Quick Reviews # 2

For quick reviews, I simply give my general view and opinion on the books included. If you are interested on reading more about the plot of these novels, simply click on the titles and it will lead you to a website (Amazon.com, usually) and the synopsis can be found there.

Seizure by Robin Cook

• I am not going to prolong this review, because I feel like I might be too harsh on it.
  
• I have read most of Robin Cook's mystery/medical thriller novels, and despite the fact that he is an extremely talented writer, I have not actually found any that I liked. One thing I noticed was that all of them had very promising storylines, with very bad endings.
  
• This book is not recommended. If you are interested in medical/thriller-ish type, try other authors please. Skip this one, despite the author's credibility and mass popularity.
  

Everything Bad is Good For you by Steven Johnson (non-fiction)

• This review will come off totally as a a biased personal opinion simply because I didn't really agree with most of what the author was saying. But I do recommend this book despite this, because this book is generally interesting and entertaining.
  
• The concepts and viewpoints are easy to grasp and understand, despite its critical and very detailed views on society. But I think there were a few important things here and there that he missed, and most of his thoughts on things were too general and came off as too biased. Like I said, I don't really agree with everything the author is trying to say, but I do get where he is coming from, and how he is saying all of them. His writing was engrossing, and was not boring at all. It didn't give off the feel of a lecture room and a professor. Generally, I do give him credit for this book as it gave a lot of good arguments without being too preachy. Overall, a recommended book if you like non-fiction, and if you like reading more about views on society today.
  

The Crimson Portrait by Jody Shields

• If you have read the plot and synopsis for this one, it probably raised your interest. So from there, I'd like to say, that yes, the plot is very intriguing. The premise is interesting. And then I read it. Unfortunately, despite of a few well-defined main characters, the book failed on so many levels.
  
• It dragged on a lot and found myself having a hard time keeping myself interested with it. There were many times I wanted to put this down and quit even trying to finish it, but I finished it anyway. In truth, I wasn't even that interested in finding out how it would end. I did not care much about the other characters, except for a few, and even those few were pretty flat.
  
• I don't think it was a horrible book. Obviously, it wasn't good either. I believe the proper words to use are: mediocre and bland. Not recommended.
  

What Matters Most by Nicole Bokat

• Though the writing was good, I didn't think it was enough to hold my attention. First of all, I personally did not like the main character. I thought she was too self-indulgent, and it also didn't help that she didn't develop much at all. Also, the plot was simple, and could've been drawn out in a lot of many other more interesting ways than the author did in here. In truth, there really aren't a lot of things to say about this book. Like I said though, if you would like to still take this into consideration, the writing was not bad. The delivery on the other hand, was. Sorry, not recommended.
  

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales

• This was a fun book about diversity, family, culture, and traditions that was both well-written and entertaining. It was also a very fast read, for the chapters are pretty short. The vivid characters and events will also for sure capture not only your attention but your imagination as well.

• Overall, recommended if you would like to venture out into a more different path compared to the usual contemporary fiction novels.

Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot

• If you liked the previous book from Meg Cabot, and liked it, you will not be disappointed with this one.
  
• Coming from Meg Cabot, it's quite expected that this chic lit would be readable, humorous, and entertaining. These are all true when it comes to Boy Meets Girl. Though a bit predictable, I didn't really care because I was thoroughly entertained! I thought the characters were engaging, the plot complex, and the writing as usual is also very good. Overall, I thought it was simply enjoyable, fast-paced, and found it hard to put it down. Literally.
  
• Highly recommended if you are a fan of chic literature, or if you simply want a fun and easy summer (or perhaps a rainy day?) read.