Synopsis After saving themselves and their fellow students from a life pitched against one another, Sophie and Agatha are back home again, living happily ever after. But life isn't exactly a fairytale. When Agatha secretly wishes she'd chosen a different happy ending with Prince Tedros, the gates to the School for Good and Evil open once again. But Good and Evil are no longer enemies and Princes and Princesses may not be what they seem, as new bonds form and old ones shatter. Review I'd like to start off by saying that this book didn't completely live up to my expectations and I didn't like it as much as the first book. I still enjoyed it, just not as much as I hoped I would. Characters: I'll start with the negative: by far my biggest problem with this book is how dumb Agatha and (especially) Sophie were. Yes, they were naive in the first book, but now they are actually just unbelievably dumb. Of course there were times when I could completely understand their obliviousness, but at other times it just seemed way too unbelievable that they didn't understand something- imagine a super exaggerated "dumb blonde" impersonation - that's what it felt like. It was really just too much silliness. I don't want to be any more specific for the risk of spoilers... On to the positives: it was still really fun to watch Agatha and Sophie's relationship morph and evolve and I especially liked how close they became with other students and teachers. These extended relationships gave so much more background and depth to students, teachers and Gavaldon citizens/family which made the world building expand seamlessly. We learn just enough to be interested in side characters yet there is still so much wonderful mystery surrounding everyone that will no doubt play into the final book! Plot/Themes/Motifs: I am so torn with the plot of this book!! On one hand it is really impossible to guess the bigger picture, but on the other hand there were so many predictable parts. Let me explain. I absolutely did not see see the end coming (until about a page before it happened), all of the characters and mystery tied together beautifully and made total sense by the end. BUT there were lots of predictable parts. It seemed like the author tried to create trails of breadcrumbs for us to follow, but failed by making the hints and clues wayyy too obvious - which, again, the main characters were oblivious to. I also really felt that although this story has a much different plot than the first book, it was very repetitive of the first book. There was lots of "can I truly trust her?", "she's hiding something", "i just don't want to be alone", "i'm good!"..... and it just felt repetitive from the first book and repetitive within it's own right. Of course I still loved the overarching story of this book. It was a cool depiction of extremist "feminist" terrorism. Where as the first book often abided by traditional fairytale sexism, this book did a complete 180 and showed "feminism" gone wrong which was really fun to watch! I can only imagine that this is setting up a nice middle ground for the final book - like Goldilocks: the first book is too male dominated, the second book is too female dominated, the final book is just right! This story ends on a wicked cliff-hanger which basically ensures that I'll start the third book right away! Overall it was pretty good! It's not something that completely hooked me, but it was still good enough to keep me invested in the characters and the world - I'll start the third book ASAP! Rating:
3/5 Stars Synopsis The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away. This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil. But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…? The School for Good & Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one. Review Characters: I went into the book a bit skeptical since the characters are essentially split into "good" and "evil". I was worried about possible cliches and simplifications. But Soman Chainani did a great job in blurring the lines between good and evil, showing slow transitions into good or evil, and planting little hints of good and evil in mundane personality traits. That being said, I did easily pick up on those little personality traits which made it a bit frustrating when characters in the story didn't. I found Sophie and Agatha to be a bit too naive and oblivious at times (and I'm not blaming that on this being a middlegrade-ish novel, because middlegrade can be clever). Despite their naivety, it was pretty interesting to watch the girls' transformations through the novel. They really evolved and grew very seamlessly throughout the story. Their relationship with each other is very interesting to watch, keeping you on your toes and making you unsure whether to be suspicious or happy. World: I really loved the world(s?) in this story. The way it is written makes it unclear whether there are two worlds (he real and the fairy tale) or if it is one big world with parts in seclusion from the rest. I loved the ambiguity. It worked since this story mainly takes place at the school, so we really don't need to know about the politics of the greater world yet. We know just enough. Plot: Some parts of the plot were pretty predictable but even more parts were very unpredictable. Towards the beginning-middle it starts off kind of like a high school petty romance, which is when the story is pretty predictable (who loves who?), but towards the end things get pretty crazy and it's really impossible to predict the ending - especially the details. But the overall inspiration of fairytales made this book fairly whimsical, while putting a new twist on fairytale cliches (why do princesses rely on princes?). I did find some resemblances to Harry Potter (with the magic school and certain spells) and also the Hunger Games (with a certain tournament), but these resemblances weren't super overwhelming so I was okay with it. Overall it was fast paced and magical Writing: I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. Though I loved it's simplicity, many times I found that sentences were awkwardly worded or phrased. This didn't occur an overwhelming amount, but when it did it really bothered me. Many times I questioned whether the author used the correct words - kind of like the drank vs drunk argument, sometimes certain words just didn't quite seem right. Overall it didn't deter me from reading and I still loved the simplicity. Rating:
4/5 Stars Synopsis: Augusten Burroughs is the author of the bestselling trilogy, Running with Scissors, Dry, and Lust & Wonder. Return to the memoir that started it all. The true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and befriending a paedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock-therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances. Review: This so-called memoir gave me some pretty strong emotions, mainly disgust and chingy shivers. I really enjoyed this novel initially but once I learned that quite a bit of this story was actually made up, I didn't feel as strongly towards the book. So, let's get into this: This story takes the idea of a dysfunctional family to the max with a *somewhat true story* of the author's childhood. Every singe character in this novel is so shocking and full of surprises! There's the psychotic mother, abusive father, quack doctor, pedophile boyfriend....there's really no end to the surprises. I felt that all of the characters were really well rounded. My favourite part is that the story is told for Augusten's innocent point of view, so many things are only implied. I felt that this just brought so many layers to the story, leaving so many things open to interpretation. Equally as dysfunctional as the characters are the antics they get into. Although this story is branded a "memoir" I felt like so many of the things that happened were so unbelievable - not in an amazing way, but in a "who would do that and how did they not end up in the hospital?!" sort of way. This gave me such a thrill and it really broadened my view of what may be happening behind closed doors. It's so different than anything I have ever read before and probably anything I ever will read. The definition of "family" is challenged in many ways and the idea of free range children is explored in depth. It's truly a cringe-worthy and sad experience to read about how unfortunately far from "normal" Augusten's childhood was (though it is reassuring to know that he's a successful authors). The only warning I have for those interested in reading this is that there is crude language, pedophilia, sexual assault, and wonderful examples of how to be a bad parent. Rating 4/5 Stars Let me know what you thought about Running With Scissors down below!
From the results I've collected, there appears to be little correlation between Hogwarts House, Ilvermorny House, and Patronus. Keep in mind that these could very well be coincidences. The only correlations I noticed are: - 70% of Hufflepuffs are also Thunderbirds - 50% of Slytherins are Horned Serpents and 50% are Pukwudgies - Hufflepuffs who aren't Thunderbirds have a Dolphin Patronus' - Slytherin Pukwudgies have White Swan Patronus' Here are the specific results:
Working in Tourism 1. When tourists nonchalantly expect to pay in a different currency. Then they get angry when you say the employee can't accept that currency or are completely shocked when the employee say they will get the change back in the correct currency. Example: Cashier: That will be $20 Tourist: *Hands me American Money* Cashier: Oh, you're paying American, so that will be $23 American and you will be getting Canadian change back Tourist: *With horrified/angry facial expression* why can't I get American back?! Cashier: Because we ARE in Canada, sir. Tourist: F*cking bullsh*t *mumble mumble mumble...* Is it really that surprising that Canada uses Canadian currency?! 2. When tourists ignore cautionary rules and signs and complain when they get hurt. This happens way too much to the point where I question why natural selection hasn't wiped out the human race. Example: There are signs everywhere reading DO NOT TOUCH OR FEED THE ANIMALS, THEY MAY BITE. But of course tourists try and pet the free range animals anyway. Tourist: *hysterical* The (insert animal here) bit my ten year old son! Employee: *looks at tiny scratch* Can I get you a bandaid? This is why I informed you not to touch the animals earlier and that is why we have signs everywhere. Tourist: He didn't touch it, it just attacked! In Employee's mind: I just watched you pick up your son and hold him out to touch the animal! I even yelled at you urgently to stop and you ignored me! GAHH! Employee: Ma'am, I saw you helping your son pet the animal, next time please take our signs seriously for your own safety and I hope your son is alright. Seriously people, the rules aren't there for kicks! Don't try and blame the attraction when you knowingly break the rules and get hurt! 3. When tourists are eating at a fast-food restaurant or cafe and they leave everything on the table and floor when they leave. It is the most frustrating thing when you serve people a large meal and then when you go to wipe down the table afterwards, you find picked apart hotdog and hotdog bun all over the floor, unused napkins all over the floor, crushed potato chips all over the chairs, full fountain drinks on the table and a large gathering of napkins, paper plates, leftover food and travel brochures all over the table....with no tip to say "thanks for cleaning this up". Do tourists not learn manners as children? 4. When tourists don't learn the road rules of the country they're visiting. It's super frustrating when you are at a stoplight and want to turn right but the person at the front of the line doesn't know that it is totally legal to turn right on a red light. Or when everyone is talking on their phone while driving and you hope that a cop pulls them over for being on a cellular device while driving because it really is really dangerous! 5. When an employee tells a tourist that they are closed and the tourist insists on buying something regardless. At closed attractions the tourist will say "that's ok, I'll be quick", or at restaurants the tourist says "that's ok, I'll just have (insert large food order here), or at shops the tourist will say "it's ok, I just want to buy this". No. Closed means closed, you can no longer get onto that attraction or purchase anything. Not even that pack of gum.
Generalizations and Beauty How many times do you see a “real talk” FaceBook post proclaiming “A real man is someone who…” or "a real fan would know...”? All the freaking time! Or how about the ever popular “You know you’ve found the one when…”? What is this generation’s obsession with generalizations?! Guilty. See what I just did? I just made a generalization about this generation of people. What I actually want to convey is: Why do I, so often, see generalizations being made? The fact is that everyone is different. C’mon, this is stuff you should have learned in kindergarten, perhaps using the metaphor of everyone being a unique snowflake. But I feel like many people need the reminder that no two people are exact mental and physical clones of each other. That stuff only exists in the two-dimensional, fictional, sci-fi universe. That being said, let’s examine a phrase that’s been irking me for some time now: “Everyone is beautiful” What. If this were true, that would mean that those yellow pee-covered snowflakes are beautiful, just like those blackish grey snowflakes that have been contaminated by months of car exhaust….hear me out. Some people say this in reference to inner beauty (i.e. the mind or the heart) while others use it to refer to physical beauty.
Human beings are all different. Thus we naturally argue, disagree, and ultimately make different decisions that come to comprise our unique and individual lives. When people make generalizations I often think “uneducated” or “ignorant”… despite the good intentions.
But let’s be respectful of the truth and carry with us the knowledge that to generalize is to create a fiction; and people who make generalizations should put those ideas towards writing fictional worlds and fictional people, because they don’t belong in the real world, they belong in fairy-tale land. I have a problem.
Don't worry, I'm not an alcoholic and I'm not addicted to drugs, sex or Kylie. My problem is (I think) that I repress my thoughts and emotions. Let me explain: Over the past two years I have been having monthly breakdowns where I cry uncontrollably and feel completely drained and defeated for several days at a time, only to feel completely okay and normal again the next week. Is this an panic attack? Maybe. But whatever you want to call it, my fiance may have figured out the cause of it. I repress my thoughts and emotions; I act how I think I ought to act (subconsciously) and as I quiet person, I often keep my thoughts to myself. I'm guessing that once a month or so, these repressed emotions erupt form me all at once - hence my breakdowns. My Experimental Solution: I've decided to start writing down my thoughts on paper. I wouldn't necessarily call this journaling since I'm not always writing about my experiences or my life, but just whatever is brewing in my mindscape. The theory is to purge all of my thoughts and emotions through pen scribbles rather than through tears. I'll try to post some of my writing on here, but some of it will be kept in my journal for myself. Baby steps. So expect some rants, short stories or uncategorizable bits of writing in the future on this blog. I will do my best to keep up with this - even with my history of never upholding personal goals. There's a first time for everything!
I was shopping at Costco yesterday and, obviously, I had to check out the book section. It turns out that they carry the ACOTAR duology so I just kinda bought it. I had never planned on reading this series, but here we are... I think I'll be picking these up more towards the end of the summer :)
I recently started reading manga (namely Death Note and Tokyo Ghoul)!
Rather than reviewing each individual installment, which I fly though, I'll be reviewing the entire series once I finish them. So look forward to a Tokyo Ghoul and Death Note review in the future! ???What manga do you recommend for me to read??? Synopsis: In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands. Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home. Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself. In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch. Review: TBH when I picked this book up in the first place I was really excited for it! But my feeling towards it changed quickly as I struggled through the first few chapters. If this wasn't my book club book of the month, I may have put it down after the first several chapters. For about the first two thirds of the book, I was very aware that I was reading a story and was slowly counting down the pages until the end. The characters came off as quite two-dimensional and the author relied too heavily on the spectacle of the girls' witch powers as they lacked real personality. For the last third of the book, though, the characters suddenly seemed more developed and real to me. Safi and Iseult ended the novel on a high note! I also had a problem with the writing style. Again, the first two thirds of the novel were the worst for this, but the last third seemed to get it together: the author often used "telling" rather than "showing" - which can work such as with Harry Potter - but it really fell flat here. The writing style made the whole story seem very bland, even though there was almost non-stop action! But towards the end, the writing improved (but I can't pinpoint exactly how). My biggest problem with this book is that the reader is just thrown into this new fantasy world, and we don't get very much initial information. There is a world map at the beginning of the story, but there is nothing charting the different types of witches an their powers. As I read on, I felt like the author kept being like, "Oh and there's also this type of witch that can do this.... and conveniently this type of witch too.... oh ya, and this witch can do this...". This may have been done to elicit more surprise from readers, but I just found that it made it hard to put myself in the character's shoes when I don't know what different potential threats there are until it's too late. Overall it had a really rocky start but pulled through in the end as being decent. It ended with a great cliffhanger but since most of the book felt distant, I don't think I'll continue on with this series when the next book comes out in January. P.S. two other people in my book club who have recently finished the book loved it and are going to continue on with the series. Rating: 2.5 Stars Let me know that you rated Truthwitch, in the comments below!
What's your most anticipated summer read?
Synopsis: SHHHH! Don't spread the word! Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island. You do NOT want to miss it. It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury. But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine. Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine? Review: Meh. I went into this book with absolutely no expectations and finished the book feeling good about it, but not amazing. First off (this has been driving me crazy), the island on the cover of the book is way way way too small to be the Henry Island, the book's main setting (sorry, I know that really isn't a big deal). All I can call this is a murder mystery book, I wouldn't go as far to say that this is a thriller, though it is suspenseful since the characters fear which among them will die next. I generally scare really easily, but I didn't feel the least bit scared reading this, I felt more like a detective trying to solve the case before the main characters. Now the characters of the book are pretty basic, following the characters tropes of the popular girl, the quiet friend, the beach bum, the jock, the control freak, the punk, the creepy ladies man, the big teddy bear, the solo singer and the boy toy. Despite the cliche quality to the characters, it was fun to watch their descent into madness or terror as they discover their life-threatening situation. The main "forbidden" romance struck me as a little petty and drawn out, but I still found myself rooting for them and loving them as a potential couple - I don't want to spoil too much though, but there's a lot of drama! The main mystery of the story revolves around discovering who the murderer is before everyone is killed. I found myself getting frustrated at the main character, Meg, who seemed much too oblivious to some clues that were right in front of her, which I saw as being very obvious evidence. Throughout the entire story, I thought that I had the murderer figured out (which bummed me out since I thought I easily knew how it would end), but it turned out that I didn't see the ending coming which was such a relief! This is an easy and quick read - it took me about six hours to read. It was thrilling enough to capture and hold my attention for the entire duration of the story making it a perfect book to read as a buffer between reading larger books. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for to solve a mystery and at the same time have an easy read. However if you're looking for a thriller or horror story, you won't necessarily find that here.
Rating: 3/5 Stars Let me know what you rated this in the comment below!
Synopsis: A strange and charming collection of hilariously absurd poetry, writing, and illustration from one of today's most popular young comedians... Review: So this wasn't as funny as I expected it to be but there were some hilarious poems and some really socially accurate ones. I was caught off guard by the mix of humorous and serious pieces, but it worked - i enjoy not knowing what to expect next. It's definitely worth a read if you're looking for something a little lighter to pick up! If you liked Bo's comedy show, you can expect to like his poem book too! Rating: 3/5 Stars Let me know what your rating for this is in the comments below!
!?!?WHO'S EXCITED?!?!
Scribbler's Cloud is a revamped version of the former BYOBook Reviews. My goal here was to make a more visually appealing blog and better organize my content. I also want to do more than just write book reviews, so I will also be doing book hauls, recommendations, lists, tags and original writing! So to get started, here's my first post of SHELFIES! Synopsis: Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once? In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing. Review: Better than the first book, but still just a cute contemporary (so by no means amazing). Starting off right where the last book left off, Jenny Han jumps right into the story! This was much more fast-paced than the first book which made it a little more intriguing. Lara Jean's character development also made this story more intriguing as she ever-so-slightly becomes more outgoing and gutsy. The one story element I didn't like was the ending though! It's made childishly clear that the lesson of the story is that people in your life come and go - but I wish the ending focused more on an exciting plot!! Lara Jean didn't end up with who I wanted her to; I mean, it seemed so obvious that the other one was the right choice! C'mon Lara Jean! With all that said, this story continued to develop Lara Jean's cutesy, instagram-esque life which is what most of us love most about this book anyway. It makes you feel warm inside - like gooey cookies, pink ribbons and fluffy pajamas. Just be prepared for lots more baking! I can't say that I was disappointed, I can't say that I was wowed - it's pretty much just what you would expect the sequel to be. But, it's so short that it's totally worth finishing the series. Rating:
3.5/5 Stars REVIEW: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han1/10/2016 Synopsis: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all. Review: The first word that comes to mind when thinking about this book is COZY. The second word that comes to mind is CUTE. Just think: cupcakes, cashmere sweaters, and first loves. The best part about this book is the overall feel of it. It just leaves you feeling warm and happy - which in itself is reason enough to read it. The story, however, progressed a bit too slow, with many (seemingly filler) scenes of Lara Jean baking or waiting to be picked up for school. I'm almost at a loss of words as to how to describe this book. Just know that it's freaking adorable, the story is on the slow side but still very fun, and the romance is something very new and different from other YA romance stories. The lines between acting, love and lust are blurred, and Lara Jean's life is just something to fall in love with. This love triangle is actually really well done. I really didn't know which guy to ship, there was just so much history involved to be able to fall in love with one couple. The short chapters make this a really quick read. It really is the most relaxing book I've read to date. It's not the most thrilling, or the most complex story, but it doesn't need to be - it's a YA romance! Rating:
3.5/5 Stars Synopsis: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more--Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. Review: The synopsis does not do this book justice... You have a break-up, a massacre, a broken fleeing fleet, a murderous super computer, a zombie/psycho virus, and an epic space battle....in that order. It was so much more than I could have hoped for - and I had high expectations to start with! I was apprehensive about the unique formatting of the narrative, but quickly fell in love with it. Every page holds an new and unexpected development AND crazy visuals (The Scream anyone?) I really can't praise this book enough. Plot twists on top of the romance on top of a child dragging around a human heart...convinced yet. Amazingly, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff managed to make all of these elements work harmoniously and managed to create this beautiful in-depth world through crazy narrative formatting. Even though this book is 599 pages, you fly through it. It's fast-paced and most pages aren't flooded with words - i.e. the instant messaging or space battle pages. Even if you're not a fan of sci-fi or romance you will love this because you love awesome. The characters - on point. The "world" - perfect. The story - a crazy, wild ride with the best plot twists (the end OMG). EPIC. UNEXPECTED. INTRIGUING. BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED.... p.s. please release the next book asap. Thanks. Rating:
5/5 Stars Synopsis: Forgve us, Father, for we have sinned Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream. Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed. Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next. . . . In this chilling debut, Danielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us? Review: This is a great book to read when you're in between books. Its a fairly quick read, thrilling, and easy to follow. It's mindless (you don't have to think about it much) but really gives the feels. It's messed up, but I kind of liked it. Now, by no means does this have amazing writing or super complex characters. It's just not the type of book you look forward to reading all year long. There are very typed characters - the Jesus freak (reminds me of a more psychotic Marianne, from Easy A), her number one fan/wannabe best friend, the boldly stylish third, and the new girl. Very easy to grasp, right? That's the point. The characters and plot are so simple that it mainly relies on thrilling the reader into continuing on reading. This book may be a little hard to get into because the thrills don't really begin until Chapter 7 (page 86). From then on it's exorcism, torture, psychotic meltdowns and death. It's just so f***ing messed up and twisted that you can't help but read what happens next. this book was great for a fast read and a great thrill. You'll definitely finish the book saying "wtf did I just read" - in a time-killing, entertaining way. The only thing I was let down about was the insa-romance. It was there for a couple pages here and there, but it really didn't contribute much to the story and it never developed. It was there one second then it was...gone?...Put way way in the background? It just seemed out of place. If you can't handle blood, delusional psychopaths, bodily mutilation, and *cough* pealing off fingernails *cough*, or you scare easily, I would not recommend this. But, if you're in between books, have a busy schedule, or just need a gripping book to get you out of a slump, I would recommend this. Just make sure you do get past the first 80 or so pages - it gets 100x more exciting. Rating:
3.5/5 Stars Synopsis: Combined for the first time here are Maus I: A Survivor's Tale and Maus II - the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler's Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival - and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. A contemporary classic of immeasurable significance. Review: In terms of overall enjoyment, it's not the most emotionally crippling holocaust narrative out there, but it does a wonderful job of framing the holocaust in an alternative form while making it an incredibly realistic feeling story. As a generalization, this is a holocaust story told through a graphic novel directed towards an adult audience. So, yes, my expectations were pretty low going into the first book. I was happily surprised. The story is narrated by Art Speigleman as a character in the story who has his elderly father tell him his Auschwitz survival story in order for "Artie" to write this graphic novel. Get it? It's super self-reflexive which makes it seem so real! Spiegleman seems to go above and beyond to portray this particular holocaust story in it's true light. He shows how the entire story is a series of recollected events, only ONE side of the story, and shows us examples of how his father can stretch the truth sometimes. It's a big warning saying "this is his story, but take the details with a big grain of salt". This is why it's so REAL. And this is why it's so intriguing. The story jumps from the present to the recollected story to Art's father going off on random tangents. You really feel the tension and frustration between father and son, yet the underlying love. I can see why Art Spiegelman was worried about his readers thinking that he's speaking ill of the dead (his father is dead by the time the book is published), but I can see that he is just telling things like they were and not romanticizing it - which I love and commend. As I said, overall, I liked the graphic novels well enough. I wasn't dying to read on nor was I dying to put it down. I have read lots of more heart-wrenching and dramatic novels which feed off of readers' emotions, and this is not one of those stories. It was more so just an interesting and alternative way of speaking about the holocaust. Not to mentions the drawings were just 'meh'. It took me a while to get used to the drawing style - black and white, rough, sometimes hard to tell characters apart.... but I ended up being alright with it. I just see the rough-style drawings as a reflection of the harshness of the holocaust. In that sense, the visuals are perfect, but in terms of overall enjoyment, they weren't super intriguing to look at. Overall 3/5 stars. I had to take away two stars based on my overall enjoyment and the visuals, but I'm keeping 3 stars again based on my overall enjoyment and the self-reflexive and symbolism found in the narrative. If your interested in holocaust literature, check this out! It's a great alternative way to look at the past, not to mention a huge time commitment - it's just two graphic novels. Rating:
3/5 Stars Synopsis: Watts is smoldering in ruins-and the cops are on Easy Rawlins's doorstep. Easy expects the worst, as usual. But, incredibly, they're asking for his help. A redheaded woman known as Little Scarlet had sheltered a man during the riots. Witnesses later saw him fleeing her building; not long after, Little Scarlet was found viciously murdered. Now, with his old friend Mouse at his side, Easy follows the case's single clue across Los Angeles. The missing man is the key, but he's only the beginning. Hidden in the heart of the city is a killer whose red-hot rage is as fierce as the fires that rocked L.A. Review: Little Scarlet is a beautifully candid piece of work. Walter Mosley has created a story that describes not only the riots and events associated with the Watts Rebellion, but also the emotional and mental effects of the uprising while taking the reader on a thrilling journey with a murder mystery. Easy Rawlins is completely brought to life in all of his imperfect gloriousness. He is a complex protagonist who evolves as he struggles through the stress of the uprising, causing morality issues surrounding love, lust, new-found power, and death. The emotional trauma caused by the death of 'Little Scarlet'only amplifies as the case progresses. It really can't be stressed enough how raw this novel is, making it something you just can't put down. From the main case to the smallest details, everything written by Mr. Mosley only enhances the experience. Whether you are a lover of epic fantasy, contemporary romance or even horror, Walter Mosley will make you fall in love with his novel. *This novel can be read as a standalone (as I read it), or as Book #9 in the "Easy Rawlins" series.* Rating:
4.5/5 Stars |
WelcomeHey everyone, my name is Amy and this is my reading and writing blog. Look out for book reviews, hauls, recommendations and original writing! xo Archives
October 2016
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