The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

 

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

Nan A. Talese/Doubleday

Published in 2008

ISBN 9780385530842

353 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

2ND REVIEW. 1ST REVIEW IS HERE.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



After Victor Frankenstein goes to London to study at Oxford, he meets Percy Bysshe Shelley. They become fast friends, but with Shelley's radical views, will Victor get an idea that will put him on the road to darkness?

This is the second time I'm reviewing this because I want to. :X Actually, I'm re-doing some (most) of my reviews so that I can make them (hopefully) better. With this one, I will compare it to the original a little bit more.

Anyways, in this retelling of Frankenstein, Peter Ackroyd makes it out so that a fictional character actually knows historically accurate people. I still find that part of this part kind of intriguing, and it also made this book rather interesting than if the author just told it through Victor Frankenstein's and a little bit from his monster's perspective. However, now that I read the original, I don't know what perspective is better since they both were interesting, so they both get equal points in that.

Although how both Mary Shelley and Peter Ackroyd told the story gets equal points, the descriptions and the growth of the characters actually goes to Peter Ackroyd. With Mary Shelley's, it is mostly someone re-telling Frankenstein's story as Frankenstein tells him it, so the growth and descriptions really don't have that much to grow. So, basically, I like how Peter Ackroyd tells it because the way he makes the characters grow appeals to me more than the original. Also, in Ackroyd's version, the person who turned out to be the "monster" was someone Victor Frankenstein knew and maybe even friends with. I found that also very interesting and even gave the monster even more of an identity than Shelley's version. The characters are also completely different in Ackroyd's version. It has the same thing happen to a character in each book, but the circumstance and character are off. I also like how Ackroyd did his version in that aspect as well since it had a little bit more depth and development than the original.

Let's see, some other things that are different, but I wish Ackroyd put in his version. In Mary Shelley's version, I actually felt like crying and feeling pity towards both Frankenstein and his monster. However, with Ackroyd's version, it had less emotion. Also, the ending is more disappointing and confusing than the original. The ending in the original is more emotional and appeals more to me.

Now that I had a chance to read the original, I think it would have been better if some of the original's aspects, like some of the emotion, was in this book. So, I rated it a four stars this time because, despite the original re-telling thing, I like the emotion and ending of the original Frankenstein more.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Peter Ackroyd
Goodreads: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd
Library Thing: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd
New York Times Book Review: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein
A Study of Reading Habits: Peter Ackroyd - The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein
Everything of Something: The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

First Light by Peter Ackroyd

 

First Light by Peter Ackroyd

Grove Press

Published in 1989 (Republished in 1996)

ISBN 0802134815

328 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Barnes & Noble (Paperback)
Amazon (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



With the discovery of an ancient astronomically aligned grave site in Dorset, everyone is excited over it --- well, pretty much everyone. You see, something or someone is doing its best to sabotage and scare the archaeologists, led by Mark Clare, from digging there and Pilgrin Valley. How is it that something as small as a grave site will bring together a group of people, who seem to have nothing in common with each other?

I'll be honest with you. I absolutely hated this book. :| And it isn't because of a lack of descriptions, which I love to have in the novels I read. I'll continue with the reasons why I didn't like the book in another paragraph since there are a lot of them. :( Oh, yeah, there might be some spoilers about the book toward the end of the review. :X

The first thing I didn't like about this book is that it was really redundant, which is one of the reasons why the book was extremely slow-moving. The slow-moving plot is another thing I didn't like about the book. It took about 100 pages just to get the characters digging and for the something/someone to sabotage the dig. Then, it went back to slow-moving until the last couple of chapters. The slow-moving gets kind of annoying, so I suggest just reading 20 pages each time you read, then take a break, and then start reading again. It kind of eases the pain of it. ;) Oh, also, the book kind of jumps from one point to another, which may confuse you if you don't take breaks to think about it.

Another thing, I found the characters rather, umm, boring and depressing. I'm used to reading books where it shows different personalities for each character, like them being happy, sad, etc. In this book, they remain their depressing selves. I can just imagine a frown on all their faces everyday.I think that's also what made it slow-moving because the characters were a little too depressing for me. :(

That's pretty much the only things I didn't like about this novel, now for the things I did like about it. Even though it is very slow-moving, the characters are depressing, and very little action, I liked how the descriptions were always there, no matter how boring it got. I know I say the book is "boring", but in a weird way, it isn't. The author uses poetry, metaphors, descriptions that make it a little less boring, and the author also uses the poetry to bring out a deeper meaning than just having a plot.

I read online that some people might be confused about the ending of the book. I have my own opinions about what it means. Think about it like this the theme mostly is about stars and how everything is connected in some sort of way, it is also about time, change, and death. At the end of the book, the characters realize that even though their find is old, the person's family, still has the right to send them back to the sky to be stars (which you may say God, in some sort of way). Also, that as stars, the souls can still be with their loved ones and watch over them. And that to see every star (soul) in the sky, will be nothing but light, which is what one of the characters sees at the end of the book. Well, I that's what I think what the ending means, whether it is right or not, I don't know.

Also, I know I put "supernatural" and "horror" as the genre, but it isn't really supernatural or horror. I just put that because of the summary on the back of the book. Unless you scare easily or are very superstitious, it won't be those genre for you. :)

I rated it a three mostly because of the deeper meaning... I would have rated it a two, that is, if it didn't have that deeper meaning that I like so much. ;) So don't read, if you don't like slow-moving, redundant novels. Also, you have to figure out the deeper meaning to really enjoy the book, but you have to get through the parts I found annoying first. :D

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Peter Ackroyd
Goodreads: First Light by Peter Ackroyd
Library Thing: First Light by Peter Ackroyd
LA Times Book Review: First Light by Peter Ackroyd

Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

 

Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

Dutton

Published in 2009

ISBN 9780525951216

372 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



Working on his stepfather's think tank, Luke Dantry posts on forums and other online communities known for their users being extremists and reports back to his stepfather the users who he thinks are capable of doing terrorists acts. Mostly, Luke thinks the majority of them are just frustrated and aren't capable of doing the things they say they will. However, he is proven wrong when he is kidnapped and taken to a cabin hidden in the woods. What will he do when he finds out this betrayal runs deeper than he thinks?

This time the book review is over a mystery, suspense, action, thriller adult novel. I'm trying to take a break from the young adult books for a little bit. ;)

For an action and thriller novel, the plot and characters are all pretty average. Why average? Because in most action and thriller books I read it usually goes like this: The main character gets in trouble, main character escapes multiple attempts on his/her life, main character meets up with old faces and gets betrayed by someone they know, and then, the main character saves the day. That is pretty much how this book went.

Although there were a lot of details, going through and finishing the book was very tedious and sort of boring. In this case, I found it boring because of how typical it was, not because of too many details and descriptions. I liked how the author described the appearance of most of the characters in the book since not that many authors give those kind of descriptions anymore. Another thing I liked about the book is that it showed that the Internet isn't as safe as you think because people can still find out where you are --- it is something to think over when you do things online.

Those are pretty much the only things I liked about the book. The main things I didn't like about the book are the typical plot for this kind of genre, even though it is enjoyable on some levels in other books, it isn't in this book. Also, the politics in the book are very boring. Anyways, it is an okay read, if you want the typical parts and like descriptions. As for me, it was an average book with a lot of boredom in-between the action parts.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Jeff Abbott
Goodreads: Trust Me by Jeff Abbott
Library Thing: Trust Me by Jeff Abbott
Diana Page Jordan: Stepfathers, Terrorism on the Web, and Trust Me!
Genre Go Round Reviews: Trust Me - Jeff Abbott
Trust Me by Jeff Abbott (Mystery Book Review)

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

HAUNTED MYSTERY SERIES BOOK 01

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

Random House

Published in 2008

ISBN 9780375846977

325 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



Zack Jennings is a normal eleven-year-old boy, except for the fact that he can see ghosts. Him, his father, and his new stepmother move from New York to Connecticut, but when they arrive there things are not what they appear to be. You see, there is the huge tree in their backyard, and Zack knows there is something evil about it. His new stepmother, Judy, has also seen ghosts near the house. Are the ghosts all connected in some way? And why does the evil spirit in the tree want to kill him?

Another supernatural book, but it is one about ghosts. Also, it's a junior fiction book. Yeah, I know, way off my level, but I like to read around. :)

Like almost all mystery books, it starts off kind of slow and boring, which is always annoying in books. Though, it starts to pick up the action, suspense, and mysteriousness after they move to Connecticut, where the haunted tree is at. And the mystery part is kind of annoying since the author doesn't leave that many clues for you to figure out what happened, instead the author lets the characters figure it out on their own. So if you want a mystery, where you can solve it from the clues, this isn't a book you want.

Another thing that is slow-moving are the characters, though they do eventually have some growth, errr... most of them anyways. I especially like how the relationship between Zack and Judy, his stepmother, grows. Why? Because you mostly only see books mention how mean the stepmothers are or how they mostly ignore the kid, but with this book, they actually get along towards the end.

Another thing that I like about this book is that it tells the story using mostly descriptions and details, instead of mostly dialogue. I tend to be more harsh on books that have more dialogue than ones that tell the story in paragraphs summarizing what most others use dialogue for. I like books like this one a lot. :)

Anyways, it is a good ghost novel, despite the slow-moving parts, so go read it. :D

Another thing, this book has a series. This book is the first one in that series. The second one is called The Hanging Hill, and the third one, which isn't released yet, is called The Smoky Corridor. I'll try to read them, if my library orders them. >.<

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Chris Grabenstein
Goodreads: The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein
Library Thing: The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein
BC Book Reviews: The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein
Bookhound: The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein
Mrs. McGriff's Reading Blog: The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

Midwives: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian

 

Midwives: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
Vintage Books
Published in 1997
ISBN 0375706771
374 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Sibyl Danforth, a midwife in rural Vermont, has made the mistake of accidentally killing her patient, one she thought died, in order to save the baby. Now she faces the law, doctors, and her own conscience in order to prove that her patient really was dead before she did the emergency c-section on the mother. What will the jury deciding her fate pick? Guilty? Or, not guilty?

Been awhile since I have read this, so I will try to make a semi-decent review out of it.

The story is told through the eyes of Sibyl's daughter and includes entries from Sibyl's journal. It has a mixture of law, medical, family problems, and other interesting things.Also, the description in this book is very well done, and you can tell that the author did a lot of research before jumping into writing the book.

There are some parts where you want to break down and cry, and a couple of times, where you actually want to read ahead and find out the outcome --- since the court parts were kind of boring and exciting at the same time. ^^;

I definitely recommend this book. It has a little bit of everything for everyone, though, there are some things that children definitely shouldn't read about in it. It is also perfect for any class that is studying ethics or anyone who is planning on going into the medical field.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Chris Bohjalian
Goodreads: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
Library Thing: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
The Lost Entwife: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
Croak: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

and Able by Lucy Monroe

MERCENARY SERIES BOOK 03
[LAST BOOK IN MERCENARY]

and Able by Lucy Monroe

Kensington Books

Published in 2006

ISBN 0758211767

352 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM: 

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Claire Sharpe has trouble trusting and relying on others, but after her life is threatened, she must learn how to rely on Brett Adams, an ex-mercenary, to protect her. Though, with this protection, something more might come from it...

Not a supernatural book, but that will change pretty soon. :)

This book is really good, and I can't really review it without giving away some things in the book. So, I'll just tell you to read it and be done with it.

There is nothing I really didn't like about, but I like the book because 1) smut, 2) action without being to gory, 3) it's interesting, and 4) I just like it because it appeals to me. ;)

Warning though, there are sexual themes and maybe themes that are not for sensitive people like people who have been stalk before or something.

This is the last book in this series, however, there are some connected stories. The connected stories are not apart of this series time-line, but they do mention the characters in this series a little bit. The connected stories are here.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Lucy Monroe
Goodreads: and Able by Lucy Monroe
Library Thing: and Able by Lucy Monroe
Once Upon a Chapter: and Able by Lucy Monroe

Willing by Lucy Monroe

MERCENARY SERIES BOOK 02

Willing by Lucy Monroe
Kensington Books
Published in 2006
ISBN 0758208758
320 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback V2)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Josie McCall has never really wanted to be a solider, or mercenary, but she was raised as a mercenary by her father. After she leaves the mercenary world and her father's mercenary school, she goes to school for a job in computers. However, now that someone blew up her dad's mercenary school and her dad is missing, she goes back to her mercenary roots to find out who blew up the school and took her dad. And her dad's new partner, Daniel Black Eagle, stays to protect her. However, there is just one little thing that might keep his mind off of his new mission --- Josie. Will they be able to figure out everything before or after their passion ignites?

Not a supernatural book, but that will change pretty soon. :)

This book is really good, and I can't really review it without giving away some things in the book. So, I'll just tell you to read it and be done with it.

There is nothing I really didn't like about, but I like the book because 1) smut, 2) action without being to gory, 3) it's interesting, and 4) I just like it because it appeals to me. ;)

Warning though, there are sexual themes and maybe themes that are not for sensitive people.

This is the second book in this series, however, there are some connected stories. The connected stories are not apart of this series time-line, but they do mention the characters in this series a little bit. The connected stories are here.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Lucy Monroe
Goodreads: Willing by Lucy Monroe
Library Thing: Willing by Lucy Monroe
Once Upon a Chapter: Willing by Lucy Monroe

Ready by Lucy Monroe

MERCENARY SERIES BOOK 01

Ready by Lucy Monroe

Kensington Books

Published in 2005

ISBN 0758208642

304 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Barnes & Noble (Paperback)
Amazon (Paperback V2)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Lise Barton was an ordinary author, that is, until someone seems to be stalking her. But when that person escalates, she moves from Texas to Seattle. However, the threats start up again and are worse --- this time the stalker threatens her own family that is in Texas. After the threat, Lise cancels her Thanksgiving trip back to Texas, but someone visits her that she didn't except to show up. Joshua Watt comes to Seattle to drag her to spend Thanksgiving with the family, but once he knows about someone stalking Lise, he is ready to protect her no matter what she feels about it.There's just one thing --- he has personal feelings for Lise, so how will he be able to work without thinking about having sex with her...?

Not a supernatural book, but that will change sooner of later. ;)

This book is really good, and I can't really review it without giving away some things in the book. So, I'll just tell you to read it and be done with it.

There is nothing I really didn't like about, but I like the book because 1) smut, 2) action without being to gory, 3) it's interesting, and 4) I just like it because it appeals to me. ;)

Warning though, there are sexual themes and maybe themes that are not for sensitive people like people who have been stalk before or something.

This is the first book in this series, however, there are some connected stories. The connected stories are not apart of this series time-line, but they do mention the characters in this series a little bit. The connected stories are here.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Lucy Monroe
Goodreads: Ready by Lucy Monroe
Library Thing: Ready by Lucy Monroe
Once Upon a Chapter: Ready by Lucy Monroe