REVIEW: SHATTER ME

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Published By: HarperCollins
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
Pages: 340
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Format: Paperback
Links: Goodreads, Book Depository

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

The Writing: The writing in this book is very different from anything I've ever read before. Since we're reading from Juliette's perspective, we are reading her thoughts and those are sometimes crossed out with a line. We can still read the sentence but it's crossed out as if Juliette thought it was stupid when she was thinking it. The writing is also very poetic. Mafi seems to avoid commas and prefers a style that feels a bit like a stream of consciousness. A lot of words are repeated multiple times which adds to the drama of the book. The writing was probably my favourite part of the book just because it's so different and poetic. There are, however, a lot of metaphors that I could have done without. 

The Plot: I found the book to be a little slow in the beginning but it really picked up after the first 100 pages. It sucked me in enough that I was able to finish this book in two days. Towards the end it felt a bit like X-Men, but X-Men is cool so I'm okay with that. I felt like there was a lack of explanation in this book especially in regards to Juliette's powers. Did she have this power since she was a baby? Did they develop later in life? There was also a lack of description in regard to setting. I get that it's a dystopia but where/when is it? I think I would have liked more of a background to the military rule that seems to be going on here. 

The Characters: Don't get me wrong, I like Juliette. I really do. I just found her to be so dramatic sometimes that it annoyed me a little bit. Other than that, I did really like her character. You were able to feel sympathetic towards her but then also cheer her on when she performed some bad-assery. Adam is also a great male lead. He's very loyal and caring and smart. The only problem I had with their relationship was that it felt a bit like insta-love to me. They had barely talked before and then BAM they're in love with each other. It just felt a little inauthentic to me. Nevertheless, I do think they're cute together. I also really liked the side characters of Kenji and James. They were able to provide a little levity to an otherwise very heavy and serious book. 

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. I think it's a fun read and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I'm actually going to read the Destroy Me novella next!

4/5

REVIEW: THE WINNER'S CURSE

Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published By: Farrar Straus Giroux
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Pages: 355
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Links: Goodreads, Book Depository

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. 

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

The Writing: Quite lovely and descriptive. Rutkoski uses a lot of short sentences in her writing, which I found made it easier and quicker to read. She seems to have a knack for these beautifully crafted phrases. There was a good deal of world building in this first instalment but I wish it went just a little bit deeper. I'm hoping the world will develop even more in the next two books. I really liked how she identified that there was two different languages that helped to further segregate the two societies and she would make note of the differences in accent (like the rolling of r's). I sometimes got a bit confused when the war strategies were explained, but reading them over a second time makes things clearer. 

The Plot: This is a very well thought out book. This book is very politically based which I very much enjoyed. It's quite interesting to see the inner workings of a society and their war strategies. This aspect especially picked up in the second half of the book in which we can see how the characters have such different ideas when it comes to strategies in both war and in governing a society. Perhaps my favourite part of this book is that there is no love triangle!! Love triangles in YA  have become so overdone and so annoying that I feel myself rolling my eyes at every page. The romance in this is absolutely stunning and leaves you wanting more. There's no insta-love here either and it's nice to see the romance develop and blossom. One of the things I usually hate in books is when there is a dream sequence and the author puts in some drawn-out story/dream that is ambiguous but is supposedly meaningful for the main character's struggle and the plot of the book. Rutkoski does this towards the end of the book and I was very surprised at how much I liked it. The short story she constructs is interesting and engaging and is relevant to the story itself which I appreciated very much. The ending is also not  super cliffhanger-y so I don't feel the need to run out and buy the second book (even though I probably will!). 

The Characters: I love Kestrel as a main character. She's such a headstrong and smart female character. Even though she behaves differently from her other friends and the rest of society views her as being quite odd, Kestrel doesn't seem to care. She does what she wants to do because it makes her happy and I really admire that about her. She makes decisions based on what she wants, regardless of the consequences or the impolite stares she may get from the other upper class members of her society. Arin is also a lovely male counterpart. He is headstrong and analytical just like Kestrel. He has his goals and does not let anything get in the way of stopping them. The only thing that I wish Rutkoski would have included is more of a back story for Arin. There are minuscule snippets thrown in here and there but not enough to build a substantial history of who Arin was before the war. I loved how even the side characters had back stories especially Enai (who was Kestrel's nurse) was given a story that makes the reader really feel for her. While a lot of these characters had very rich stories, I'm hoping Rutkoski goes into greater depth of Arin's story in the second book.

Overall, I really really liked this book and I'm excited to go pick up the sequel! The story had me hooked and I read it in two days. I also love the cover and the sideways writing! That might be a bit random, but I think it looks really cool (unfortunately they've changed this for the the cover of the second book :( ). There was a lot of hype surrounding this book and I think it really lived up to it.

4.5/5

REVIEW: MEANT TO BE

Title: Meant to Be

Author: Lauren Morrill

Published By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 13, 2012

Pages: 304

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Format: Hardcover
Links: Goodreads, Book Depository

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

The Writing: The writing in this book is quite mediocre and fairly average. The descriptions are decent although I would have liked the author to describe the appearances of the main characters earlier on in the book. Jason is actually a redhead and we don't really find that out until quite a ways through the book and I think knowing that would have helped to visualize the characters better.

The Plot: Cliché. Predictable. Still kind of cute. Even reading the summary, it's not hard to guess what's going to happen in this book. However, sometimes it is nice to have that cliché romance and light, fluffy plot. The "plot twist" was also very predictable for me. You know what's coming and it's so obvious you want to yell at Julia because she's just not getting it. It's also set in London so that's an automatic bonus for me!

The Characters: Both of these characters have exaggerated personalities. Julia is the introverted nerdy bookworm and Jason is a loud, childish troublemaker. In saying that, I absolutely hated Julia. She is the epitome of the saying "I'm not like other girls." She is extremely judgemental and has a feeling of superiority just because she reads Shakespeare and Austen while listening to The Beatles. She is constantly judging her other classmates for how they act/what they wear and it gets very frustrating. She's also just so clumsy it becomes unbelievable and just stupid by the middle of the book. While Jason is very childish and funny it's also so over-the-top that I found myself getting a little annoyed by him at times as well (Not as much as Julia, mind you). They're relationship was also very hot and cold. One minute they were fighting and the next they were best friends. It was enough to give me whiplash. Jason's feelings for Julia also seemed quite contrived and progressed so quickly that it doesn't feel natural. Before this trip the two had never spoken with each other and all of sudden they are hanging out and BAM feelings. 

This book was really just okay for me. It's only redeeming qualities for me is the setting and the cover. I think it's so vibrant and pretty! This just good if you want something fluffy and quick to read. You can easily finish this in one sitting and while it may not be the most thought-provoking book, it is fun to read.

2.75/5

REVIEW: THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Author: Neil Gaiman

Published by: Harper Collins

Publication date: 2013

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 181

Genre: Adult fiction, Fantasy

I'll give you a very brief synopsis of this story because I really do think it's best to go into this blind. It's about a middle-aged man who returns to his hometown for a funeral and when he visits his childhood friend's farm, some of his memories from childhood return.  

Like I said, I went into this book not really knowing what it was about and knowing that there is a lot of hype surrounding it. I think it's best to go into this not knowing what it's about because the story immediately sucks you in. It's short enough that you can read it in one sitting which is what you'll want to do because the story is so captivating. 

Gaiman's imagery and his descriptive language makes for a very haunting read and it just feels like one of those books that I'll be thinking about months or years from now. It is a story of childhood fears, sacrifice, and family. There is such a spectrum of emotion in this book and I felt every single one of those emotions alongside our main character. There is so much magic and mystery and sadness and joy packed into this tiny book and it really left an impact on me as both a reader and as a (sort-of) adult. I feel like Gaiman crafted his own twisted fairytale or myth in this book that is really perfect for anyone who is an adult and wants to remember the joys and woes of childhood. This book is also an excellent transition from someone who reads a lot of YA and wants to get into more adult fiction as it's short and captivating and also has a child narrator. 

5/5

REVIEW: THE NIGHT CIRCUS

The circus arrives without warning....

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is such a unique story that follows a rather unusual circus and a challenge between two magicians who have been bound since birth. 

The story follows multiple characters along multiple timelines which makes for a very interesting story when all the characters are weaved together. 

I loved the concept of this book and the elements of the circus are so creative! Morgenstern is also very descriptive in her writing which leads to a very ethereal atmosphere. Some of my favourite bits are when Morgenstern switches to a second person point of view and it feels like you are really at the circus!

My only complaint (and it is a small one) is that I wish there was more romance. The back of this particular edition makes it seem like the romance between Celia and Marco is a key feature of this book, when it really isn't. The romance almost takes a back seat to the circus and the "challenge," which is not a bad thing but perhaps the synopsis can seem a bit misleading. It also felt that the romance was a bit rushed as they don't seem to have any feelings for each other during the first half of this book and then BAM they're in love. 

A lot of people also seem to find the idea of the "challenge" to be very vague and not well-explained, which is true but I think it adds to the overall atmosphere of the book. We do find out the story behind how the challenge began at the very end of the book, but during it we are as clueless as Celia and Marco. I think this makes it more interesting because it's like we're finding out this mystery together which is quite exciting. 

I'm giving this 4.5/5 and recommending it to anyone who wants a very unique read that is a good transition from YA to adult fiction!

BOOKS vs. TV SHOW - THE 100

A couple months ago, I was perusing Netflix and they recommended this show The 100 for me and after hearing so many great things about it from some friends I started to watch it. I caught up with both seasons right before the season 2 finale so needless to say I am obsessed. When I found out that the show was based on these books I got so excited and binge-read all three of these. 

If you don't know, the premise is that on Earth there was the great nuclear blast making it inhabitable to these people have been living on a space station. You can get imprisoned very easily when you're a miner and if you're over 18 you can be "floated" (basically pushed into space without a suit). The government decides to send 100 delinquents to Earth 99 years after the explosion to see if Earth is now habitable. The 100 find they are not alone on Earth.

The show and the books are very different from each other, so much so that you can compare them as two completely different things. Doing my research on the show, I found out that the show was based upon just the premise of the first book in this series and it was not completed at the time the show was developing their story so this can explain the major differences. 

Normally, I am a stickler of the rule that the book is always, always, always better than the show/movie. This, however, is not the case with The 100. The books are just not very good. There is no sense of time in these books which is very confusing for the reader. In the first book one of the characters mentions how they have been there "a few weeks" and this occurs during the middle of the book. The second book takes place 21 days (3 weeks) after they landed in the beginning of Book 1. So how could a few weeks have passed by the middle of Book 1 when the whole things takes place in a span of 3 weeks?

The characters are also not very developed. I found them to be very flat and one-dimensional. To be honest, the main reason I bought these books is because Bellarke (Bellamy/Clarke) is canon but the relationship is so underdeveloped. It's not that slow-burn type of relationship that I love, but everything happens all at once. Not only that, but in the books there are two characters named Glass and Luke who are not in the TV show, for good reason, because they are absolutely useless. I found myself getting so annoyed with their characters, especially by the third book. Octavia is also not nearly as much of a BAMF as she is in the show which is quite disappointing. There is also a plot twist in the second book that doesn't add anything to the story and could have been left out completely. 

Also, why are only TV tie-in covers available for the last two books? Such a pet peeve of mine that they don't match!

I did a detailed review of the third book Homecoming on my Goodreads here, so if you would like to check that out feel free but be warned it is spoiler-y!

Overall, I'm giving this series 1.5/5 - just go watch the TV show (and then come back here so we can fangirl about Bellarke).