Crown of Midnight

Book Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2

Date Started: August 28th 2013

Date Completed: August 31st 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Action, Thriller, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Five stars

Review:

How do I begin a review of this book? I'm actually speechless for how to start this. Crown of Midnight had my complete attention the whole way through, made my heart race more than once, and broke it several times. 'So many feels' has never been as relevant as it is now. I thought Throne of Glass was hard to top, but Maas has taken the series to another level, and I need more.


Crown of Midnight opens shortly after the end of Throne of Glass. Now the King's Champion, Celaena Sardothien has started to fake the deaths of her 'victims', offering them a chance to flee the city and never return. She knows the risks surrounding her betrayal to the king, but instead decides to ignore them. But when she's given the name of one of her old friends to dispose of, it seems he might have information to give her that is vitally important. Torn between her duty, morals and the conflicting feelings about the people around her, Celaena must chose her priorities and somehow work out how to save the world in the process.

Maas' writing is great. It's definitely one of the higher levels of sophistication in Young Adult fiction, but it's still easy enough to read, and the flow of the words helps this. The action is beautifully described, and I can truly see Celaena performing all the stunts. There was a bit less in this book than the last, and when it was included it didn't have the grace that was present previously - but that is because of the circumstances of the story, rather than poor writing.
I believe all the characters all the time, which is really important in a novel like this. It's very character-based, as well as the story, so the reader needs to feel connected to the people and care about what happens to them. This was the case for me to the point where I was actually feeling upset for the characters - both with the little and large things.

The story is so complex, and travels so far in such a short time, I'm not even sure where to start. There's several main plots, and then the even smaller details that drop hints for things to come, and are just enjoyable to read. And it's all synchronised so well that none of it clashes, and everything ties in with each other (rather than being separate and unnecessary). It must have taken forever to work out how everything was going to play out, especially since none of it is rushed or ignored or left unexplained (apart from when it's intentional, of course).
You might look at my synopsis and think that this book is going to be able the main character covering her tracks so she doesn't get caught out as a fraud - but then she slips up and she has to somehow rescue everyone she cares about. But no. That is a typical Young Adult plot line. This is a Sarah J. Maas novel. I actually had some trouble writing the synopsis because I had to think about what actually happened at the beginning of this book - because so much goes on and the development is amazing; Celaena is almost a completely different person by the end.
The magic in this book is so good. It's the traditional Fae magic, but the way it's described combines some more modern interpretations of faeries and spells, runes etc to get this new and unique form. It fascinates me and the whole backstory is so well orchestrated I would happily read a 'non-fiction' book about the whole world. Furthermore, the inclusion of magic in the plot is so subtle, yet it's amazingly effective. It isn't the main element of the story (although it is a key aspect), yet it's very important - it just adds that depth and realism to the story that just makes it better and better and better.
Lastly, the romance. If you've read some of my earlier reviews, you'll know that I often rant about romance. I don't like plots to be consumed by it, and it annoys me when it's unrealistic and perfect and just stupid. But the relationships in Crown of Midnight are exactly the kind of thing I really enjoy, and can really get into. It's heartbreakingly realistic, and I can feel the chemistry between the characters. The even better thing is Celaena doesn't lead people she isn't in love with on. (This is one of the main things I hate about the majority of Young Adult love triangles - many girls seem to take their time in deciding which boy they'd like, when both of those in question have to wait around - probably feeling like crap.) And she doesn't forgive mistakes, but she can't help still having feelings anyway. It's an amazingly realistic portrayal of what I'd expect love to be like, showing not only the memorable, quiet moments, but the unpleasantries and confusion and betrayal and hate and fragility or its nature.

I love these characters, and I've loved them since the beginning - but they just keep getting better. I've always loved characters that have mystery around them, because it makes them interesting and gives you something to think about. The great thing about Maas' characters is that they are constantly revealing new aspects of their personality, or history - or even finding them out for the first time themselves. This constantly engages the reader and keeps them on their toes, waiting for what might happen next.
Celaena continues to be my favourite character of all time. I fell in love with her gentle nature - but I love her unstoppable, ruthless side as well. We rarely see truly ferocious female characters in Young Adult books these days, and so Celaena is not only a breath of fresh air from the typical examples of YA heroines, but she's also incredibly stunning the learn about. In addition, she's an extremely clever girl with a loud mouth and a ton of abilities we actually get to witness (rather than just hearing about). I absolutely love her and I connected with her so well that I really did care what happened to her, and I still do.
Chaol. Where to start with Chaol. He's a new take on the common good-looking action male lead. But instead of being reckless (for which Celaena takes all) he's controlled, calm and clever. I really like this combination, since we don't get to see it much these days. I loved that tender side of him, and I can tell that he really cares about Celaena. Even later in the story, he still goes out of his way to help her, when it clearly doesn't help him. I think he's great and my heart is still breaking for him.
Dorian is probably the perfect boy. I've never been sure which of the two boys I liked more; and I'm still not. But Dorian is like the softer side of Chaol - I do sometimes think they're so alike they're almost the same person. They're both intelligent, controlled and care deeply about Celaena. (They both also know when to let go (whether they succeed or not) - thank god for some Young Adult authors that actually understand that.) But Dorian's almost cleverer than Chaol when he accepts earlier on, and helps his friend no matter what. I felt really sorry for him, but I also admired the fact that he didn't put himself first - also a contradiction from the typical 'princely' persona.
(I understand this might not make complete sense is you haven't read the book, but I'm trying not to give away spoilers.)
I've never been quite sure of Nehemia. I think I was wary of her at first, and it did take me a while to trust her, but now I do and I think Celaena needs a friend like her. They work really well together, but I love the fact that there's still an unspoken tension between the two about their origins and actions. Another time my heart broke.
Roland kind of disappeared after a while. I don't know whether that was important to the plot, or perhaps will be used later in the series - or if he had used up his usefulness. I thought he was very interesting when he was involved, and I hope to see more of him in the future.
I just love Mort. I think he's hilarious, and I just really love him. Not much else to say other than I think one of my favourite characters of all time is a bronze door-knocker.

The pace was fast - and I mean fast. So much happened; there were so many twists and turns; it almost feels like many stories wrapped into one when I look back on it. I couldn't put the book down for most of the time I was reading it - and only then because I actually had to do something. Everything was relevant and somehow important to the plot.
But none of it was rushed whatsoever. Maas took her time to explain everything and write it all in detail and make sure nothing was overlooked or made less important than it needed to be. We didn't miss any details because Maas wanted to get onto a later part - which tends to happen a lot in these sorts of books, where there's numerous plots and twists occurring at the same time.

I would recommend this book to absolutely everybody. It's one of my favourite books of all time (and you know how picky I am). It's got action, fantasy, mystery, thrills, romance, comedy. Literally, anything you'd want. And I don't think it's completely aimed at girls. I'm sure the pure adrenaline in a lot of this story would satisfy boys as well. It's honestly so good, and the story could go anywhere from here. You should read Throne of Glass first (or maybe the novellas if you aren't sure and just want to try it out) or you might get confused and there are some pretty huge plot spoilers.
I completely fell in love with this book and I'm actually getting excited by the prospect of another one on it's way.

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Girl of Nightmares

Book Title: Girl of Nightmares

Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #2

Date Started: August 26th 2013

Date Completed: August 28th 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Adventure, Action

Rating: Five stars

Review:

I'm torn between wanting Blake to write more of the Anna novels because I need more of this genius; and then happy that she isn't wearing the story and characters so thin that they lose their charm and brilliance. Either way, I absolutely loved this book. I wasn't quite sure whether to give it four or five stars - but to be honest I couldn't pick anything out as negative in its purpose. It was amazing and I'm running out of words to describe how much I enjoyed reading it.


Girl of Nightmares takes place six months after the events of Anna Dressed in Blood. With Anna on the other side, Cas' thoughts are becoming increasingly guilty about what might have happened to her. And then when Anna starts appearing everywhere - almost as if she's haunting him - and starts crying for help, he knows he has to do something to get her out of wherever she is. But everyone is telling him it can't be done, and he's going to get himself killed trying. But after one successful contact with the ghost he loves reveals she may be in more danger than he suspected, Cas' friends realise there is really no stopping him in getting her back.

There's a simplistic kind of sophistication to Blake's writing. It is by no means the kind of elevated language you might find in a classic novel, but it's not your typical Young Adult level of writing either. I just really love it, and it flows so well you can read really quickly and still get every detail into your head. I also love Cas' narration. Apart from the fact that I've completely fallen for his character, he has this quirky, realistic attitude that brings out the personality so strongly in the writing that I actually feel like it's his internal monologue (and I don't find that with most books told in the 1st person).
The action is great, I just wish there was more of it. The description is good, the comparisons creating more of a personality around Cas. The dialogue is amazing and, and really fun to read. It's not necessarily funny, but there's a certain level of banter in it that makes it very entertaining to process.
I have to say, I wasn't scared as many times as I was in the previous book; I was glancing over my shoulders regularly for ages. But that was more of the fact that there were less situations that involved eerie events, since the plot had moved on to being more about the mystery and adventure side. Having said that, the creepy parts were definitely just that and the tension was built up amazingly well. One thing that I think a lot of other authors could learn from Blake is her ability to build up tension and create an atmosphere so naturally; she doesn't rush it, and really takes her time to make everything calm, and then start giving the reader little hints of something going wrong, before freaking them out with the punchline.

The main thing I love about Kendare Blake is her stories. Because they're so new and different from anything I've ever experienced. From TV, film, books, real life or anything, I can never predict exactly what's going to happen because I honestly haven't witnessed the story or twists before.
Girl of Nightmares goes through so many plot changes and the progress happens so quickly that I'd expect everything to get jumbled together or rushed a little bit, but nothing ever is. It's clearly been thought-through very well. We start at the beginning of the book with very little information back in Cas' house. We understand that something's wrong, since Cas isn't as quick in his ghost-hunting anymore, and Anna is appearing left right and centre with a selection of every injury known to man.
But read a hundred pages in and we've jumped to a completely different place on the map. We know more about what's happening and there's hope for what can be done. Another hundred pages and things are really heating up. By this time I was already completely hooked and I literally didn't put the book down for about two hours as I went to finish it. In a way I wish this was a longer book, because I just want more and more - but again I respect Blake's judgement of how much and what to include, because it ended up working perfectly.

Girl of Nightmares has very realistic characters that are unique takes on typical characters. I think they're all written amazingly well and I wish some of them were real.
Cas is one of my favourite protagonists ever. He's such a real person through the narration and the way he's presented. Even though you don't meet many people like him, his thoughts are easily believable and his empathy and anxiety to and for other people just add it that. Aside from the way Blake writes him, Cas is a really great guy. He really cares about his friends and family; he's amazingly intelligent; rebellious; cocky and filled with banter in a way that doesn't annoy everyone around you and then kick ass when it comes to the ghost action.
I also love Thomas. He obviously fills the typical 'geeky friend' role, but he's got a new twist to it. I keep thinking that he, Cas and Carmel are like the Harry Potter trio, with Thomas being Cas' under appreciated, but heroic, loyal and caring sidekick/best friend. I think he's a really great character and he works really well in the story.
Carmel goes through stages of really annoying me, and then making me respect her. She went though both in this book, which is one of the reasons she actually seems so real. She reacts how I would predict a queen-bee that actually cares about other people outside the cliques; conflicted, which sometimes leads to her making the wrong decisions. (Although to be honest, I can't then see someone flying halfway across the world because the person they effectively broke up with went on a deadly mission with his best friend - I don't know, maybe that's just me.) But she does really annoy me sometimes, just because I don't like people like her. But that doesn't mean she wasn't written well.
I love Anna so much. She's such a great character. I wish she was as kick ass in this novel as she was in the first, but she was still awesome. I really believe that she cares about Cas, and Cas cares about her. I nearly had a hissy fit when someone almost got in between them. She's barely even in this book, but I still love her so much because she's a new kind of character and she's just so amazing to read. I want more heroines like Anna please.
Jestine really, really pissed me off. I really did not like her. I did not like her beyond what I expect the limits of the reader's dislike is meant to go. I understand she isn't supposed to be that great at first, but then you're supposed to start liking her. I didn't really (that was because of something that I can't say because of spoilers, but still). Near the end, it was slightly better, but I still wasn't that bothered when she got beat about a bit.
Gideon is not what I expected him to be. We do meet him (over the phone) in the previous book, but he was still very different in 'real life' than I had imagined previously. I'm not sure if that's positive or negative.

The pace was really fast for the whole book, but you were rarely aware of it. There are definitely slower parts, but they're usually important to the plot or just entertaining or interesting to read. Blake is really good at building up tension, too, without the audience honing in on it until it's too late. No pacing problems in my opinion - the only issue is you lose a lot of time when you can't seem to put the book down.

I would recommend Girl of Nightmares to everyone. It's so well written, and the story is so original I can't say I've ever read anything like it before. You need to read Anna Dressed in Blood first or it'll be harder to understand Cas' world, and there are some big important spoilers. It is scary, and it is creepy, but that's what makes it so good. I can't say how much I think everyone should go out and read this book (after the first one) because it's so great.

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Clockwork Prince

Book Title: Clockwork Prince

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices #2

Date Started: August 22nd 2013

Date Completed: August 26th 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I really like Cassandra Clare. I think she thinks up amazing stories, and she writes them very well too. But for some reason I just can't seem to connect with the Infernal Devices. I don't know why, but the characters just don't seem to work as well as they should for me, and so the story becomes less interesting for me. I did enjoy Clockwork Prince, and I do think it was better than Clockwork Angel, but they're not as epic at the Mortal Instruments.


Clockwork Prince follows on from Clockwork Angel. Set in Victorian England, Tessa is living with the Shadowhunters of London, safe from the Magister inside the walls of the Institute. But her enemy is still out there, and he's closing in everyday. When the Clave question Charlotte, the head of the Institute's effectiveness as its caretaker, Tessa and the other Nephilim must prove her worth by locating the Magister within a fortnight, or risk forfeiting the Institute and being thrown on the streets. But it isn't as easy as tracking a mundane, and it seems he has ties even from within the Clave itself...

I love Cassie's writing. Not much else to say about it. She's very good at handling a great deal of characters at the same time, and she is always aware of what's going on and how she's going to map everything out. Her action is flawless (although there wasn't much featured in this book), and her description is perfectly good. She actually had me laughing out loud at parts in this novel, and she always finds a way to create the fitting atmosphere and build-up for each event.
One thing I keep noticing about The Infernal Devices is that there are only really two plot lines: the main Magister mystery; and Will's job for Magnus. Nothing else is really important or paid much attention. This surprises me a little, after experiencing Cassie's collection of so many different stories and points-of-view in the Mortal Instruments. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with this fact, but I do feel it takes a little bit away from the story and brilliance of the book.

The story is alright. I have to say, it hasn't grabbed me as much as Cassie's other creations. I think the main reason for that is there doesn't seem to be any real threat in my mind - I know the Magister is dangerous, and they are in trouble if the characters don't do anything, but I don't feel particularly threatened by him. I'm also not as close and connected with these characters, so I don't care as much about what happens to them.
The mystery element is really good, and I'm glad it was carried through into this second book in the trilogy. I think it's engaging and it does keep the audience guessing and trying to piece together the clues. It also progressed a lot during this book, but did not get resolved, which spans questions onto the last book.
The negative here was that I felt Clockwork Prince got a little over-taken by the romance. Luckily, it was a conflicted, but interesting storyline with the romance, so it didn't annoy me too much - but I'm not a huge fan of love-based stories.
The end was great, and there were quite a few parts to it. First of all the twist - it was hilarious, and I definitely like this new Will more than the old one. I have to admit I have rolling my eyes a little bit at the idiotic simplicity, but it was very good. Second of all, the awkwardness was so real I felt it myself just reading the book, and I truly felt sorry for Will at the end. And then the political side with the Clave could go any which way in the next book, which I have to admit I really am looking forward to.

Right, the characters. I've said this many times before; I haven't connected with the characters of the Infernal Devices as much as I'd have liked. I don't even have a reason why, since they're all interesting enough, and none of them are particularly unbelievable. But I'm afraid I just don't.
Tessa is a good protagonist. She really annoys me sometimes, I'll be honest. She's like Clary in the way that she's made out to be really talented and thoughtful, but she rarely shows it. Unlike Clary, however, her skills of defending herself are not improving, despite the vigorous training she's been receiving (something I'm still puzzled about since she isn't even Nephilim). She's amazingly ignorant half the time as well, and she can't be that clever if she isn't aware she's leading on two men at the same time. But, at the end of the day, she does have a special gift, and she does her part as being the main heroine and source of the story.
Jem is obviously the main male focus for this book. I remember really not liking Will in Clockwork Angel, because he was the male lead, and I thought he was too full of himself. I was unhappy to find these feelings shifting to Jem at the start of this book. Luckily, they did disappear not too far in, and I still find myself liking him very much now. But I don't find anything particularly amazing about him, I have to be honest.
I find myself liking Will a lot more now that he isn't the centre of attention. I also was very relieved when we learnt a lot more about his backstory now. I don't think we really had to be told all of it, as we were, but it was good to finally start to understand him and therefore be able to get closer to his character. I really started to care about him during Clockwork Prince, and my heart did break a little for him at the end.
Thank god we got to learn a bit more about Jessamine in this book. I love her character so much, and I loved the changes in her story this time! I didn't see them coming, and they helped the story so much. The great thing was, even though I hadn't predicted it, it was something that I could imagine Jessamine doing. I admit, I would have liked more detail into why she did it, and I would have like a little foreshadowing for what I hope to happen in the next book, but I can't complain with the inclusion I got of her in this book.
Nate was great. I can't actually remember what happened to him in the last book to make him how he is now, so it would have been good if there was a little reminder since it clearly wasn't that memorable. But he's a really great character, and he played a vital and interesting part in this book.
Henry and Charlotte are adorable. I absolutely love Henry, and his little outburst three quarters (or something) of the way in was just perfect. I love his and Charlotte's relationship, and I love the fact that they're still made out to be extremely important, despite their older age - which is something you don't see in very many Young Adult books these days.
Magnus is my favourite character in this series. I really liked him in the Mortal Instruments, but for some reason there's a lot more mystery around him in this book, and I just find him fascinating. He's definitely my favourite (and then Alec is my favourite in City of Bones - strange how that works out). He works very well with Will, and I like the way he's kind of isolated from the rest of the Shadowhunters, because it doesn't only stick to his backstory, but also starts to explain some things about his personality when we meet him further down the line.
And Cecily - dun dun DUNNNNNNN! (I had to, sorry.)

The Infernal Devices is different to the Mortal Instruments in the way that it isn't as complex, doesn't have as much action and isn't as character-based. This means that, in theory, the pace is quicker (apart from the action, obviously). We're not having to handle various sub-plots at the same time as the main storyline, and it's less about the people, and more about the story, so it moves on quicker.
But, while the plot of the book might move on more, I don't feel like much progress is actually being made in the development of the characters and story in the series, as a whole. It's almost as if it's being rushed slightly, and so details and development is missed. As a singular story, I'd say the pacing is perfect. But because Clockwork Prince is in a trilogy, I feel like there just needs to be a little more attention to the long-running details and plots - since they aren't really being changed and grown to my immediate attention.

I would recommend Clockwork Prince to anyone who likes Cassie's stories, though in my opinion it isn't her best. There's fantasy and mystery and romance, but it's lacking a little bit in the more adventurous, action side. Definitely read Clockwork Angel first - but I would recommend reading the whole Mortal Instruments series before even that.

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Breaking Point

Book Title: Breaking Point

Author: Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5 #2

Date Started: August 20th 2013

Date Completed: August 22nd 2013

Genres: Dystopian, Thriller, Action, Romance, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:


I really love Kristen Simmon's dystopian world, and I think the characters and story work wonderfully in it. But to be honest I'm a little indifferent about the progress and development of the plot in Breaking Point. It was perfectly good and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as exciting as the first book, and I don't feel like an awful lot happened.

Breaking Point continues Ember and Chase's story now that they're with the Resistance. But even after being accepted into the ranks of the rebels, Ember still feels unwelcome in this strange new place, and the rule that she stays inside is starting to become to much for her to handle. But when a sniper starts shootings all over the country, and suspicion turns towards her, she and Chase realise that their safety is questionable even with their supposed allies. They have two options: stay and help the Resistance despite their wavering loyalty; or escape and leave Ember's old friend at the hands of the MM after promising to save her...

I get along well with Simmons' writing. It's easy to read, and I can get through it quickly. It's also got a great narrative that I can connect with, and Ember's character is easily believable and a generally interesting point of view. The action is always great and engaging, and the description is good enough for the purposes of the book.
There's nothing that stands out for me about the writing style really, which puzzles me because I recall finding something special in Article 5. Maybe my preferences have changed, or perhaps Breaking Point just isn't on the same level as her first novel. (I still enjoyed it, so I can't really complain.)

The story was okay. I don't think it was as good as the first book because, although the characters definitely went on a journey, facing various complications at each stage, the variety wasn't really there in what happened and where they went. I understand that after joining the Resistance, Ember and Chase's options were slightly narrowed as to where they could go and what they could do, but this unfortunately meant I wasn't as engaged for a lot of the book. (For example, they basically travelled from one 'safe house' - none of which were in the least bit safe - and then got attacked, or bombed, or threatened etc etc.)
However. I thought the long-runnning plot twist of having to rescue Rebecca from the MM was very good, and really needed to keep the whole story together. There needed to be a goal for Ember - otherwise she really would have just been running from one place to another for no purpose. I admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled with this, because I hadn't connected with Rebecca well in the first book, but at least it was this ending target that kept something for them to do when they'd finished their latest brush with death.

The characters were good, but I only felt close to the ones that stuck around - as is to be expected - but there weren't exactly that many of them...
I really like Ember. She's a good female protagonist. Again, I feel like she was slightly better in the first book, but she was still realistic enough to me, and I think she's a very brave and clever girl. I really like the relationships she builds up with people, even though she can be reckless and mean sometimes. She's a nice variation (not individual, mind) of the typical female lead. (Ember can also actually look after herself, which always gets my approval.)
Chase is a great male interest. I loved him the first book, still love him now. I think he had a little less flare this time, but he was still great. I think, just because we know him a little bit more already in this book, his mysterious appeal lowered a bit - if you know a lot about someone they aren't as mysterious, are they? But he was still great.
I love Sean. I think he kind of took over Chase's role for me, because I constantly wanted to know more about him. This happens a lot with me and series': I like one character, pay them loads of attention and then, by the next book, I have to switch to a different character because I've found out everything there is to know about the first one.
I love Billy to death. He's adorable, and his relationship with Ember is really sweet. He was very realistic for me, and I'm glad someone a lot younger than the other characters was included, so we could see the different effects it had. (Spoiler - kind of) I think of him as Ember and Chase's adopted son.
I actually really like Tucker. I know he's the bad guy and everything, but I think he's a great character and he's really good in this book, especially. I loved his role in the novel, but I felt like he could have been made out as more of a hero by the end. Instead he gets a small nod and then kind of fades into the background. Maybe he'll turn up in the next book to kick some ass, I don't know.
I really don't like Cara. I have a feeling she's supposed to be one of those characters that grows on you or turns out to be nicer behind their walls or whatever, but I don't really feel like that happened. I didn't like her at any point, and frankly she pissed me off for the majority of her screen time.
I can't remember being particularly overwhelmed by Rebecca's character in the second book, which did make it harder to want the group to do well and find her. This uncertain feeling was definitely present again here, but I don't really hate her. I just don't really like her too much either.
Marco and Polo just have awesome names and were a really good duo. I want them to reappear in the last book please.

The pace was a little weak for me. Ironically because it never really stopped. There were points of down-time, but they didn't last very long and they were usually interrupted, or very closely followed, by really fast action or dangerous scenes. There's not a whole lot wrong with this, but due to the story type, I would have liked the quieter moments to have been given a little more detail.
At the end of the day, Breaking Point is an action thriller, so I can't really criticise it for never stopping. It just took some of the effect out of the climaxes and made the slower, more meaningful bits a little more insignificant.

I would recommend Breaking Point to anyone who likes action thrillers, dystopians, romance, crime. It's a really good read, and enjoyable, just not as great as the first one in my opinion. Definitely read Article 5 first, or very little will make sense and loads of spoilers will be revealed if you decide to then go back to the first book.

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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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