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wildflowerz76's review against another edition
1.0
There's a reason why this book is always free. Ug. I just... Okay, how about the good first? The writing wasn't bad. I was interested in the beginning.
Yeah, that's about all I can say with that. So, Julia is a dumbass. She's first written like a reasonably sensible girl, but then she does a Bella and falls head-over-heels for Nicholas with very little provocation. She has this seemingly other-worldly attraction to him that's never explained. Bella, I mean Julia, can also sense emotions and whether someone's telling the truth. Though she doesn't always take advantage of it when she really needs to, even though she complains about not being able to control it. Her father punishes her for stupid things and she doesn't put up any kind of fight. Her car breaks down and she walks through the woods to get home and her father yells at her for making that decision. What the hell else should she do? She's also constantly letting her phone die or leaving it places. She does incredibly stupid things constantly. She falls for Phil on and off and immediately.
I rarely give a book I finish 1 star, but here ya go.
Yeah, that's about all I can say with that. So, Julia is a dumbass. She's first written like a reasonably sensible girl, but then she does a Bella and falls head-over-heels for Nicholas with very little provocation. She has this seemingly other-worldly attraction to him that's never explained. Bella, I mean Julia, can also sense emotions and whether someone's telling the truth. Though she doesn't always take advantage of it when she really needs to, even though she complains about not being able to control it. Her father punishes her for stupid things and she doesn't put up any kind of fight. Her car breaks down and she walks through the woods to get home and her father yells at her for making that decision. What the hell else should she do? She's also constantly letting her phone die or leaving it places. She does incredibly stupid things constantly. She falls for Phil on and off and immediately.
I rarely give a book I finish 1 star, but here ya go.
peachescb352's review against another edition
3.0
See the review on my blog!
dustinthestacks.wordpress.com
dustinthestacks.wordpress.com
cgarcia529's review against another edition
5.0
If you like Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer then you will like this book. This is a fast pace, gripping, need to hurry and turn to the next page to find out what happened kind of book. Brenda gave us a fresh, new, and exciting world about a vampire hunter and vampires.
Julia can sense and feel emotions from people around her. Her friends and family doesn't know she has this ability and wants to keep it that way. Nicholas is a half vampire/ half human with super natural ability and a special talisman. Oh. And he hunts and kills vampires. He has also been secretly guarding Julia since she was a little girl after her mother disappeared.
Julia and Nicholas met when he saved her from a dangerous incident. After that the story really picks up when they venture into a relationship. Julia learns what really happens to her mother and gets into it thick with vampires.
The ending will keep you sated but still wanting more. Overall, this book is exciting, fulfilling, and original. I highly recommend this to everyone.
Julia can sense and feel emotions from people around her. Her friends and family doesn't know she has this ability and wants to keep it that way. Nicholas is a half vampire/ half human with super natural ability and a special talisman. Oh. And he hunts and kills vampires. He has also been secretly guarding Julia since she was a little girl after her mother disappeared.
Julia and Nicholas met when he saved her from a dangerous incident. After that the story really picks up when they venture into a relationship. Julia learns what really happens to her mother and gets into it thick with vampires.
The ending will keep you sated but still wanting more. Overall, this book is exciting, fulfilling, and original. I highly recommend this to everyone.
chelsea_not_chels's review against another edition
2.0
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
1.5 stars.
I have some serious issues with young adult paranormal romances these days, mostly because most of them are terrible. This one is no different. Let's dive right in, shall we?
Julia, our heroine, is an idiot. She thinks words like "obscure" (a word of a whopping two syllables) are "big" and that people should be teased for using them, is taking alegbra at age sixteen (around here, it's taken when you're thirteen or fourteen, in eighth grade, if not earlier). I work with stupid people all day long (NOT my coworkers, it should be noted--but definitely our customers/clients) and don't particularly want to read about them in my free time. Doing so just extends the period of time in which I feel the need to punch someone.
It reads like the author just made a character sheet (Q: What type of car does your character drive? A: A 1984 Volkswagen Quantum) and then dumped every single detail off it into the first chapter. So basically, you get this: "My name is Julia. These are my friends. I can read minds and none of them know. I drive a 1984 Volkswagen Quantum and work at the best sandwich shop in town. My mother disappeared when I was five, but my aunt acts as a surrogate mother figure even though I hate her new husband. I live in the cutest house on the block." And so on and so forth. Everything in italics, by the way, is verbatim from the book.
And then there's the biggest problem: the love interest. Nicholas. Oh, Nicolas. Julia, what were you thinking, girl? He stalks you, doesn't want anyone to know you're together, he may or may not eventually want to rip your throat out and drink your blood. If that doesn't say "deal-breaker," then I don't know what does. But no. Julia meets Nicholas and five minutes later (literally, five minutes later) is head over heels in love with him, obsessing over him, and doing all kinds of stupid, dangerous stuff in the process.
I dream of a young adult paranormal romance in which the heroine actually possesses a brain. This isn't it.
1.5 stars.
I have some serious issues with young adult paranormal romances these days, mostly because most of them are terrible. This one is no different. Let's dive right in, shall we?
Julia, our heroine, is an idiot. She thinks words like "obscure" (a word of a whopping two syllables) are "big" and that people should be teased for using them, is taking alegbra at age sixteen (around here, it's taken when you're thirteen or fourteen, in eighth grade, if not earlier). I work with stupid people all day long (NOT my coworkers, it should be noted--but definitely our customers/clients) and don't particularly want to read about them in my free time. Doing so just extends the period of time in which I feel the need to punch someone.
It reads like the author just made a character sheet (Q: What type of car does your character drive? A: A 1984 Volkswagen Quantum) and then dumped every single detail off it into the first chapter. So basically, you get this: "My name is Julia. These are my friends. I can read minds and none of them know. I drive a 1984 Volkswagen Quantum and work at the best sandwich shop in town. My mother disappeared when I was five, but my aunt acts as a surrogate mother figure even though I hate her new husband. I live in the cutest house on the block." And so on and so forth. Everything in italics, by the way, is verbatim from the book.
And then there's the biggest problem: the love interest. Nicholas. Oh, Nicolas. Julia, what were you thinking, girl? He stalks you, doesn't want anyone to know you're together, he may or may not eventually want to rip your throat out and drink your blood. If that doesn't say "deal-breaker," then I don't know what does. But no. Julia meets Nicholas and five minutes later (literally, five minutes later) is head over heels in love with him, obsessing over him, and doing all kinds of stupid, dangerous stuff in the process.
I dream of a young adult paranormal romance in which the heroine actually possesses a brain. This isn't it.
madetofly's review against another edition
4.0
Review is here:
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-review-emerald-talisman-by-brenda.html
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-review-emerald-talisman-by-brenda.html
love_bookswillbetheendofme's review against another edition
2.0
This book seemed to be a lot like Twilight. There was the whole girl just met guy, and she fell in love instantly and now she can't stop obsessing over him. Then, she starts having feelings for another guy and becomes confused. She prides herself on not being like other boy-crazed girls, but then she becomes one. At least she isn't as stupid as Bella from Twilight. The only good thing about this book was the great vocabulary words sprinkled throughout. Otherwise, unless you are a Twihard, you probably won't like this.
trikaratops's review against another edition
4.0
The Emerald Talisman was truly an amazing read. The pros include a strong and daring leading lady, who has a knack for getting in and out of tight spots. Julia is an original character with an incredible power that only she knows about. Her love interest, Nicholas, is the only thing that keeps her alive, literally. He is a mix between a guardian angel and Buffy the vampire slayer male style! He is her protector. This created a crazy kind of love connection.
I have to be honest vampires have been thing I have purposefully avoided because of the Twilight hype but this book sure swept me into a magical place beyond what I expected. Specifically I enjoyed that the main character was distinctively different from any other female character, I liked how she didn't whine over things or throw self-pity parties. She had courage smarts, and wit.
A truly refreshing story about a girl, Evil vampires, and the love of her life!
I have to be honest vampires have been thing I have purposefully avoided because of the Twilight hype but this book sure swept me into a magical place beyond what I expected. Specifically I enjoyed that the main character was distinctively different from any other female character, I liked how she didn't whine over things or throw self-pity parties. She had courage smarts, and wit.
A truly refreshing story about a girl, Evil vampires, and the love of her life!
lenoreo's review against another edition
3.0
Copies heavily from Twilight saga, but still entertaining.
UPDATE: reread it, and totally disagree with my original review. I think it was just the first vampire novel I read besides Twilight, and honestly this one was quite different. If it was like anything, I would say it follows Buffy and Angel. I stick with my 3 stars b/c I couldn't quite get into the chemistry between Julia and Nicholas...I just didn't feel their connection, and so her enthrallment with him didn't make sense for me. But there was a lot of goodness in the story, and I've already read the next one and remember liking it a lot more...can't wait to reread it, and then the conclusion.
UPDATE: reread it, and totally disagree with my original review. I think it was just the first vampire novel I read besides Twilight, and honestly this one was quite different. If it was like anything, I would say it follows Buffy and Angel. I stick with my 3 stars b/c I couldn't quite get into the chemistry between Julia and Nicholas...I just didn't feel their connection, and so her enthrallment with him didn't make sense for me. But there was a lot of goodness in the story, and I've already read the next one and remember liking it a lot more...can't wait to reread it, and then the conclusion.
pxr014's review against another edition
1.0
I honestly never thought I would find a book that worse than Twilight...
This book was very, very poorly written. The plot and the characters were basically the same as Twilight, except there was a fortune-teller, and the main character followed the advice of a cat that sounded suspiciously similar to a vampire...hmmm....
This book was very, very poorly written. The plot and the characters were basically the same as Twilight, except there was a fortune-teller, and the main character followed the advice of a cat that sounded suspiciously similar to a vampire...hmmm....
abookishstar's review against another edition
5.0
Where do I begin??? I'm now adding this book to my all-time favorites. I simply loved it, read it in less then a day. Why do I adore it so much? I don't know. I think Twilight might have met it's match. I'm surprised there's not more publicity about this book. I can definitely see this book being quickly optioned for film rights. Not one part of the story did I find uninteresting. It was fast paced and the writing was beautifully done. It was clear, easy imagery with well brought out emotions. Also guess what, the author has never written much before this. Can you believe that?? I find her work very well written, not amerturish.
The characters were well developed and like-able. Especially Julia, I really connected with her. I found many similarities between her and me, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. Her thoughts were really strong and well written, making her a realistic character. She wasn't annoying. A lot of the situations she got into and her actions were very understandable. If a guy hadn't visited, when he said he would, I'd be pissed off as well. I was actually wondering through the first half of the book where Nicholas was. I found the author did a great job of creating and writing about her. Brenda Pandos definitely connected with her inner teenager.
Nicholas and Phil were the sexiest characters of the novel. Sadly one of them get's down-casted, by the other. The plot was simple and very obvious. Both boys trying to fight over the girls affection. One good and the other bad. Which then leaves the readers in a conflicted situation cause you can't help but love both. Though you can probably guess who wins her heart in the end. Nicholas was protective in a sweet-sort-of-way, and his reasoning was very sincere. But like all other paranormal YA boys, he is a bit of a stalker. I was seriously waiting, throughout the novel, for Julia to ask if he watches her while she sleeps. I think I just finally realized that most paranormal YA boys do that, why not Nicholas as well. Phil was the nice kid turned bad boy in the book. At times I really felt my heart drawn to him.
What I thought... could of been more improved was Julia's power. I felt that it wasn't really brought to the readers attention enough. I wanted to know more, and maybe in the sequel we will learn more about her gift.
Overall this book will definitely be on the top 5 of 2010. I loved it and I'm so excited for it's sequel, The Sapphire Talisman to come out. I will be anxiously awaking it release date. If you haven't read this book yet then I highly recommend that you do.
The characters were well developed and like-able. Especially Julia, I really connected with her. I found many similarities between her and me, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. Her thoughts were really strong and well written, making her a realistic character. She wasn't annoying. A lot of the situations she got into and her actions were very understandable. If a guy hadn't visited, when he said he would, I'd be pissed off as well. I was actually wondering through the first half of the book where Nicholas was. I found the author did a great job of creating and writing about her. Brenda Pandos definitely connected with her inner teenager.
Nicholas and Phil were the sexiest characters of the novel. Sadly one of them get's down-casted, by the other. The plot was simple and very obvious. Both boys trying to fight over the girls affection. One good and the other bad. Which then leaves the readers in a conflicted situation cause you can't help but love both. Though you can probably guess who wins her heart in the end. Nicholas was protective in a sweet-sort-of-way, and his reasoning was very sincere. But like all other paranormal YA boys, he is a bit of a stalker. I was seriously waiting, throughout the novel, for Julia to ask if he watches her while she sleeps. I think I just finally realized that most paranormal YA boys do that, why not Nicholas as well. Phil was the nice kid turned bad boy in the book. At times I really felt my heart drawn to him.
What I thought... could of been more improved was Julia's power. I felt that it wasn't really brought to the readers attention enough. I wanted to know more, and maybe in the sequel we will learn more about her gift.
Overall this book will definitely be on the top 5 of 2010. I loved it and I'm so excited for it's sequel, The Sapphire Talisman to come out. I will be anxiously awaking it release date. If you haven't read this book yet then I highly recommend that you do.