Shiver - my book review

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Well. Can I say this was one of the most boring books I've read this year? Perhaps I just need to work on my resilience and patience, but I seriously could not suffer for any longer. And I didn't even get halfway.

Shiver had my short-lived attention for the first several chapters, but my apathy turned into distaste once Sam turned into a human. It was the non-realistic romance which got me.

Here are just a few of the problems I came across within the first sixth of the book:
1. Who falls in love with a wolf?
2. Who depends on the eyes to tell who the person/creature is?
3. Is it really necessary to have that overused "parents-gone-AWOL" gig?
4. I have never heard of, nor thought of the possibility that anyone would invite someone they've known for half a day to sleep in their bed. Unless they're drunk or on drugs or something.
5. A kiss after a day of knowing someone. Not possible once again unless the individual is drunk or on drugs. Or has a mental disorder.

Since this was such a boring book, is it fair that I have written a boring review?

90 Packets of Instant Noodles - my book review

Combining an engaging and confrontational story about growing up with a twist of adventure, this novel centers on Joel and Craggs, two loyal friends who drink together, commit robbery together, and, when Craggs turns violent, face the consequences together as well. When Joel's dad finally makes a deal with the cops, his son ends up in solitary confinement while Craggs is sent off to juvenile detention. Contending that the past is never truly buried, this tale portrays the influence of peer pressure on teenagers and both the positive and dangerous choices they must face.

This was unexpectedly a very good book! It was recommended to me from a bookish friend, but I wasn't first. Funnily enough, she recommended it to many of her other friends, but they politely declined to read it. Well, I can tell you, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this book! So you should try it out!

Since Joel Strattan became best mates with Craggs, he has done nothing but break the rules and be bad. But is there a side of him that can be scrubbed out and polished clean? Is this even possible? After being sentenced with ninety days banishment from civilisation, Joel finally gets a chance to rethink his life. And to eat 90 packets of instant noodles.

I loved the theme of finding yourself and change. Although the change in Joel was generally subtle, you could tell in the big picture that he'd matured in a great way. Plonk Joel next to Craggs and you can see that for yourself.

I particularly enjoyed reading the letters that Joel received from Bella. His genuine love and care for her was heart-warming. Just looking at their relationship, you can tell that Joel has a soft, fluffy side to him. Normally, I wouldn't be able to realise, or even know, that teenage delinquents could be so kind to the ones they love. It shows that people aren't really what you think.

The final thing that I loved about 90 Packets of Instant Noodles is that the story is set in Australia! If you have read Stolen: A letter to my captor though, the part of Australia in this book is different from it. 90 Packets of Instant Noodles is set in the less harsher area of Western Australia, which can be slightly less arid. Anyway, I don't often come across books set in Australia. Although, the author of this book, Deb Fitzpatrick, is Aussie, so this makes sense.

Oh, and finally, one last note. (This is what my friend warned me before I borrowed the book.) There is a lot of swearing. And when I say a lot, I really do mean a lot. So if you're one of those people who loathe bad language, then you probably shouldn't touch this book ;)

When I read this, I picture:

When I read this, I remember:
"Obviously, I did once believe in the notion of forever-and-ever-amen, and obviously there are some things I can say 'always' to, or 'I promise' -- like loving my son or mowing my lawn. But in reality, I don't believe that it's possible to project how you will feel, in, say, twenty years' time, let alone in fifty or sixty."

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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Then - my book review

Then by Morris Gleitzman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is seriously better than it's predecessor, Once, and certainly better than its sequel (that is so bad that I cannot remember its title).

It's extremely refreshing having the protagonists, Felix and Zelda, being much less naïve (than from the first book in the series). There's also much more action (whoop!) that takes place compared to Once.

My favourite character is probably the kind-hearted woman, Genia, who takes them in is inspiring and represents the giving Germans of the time of World War II. And, of course, her husband as well.

The ending of the story was awfully shocking. I was very, very close to crying (I have only cried from reading a book twice) and the outcome and conclusion of the story made me feel a bit dizzy afterwards.

I like how easily it flows on from Once. You could read both books one after another and not even be able to tell that they're separate. Meanwhile, the book that comes after this one focuses (very annoyingly) on a totally different storyline, with Felix's GRANDDAUGHTER as the narrator. And a terrible one she is, too.

I'm glad that this novel effectively opens reader's eyes to the real happenings and events of those dark times, and subtly weaves in some well-needed humour into it, too.




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Prom - my book review

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Truthfully, I can't think of much to say about this book, so here are a few dot-points instead:

I liked:
• the characters. Ashley made a very interesting protagonist, if a little unpredictable.
• the storyline. I have yet heard of a book also revolving around a prom.
• the witty satire. Laurie Halse Anderson has an excellent sense of humour, and never fails to make me laugh.
• the lack of exaggerated romance. It was refreshing to learn about Ashley and TJ's (troubled) relationship. It's hard to come across a young-adult novel that illustrates such a one-sided relationship so well, but at the same time, makes the experience of following the couple light-hearted and nonchalant.

I disliked:
• how Prom was not as in-depth as I had hoped. Personally, I think the author should stick with more pressing matters (like in Wintergirls and Speak). She has a great talent of getting serious issues across while keeping us, the readers, entertained.

To sum up, this is not the best book that I've read by Laurie Halse Anderson. But it's not the worst. If you're looking for a breezy book to read (particularly if you've got a prom coming up), this book is worth a try.

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Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood - my book review

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is such a fun book to read. I loved every single bit of it. But more to that later.

Picture Lauren Wood. She is perfect. She has is the quarterback's girlfriend, cheerleading captain, the most popular It Girl out of all the It Girls, and the lead role of the drama play in her palm. Did I mention that she's blonde? Now, picture. Helen Worthington. The ex-best friend of Lauren Wood. She is far from perfect. She is the doggy that serves her master.

One day, Lauren did something terrible. She betrayed Helen. So Helen moves away... But what happens when Helen gets the chance to move back? Is it finally time for Helen to get her revenge on Lauren?

The plot of this book is so simple. It makes the book so easy to read, and I can refer to it to cheer me up. Helen is totally priceless. In my opinion, she's a bit like an obsessive stalker. Like, while she lives in New York, Helen thinks about Lauren every day, checks her Facebook page, and starts collecting ideas for her grand revenge plan in a neat binder. Crazy or not crazy?

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood reminded me of the well-loved movie 'Mean Girls'. Three mean It Girls. One outsider. What happens when these two parties merge? KABOOM!!!

I'll leave the rest to you to decide. But this is worth a read.

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Hereafter - my book review

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I apologise in advance for later on. I have a premonition that I will be sounding similar to a grumpy pensioner who lost their walking stick. But, the previous book I read, I didn't like. And, well... I dislike this book as well. Trust me, I don't usually hate books. But sometimes I find one or two books that I don't enjoy reading.

Here we go:

Soppy-central. Definitely not my type. I picked out this book to read, not because of it's cover, not because it sounded interesting, but because it was newly released, and my list of paranormal-romances is a short one. But gee, this really is not my type of book.

In short, Amelia Ashley is a ghost. Then she meets Joshua Mayhew, a very alive teenager. They fall in love. But evil Eli stands in Amelia's way, trying to drag her away from the human world into the dark underworld...

This book was... terrible. I think I should stay away from paranormal novels for a while. If you, however, did enjoy this book, please tell me what your thoughts on it were. Or even if you share the same views as me, I'd be interested to know what you think.

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Beauty Queens - my book review

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I'm so sorry, Beauty Queens, but I had to give up. I could not continue in risk of further hair-in-fingers and head-slams-against-the-door. I'm so sorry that I maliciously watched you slide down the wall after being thrown at it.

I was pumped up with excitement and adrenaline when I got my hands on this book. I thought that it would be a life-changing moment, when I would open that first crisp, fresh page and innocently read. But, no. My plan failed miserably.

Here are a few things I disliked about this book:
- the humour. It got a bit dry after a while.
- the plot-hopping. There's only so many times a reader can teleport.
- the "Confidential" chapters. I skipped 99% of them.
- way too many characters to focus on. Couldn't Libba Bray make it that only six beauty queens survived???

Anyway, that was in brief the issues I encountered with Beauty Queens. I was very disappointed to only reach the half-way mark, because really, I expected something much better than this.

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Memoirs of A Teenage Amnesiac - my book review

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A witty, cheerful glance at a teen amnesiac's life. I enjoyed this book in every respect, not only for its storyline, but mainly for its characters. But more to that later.

Naomi wakes up in a hospital bed, not knowing anything from the last three and a half years. She doesn't know what year it is. She doesn't know her parents are divorced. She doesn't even know who her best friend is. But is this amnesia a way to start life afresh?

I'd like to praise Gabrielle Zevin for the warmth and depth she has put into this book. It's one of those books that save you from a rainy day, to a bad hair day. It'll liven you up no matter the circumstances. What is strange though, is that this is not a chick-lit fiction. It is actually quite meaningful, and has given me an insight of forgiving and forgetting.

Now to the characters. I am so glad that this story was told in first-person perspective. Naomi's point of view was fun, and just from reading a chapter that "she's" written, I can tell that she'd be one of the persons in the world who would make a good friend (although she doesn't think that herself). My other favourite character, whether you can believe it or not, is Ace. I loved him. He was popular, sweet and bashful. So adorable.

Oh, and of course, I'd like to give a special mention to Will Landsman. To me, he is the star of the story, really. Pretty much the whole book revolves around Naomi and his relationship, once you think about it. He plays an important part, and the friendship between the two carries on throughout the story. Not very much, but it does.

To finish off, I'd like to share my favourite quote from Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac:

"You forget all of it anyway. . . You forget who was cool and who was not, who was pretty, smart, athletic, and not. . . You forget all of them. Even the ones you said you loved, and even the ones you actually did. They’re the last to go. And then once you’ve forgotten enough, you love someone else."

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The Truth About Forever - my book review

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book that I've ever read by Sarah Dessen, and I'm very pleased to say that I will continue reading her novels.

Macy Queen is the daughter of a widowed workaholic and the girlfriend of a perfectionist gentleman. She herself strives to be perfect. She, as her sister says, does not have a proper 'social life', but risks that for being perfect.

...That is, until she meets the Wish Gang.

I am not one for soppy love stories. I'm just not that type. Same goes with most chick-flick movies and melodramatic romantic songs. But nonetheless, I enjoyed this book. It was good.

There are so many books in which you read about brave, adventurous heroines, but this is not the case. You get to see the other side of the story, from a girl who eventually grows into something bigger, something different. Something bolder.

The words that illustrate this book describe everything fittingly. I like the use of truth about forever at the end.

Another thing is that I loved the relationship between Macy and Wes. From the start, we suspect that they'll be heads over heels in love with each other (sa-woon!), but is this true? No... well, not really. At one point, we have all read a young-adult book with one week romances, but I love how everything in this book is held to the end. The loose ends are tied up where they should be. It's satisfying to know, that through thick and thin, high and low, that things have turned out perfect in the end.

You might be wondering: why only four stars? I'll answer that now. In fact, I sort of answered that above. I don't really favour realistic romance fiction. Although, The Truth about Forever proved to me that there are some good ones around. Realistically, if I was the girlier type, then yes, I would definitely give this book a fiver. But sadly, I'm not. But luckily, Dessen's words and the storyline and the characters and everything else that came within the front and back covers saved me from giving this book much less.

So read it.




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Catalyst - my book review

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


True rating: 2.5 stars

There is one word that illustrates this book: ordinary. That word itself is as dull sounding as what Catalyst actually is.

After reading two of Laurie Halse Anderson's books (first Wintergirls then Speak), I was convinced that every single one of her novels were worth 5 stars. But I was wrong. Naivety got the better of me. This was an awesomely tedious book. To tell the truth, I was sort of glad to be able to turn the last page.

The main thing that saved this book from a 2 star review was the fact that I never got bored or skipped parts, even though I wanted to do so.

I felt that there was no depth in this book. One accident leads to another, and then...? What about Mitch? (They didn't really seem to break up.) What about the university? (We don't know what happened with that in the end.) What about Teri? (She doesn't seem to hate Kate that much.) And the BIG incident that changed everything... well, it was quite sad, I admit that, but I didn't find that it affected Kate personally.

Aside from the above, I also disliked the characters. Except for Mikey, of course. But apart from him, none of the characters were very likeable in my perspective, and there was no real background information on them. Like, I know Sara less than Kate knows Melinda.

Speaking of Melinda, as a side-note, I enjoyed her cameo role in this book. I loved Speak, so naturally I liked her guest appearance in this book, starring as herself.

There's not much else to say, but I've got Prom and Twisted on my TBR list. I'm definitely gonna read them sooner or later. I hope they won't be as disappointing as this book was...!



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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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Pink - my book review

Pink by Lili Wilkinson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't really know what to exactly say about Pink! It's a good read, yes. I enjoyed it, yes. But otherwise, everything else (which is not much), might as well be unsaid.

Pink is about a girl called Ava (as in Ava Gardner) Simpson. She likes girls. She likes pink. She likes to fit in. She likes to study. So she leaves her chaotic, feral, your-average-Joe high school and earns a scholarship to Billy Hughes. Posh, prim, perfect Billy Hughes. Black-clad Ava is sure that it is the place for her. But is it really?

I see Ava's world as a map. So think of a triangle with a spot in the middle. Now, instead of the outer vertices being connected to each other, they are connected to that speck in the centre. This speck is Ava. So she has three options: Chloe (her coolheaded, emo girlfriend), the Pastels (think of The Plastics from 'Mean Girls') and finally, the Screws (the stage-crew). And then, suddenly Ava is unsure whether she's gay or not. There's a guy called Ethan at Billy Hughes. And he's hot. So Ava and the Pastels think, anyway.

I think Pink is a well-written, humorous book that lightly skims over feminism, sexuality, friendship, family, school life, fitting in, goths, sci-fi, Bang! Bang! and screw-ups within one pretty pink cover. I recommend it for anyone, and everyone. Even for those who hate pink.



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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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Where She Went - my book review

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Where She Went is in the same vein as its predecessor, If I Stay, but yet...there are some obvious differences between the two.



Let me begin from the beginning. Firstly, I didn't really like the first book in the series all that much. Many, many people have enthusiastically raved on and on about it, but I was just like: "Are we talking about the same book here?" Main reasons why I didn't enjoy it was: 1) It was so slow-paced, and involved next to nil amount of action, 2) Too many flash-backs!! 3) The concept of the story isn't all that amazing.



Now let's move back to the present. Where She Went is more adventurous. I like Adam's perspective more than Mia's. He is more skeptical, less guileless and oh-so straightforward. This novel actually does accompany nicely with If I Stay though... I didn't mention it before, but Gayle Forman is absolutely talented at character build-up. I know the main characters about as much as I know about my classmates (which is quite well...pretty good for a book,anyway).



Anyway, here it is 3 years later, but knowing the characters personalities helps us understand the novel more in-depth. There are also much less characters, which gives us more meat to focus on, and I like that. Mia is the same, and yes, Adam is pretty much a different person, but knowing his background information truly lets you know that his appearance and attitude on the outside is much harder than the his bittersweet core on the inside. Like a 'Starburst GummiBurst' (that's a lolly by the way, for those who don't know)!



Onto Adam Wilde and Mia Hall's rocky relationship... well, I can really only describe it in one way. 'To forgive and to forget'. I wasn't very pleased with the outcome of their love life. I mean, after all Mia did to Adam. He deserves better, doesn't he?? I guess in the end though, it's a happily-ever-after. And I was pleased with that. The ending was sweet and girly, but so was the 'tour' around New York. It was nice and it made me feel happy. In fact,

Where She Went could easily fit into a 'pick-me-up-when-I'm-sad' book.



It is utterly amazing how Gayle Forman can write about one whole day in a young adult novel. How? How? I'd like to know that secret. I don't know whether that 'amazing' is good or bad, but it is spectacular. For those who like Where She Went, the author did a good job on keeping their brains satisfied. Unfortunately, that formula did not work for me.



Finally, let me ask you... What really happened in this book? Can you tell me anything exciting that happened in it? Can you really identify something dramatic; something thrilling that happened in this book? Well, these are all rhetorical questions, as I can safely answer them myself. 'No.' I totally understand that this book is strictly romance and drama, and I've just gotta admit that they're not my type.


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Forgotten - my book review

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Forgotten is a different young adult novel. I wouldn't say it's unique, but it's certainly different.

London Lane is not a normal teenage girl. Or a normal person, for that matter. She can only 'remember' what will happen in the future. And this means that she cannot remember the past. By 4:33 AM, London's memory of the day before is completely wiped. The only way she can get through the next day is with her notes, her mother and her best friend. Then London meets Luke... the perfect guy that anybody she wants. But something is wrong. Why can't she see him in the future?

Earlier on, I had posted a status update on Forgotten declaring that I found the introduction of Luke too cheesy. For those that are thinking the same thing, don't make up your mind too quickly, as I can confirm that there is a reason for this!

The thing I loved about the book was it's plot. It's not usual you come across a girl who can remember her future, but not her past! And I loved Jamie, too. She is worth a special mention. Perhaps it was her boldness, or her compassion that lured me to become a fan of hers.

The downside of Forgotten is the ending. It wasn't very satisfying for me. The final chapters were sweet and all, but I wish we got to know more about Jonas, or even the romantic but bleak future of London and Luke. I suppose I'm one for endings that tie up all the loose ends. It's fine that this book doesn't have that; it's just that I'd prefer to know more!

Overall, Forgotten was an enjoyable read and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the rest of Cat Patrick's upcoming novels!



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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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The Lovely Bones - my book review

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Lovely Bones is like the Bible. Not much feeling, but continuous descriptions chucked at your face. Once you think about it, you don't really know Susie feels towards being murdered. Any normal person would be bawling their eyes out, but here is Susie Salmon (like the fish), calm as a pond of ice.



The transition from gruesome to pleasant scenes can be shocking to the mind at times. You jump from Susie's explicative homicide to her illustrating the niceness of her heaven. Huh?



I was impressed with the descriptions of the characters, particularly of Abigail, also known as Ocean Eyes... The several strolls down the memory lane were enjoyable. They brought Susie's tale to life: her games with Lindsey, saving Buckley's life.



It's no wonder The Lovely Bones got transformed into a movie. It is utterly beautiful. But not quite my style. Still gratifying though.







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