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While the synopsis claims that it’s not that kind of story - I beg to differ: it’s exaclty that kind of story. Should I give it credit for being a simple, realistic love story? For being without vampires and werewolves, and dramatic over-the-top displays of love? If so, then the basis on which we now judge our books (and compare them) is totally wrong. I did not love this book. That is not to say it was horrible – it was enjoyable enough, for some people it might even be perfect. Just not for me.

I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum with this one – people who loved it beyond words and people who thought it sucked. I think this is one of those books that either works for you or it doesn’t. It didn’t work for me. Yes, it was cute, their romance was sweet and all that, but it just… For some reason, Pete Hautman’s books just don’t do anything for me. I end up frustrated, because there were good premisses in them, but they just don’t go anywhere. I always feel like he could have made an amazing book out of that, but instead made a mediocre one. I feel like I’m being too harsh here, so please understand that I mean this in a very personal way – this is how they feel to me, and I believe that reading is a very personal thing – the books that speak to us tell a lot about us. I realize that to many people this was one of those wow books. For me it was just disappointing. In short, I think I will leave Hautman’s books to those who can fully appreciate them.

The first thing I want to say about this book is how amazing the cover is. I think that’s what ultimately made me bring it home – one look and I fell in love. It’s just so aghhh gorgeous I couldn’t stop looking at it.

As for the story… ah-ma-zing. I loved every second of it, could not put it down. I loved how it was part sci-fy, part dystopian – it was so well done, so well-balanced. That was my favorite part – getting to the heart of matters, to what exactly was going on in this strange and rather creepy ship. I love that the story wasn’t solely focused on their relationship and that Amy didn’t fall immediately into Elder’s arms – they both had, in fact, other, bigger things on their minds. I can’t say the twists and turns completely surprised me, but they were really well-timed and flowed very nicely together. I can’t wait to read the next one and see how things advance and develop and see where our two main characters end up.

Ages ago, my dearest sister recommended a certain little book called Water for Elephants, which was absolutely amazing, and put Gruen on my list of awesometastic authors. So when I saw Ape House, I nearly jumped up and down with joy. And I’m glad to report another success.

Gruen has a great, how to put it, affinity with the animal kingdom, and manages to translate that beautifully on paper. I fell in love with the bonobos – not to mention how much I learned. It was brilliant – every twist and turn.

One of a kind and quite simply amazing. To put it succinctly: read it.

I’ve been dying to read this book ever since I saw the movie trailer – and of course I had to read the book first.

It must be said I’ve never been much of a Sparks’ fan. His writing has never really been my style, his stories never held much appeal to me.

But this. Oh. My. God.

This was beautiful. I could not stop reading. The setting was incredible – I could just smell the ocean, hear the waves. I loved the father-daughter relationship that progressed and the dynamics of the household. The romance, the music, the webs of family issues and acceptance, the search for faith, for a more solid, palpable presence of God, the regrets and the sorrow and the ugly truth of endings. It was incredible.

Also, that cover rocks.

“And yet, as Sempere told me, every book has a soul, the soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and dream about it.”

If this is true, this book has my soul. I am completely blown away, left speechless and in awe. This is one of those rare books that you know you’ll never forget and will most likely find yourself missing for the first few days after finishing it. It is that good.

I don’t have the adequate words to express how this book touched me. Something about it, that I can’t place, grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go – so that even when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. It’s one of those books that absorbs you and become your world until they’re done. At one point, there was something I didn’t like all that much, that I thought would be the one thing that made the book not perfect – but in the end, it did end up being exactly right. So, yes, exactly perfect.

It is not lightly that I say that this is one of the books that has surely most marked my reading life so far. I’m now forever a fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafón and absolutely worship this work of his.

In complete awe.