aya_yuuki's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars!!!!
Wow, I love this book. It was really hard to stop and I was reading it discreetly while at work. :P
(edit)FULL REVIEW originally posted at charmedlass: trifling thoughts under the radar
Okay, this is definitely a long overdue review. RL is hectic these past few weeks. With winter fast approaching, the travel industry here in the country is getting damn busy.
Anyway, onto the review.
I admire Ms Tippetts' ability to write a story with characters so well rounded. The traits of her characters are not over-the-top. They're not wholly good or totally evil. They're just individuals who were flawed and it felt real.
I find Madison a wonderful heroine. She's stuck in a sad home with a mother who doesn't care for her and who buries herself in her pottery as a form of escape, but she's a strong girl with definitely a good head on her shoulders. She comes across as a bit of naive at times but we can attribute it to her lack of adult guidance at home and limited experience. I do question her actions and responses sometimes but throughout the book, I see her make wrong choices, learn from it, and develop fully as a character. Basically, she grew up as the book progressed.
John is adorable, for lack of a better word. I think he's too good sometimes but he can also be annoying too. I love that he has no qualms in telling Madison he loves her and wants to reconnect with her.
I didn't get Kallie at first. I wasn't sure whether to like her, or hate her or just spend a little bit more time understanding her before passing on judgement. She seems to be a good friend at first but after trashing Madison's Facebook page, I was wary of her. Friends don't do that! No matter how much you pissed them off. Unless it came to a point where you cut ties with them but Madison and Kallie didn't get there (well, at first). However, Madison's silent acceptance of the treatment made me doubt. It made me think that maybe aside from Kallie's situation at home, there was something deeper there? But no, for me it wasn't enough to justify her actions. And it just made me realized that Madison's acceptance of Kallie stemmed from the fact that she actually do not have a lot of close friends other than her.
I could care less of Madison's two suitors. One of them is a jerk who treated her badly, and just wants to fool around with her but doesn't really want to be a couple. The other one is nice enough but just totally not for her. Good thing there is a third and he's definitely fit for her.
From the very first mention of Alex, I already knew he and Madison will end up together. I just don't know how. That is why I was eagerly waiting for his story. And Ms Tippetts didn't disappoint in painting Alex as the male lead. He may appear to be a bad boy but he is not. A tortured soul yes, but definitely not dark. His family life at the moment is messy and I feel for him. God, I cried during the scenes with his mother. I must say those were done exceptionally well.
And finally, I wanna comment on the amount of LDS stuff in this book. (I know some readers get a bit skittish when religions get discussed/mentioned a lot in a book.) I'm not a member of LDS and have absolutely no idea about the religion. I know the author is, though. However, if others thought that she was pitching the religion, it didn't seem that way to me. (Because if she was, I don't think she'll put those stuff that Madison found on the web.) It felt normal to me. Just a book about two siblings finding each other and the other sibling just happened to be a Mormom. It's there because it works in the story. That's it.
Conclusion:
Sometimes you read a book from a new author you just found out and it turned out good. It makes you want to read another book of hers/his. However, sometimes the next book (and the third) you read is not good and it makes you think that maybe the first one you read is a fluke. I'm so glad this book of E.M. Tippetts is not. Someone Else's Fairytale (my first book of hers) may be easier to get into because of the familiar plot but Castles on the Sand is amazing as well. I'll be looking forward to the author's future works.
A
***Free copy of the book received from the author.***
Wow, I love this book. It was really hard to stop and I was reading it discreetly while at work. :P
(edit)FULL REVIEW originally posted at charmedlass: trifling thoughts under the radar
Okay, this is definitely a long overdue review. RL is hectic these past few weeks. With winter fast approaching, the travel industry here in the country is getting damn busy.
Anyway, onto the review.
I admire Ms Tippetts' ability to write a story with characters so well rounded. The traits of her characters are not over-the-top. They're not wholly good or totally evil. They're just individuals who were flawed and it felt real.
I find Madison a wonderful heroine. She's stuck in a sad home with a mother who doesn't care for her and who buries herself in her pottery as a form of escape, but she's a strong girl with definitely a good head on her shoulders. She comes across as a bit of naive at times but we can attribute it to her lack of adult guidance at home and limited experience. I do question her actions and responses sometimes but throughout the book, I see her make wrong choices, learn from it, and develop fully as a character. Basically, she grew up as the book progressed.
John is adorable, for lack of a better word. I think he's too good sometimes but he can also be annoying too. I love that he has no qualms in telling Madison he loves her and wants to reconnect with her.
I didn't get Kallie at first. I wasn't sure whether to like her, or hate her or just spend a little bit more time understanding her before passing on judgement. She seems to be a good friend at first but after trashing Madison's Facebook page, I was wary of her. Friends don't do that! No matter how much you pissed them off. Unless it came to a point where you cut ties with them but Madison and Kallie didn't get there (well, at first). However, Madison's silent acceptance of the treatment made me doubt. It made me think that maybe aside from Kallie's situation at home, there was something deeper there? But no, for me it wasn't enough to justify her actions. And it just made me realized that Madison's acceptance of Kallie stemmed from the fact that she actually do not have a lot of close friends other than her.
I could care less of Madison's two suitors. One of them is a jerk who treated her badly, and just wants to fool around with her but doesn't really want to be a couple. The other one is nice enough but just totally not for her. Good thing there is a third and he's definitely fit for her.
From the very first mention of Alex, I already knew he and Madison will end up together. I just don't know how. That is why I was eagerly waiting for his story. And Ms Tippetts didn't disappoint in painting Alex as the male lead. He may appear to be a bad boy but he is not. A tortured soul yes, but definitely not dark. His family life at the moment is messy and I feel for him. God, I cried during the scenes with his mother. I must say those were done exceptionally well.
And finally, I wanna comment on the amount of LDS stuff in this book. (I know some readers get a bit skittish when religions get discussed/mentioned a lot in a book.) I'm not a member of LDS and have absolutely no idea about the religion. I know the author is, though. However, if others thought that she was pitching the religion, it didn't seem that way to me. (Because if she was, I don't think she'll put those stuff that Madison found on the web.) It felt normal to me. Just a book about two siblings finding each other and the other sibling just happened to be a Mormom. It's there because it works in the story. That's it.
Conclusion:
Sometimes you read a book from a new author you just found out and it turned out good. It makes you want to read another book of hers/his. However, sometimes the next book (and the third) you read is not good and it makes you think that maybe the first one you read is a fluke. I'm so glad this book of E.M. Tippetts is not. Someone Else's Fairytale (my first book of hers) may be easier to get into because of the familiar plot but Castles on the Sand is amazing as well. I'll be looking forward to the author's future works.
A
***Free copy of the book received from the author.***
talldrinkofdietcoke's review against another edition
4.0
4-1/2 stars
Madison is your normal, every day plain girl... or at least, she thinks so. But really, she's this bright, kind, loving girl that doesn't give herself enough credit. Everyone around her seems to be in their own world. Her best friend lashes out whenever she doesn't get her own way, her mother barely acknowledges her existence. And Madison accepts it and everyone sees her as a pushover, but Madison just loves with a big heart and accepts people for who they are.
She soon discovers that she has these brothers that she never knew about. Her brother John, becomes a big part of her life, and immediately tries to step in and "fix" what he sees is wrong in her life. While she is trying to build some type of relationship with this new brother, she also has guys coming out of the word work for her.
First is JP, the guy she's crushed on forever, who is a super hot, popular chess player (yes, I said chess player), then there's Carson, the hot Mormon boy, and Alex the hot psycho dangerous outcast.
My favorite person in this story just might have been Siraj, Madison's boss at her job at the Library. Every day she'd come to work, she'd always say her day was fine but he quickly learns that her definition of fine may be different then others and his react to it is hilarious.
There are so many factors in this book which made is an emotional ride. It deals with psychosis, and other mental illness. It's deals with self respect and unconditional love. And the fine like that one can someone walk when those two topics don't seem mutually exclusive. There was also some talk of Mormonism which is a religion her brothers and Carson were a part of. I felt like this book didn't promote or detract from the religion but gave what would be considered honest feelings about someone first learning about the religion would be.
But what made this book extra special, was the fact that even as we are dealing with these extreme topics, I still found myself laughing and giggling through the entire thing. That's not to say that it makes light of some important topics, but it gives you a sense of lightness while reading it. You aren't weighted down by the story and that makes it beautiful.
Madison is your normal, every day plain girl... or at least, she thinks so. But really, she's this bright, kind, loving girl that doesn't give herself enough credit. Everyone around her seems to be in their own world. Her best friend lashes out whenever she doesn't get her own way, her mother barely acknowledges her existence. And Madison accepts it and everyone sees her as a pushover, but Madison just loves with a big heart and accepts people for who they are.
She soon discovers that she has these brothers that she never knew about. Her brother John, becomes a big part of her life, and immediately tries to step in and "fix" what he sees is wrong in her life. While she is trying to build some type of relationship with this new brother, she also has guys coming out of the word work for her.
First is JP, the guy she's crushed on forever, who is a super hot, popular chess player (yes, I said chess player), then there's Carson, the hot Mormon boy, and Alex the hot psycho dangerous outcast.
My favorite person in this story just might have been Siraj, Madison's boss at her job at the Library. Every day she'd come to work, she'd always say her day was fine but he quickly learns that her definition of fine may be different then others and his react to it is hilarious.
There are so many factors in this book which made is an emotional ride. It deals with psychosis, and other mental illness. It's deals with self respect and unconditional love. And the fine like that one can someone walk when those two topics don't seem mutually exclusive. There was also some talk of Mormonism which is a religion her brothers and Carson were a part of. I felt like this book didn't promote or detract from the religion but gave what would be considered honest feelings about someone first learning about the religion would be.
But what made this book extra special, was the fact that even as we are dealing with these extreme topics, I still found myself laughing and giggling through the entire thing. That's not to say that it makes light of some important topics, but it gives you a sense of lightness while reading it. You aren't weighted down by the story and that makes it beautiful.
merlin_reads's review against another edition
I need to think on this one. It was definitely very interesting and there were parts that I liked, but it was also very preachy at times.
polarmouse's review against another edition
3.0
I liked so much of this book, the way the writing flows, the 'must find out what happens next!' feeling, the portrayal of Madison as a teen trying to deal with all of the normal problems of being a teenager with a few more thrown in for good measure and her handling it, not always perfectly but in an honest kind of way. There are other things I didn't like, but at this moment I'm leaning more towards the like side.
Madison lives in the sleepy seaside town of Pelican Bluff, has a complicated best friend, a mother so engaged in her own world Madison has to be the responsible one, boys who maybe like her, and a long lost brother she didn't know she had has found her. Madison learns to try and see beyond the surface of people and ideas she's made assumptions about, including herself.
There is some weirdness in the book, mainly Mormonism, where it pops up, people are involved or talk about it, but it doesn't really add enough to the plot to be warranted the attention it is given. Also, pretty much all the parents and most of the adults over 25 are uncaring and irresponsible. Even my favorite adult character by the end of the book had a moment where I wanted to scream at him for his cold attitude.
I think the author really nailed the confusion of being a teenager, trying to figure out what choices to make in a world that is not as clear cut as we would like it to be. The characterization is what really made the book special for me.
*I received a free copy of this book though a Goodreads giveaway, I have not received any financial compensation for this review.
Madison lives in the sleepy seaside town of Pelican Bluff, has a complicated best friend, a mother so engaged in her own world Madison has to be the responsible one, boys who maybe like her, and a long lost brother she didn't know she had has found her. Madison learns to try and see beyond the surface of people and ideas she's made assumptions about, including herself.
There is some weirdness in the book, mainly Mormonism, where it pops up, people are involved or talk about it, but it doesn't really add enough to the plot to be warranted the attention it is given. Also, pretty much all the parents and most of the adults over 25 are uncaring and irresponsible. Even my favorite adult character by the end of the book had a moment where I wanted to scream at him for his cold attitude.
I think the author really nailed the confusion of being a teenager, trying to figure out what choices to make in a world that is not as clear cut as we would like it to be. The characterization is what really made the book special for me.
*I received a free copy of this book though a Goodreads giveaway, I have not received any financial compensation for this review.
kreeps's review
5.0
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a very good read. The story follows Madison and her relationships with friends, family and love interests. My favorite part of the book is her brother John. He is such a sweetheart. I mean, of course I loved Alex too, but John is exactly what makes Madison begin to realize what a great person she really is. If it weren't for John, Madison probably wouldn't have ended up with Alex in the first place. Anyways, I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a cute story.
This book was a very good read. The story follows Madison and her relationships with friends, family and love interests. My favorite part of the book is her brother John. He is such a sweetheart. I mean, of course I loved Alex too, but John is exactly what makes Madison begin to realize what a great person she really is. If it weren't for John, Madison probably wouldn't have ended up with Alex in the first place. Anyways, I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a cute story.
lifeandliterature's review against another edition
5.0
Castles on the Sand was for me, a book that contained so many different layers. And I thoroughly enjoyed peeling each layer back to discover more of this wonderful story and it's equally wonderful characters!!
At first glance Madison appears to be your typical teenage girl dealing with your typical teenage issues. But as the story unfolds and we delve deeper into Madison's life we see that she is dealing with so much more than your average teen. But through it all she is strong and loyal. She has a mum who has shut down and barely speaks to her. She shows very little interest in Madison's life and it's nothing out of the ordinary for Madison to have to step up and be the adult.
Then, out of the blue there is a knock on the door and Madison comes face to face with John, a Mormon man who says he is her brother. Madison never really doubts that what he tells her is the truth. He knows too much about her and he looks just like her mum. To be honest, John rattled me a little bit at first. He was so full on and so expressive in how much he loved and wanted to protect Madison. But as the story went on that was one of the things that I loved most about him!! And he comes into her life when she will need his love and support the most!!
And then add into that Madison's best friend Kailie who is dealing with issues of her own. Now Kailie was a character that I had a really hard time liking. She does some really horrible things to Madison. Really horrible!! But through it all Madison is so incredibly loyal and comes to her defence at every turn. And then we learn the extent of the trauma's that Kailie is suffering and you can't help but feel for her. But there is still that little niggle in the back of my brain that keeps asking if that then gives her the right to treat Madison as she does?
And who could forget Alex!! Alex is the bad boy... Or is he? Alex was by far my favourite character. There is so much more to him than what we see on the surface. It just goes to show how a person can be perceived by their actions, but until someone takes the time to look a bit deeper and see what bought about those actions, you can never truly know what makes a person tick. His relationship with Madison was beautiful to watch unfold. His love for his mother just shone through.
This is the first book that I have read my Emily Mah Tippetts and I can guarantee that it won't be the last!! She is such a wonderful storyteller!!! So excited to hear that the sequel to Castles on the Sand is being written as we speak.
4.5/5 Stars!!
Review first posted at YA Book Addict... http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au/
At first glance Madison appears to be your typical teenage girl dealing with your typical teenage issues. But as the story unfolds and we delve deeper into Madison's life we see that she is dealing with so much more than your average teen. But through it all she is strong and loyal. She has a mum who has shut down and barely speaks to her. She shows very little interest in Madison's life and it's nothing out of the ordinary for Madison to have to step up and be the adult.
Then, out of the blue there is a knock on the door and Madison comes face to face with John, a Mormon man who says he is her brother. Madison never really doubts that what he tells her is the truth. He knows too much about her and he looks just like her mum. To be honest, John rattled me a little bit at first. He was so full on and so expressive in how much he loved and wanted to protect Madison. But as the story went on that was one of the things that I loved most about him!! And he comes into her life when she will need his love and support the most!!
And then add into that Madison's best friend Kailie who is dealing with issues of her own. Now Kailie was a character that I had a really hard time liking. She does some really horrible things to Madison. Really horrible!! But through it all Madison is so incredibly loyal and comes to her defence at every turn. And then we learn the extent of the trauma's that Kailie is suffering and you can't help but feel for her. But there is still that little niggle in the back of my brain that keeps asking if that then gives her the right to treat Madison as she does?
And who could forget Alex!! Alex is the bad boy... Or is he? Alex was by far my favourite character. There is so much more to him than what we see on the surface. It just goes to show how a person can be perceived by their actions, but until someone takes the time to look a bit deeper and see what bought about those actions, you can never truly know what makes a person tick. His relationship with Madison was beautiful to watch unfold. His love for his mother just shone through.
This is the first book that I have read my Emily Mah Tippetts and I can guarantee that it won't be the last!! She is such a wonderful storyteller!!! So excited to hear that the sequel to Castles on the Sand is being written as we speak.
4.5/5 Stars!!
Review first posted at YA Book Addict... http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au/
colormeblueex's review
4.0
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows sixteen year old Madison, who is considered the nicest girl in Pelican Bluffs. She has been struggling with bullying, a bad home life, and some news that just shocks her completely. I thought this story was really exciting and very different. There were twists and turns and I just could not put it down. I really felt for Madison and all the crap that she was dealt in life. Even with all of the crap she is still completely positive and her goodness is what leads her to Alex, the town "bad boy" who also is hiding a secret. There are some sensitive subjects including mental illness and religion in this story but the author does a good job writing about it.
This story follows sixteen year old Madison, who is considered the nicest girl in Pelican Bluffs. She has been struggling with bullying, a bad home life, and some news that just shocks her completely. I thought this story was really exciting and very different. There were twists and turns and I just could not put it down. I really felt for Madison and all the crap that she was dealt in life. Even with all of the crap she is still completely positive and her goodness is what leads her to Alex, the town "bad boy" who also is hiding a secret. There are some sensitive subjects including mental illness and religion in this story but the author does a good job writing about it.
crazychriss93's review
2.0
Okay, let me get some things out first before I start reviewing this book...
Or let's just see this as the beginning of my review cause in a way it is.
This novel is not a Romance novel.
Why?
Cause it's a missionary book.
This book is essentially about Mormons, resolves around how great and awesome they are and how this religion helps you to move on. So basically, find Mormon friends 'cause they are super cool and helpful and always there for you.
OmG.
I mean, I don't know, but this whole theme caught me by surprise. I read in other reviews that something like that would be in the novel. But I was like: yeah, probably once or twice. That I could have dealt with. I even could have dealt with a group of Mormons who attend the school our heroine attends.
Not the case.
Her good friends are Mormons, her brother is, and then, of course, we have someone who gets baptized because hey, we haven't already talked enough about how super awesome Mormons are.
I mean, this whole saints theme is just beyond ridiculous.
What's also ridiculous? Her brother who just forgives their mom for abandoning them. What the ever-loving hell??? Really?? Really??
Apart from that?
I kinda liked the writing style.
Characters?
Didn't like our heroine so much.
Why?
Well, there is this forgiveness theme we have going on in there. She is your perfect good girl, likes everyone.
Hah, yeah, right. She's not. She judges Alex and his friends based on their appearance.
She's gullible and naive when it comes to her 'friends'. Her best friend? She does things that are just really, really hard to forgive - especially at that age. But our heroine? She doesn't care, loves her still and goes on telling her all her secrets.
She's insecure, which is okay for her age but omg, please, I'm just asking for a bit of talk about body positivity. Just once in the novel it would have been nice if she would have looked at her and thought: Yeah, actually, I'm gorgeous.
I just... Argh... I'm so disappointed right now and probably super biased because this whole religion thingy made me super mad...
I liked Alex, btw.
Loved him, actually. Brooding, silent bad boy. Always up for that.
But the rest...
Not for me.
Or let's just see this as the beginning of my review cause in a way it is.
This novel is not a Romance novel.
Why?
Cause it's a missionary book.
This book is essentially about Mormons, resolves around how great and awesome they are and how this religion helps you to move on. So basically, find Mormon friends 'cause they are super cool and helpful and always there for you.
OmG.
I mean, I don't know, but this whole theme caught me by surprise. I read in other reviews that something like that would be in the novel. But I was like: yeah, probably once or twice. That I could have dealt with. I even could have dealt with a group of Mormons who attend the school our heroine attends.
Not the case.
Her good friends are Mormons, her brother is, and then, of course, we have someone who gets baptized because hey, we haven't already talked enough about how super awesome Mormons are.
I mean, this whole saints theme is just beyond ridiculous.
What's also ridiculous? Her brother who just forgives their mom for abandoning them. What the ever-loving hell??? Really?? Really??
Apart from that?
I kinda liked the writing style.
Characters?
Didn't like our heroine so much.
Why?
Well, there is this forgiveness theme we have going on in there. She is your perfect good girl, likes everyone.
Hah, yeah, right. She's not. She judges Alex and his friends based on their appearance.
She's gullible and naive when it comes to her 'friends'. Her best friend? She does things that are just really, really hard to forgive - especially at that age. But our heroine? She doesn't care, loves her still and goes on telling her all her secrets.
She's insecure, which is okay for her age but omg, please, I'm just asking for a bit of talk about body positivity. Just once in the novel it would have been nice if she would have looked at her and thought: Yeah, actually, I'm gorgeous.
I just... Argh... I'm so disappointed right now and probably super biased because this whole religion thingy made me super mad...
I liked Alex, btw.
Loved him, actually. Brooding, silent bad boy. Always up for that.
But the rest...
Not for me.
bookphenomena_micky's review
4.0
This is an unusual but very engaging story which I thoroughly enjoyed. Madison is a unloved girl who has a hidden family sprung on her. It's a while before you work out who is going to be the real love interest, but I was glad who ended up being with Madison. It didn't know what to make of the Mormon backstory, it's not really my thing, but it didn't stop me enjoying the story. Off to ready the sequel now!
abookishaffair's review
3.0
Castles on the Sand was sort of a mixed bag for me. I was definitely a little bit conflicted about what to rate this book. First off, it took me awhile to get into the book as I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters until the second half. Once the book hit its stride, it was much, much easier for me to get into.
This book deals with a lot of different topics and some of them are very important. All of the topics are of concern for many teenagers. Topics of appearance, family, relationships, and friends are all present here. I think the most important topic in this is the topic of mental illness. Tippetts did a really good job of painting a sympathetic picture of Alex and his mom. I think this can be a really difficult topic to tackle, especially in YA fiction. Tippetts makes you really feel for these characters and what they are going through and how they are trying to survive as a family. I really thought this was one of the best parts of the book!
There were a lot of plot holes that I wish had been filled in. First off, why does John only find where his mom and Madison are now? Madison is already a teenager meaning that there was a lot of time to pass before John just happened upon them while doing his missionary work. Also, I understand that John really cares about Madison because she is his sister but found it bordering on creepy about how quickly he warms back up to her and starts calling her beautiful all. the. time. Also, why is Madison's mom still so mad if it had been so many years? This was never really explained but she's sort of a sour grape throughout the entire book.
There is a religious (specifically Mormon) tilt to this book so depending on your feelings, that may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Bottom line: Overall, I enjoyed the writing but this story was definitely not my favorite.
This book deals with a lot of different topics and some of them are very important. All of the topics are of concern for many teenagers. Topics of appearance, family, relationships, and friends are all present here. I think the most important topic in this is the topic of mental illness. Tippetts did a really good job of painting a sympathetic picture of Alex and his mom. I think this can be a really difficult topic to tackle, especially in YA fiction. Tippetts makes you really feel for these characters and what they are going through and how they are trying to survive as a family. I really thought this was one of the best parts of the book!
There were a lot of plot holes that I wish had been filled in. First off, why does John only find where his mom and Madison are now? Madison is already a teenager meaning that there was a lot of time to pass before John just happened upon them while doing his missionary work. Also, I understand that John really cares about Madison because she is his sister but found it bordering on creepy about how quickly he warms back up to her and starts calling her beautiful all. the. time. Also, why is Madison's mom still so mad if it had been so many years? This was never really explained but she's sort of a sour grape throughout the entire book.
There is a religious (specifically Mormon) tilt to this book so depending on your feelings, that may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Bottom line: Overall, I enjoyed the writing but this story was definitely not my favorite.
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