Resenha #29: Desaparecidas por Tess Gerritsen

Desaparecidas
Autor: Tess Gerritsen
Editora: Record
Ano: 2009
Gênero: Suspense
Páginas: 384
★★★★★

Comprar: Livraria Cultura*
*Finalize a compra de Desaparecidas através deste link e ganhe 10% de desconto.

Aquela mulher parecia ser mais um corpo na mesa fria do necrotério. Mas quando a legista Maura Isles inspeciona o cadáver, algo assustador acontece: a mulher abre os olhos. Ainda viva, ela é levada rapidamente para o hospital. Mas o bizarro logo se transforma em perigo. Com uma precisão chocante, ela mata um segurança e faz reféns... um deles, uma paciente grávida. Quem é essa pessoa violenta e desesperada, e o que ela quer?

Mais um livro lido e ainda não encontrei outro tão envolvente como O Cirurgião. No quinto volume da série de Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles, Gerritsen segue o ritmo do terceiro, O Pecador: prende você até os últimos capítulos, ansioso para ver de que maneira o caso é finalmente solucionado, quando o desfecho nem chega a ser tão empolgante como você previa.

Tenho percebido esse declínio, um tipo de ritmo descrecente de suspense, ao longo de cada história desde o segundo volume, O Dominador. Este é apenas um ponto negativo entre inúmeros positivos acerta dos livros da autora, cuja leitura altamente recomendo.

A volta de Jane Rizzoli como protagonista da trama e principal investigadora do caso me agradou bastante. Não quero soltar nenhum spoilers da série, logo não posso prolongar muito os comentários que faria sobre a mesma ao longo de Desaparecidas. É necessário destacar, no entanto, a volta do agente Gabriel Dean à série, quem mal foi citado nos últimos dois livros da série e é um dos meus preferidos, claro.

Em geral, espero uma melhora “rítmica” quanto ao suspense em O Clube Mefisto no desenrolar e desfecho do caso. Mas, de qualquer forma, acredito que não desistirei nem tão cedo de ler os livros de Tess. Têm um enredo original, uma narrativa super realista e descritiva que te faz quase sentir na pele o que se lê, além de personagens muito bem desenvolvidos, maravilhosos. E nada mais importa.

Review #11: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Title: The Diary of a Young Girl
Author: Anne Frank
Publisher: Anchor (February 1, 1996)
Release Date: 1952 (1st time in English)
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Pages: 352
Source: Bought

Written by a young Jewish girl while in hiding with her family from the Nazis during World War II, Frank's Diary has been dramatized in one form or another in every major language and country around the world.

The only book I've read 'about' the Holocaust, before this one, was The Book Thief, which turned into one of my favorite. Now that my teachers recommended Anne Frank, I read it. I loved it, although it is so monotone sometimes that I wanted to sleep --like one of my friends said today to all our classmates and the teacher.

When I read the first lines of this book, it really felt like she needed a friend --and that's exactly what she found: Kitty, her confidant, her diary. She had just turned into thirteen years old when she began writing --specially, at first, about boys and her friends. It is so interesting when we realize that she changes. She grows up --in every single meaning of it-- when her and her family have to go into hiding, once her dad receives a call-up notice from the SS. Since then, they pass two years living in the Secret Annexe, a three-floor place above her dad's Opekta offices, until the SS discovers them.

They can't talk aloud, they can't make a noise, they can't do anything outside that place. They only can eat, read, talk whisperingly, write and sleep. And all these difficulties had made her grow up, made she doesn't be so radical anymore, made she thinks of some aspects she didn't.

Besides that, she had sentimental problems with her mother, admired her father, kind of liked her sister, but didn't trust anybody --until she turns into Peter's friend in the Annexe. Now she has a person in who she can really trust. They discuss topics she would never discuss with her relatives. They kind of have a romance and Anne gets pretty excited with it. She talks about it everyday when they meet in the loft. But there are great scenes...

I can't tell anything more about it... You have to read it, if you haven't yet, to know what I can't say. I can't say in words what some of the things she says meant to me. There are so-touching feelings behind them! And the lines that most touched me were the last ones: "(...) and [I] keep trying to find a way to become what I’d like to be and what I could be if... If only there were no other people in the world". God bless you, Anne!
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Review #9: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

I know I should be trying to finish reading I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak, but sometimes I get so in the mood to write some review that I really can't lose it, because it's pretty rare. I must confess I have not read so many YA books recently to review - only the ones I did. My official list of books read counts 64 books, that I remember, since I started reading. I must take advantage of this moment to inform that my classes started this morning, so I won't be able to post as much as I want to, neither to read as many books as I want, especially because I'll be quite busy reading school books as well as studying - now I have only three years to finish the high school then go to college, so it might be hard.

Title: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
Author: Rick Riordan
Release Date: June 14, 2005
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 384

There is no such twelve-year-old boy as Perseus 'Percy' Jackson. The Greek gods are nothing more than old myths. They certainly never have children with mortals in the 21st century, nor is there any such place as Half Blood Hill, a summer camp for demigods on eastern Long Island. Percy never met a satyr or a daughter of Athena. They most emphatically did not take a quest together across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

I've read this book before Christmas, I think. I never really liked mythology. Like, any mythology thing. I think I only wasn't really into it to know. I saw these books millions and millions of times in the library/bookstore and they never looked interesting to me until a friend of mine says she read the synopsis and liked it and bought it. So, I said, ok then, it must be good, I'll give it a try. I didn't know what to expect - even if I had already seen the teaser trailer. So, I asked it as a Christmas gift and read it in a few days.

I fell in love with the story, the characters and even with Greek mythology. I loved this thing of Gods, Demigods, etc. I must confess it would have been more exciting to read if I haven't read spoilers, like who was Percy's father, one thing the trailer already reveals. But that was fine.

It's such an easy and fast read, though I'm not so fast like you all. Riordan wrote it sweetly and simply, describing all the things happened in Percy's perspective, which I didn't like in the beginning - only in the beginning. It sounded "kid" to me. But he improves it as long as the story goes. It's kind of Percy is getting older, so the writing is getting better, now that they tells him lots of things about his real life, who he really is, why he doesn't know his father, then he knows who is his father, what are these strange/weird things that happen to him, etc. It's pretty cool to go with Percy while he finds the answers to his questions, along with his best friend, Grover, and Annabeth, a girl that turns to be his friend when he arrives in the Camp Half-Blood. Also, he really impressed me in the end of the book. I have no idea of who was the "villain". And I kind of liked it.

The world Rick Riordan created with Gods and creatures from Greek mythology universe, plus the demigods, is incredible and I really want to get a bit more into it while reading the next books, The Sea of Monsters and, then, The Titan's Curse, which I have already ordered.

Overall: 5 stars!

Review #7: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 27, 2007
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: McElderry
Pages: 512 (Paperback)

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.... Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

The first time I heard about this book I didn't really feel like reading it someday. Actually, I thought I'd not read it at all, like never. I don't know why. But then, after months, the story plot suddenly caught me, literally. When I saw, I was looking forward to start this series, to have it. I needed to have and enjoy it. The reviews I've read after I start blogging make this excitement grows.

It's good. So good. Pretty good. Amazingly good.
This is not what I was expecting! This is so much more!

It begins nicely and already captivates you while describing perfectly the scenes, the characters, the whole thing. The story goes so smoothly... The things DO make sense. In the end, that's not what you've thought it was.

I loved Clary, though I think she's such a blind bitch about Simon. She doesn't even realize he has been in love with her for years! I feel so sorry for him, really. But, despite this, she's awesome. Her stubbornness is the tolerable level of stubbornnesses.

I also loved the boys. I mean, I didn't hate any character from this first book. I believe I won't hate anybody. They're so minutely, carefully, beautifully and amazingly created. We get each of their captivatingly originals characteris­tics. Simon's cute and brave. He'd do anything for Clary! Hm, Jace. He's annoyingly adorable. He can be such an asshole when he wants to. But he's really sensible inside. Alec's a little stupid human being in the beginning, but I kinda liked him from the middle to the end. Isabelle is nice. Nothing to say about her. The other were well-created as well.

I don't have any complaint to do (but my non-fluent English reading, which I hope to improve myself). Cassandra Clare did an awesome job on City of Bones and I hope she did the same on City of Ashes, my next The Mortal Instruments read.

Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

P.S.: I'm making an effort to post things here this week. I'm so tired. This weekend was awesomely good. Thank God! Because my vacations are going to the end - after two months on. But this review came smoothly and I was in the mood to write and post it. I won't do any IMM this week. Only next week, if I get any book. Maybe a new review, if I read a book or if I get in the mood to write any about a book I have already read and did not do any review. Understand? Thank you so much you all!

Review #4: Blue Moon (The Immortals #2) by Alyson Nöel

Title: Blue Moon
Author: Alyson Nöel
Release Date: July 7, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 304 (Paperback)
Other Titles by Author: Evermore & Shadowland

Quick Synopsis: Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s begin to fade after he is stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, and his life. Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day.

Spotlessly amazing and exciting.

When I got this book, I thought it should be interesting, but I wasn't expecting anything like this - so much information and intringuing incidents -, since Evermore's ending doesn't get us imagining what could happen next to our beautiful couple, Ever & Damen (At least, that's what I felt, because, I mean, I hadn't read Blue Moon's synopsis until I bought it).

Nöel's writing keeps gracefully simple, expect for her style of writing using the present tense. Not that it is not simple. It's just, like I said on Evermore's review, because I don't like the present tense. Please, don't throw me knives nor anything.

I was SO into the story while reading that sometimes I felt like Ever in Summerland. I read it excited to know which mystery would be revealed in the next page. So fast-paced!

And then there's Roman, an awesome intringuing character, who I loved, although Ever make us suspect of him - all because she's the narrator, so the story is told only by her perspective. Which I learned not to appreciate so much after reading TWO of my favorite books on the third person - The Book Thief (Ok, the story is narrated by the death, but she's barely fisically IN the scenes... She tells us other people's stories) and Fallen. Though I must have read another one which I don't remember at the moment... Back to the subject: not that Nöel wouldn't indirectly make us suspect of him if she had written this book on the third person, but it'd make it freely to us to find out the things by our own. And Ever suspects and THINKS about her suspicion on him every time she sees him, or heard of him. It's quietly annoying sometimes. Like, 'I already know that you suspect of him, OK!?'. Almost yelling. Hmm... Haven and Miles keep being the same awful friends I don't like.

The ending. This time it was nothing exciting, for me though, but was, like, challengingly unhappy. Yes. Challengingly is the right word to describe my unhappy feelings after that. I couldn't take it out of my head until I got Shadowland. I also think that Shadowland's first chapter could have easily been Blue Moon's last one.

Overall:
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Review #3: Evermore (The Immortals #1) by Alyson Nöel

Title: Evermore

Author: Alyson Nöel
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 320 (Paperback)
Other Titles by Author: Blue Moon, Shadowland, Cruel Summer, Kiss & Blog, Laguna Cove, Saving Zoe, Faking 19, Art Geeks and Prom Queens, Fly Me to the Moon.

Synopsis from the book: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school — but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste... Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking — and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head.

I'm kind of be organized this time. I hope to improve from this review to the next then to the next, and so on. Everytime I read someone else's review I learn things and it's great for me who is in the beginning I'd say.

I bought this book when it came out here translated to Portuguese and I didn't know what to expect. I heard lots of people talk about this series. I had nothing to read and then I chose this one.

What can I say about Evermore?

Nöel's Writing: It IS good, pretty good, but I really don't appreciate the present tense she uses to write. I don't like it. It sounds awful for me sometimes.

Characters: Ever did it for me. No. She didn't. Ok. I don't have a complete opinion about her in this book. Actually, she's not a bad nor a good character. I mean, a character that I'd love. I don't know if I like her or not. She's brave, though like a dumb sometimes. Damen — I admit I fell in love with him while reading, and love the tulip thing he does. It's cute. So adorable.. But it's the only thing I can say about him in this book. We gotta read the next book to learn more about him. Riley! Oh, she's the prettiest! I'm so glad that Alyson's writing a book from her point-of-view. I love her relationship with Ever as well. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it breaks hearts. Ever's friends? Annoying and almost invisible. I can't see a friendship there. I really can't. For me, they're totally out of her that I'd say there's no friendship. Like Ever's always alone. Haven and Miles are just weird people around. Hate them.

The Ending: Nothing wonderfully unexpected. Nothing that left me wanting excitingly for Blue Moon, though I wanted to read the next one.

It's not a book that I'd immediately recommend because it doesn't do it for everybody. And now I have nothing more to say... I mean, there's nothing that fabulous enough for me to remember and write.

Overall:
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Review #1: Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

It’s my very first review. I haven’t never ever done one, so… I’d adore if you guys left comments telling me what I could improve on my next reviews. Would you do that for me? Ok, let’s see.

I don’t know if this is a YA book, is it? Here in Brazil (Yay, why doI love to say that I live in Brazil? God!) I actually don’t know how they name this kind of book. But, well, yes, this is definitely a YA book. I’m not going to tell I totally LOVED this book, because I’d be lying, but I liked it pretty pretty much, just didn't LOVE.

Before this one, I have read only one book by Meg Cabot, which her fans say is her worst book she has ever written. I didn’t know that when I read, ok? But I think it’s definitely the worst – not that I have read another book by her, but Teen Idol is a pretty poor book. She could have explored more the story… But that’s not the point, right? Teen Idol is not the book I’m reviewing right now.

Since then I haven’t liked any of her book summaries… Until I see a friend of mine reading the third book, I guess. Then I asked her how much she liked it and she told me it was pretty good, that I must read it, and I couldn’t resist when I really read the summary plot and found out it was a paranormal romance series - which I don’t think it is by reading only this book… It’s kind of a paranormal adventure thing.

This book is simple, fun and too easy for you to read. The Mediator: Shadowland would have been a fast reading if I haven’t been so lazy this past week. Cabot wrote a light and good teen story in 284 pages - that's how many pages the Brazilian copy has. It’s pretty short, or the story ran so fast that I didn’t even realize it.

Suzannah – or Suze – is a mediator, she sees, talks and helps ghosts (or dead people) that haven’t completely gone away yet, whether she wants to or not. But her life is not so good. She has just left New York to leave with her mother and her mother’s new family – filled by a new husband and three young boys. And now she’s going to study in a new school with new classmates that are not as adorable as you might think, except a few.

I got sad for her for leaving her best friend and the city she had grew up in. So I guess I’m weaker than her, because she was extremely strong handling all those things. In her first day at the school, she already got two friends, saved a person-who-i-am-not-going-to-tell-who’s life and got popular, what she hasn’t never ever been in New York.

Fortunately, Suze doesn’t seem to have problems with her “new family”. What kind of annoys her is the fact that an old-young-ghost boy is still “living” in her new bedroom. Hmm. So you think this fact is the book point? Ha! Not really. Cabot cheated me as well. The point is another ghost girl, who still “lives” in her new school, where she finds another person like her – a mediator.

This ghost is a girl who suicide herself because of her boyfriend – who broke up with her – and now she’s trying to take him with her. Awesome, huh? And she still keeps saying she loves him… If you read it, you will know why I’m saying that.

So the book story runs quickly while Suze, helped by the old-young-ghost boy and the other mediator she has found, tries to stop the girl ghost. And it has a kind of happy ending… Until the next book – Ninth Key – which I haven’t read but I’m willing excitingly to (soon!).

Overall: