These are books that I really want to get my hands on! They sound so great from their synopses on Goodreads! They are linked to their Goodreads pages for your convenience. :D
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Quickfire Reviews: The Hunger Games & Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Best book ever!!! The book is perfectly paced and intriguing, keeping me on the precipice of my seat for every single turn of the page. Just a flawlessly executed story that I'm hooked to read the rest of the trilogy. If you want to read a good book with action, hearts. and romance,this book will not disappoint!
Finally, I finished the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy: Catching Fire! I have to say it is not as good as the first book. However, it satisfies me just like the first installment once the actions start rolling and I'm taken on the roller-coaster ride for a second time. The main problem of this book is Katniss' characterization in the beginning and the pacing. Katniss is very irritating at the start. She constantly pours her feelings out for the readers to read: her dilemmas of whether she should love Peeta or Gale. It becomes very whinny and I just can't stay in her head anymore. The pacing is horrible, actually. It takes about 3/5 of the book (or a bit less, I just can't remember how long it took for the story to pick up speed) for things to get interesting. The actions only begin when Katniss and Peeta reenter the arena and I'm reunited with my love of this series: the adrenaline rush that courses through me as I follow the protagonists on the journey to their survival. It is that feeling that it's once again a fight for survival and freedom that the story begins to engulf me whole and I could not stop reading! From there on, I am in love with this trilogy again. The twists and turns, the alliances, the betrayal, the misunderstanding and the surprises make up for some of the disappointment I am treated to in the beginning. I will definitely read the next novel and see what things await for our heroine---Katniss Everdeen.
Quickfire Reviews: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green & The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Synopsis:
Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.
Review:
Let me start by saying that this is my first completion of a trilogy! So, congrats to me for that. I've started other series like the Uglies series and the Harry Potter series, but couldn't find time to go back to it. Maybe I'm not too interested? I don't know.
Let's get to the book. For me, the military aspects of this book drove me insane sometimes. I couldn't take so much war things in a teen book. There was tremendous amount of focus on war strategies and plans in this book. I know what I was getting into for , but it tired me a little. I found myself wanting to read quickly through the book when Suzanne Collins linger on all those war-related topics. Maybe I'm one who like drama without a full serving of politics.
The ways in which Collins took her main characters were unpredictable but unrealistic. I felt like she got lost with the protagonists. It's as if Katniss' confusion on who to choose between Peeta and Gale confirmed my doubt. Katniss just never could make up her mind, kissing both guys like it's "okay." Which is not, because if you actually like them, you wouldn't play with both their feelings. At least Bella Swan told Jacob Black off that she loved Edward in the "Twilight" books. Like come on. Peeta was made very decapitated in this book. Actually, he was portrayed as weak in ALL three books! It's like Collins wanted to make him a weakling against the strong-headed Katniss, which doesn't mean I don't like her (I love her character, actually), it just makes me furious how fragile she made him. Perhaps she could have gone a different path for him.
The rising action and the climax at the end of the novel was very abrupt and confusing. I think she could have slow it down, because I kept missing crucial information! Like seriously, is she trying to make me be a better reader or something? Like recognize stuff? (Well, maybe that's a good lesson, but that's beside the point. ) I just felt like she wanted to trick me in a way. I should reread those parts.
*SPOILER* *MAJOR DEATH* *DON'T READ IF YOU LIKE THIS CHARACTER*
One death was really unnecessary. That one of Finnick. He was such a kind-hearted, lovable character underneath all that beauty that was so misconceived by Katniss. Like I was honestly flabbergasted by his demise!
The Ending or the Big, Perfectly-Knotted Bow of a Conclusion: I liked the happy ending, sorta. Predictably, these two would find their way to forever and each other. I wanted the ending for the one whose heart Katniss rejected to be tied up better. It was a bit crooked for me to be satified. The overall conclusion offered hope for the readers. I, for one, felt this hope for the country of Panem. Its future looked gleaming, and was that of Katniss and her love. A perfect conclusion to an astounding, adrenaline-inducing, dystopian trilogy of our time. (See how I didn't tell you who Katniss chose? You're welcome.)
4/5
Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Synopsis:
Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, —his classmate and crush— who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'’ll find out how he made the list.
Through Hannah and Clay’'s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.
Review:
Thirteen Reason Why was a difficult yet intriguing read. The premise sounds promising: A girl's crush getting a shoebox of casette tapes detailing the 13 reasons (specifically, people) why she commited suicide. He is one of them. Of course, I kept reading because I wanted to know what Clay Jensen did to end up on Hannah Baker's list. I LOVED the reason! It was so out of the blue and contradicting with my assumed idea of what it was going to be.Bravo to Asher for that.
Things I love about the book:
1) Pacing was exceptional. It never seemed to drag.
2) Jay Asher's approach on suicide was believable and vividly painful.
3) The lesson that Clay learned from listening to Hannah's story made the reading worthwhile.
4) The suspense and the eeriness of Hannah's voice were the key factors that made this book such a page turner!
Things I Dislike:
1) The lack of character descriptions made it difficult to picture the characters. I understand that the minor characters on Hannah's list can do without physical desriptions, but Clay and Hannah should have had better description. We don't even know their hair or eye color.
2) I thought Hannah's final reason was really badly written. I didn't believe the conversation that took place. Hannah took the options the wrong way! Why? It was JUST an option. It doesn't prove the fact that no one cares about her anymore. I just thought it was so strange that that final reason made her take her own life.
Okay, I don't think I disliked too much of the book. I'm giving it 4 star for originality, believability, and poor character description. The whole time I was reading, I could vaguely imagine the characters, and that was based on their behaviors or Asher's frequent insertion of "beautiful" and "handsome." Jay Asher needs to somehow make the characters imaginable in the reader's psyche.
4/5
Review: Take Me There by Susane Colasanti
Rhiannon is devastated after the breakup with her boyfriend and wants him back. Nicole's ex is still pining for her, but she can't help having a new crush. And then there's James, hopelessly in love with Rhiannon, who can't see that their friendship could be so much more. Just when things couldn't get more complicated, the school's resident mean girl decides she is going to ruin everyone's lives. James, Nicole, and Rhiannon are not going to let this slide, but will their desire to take down the mean girl bring these three friends exactly what they want?
Review:
Reason for reading:
I have to read this for a school book club. Let's just say I have some benefits for reading it, that's why I didn't stop reading.
Cover Art:
Completely irrelevant to the story, except the fact that the setting is Eames Academy. It just doesn't connect with the overall plot-line.
Book Setup:
The alternate narrations of the trio of friends did not irritate me at first, but it finally got on my nerves nearing the book's conclusion. I wanted to know what is about to transpire, but the actions keep taking a back seat because Colasanti has to return to the same day and narrate the same exact events over again. With some extra information, of course, to give the reader an in-depth look at each character. However, I felt like it slowed down the plot and left me cranky and annoyed at the setup.
Plot:
Like I said, the setup/format of the book didn't really do it for me, although I appreciate getting a closer look at each character. But it interfered with the plot because of the cycle of the same events being narrated.
Originality:
The format has been done before. Story about taking revenge on a boyfriend/the skank who swiped him away have been used. Best friends-becoming-lovers also exist in the literary world. But there were interesting plot twists and turns that intrigued me. Not that original, but there were nice additions.
Credibility:
The dialogues express how teens communicate. I give her props for sounding like teenagers...for some parts. While other parts are strange, like when they say "yo" and "word?". Do girls really say "yo" and do you say "really?" by saying "word?"?
Overall:It was a Goodreads, I have to say. Would I recommend it? Well, if you enjoy alternate narrations that feed you the same events 3 times! Hey, if I can bear that, you can to.
3/5
Review: Book of Love (Knight Angels #1) by Abra Ebner
Synopsis:
New characters, New world, but old enemies. Emily struggles to ignore a new friend with emotions that temp her, Wes delves deeper into his past and family while finding friendship isn't reserved for the human race alone, Jane finds out her dear Max isn't what he seems, Greg's friendships cost him more than he expected, and Max forgets that the truth is best. But then again, someone always has to be the liar... Emotional baggage, begrudged enemies, and the bitterness that comes when the
honeymoon of their friendship fades... Will the love survive, or is it all just a game?
Review:
Hmm, this book was an okay read. My initial reaction to the setup of the book was: This is going to be confusing! When I start reading it though, getting to read from all the characters' perspectives, that thought changed. I actually started to be able to distinguish them all. I liked the angel depicted in this book. It is the first YA book I've read with angels in it. I found the fact that they age "slowly" intriguing. At least it wasn't the usual, "I'm immortal!" So that was nice distinction.
Whoever wrote that the two brothers reminded them of the Salvatore brothers from The Vampire Diaries, you are dead-on. I kept picturing them--Stefan for Max ,and Damon for Greg. But I found Greg an extremely unrealistic character whose motives for killing his family and the Sheouls incomprehensible and stupid. Every time he says something in the book, I just thought to myself how phony he is--I couldn't find him scary because I didn't believe the evilness he portrayed in the book. I hope I'm making sense here. I just think Ebner did not develop his back story enough in this first book of the series for me to understand him.
The plot was nothing knew. A supernatural guy falls for a girl. The girl can't protect herself. He must protect her from an evil person/being. I've read this all before! I think the ending was bad. The fighting scene was really weak. A bigger, more extravagant and over-the-top climax would have been nice. I just think that the author made the reader read all this big drag in the beginning and let them down at the end. I wanted a BANG! What I got was a pop and no confetti. It was just a weak finale, you could say.
Overall, I did enjoy the characters, with exceptions to Greg, who I despise for the phoniness to his dialogues. I found Emily taking drugs to silence the voices very interesting and reasonable in the oddest way. I thought Wes for pathetic at times because of his unrequited love for Jane. He could do better. I mean, the girl DID NOT LOVE HIM FOR ONE BIT. The love Max felt for Jane was "love at first sight." Something no one can understand unless you've been in the same boat. I like to read more about love that grows out of characteristics in the person, like the love Wes and Emily had from their bond and trust in each other. Max and Jane's love was just too cliche as in most YA books. There's no substance to it.
I will not be reading the next book because I feel I know enough about these characters to not want to know what else is going to happen to them. Like I've said once or twice now, the villain is not scary and is laughable. I'm sure the protagonists can deal with him just fine that I don't need to read about it.
Oh, and the many typos in this book should be a SHAME. Either find a better editor or hire a better typer.
2/5
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