Book Review Series: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4)

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Out of the entire "Beautiful Creatures" series, "Beautiful Redemption" is my favorite. I was fascinated with the travel to the "otherworld." It seems that when I try to focus on the good parts... I invariably come back to the things that drove me nuts in this entire series. I had a difficult time connecting with so many characters. Some of the characters seemed arbitrary (i.e. the dad and Leah Ravenwood) while others were more flushed out and actually added to the story (i.e. Amma and Xavier).
Ethan and Lena are immature and rebellious and completely into themselves which is to be expected of teenagers, I suppose. But at times, I just didn't care a whole lot about them - although in this novel - I felt Ethan really became a much more powerful character overall.
Macon, Ridley, Aunt Prue, and Linkubus are, by far, the most well developed, believable, and interesting characters in the entire series. Based on these characters alone, I'd give this novel a 5/5.
Now, let's visit Lena's POV section - there was literally no difference, stylistically or otherwise, between Ethan's POV and Lena's POV - so I constantly had to remind myself: "Oh, right. It's Lena, not Ethan." Okay, maybe that's a little harsh - but I did love Lena's poetry portions and honestly, if her chapter had been written a little more geared toward someone with a flair for the dramatic - as her poetry suggests she has - it would have been clear from sentence one through the end of her section exactly who's POV I was reading.
Maybe it deserves a 3/5, but honestly, it's a beautiful story. In the end, that's what I'll carry with me from this novel.

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Book Review Series: Robin Cook - Crisis

Crisis by Robin Cook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy a good medical mystery and Robin Cook rarely (if ever?) disappoints, but, I'm not going to lie... 100 pages in and I'd just about had it with all of the legal/malpractice/court stuff and debated walking away. After reading the quote on the back cover of the novel, I decided it might get a bit more interesting. I wasn't wrong.
The twists and turns and "ah ha!" moments began and went right up to the end... even leaving me wondering exactly what happened.
I don't think Cook's characters are all that well developed as a rule. I mean, he gives it a valiant effort, but there seems to be something lacking in believability. The characters just don't seem real... and yet... that's not entirely fair or true. Jack, the medical examiner/brother-in-law is the best developed character in the book. He's also the "hero," as it were. He feels much more flushed out than any other character.
Also, the ending really did leave me guessing what on earth it all meant and left me thinking Cook tried just a few too many twists to make it more suspenseful than was necessary. Character development and plot twists aside, I've realized that none of that makes any difference.
I read Robin Cook because his ideas on the medical profession, pharmaceutical industry, and society are compelling.
On a scale from one to five - I give "Crisis" a four. I've knocked it down for confusing ending and a slow start.


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