I came to the end of several all at once:
20. The City of Ember - The writing style was more childish than I usually read. It was definitely meant for maybe 8-10 not young adult, but it was good story. I don't know that I buy that there would be so little crime in such a place but whatever.
I must have not really been paying attention because I didn't 'get' the point until almost the very end. I think a little more could have been done with the story because the bones were very good yet it ended rather abruptly, but then it wouldn't have been a children's book I guess if it went into a great amount of detail about heavier things. - 6/10
21. Lolita - Well written and interesting. I found the way his opinions were so clearly reflected in his descriptions to be very unique. I've never read an author who did this more effectively. Thinking back on all he said about her, she seems like a twiggy little brat without any natural grace of character, yet his love for her is all consuming. It was perfectly voiced, but he was almost too logical for his lack of logic if that makes sense. But I guess smart people do stupid things all the time, and hindsight is more sensible. The shape of his guilt is rather sickening though. - 7/10
22. The Charioteer - This book was just too lovely. I cried at the end. I underlined all kinds of stuff. It was just one of those books where I was always saying, "Yes, it's exactly like that!" The only thing I could have wished was that it was a tad more descriptive, and maybe less timid in places. But it was just so completely lovely
The love triangle was well setup and really exemplified Laurie's main weaknesses. It's a side of the war you don't really think about, and a side of that generation that you never hear about. Overall I was very impressed with it, and plan to pick up more of Renault's books.- 9/10
23. The Inheritance - Well, I read this book because I've seen the movie and I thought it was a cute sappy romantic movie and that the book was probably better and more detailed and exciting. It wasn't. The movie I think was actually better than the book in some ways. The book was like a sugar overload. She was only 17 when she wrote it though so I can understand it to a degree, but whew, it really needed some balance. It was almost like it was written as a penance to be given to a priest in order to show how the 'righteous will overcome' It was blessedly short at least. - 5/10