Showing posts with label myra mcentire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label myra mcentire. Show all posts

13 June 2012

Review: Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Title: Timepiece
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont USA
Published: June 12th 2012
Series: Hourglass #2
Source: ebook (provided by Egmont USA via Netgalley for review)
buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery
Goodreads | Amazon

Summary: A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.


Review: :( I was so so so disappointed. Everything was just meh.

Emerson and Kaleb sounded the same argh! Even though I knew even before I started reading that it was going to be in Kaleb's POV, I kept forgetting even up till chapter 15 and I got really confused when it sounded like Emerson was in love with Lily. Emerson and Kaleb were 2 very different characters but they had the same narrative style. It was done poorly especially since I read Hourglass recently.

There was very little actual time traveling other than baddies popping in and out at random moments. Which was confusing, I still don't really get how it works. I felt like I was reading material for school because I had to remember all the rules and all the ways in which things work. Like rips, portals, different abilities, different characters that rarely contribute, funky technology etc. There was a lot of information dumping because Em and gang were trying to piece things together.

I couldn't relate to anyone except Lily. I honestly didn't care for anyone. Kaleb kept talking about how others felt which meant that there was close to no progress in terms of character development since all we got were one-word emotions from everyone. Kaleb didn't even talk about his own feelings. :/ 

The ending was the worst out of all the problems in the book. 
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
So that evil lady (forgot her name) is supposed to wholeheartedly believe in someone (Lily) who stole her cool device? And she didn't notice her precious device was missing all this time??? Wasn't she trying really hard to open it? And cool-headed Lily didn't know that she could just lie to baddie until her hot-headed boyfriend told her to?
*END OF SPOILER*

Initially I was going to give Timepiece 3.5 stars but after listing all these down, it only deserves a 2.5.
So what gave it the 2.5 stars? Timepiece was exactly like Hourglass, there really wasn't that much of a progress. The only real progress that took 300 pages is the thing about why Jack wants to go back in time (which was stupid and I couldn't relate to since he is supposedly 'rotten to his core') and the Infinityglass. I guess if you really really liked Hourglass you would probably enjoy Timepiece since its the same thing, just with a different couple. The pacing was also as good as in Hourglass. I kept turning the pages even though I wasn't really into the story. Myra McEntire just has a way with words. 

Overall it was just really boring and forgettable. I don't think I would be reading the sequel.

My rating:  
Recommended for anyone who gave Hourglass 5 stars. No point reading this esp if you were on the fence for Hourglass.

10 June 2012

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont USA
Published: June 14th 2011
Series: Hourglass #1
Source: Hardcover (borrowed)
buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery
Goodreads | Amazon


Summary: One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?


Review:  Such an amazing book on time traveling! I requested Timepiece on Netgalley, without realising that it was the second in the series (I know, silly me), because of the gravity-defying cover! When I found out it was the sequel to Hourglass, I just had to get my hands on it! And boy, am I glad I did. Just in time to read Timepiece before its release on June 11 too!

Emerson was pretty cool at first, then lost all sense when she met Michael and she continued being a stupid teenager but it was bearable, I've met worse female characters. Michael was alright but he was too typical YA lover, Kaleb sounds so much more interesting. And guess what? Timepiece is going to be from Kaleb's POV, whoopee!!! Overall, I guess the characters were hohum. I really liked Thomas and Dru, they are very cool guardians. 
Read these 2 reviews on Emerson from GR: Cillian Beyond Birthday's and Karen Sunako Salt's
Those are hilarious!! I mean obviously I noticed all those flaws but I just laughed it off. After awhile, you just get used to how Emerson is and how YA novels are like. *shrugs* There were Twilight similarities here and there, all YA books seem to have that some cookie cutter thing going on so from now on I am not going to let that bother me. Just going to overlook all the corny romance and focus on the plot instead. :)

I loved the crazy twists in Hourglass but it felt a bit too drawn out towards the end. I guess it was needed to set-up the sequel nicely. Myra McEntire has done an amazing job with the pacing, I was hooked from start to end! I finished Hourglass in about 3 hours which is pretty spectacular given all the distractions around me. :P This book was actually the distraction now that I think about it. I ignored my phone and iPad for the whole 3 hours, woot! I would like to point out however, that The Time Traveler's Wife was A LOT better than this.

My rating:
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife and wouldn't mind a kiddier version. 

9 June 2012

Stacking the Shelves #1 (June 9th)


Stacking The Shelves by Tynga's Reviews is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!


So I decided to start another meme that actually happens on Saturday. I am usually busy on Sundays so I can never add my link to the linky at Story Siren's on the day itself. :(

Library:
And the borrowing continues...I officially have 10 library books at home. :O But all these were hardcovers, so freaking gorgeous how could anyone have resisted. :(((
Born Wicked: I don't care even if this books is terrible, all is forgiven when it comes to such an AMAZING cover.

Hourglass: Another one of those, ebooks-I-own-but-saw-this-hardcover-at-the-library-and-couldn't-resist. Plus, I have the sequel that I intend to review soon! :)

Wake: So many mixed reviews on this one, excited to read about dreams!! I downloaded the rest of the series onmy iPad as well.

Entwined: What an amazing cover! Plus it has some pretty good reviews on GR.

Glimmer: I liked how the blurb sounded.

Before I Fall: The reviews on GR are out of this world and this has been on my TBR list for the longest time!!! MEGA EXCITED for this one.

ebooks:  Too many to talk about individually. I mainly got them because the summaries sounded good or I have seen many good reviews on it! :) The number of ebooks I have is mind-boggling, I should really tackle them.




Share with me what you got this week! :)

P.S. All book covers on Bursting Books are click-able and will redirect you to its Goodreads page.

6 May 2012

In My Mailbox #3 (May 6th)

IN MY MAILBOX from thestorysiren
Every week you share the books you received that week...ones you bought, or got at the library, and ones that you received to review on the blog. That way you could mention titles that might not otherwise get some face-time on you blog.

It has been a little more than a month since I started book blogging and I am having so much fun challenging myself to read more and to be better at reviewing! I also got my first book review request last month from J. Meyers!!! :)

Book(s) for review:

The cover is simply amazing! Can't wait to read it.

ARCs/Galleys:

Can't believe I got these books from NetGalley! :) I have yet to read Ashfall and Hourglass though, this is a good push for me to read them!

ebooks:

Insurgent: I am currently reading it and its so awesome!!!
Deadlocked: I stopped at book 9 of the Sookie Stackhouse series, got to get back into it. :)
The Fine Art Of Truth or Dare: Contemporary Romance <3

Total books this week: 7

Share with me your In My Mailbox posts in the comments below!
Let me know if you have read any of these, if so what are your thoughts?
P.S. All book covers on Bursting Books are click-able and will redirect you to its Goodreads page.