Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Morpheus Road: The Light #1 by D.J. MacHale

Book Summery:
Marshall Seaver is being haunted. In the first installment of this chillingly compelling trilogy, sixteen-year-old Marshall discovers that something beyond our world is after him. The eerie clues pile up quickly, and when people start dying, it’s clear whatever this is it’s huge.

Marshall has no idea what’s happening to him, but he’s soon convinced that it has something to do with his best friend Cooper, who’s been missing for over a week. Together with Coop’s sister, Marsh searches for the truth about what happened to his friend, ultimately uncovering something bigger than he could ever have imagined
.-goodreads.com

Book Trailer:



Book Review:
First off, let me start by saying that overall, this was a solid, scary read. It's my first book by D. J. MacHale, who also wrote the Pendragon series. MacHale does know how to write a good, creepy scene that is sure to send your arm hair on end. The characters in this book, especially the main character, Marsh, are flawed and easy to relate to. Also, the action scenes are absolutely sensational. Needless to say, you are definitely in for one hell of a ride with Morpheus Road: The Light.

This could have been a five star book, but there were a few minor things (I thought) that held it back to a 4 star rating. First of all, there were multiple times when the plot seemed to drag on a bit, especially at the beginning when Marsh is alone and has little to no dialog with anyone else. Another aspect is that amazing as the action sequences were, they tended to carry on a bit too long at times, with a little too much going on. This made for a stark difference in comparison to the periods of stagnancy. What I mean to say here is that at times it felt like there was too much or too little going on, plot-wise. A more little more balance would have blended the story a bit better. Again, this is just one readers opinion! ;)

Overall, I enjoyed Morpheus Road: The Light. The pros definitely outweighed the cons. A 4 star rating still makes a good book, in my opinion. :) The ending definitely had a twist that I didn't see coming, which makes me eager to read the upcoming sequel Morpheus Road: The Black. You can find out more about the series and the author at his website. If you've read and reviewed this book, please feel free to leave a link in a comment! I always love reading others thoughts on books I've read!

Favorite Quote:

"How many particular weeks can anybody really remember? A week can fly by like any other. Or it can change your life. You tend to remember those weeks.

I remember last week.

It was the week the haunting began.

Or maybe I should call it the hunting because that's what it was. I was being hunted. And haunted. It wasn't a good week." (p.2)

Cover Art Commentary:
The cover of this book, displays what I believe is an accurate portrayal of the character "Gravedigger." The colors contrast nicely and deepen the overall "creep factor." Very fitting.

Overall Rating:

8 comments:

  1. I need to check this one out. I keep hearing good things about it.

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  2. I have heard great praise for this one. Even with the few minor problems I think it is going on my list

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  3. @Juju
    It really is quite good. Let me know what you think when you pick it up! :)

    @Liz
    It really is a good book! It just had a few minor set backs, that might not bother anyone else. :P I'd love to know what you think about it if you pick it up! :)

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  4. Ive heard good things about this as well...but tend to be chicken with scary novels...:D Seriously Lily we need to get together and have that coffee......

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  5. Ooo, thanks Lily for putting such a great review! This book has been popping out at me, but I couldn't bring myself to pick it up. Score you for converting an iffy reader!

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  6. Good quote! And the trailer is kind of spooky. I like it :)

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  7. @Tina
    I definitely think you could handle it! It's more creepy than scary! And YES! coffee sounds great! :D

    @Tipsy
    Yay! Please let me know what you think of it! :)

    @Rachel
    Yes, MacHale definitely does creepy well! :)

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  8. Got this one on the shelf - must read soon since it sounds great!
    Thanks for the review.


    ~Alyssa
    Teens Read & Write

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