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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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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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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Catching Fire - my book review

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Firstly, I think this novel contrasts greatly to its predecessor, The Hunger Games. This book is told on a much bigger scale of things, and its focus is more on the Capitol than the Hunger Games itself. I must say, my favourite section of the book was Part I. I was very surprised when Katniss was participated in the Games again (woops... is that a spoiler!?!?). The part i disliked most in the book was at the very end. I found that Suzanne Collins rushed the ending and I finished the book in a has-the-book-really-ended? confusion. Otherwise, I really liked how the story talked about other things apart from the Games (BTW I think I liked 'last year's' Games more than this year's... how about you?). A thing a found really disturbing was President Snow's breath. Didn't you squirm in your reading cosy when you read Katniss' description of him? Well, I certainly did, and I think I puked a bit in my mouth when I pictured his puffy lips.

Anyway ... I love Peeta Mellark to bits... I do not understand why Katniss prefers him to Gale. But I dunno. It's the work of those hormones, I guess. Oh, and HOW could I leave out Cinna? I really admire him. If he was a real person, I would probably be his #1 fan ;)


NOTE
Due to the suspense and wild hunger for the remaining of the series, I will DEFINITELY be reading Mockingjay. Look out for my review on it soon!!!




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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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Delirium - my book review

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Like most other people, the sole reason I started reading 'Delirium' was because of Lauren Oliver's 'Before I Fall'. But honestly, I much prefer her first book compared to this one.

For me, this book provided a lot of — and I do mean A LOT of — eye-rolling moments and not enough room for suspense. Everything was predictable (apart from the end, but I'll get to that later) and cheesy. Like Romeo and Juliet minus the conflict scenes.

Lena reminds me of Bella Swan... unbearingly ordinary and naïve. Both of them lack that OOMPH that a protagonist needs, thus pushing the spotlight onto their lover-boys, which in this case, is Alex.

Like all male-leads, Alex is: handsome, mysterious, brave, tender and sticks up for his girl, no matter what the risks are. Alex seems even more agitating than Edward Cullen though. A few reasons is that he seems equally as naïve as Lena, and he seems so shallow. From the start he loved Lena. From the start he wanted to obey her. Another thing that has occurred to me is HOW ON EARTH can he trick those 'ruthless, strict' regulators into thinking he was Cured? Even in this world, a simple scar does not prove that you are 'one of them'. The idea of Invalids is pretty vague as well. Along with sympathizers and resistors, Oliver leaves us wondering just exactly who these people are.

Now... The ending. The final chapter is action packed. It's thrilling. And it certainly surprised me. I thought that — like the rest of the book — the ending would be some kind of cliché, but it wasn't. I didn't expect what happened to happen. There is no lead up to it. Just BAM! and the dirt is gone (sorry for that). Because of the unexpected twist, I finally started to like this book. But, alas, it was already too late. An eye-catcher in the last few paragraphs is not good enough, even for Oliver.

To be honest, the part I was looking forward to most was when Lena would get Cured. I knew that this wasn't really gonna happen, but the idea of her foolish mind getting cured was too good to ask for.

Oh, and another thing that I found wrong in 'Delirium' is that even though it is in the future (as it is a dystopian novel, afterall), it seems as though the world hasn't really progressed. Apart from the 'cure', the world hasn't changed. There is no mention of cool high-tech gadgets, and they're still using dingy radios. And why an electric fence when you can use laser beams? Duh!!!

What's really sad is that this book could've had potential, but it was easily sorted into the pile mediocre books. As I mentioned before, the best part was the ending. That's all that it's worth.

...and I purchased 'Delirium', too. What a rip off.






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