Book Blog #209: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Title: Monsters of Men
Author: Patrick Ness
# of Pages: 603 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered?
Review: This is yet another book I meant to read three to four years ago but never got the chance to.

In the midst of my reading frenzy to finish the books on my to-read shelf I bought but no longer have a strong interest in, I was trying to put off this book as much as possible. It's the third book of a series I haven't read in years,  and I could remember the book that preceded it was lack-luster. To top it off, the book is relatively longer than the rest of the books on my to-read shelf. With these factors in mind, I knew this read would take around a week (it ended up only taking 5-6 days), and I wasn't sure if this book was worth my time.

But I decided to stop putting it off; the sooner I read it and got it over with the better off I would be. Grudgingly, I began reading this over 600 page book...

Which presents us with the first problem with Monsters of Men; it's unnecessarily long. Part of the book's lengthiness comes from the point-of-view switching, an aspect of the book that has carried over from the second book. Although there are some authors who can tell a story from different first person perspectives effectively, Ness makes each point of view overlap with one another which means the reader has to hear about each event at least twice.

Sure, some may say the POV switching is as important in this book as it is in Allegiant (Divergent #3). Yes, some events in the book may depend appear to rely on a POV switch to be able to be told at all. But both Monsters of Men and Allegiant could have been told from one perspective and still include all the important parts of the plot; it is up to the author to figure out how it can be done. To me, first person POV switching is a sign of sloppy writing and immediately weakens the immersion into the story.

The struggle between war and peace is central to the plot but the constant back-and-forth between the two drags on for way too long. Ness takes his time developing relationships and resolving conflicts between different characters which just drags the book on even longer. Not to mention how the book comes to an end, only for there to be an "additional side story!" that goes on for another 40 pages from yet ANOTHER perspective.

However, there are still some good themes in this book.

I almost didn’t want to read the Snowscape side story. I had finished reading Todd’s story; I don’t carry about the secondary characters. But Ness wrote this additional story to make his revenge theme even clearer. Dawson felt “the act of firing the middle” did not compensate for the loss of her husband” (p.641).

“But then, revenge never does, does it? Because everything you buy has a price that someone, somewhere has to pay” -p.642

Like in the book The Revenant, Monsters of Men reveals the negative aspects of revenge. However, while The Revenant focused on the damaging effects in the pursuit of revenge, MoM concentrated on displaying the effect during and after the revenge (not only shown during the side story but also through 1017 and his ongoing desire for revenge against Todd).

In the main part of the book, when Viola is pondering whether people’s Noise should be opened to everyone or closed within individuals, she suddenly thinks:

“Why can’t we learn to live with how we are? And whatever anybody chooses is okay by the rest of us?” -p.590

Viola’s thought applies to those beyond the New World. From his series consisting of both inner and outer species conflict and homosexual relationships such as 1017 with his one and Ben with Cillian in raising Todd, Ness’s message is clear: despite people’s differences, everyone should be able to live their lives as they truly are, not by how others believe lives should be led.

If you are okay with POV switching (which I clearly am not) and have already enjoyed the first two books, you will probably enjoy this book. However, although I cannot remember much of the first two books, Monsters of Men seems to be the weakest book in the trilogy.

Book Blog #208: The Revenant by Michael Punke

Title: The Revenant
Author: Michael Punke
# of Pages: 262 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: The year is 1823, and the trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Trapping beaver, they contend daily with the threat of Indian tribes turned warlike over the white men’s encroachment on their land, and other prairie foes—like the unforgiving landscape and its creatures. Hugh Glass is among the Company’s finest men, an experienced frontiersman and an expert tracker. But when a scouting mission puts him face-to-face with a grizzly bear, he is viciously mauled and not expected to survive. The Company’s captain dispatches two of his men to stay behind and tend to Glass before he dies, and to give him the respect of a proper burial. When the two men abandon him instead, taking his only means of protecting himself—including his precious gun and hatchet— with them, Glass is driven to survive by one desire: revenge. With shocking grit and determination, Glass sets out crawling inch by inch across more than three thousand miles of uncharted American frontier, negotiating predators both human and not, the threat of starvation, and the agony of his horrific wounds. In Michael Punke’s hauntingly spare and gripping prose, The Revenant is a remarkable tale of obsession, the human will stretched to its limits, and the lengths that one man will go to for retribution.
Review: This is not my type of book.

Although I like historical fiction (especially those with a stronger emphasis on the historical and less on the fiction), I have no interest in reading about people venturing through the American frontier. Learning about people "roughing it" is about as appealing as the idea of venturing out into the wilderness myself.

However, in 2015, the movie adaptation came out, and the action-packed trailer convinced me to watch it in theaters. I enjoyed it well enough, but I was grossed out by what Glass had to do to survive. The book was no different, except action scenes are less enjoyable and more chaotic than they are in the movies.

I also realized the movie had swerved away from the plot Punke created to make the movie more interesting to the general public. This is to be expected, but the climax and the fate of Fitzgerald, our antagonist, was completely altered to the point where the message against revenge is weakened. In the movie, Glass is told "revenge is in the Creator's hands" which later influences his actions in regards to achieving his revenge. In the book, Glass has a conversation with Kiowa, who says:

"'Why did you come to the frontier? To track down a common thief? To revel in a moment's revenge? I thought there was more to you than that'" -p.248

 The book is clearly against pursuing revenge (many of Glass's life-or-death struggles are folly as he ventures out for revenge instead of exploration) while the movie seems to support it. Although the movie may be more exciting, the book has the better message.

I rated this book four stars because it is well-written, not because I enjoyed it as much as other four star books. However, if you enjoy this kind of topic, I would recommend this book to you.

Book Blog #207: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Title: Frostbite
Author: Richelle Mead
# of Pages: 327 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price.

Review: It amuses me how much the synopsis gives away. If you end up reading this book, I recommend rereading it after you finish.

The story is your typical YA paranormal-romance. Most of my thoughts on this book are the same as the first, with the biggest complaint being how unlikable Rose is as a protagonist. She is incredibly conceited and will not stop talking about how much better she looks than her mother.

“I might have my mom’s curvy figure and pretty face - though I could smugly say mine was much prettier than her nowadays....” (p.82)

“I wore a C-cup and had a body much covered in a school where most girls were supermodel slim. And as I’d noted earlier, my face was pretty to. On a typical day, I was a nine around here - ten on a very good one” (p.98).

By making a physically attractive main character, Mead neglects to make her personable. 

Despite this fatal flaw, this book was good enough to make me consider reading the next book. No, there is nothing mentally stimulating about this book, but it's an easy read and makes me intrigued about what will happen with the Rose, Dimitri, Lissa, and the rest (although it is fairly predictable from book 1). If you enjoyed the first book, you will enjoy the second just as much.

Book Blog #206: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Title: Turtle All the Way Down
Author: John Green
# of Pages: 286 (hardcover)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fiction
Rating:  ★★★★★
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
Review: This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for John Green to publish a book following the big success he had with The Fault in Our Stars. Although I feared the book would not live up to my expectations, these worries were probably nothing compared to his own.

Luckily, Turtles All the Way Down far from disappoints.

“I can no more choose my thoughts than choose my name” - Aza, p.59

Green had me at page one. At first, I was skeptical of his writing style. The opening chapter included a long-winded account of her thoughts which came off as messy and unfocused. However, I soon realized that was the EXACTLY what Green was aiming for. Aza's struggle in dealing with invasive thoughts and anxiety reveals how difficult living a "normal" life can be with mental health issues. Her pain becomes the reader's pain; as Aza falls down into the spiral of her own thoughts, so will the reader.

My good lines are always stolen” Davis, p.145

Unlike Davis, Green's best lines are his own. Although not everyone will be able to relate to Aza, Green writes various philosophical ideas into the characters' dialogue that are beautifully, yet modernly worded. His writing style is an art form; it's captivating.

“The worst part of being truly alone is you think about all the times you wished that everyone would just leave you be. Then they do, and you are left being, and you turn out to be terrible company” (186).

The conflict Daisy has with Aza can be related to many different relationships other than theirs. Daisy knows Aza’s value as a friend, but struggles to deal with her friend’s anxiety and the impact it has on the normality of their friendship. The complexity of their relationship reflects difficulties people have with their own; both parties have blame to share. Daisy tries her best to be a supportive best friend but vents about Aza through her fan-fiction, which Aza sees as a betrayal. Although Aza should not be blamed for her anxiety and the various symptoms that come with it, it hurts Daisy that Aza can’t look out for her as much as she would like. Neither character is evil nor do they have evil intent in their unfavorable actions, but both are human and have their share of faults. This is part of what makes me love this book; the characters are REAL.

“Gravity differs from affection: Only one is constant” Davis, p.189

Since TFIOS did so well, I was expecting another love story. I was not entirely wrong, yet I was also not entirely right. Yes, a good portion of the book is concentrated around Davis and Aza's relationship. However, an almost equally large portion is focused on Aza and Daisy's friendship and the difficulties they have working out their differences. Life is not all about love, as many contemporary romance YA books like people to believe. There are many types of relationships that are complex in different ways: ones with friends, parents (or lack there of), siblings, etc. Green story explores many of these, making the story feel more real and meaningful.

“The madness of wealth. Sometimes you think you’re spending money, but all along the money’s spending you. But only if you worship it. You serve whatever you worship” (269).

Davis's father had immense wealth, which made it only natural for the topic of money and its influence. I recently wrote a paper for a project addressing a very similar topic: how money affects happiness. Green's message rings true; obsession with money can control you in the worst way possible. However, being wealthy does not automatically make a person greedy and misguided as long as the person does not let the money take over their lives.

“In real life, some things get better and some things get worse. And then eventually you die” p.276

Turtles All the Way Down is not entirely different from The Fault in Our Stars. The deromanticization of life is theme that can be seen in both books. In TFIOS, Green talks about how life ends abruptly, unlike stories that usually end with some closure of the chapter in the characters' lives. In Turtles All the Way Down, Green emphasizes how life before death is not like a typical story either; there may be ups and downs but there is no promised "happy ending," no guaranteed rising action, climax, and falling action. Life is just what happen before you die.

For John Green fans and non-John-Green fans alike: I recommend this book to you 100%.