Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

ISBN: 9780525478812
Source: Gift
Series: No, stand-alone
Release Date: January 1, 2012
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SYNOPSIS:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

     REVIEW:

After reading this book, I put off writing a review for it as long as possible. I was, and still am, unsure about how I can review a book that has this kind of reputation already... TFIOS has pretty much pegged John Green as a writing god who can do no wrong, and the hype has pegged this book as nearly perfect. But I (don't kill me) don't fully agree with those statements. Don't get me wrong, I really did like this book. I liked the main characters well enough (mainly Hazel) in that showed so much growth and they were pretty funny.

My problem with this book begins with the fact that, while I enjoyed the love story, I wasn't downright swooning over it or anything. At times, the plot turned out to be a little more convenient (Amsterdam.. ahem..) than what I find acceptable. The rest of my issues lie in the dialogue of the main characters. I think Green tried a little too hard to give us smart, sophisticated, witty characters and kind of lost their teenager-ish charm in the process. It just seemed like he was trying too hard to make the book be considered "profound (this is a word used by critics to describe many of Green's novels)" that I couldn't just enjoy it for what it was. The stiffness of the dialogue at times kind of ruined it for me. I like to think that I am pretty smart but there were times that I couldn't figure out what the hell Gus and Hazel were even talking about. Maybe that was the point? Maybe I'm just not up to that level where I can appreciate the witty banter and know what is going on? I don't know, maybe both, but I just found it stuffy and pretentious at times. It seemed like John Green had inhabited the bodies of two teenagers and was having a conversation with himself.

It's for those reasons that I can't figure out why people are going bananas over the book. I definitely tacked on an extra 1/2 star because the book made me cry like a baby (this is just a general rule for me), but I cry over pretty much anything, so I guess that doesn't even really count.

     RATING: ★★★★

All in all, I really did enjoy the book but I felt detached from a lot of the conversations that seemed more geared toward making me think about life and the universe than helping me connect with the characters. I find that when I do connect with the characters and a story, I end up thinking about life and the universe all on my own without it being shoved in my face, ya know? I guess what it really comes down to is that I felt like an idiot reading some of it, whereas (I am guessing) the point was to spark an epiphany in me, like, "ohhh, that's what life is really all about," or something, but it didn't.

Anyone out there agree with me? Or do you think  it was amazing and profound and think I'm a dunce because I can't understand the prolific nature of this novel? Cause that's kind of how I feel already after reading this, so go easy on me! Really, though - what did you think of this book overall?

A.

Review: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9781423103349
Source: Purchased (re-read)
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2
Release Date: April 1, 2006
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See my reviews for previous books in this series

     SYNOPSIS

Percy Jackson’s seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy’s friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.

     REVIEW

There isn't much that I have to say about this book (or this series, for that matter) that hasn't already been said. I enjoyed Sea of Monsters even more than I did The Lightning Thief even though it was almost 100 pages shorter. It was definitely a bit slow at the beginning but after reading the first two (and subsequently the entire series as I'm writing this review), I've learned that all of the books save for the last one start off slow, some slower than others.

The action scenes are better the second time around and it was fun to read, not to mention Riordan's sarcasm being manifested through his characters which is hysterical as always. I especially loved seeing the groundwork being laid out for Percy and Annabeth's relationship. They are still young in Sea of Monsters but you can see how much they like and respect each other and it's adorable!

I don't think any of these books are quite mindblowing because they are so geared toward a younger audience which is very apparent in the writing, but I love being a part of this world and I especially love revisiting Greek mythology in a fun way because I absolutely love mythology!

RATING:★★★★

Sea of Monsters was such a fun, easy ready. It was silly and sarcastic which are my favorite but our heroes are still tested to show what they are made of! The movie was released on DVD recently, which I saw and actually kind of liked! I really hope they make the rest of the series too!

Have you read Sea of Monsters yet? What did you think of it compared to the first book (and the rest of the series)? Tell me what you think!

A.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

ISBN: 9780062024039
Source: Purchased (re-read)
Series: Divergent #1
Release Date: April 25, 2011
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SYNOPSIS:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

     REVIEW:

Let me start by telling you a story: I read this book years ago (about 3 years) when it first came out, and I remembering enjoying it a lot. At the time, I'd wanted the next book to be released pretty badly and when it finally was released about a year later, I went out and bought it. Unfortunately, in my unorganized, non-blogger mind at that point, I had completely lost interest in the series other than in theory, couldn't remember anything that was going on, and for whatever reason, didn't realize that a re-read of Divergent would have been warranted at that time. So I DNF'd Insurgent and told myself it must've been because I never cared for Divergent to begin with and because Insurgent was boring (yikes.. I was harsh back then).

Fast forward 2+ years, Allegiant was set to release, and the world was in a frenzy. My cousin, wondering what all said hype was about, asked me my opinion, which she trusted and normally followed. I basically told her: "meh", and sent her on her way to do with my opinion what she pleased. Pretty much, she promptly disregarded it and proceeded to read (and love) the entire series. She then tried to convince me that I needed to give it another try. It was at this point that I read a MAJOR spoiler for Allegiant, and, needless to say, my reaction at first was, "um, no, but thanks." Then I remembered it was being made into a movie, and the movie allure always draws me in - what can I say? I'm a sucker for movie adaptations. So I resolved to give them a try "eventually"... like closer to the release date or something. I'm sure you can see how committed I was to this task at the time, haha.

Soon, the hype for the movie really sucked me in and I decided to read the books about a month earlier than the release date. I will not give you my opinions on Insurgent and Allegiant here since I plan on reviewing those also over the next two weeks. But I will tell you what I thought about Divergent. My first instinct several years ago was right - I enjoyed it, and it was a good book.

I remembered the basic story line to Divergent from the last time but I'd forgotten enough for it to still keep my interest and keep me intrigued. I love the idea of the factions and the concept is really original despite some similarities to other popular books in the genre. I wish the series were longer to expand more on everything in this awesome world.

The first time reading, I remember feeling a little underwhelmed by Tris and Four's fledgling romance, and this time around I was, too. I enjoyed them both as separate characters but until the last quarter of the book, I thought their interactions were awkward and not pulled off very well. They sort of just hop right into being together at one point and I was left kind of wondering how it even built up to that and what had I missed?

I also thought Tris's reaction to all the crazy Dauntless crap going on was a little hard to believe. She was raised Abnegation! There is no way she could honestly feel disgusted by someone crying themselves to sleep at night during that initiation. Uncomfortable? Yes. Annoyed? Maybe, so. Disgusted? Okay, now I'm calling your bluff, chick. I found Tris to be a strong character, and I really did grow to like her when she started acting like herself, not like she needed to prove to everyone else that she was truly no longer Abnegation, but now Dauntless. I loved her best when she was being brave, selfless, smart, etc. Basically when she was embracing her divergence, haha.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this story and the potential it held for the rest of the series, though I was quite nervous going into Insurgent because I DNF'd it the first time I'd tried to read it (don't worry, I'll be posting a review all about that experience too!).

     RATING: ★★★★ 1/2

I'm extremely excited to talk about this book with everyone! In retrospect, after having read all the books by this time, I think I especially love Divergent now because it means so much more. I really wanted to re-read the books to go back and study the first two books in the context of the third, but I'm not emotionally ready to handle that right now, haha.

I am also ridiculously excited for the movie which is being released in about three weeks. I will most definitely be one of the crazies at the midnight showing - I cannot wait!
What did you think of Divergent (please leave any spoilers for the other books out of this discussion..)? I really did enjoy it and I loved getting to know Tris and Four, and Christina (who is one of my favorite characters!) and friends, and exploring the world through Roth's world-building. Are you planning to see the movie?

Also - what faction do you think you would be in? This is a question that has always bested me and I really would love to know if you all have answers for it or not. I can't decide if I'd be in Abnegation or Erudite. Probably Erudite because I really am quite selfish most of the time, so I don't know if I could handle Abnegation as a lifestyle. I wonder about Amity sometimes... though I probably could not be that happy and calm all the time. Definitely not Candor either, yikes! What do you think?

A.

Stacking the Shelves [1]

Hi! This is my first ever STS and I'm really excited to share the books I just bought with you all:

As you can see, I went on a little shopping spree! :)

Purchases:

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

and I also purchased an e-book:

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

eARCs:

I finally was approved for

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares, which I am SO excited about! :)

I'm so pumped about my haul this week! Have you read any of these yet? What did you think! What did you get this week!?

A.

Review: A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

ISBN: 9780553579901
Source: Purchased (e-book)
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire #2
Release Date: November 16, 1998
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See other posts for this series
*This review may contain spoilers for the first book in the series*

     SYNOPSIS:

A comet the colour of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk at night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

     REVIEW:

To refresh my memory of A Game of Thrones, I re-read my review of that book and ended up kind of laughing at myself over it. In one of my closing paragraphs I said, "So if the next book is slow to some, it probably wont be to me...". Seriously, I said that. Apparently I underestimated Martin's ability to dig DEEP into this world. So, for the record: this book seemed slow to some. It was also slow for me.

That's not to say I didn't like or enjoy this book, because I did. There were some parts that I didn't enjoy reading, mainly because they were long and incredibly tedious, and to be completely honest, impossible for me to understand. For example, there is one entire chapter that is supposed to be describing a particular battle, but it is told from the point of view of someone on a ship. So this person goes on to talk about many, many ships, by name, and in the jargon of someone familiar with ships altogether. I, however, am not familiar with ships at all. So, while I read it and just barely managed to understand what was happening (for the most part), I was incredibly bored by the "ship-talk" because it went on foreverrrr.

I thought that because I didn't remember some of the minute details from season two of the show, it would be especially cool to read the book (such as it was with book one-season one) and have it answer some of the questions about things I couldn't quite grasp, e.g. Bran's little excursions into the brain of his wolf and who the hell Meera and Jojen were! While it did answer many, many questions that I had, I still had a hard time getting through this one. In fact, it took me an entire six months to finish reading this book. It was especially hard because by the second book, we have so many story lines going that by the time you get back around to reading a story line that began seven chapters ago, you've kind of forgotten what even happened before, especially if you had a hard time getting into that story line to begin with. Make sense?

I was told by many that this book was going to be one of the hardest and that it really served to connect books one and three. While I haven't read book three yet, based on what I saw of season three, I believe those statements wholeheartedly. I believe I am going to enjoy A Storm of Swords a lot more than I did A Clash of Kings.

The A Clash of Kings started to get more interesting around the 80% mark (I read these on my iPad because they are so long, and a book that big just won't fit in my purse with all the others), and I was able to sail right through the end while finally rekindling my eagerness to read this series. What I love most about this series - aside from the fact that I have never read a series as in-depth, fleshed out, well written, amazing, and GAHHHH - is that I find myself loving characters I know I should hate, or being annoyed at characters I know I should like. There is never a clear cut definition of "good and bad" in this series. A Song of Ice and Fire is one big gray area and honestly, I don't even know who to "root" for or if I can root for anyone. I'm basically content to sit back and watch it all unfold and though I know some of it will kill me (I speak from experience of watching the last few episodes of season three), I am ready because I know Martin won't steer us wrong... I hope. He should just keep writing until he runs out of material for this world. I say this because I have deemed it impossible to run out of anything for this world and that means he will have to write forever.

     RATING: ★★★ 1/2

All in all, I did find this book to be a lot slower and much harder to get through than the first book. It was long and tedious, but the world-building and development of this saga was wild. It's hard not to be in awe of it all and even if I didn't love this one, I am so looking forward to reading book three, A Storm of Swords, and genuinely hoping it doesn't take me six months to read that one.

Have you read A Clash of Kings? What did you think of it? Did you think it was long and tedious or did you enjoy every bit of the world building and development packed into that 700+ page book? Let's talk books!

A.