Elsewhere - my book review

Elsewhere is where 15-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different from it. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

This is the most poignant, amazing book that I have ever read this year. It was an emotional roller coaster, which made me feel depressed, elated, adrensalised and frustrated in all the right places. We follow Liz's life... or rather, her death, and how she copes, along with all the bumps and bruises that come along with her passing.

There were so many right things about this book. Although the style of narrative seemed a bit clumsy and tense at first, I got used to it by the time I reached the third or so chapter. I did personally think that this story would be told much better if it was in first-person perspective, but it doesn't really matter an awful much.

I liked the characters featured in this book, especially Alvy. Little did I think that he'd play a rather large part in Elsewhere. He made my heart fuzzy with warmth and every time he was mentioned, I smiled. Alvy was the only person who listened; he is the connection. I cannot say anything more than that.

The dogs in this book were particularly amusing. It is true once you think about it though, that humans do not truly know about canines and their feelings. If our dogs in real life were like the ones in Elsewhere, I would rather be friends with them than anyone or anything else in the world.

The end of this book was very sad, even though I knew it was coming. (view spoiler)

Finally, I see Elsewhere as a cross between The Lovely Bones and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Elsewhere deals with a tasteful balance of themes such as loss, death, waiting, love and reunion. 

When I read this, I picture:

When I read this, I remember:
“There's the tree with the branches that everyone sees, and then there's the upside-down root tree, growing the opposite way. So Earth is the branches, growing in opposing but perfect symmetry. The branches don't think much about the roots, and maybe the roots don't think much about the branches, but all the time, they're connected by the trunk, you know?” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“People, you'll find, aren't usually all good or bad. Sometimes they're just a little bit good and a whole lot bad. And sometimes they're mostly good with a dash of bad. And most of us, well, we fall in the middle somewhere.” 

Just Listen - my book review

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store. This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends...

True Rating: 4.5

This was a captivating read which held me until the very last moment. It is one of the best realistic romance fictions I have ever read (normally I'm not a big fan of them at all).

Have you ever enviously watched that 'perfect' girl endlessly, studying her looks and wondering why, and how, she has it all? That perfect girl could very well be Annabel Greene.

But then something happens. And the fact that she is perfect can only be questioned.

Throughout the first half of the novel, I was hooked on finding out what happened to Annabel. Although the answer to this is not inconspicuous, I still highly savoured finding out the before, after and now. The way which what happened is revealed is very similar to Speak. The revelation catches you without warning, giving an effective and certainly bewildered reaction to the reader.

Now to Annabel herself. I found her slightly annoying, with her unrevealing and naive ways. But I totally appreciate the way Sarah Dessen has painted her. I can sometimes relate to Annabel, feeling overwhelmed and timid, unable to speak out on what you really want to say. I do not see this as a fault; instead, I see this as a small wrinkle which can be ironed out.

If you're into Sarah Dessen novels, or looking out for a book dealing with common teen issues, then I highly recommend that you pick up Just Listen. It was a compelling and surprisingly finger-licking good read.

When I read this, I pictured:

When I read this, I remembered:
"Like a word on a page that you’ve printed and read a million times, that suddenly looks strange or wrong, foreign. And you feel scared for a second, like you’ve lost something, even if you’re not sure what it is."

Size 12 is Not Fat - my book review

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Just wow. Who knew a book with a title of "Size 12 is Not Fat" could be so mind-blowing? I didn't know what to expect, but certainly nothing like this. Wow.

First of all, it is hilarious! Oh my god, it made me laugh a lot. Heather Wells is this loveable, bumbling overweight average weight former teen pop star. As Rachel says, she is just so nice. Everyone wants to be her friend. Reading this book in first-person perspective is very effective. If it was told in third, then there is no way I would shelve this book under comedy. But Heather herself, with her somewhat distracting side-commentary, gives you a first-class view of what her view of the world is like. And, wow, is it a meticulous one.

The relationship (or should I say camaraderie) between Heather and Cooper is next. I don't want to reveal too much, but you can tell, from the very first time that Heather mentions Cooper, that she is head-over-heels in love with him. But as an audience member, it is obvious that this is an unrequited love. Heather sort of knows this too, but she's in denial, and will continue to imagine, ehm... *cough*ripping*cough*his*cough*clothes*cough*off*cough.

Looking back at the title of this book, what do you expect it to be about? A depressed, anorexic teen with weight management problems? Hm, not really. Not really at all. I can tell you this: It's about a murder mystery. Yep, you read it right. A murder mystery.

The final showdown is, should I say, side-splittingly hilarious. But epic at the same time. (And may I add that there's no knight in shining armour at the rescue? Just to put that out.) I can guarantee that you'll enjoy it, 'cos I did.

Now to the old-fashioned conclusion...

Throughout Heather's whole journey, I think she's has grown into a slightly more skeptical person: of herself and others. It's rewarding, seeing this woman with so little self-esteem and only the smallest shards of pride, seeing herself in a brighter light. Not to say that Size 12 Is Not Fat is those moralistic books that resemble self-help books and enlighten your understanding of the earth's existence, but it does show you that no matter what size you are, you're not fat you can change the world. Whether you take this literally or not literally, it doesn't matter.

Note: I'm putting Size 14 Is Not Fat Either on my to-read list, right now!




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Gone - my book review

Gone by Michael Grant

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


True Rating: 4.5



Everyone disappears upon their fifteen birthday. Poof. Gone.


The concept of this novel was very intriguing, and though it was a thick book, I got through it without getting a tad bored. Good from the start, brilliant to the end.


When I read the blurb of the book, I didn't really understand the 'power' bit. So when I got to reading the book, I was actually slightly surprised when I found out about the powers. I have yet to see the types of powers you can have. (My favourite would be Taylor's!)


Also, I'd like to mention that the puzzle pieces come together in the end. At first I was wary of Lana, Albert and Mary's presence in the book, but things become clearer in the end, and these 3 supporting characters get a slightly larger role near the final duration of the novel.


Things I liked:

+ The plot
+ The characters
+ The way the story is written; jumping to different character's opinions, while staying in third-person perspective.
+ The cliff-hanger. God, it made me thirsty. I mean, er, hungry...


Thing I didn't like:

- The complexity of the large array of main/supporting characters. It got so confusing with so many things happening with so many people.



I am definitely going to borrow Hunger from the library when I finish getting through the huge stack of books in my room...!



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Divergent - my book review

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


True rating: 4.5

To start things off, this book reminds me slightly of The Hunger Games series. The beginning and ending of it, anyway. For the likers of this book, you're probably thinking: "Oh, gimme a break!", but the reason why I say that is here. Once you think about it, The Hunger Games starts with the protagonist preparing for something big with her mum. She's dressed up, doing her hair. If you ignore Katniss' hunting scene, that similarity is definitely there. And the war. The big war between rivalling factions, or in The Hunger Games' case, districts. Since Divergent is in a series though, I don't really know about the outcome. I can't wait to see!

Now, to my more light-hearted ramblings. I loved Tris and Four's (Tobias) bittersweet relationship. It wasn't one of those non-realistic ones where the couple run to each other's arms after one week of knowing each other. There was one part, which struck me. I have no idea why, but I admired the fact that they weren't all smoochy-smoochy, touchy-touchy. See it for yourself:

He gives me a conflicted look and touches his lips to my forehead, right between my forehead. I close my eyes. I don't understand this, whatever it is. But I don't want to ruin it, so I say nothing. He doesn't move; he just stays there with his mouth pressed to my skin, and I stand there with my hands on his waist, for a long time.

Okay, well maybe it's not that anti-romantic, but still... this is after around a month of knowing each other (I think). In young adult fiction world, that's not too bad.

I really adored the idea of having factions based on values. Candor: honesty; Amity: kindness; Erudite: knowledge; Dauntless: bravery and last but not least, Abnegation: selflessness. And I've only just realised it, but all of the names of these factions are real words (except for Candor)! Since I sort of favour Amity, throughout the whole book I was waiting for a special mention of it to come up. But none came until Chapter Thirty-Six.

One more thing I must add. I never thought of Divergent as a novel that would make me cry. But it did. If you have read it, you will understand why I was grieving. But geez, I think there's too much loss near the end. It's too much for me to bear.

All in all, Veronica Roth has created a beautiful masterpiece. I am looking forward towards Insurgent.


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Mockingjay - my book review

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Breathless. Hyperventilating. That's how I am after reading the book. Wow. I love Peeta. Oh my god.

I cannot express how amazing the ending was...The way Suzanne Collins used the words to describe Katniss's ever after is flawless. I am Infinity% sure that the ending was the best. Utterly breathtaking.

Summary
Katniss Everdeen was taken from the secret District 13 in the Quarter Quell, and was forced to stay under the district's president's rules. District 13 belongs to the 'rebels', who are revolting against the Capitol for leadership of Panem. But before they can do this, they must unite all 13 districts to defeat the Capitol, and more importantly, President Snow. Katniss chooses to fight, but she herself is confused whether she is really doing this for loyalty, or revenge.

Of course though, there are flaws with Mockingjay. If I do say so, I still prefer The Hunger Games out of the trilogy. However, Mockingjay still greatly impressed me.

Flaws:
1. I felt that Suzanne did not pay enough respect to those who died. Especially the main characters, who were not talked about much after their death. In this way, Katniss becomes awfully passive. She seems to have become a cold-hearted person. It is understandable though. Katniss has grown so much from that girl who was oblivious to the world (The Hunger Games) to a heroine who has fought on the warfront, following her own direction, doing what she thinks is right. I admire the way Suzanne has developed and defined all her characters in such a way that we could write at least a half-page profile on them.
2. Gale. Even though I am mostly definitely Team Peeta, shouldn't Gale reappear within the last two chapters? Really, he does play a pretty major part in the series, and yet he is not important enough to be mentioned in the grand finale. Surely he deserves a better resolution?
3. The book was rather slow moving at first. It was only when Peeta had appeared that the plot picked up. This is when the book starting giving me chills and thrills. I felt so heartbroken for Katniss (and Peeta as well) when he was rescued. The scene in the hospital (and Katniss's meeting/s with him later on) almost drove me to tears. However, I am ecstatic that everything turned out well in the end though.
4. According to myself, the ending was way too rushed, like Catching Fire. The climax happened in the last 1/6 of the book. Why? Well, I suppose by the end of this book, Katniss had been through enough already. Wars pass, time passes. It's all the same to Katniss, even though she has only left partly emotionally unscarred. It's good to know that her future husband is there with her always.

I am very impressed with how seamlessly Suzanne wrote in this novel, though. Katniss is hauled through so much psychological trauma in this book that it is almost impossible for her to work physically. But persistent Katniss gets through. Just.


Oh, and WOW for the last two lines. Wow. They moved me so much that I actually squealed (in a very girlish way). I swear that my pulse doubled.

You love me. Real, or not real?
Real.



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Before I Fall - my book review

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Never before have I read such a thought-provoking and innovative story, with such an unusual plot. Before I go into details of this novel, Before I Fall, I’d like to point out that this is a story that truly gets you thinking after you turn over the final page.
This novel is about a senior student named Samantha Kingston, who is one of the most popular girls at her school. Her best friends are Lindsay, Ally and Elody. They are bitchy and vicious to other students who are lower class in the social ladder, like Juliet Sykes. They’re favourite things to do are mainly partying and getting drunk.
On February the 12th, Cupid’s Day, Sam attended a party... her last party. On that tragic night, she suffers a car crash that takes her life.
The next morning, she wakes up in her bed, unharmed and sober. To make matters more puzzling, she realises that it is once again Cupid’s Day. When she arrives at school, everything is the same as the day before.
Sam is desperately confused, so she tries to find her way out of the time loop. However, she finds no escape.
This book is written with such sincerity and meaning that it entranced me to keep on reading. At first Sam is a person that you could never pity, but by the end of the book, you see how caring she can be inside. It shows that the possibilities of everyday are endless.




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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - my book review

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have to say, I did not expect The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time to be about Christopher's misadventure to find out his true past... but rather, who killed the dog, as suggested by the title.



Christopher Boone is autistic. Specifically, suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. He has odd obsessions with maths equations, signs, patterns and red. Needless to say though, this is not his fault.



I really enjoyed the way this novel was narrated. It's unique and makes you feel really connected with Christopher even though he has no emotions . I was surprised with the rather blunt revelation of Wellington's murderer, but as I mentioned before, that is certainly not the crux of the storyline. More comes, and it just keeps on getting better.



Other than that, I can't reveal very much about this book, other everything else about it will tumble out like a snowball. But I really love this book (as you can see with my 5 star rating), so have a go. You will be surprised!



P.S.

It probably only took me one hour to read this whole book altogether, so I promise that it won't take much time to read... even if you hate it.



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Speak - my book review

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A fantastic read: nothing more, nothing less.



'Speak' follows Melinda Sordino, an outcast at school and an introvert. But there are reasons why.



Several times I have asked myself while hungrily devouring this book: "Are schools really like that? Are we really like that?" Well, yes, we are. Heather is a perfect example for one half of teens. Enthusiastic. Hardworking. Backstabbing. The other half of the world of teenagers are like more like Melinda. Harmless. Nostalgic. Fearful.



I am disappointed in myself for not being able to resist the sheer temptation of reading a spoiler or two... but if you haven't read this brilliant novel yet, DON'T. I repeat, DON'T. You will find out why as you progress through this book.



There is no way that I'm not gonna read the rest of Laurie Halse Anderson's books. They are absolutely brilliant, from what I have gathered from with 'Speak' and 'Wintergirls'.



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Thirteen Reasons Why - my book review

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Well, what can I say? I did not overestimate this book, but yet I didn't underestimate it. But I gave Thirteen Reasons Why 5 Stars. Why? It didn't fail to impress me, but I had pretty high expectations for it from the beginning (due to the hype) and Jay Asher provided exactly what I was hungry for. So all in all, this novel was perfect.



Okay, before I get onto the praise, I would like to state the 'bad news' before the good. So, even though this story is told in first-person perspective, I know very little about the protagonist, Clay Jensen. How old is he? I suppose he is 16. What does he look like? I suppose he is tall, lean and has brown hair. Who are his friends? Hmm, well I suppose Tony...and...and... My point is that the character profiles are built up so strongly with every character, except for the main man, Clay. How can that be? I am guessing that Jay Asher wanted Clay to remain mysterious, of sorts. However, I am one that likes to know about every little-ittle bit about people; characters. It doesn't bother me too much about the absence of knowledge on Clay, but next time, a bit more filling in, please.



Now... onto the good news, ladies and gentlemen!!!



I love books that make me think differently of the world. Helps me see everything in a different light. Only one other book (that I can think of) gave me this satisfaction, apart from this one. And that other life changing book was Wintergirls. --for my review on it, click here. Anyway, by the time I reached the final words of Clay's on the final page, I thought: "Wow! We can all make a difference! That isn't just an overused cliché!" Although we don't really know what happens afterwards, I hope that *the name of that person* is saved. No, I am sure the person will be.



And yes, Thirteen Reasons Why is a pretty depressing book. I didn't cry in it at all, but I felt this dull weight on myself, even though I have no link to Hannah Baker. But knowing her motives for her death, and piecing everything together bit by bit, that's what gives this novel that extra oomph that sends a chill up your spine.



In short, this is a magnificent book.



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The Boyfriend List - my book review

The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver by E. Lockhart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


To be frank, I was surprised that I so thoroughly enjoyed The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver! I'm not usually into those type of books (E.g. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging), so I assumed that I wouldn't like it. It had started gathering dust in my library books box, until I finally decided to pick it up and READ . And I am so glad I did, too!

Ruby Oliver is a somewhat popular girl with problems. Small predicaments to big ones. Firstly, her boyfriend abruptly broke up with her. Then her friends ignore her and bitch bitch bitch about her. And what next? Well, Ruby starts getting panic attacks. And so, she has shrink (I had to look that up in the dictionary, embarrassingly enough... basically a shrink's like a counsellor) to sort out her problems.

I definitely don't wanna reveal too much, otherwise if the curtain is lifted, the funniness and craziness of the book is hidden away. SO this is all I'll say.

What a debacle.



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Wintergirls - my book review

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When Lia's friend, Cassie, dies, Lia feels no pain. Or that's what she says, anyway. In actuality, Lia heads down a dangerous, self-destructive path that ruins not only her life, but the ones around her.

What happened to Lia? What happened to make her change from a 'real girl' into one that hates herself and calculates calories like a number-obsessed dietician? Wintergirls looks at all the difficulties (particularly in our teens) related to mental disorders, such as: anorexia, bulimia, hallucinations, cutting... but also death, independence and family. This book alone is worth ten trips to the psychiatrist. Since reading this book, I have looked at myself differently. Instead of thinking: 'ugh, my bum's so fat', I actually stop and say to myself: 'you know what? I'm alright!" Sure, this book has scared me a bit, but it's scared me the right way.

There was not one second in the book that I doubted Lia was messed up. Throughout the whole entire novel, I felt like screaming at her. But strangely enough, I realised that anyone, even me, could be Lia. One wrong step and you could turn out like her.

I admire Laurie Halse Anderson's choice to write this book in first person perspective. After reading this, we all must admit that it is very, very hard to write at this level, and to especially make it believable that Lia is killing herself through starving herself. I felt like an intruder, diving into Lia's thoughts and eavesdropping on the awful conversations she has with herself. In Wintergirls, I have also learnt that a lot more happens to you turn anorexic, apart from getting skinny.

In the end, Lia Overbrook knows best. She does know deep inside her heart that what her folks said the whole time was right. And that's what lightens up the whole book. That you can repair yourself, pick yourself up again, start afresh.



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Kat Got Your Tongue - my book review

Kat Got Your Tongue by Lee Weatherly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the ONLY book that I have read soooo many times in my life. It's a truly amazing plot, and when she faces the truth of her 'past' self I felt how desperate she was, and I feel like I'm in her shoes!



Although the storyline of this book isn't very complex, I especially liked the add-in of her desperate Mum and her sudden liking to Richard. Also, a real winner for me was how the story was told in two perspectives, but unlike most other stories, the two sides are describing two different times, the past and the present.

I really recommend this amazing, amazing book. I 100% guarantee that you're eyes will stay glued to it just like a TV screen.



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The Book Of A Thousand Days - my book review

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Book of A Thousand Days is a very beautiful and well written book. The journey of Dashti is mesmerizing, and her unique love story is worthy of making anyone smile :)
The only problem I found was how the ending reminded me of a Disney princess ending "...and they all lived happily ever after. The end."I didn't find it that believable of how Tegus very willingly saved her, even after he found out Dashti's secret.
There was also something weird about the blurb (I know I'm nitpicking)... It says that the heroine is a brat (if they're referring to Saren, then yes) AND the hero isn't charming. The only hero I can think of is Tegus, and I thought he WAS charming!?!?
It was also a shame that I missed out on finding out why Saren was so reluctant to talk to Tegus. Oh well.
Aanyway, in general I really enjoyed this book and I love how it sort of twists well-loved, "ancient" fairytales into an even better, more exciting and intricate plot.



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The Hunger Games - my book review

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Let's jut begin by saying that this book is mindblowing (as well as the events in the plot). I'm constantly searching for 'unique' books that offer a totally original plot... and this hits the bulls-eye.



So basically this book (it was so utterly amazing that it changed my opinions on the world, by the way) is about Katniss Everdeen, a teen girl living in a dystopian world far off into the future. The only problem is that she lives in the poorest part of her country, Panem. The problem is that her father died from a mine explosion. The problem is that she must take care of her family and feed them. Once a year each District in the nation must randomly choose a boy and a girl to compete in the ruthless, deathly Hunger Games. It is a reality show that is used as a reminder of how bad the days 'back then' were…



I really appreciated Katniss' devotion to Prim, and I even enjoyed her close-to-nil sense of humour and emotionlessness. And yes, this made her a rather hard character to identify with, but nevertheless, it gave her that *POW!* that proper heroines need.



My favourite characters were Peeta (*sigh*), Cinna (what a fashionista!) and sweet, darling Rue. I would like to know more about Gale though. Is he as swoon-worthy as Peeta (that was meant to be a funny joke.)?



Now, just to let you know, I cry about once a year due to a book. And this year the 'Made Lauren Cry Award' went to the Hunger Games. Even though Katniss can have as much emotion as a rock, a few tears slipped under my eyelids when I read about *that part* (for all people who have read this, you should know where).





I ran into a slight plot problem in the book though. I was wondering... Why would they change the rules to make it that there were two winners? Doesn't that just kill the effect of having one victor? And then why take that comment back, and then change the ruled back to the two winners thing? That baffled me. I thought that this made Katniss' situation waaaay too convenient. So, for those who have already read The Hunger Games... Why is this so? Is it because of the whole 'star-crossed lovers' things? It can't be, can it?





I recommend this book for almost entirely everyone. And I typed that word: almost, because it is quite gory at times. So if you chuck at the thought of blood, please, for your own sake, do not read this book. It could result in suicide. BUT for those with the stronger gag reflexes, I can 100% guarantee that you'll fall in love with this book. I swear an oath on it.







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