Book Reviews

Hi lovelies! On this page I'll be posting my book reviews from Goodreads (since they're usually too short to warrant a blog post), I'll also leave a link to my account, and you can check out my 2017 reading challenge page for updates:) My book reviews are spoiler free unless marked otherwise in the boldest red I can find. (Some of them may also lean more towards being a rant than a review).


The Great Gatsby
F. Scott, Fitzgerald
3.5/5

I didn't really like or dislike this classic.

"Pros" (Things I liked):
-Well written
-The roaring twenties/jazz era setting
-New York in the background
-It was somewhat intriguing
-Shows the rich but empty lives often led by rich people with nothing to do
-A warning of how futile it is to live in the past

"Cons"
-There were several events that didn't seem to have anything to do with the overall story
-It was pretty vague (I didn't always know what the heck was happening at times)
-I didn't feel invested in the storyline
-There wasn't so much a plot as a cautionary tale... of something
-I couldn't relate to the characters on any level

In short, it didn't give me the reading experience I desired. I want to feel involved, I want to care and I love vivid descriptions. But that said, its a well written classic that was simply not up my alley. But it might be yours, so please don't let that keep you from reading and enjoying the novel for yourself:)

Wuthering Heights
Emily Bronté
4/5

I'm not sure how to review this novel, but i shall do my best. (Hopefully it makes any sense at all).

For me it was the kind of novel that I couldn't put down and after I finished I realized that it was the kind of striking narrative that is going to be replaying over and over in my mind for days and weeks to come.

Emily Bronte is a poet, and as such I found it hard to follow some of the conversation at times (it could be because of the old style of writing, which I adore but can't always decipher). Still, Wuthering 
Heights is a bit more wordy in describing events than Jane Eyre.

Though it is a striking narrative of two families whose lives are deeply intertwined for two generations I'm not always sure of the lessons to be learned from this book. I guess it's for everyone to interpret in their own way. 

Is it a story of passion? Revenge? Fate? Bitterness? Redemption? Despair? maybe all of these things or none.

I found it to be a story of a wicked and good, or maybe harsh/cruel and gentle/mild being drawn to one another.

The Earnshaws/Heathcliffs (would take too long to explain that they are different but the same) are rather backwoods kind of people, they are prone to violence, abuse (both of family members and alcohol) and fiery tempers. On the other hand we have the Lintons, a mild, soft-spoken and respectable family. They're lives intertwined by love and marriage, but also hate, through two generations. And amidst their struggles and reconciliations is a maid named Ellen Dear (Usually called Nelly) who is the main narrator of the story, the other being a Mr. Lockwood to whom Nelly relays the long narrative.

Many of the reviews of this story talk about the passion between Heathcliff (that's his only name) and Catherine Linton (formerly Earnshaw). And while that does come into the story I personally do not find it to be the main theme.

Let me give you an overview of the characters. (notice that none of the relations are spoilers as there is family tree included in the novel, at least my copy)

Ellen Dear: (a.k.a Nelly) She grew up in the Earnshaw household and later served the Lintons, 

Heathcliff: (That's both his first and surname), he is adopted by the Earnshaws as an infant, is constantly mistreated and grows into a vile and rough man who in turn mistreats others. he is obsessed with Catherine Earnshaw (later Linton), marries Isabella Linton and later takes in his frail son after her death. Ambitous and always getting what he wants he eventully becomes master of both the Earnshaw's Wuthering Heights and the Linton's Thrushcross Grange.

Hindley Earnshaw: After the death of his parents he becomes the master of the Earnshaw household and marries a frail woman named Frances who dies shortly after childbirth, after her death he is never the same and spends the rest of his (rather short life) constantly drunk, abusing his son and hating Heathcliff with a murderous passion.

Hareton Earnshaw: The son of Hindley and Frances he grows up on Wuthering Heights first raised by Nelly and goes on to live with his drunken father, Joseph a maid, Zillah, and later Cathy.

Catherine Linton: (formerly Earnshaw). She is in love with Heathcliff but marries Edgar Linton because he can afford to give her the lifestyle and structure she desires. After Heathcliff returns after years of absence (having run off in his youth) there are several confrontations between him and Edgar (who despises Heathcliff) always the dramatic sort, Catherine goes mad amidst the struggles and dies in childbirth, accusing Heathcliff of having killed her and she haunts him afterwards.

Catherine (Cathy) Linton: Daughter of Catherine and Edgar, she is raised by Nelly and doted upon by her father. She grows up on Thrushcross Grange but eventually discovers her relations at Wuthering Heights at though her father forbids it, she first starts writing letters to her cousin Linton and later visits him because he is often sick. Eventually she is coerced into marrying him, as orchestarted by Heathcliff so that he can gain control of her assets (Thrushcross Grange).

Edgar Linton: Catherine's doting husband, and loving father to his daughter Cathy. The master of Thrushcross Grange.

Isabella Linton (later Heathcliff): Edgar's sister she lives with him and her sister-in-law Catherine (their parents both having died years prior). She falls madly in love with Heathcliff and runs off with him to be married. But once back at Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff shows his true nature, repulsed Isabella begins to despise him. Eventually she runs away and bears their son Linton some months later. She raises him by herself until her death.

Linton Heathcliff: The son of Heathcliff and Isabella Linton after the death of his mother when he is 13 he is at first fetched by his uncle Edgar to be raised with Cathy but Heathcliff demands that his son come to live with him. A frail lad, he's always sick or weak, he cowers from his rough father and eventually becomes self-preserving and a weeping mess. He is shortly married to Cathy before his death.

Joseph: He lives on Wuthering Heights as a hired help throughout the story, fond of preaching he has the thickest accent ever put into words and I only understood perhaps half of what he said.

Zillah: A maid at Wuthering Heights, she does not come into the story much but still plays a part enough to mention her.

A lot of characters die, they aren't always likable at times (some are rotten souls indeed), and the Earnshaws are quite the dysfunctional family. But all of the characters leave a mark on the reader nonetheless. 

Overall the novel is masterfully plotted and executed, it is a true original and I can honestly say I've never read another book like this one. For one thing many of the characters are despicable, perhaps tolerable at best. (Though Nelly is truly my favorite character, and I do sympathize with Cathy)

The Black Cauldron
(The Chronicles of Prydain #2)
Lloyd Alexander
1.5/5

1.5 out of 5. I really want to like this series (believe me I do!) but Taran is so annoying and Eilonwy shrieks too much. I still have no idea what Gurgi actually is. The plot was meager, but somewhat better than the last book (Which barley had a plot). I'd come to a sentence were I was actually not hating everything or Fflewdur would say something that wasn't all that annoying (as good as this book gets), but then in the next line Taran would be crying about honor and just being self-absorbed in general. 

My problems with Taran
-Cries too much (not the sobbing kind, but after every sentence he utters comes "Taran cried" not said, cried all. the. time.)
-He is constantly asserting himself
-He hasn't had any character growth in two full books
-He gets really upset when he is told what to do (Can't stand other people taking charge)
-Always in charge because he needs to be
-everyone follows him
-constantly praised when he doesn't deserve it
-too headstrong to be logical
-thinks he's better than everyone else
-constantly switching between asserting himself and begging forgiveness for his impudence (can he just learn to be more respectful and hold his tongue instead of acting like he has two personalities?)
-overall idiot

Taran also talks like a member of a royal court even though he resides on a farm as an assistant pig keeper. And its not the author writing the whole book this way, just Taran and its really annoying.

Still no character growth in any of the 'Companions', this story line is very similar to the last book, a lot of wandering around the country-side coming across strange creatures.

Ellidyr was of course annoying too but sometimes I was on his side when Taran was all up in his buisness. But his change of character at the end of the book has no basis, there was no clear event that changed him and as the reader I saw no growth just a sudden change from violent psychopath to heroic martyr.

I'll probably keep reading, but solely out of always needing to finish what I start and pure determination to conquer. I also have hope that it'll still get better (head says no it wont, heart says maybe?). We'll see how it goes.

Animal Farm
George Orwell
5/5

If I'd have to describe this book in one word I would say "Brilliant!"

The tactics of the power-wielding and methods of social control explored in this novel are a warning of what happens when the general public is ignorant and believes what they are told by those in control over them. 

The governmental form that emerges on Animal Farm mirrors those of Fascist totalitarian governments seen throughout History. 

Some of the tools of oppression and control seen in this book include:
-Telling the animals that their sacrifices (such as rationing) are for the betterment of all when in reality it only benefits the government (the pigs)
-Blaming all misfortunes on a rival government party, thereby asserting your right to rule
-Changing the laws to suit ones own government and interests
-Senicide (killing the elderly, usually because they have become "useless") this rationale was used by the Nazi party during WWII
-Revoking rights, withholding food and encouraging others to shun those who refuse to support the government
-The consolidation of power and justifying that power by claiming to the public that they need a strong leader to protect them from a threat that may or may not be real.

Overall a fantastic novel that gets you thinking, highly recommend adding this to your tbr (and its really short too so no excuses!)


Everything Everything
Nicoal Yoon
3/5

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I had seen the trailer for the upcoming movie and on a whim decided to buy the book and read it. Going through other Goodreads reviews there were mixed feelings and as its not a genre I read too often (contemporary, modern, romance etc.) I fully expected to be writing a rant for this novel. But not so, I liked it.

The romance was not at all the main thing as I thought it would be (at least to me, it seems most see it as THE main point of the story) I view it as a literary device, like magic in Harry Potter or the flare in The Maze Runner. It steers the story but is not the point of it.

I did find that the romance moved too quickly (and lets just say it went too far if you catch my drift, yeah, you know what I mean). The going-too-fast part can almost be excused because the main character (Madeline) is a "bubble baby" and she basically falls in love with her first and only friend (coincidentally named Oliver, Olly for short. Exactly like my brother so that made it a tad weird at first)

And aside from the whole too fast too far thing I actually kinda shipped them? (yes, question mark)

Another point I must make was that Madeline was incredibly selfish at times, but it was almost understandable (yet infuriating, and I did have a couple of moments where I wanted to slap her with her own book)

And finally, that plot twist! (Did not see that coming) but you'll have to read it yourself, I pride myself on spoiler free reviews:)

Overall the plot was ok, enough to keep me reading (it was one of those light one-day reads) although I find that most contemporary books are easy to digest. The writing was fair, I had a couple moments were i hated the way things were worded (but maybe that's just me, I'm very critical of books written in the past 10 years). Grammar nerd problems aside I wouldn't discredit this book from your tbr.
 


Tuck
(the King Raven Trilogy #3)
Stephen R. Lawhead
4/5

A thrilling conclusion to a most thrilling trilogy it was all I hoped it would be! I finally got all of the POVs straight (struggled with all the changing narratives in the first book, and somewhat in the second). This book tugs at the heart with emotions ranging from joy and admiration, to grief and despair and all the annoyance and frustration with some characters, and pity or loathing for others. 

The plot was masterfully executed and hardly slowed down. The forest and its inhabitants came to life through Lawhead's vivid storytelling. I would have wished to have seen more of Scarlet, loving the previous book as much as I did (probably my favorite of the three). But Tuck, of course, deserves all the honors in his namesake book, my favorite friar to be sure:) Deaths were expected but not the characters I would have thought of, (making them all the more tragic). Overall I highly recommend the series and encourage any slogging through the first book (as I did) to persevere!



The Book of Three
(The Chronicles of Prydain #1)
Lloyd Alexander
1/5

I'll just come out and say it, I did not enjoy any part of this book. My problem is with the writer, not the characters or setting. Lloyd Alexander's writing isn't terrible, but it doesn't become the characters to speak so eloquently. Especially Taran, what kind of character is he supposed to be? He dreams of being a hero, but constantly fails, in the end, he learns that the journey is the best part. At least I think that's what the writer intended, hard to tell when Taran is constantly changing from a little whining boy to a noble young man, there is no character growth, only mood swings. Was he supposed to be a noble character? Was I supposed to be proud of him when he recognized he messed up again? Proud when he offered to do something selfless? Because I wasn't, it was rather laughable at times. None of the characters were relatable, they had no growth, they were flat and boring and two-dimensional. The plot was weak, the quest didn't mean anything and the point of the story seemed unclear half the time. At times the author appeared to have intended some humor to be present, in a style similar to Rick Riordan's (And he is a FANTASTIC author) but it didn't make any sense in this particular story, the tone is usually set in the first few opening paragraphs if not sentences. I could never quite figure out the tone of the book, was it intended to be somewhat serious? I think so, but when humor was introduced it made the book just a little lamer, because it didn't fit the scene. 

It could be argued that I'm being critical because the book is intended for children. But I don' think that's an excuse for a badly plotted story. I first picked this book up when I was around 12, and didn't make it through the first chapter because I got bored. And it could be that I end up liking the rest of the series, I've often enough started a series, disliked the first book (usually because it involved a lot of world-building and plot-setting) and loved all of it in the end. And I might continue reading, but there wasn't a lot of world building (it was pitiful) and as for plot setting, I'm nowhere near the edge of my seat. 

I really wanted to like this series. One good thing I'll say is this, the covers are stunningly beautiful. 


The Eagle of the Ninth
Rosemary Sutcliff
5/5

This is only the second book I've read by Rosemary Sutcliff and my only regret is not discovering her sooner.

I started reading this book because we watched the movie based on The Eagle of the ninth (VERY loosely based I might add). And it wasn't really a bad movie, just now compared to the book it's rather horrible. (Of course I prefer the book).

The plot is exciting and just the right pace (not boring and not too fast and blurring by) There were times I held my breath waiting to see what would happen next and that made me enjoy the calm periods all the more.

Sutcliff has a way with words and paragraphs that just bring her story to life the way few authors can. I felt like I was there the entire time, feeling, seeing and hearing everything.

I love love LOVE history so the detail in this book, and the way it brought the lives of those beyond Hadrian's wall to life was something I'll treasure among all the books I've read this year.

This novel gave me a book hangover, so you know it's a good one:)

The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
5/5

I love happy endings, I guess fairytale endings are what I look for in books.

And then I read The Book Thief

This book crushed my heart in an unapologetic way and I despise and love it at the same time. 

I would have liked more details in some aspects, such as what happens to Max after the story ends (like the view into Liesel's later life). 

But over all I loved the book, the characters, the setting, the storytelling, the accordion, all of it. 

It's a book that leaves you with scars and imprints itself into your thoughts. 

And I know I'll miss it for a long time to come. 


Stars Above
(The Lunar Chronicles 4.5)
Marissa Meyer

Stars it was sooooooo gooooood! I read the lunar chronicles a while ago and I didn't realize how much I missed the crew before reading the Novella. And that last chapter!!! (*sighs and weeps and then needs to tell herself to get a life*)


Carve the Mark

(Carve the Mark #1)
Veronica Roth

Really, I give this book a solid 3.5 but that's not an option so I rounded it down. I know there's a lot of controversy over this book and I'm not going to go there, aside from that I like the story well enough to read the sequel (also cliff hangers, so I need answers) I hope this series doesn't end up like Divergent, love the first book but hated Insurgent and Allegiant. There were some parts of this book, in part four (it's divided into four parts) where I had only a vague idea of where the story was taking place and what the heck was happening (the reason I dislike insurgent). Many people complained that it was slow, and while I wouldn't call it's action-packed-fast-paced-hold-your-breath I didn't find it that slow and there were a few page turner moments. I also feel there are a couple minor plot holes, or at least situations that deserved a better explanation but not enough for me to join the hate club on this one. Overall, I would say give it a try. If you don't like it you still have a stunning cover to make up for it. (I know the cover is part of the controversy, but as I said, not going there)

The Eye of Minds

(The Mortality Doctrine #1)
5/5

Let me review the ending of this book in one scream. 

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The plot is. So. Good. It was fast paced, heart pounding, sweat-inducing action scene after action scene. And the ending just blew my mind (James Dashner likes to do that to you). Also he's the only author I know who can put jump scares in books.

Update
The rest of the series wasn't nearly as good but this book is a must read for gamers, Dashner fans and readers in the sci-fi/dystopia genre.


Crossed

(Matched #2)
1/5

Do you value your brain cells? Yes? Good, I do too, I'm still picking up the ones I lost reading this book, any hope the first book had is lost and gone forever. Do yourself a favour and read something worthwhile. The plot and writing in this novel are an insult to intelligence. Also, the sappy-ness in this book made me want to hurl it across the room (oh wait, I did). More plot holes than a half written applied level high school story.

Fair warning, I am not done my rant and if this is your favorite book please do not keep reading, it'll hurt.

By "an insult to your intelligence" I mean that Condie's storytelling seems to imply that you can't think for yourself or make connections in the story so she makes them for you. A good book gets you thinking, it doesn't think for you. As the reader I have to be involved.

The other insult is that this book seems to be geared towards the typical shallow teen aged girl who actually sighs every time the the main couple fling themselves at each other and make out on the spot (I wish I was exaggerating). It would be hard to parody some of these scenes, simply acting it out the way it's written would seem like a spoof off in itself, it's that over-the-top awful.

I'm offended at the fact that I'm supposed to find this couple cute, or that I should be rooting for them in any way. Because that's what is obviously intended when these scenes are written, 

Overall an insult to anyone with any intellect.




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