to get into them -not this one. I actually put my life on hold until I'd finished this book and its sequel. The only way I could stop was once I had to- because there was no more to read. I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for the final installment of this series since. Nothing else is the same. As someone who always predicts EVERYthing I read and watch, I am very pleased to say I did not predict any aspect of this book, nor will I try to for its final installment. Dawson sucks you in, makes you care about the characters down to Riley's sweet dog. She may be an Indie or little-known author, but she shouldn't be. Normally I wouldn't go for anything in this category - despite it being outside my comfort zone, as I said I could not put it down - which has actually made me open my mind to anything and everything. This book has returned my insatiable reading "appetite" that has been long lost. I will likely forever be on the hunt for something even remotely close to as good as this one, but my search will continue nonetheless.

I have to say, I'm usually a "grammar police" jerk. I did not even care about the typos I came across in this book I was so into the content. To the grammar critics, get over it and be thankful for the amazing ride that this story offers. To the reviewer who wrote about Riley "having 4 men into her at once" or something of that nature - I do not understand where she's coming from. Read the book and see what I mean. Riley is obviously a hottie, and in a world where everyone who is remaining has lost everything and everyone, it's only human nature to be interested in one another. That was not the focus of this story at all. It does have a bit of a romance side, I suppose you could say -but I HATE romance novels and was not turned off. This book is a perfect mix of adventure, emotional roller-coaster rides with a hint of romance and a ton of good old humanity and what I think is a realistic portrayal of how people would act should they find themselves in this unfortunate circumstance. With the exception of the main character, Riley who is stronger and braver than I (probably most of us) ever could be.

Read this and if you are disappointed you can personally take it up with me - I'd actually be shocked and love to hear why!

Just couldn't get into this. Normally whether I get into a book or not , I will see it through. This was just terrible. Poorly written as in I seriously just want to edit it for this poor author. Predictable from the start, I just couldn't put myself through any more; I cannot think of any other time I failed to see a book through - I always have that hope that it will pick up but... this one was just not worth my time. I would give this author another chance, I think there is potential. Everyone has to start somewhere. As or this particular book, I'd skip it.


**That said, I recently heard from the author. She made a point to contact me, and very politely offered me the opportunity to edit this and give my input! A very gracious response to my cold review indeed and I do plan to take her up on her offer, as soon as I can find the time. I am excited to read anything else she writes as she is obviously eager to please and did show promise as I stated above.**

In a world where everything has seemingly been done before/ everything I read and watch is predictable, this was refreshingly NOT -and impossible to put down all at the same time. AN amazing read and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment. The ONLY thing wrong with this series is that I WANT MORE ! Seriously, you've gotta check this out. Go back, read "I Hope You Find Me", then this one. When you finish the first, you will NOT be able to not read this one. I don't bother writing reviews usually, but this book was amazing and I cannot say enough about it or it's author. Trish is amazing..I "introduced" myself to her via social networking and she immediately checked out my own works (blog and photography) and gave me feedback. She has a true interest in her fans, which only serves to make her more amazing. If you haven't checked her out, you are seriously missing out.
I would LOVE to see this series made into movies... one of the few that has NOT been done before, as I stated above.

A very insightful and important read - this book gives much honest insight into life in Iran, how it has come to be the way it is and why change is slow - without posting spoilers and/or directly quoting Shirin, I will say that all Americans - and really anyone else living in 'free' states should read this book. For one thing, it will remind us of how good we have it despite of course our state's own imperfection. For another it is important to spread awareness regarding the quality of life, treatment of women and why people live the way they do in other cultures. Shirin does a wonderful job of proudly describing her culture, sharing with the reader the positive and negative aspects objectively while demonstrating an obvious pride in her home and culture.

She is a wonderful writer, well-spoken and this really is an important read -while of course, managing to be interesting. Please read this and share it. FYI: the United States actually has a law in place that automatically banned this book from being published here, simply because of where the author is from. Being a lawyer, and the brilliant, outspoken woman she is - she actually sued the U.S. government, successfully for the right for this book to be available here - please do not let her valiant efforts go unappreciated.

If you've come here looking for the movie of the same name, keep an open mind. The book is different but as most book-to-movies are - in a good way.

R has many flash backs to Perry, after eating his brain and the book goes more into depth with details of Perry's life and who he is/was, along the way of course he meets and gets to know Julie - as depicted in the movie.

I liked this book - as I read if AFTER seeing the movie -usually backwards for me, I was refreshingly surprised by the differences. Differences which held my attention and made for a good story.

The book had a better, more exciting and more realistic-to-the-story ending than the movie with a different out-come regarding survivors. Not everyone is able to / or wants to be saved - true to life as well as the story.