Rachel ColesBesprekingen

I really liked this book. I love stories that involve demons and coming of age battling evil and accepting your destiny. The thing that makes this book so interesting is all of the Sumerian lore and Mesopotamia myth that the author obviously spent a lot of time researching. I appreciate it when an author knows what they are writing about. Check it out. It's different from most of the titles targeted at readers these days, and that is good.

This was a really interesting young adult novel that was entertaining even for someone my age! I connected with the characters and grew to genuinely care about them throughout the work. The story had elements of fantasy, history, and adventure and was very enjoyable.

I received this ebook through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I found this book difficult to get into. I read quite a bit of urban fantasy, and usually have no trouble suspending disbelief, but in this case, I did. Pazuzu manifests himself to his daughter as a cloud of grasshoppers; Morpho is, of course, another word for butterfly -- her mother, I believe, actually *was* a butterfly. I don't know,it just didn't grab me, and the insects kind of creeped me out. So unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish this one.

I really liked this book! the concepts of it and the modern background made it very enjoyable.I received this ebook from library thing to review and I found myself unable to do it due to computer problems! (tell me about it) but once I started to read it I could not stop. Above all I liked the topic of Mesopotamian lure that the author used in it. Is a book that has funny dialogues and impressive twists. The end was amazing! you have to read to find out for yourselves :)

Not a bad book; not a great one either. The story was a decent mix of fantasy and reality, or the reality from the perspective of a teenage girl. The writing causes a little confusion with two names per every "demon", and the plot has bits of "Twilight" in it. Like I said, it's not a great read, but cute in ways that would attract an audience.½

Review:

I will not label this book YA (young adult) fantasy, because of the amount of adult content it contains (drugs, mature language, etc...), but that doesn't mean that teens (17 and up) won't enjoy the fast-paced and well-researched story-line of Pazuzu's Girl. I found the book to be entertainingly original, with a well-developed plot-line and believable characters. I liked the contrasts between Pazuzu and Lugal (the Gods), and the more humanly "flawed" individuals throughout the text; they added a needed layer of background/depth to the story. I connected with the characters on some levels, but I wish I could have empathized more; the scenarios ranged from shockingly serious to ludicrously laughable, however, I felt that there was something missing - the character-to-reader connection so many readers crave. I didn't react the way I thought I would towards the ending for that reason, (no spoilers). I still enjoyed the characters, especially Lugal, Morpho, and Pazuzu, but there was something lacking in their emotional presentation. Another aspect that irked me was the "romance" between Morpho and JD, it was rushed, unrealistic, boring, and unnecessary. What made me overlook most of this was the witty dialogue and the beautifully crafted story-line centering on Mesopotamian mythology in the 21st century. I loved seeing familiar names from my world mythology class woven throughout the book! Overall, I enjoyed Pazuzu's Girl and the punch of personality it brought to the mythology/fantasy genre! I look forward to future books by this author, (maybe a prequel?).

Rating: Bounty's Out (3.5/5)

*** I received this book from the author (LibraryThing Early Reviewers) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.½

While the title made me think more along the lines of a cheesy romance than a fantasy work, I enjoyed this book. I liked the mythology aspects of it, as I haven't really seen a lot of works that go into Assyrian mythology and it was fun to learn about myths I wasn't familiar with. The conflict between Morpho as she tried to grow up and her father as he tried to protect her was well written, and I just loved JD's character. Here he likes this girl whose father could blast him with a wave of his finger, and yet he sticks with Morpho. It was a fun read.

This novel was a very interesting read for someone not used to this genre. The back story was well thought out and given at the appropriate times. It was very informational for those who know little to nothing about Assyrian mythology. The story line was easy to follow and was enhanced by the different perspectives. Overall, I definitely enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

It was a fairly interesting story that could use a little more editing (just where does that sandwich come from in chapter 17?) and polishing.

It started slow and I had problems finding enough interest in it to keep reading. At first the main characters didn't seem to ring true. The reactions of the father and servant in particular felt wrong. Okay, so they're ancient, but I had a hard time believing that after all this time on the run in the human world that they wouldn't have picked up more human culture and better camouflage.

About halfway through the story though it picked up and gained enough momentum that the unevenness didn't bother me as much. Either that or the author hit her stride and found her characters and their voices. Or maybe I got used to them all.

So all in all, I don't regret reading it, but I don't think I'll be wanting to reread it either.

Edited to add: After reading the other reviews I agree that if this book was marketed to the YA crowd to catch the supernatural wave there, it wasn't quite accurate. I don't think there's enough of the teen viewpoint (or there's too many adult viewpoints) for it to appeal to some (many? I don't know teens). The principal in particular seems like he would be a turn off to me.½

Although the name is not catchy, this book definitely is! The story of a mortal-ish daughter of an ancient god has been done - think Neil Gaiman, think Rick Riordan - this was still original enough to read and enjoy, And...a character in the book is a D&D player who recognizes Pazuzu, (and the antagonist, Lamashtu, his "ex-wife") lifted into the book and into Dungeons and Dragons from ancient Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, so the title itself may actually attract some readers.

I found some of the writing quite awkward, and some of the exegeses into politics a little under-developed and unnecessary both, but I think it could be suitable for editing and publishing at a different quality. (I'm thinking of the "Trylle trilogy" by Amanda Hocking here.)

It also began to feel like a gaming environment, with the names and alternate names and overlaid histories, and world-wide geography. Having read and loved "ReamDe" by Neal Stephenson, I have a new appreciation for that part of culture, which is not my home, and I think the feeling of traveling there in this book was part of its appeal for me.

And although the title character is a teen-aged girl, and the book indicated as Young Adult, one of my categories of interest, there is really nothing that restricts this book to kid readers, which is another pleasure. YA literature is often so programmatic, trying to teach thru a fictional setting, hitting a matrix of Politically Correct qualities, and this book had none of that vibe.

Once again, the very convenience of having the e-book version on my phone was a pleasure, and the book kept me great company while I was spending a lot of time in waiting rooms without my own stuff. After the last couple of e-book duds, it was refreshing to find a little unexpected nugget of quality. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and looking at a phone full of writing and games, I chose to keep reading Pazuzu's girl. There you go! Uptwinkles!

This was a good book. The fantasy/god realm was merged so well with reality, one could almost believe it. Morpho was a believable character. She is a regular teenager who has a dad that doesn't understand her. He just happens to be a god. I did feel that the plot dragged a bit. There were also a few misspellings. It always bugs me when there is a misspelled word in a published book. I would recommend this book to others.

Wow! Absolutely loved this book. I loved the mixture of fantasy (Gods, Spirits, Fairies, Demons,etc) and reality (abusive relationships, school, teen angst, terrorist fears). I really enjoyed seeing the growth of all the characters whether they were humans, Gods or Immortal beings. I would go into details but I don't want to give anything away. I would definitely be interested in reading more about Morpho, JD and their world. Great job Rachel Coles! :)

Pazuzu, a demon of plague, has to deal not only with his teenage daughter going to high school but his ex-wife tearing a swathe of terror across the world in an attempt to wreak bloody vengence.

I enjoyed this book. It's an interesting read and goes into a mythology I haven't heard a lot about before, which is nice to see. It's a little in the vein of American Gods in that it's dealing with Gods in the modern world who are trying to deal with a world that doesn't believe in them any more. The characters are all complex and nuanced and I liked that the teenagers did predominantly act like teenagers.

I'm finding this review hard to write at the book was very much not what I expected, possible due to mis-marketing. I got the impression I'd be reading young adult fiction about a teenage girl dealing with having a demon of plague for a father. That isn't this book. I'd argue that it's not as much young adult as adult, and focuses more on Pazuzu then his daughter, which means I took a while to get the book. It also lacks a good central focus character but skips around a lot between the characters, so while all the characters are good I think I would have benefited from giving us one to have as a P.O.V. character who we can really get behind instead of skipping between them.

That said, once you get past the fact that the book isn't what it seems it will be, it's good. Definitley worth a read.½

Received this through Library Thing. It is out of my normal genre and I am glad I read it.

Anzu is a deep and interesting character. He struggles with wanting to control everything, yet he's not sure how to go about it so as not to alientate Morpho. He is trying his best to adapt into the mortal world but it is hard for him to understand. Not sure he should be drinking beer. Seems more like a wine guy.

This story takes ideas from today's society and adds the mythological twist with gods and goddesses. This give the usual teenage problems an interesting. Sometimes the subplots were hard to follow. Slower reading was required for these parts, but worth it.

A very interesting book about a family, the God's, and their ties to the mortal world. Pazuzu is a cursed god who has a rebellious teenage daughter, Morpho. Morpho does not really understand the world of Gods and legends that she is a part of and pretty much just wants to be a normal teenage girl. This can be difficult when your father is the God of plagues and takes it out on the boy you like and the bullies in the school. The story is a study of how this father / daughter relationship grows in a difficult time. Of course, that relationship grows amidst the Gods deciding whether or not to help man, a global apocalypse, and a series of personal revelations that rock every major character's view of each other. The story jumps around a bit in and out of different time periods and locations so it can be hard to follow but overall it is a very worthwhile read!

Being a fan of world mythologies, I found this book fascinating. For the most part I'm not familiar with the Middle Eastern gods, so I was able to seat back and enjoy the book without worrying about the accuracy (a habit of mine).
Incorporating many common themes from modern stories like divorce, teen angst and vengence, the story is set in modern day America with side trips around the world and characters from now all the way back to ancient times including ghosts, gods, demons a principal and even Gilgamesh's father.
Aside from a handful of spots where the story didn't flow quite right, usually because an idea, sentence or paragraph seemed to missing from the page, the story was entertaining and enjoyable, with the characters being quite personable and real (for gods and demons). It has also inspired me to investigate the mythologies referred to in the story that I am not already familiar with. I look forward to reading more from Rachel Coles.

Won this book on Library Thing and I found it a fun, interesting, read. I had trouble keeping the name of the different gods/goddesses straight sometimes, but that didn't hinder me from following what was going on. If you like supernatural/mythological fiction, you will probably enjoy this book. Recommended.½

The god, Anzu is in deep trouble after stealing something that judges the fate of just about everything. In return he is judged by his fellow gods. Now, he is Pazuzu, demon of the Plague and Winds. Down and depressed, he falls under the seduction of an evil demoness and weds her. A decision he soon regrets. Not long after, the demoness becomes his ex and he marries someone he actually loves and has a beautiful child with. Shortly after, his pyschopathic ex is back, kills the wifey, scrams, and comes back years later with more power than ever before. What she intends to do with it? Don't wait and see. Read and find out!

The part I like most about this book was that it introduced some new gods that I've never heard of in books about Greek, Roman, or Egyptian mythology. The character development was also pretty good and the characters semmed 'real enough.'

Good job on the book, Rachel Coles! I give ya two thumbs up!

Disclosure: I received a free e-book copy from JournalStone via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer’s giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from NetGalley: Morpho Wilson thought her life was difficult enough. Her father is Pazuzu, the Mesopotamian demon of plague and the Southwest wind. As a teenager Morpho struggles against her father, while trying to adjust to high school in a new neighborhood. The family is constantly moving in an attempt to elude Pazuzu’s murderous ex-wife, a demoness known for killing children.

Then something unique happens. A socially-impaired classmate becomes so intrigued by Morpho that he pursues her, despite the mystery surrounding her family and the danger that accompanies it.

But before their romance can grow the demoness tracks Morpho down, and now only needs an ancient artifact called the Tablet of Destiny to complete the destruction of the world. The tablet confers on its owner the ability to control the fate of everything and everyone on earth.

Once the tablet is discovered in the Middle East, the oldest and most powerful gods begin a battle for its possession, with the human population caught in the middle. Morpho, her family, and her new friend must decide, do they escape from the horrifying demoness or fight for their own destiny. How far will Pazuzu go to save his daughter from a hellish fate? Will his banishment from Heaven so many millennia ago end up being a curse...or a blessing?

My Thoughts: I’ve been interested in Sumerian mythology for some time now, so as soon as I heard about this book, I wanted to read it. I was not disappointed. It was obvious that the author spent some time researching the myths, legends and stories of Mesopotamia, and then wove them into this wonderful story. The characters are fascinating, the story paced wonderfully, and it is highly engaging and readable. Highly recommended, especially to those who enjoy stories woven among the ancient legends.

I love Mythology and this book played nicely into that. The story kept me reading and my kids have stolen my Nook so they can read it too.

Good story! Can't wait to read more from this author!

I liked the premise of this book but have to admit I got a little confused trying to keep up with everyone's narrative. However, that point aside, I enjoyed the book, especially the mythilogical aspect.

It sort of sucks when you have to run from your dad's ex because she likes killing kids. It also sort of sucks when you dad is the "mythological" god of plagues. But what happens when someone likes you? And will that bode well for your family?

I did enjoy the story line. And I really liked that the book lead me to do some reading about this type of mythology. The summary is a bit different than what the book is about. Morpho is in the book as well as the guy who is interested in her (JD). But it seems it's more about Pazuzu than Morpho herself. We do see a wonderful transformation of Morpho. But I did not have that connection with the characters.

I find it a bit difficult to connect with a book and it's characters when it has many different points of views. For example, The Hangman's Daughter is similar to what is trying to be accomplished with this book. I didn't enjoy that book either because of the hopping around and trying to connect with each character. Other than not being able to connect with the characters, the story was well written and enjoyable.

I hate to say it, but I didn't finish reading this book. I'm a quick reader, and love having ebooks available on my phone that can be read during those times when I'm waiting for a kid, or between moments of other things. And I really wanted to like this book. It sounded interesting from the description, and I tend to enjoy books in this genre.

However, first thing I noticed was that the summary was not what the book is about. It's like going to the movie theater thinking you're getting a romance and discovering a buddy cop flick instead. Surprising, really, but I tried to give it a chance. After all, I like the genre in general.

But the problems just kept mounting for me, and I never really was able to connect to the characters (for me this is a critical thing). I sort of liked Morpho and her new boyfriend, but they were off screen more than they were on. The book was billed as being about Morpho and her difficulties as Pazuzu's daughter, but that was less than a quarter of the first half of the book.

The book skips around a lot between POV characters, storylines, and frankly it becomes confusing, difficult to grab onto, and for me, it dragged. I found the mythology fascinating, but taking a chapter or more out of the main storyline to run a flashback or a bit of mythology was just too much, and more importantly, it happened too often for me to keep hold of the main storyline. Also, at the point where I stopped reading (about halfway through), things had happened which rendered Morpho an even more difficult to connect with character.

I can see from other reviews that this book has appealed to others, and that's fine. The style, the pacing, and the characters just weren't for me.

I have read several books from Journal Stone and they have rarely disappointed. Pazuzu's Girl is no exception. It is a fun, fast ride that will keep your attention from the first page to the last. The use of ancient gods is not new in fantasy but I loved the use of far eastern gods which are certainly less well known, at least by me.

The book is aimed at young readers but , due to some references to drugs, it might not be suitable for the under-sixteen crowd. However, as an adult, I enjoyed it immensely. I liked that Pazuzu loved his daughter unconditionally even when she was at her most rebellious, I liked that his servant/warrior/friend did as well, in fact, I liked how much the adult characters were willing to sacrifice for this one teenage girl.

The one problem I did have with the story was the lack of strong, good female characters. Most of the female characters were either down-right evil and liked it that way, or they were selfish , indifferent , or cunning. The few good female characters played fairly minor roles in the book. Even Morpho seemed to be there more to move the action along rather than to play an active role in her own story.

Still, that aside, this book is a lot of fun and, if you enjoy a good urban fantasy, you should really give this one a try - it's definitely worth the read.½

I rather enjoyed the book. I haven't encountered to many books that deal with gods other then Greek or roman. The actual story didn't focus on one character or even really the main character as introduced in the beginning. Some things could have used a little more explaining, such as ekimmu. The background stories for the people were also interesting, but they made me wish they delved into them a bit more. Overall a good book.