Paper Towns

Book Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Date Started: August 16th 2013

Date Completed: August 20th 2013

Genres: Romance, Adventure, Mystery

Rating: Four stars

Review:


It's always difficult to write a review of any John Green book, and the popularity around them makes it even harder to make a fair conclusion, but this is what I thought. It seems that most people tend to like Paper Towns less than the rest of Green's novels. I've only read three (The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns) but I liked this book a lot more than one of his other novels.

Quentin grew up next door to Margo Roth Speigelman, and he's been fascinated by her just as much as she was in the idea of escaping their 'paper town' of Orlando. But a wild midnight ride taken with her to wreck havoc on her past enemies leaves Q with the idea that maybe his curiosity in her hasn't been completely useless all these years. And then Margo disappears, and Q calls upon the help of his best friends to follow her confusing treasure map of clues. But when leads falter at dead ends Q starts to lose hope that they'll ever find her.

I don't really know how to describe John Green's writing. You can't really understand it until you've experienced it: not only is it written with a narrative that makes the reader connect with the character straight away; with description and metaphors (don't get me started on those) that bring everything to life around them; with emotions and actions so vivid and lifelike that you can actually experience them yourself, but with such a huge range of wonderful, true and useful phrases that fit to the story, and everyday life perfectly.
Green is a wonderful storyteller, but he knows how to help and talk to people at the same time. Which eventually results in a book that talks to the reader, rather than just telling them the story of a couple of teenagers.

The story is actually quite similar to Looking for Alaska in many ways - but I enjoyed Paper Towns a lot more. Although not a lot happens in either book, what did actually occur in Paper Towns interested me and caught my attention. I was also more connected to the characters, so I cared more about them when certain things happened to them.
I don't generally get on very well with 'high school' style stories. I still don't really know why, but the cliques and tensions don't interest me. So, for the first part of this book, I wasn't completely enthralled. It was fine to read, and I wasn't too put off by the setting and complementary stereotypes, but I wasn't enticed.
What I really loved was the mystery side of things (and the countless meaningful quotes, but that's the same with any and every John Green novel). The mystery element actually made sense and was believable and exciting (all things I was worried about after Looking for Alaska).
And then the end couldn't have been more perfect. You can always count on Green to write a realistic ending. (well, you can always count on his to write realistically. Period.)

John Green likes creating very unique characters that are already alive when you start reading, and so easy to relate to. And he still manages to make us draw away from them and their actions at certain times. Really, he needs to write a book on human nature and philosophy, because if he doesn't understand it, no one does.
Quentin was a great protagonist. I really liked him, even from the start. He changed a lot during the book, and not necessarily for the better. But it worked perfectly with the story, and was clearly planned, and very subtly carried out. He's a clever guy and, surprisingly, his obsession with Margo didn't bother me too much.
Margo was perfect. I've never read a character who stars in a story so little, and ends up becoming the most real character in the whole thing (I'm not saying that the other characters weren't realistic, it's just Margo was on another level). She's selfish, bratty, a troublemaker and arrogant - and she's definitely not portrayed to be a 'good' person. But we actually question what is a 'good' person by the end, because we know stereotypically Margo isn't one. But we feel like she should be, or should at least be considered.
Radar was cool. I have to admit, both of Q's friends didn't stand out that much to me, but I always loved reading their dialogue especially. They're really funny, but I would sometimes have trouble not getting mixed-up between them. But Radar was definitely the geeky one.
Ben was the more macho one, but he wasn't really anywhere near that. I really liked them both but, like I said, I have trouble picking out individual qualities from them. But they both performed their purposes well.
I actually really liked Lacey. The great thing about her is, we're told a lot of information about her in a negative way from someone else's perspective. But then when we actually meet her, we can see and possibly agree with those statements, but there are also other things that were overlooked, that actually makes Lacey a reasonably attractive character. (Again, John Green questioning everything.)

The pace was slow, let's be honest. But it's not supposed to be fast. I always struggle with the laid-back speed of John Green novels, because it's so different from what I usually read. But it is worth it in the end, and I do deliberately keep going with them, because I know it does pay off.
I have to say though, there is a lot more action and fast-paced events in this book than the other John Green books I've read, so that stuck out for me. But for this type of book, the pace isn't so important since the reader is constantly thinking and processing everything that's happening and everything said anyway.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thoughtful stories, and who is already a fan of John Green. Most people tend not to like it as much, but I personally like it more. It is leaning slightly more towards a thriller than his other works, which might have something to do with it, but it's still very subdued and meaningful. There's also an adventure flare, along with some good mystery, and an interesting romance.

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Shadow and Bone

Book Title: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #1

Date Started: August 14th 2013

Date Completed: August 15th 2013

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Action, Thriller, Adventure

Rating: Five stars

Review:

I thought I would probably like Shadow and Bone, but I had no idea how much I'd fall in love with it after I started reading. It was so quick and easy to fall into the world written on the page that I raced through this book. It's beautiful and enchanting and so realistic, but so fantastical at the same time. I need the next one. Now.


Shadow and Bone is set in a magical world enveloped in war. Alina and Mal grew up together as orphans, and are now heading towards the Fold in their regiment, a land of darkness terrorised by volcra, harpee-like creatures that few survive encounters with. But during an attack a bright light appears and saves the few still alive. When Alina comes to after the battle she is taken to the Grisha, the gifted of the population, with magical talents, and she is told the light came from her. Still puzzling over this fact as she's taken away to train, Alina starts to find out that there are darker motives behind her discovery and future.

The writing was great. It surprised a little how easy I found it, when it was written very well and in detail. It's not the typical writing style you'll find in Young Adult books - it's more mature and advanced, but not too sophisticated than needed.
The description was lovely, and I felt like I was there the whole time. The action was well presented, and the speech was well thought-through.
The best thing was the characters and their behaviour. I didn't doubt any of them at any point, and I was hanging on every action. They were so believable that they felt like real people to me, which then made the story so much more interesting and enticing.

The story may start off fairly typically, but it changes so dramatically afterwards. You have a reasonably normal girl in a dangerous situation that allows her to find out her hidden talents. Then she's whisked away and it seems she's unique and extremely powerful. Standard beginning to a story.
But then you get this detail and conflict during her time at the Grisha palace. Maybe it's typical again, but there's something that really caught my attention here. She knows she isn't good, and there's the rivalry between the other Grisha and her, but there's more to it than that. There's the friendship between Alina and Genya. And then there's the strange appearances of the Apparat. And then her relationship towards the Darkling. There's so many different elements weaved into one that the reader is constantly thinking and working out what's going on.
And then the whole thing is turned completely on it's head in a way I certainly didn't see coming. (Unfortunately I can't say what, because then that would ruin the story for you guys.) But it was so well done that I was just as doubtful as Alina as it happening. (I was convinced she was being set up for a while, actually.)
And then the end is wonderfully done. Maybe it goes back to the typical sort of plot for a while, but then it changes again, and there's so much detail and emotion added in that it doesn't really matter if it's been seen before - because the way Bardugo writes it makes it completely different and new again.

I fell in love with these characters, and I really want to know what happens to them, because I actually kind of care about them. There are only really a few characters that are included that much, which means that the reader becomes more attached to them, therefore making it even more effective.
Alina was a brilliant protagonist. She was immediately natural and real to me, and I really connected with her character right from the start. Her personality was not only good, but she was often conflicted about the right things, and thought like a real person. She was also very brave, clever, self capable, she never acted like she had to prove herself as being better than anyone else. She acted realistically and I really cared about her quite early on in the book.
Mal was a great character. I didn't think he was going to be included that much, since the two are separated very near the beginning, but I was glad to see him appear again later on. I also loved how his story and character developed. He's a very lovely person, but he also has flaws that make him real. I liked him even in his short inclusion at the start, and then I loved him even more by the end.
The Darkling had be constantly changing my mind - in a good way. I was never quite sure whether he was the good guy, or the bad one, and he ended catching me off guard. He had that kind of eerie off feel to him that created mystery and a sort of foreboding, but then we had Alina's internal monologue questioning whether these ideas were right or not.
Genya was just a really nice character that I was happy was involved. I didn't like her at first, as I suspect is the idea. But she definitely grew on me. And the last part was so well done that it really brought the social scales and everything into perspective once again for the reader.

The pace was fairly consistent. There was quite a lot of down-time in it where there wasn't action, and often events that weren't entirely compulsory to the story. But there's so much going on in the actual story that it's hard to get bored at any point.

I would recommend this book to everyone ever, no matter what age you are, no matter what sort of thing you like to read. There's a lot in there; action, fantasy, romance etc. It's written so well that any age can easily get into it, and the story is so original, that I honestly absolutely loved reading it.

Image Source: http://leighbardugo.files.wordpress.com/2013/
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Clockwork Angel

Book Title: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices #1

Date Started: August 12th 2013

Date Completed: August 14th 2013

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Action, Thriller, Historical

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I had high expectations of this book when I started reading after the success of The Mortal Instruments. Whether that expectation was met, I'm not quite sure. I definitely enjoyed Clockwork Angel, but the story was extremely similar to the original series.


Clockwork Angel is set in Victorian London, where Theresa Gray has just arrived from New York to live with her brother. But when she arrives, is taken to the residence of two mysterious women and ordered to perform some sort of magic, Tessa starts to doubt whether it was such a good idea to leave home. Just as she's beginning to think there's no chance of escaping and finding her brother, a strange boy shows up and everything Tessa's considers real is turned upside-down and she's thrown into a world that she doesn't understand and that claims she is a gifted creature - and not human. As Tessa struggles to come to terms with this, it seems that the strange people giving her food and shelter have their own troubles to deal with.

I could go on for ages about Clare's writing, but I've said it all before. In short, her narration is wonderfully detailed and with a depth that connects the reader to the character like they're friends. Her action is vivid and cinematic; the description makes you feel like you're there; the people are believable and interesting.
I really liked how it wasn't solely about Tessa - a lot of other characters got time in the limelight too. This is something that turns up in a lot of Cassie's books, but I really felt she took advantage of it in Clockwork Angel, in order to tell the story in a more detailed way and to make the story unfold from every angle. It created more tension and dramatic irony when we knew one character knew something, but another had experienced something else and so on.

Clare has a tendency to be a little uncertain on her first novels in a trilogy. I felt this at the beginning of the original Mortal Instruments trilogy, and then again in City of Fallen Angels, where she decided to carry on the series. I get the feeling that she's taken the time to figure everything out, but it is slightly under confident in herself and her new story that she hasn't tested out yet. There's obviously nothing wrong with this, but it's just something I've picked up after reading her writing. (I also hope this means that The Infernal Devices gets even better as it goes on.)
When Clockwork Angel started, it seemed awfully familiar: ordinary girl wanders somewhere she's not really supposed to and gets caught up in this magical world. Then, after being taken under the wing of the Shadowhunters, she starts demanding to go after a family member, which causes a lot more trouble than expected. It was awfully reminiscent of City of Bones. I did really enjoy it, but I felt like Cassie was struggling to get away from her much-loved characters. Thankfully, this did fade out a little further on in the book, although I did get worried a couple of times that it was going to take a turn for the worst. Fortunately, it became a new story about halfway through.
I did find the main climaxes slightly predictable, but the smaller parts of the story were very well done, and created a story that worked very well in captivating the reader. (Although it didn't seem like there were other little stories going on around the main one, unlike in The Mortal Instruments - there was just one plot, and everything was about that.) (I do realise that I'm comparing The Infernal Devices to The Mortal Instruments a lot, and in a way I wished I wasn't. But I felt like Clockwork Angel could have ventured further away and become it's own kind of series, instead of being completely a prequel.)
I have to say, rather guiltily, that one of my favourite elements was by far the references to The Mortal Instruments. At first there were only a few that just made me smile, but the later ones were so ingenious I was grinning when I read them. I hope in City of Heavenly Fire (the last of The Mortal Instruments series) Cassie puts some references to this series in (then again, there are probably already references in the existing books that I haven't noticed because I haven't read them with my newfound knowledge of their ancestry). (SPOILER - ish) The best inclusion was Church.

Where The Mortal Instruments was very character-based, I feel like Clockwork Angel is a lot more about the story. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with this, but I was quite surprised when more time was taken on the plot, and then Tessa's feelings - rather than each character 'personal brooding time'.
I also didn't get that close to the characters, but admittedly, Cassie had five books to get the reader to love her first characters - there was only 481 pages here.
Tessa was a good protagonist, but she didn't particularly stand out for me. Clary (sorry for yet another Mortal Instruments comparison) was really bold and feisty, and she always stood out. Tessa paled in comparison, I felt. A couple of times, I had the impression that she was just a little girl stomping around when she didn't get what she wanted (only not so obviously because of Jessamine). I understand that Tessa is intelligent and capable, and that's what made me a little annoyed when she didn't do much at all. Hopefully this changes in the next books, when she has more experience with the Shadow World.
Will was a very good character - but my problem was he was exactly like Jace, but less funny. (I know I'm complaining that characters are too different, and then saying they're too similar, but that's honestly the feelings I got off them - I know I'm hard to please!) Will was constantly moody, and he never really let up at all. There wasn't really a time when he let that attitude down unfortunately. At first, I did find this interesting, but then it got a bit boring.
Jem was lovely. (He's basically the combination of Simon and Alec, my two favourite characters, so you can probably see why I like him.) I honestly don't know why Tessa would go for Will when Jem's there. James is lovely and kind and caring and clever and accepting and clearheaded and funny. Will is just irritating and moody. It may seem like the Simon/Jace conundrum again, but really I wouldn't pick Will. Having said that, both Jem and Will work wonderfully as parabatai, and they're the only characters in the book (apart from Magnus and Camille) that I believed in all their words and actions.
Jessamine is a truly horrible character. I was hoping that she would show some acts of bravery or be less of a bitch, and indeed she did have a few heroic moments, but even after there was no second of acknowledgement of this - she simply went back to being a bratty princess. It was a nice new character, but I felt something could have been done to make her character a little more likeable. I also started to really get drawn in when she talked about her parents, but then she snapped back and there was no hint of awareness of what had happened - she just went back to being horrid.
Nate was a good character, and she was a great part of the story. I liked the twist, and it was definitely needed. I've always liked the older brother character, because they always really interest me. There's so many different angles they can come from and act by. Nathaniel was no exception. The great thing was we started to think of him one way, and then he appeared as another, and then another again. I love constantly changing characters - it stops me from getting bored and gives me more to be interested in.
Sophie, Agatha and Thomas. It sounds harsh, but they all blended into one for me. Thomas was sweet, but that's about all I can say.
Charlotte and Henry were very good characters. It's nice to meet some adults in Clare's world that are genuine. Charlotte's a realistic character, and Henry is just adorable. I wish more detail would have gone into why everyone treats him the way they do though.
In the words of Kevin Zegers: 'Magnus, yay!' Of all the Mortal Instruments references, Magnus is the biggest. I loved his inclusion and fitting it into his timeline after reading the Bane Chronicles. Magnus' character never bores me and it was really interesting to see his attitude in this time frame. He's more mature and subtle than his future self, but still enigmatic and lively. I just love him, and I hope he's in it a lot more in the next books.

The pace was consistent. Cassie's good at making stories that have a lot of action and drama in the plot, without making it hard to distinguish the climaxes. There were definitely important parts that were made clear as such, but the down-time was also interesting, if not always needed in the plot. I didn't get bored anywhere, apart from right at the beginning, where the reader doesn't really know what's going on. I just found this went a little longer than I would have liked, but it wasn't actually dragged out too far, thinking about it.

I would recommend Clockwork Angel to all fans of Clare's writing. It really is very good, despite the subtle lack of uniqueness. It's got all her trademark action, fantasy concepts and romance, and there's a few little hints to other stuff along the way. It's also a great place to start experiencing Cassie's writing - if you like paranormal romances with a little more depth, detail and variety, then this is for you.

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The Book Thief

Book Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Date Started: August 7th 2013

Date Completed: August 12th 2013

Genres: Historical, Romance, Adventure

Rating: Five stars

Review:

I honestly don't think I could write a review that would do this book justice, but I'll see how close I can get. There's a lot of hype around The Book Thief, and that sort of thing always makes me doubt whether it's just human nature making something bigger than it is to fully interest them. At points, I thought that this was the case with this novel. But after reading the entire book, I can't get away with saying it isn't one of the best books I have ever read.


The Book Thief is set in WW2 Germany, on one of the poorer roads in Molching: Himmel Street. Number 33 Himmel Street to be exact. After losing her brother during the freezing train ride there, nine-year-old Liesel Meminger takes up residence with her new foster family; a fierce, stubborn woman and an gentler accordionist. But Liesel has a secret: she steals books because they are there to take, and as she grows up, it seems that her thievery has a peculiar affect on the world around her.

Zasak's writing is wonderful. There's a certain directness, by the narrator, that tells the reader a great deal of information and detail. But there's also a subtler to the description, and often the main prose, that makes the reader consider what he's saying and gives them the perspective of someone completely detached from the situation of the characters, as if they were an onlooker from the street.
In a way, this is true for the whole story - we are being told it as if from a separate place, rather than living through it with the characters. And this is because the story is narrated by Death. I think this was a stroke of genius, and the persona behind the words is so realistic, that by the end you almost feel like you know Death. He isn't some anonymous storyteller, he actually has emotions, and a sort of humour about him that makes you really empathise with him and what he has to do.
Another great thing about the writing style was that, even though we were being told the story from a detached point-of-view, I still felt as though I knew the characters as individual people and that the story was true. I know from experience that this is a really hard thing to do, so I admire Zusak for pulling it off so well.

For a lot of this book, I wasn't actually sure whether there was a story running through it. It's almost like lots of little clips of Liesel's (and a few other people's) lives, all packed together into one. But actually, when you get to the end, although they may still be little snippets of the character's lives, it all ties together and you can understand why a certain detail was mentioned here, and another event was described there etc.
When I read books about the holocaust, there's always a small niggling feeling at the back of my head, worrying that the author will portray the events badly and unjustly, and for some reason I'll feel guilty about that (let's discuss my strange paranoia another time). Or perhaps maybe learning about the evil that used to exist - and probably still does exist in some parts of the world - makes a person uncomfortable. But the way Zusak wrote World War Two was the most believable fiction I've experienced. Since the story is told almost through Liesel's eyes, there's an almost innocent take on what happens, and a clear air of misunderstanding. Honestly, I don't know what to say here - Zusak wrote Hilter's reign in it's full horrific glory.
The set-out of the book was different from what you might usually get. There was a lot of cross-cutting between parts in Liesel's story. Although justified by the narrator, I did feel that certain previews of the story did take away the full effect when they actually happened - but having said that, I did still cry.
Going back to the actual plot, there isn't a rock-solid one that I'm used to reading. But instead, there's an almost more mature idea: this isn't a story about a little girl growing up in Hilter's Germany. This is the little girl's story - all of it.

The thing about these characters that I don't think i've ever experienced before is that I never once doubted their behaviour or actions. I didn't stop and think 'wait, would someone actually do that?'
Liesel was a very good protagonist. Like I said previously, this is her story, and as we go through the years with her, we can start to understand and empathise more with every action she takes, and just how she acts towards everyone. Some might say how her story ends is cruel, but I think she always knew it would end like that. Apart from what happens to her, she is primarily a very clever and kind girl. She might steal books and beat up boys, but in actual fact she has a very big heart, and she's only doing what she thinks will serve best in the end.
Papa was a wonderful character. I wasn't quite sure about him at first, since the typical 'grandfatherly' character he seems to have has never much appealed to me for some reason. But actually, as the story went on, it did tug at my heart when he acted certain ways. He was an extremely brave and selfless man, and I think I overlooked that quite a lot during the book. But he risked everything - and lost a fair amount - because of the choices he made to save other people.
Rosa was genius. There needs to be a grounded person to prevent the story from really turning into a work of fiction, and she did this perfectly. But at the same time, when the reader gets to know her more, we understand that actually she's a lot softer than she seems. But she's not hiding behind closed doors because she's insecure or the usual ideas. She's tough because she needs to be to live in the world she does. This again, brought the full force of the setting and time on the reader and brought everything into context once again.
Max was my favourite character. He was so interesting and such a lovely person, and my heart broke for what happened to him (not just out of principle). It could've been easy to make this harboured Jew a rather two-dimensional character, and just have him as the hidden secret of the house, but Zusak made him into a real, intelligent, wonderful, gifted person. Whilst I wish we could have learnt more about him, his life before the war, and how he lived after Himmel Street, I do appreciate that by not knowing he becomes a more interesting and mysterious character - and it lets us understand how little information these people had about the people they were hiding. (And, I suppose, we do get a reasonable amount of detail about his life before the war.)
Rudy was the reason I cried. Even when he got older, there was always that feeling of innocence around him, despite his thievery with Liesel. His banter towards her created a clear image of his conflicted heart, and I was mentally kicking him for being so slow. He was very nearly my favourite character, but Max's situation and story unfortunately topped it.
Isla was a very good character, and I wanted to mention her because I felt she was another thing that kept Liesel grounded, and once again showed the affect of the war on a variety of people.
I've already written a little about Death, but since I feel he was a primary character in the book, I thought I'd mention him again. Death started off as a almost reluctant narrator, but as it went on we learnt more about him, his feelings, his experiences etc. By the end I honestly felt like he was a friend, and it was clear that he cared about Liesel, and therefore they became very good friends at the end as well.

The pace differs, but there are definitely build-ups to the climaxes. But they're so subtle that you just get this feeling that something's bad is going to happen, rather than the thought popping up in your head saying 'we're getting to the important part'.
Some of the down-time sections can be boring, and I admit I did find myself about a third of the way through, wondering if everything was going to make sense, or if this was just a collection of short narratives. (If you've already read the previous parts of this review, will know that it does in the end.)

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I think this should be in the school curriculum, because I think I might have picked up the same amount of information and emotions from a 500 page book as I did in a couple of terms at school. It really gets you to think about the war and it's affects on everyone - not just Jews and Britain.
On top of that it's a wonderfully written and thought-through piece of literature that was a great read. There's slivers of romance and action in there, but I'd class it under historical fiction. But it's a very unique book that I think appeals to a huge audience of all ages and preferences.

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Ashes, Ashes

Book Title: Ashes, Ashes

Author: Jo Treggiari

Date Started: August 5th 2013

Date Completed: August 6th 2013

Genres: Dystopian, Action, Thriller, Romance, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I really enjoyed Ashes, Ashes. It's a good-old dystopian, with your typical storyline, but there's also some new concepts and ideas thrown in there to make it a bit different and new.


Ashes, Ashes is set in a dystopian New York, after floods and a plague have sunk a lot of the major cities and has wiped out the majority of the population. Lucy has been living on her own in the wild for a year, but when she gets chased by a pack of dogs, and saved by a mysterious boy, she starts to question whether lonely isolation is really the best choice she has. Nevertheless, she falls back into her usual routine, until she's forced to flee her hidden home by a natural disaster. But seeking refuge in Aidan's camp might present more threats than staying in the bush, since there are a team of fearless scientists willing to do anything to get their hands on Lucy.

The writing was very easy, but that's not to say it wasn't good. There wasn't that much detail, but the description was still stimulating enough, and the action was presented really well - although I did have a bit of trouble picturing it all the time (on the other hands, the moves the characters performed were a lot more believable than those in other Young Adults books I've read - I could actually imagine someone reacting the way these teenagers did if they were attacked in certain situations).
I liked the way the narration was through third person (I generally like it this way) because when I felt for the characters I knew I was doing it through my own judgement of their actions and personalities, rather than because a narrator's perspective would have influenced me one way or another.

The story was quite predictable, but Treggiari still managed to keep my attention for the whole book. Even though things you would expect in a dystopian happened, there were twists on the way they happened, or the people involved. For example, the idea of the S'ans (especially Sammy - and his position as Aidan's brother) made the reader stop and think about our prejudice to propaganda we're given (as you might expect), but then we were also given the idea that actually a lot of people thought that way, but had another nagging feeling at the back of their minds. This might be quite typical, but some books leave out the deeper meanings, that you definitely get through this book.
I was relieved to find that there were clear-cut climaxes in this novel, since I've been reading a lot of books recently that haven't really excited me at the desired points. Although I saw them coming from a mile off, it was still effective enough at the end of the book (and I think the twists made it a lot easier to get into than other stories).

The characters in Ashes, Ashes are you average, run-of-the-mill personalities you'd expect to find in such a book, but there's also some smaller twists and contrasts that make them a little different.
Lucy is one of the few female protagonist that I actually believe is what she says she is: independent. You get a lot of female characters these days, saying they're kick-ass and self-capable, when it turns out that it seems they just say that so as to stand out from the stereotype. But Lucy is constantly proving herself as intelligent and resourceful throughout the book - and it doesn't feel like she's forced to to prove her worth. She simply is a very clever girl. Her story also fascinated me, and her actions and behaviour were what I expected, but still realistic.
Aidan wasn't that real to me, but I really liked the way he was featured as not completely head-over-heels for Lucy, but liked her just enough to cause a bit of tension between the character. This made it a good element of the story, but not a dominating feature. The reason I found it hard to believe Aidan as a character was that when he was featured, he seemed a little too fragile - that's completely fine, but we're back to the issue of characters being presented by other people in one way, but actually acting in a very different style.
I really liked Henry (and this is where I see potential for a further story), but I don't think he was featured enough. There also needed to be more inclusion of his feelings: he obviously liked Lucy, but he didn't seem the least bit fazed when she leaned in Aidan's direction - which we all know isn't likely to happen in real life, because we all feel hurt sometimes, even when we think the reason is stupid.
Del was a good character, but she just annoyed me a bit. I liked characters like this, which create a sort-of love triangle, but I would have liked it more if there were reasons I could like Del - this would make me more conflicted about who I think Aidan should be with. The way it was actually written, there was no doubt in my mind who deserved the boy.
Sammy was a great character - but again, I don't think he was included enough (or rather parts of his story wasn't featured enough). First of all, I think he's a really good person, and a very interesting character. But the fact that he was a S'ans (damaged survivor of the plague) gave so much potential for ambivalent feelings towards him - that wasn't used! There's a tiny bit at the beginning where Lucy is a little afraid of him, but after that it seems to just completely disappear. (Don't get me wrong, I'm all for no prejudice against anyone or anything - but in a fictional story we want drama and conflict - which was lost in this part.)

The pace was well-set out. Although it might not have been constantly action-packed or plot line essential, it was evenly distributed around the novel. There were intervals of downtime, and then thrilling happenings. I think this can sometimes be really hard to do - especially so when keeping the reader interested - so I admire Treggiari for pulling it off.

I would recommend Ashes, Ashes to anyone who likes a good dystopian. It's very enjoyable, and easy-reading if you want a break from some harder books. It's got action, romance and thrills in there too, so I think a wide audience could enjoy it. The novel may not be absolutely excellent, but there's nothing wrong with it either.

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Ender's Game

Book Title: Ender's Game

Author: Orson Scott Card
Series: Ender's Saga #1

Date Started: August 2nd 2013

Date Completed: August 5th 2013

Genres: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:


Ender's Game both impressed and disappointed me. I wasn't sure exactly what it was I was going to be reading when I first picked it out of my pile of summer reads, but I don't think it was this. I still can't decide if I actually liked it or not - but either way, it was definitely one of the best thought-through plots I've ever read.

Ender Wiggin is a third - the third child of a family, something very few families are allowed to have. And when his monitor is taken off early, he begins to think that actually there was nothing special about him after all. But then Colonel Graff appears at his door and he's taken away to Battle School. He quickly becomes one of the most prized students, but that doesn't mean anyone else likes him. But, as Ender starts to grow up in this new environment, he realises that maybe everyone is being turned against him for a reason - and maybe the adults are playing a more elaborate game with the children that it first seemed.

The one reason that Ender's Game got four stars - to be frank - is the writing. If I'm honest, I don't think it really suits a Young Adult age group, since it's a lot more analytical and detailed than what you would commonly expect, but it's still amazingly done.
The narrative is told from the 3rd person, yet sometimes we slip into Ender's thoughts (which could sometimes get confusing), and there's definitely the thought-through feel of Ender's brain in the description of everything happening. We see action sequences as steps like a choreographer going through a routine.
The deeper parts of the plot are very well communicated to the audience, because the reader actually has to pay attention in order to pick up on them. Ender's Game is hard reading, because it isn't just reading - it's thinking the whole time and working out how Ender is going to carry on; what strategy to use here; why are the adults doing this to him. I think this was masterfully done, if a little heavy at times.

It find it very hard to categorise Ender's Game into a genre: it's clearly Science Fiction, but more than that I struggle with. I suppose you could class it as an adventure, since Ender does indeed travel from A to B with experiences along the way - but I don't get that achievement feeling at the end - much as I suspect was intended. I might class it as action or thriller, but the story was so crowded with questions and ideas that this parts didn't exactly stand out or engage me very much. I think I'll go with adventure, but you can be the judge of it yourself.
I've always been reluctant to read school-based books because it's very predictable and you rarely get anything really different. Another part is that it can quickly get dominated by bullying (much like how a lot of Young Adult supernaturals become controlled by romance) and this just doesn't interest me and is very repetitive. In a way Ender's Game did exactly that; became a school book where the protagonist got picked on, and then eventually rose above it. The difference, however, is that there was a lot more to the plot.
There are two main parts of the story: battle strategy and politics. The battle-side was very descriptive, and to be honest I think I learnt a lot about commanding an army just by reading it. But it was also quite slow and I, personally, didn't find it particularly interesting (but that's more personal preference).
The other part, the politics, really interested me. I can understand why it wasn't gone into that much - since the main part of the story was incredibly detailed as it was - but I was little disappointed the main thing I enjoyed was sidelined. What was really great about the politics was there was the parts we learnt from Graff and Rackham, but there were also the Demothgenes (I don't think that's how you spell it, but oh well) and Locke from back on the surface. I liked linking the two together, and witnessing how they each affected each other as the story went on.
The most infuriating thing about this book, was in the last 10% I was literally glued to the screen of my kindle. It got SO good. I was actually really tense at the battle scene - and I didn't even know it's significance at that point! And then, when the biggest plot twist in history and the most brilliant idea in the world ever was revealed, I actually stopped and stared at the words for a couple of minutes. I didn't see it coming whatsoever, and it was so genius.
And the conclusion to the whole book warmed my heart, honestly. It was by no means a happy ending, but I thought it was drawn off so well (I don't know what is left to happen in the rest of the saga - unfortunately I don't think I have the will to find out).

My biggest issue with this book was the age of the characters - partly because I'm still arguing with myself over whether it was pulled off that the character were that age. I understand Card's philosophy that a child can still be ever more intelligent than adults, and that they are at the age where they aren't fully aware of what's going on - so they can be used. But the actual heights of cleverness that Ender and the other children were described as was just too much. For political purposes, it might be interesting to discuss the problems the characters are presented with because of their age. But I think it's a little too mature and complicated for a Young Adult fiction book.
Ender was a really great character, but most of the time he just didn't feel real to me. He starts off being six years old, and seems to have more intelligence than some adults I know. I understand that he's supposed to be a genius, but it was taken a little too far I think. Also, the way he reacted to other people's abuse wasn't very realistic for his age. I could see a teenager maybe reacting how he did - but even they would then crumble a little afterward. I'm reluctant to say all these things, because I really agree with Card's choice to present children as being resourceful and clever, because they are. But I just have the feeling that it was taken to the extremes too often.
Graff was a very good character, and I liked him when he was featured. I could never really picture him, and he was constantly changing in my mind which made it a little confusing at times. I thought the beginnings of chapters were very well set-out, with just him and another of the majors having a discussion (but I do wish it was arranged in some sort of way where I wasn't constantly losing track of who was speaking and who the other person was etc).
Mazer was cool. For once, I think a 'hero' was portrayed as you would expect; clever, proud, aware, sensible, responsible, harsh etc. I'm not sure if I like that, but to be honest we hardly ever get characters like that anymore, because so many people want to use the 'unknown'.
Petra was good. I really like her, but I expected her to be featured a great deal more. I was never really sure about her, and though her character was reasonably consistent, my feelings towards her were constantly changing. I still can't decide whether I like her or not.
Bean was my favourite character. What I really loved was the fact that he was definitely the underdog, and did have a lot working against him, yet he was still really bold. He was always there for Ender, even when he was demanding too much, or wasn't sure himself of what to do. Bean was the only character who's friendship with Ender (except maybe Dink) I could actually believe.
Valentine was very good. I think her parts with Peter were very, very, very good (but I like the politics). The problem I had was that I never really felt she did love Ender as much as she said she did. Siblings may not show affection like couples, but I didn't really get a feeling that she cared about him all that much - apart from when she was telling their older brother to leave him alone.

What seems to be happening to a lot of books I'm reading at the moment is that they just aren't making it clear enough where the climaxes are. Honestly, so much happens in Ender's Game, yet none of it - spare the very, very end - excited me in the least. On the contrary, it was quite hard to keep up with what was actually happening because the sophisticated prose was so detailed it slowed every element of the story down.
I can understand why this was done, because it made the writing quite interesting - but for pace, it made the whole book a bit of a drag. There were actions sequences, but it was described as if from a commander's point of view (again, a brilliant example of writing), so that every movement lost its magical quality, and just became blocked out steps.
You definitely need patience and a willing mind to read Ender's Game.

If you're into deep books, with a little bit of excitement (maybe) on the side, then Ender's Game would be really good. It's definitely Sci-Fi, and it does have elements of action and adventure in it. But you need patience and a clear mind. I read it in a couple of loud places or when I wasn't feeling great - and it was very hard to focus. So make sure you have the time and will to read it - but it's definitely very fascinating if you do.

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Pretties

Book Title: Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Series: Uglies #2

Date Started: July 31st 2013

Date Completed: August 1st 2013

Genres: Adventure, Action, Romance, Dystopian

Rating: Three stars

Review:

I have to say, after the first action-packed thrill-ride of Uglies, the sequel seemed amazingly dull and typically Young Adult. Having said that, the morals were still as strong as ever, but I don't think there was a solid plot in the book.


Tally Youngblood is finally a Pretty. After her adventures our in the wild a few months ago, she finally realises what a great idea it had been to give herself up to help the others - only because now she's living the life she's always wanted. But when someone from her past comes back to haunt her at one of the many parties of Tally's new home, she starts to realise that maybe her old suspicions about the Pretties and their manipulation might be real after all. But Tally's a Pretty now, so she couldn't get out to find her old friends even if she wanted to. Or could she...?

I think Westerfeld's writing is good enough for a Young Adult novel. There's nothing wrong with it, although there may not be anything particularly amazing about it. I wish his action had a little bit more detail, but it isn't an action book, at the end of the day. The description is really well done because the reader pictures it as the character does, with all the little alterations showing how the Pretties think.
I can't get used to the slang. I remember having trouble getting to grips with it in the first book, but there's a lot more this time, since the majority of the book takes place in New Pretty Town. I'm still not sure why - it just sounds stupid and, frankly, childish in my mind when I read it. Maybe that's the point, but I don't really like it and it's distracted me from the story more than once.

I think it's really difficult to create a story that has very strong and important and morals, but still make it really enjoyable to read. I think Westerfeld fell down here just because it is hard. The only surprising thing for me was that he actually managed to do it really well in his first book. I'm not sure if it was just he didn't have as much of an idea for this book, or if it simply wasn't his best work. I don't know, but I have to admit I was quite disappointed.
Not a lot happened, and I was a bit irritated to find most of the story took place in New Pretty Town - basically a typical high school but without the drama. The setting just didn't appeal to me and there wasn't a whole lot for the characters to do, apart from scheme to themselves. When Tally eventually did escape the city, it just became the first book all over again, without practically any differences at all.
Westerfeld has this tendency to make things really good right at the very end. Literally, in the last couple of chapters it becomes so interesting and engaging. But there's practically any build-up and the climax finishes far too soon, and then with basically no wind-down. And the ending was pretty much exactly the same as the last time.
I'm only so annoyed about this because I know the author can do better, because he has done before.

I felt like we were introduced to a new set of characters - which in a way we were, and were supposed to be - but it did make it a little harder to understand each person's motives for a little bit.
I don't like Tally the Pretty. I have a feeling we're not supposed to, but she really pissed me off. I found it a lot harder to sympathise with her character, because I really didn't like her. Unfortunately, that did mean when she (spoiler - kind of) became ugly again I didn't really care about her as much as I had in the previous book. But, I do think her character worked well within the story, and developed throughout it.
I really like Zane, actually. I'm not sure whether I like him more than David or not, because I can't really remember David that much. I definitely had more feeling for him than I did for Tally or any of the others. I liked him because he always had that realistic feel about him, unlike Tally (sorry, but the whole Pretty attitude (which I know is supposed to be weird and alien) was just too far-fetched for me). Zane was always the more caring, and emotional (as in he actually had feelings) person.
Peris disappointed me. After hearing so much about him in Tally's narration in Uglies, I expected him to be in a little more this time. But in the short intervals when he was present, he wans't all that great. I also didn't really get the feel that he and Tally were ever really that good friends; there weren't any examples of their 'best friends forever' status.
I don't think I've ever really been sure whether I like Shay or not. I think she's a really selfish character, and always has been. But I don't think the way she was presented as needing friends and help, and then turning bad was a good idea. First of all, it kind of screws up the whole morals of Westerfeld's, and secondly it's just a bit too typical. Again, I also don't really see any evidence that her and Tally ever really got along.
I was glad David was actually in it - I was getting quite worried near the end that he wouldn't turn up at all. I was a little put off when the love triangle thing was put it place, but they didn't destroy everything else in the plot just to focus on it luckily. Like Zane, David felt real to me and I do actually care about him. The other good thing about him is I start believing Tally and what she says in her narration when he's around - I'm not even sure why, but it's quite useful.
I don't find Dr Cable particularly intimidating. Maybe that's because the narrator always puts on a brave face, and he's constantly described as 'scary-looking', which, again, sounds childish to me. This annoys me a little bit, because I think he could be an amazing villain. Having said that, the quiet threat is quite effective - but only when Dr Cable isn't there to demonstrate it.

The pace was really slow until right at the end, where it rocketed up, and then didn't really come back down. If there had been more climaxes like the final one throughout the whole book, I think it would make it ten times more engaging. But it isn't: for the most part, the book is quite slow, with reasonably mild events. (I do understand that a lot of it is key to the story, but I'm being honest in saying that it isn't very interesting to read.)
Having said that, for some reason I didn't really put the book down at all whilst I was reading it. I think the easy writing was part of it, but I usually don't have much patience for books that don't have a proper story. So Westerfeld must have been doing something right, even if I can't pinpoint what it was.

I would recommend Pretties to anyone who's read the first book, and liked it. I didn't really enjoy this as much, but I can understand how it's probably really important to the story for the final book in the trilogy (I know there's Extras too, but it was originally a trilogy). It is worth it if you really liked it the first time, but I wouldn't read it to get into Westerfeld's writing, but he really can do better.
(Just a small warning, it is a surprisingly triggering book. Don't let that discourage you too much, because it's really good how the author has decided to deal with these issues, but that way he goes about it might be a little too distorted for some people.)

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