Title: Bored of the Rings Author: The Harvard Lampoon # of Pages: 192 (paperback) Genre: Humor, Fantasy Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Synopsis: It’s up to Boggie Frito Bugger and his band of misfits—including inept wizard Goodgulf Grayteeth, halfwit Spam Gangree, twins Moxie and Pepsi, and Arrowroot of Arrowshirt—to carry the Great Ring to Fordor and cast it into the Zazu Pits.
Can they avoid death by hickey tree and escape the dread ballhog? Can the fellowship overcome the narcs and Nozdruls hounding their every move and save Lower Middle Earth once and for all? Yes, of course—this isn’t Hamlet, you know. Review: No. Just no.
If you want to read this book and like it, you should have read The Lord of the Rings (and you'd have to have comprehended and enjoyed them, unlike me) and have a crude sense of humor, neither of which I have done. I'm not exactly sure of where I bought it, but I thought it would help me get into The Lord of the Rings. I was proven wrong.
Overall, Bored of the Rings was boring, crude, and hard to get through (I used my speed reading technique that is mentioned in the footnotes of this book).
Title: You Have to Stop This Author: Pseudonymous Bosch # of Pages: 347 (paperback) Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis:I always feared this day would come. A secret is meant to stay secret, after all. And now we've come to this: the fifth and final (I swear!) book in my saga of secrets. A class trip to the local natural history museum turns dangerous when Cass accidentally breaks a finger off a priceless mummy. This "crime" of vandalism leads her and her friends Max-Earnest and Yo-Yoji on an expedition into a land of majestic pyramids, dusty tombs, and the walking dead. Is it Egypt? Or somewhere much stranger... Review: After all this time, the Secret Series has finally come to an end.
It's been a while since I read the first book, and I remember loving it. The book wasn't like most books; it's funny and ideal for those who usually don't like to read (I DO like to read). Bosch made an effort to connect with his audience, which, although is created for a younger age group, can be enjoyed by older audiences too.
You Have to Stop This didn't have quite as much Bosch (as in Bosch rambling about himself or chocolate, or something else that is completely unrelated to the plot) in it as I was hoping for, but was interesting nonetheless. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to understand what was going on since it has been a while since I read the fourth installment, but, surprisingly, I was able to understand and enjoy what was going on, picking up on the story as I read (although it wasn't too hard to figure out; the main goal is to find the Secret).
Overall, I found this book very satisfying. It's a very quick, fun, and intriguing read! I recommend it to all Secret Series lovers!!!
Title: Flyte Author: Angie Sage # of Pages: 521 (paperback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure Rating:★★★☆☆ Synopsis: It's been a year since septimus heap discovered his real family and true calling to be a wizard. As Apprentice to Extra Ordinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, he is learning the fine arts of Conjurations, Charms, and other Magyk, while Jenna is adapting to life as the Princess and enjoying the freedom of the Castle. But there is something sinister at work. Marcia is constantly trailed by a menacing Darke Shadow, and Septimus's brother Simon seems bent on a revenge no one understands. Why is the Darke Magyk still lingering? Review: I'd first like to redirect you to my review of Sage's first book of the Septimus Heap series, Magyk. That review overall reflects how I felt about Flyte.
In this book, I was looking for improvement from the first. Unfortunately, it failed to impress me and was, at times, boring (thus why it took me a while to finish it). Of course, there were some humorous parts that amused me, but still did not boost Flyte's rating to four/five stars.
As I reader, I found it frustrating that the character's failed to do something against Simon until the end of the book. Jenna had told Nicko and Septimus what Simon did to her, so why aren't they rushing her to safety ASAP? Even though they may consider her to be their sister, she still is the princess.
For example, when Sleuth is trying to Tag Jenna and Wolf Boy catches it, Septimus and Nicko should have tried to create as much distance between Jenna and Sleuth as possible. Instead, they were sitting ducks and just WATCHED Wolf Boy burn his hands. I have to say the Wolf Boy might be the smartest one of the bunch.
And why does Septimus let Simon leave? He could just as easily alerted someone to intercept Simon before he got away. He's obviously working with Darke magic and cannot be trusted! Sure, one can argue that Septimus is putting brotherly trust in him not to come back and put people in danger, but wouldn't it be brotherly love to take him into custody and prevent Darke influences from pressuring him into taking violent action against the people that he loves/loved? It feel like a big mistake.
I am not sure whether I recommend this book. I know that I am going to continue to reread the whole series so I could read the last book, Flyte, but I probably wouldn't reread it again. If you thoroughly enjoyed Magyk, then, yes, read Flyte. But if not, I would be hesitant to read on.
Title: Love? Maybe Author: Heather Hepler # of Pages: 267 (paperback) Genre: YA, Romance, Realistic Fiction Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Synopsis:Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. Then her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper finds herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.
In this heartwarming romance, true love is more than a maybe - and it might be closer than you think. Review: There goes four days of my life that I'll never get back.
I bought this book months ago because it was on sale (probably sometime after Valentine's Day). I didn't like the cover at all; it's too plain for me. However, I have to give it some credit; it represents the book well (no sarcasm).
What really ticked me off was our protagonist, Piper. The best way to describe her is how the supporting characters describe her: cynical (a word that her friends are constantly calling her) and stupid.
"'For such a smart girl, you sure can be stupid sometimes'" (Hepler 243).
This quote does a great job of reflecting my thoughts of Piper. Hepler tries to portray Piper as a smart girl who always seems to have homework that she needs to finish, etc., etc. Yet she gets caught texting in class (if she's going to text, at least be smarter about it) and is missing stuff relating to her love life that even her friends have picked up on!!! It's very frustrating when the protagonist is completely oblivious.
The second major dislike I have for this book is the writing style. Sentence structure was awkward at times to the point where it disrupts the flow of the plot. Hepler's character development is sloppy; she was still developing Piper's mom half way into the book!
To sum it all up, this book was bad. I would not read it again, nor would I recommend it to anyone.
Title: Magyk Author: Angie Sage # of Pages: 584 (paperback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: Septimus Heap, the seventh son of the seventh son, disappears the night he is born, pronounced dead by the midwife. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across an abandoned child in the snow -- a newborn girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take her into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus? Review: This is my second reading of the Septimus Heap series after several years. I remember enjoying this book very much and even rated it five stars (and added it to my favorites shelf) when I joined Goodreads.
Unfortunately, Magyk has found it's way off the favorites shelf.
Sage's writing style didn't impress me as much as it did all those years ago. I don't know it my standards are higher now, but I no longer consider this book to be at the same level as some other books such as The Fault in Our Stars. Now, don't get me wrong; Sage is still a wonderful writer. She created an engaging, entertaining read that is also CLEAN, thus is enjoyable for all ages.
But it was missing that special something that other YA books have (although some can classify this book as Middle Grade, but I still think that it fits in the young adult section). Maybe Sage found it in Fyre, the seventh book. I wouldn't know yet because I am rereading the Septimus Heap series in honor of it's release this past summer.
But here's some stuff that really bugged me.
Sally's cafe is burned down
Why is Sally's cafe burned down? The answer is simple; she didn't lie. When the Hunter marched in and questioned her, she is obviously not very good at acting. But at least she could pretend to give in when the Hunter says that he's going to burn her cafe down! And she only has herself to blame. If she didn't gawk at them through the window, she wouldn't have drawn attention to herself.
Sally could have fought a little bit harder for her cafe. It is HER cafe after all. Don't let someone take it from you! True, she did kick the Hunter, but that's hardly going to stop him from having his lackeys burn the building. It's a cafe, right? Use pots, pans, tables! Fight!
Boy 412's Fact Lists
His "lists" are really, really annoying. The amount of "good" and "bad" facts are painfully obvious, but 412 has to list them off and the COUNT the number of goods and bads when THERE IS ONLY ONE GOOD! And then later in the book he makes yet ANOTHER list where there is only one bad, yet he has to go through the same process he used earlier. For our new main character (who the series is name after, might I add), Sage makes him look awfully dumb.
Similarities to Harry Potter, Hobbit, etc.
There and Back Again Row? Trelawney? If I'm not mistaken, these are references to two well known books. I'm not sure when Harry Potter was published, but i do know that the Hobbit was published before Magyk. Sage may have put these references into her book to appeal to her audience, but it only makes me question how much of her book is actually HER idea and not someone else's.
Despite my slight change in opinion about this book, I still highly recommend it!
Title: Tracker Author: Gary Paulsen # of Pages: 96 (paperback) Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction, Adventure Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Synopsis: For John Borne's family, hunting has nothing to do with sport or manliness. It's a matter of survival. Every fall John and his grandfather go off into the woods to shoot the deer that puts meat on the table over the long Minnesota winter.
But this year John's grandfather is dying, and John must hunt alone. John tracks a doe for two days, but as he closes in on his prey, he realizes he cannot shoot her. For John, the hunt is no longer about killing, but about life. Review: What did I just read?
I've read two of Paulsen's works before, and I thoroughly enjoyed them, thus why I was so eager to start Tracker. While I was surprised how short the book was, I was expecting a good read.
If I could describe Tracker in one sentence, I would say that Tracker is about a boy who is distraught over his grandfather and has a sick obsession with a deer. There it is. You don't even have to read the book because there really is nothing to it. The ending is abrupt, and the whole plot is pointless. Am I missing something here? Is this a part of a bigger story? Because I think I just wasted an hour of my life.
Title: Nectar in a Sieve Author: Kamala Markandaya # of Pages: 186 (paperback) Genre: Historical Fiction, Cultural, Classics Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: Married as a child bride to a tenant farmer she had never seen, she worked side by side in the field with her husband to wrest a living from land that was ravaged by droughts, monsoons, and insects. With remarkable fortitude ad courage, she sought to meet the challenge of changing times and to fight poverty and disaster. She saw one of her infants die from starvation, her daughter become a prostitute, and her sons leave the land for jobs that she distrusted. And somehow she survived....This beautiful and eloquent story tells of a simple peasant woman in a primitive village in India whose whole life was a gallant and persistent battle to care for those she loved. Review: As you might have observed by now, I did not read this by choosing, but I will write a review for it all the same.
Nectar in a Sieve is relatively short but interesting read. The protagonist, Rukmani, marries a man of lower class than she and finds many hardships in her life (as in third-world problems). Therefore, this book is VERY DEPRESSING. The reader is dragged along on this journey of never-ending torture and may be emotionally affected!
My biggest complaint is that the book was a little too short. The plot seemed to be extremely compress, and my sense of time was a bit off. By the end of the book, I still pictured Rukmani as a much younger person than she is at that point. Also, Markandaya could have extended the plot a bit more so that the reader could find out what happens to the characters after the end of the book
For those of you who have not read this book and would usually not read a book of cultural/historical fiction/classic genres, I would highly suggest that you give it a try. It's not a hard read at all; I recommend it!
Title: An Abundance of Katherines Author: John Green # of Pages: 228 (paperback) Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washedup child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun–but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Review: It's amazing! I thought that since Green wrote this so many years ago, it wasn't going to be that good. And, although it did take me longer than usual to finish a Green novel, I found that I enjoyed it. A lot.
Be warned, potential readers, there is a plethora of smart-ness and complicated looking math (of course, this is debatable. The math included can look complicated to some, but not to, perhaps, a child prodigy/genius or an assistant professor, as was the one who created the theorems), so if one is uninterested in that type of thing, I'd highly advise you NOT to read this book.
And, of course, if you have some strange hate for footnotes (or if you do not like your reading to be interrupted with little side notes on the information you are reading), you defiantly should NOT read this book. However, if you have loved Green's works thus far (or even if you have only read TFIOS and loved it) or have never read a single Green book and would like to read one, then yes, you should read this book. .
For all TFIOS fans, I found this book to be somewhat similar. You know those moments in The Fault in Our Stars when you're bawling your eyes out one moment and then laughing hysterically the next? Yeah, there are a few moments like that in An Abundance of Katherines. I'd be reading a scene in horror one moment and then I find myself laughing like a crazy person. Maybe that's just me though...
Title: Keeping the Castle Author: Patrice Kindl # of Pages: 261 (paperback) Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans . . . Review: This review will contain minor spoilers covering the contents of the beginning of the book (i.e. character development). Major spoilers will be hidden as usual.
No. Just no.
Althea is not humble nor does she seem to take marriage seriously. I'm also a bit concern as to how knowledgeable she is to certain matters. Below is a quote from the first chapter:
"'...Best to aim for a younger man. You see, dearest, there are certain aspects of marriage - ' She bent her head as she helped Alexander to climb up upon her lap - 'it is not proper for you to know about them yet, but you must trust me to know what I am speaking about - that make a younger man much more pleasing'" (Kindl 8).
This is her mother saying this to Althea. I find it peculiar that this seventeen year-old girl has yet to learn about such things that her mother was avoiding telling her about. Throughout the book, Althea continues to tell herself (and others tell her) that she is still young yet to marry. And while this may be true today, (to my knowledge) seventeen is well into marrying age. And, yes, I found Althea very, very annoying. She goes on about how horrible her stepsisters, yet she's not exactly an angel herself.
Also, if Althea and her family are so poor, why do they have servants? I get that they kept the castle for Alexander's inheritance, but if they are struggling to eat, wouldn't they fire their staff first? For a while, I thought that perhaps the servants were not there because they were being paid, but because they were loyal to their family. However, later on in the book, it is said that the servants are paid. Wouldn't it but SO much better if they had the money that they had to use to pay the servants? Plus that's quiet a few mouths that they wouldn't have to feed.
What was even more disappointing than the beginning of the book was how predictable the plot was. Her obvious distaste for Mr. Fredricks made it clear that she was going to end up with him (in which she does) and her attraction to Lord Boring makes it clear that she WON'T end up with him (which she doesn't).
Title: Let it Snow Author: John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle # of Pages: 352 (paperback) Genre: YA, Romance, Holiday Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis:An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve
buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House ( and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.
Review: This book contains three interconnected stories written by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. I decided that, for this review, I would rate each story separately and then average the three ratings for the final rating.
The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
Rating: 4 stars
I've read Johnson's work in Zombies vs Unicorns but other than that, this is the first time I've read her work.
At first, I was a little put-off by the beginning. I usually don't like it when the characters talk to the reader, but Johnson did a really good job. I thought that Julie and Stuart's relationship was really cute, but a little rushed. Although I understand that the plot had to progress faster than usual because of the limited amount of story each author was allowed to write (I assume they all agreed to write a certain amount of pages), I think there could have been a bigger focus on Julie and Stuart and less on everything else.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green
Rating: 3 stars
I have to say, I'm a little disappointed in John Green. But, then again, I shouldn't be so surprised that his story wasn't as great as his later works (aka The Fault in Our Stars)since this was written in 2008, a whole four years difference.
I wish I knew how these three authors decided what to write. Did they form a plot line and then assign a part of the story to each author? Because, in all honest, Green's plot line sucked. He had to write about two testosterone-happy dudes and their friend (who they don't even consider a girl, which she is) make the STUPID decision to go to a Waffle House just for a bunch of cheerleaders THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW. It's all just a bit too ridiculous for me. So I gave it three stars.
The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
Rating: 4 stars
I don't think I have ever read one of Myracle's works, so I wasn't sure what to expect. By this point, the scene is set. Most of the character development is finished, and she even get the honor of writing the big ending. The ending was great, although I felt as overwhelmed about the situation as Addie did. The beginning...not as great. There was a lot of description on how big of a jerk she is, and I don't think I'm the only one who doesn't like reading about jerks. Just saying.
But she had me sold with the ending. I thought it was so sweet how everyone was able to find love...and out comes my hopeless romantic side. However, if she did NOT write the ending, like let's say she had to write Addie's story in the middle, then her rating would have dropped dramatically because Addie isn't a good enough character.
I was pleasantly surprised on how the story turned out! And I love the interconnected-ness of it all. But I do recommend that you read this before Christmas versus during the summer (after all, it's a winter-looking book).
Title: Chosen at Nightfall Author: C.C. Hunter # of Pages: 400 (paperback) Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis:When Kylie Galen left Shadow Falls, she thought it was the hardest decision of her life. Heartbroken and separated from everyone she loves, she has to embrace her abilities and what it means to be a chameleon. But as Kylie's journey comes to a close, she must return to the camp that started it all...and she must finally chose between the two boys who love her. The werewolf who broke her heart when he chose his pack over her, and the half-fae who ran from their intense attraction before they ever really had a chance. For Kylie, everything will finally be revealed and nothing will ever be the same.
Review: I'd like to start off by saying that the cover is absolutely beautiful! The many shades of pink are perfect and very girly (which I love!).
I have to say, I was a little worried. I thought Hunter was going to disappoint me with this book since, for some reason, I found the first hundred pages very unappealing. But once the romance started up, Hunter had me hooked.
I'm not sure what else to see. It was one heck of an ending. I LOVE The Shadow Falls series, and I'm a bit sad that the series is over. But I'm glad that Hunter did end it because, as I like to say, a good author knows when to end the series (unlike a certain other Hunter that I know. There's only so many ways to kill off a cat!). Do I recommend this book? Yes!
Title: Tuesdays at the Castle Author: Jessica Day George # of Pages: 254 (paperback) Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis:Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.
Review: Three days ago I decided that it was time to finally read the middle grade book that found it's way on my shelf two years ago. It was given to me as a gift, and, although I smiled at thanked the person, I found the cover all together unappealing. As a result, I put it ago the other books who have been patiently waiting for me to read them for years. Since I have a bit more time on my hands, and my progression on Chosen at Nightfall (by C.C. Hunter) is a bit behind schedule, I read this book at the same time.
It defiantly is a middle grade book. There are only two-hundred pages, leaving room for a short, slightly undeveloped plot. But, honestly, that wasn't what I didn't like about Tuesdays at the Castle. The plot was decent enough and had me up until midnight last night just so I could finish reading it.
Celie, on the other hand, was a problem. George claims that she's eleven, but she acts more like she's five. It would be better if she WAS five; then her childish antics wouldn't seem so immature. By the time I finished the book, I couldn't believe that it was HER that was the hero.
What's worse is that the supporting characters seem to be ecstatic over her ideas and act as though they are incapable of thinking of a better idea which, I assure you, there are defiantly better ideas than Celie's.
If George had removed Celie completely from the story and replaced her with someone who actually acts her age, then I would have enjoyed the book a lot more. I recommend this book to people twelve and under.
Title: The Girl Who Was On Fire Author: Leah Wilson (editor) # of Pages: 210 (paperback) Genre: Non-fiction, Dystopian, Essays Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis:In The Girl Who Was on Fire, thirteen YA authors take you back to Panem with moving, dark, and funny pieces on Katniss, the Games, Gale and Peeta, reality TV, survival, and more. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to fashion and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss' world really is.
• How does the way the Games affect the brain explain Haymitch's drinking, Annie's distraction, and Wiress' speech problems?
• What does the rebellion have in common with the War on Terror? • Why isn't the answer to "Peeta or Gale?" as interesting as the question itself? • What should Panem have learned from the fates of other hedonistic societies throughout history and what can we?
The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy.
Review: It's not the book's fault that it got such a bad rating. It's mine.
I should never have picked up this book. It's a nonfiction, a collection of essays! Obviously not the book for me. I was hoping that I would be interested in a little insight of the book, that the authors who wrote the essays would make connections within the book (if that makes any sense). But the authors made a connection to today, thus rapidly making The Girl Who Was On Fire outdated.
If you are AT ALL interested, read it NOW. I imagine in the next ten years younger readers will find this book somewhat lacking.
Title: The Royal Ranger Author: John Flanagan # of Pages: 464 (hardback) Genre: YA, Adventure, Fantasy Rating: ★★★★★ Synopsis: After a senseless tragedy destroys his life, Will is obsessed with punishing those responsible - even if it means leaving the Ranger Corps. His worried friends must find a way to stop him taking such a dark path.
It is Halt who suggests the solution: Will must take an apprentice. The candidate Halt has in mind surprises everyone - and it's a request Will cannot refuse.
Training a rebellious, unwilling apprentice is hard enough. But when a routine mission uncovers a shocking web of crime, Will must decide where his priorities lie - finishing his quest for revenge, or saving innocent lives?
Review: I can't believe it's really over. HOW IT CAN IT BE OVER AFTER ALL THIS TIME?!?! Twelve wonderful works of art, just to never hear from them again. Unless their mentioned in the Brotherband series, of course. But I think that series might take place in a different time period...?
Anyway, I was defiantly teary-eyed when I read the first half of the book. The death of Crowley was shocking and really emphasized how much time has passed since the eleventh book. And in the very beginning, when Will said the a Courier died in a fire, I had a sneaking suspicion that it was Alyss. But when Flanagan confirmed it, I was heart-broken. Of all the people, it had to be Will's wife. He deserves to be HAPPY! He had a rough childhood; at least allow him to have a happy marriage!!! Honestly, I was a worried as Halt, Gilan, Pauline, Horace, and Cassandra; I didn't want Will to be so unhappy.
But when Will took Maddie as an apprentice, it brought back so many memories. But, like Will, I was a little disappointed how experienced Maddie already was in the beginning of her training. I was hoping that she would try to use the bow without an arm-guard.
And, yes, in case any of you were wondering, I am a little too attached to the series.
But what the heck was the remaining half? Will and Maddie go on a simple mission; to stop a ring of slave traders. Yet they almost DIE! I don't know about any of you, but compared to the other missions Will has been on, it seemed like a pretty easy job.
And the epilogue!!! I wanted it to be about Will, not Maddie. She's just a new character; I don't feel as much compassion toward her as I do Will and Halt. It's great to have the "new beginnings" feel for the ending...but it wasn't a big "WOW" feel I was looking for. So, in that way, I am unhappy with the book.
Yes! I recommend this book! If you've gotten this far, you might as well read this book anyway. Finish of the series...and be amazed.
Title: The Lost Stories Author: John Flanagan # of Pages: 422 (hardback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: Unconfirmed accounts of a group of Araluen warriors - tales of adventure, battle, and triumph over evil - have spread for centuries throughout the known world. Most notable is a clan shrouded in mystery, phantom warriors known as the Rangers.
Two names pass the lips of every storyteller: Halt, and his apprentice, Will. They and their comrades in arms are said to have traveled throughout the kingdom and beyond its borders, protecting those who needed it most. If true, these rumors can be only part of the story.
Only now, centuries after these men and women walked the earth, do we have confirmation of their existence. Behold The Lost Stories, Book 11 in the Ranger's Apprentice epic.
Review: Holy crap. Flanagan is truly amazing.
I decided to read The Lost Stories because of the release of the last book, The Royal Ranger (I had The Lost Stories sitting on my bookshelf for the longest time. I didn't want to read it yet because I wasn't sure if it was going to be the last book or not). I was a little surprised when I heard that The Royal Ranger came out already. How come I didn't hear of it?! Anyhow, I finally convinced myself that now was the time to read the eleventh installment of the Ranger's Apprentice series.
What I found mildly confusing was why this book was the eleventh book. I knew from reading the inside cover that The Lost Stories was a collection of stories that answered questions from some of the readers. And it was true; the "story" is about Will's past. The second "story" is about Gilan during The Icebound Land (as requested by the readers). However, the rest of the stories seem to shape their own new plot, set in the time after the tenth book until "stories" seven and eight, in which Halt's past is revealed and a mini sub-plotline of Tug and Will takes place. Then the ninth "story" resumes where the sixth left off/
It's all very confusing, and overall it seemed like a long epilogue and a bunch of extras (or "deleted scenes," like in the movies). Even though John Flanagan said somewhere (I think) that he planned to write twelve books for the Ranger's Apprentice series, it almost seems like he planned to stop with this one.
I think one of my favorite "stories" it the Purple Prose. I found it EXTREMELY funny, and I got a good laugh out of it, which I haven't had in a long time. Will's constant conversation with Tug was hilarious too. But, speaking of Tug, I almost cried when I was reading The Wolf. Will was heartbroken when he realized that he could no longer work with his horse whom he worked with throughout Will's ranger years. But, the funny thing was that I felt like I lost a friend too. The fact that Tug is replaced didn't help much either. I really hoped that Flanagan would let Tug keep his old name and just give Tug #2 have a different one, but no such luck. To me, Tug should be Tug, not this look-alike horse. Really, really sad.
Honestly? If you've gotten this far, then it shows that you're pretty dedicated to the series (like I am!). So, yes, it's a must read! A lot of stuff happens in this book, so don't think that you can just skip over it and read the twelfth one. Defiantly recommended.
Title: Before I Fall Author: Lauren Oliver # of Pages: 470 (hardback) Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction, Romance Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?,
Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.
The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
Review: I think it's funny that when I read the back of the book, I thought, "Hey, it's like that Groundhog's Day movie!" and then almost the exact same thing is said IN THE BOOK! It was obviously an inspiration to Oliver.
However, knowing this, I prepared myself to hate the book. The proof is right there in the book itself; the plot isn't going to be original. Plus Sam, our protagonist, is one of those mean-popular-girl types; not exactly very likable.
She makes bad choices and her boyfriend sucks, which is why it bugs me when she said some crap about me being just like her.
Here's a quote:
"Is what I did really so much worse than what anybody else does? Is it really so much worse than what you do? Think about it" (Oliver 81).
Well, Sam, I did exactly what you asked. I went ahead and thought about what you did; bully a girl just because your friend doesn't like her, treat a childhood friend like crap, get in a car with an irresponsible driver, etc. etc. And then asked myself, "Self, have I ever done these things before?" The answer was no. No, I don't hate a person when I don't even know them because I DON'T know then. If my friend has a problem with a person, then it's HER problem. Unless someone has done something to ME that pisses me off, I'm not going to poor beer on her head (not to mention that I wouldn't DRINK beer at her age). Kent didn't do anything to her except become a person that HE wants to be, not a person society wants him to be. Yet Sam acts like he personally offended her or something. The next one's pretty obvious; there are about a billion ads on the internet about it (although there are a whole bunch on TV now about texting and driving).
Yet, somehow, in someway, I grew to love the book. Sam is able to fix the mistakes in her life by reliving her last day seven times, and how much she grew from the beginning of the book really touched me. The only little, itsy-bitsy detail that bugged me was that Sam was driven by a selfish need. She didn't want to that to be stuck in the time loop forever; she knew she was dead and she wanted to hurry up and move on to the next world. The only reason why she fixed her mistakes is because she wanted to go to the afterlife.
But, selfish or not, it's in interesting thought. What if everyone is forced to relive their last day to realize and fix their mistakes? Everyone, in that week of their last day, would learn to appreciate their life a bit more and get the closure that they really need, just like Sam. She got to see her parents happy as she left home that day. She gave her sister their grandmother's necklace, which allowed Sam to see her sister's joy one last time. Sam got to kiss Kent and, most of all, got to save a life. Even though these actions may have been a day late and a dollar short, they allowed her to finally be at peace with herself.
So, yes, there was some stuff that I really, really didn't like, which is why I didn't give Before I Fall five stars. But I found it entertaining, and it touched my heart. Do I recommend it? Of course I do!
Title: Allegiant Author: Veronica Roth # of Pages: 526 (ebook) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian Rating: ★★★☆
☆ Synopsis: The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. Review: Jeez. I don't even know how to say what I want to say. But somehow, I'll manage.
Let's just say that I STRONGLY disliked the first half of the book. The cover is a beautiful, of course, but everything else is so...meh. There's a lot of kissing, too much, in fact. And I usually LIKE romance (although it might not be apparent from what I've said in other reviews).
And I nearly died from a heart attack when I saw that there was POV switching. POV SWITCHING!!! In case you don't know, I hate POV switches. With a passion. The reason; a lot of authors can't pull it off. It makes the writer seem indecisive and lazy because he/she can't decide which POV do. If you can't decide, write in third person!
HOWEVER! I can also understand why Roth wrote from both Tris's and Tobias's point of view. Tris's death would be hard to write otherwise, though Roth could have done the whole book in Tris's POV and then switched to third person or Tobias's POV for the epilogue. So although Roth's use of POV switching is partially justified, it still does not hide the fact that this book wasn't written as well as Divergent (and even Insurgent). I found myself having to go back to the first page of the chapter a lot because I couldn't remember who's POV I was reading from (unless there was a context clue, like talking about Tris/Tobias in third person, if that makes any sense at all). That alone is concerning to me as a reader because it's telling me that both characters are behaving in a similar way. This wouldn't be a problem in some cases, but the fact still stands that the two characters are of OPPOSITE GENDERS! They should behave differently, even if it's only slightly.
Tris's death came so suddenly, it didn't quite sink in until the epilogue. And at that point I was like, "Oh, so she really IS dead!" I was slightly surprised because Roth doesn't seem like the kind of author to kill off her beloved main character, but I didn't feel anything else. That was a little disappointing; I would have appreciated a really big, heart-wrenching moment.
One thing that probably contributed to my reaction to Tris's death was how Tobias learned of it. Cara said is so simply and quickly, I almost missed it. And I didn't feel a lot of emotion from Tobias, maybe because Roth was trying to convey emptiness? But I couldn't feel that either.
Allegiant is barely hanging onto it's third star. I was extremely tempted to give it two. But I decided to be generous since it's the last book and all. Roth shouldn't have made Divergent into a trilogy. The first book was wonderful; I really enjoyed it! But the plot went down hill from there. It really should have ended where it started; Divergent. So for everyone who has made it this far, read it, but expect to be disappointed. If you haven't read the series yet, I would recommend reading the first one and then walking away. Don't even bother with Insurgent and Allegiant.
Title: Insurgent Author: Veronica Roth # of Pages: 525 (ebook) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis: Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Review: There are two reviews below. The original was not written directly after reading, so it may not be accurate.
Original Review: January 16, 2013
I never liked sequels, so I think that's why I didn't enjoy this book very much. I read is book a while ago, but I remember being obsessed, just not as much.
Second Review - November 10, 2013
Well, it defiantly wasn't as good as Divergent. The plot was a bit all over the place, and the romance was really cheesy at times (to the point where I was cringing). And it seemed more cliché than usual.
For example, there was the part where the Amity inject Tris with that...stuff and she becomes extra happy and nice. And the she says that part about how she isn't very nice, which is why she likes Tobias so much (sorry if this is confusing). And then after the serum wears off, Tobias mocks her and says, "'It's just...I'm not very nice either, you know. That's why I like you so-'" (Roth 69). What I found a little peculiar was that I similar situation occurred in the Maximum Ride series when (spoiler alert) Max is loopy from laughing gas and tells Fang that she loves him THIS much while spreading her arms out really wide (as far as I remember). And the Fang teased her for it, JUST LIKE TOBIAS DID TO TRIS! I'm not sure if it's just an extremely cliché thing, or if one of the authors copied the other. It could be both.
But it wasn't all bad. I was able to read it in two days, which is extremely fast for a five-hundred page book. The ending had a pretty awesome cliff-hanger too.
My recommendation? If you've already read the first one and you loved it, just finish off the series. Who knows, the last book might blow my mind!
Title: Divergent Author: Veronica Roth # of Pages: 487 (paperback) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian Rating:★★★★☆ Synopsis:In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. Review: Below are two reviews; the first is my original review I wrote in January 2013 (not directly after reading) and the second being my new review.
Original Review - January 15, 2013
My rating? 3.5 stars!
I love the unique concept that Roth came up with. If you are fortune (or unfortunate) enough to live in this futuristic setting, you would live in one of five factions. Each faction fosters a certain character trait. The book starts off by immediately captivating the reader into the details of this different society. There was suspense and intensity; the tone was set for each scene.
But near the end, when she (SPOILER ALERT), finds love, my mind feels like its walking through mud. The books seemed to run out of steam. It disappointed me.
Second Review - November 7, 2013
Looking back at my original review, I'm a little ashamed of it. I had no idea what I was talking about. Jeez.
Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is what I call an enjoyable read. Once again, I am reminded that a good book goes by quickly. I was able to finish the book two days earlier than it usually takes me to read an almost five-hundred page book.
Now, yes, the book isn't perfect (thus why I gave it four stars instead of five). There were clichés, and sometimes I detected a bit of the annoying-main-character-syndrome. But the important part is that I fell in love with Divergent all over again. Even though there were some flaws, all is forgiven once the reader falls in love with the plot, the characters, everything!
I am so glad that I reread Divergent (in honor of Allegiant's release). It was so worth my time. If you have not read this wonderful gift of a book, please do. It's fantastic.
Title: Lies Author: Michael Grant # of Pages: 447 (paperback) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Synopsis: It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.
As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?
Review: Well, thank goodness that's over with. The whole book was one big mess. Grant kept jumping around from person to person until I wasn't quiet sure what the heck was happening. Stick to one person!
And the storyline is just too unbelievable, even for a work of fiction! This series is beginning to turn into another Maximum Ride series, expect at least the first few books of Maximum Ride were GOOD. Gone and Hunger were only decent reads.
The characters have major issues. These kids need to hurry up and get along because their situation is getting really, really annoying. Hopefully they'll get out of the FAYZ soon (but obviously not THAT soon, considering the fact that there are three more books left in the series. After Light, it should finally be all over!).
Meh, read if you've read the other books and have already made it this far. I'm going to try to finish the series just so I can say that I did.
Title: City of Glass Author: Cassandra Clare # of Pages: 541 (paperback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance Rating:★★★☆☆ Synopsis: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?
Review: Well, I'm a little confused about everything. This is only the third book, right? It seems like Clare could have ended the series with this one. Most of the loose ends were all tied up...and people FINALLY started admitting their feelings for each other! ...Sorry, spoiler alert.
I think I hate the characters MORE in this book than the first and second books. I saw a lot more of their stupidity in this one. Magnus is my favorite character, though, and, surprisingly, I agreed with quiet a few of Jonathan's (the real one) views.
And OH MY GOSH I SO CALLED IT THAT JACE AND CLARY WERE GOING TO FIGURE OUT THAT THEY WEREN'T RELATED THAT IS SO AWESOME!!! I am really, really glad that Jace and Clary, Alec and Magnus, Jocelyn and Luke, and all the other couples got together. It was about time! This is exactly why I think that this should have been the last book. Everyone's happy together and Valentine's dead. Where else can Clare go from here?
So, I'm starting to dislike TMI again. I don't dislike it to the point where I'm going to knock off a star because there was some stuff that I still enjoyed, but if the next books don't improve, I might have to.
If you LOVE TMI and haven't read this book, READ IT!!! If you already hate it to the point where you want to rip it into a million pieces...for your sanity, stay away from this book.
Title: Iron King Author: Julie Kagawa # of Pages: 363 (paperback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Synopsis: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
Review: Very, very disappointing. I was incredibly frustrated with just about everything throughout the whole book.
There was some really bad character development in the beginning.
"My name is Meghan Chase" (Kagawa 10).
This quote made a really bad first impression on me. I absolutely despise it when characters introduce themselves because, as far as I'm concerned, the characters don't know the readers there, even if the book is in first person.
To top it off, she tries to play the "poor person" card.
"'What should I wear?' my drawers basically hold three things: clothes from Goodwill, hand-me-downs, and overalls. I wish we weren't so poor. I know pig farming isn't the most glamorous of jobs, but you'd think Mom could afford to buy me at least one pair of nice jeans" (11).
That little witch. Meg has NO RIGHT to complain about little things like that. Maybe instead of using money to buy an iPod, she could buy a nice pair of jeans HERSELF. Her mom is trying the best she can, and that's how she acts? She has no respect! And then she complains about the clothes that she already has. Sure, they might not be the best quality fabric that her peers have, but let me tell you; Goodwill has some pretty awesome looking clothes. I have a friend that gets a lot of her clothes from Goodwill, and she's rocking it everyday. Meg just needs to be a little more creative.
Now, besides Meghan, the whole plot is full of clichés, and I saw a lot of similarities to other stories ranging from Alice in Wonderland to the children's book My Lucky Day. I can kind of understand if the close similarities to another story happen once; it's almost impossible to come up with a completely original idea anymore. But I kept having this moments where I think that I've read a certain part of the book before, and these moments got really annoying.
My recommendation? If you have nothing to read, give it a try. For some reason, I liked the ending, which is why I didn't give Iron King one star. Hopefully there will be improvements in the second book.
In my last OTS, I talked about City of Bones, and it's movie and sequel. I said, "I won't be able to read [City of Ashes] anytime soon". And while this was true at the time, I was able to obtain a copy the second time I stopped by the book store. I already posted the review for it! City of Glass is in my possession too, so that review should be coming sometime soon.
While reading the book and posting update (and such) on my progress with The Mortal Instrument series, I noticed that there is quite a large TMI fandom. Not as big as the Harry Potter fandom (I really want to reread the Harry Potter series; it's been so long since I've read it that I can't remember most of the plot), of course, but still big enough to be noticeable. I don't think I'll ever be apart of the TMI fandom because I don't like the books enough.
There are also other fandoms I noticed when I was on Instagram. Dr. Who is one I see a lot (I've never seen a single show) and all of the anime fandoms too (I'm part of a few of those). But intermixed in these fandoms, I saw another fandom; the My Little Pony fandom.
Isn't that show for five year old girls? I couldn't understand why older girls AND guys were so interested in this TV show. So I decided to watch an episode myself.
I did a little search on Youtube and came up with My Little Pony's Friendship is Magic Season 2 Episode 23 (watch the video yourself above!). I braced myself for the awesome magically power of the ponies. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The message of this particular episode was clear; don't spread gossip about other people. This was completely fine by me; it's a good message. However, the ending really, really bugged me.
You see, there are three ponies who work for the newspaper. Their editor-in-chief was pushing them to keep writing about gossip, and after the advisor for the newspaper found this out, the editor-in-chief was demoted to printing newspapers. She is seen wearing a visor (part of the uniform for her job), and the staff photographer takes a picture of her. The flash blinds her and makes her stubble backwards onto the printer, splashing black ink all over. This makes the three ponies (who I mentioned earlier) laugh at her expense.
Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture? They shouldn't have laughed at the ex-editor-in-chief; it spoils the message. And the show still seemed like a little kids show; I don't see the appeal. If someone can tell me exactly what the appeal of this show is, please, please tell me!
Title: Scorpia Author: Anthony Horowitz # of Pages: 388 (paperback) Genre: YA, Adventure, Action Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: Still reeling from the terrible discovery he has made about his father, teenage MI6 superspy, Alex Rider, is determined to find out more. Travelling to Italy, he manages to infiltrate the glamorous world of Claudia Rothman, beautiful society hostess and member of the international criminal organization, Scorpia. She reveals that Alex’s father was murdered by MI6, in an operation masterminded by Head of Special Operations, Mrs. Jones. Shocked and angry, Alex faces a choice: to continue to work with the British security services, or to become an agent for Scorpia, and get revenge.
Review: Yes! This is what I've been waiting for! Horowitz is finally breaking away from the Alex Rider mold that he created and is making the plot less predictable. Of course, I still predicted most of what was going to happen, but not until after I read over half the book. And the ending was COMPLETELY unexpected. I couldn't quite comprehend what actually happened.
Although this is one of my favorite Alex Rider books, it still isn't five star quality. There were times where there was a little too much detail, making some scenes a little dry. If there was just a tad bit less detail, then I may have given the book five stars.
Title: Ender's Game Author: Orson Scott Card # of Pages: 324 (paperback) Genres: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis:Once Again, Earth is under attack. An alien species is poised for a front assault. The survival of humanity depends on a military genius who can defeat the aliens. But who?
Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child.
Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. In simulated war games he excels. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battle School is just a game. Right?
Review: Well, this book really threw me for a loop. I can't really say that I love, yet I can't say that I hate it because, honestly, both feelings towards this book were equal.
At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The movie is going to be coming out in November, and I thought that I ought to read the book before then. I was thinking that it was going to be of those books that require surface level thinking, which is probably why I hated the book. At first. The thought of a child being manipulated by almost everyone around him was absolutely horrifying while Ender's achievements were altogether unbelievable and unrealistic.
However, I began to realize that this wasn't your average young adult book. I had to stop taking everything that was said this book so literally and look at all of those crazy hidden messages. Once I was able to figure out what those were, I could appreciate Ender's Game a lot more, thus why I gave the book a decent rating.
So, as far as deeper meaning, a lot of it was explained at the end of the book for me. But when everything pieced together, I was amazed. For example, there was that fantasy game that Ender liked to play. He experienced those wolf children and had to kill them. The whole game seemed really bizarre to me at first, until after Ender came to the realization that the situation in the game was like what he had experienced when he was tricked into killing all of the buggers. He killed children in the game and in real life to reach "The End of the World".
If you are interested in watching the movie (or your reading the review after the movie already came out and you liked what you saw), then you should read it. But if you aren't into what I described above, then don't. Unless your someone like me, you're more than likely are going to either love it or hate it.
Title: City of Ashes Author: Cassandra Clare # of Pages: 453 (paperback) Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? Clary would love to spend more time with her best friend, Simon. But the Shadowhunters won't let her go--especially her handsome, infuriating newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil--and also her father. When the second of the Mortal Instruments is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Jace. Could Jace really be willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
Review: WARNING! This review will contained uncensored spoilers for Cassandra Clare's City of Bones.
Why must you make this so hard for me to write a review????????? This is crazy. I'm not sure how to convey to y'all my feelings for this book. But, somehow, I'll manage. For your sake.
After watching the City of Bones movie, I have come to like Clary A LOT more. She's not that annoying anymore. BUT she's still not the best protagonist in the world. In contrast, Jace...he seems extra stupid in this book. His stupidity kind of showed through at the end of City of Bones when he was hanging out with Valentine, but this book brought it to a whole new level. My opinion of Alec, Isabelle, and Simon stays the same. But Magnus...I found him to be a lot more interesting in this book. I can see why everyone likes Magnus so much; he's personality is hilarious.
Speaking of hilarious, this book is funny. I'm not sure if it's suppose to be a comedy, but the humor is what makes me like this book. So if anyone out there has a hard time enjoying the series, try laughing at some of the dumb parts. Trust me; it'll improve the quality of the book A LOT.
But, despite all of this, I cannot seem to bring myself to rate the book anything other than three stars, just like City of Bones. It's neither terrible nor over-the-top fantastic. And I'll tell you why:
Here's an excerpt from Chapter 2, Hunter's Moon, in which the story of how Maia becomes a werewolf:
"The emergency room doctor had said the bite looked like a large dog's, but Maia knew better. Before the wolf had turned to race away, she'd heard a hot, familiar whispered voice in her ear, 'You're mine now. You'll always be mine'" (29).
Am I the only one how finds this incredibly cheesy? Lines like these that are too dumb to be even mildly amusing is what drags the quality of the book down. That, and the lack of romance. I get how Jace and Clary are siblings and can't really do anything, and Simon and Clary have Jace wedged in between them. But SOMEONE needs to get in a relationship, like Alec and Magnus. And Isabelle really needs to find someone who's NOT a minor character who's only mentioned in the book once.
I think the book could have been a hundred pages short. The last one hundred seem to drag on forever, and at that point I just wanted it to hurry up and be over. And the epilogue was a little disappointing because there was that whole "I know your mother made herself go into a coma and why" thing going on, yet I already knew that her mother made herself go into a coma from the movie! I'm telling, whoever recreated the storyline for the movie really messed up. Big time.
Jace, Jace, Jace. What the heck is up with him? Sure, your dad's Valentine, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a bad guy! Don't freakin' go over to his ship to talk to him, especially since people are already suspicious of you! But here's one thing I don't get; if everyone knew where Valentine's ship is, why isn't anyone doing anything? From that point of view, I have to applaud Jace's efforts; at least he's doing something, even if it's the wrong kind of something.
So, if you liked the first book, then read the second book. But if you DIDN'T like the first book, then you probably won't like this book very much. And if you haven't even read the first book, then you really, really shouldn't read this book yet. It'll be too confusing.
Title: Black Boy Author: Richard Wright # of Pages: 448 (paperback) Genre: Classics, African American Literature, Autobiography Rating:★★★★★ Synopsis: Richard Wright grew up in the woods of Mississippi amid poverty, hunger, fear, and hatred. He lied, stole, and raged at those around him; at six he was a "drunkard," hanging about in taverns. Surly, brutal, cold, suspicious, and self-pitying, he was surrounded on one side by whites who were either indifferent to him, pitying, or cruel, and on the other by blacks who resented anyone trying to rise above the common lot.
Review: I don't like nonfiction. I've only read a handful of autobiographies in my life. Yet I have to say that this book is one of my favorites.
I know what some of you are thinking; what can possibly be interesting about a guy talking about himself. Now, if you AREN'T thinking that, I completely understand. You have already discover the beauty of an autobiography. However, if you ARE thinking that, then let me tell you; when your reading Black Boy, you forget that you're reading an autobiography. Sometimes there are scenes that seem too cruel to be true, but it happened. It's an amazing experience.
Throughout the book, however, I couldn't help but wonder who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Since this book is written from Wright's eyes, you don't really know if he's as good of a person as he seems to be in the book. However, he seems to tell the reader both sides of his life; how he wants to be able to write, but also has sold tickets illegally. This makes me trust that he's is telling his story as truthfully as he could.
There was one quote in this book on page 76 that I really liked:
"'It's a bird,' I said. The crowd laughed. 'That's a plane, boy,' a man said...'Boy, remember this,' he said. 'You're seeing man fly'"
Do you see the resemblance to the Superman quote? It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SUPERMAN!!! I loved that. There were many other quotes that I really, really liked, but don't have time to share with you right now. Maybe next time.
If you haven't read this book yet, don't be shy. At the very least, read just part 1. Part 2 was slightly less interesting because it gets into politics, but it was interesting nonetheless. Recommended!!!
Title: Infinity Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon # of Pages: 464 (hardback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Synopsis:At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.
Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.
But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.
As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?
Review: It's a mess. The beginning was okay. I liked Nick. But then there was so much POV switching, I wasn't sure what Nick did and didn't know!
I hated how Nick never found out exactly what was going on. He was in the dark most of the time!!! It felt wrong that I knew more about this new part of his world than he did. And what's up with the Simi? She annoyed me so much. There are multiple levels of weird, and she's the stupid-weird. I like the Bubba and Mark kind of weird. Just saying.
It was just really, really confusing. DO NOT READ IT!!!
Title: Eagle Strike Author: Anthony Horowitz # of Pages: 322 (paperback) Genre: YA, Adventure, Action Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis:Teen superspy Alex Rider has seen his share of criminal master-minds. But none like Sir Damian Cray, the most popular man on earth, who also happens to be a madman bent on destruction. Only Alex can stop his evil plan...but this time, Alex Rider is on his own. Review: I always have enjoyed reading Alex Rider books. They're entertaining, and I find it refreshing to step away from the romance novels for once. But there's one tiny detail why it's one star less than perfect.
All of the books are the same.
Sure, Alex Rider is tossed into "different" situations, but the format is the same. He's doing whatever he usually does with his life, then suddenly has to go on some sort of mission. His given some gadgets and chases after the bad guy. He finds himself in a tricky situation in which the bad guys reveals his plans. At last minute, Alex saves the world and life goes on.
Sorry if I spoiled the book for you. But that's just how it is. The lack of a unique storyline really, really bugs me. However, I can't help but give it a high rating. I enjoyed reading it, so that's just how it turned out. I recommend it!!!
Title: The Death Cure Author: James Dashner # of Pages: 325 (paperback) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis:Thomas knows that WICKED can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. To complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare.
What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what WICKED says.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Review: Please bare in mind that I can't really remember the first two books AT ALL. But I had a hard time remembering some stuff (such as if something was explained or if someone did this or they did that...) so I'm not sure how accurate my review is going to be. I was really on the fence about the rating; I was either going to give it three stars or four. Here's why I gave it three:
The plot was a mess. I thought that the first book was pretty good, the second book was okay, and the third one...I felt that it wasn't thought out all the way. I hate it when the author can't make up his mind; is WICKED good, or is it bad? Choose ONE and stick with it!!!
I know that a lot of people really liked this book, so I'm not going to rant too much about it. I think this book is going to deserve a reread after I reread the first two books. So if you liked the second book, I recommend this book to you!!!
Title: Ashes, Ashes Author: Jo Treggiari # of Pages: 352 (paperback) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Synopsis: A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.
Epidemics, floods, droughts -- for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of vicious dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
Review: It. Was. So. Boring.
I was really, really disappointed. The cover looked EPIC, and the beginning was so gruesome that I was expecting a lot of crazy, kick-butt action. But that's not exactly how it turned out. There was about one conversation in the first hundred pages which means there was just a whole bunch of boring details about Lucy, the protagonist. The next hundred was a bunch of relationship crap (not the cute, aw-worthy relationship stuff, either), and the last bit was the "epic" ending. I kind of skimmed over the last fifty pages; I was practically asleep.
I couldn't connect with the characters (the author lost a hundred pages of character development, after all), and honestly, I was flat out annoyed with the book. It's a sorry excuse for a dystopian book.
Title: Between Shades of Gray Author: Ruta Sepetys # of Pages: 338 (paperback) Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, War Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: It's 1941 and fifteen-year-old artist Lina Vilkas is on Stalin's extermination list. Deported to a prison camp in Siberia, Lina fights for her life, fearless, risking everything to save her family. It's a long and harrowing journey and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?
Review: If any of you are still wondering, this book is extremely depressing. But I guess that would be kind of obvious since it takes place during World War II.
I've got to stop reading these kind of books.
So, I didn't buy this book for the longest time. The reason: I thought it was a spin off of Fifty Shades of Gray. Trust me; it's not even close. This book reveals the horrors that people went through during this time period. For all of you morbid people, don't worry. There's plenty of detail.
I can't really say that I enjoyed this book. I was really sad most of the time. But it was well written. So if you want a happy read, look elsewhere! Otherwise, I defiantly recommend this book.
Title: Article 5 Author: Kristen Simmons # of Pages: 362 (paperback) Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police — instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior — instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. That life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.
Review: My faith in dystopian books has officially been restored.
I almost gave this book five stars. That's how good it was. I'm not sure why, but I kept thinking that this book was going to be about zombies. But after close examination, the cover clearly shows that it's just two normal kids looking at a destructed city.
It still could have been about zombies.
At first, I didn't think I would give this book anymore than three stars; the beginning was confusing. But by about page 95, the story began to get interesting.
Sometimes, Iwas really confused of what exactly Chase and Ember's relationship was. One moment they're fighting and the next they're kissing... And this back-and-forth-ness almost lost the book it's fourth star.
"'We can't go. Not now.'
'Don't be sorry! Let's just go!'
'Ember!' He punched his own leg. The move was so violent it stopped me cold. 'She's dead.'"
The excerpt above was just the beginning of the scene that won me over. I literally almost cried when reading about Ember finding out that her mother was dead. Even though I might have suspected that her mom might've died after she was arrested, I completely forgot the idea once Chase said that she was at the safe house. So when the truth came out, I was blown away. It was a huge shock.
I think the ending could have been better. I don't like how Ember accidently get captured. It just seems a little too careless, even if her mind was clouded with grief for her mother.
This is probably one of the best dystopian books I've read recently. I defiantly recommend it.
