The Fault In Our Stars book review (you may pick up on spoilers)

Yes I read it fast and I was definitely moved by the story. The transition from all the funny scenes to the saddest moments is smooth. I suppose you could call the love story of Hazel and Augusts unconventional but it is due to the circumstances they face. Hazel Grace is a 16 year old thyroid cancer patient with mets in her lungs and needs medical assistance for her breathing. She meets a funny and attractive boy named Augustus Waters who is a survivor cancer patient of osteosarcoma at the Support Group. He is the best friend of Isaac who later goes blind after his surgery. There aren't a lot of characters but they are the major characters that the story revolves around.

John Green has given us a story of young lovers in a war with cancer. The funny moments make me forget the fact that the characters are dying and when I do realize it I feel sad. It definitely isn't a difficult read and I can't wait to see the film. It is rare to find a film or a book about people who are dying and are making the best out of the time they have left. To be honest I was reluctant to read it just because of the fact that it's about teenagers who have cancer and to me cancer isn't my friend. But I was wrong not to try and as you can see I've fallen in love with this book. That is why I highly recommend it, you'll never know you actually might like it.

The most important theme I've picked up from this book is about relationships and how important these ties are. The best way for me to relay them is to show you some of the funny parts.

Hazel and her mom

Me: I refuse to attend Support Group.

Mom: One of the symptoms of depression is disinterest in activities.

Me: Please just let me watch America's Next Top Model. It's an activity.

Mom: Television is a passitivity.

Me: Ugh, Mom, please.

Mom: Hazel, you're a teenager. You're not a little kid anymore. You need to make friends, get out of the house, and live your life.

Me: If you want me to be a teenager, don't send me to Support Group. Buy me a fake ID so I can go to clubs, drink vodka, and take pot.

Mom: You don't take pot, for starters.

Me: See, that's the kind of thing I'd know if you got me a fake ID. (p.7)

Gus and Hazel

G: Hazel Grace, it has been a real pleasure to make your acquaintance.

H: Ditto, Mr. Waters.

G: May I see you again?

H: Sure.

G: Tomorrow?

H: Patience, grasshopper. You don't want to seem overeager.

G: Right, that's why I said tomorrow. I want to see you again tonight. But I'm willing to wait all night and much of tomorrow.

H: You don't even know me. How about I call you when I finish this? (holding the book)

G: But you don't even have my phone number.

H: I strongly suspect you wrote it in the book.

G: And you say we don't know each other. (pp.36-7)

The best and touching moments are of course at the end of the book. It is during Gus's prefuneral and his letter to Van Houten about Hazel's eulogy.

Isaac's eulogy for Gus

...But I will say this: When the scientists of the future show up at my house with robot eyes and they tell me to try them on, I will tell the scientists to screw off, because I do not want to see a world without him. (p.258)

Hazel's eology for Gus

...I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful. (p.260)

Gus's letter to Van Houten

...People will say it's sad that she leaves a lesser scar, that fewer remember her, that she was loved deeply but not widely. But it's not sad, Van Houten. It's triumphant. It's heroic. Isn't that the real heroism? Like the doctors say: First, do no harm... (p.312)

The Infernal Devices #1: Clockwork Angel book review

This is the first book of The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare and is set in Victorian England. Tessa, a 16 year old girl moves from New York to London after her aunt passed away. She is unaware of what is waiting for her and who. She is faced with difficult decisions and facts to accept whether or not she likes it. Her struggle to find her brother, love issues between best friends and discovering her true identity. It is quite overwhelming for someone so young but that is the story of our protagonist.

It is a really great start introducing the heroine and a new world. Being a fan myself of stories about magic and victorian england, this book has definitely satisfied my craving for such. There is such a geat mix of characters and it's as if you have one of every kind.

Characters:

Tessa Gray as mentioned earlier is the protagonist of the story. She thinks at first that she's merely an ordinary girl who is moving with her brother to England. It is only when she arrives that her ability to shapeshift was to be used and she is to be trained by the Dark Sisters in preparation for her presentation to the Magister.

Charlotte Branwell is not only a Nephilim but the head of the Institute of the Clave in England. She may be young and small but she does have a big heart is persists on proving herself worthy of being chosen to lead.

Henry Branwell is also a Nephilim and Charlotte's husband. He is an inventor, however, his devices have yet to prove his capabilities as an inventor.

Will Herondale is the playboy who is desired by women the moment they see his angelic face. The typical characteristics of a hero he's got such as the body and the fighting skills. In essence he is an introvert but uses his sarcarsm and arrogance to shield himself from prying eyes/minds that want to attach themselves.

Jem Castairs is probably one of the kindest characters and although he does not have to-die-for features like Will, his personality is charm itself. But no one can be too perfect therefore his character is a sickly one who may be at the brink of death if he does not take enough dosage of drugs into his system.

Jessie Lovelace is the spoil brat who squanders the money left to her by her parents when they died. She has no interest in being a Shadowhunter although she is born into it. She isn't all bad because there are scenes that show her as an average human being with feelings other than the thrill of spending such that she can care for others. She wants to have normal life and not have to fight like a man like Charlotte does. She is similar to Will when she hides the part of her the can be kind.

Themes:

Love is almost never absent in the books that I read and this is no exception. At first we see our heroine with no partner at all to have to choose between best friends, Will and Jem. But it isn't only Tessa but Sophie as well who may not have realized what Thomas saw in her to be fond of her until she lost him to the clockworks. Charlotte and Henry have an interesting relationship because of the way they just work together. I'm not sure how much of their marriage is out of feelings and emotions and how much of it is just the pure benefit of it. Henry gets to use the lab while Charlotte gets to be the head of the house. There is also Tessa's love for her brother, Nate, which pushes her to find and rescue him from de Quincey.

Trust is delicate. It is difficult to earn but easily lost. Upon arriving in England, all Tessa wanted was to be with her brother and not beaten up by the Dark Sisters when she failed to change into whoever owned the object she held. Tessa could not trust anyone in the Dark Sisters' house to the point that she'd written letters for her brother but did not send them. Instead she hid them under her matress where no one would look. And then at the Institute with the Shadowhunters who she does not know and isn't sure that they are telling the truth about her and is skeptical whether they are to use her like the Dark Sisters did or not. The obvious trusts in the story is when Charlotte and Henry seek information thru Mortmain and Camille. Between the two, it is only Mortmain who broke the trust. Not only did he break his ties with the Clave but also to the Dark Sisters who he had Will and Jem fight off as a decoy and de Quincey by the Clave since they were of no use to him anymore.

When I was reading I thought I was learning new things and I like their explanations for example of how one becomes a vampire. According to the Codex, vampires and werewolves are humans infected with demon disease. At times I wish that I could have a copy of the Codex too so I that I can learn about the creatures in the story.

Overall it was a great read. I recently started thinking about why the author took such a long time to reveal the clockwork angel's power when Henry had already inspected it. He is a character who is unable to produce a functioning device but not someone who cannot understand the mechanism. But yes the author has her reasons and we can keep it at that for now.

Crossed book review

I think I was quite slow in finishing this book. I was still interested in the story but the second installment I found boring in some ways and kind of exciting in another and then annoying. 

The first discipline I had to learn was that when reading a story like this requires me think like the people that are situated there to understand why they feel the way they feel and why they do what they do. 

However, the love story which is highly emphasized was the boring part and I suppose that is the reason I got annoyed. Some scenes were touching like when Vick was talking about Laney at the canyon. The exciting one is the part about Xander's secret, which really intrigued me and surprise, surprise I could not figure it out until it was said in the story. 

I believe that there is a potential but at the moment it looks like a draft that has yet to be edited. I am still going to read Reached because I think that the trilogy still has something to offer because I haven't been totally put off by this book but the story is very interesting as well as the way Ally Condie makes her lovers work their way into loving each other freely.

Pandemonium Book Review

Pandemonium is the second book in the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver. We follow alternating scenes of Lena's present life back in the city and her life in the Wilds. The transition is well layed-out that it doesn't become irritating or confusing.

Knowing that Alex isn't around pose challenges for Lena to face on her own making her stronger as she decides to use his image as her source of motivation. We see her development from coming to Wilds weak from their escape to Lena pushing herself becoming tougher and more courageous.

Love is a theme that always creeps up on most stories, especially here. Even though Lena is trying to be psychically loyal to Alex, she can't help falling for Julian and Julian learns to love and accepts the 'disease'.

Pandemonium and Delirium are really different in terms of style, which is great in some ways but so far I haven't had a problem with this change and I haven't read a trilogy that follows such a style. It is definitely a thumbs up and I look forward to reading the next book.

Catch Up Challenge

I signed up for this challenge to keep my readings regular because in my opinion just like doing fitness and keeping up with a diet plan, someone or something that keeps me accountable for my routine motivates me not directly but it is at the back of my head and it somehow pushes me. Below is a list of books that have been on my shelves some for years and others are new that I would like to read (not necessarily in this order) completely this year.

• The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

• Crossed by Ally Condie

• Reached by Ally Condie

• Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

• Envy by Anna Godbersen

• Splendor by Anna Godbersen

• Van Allen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz

• Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz

• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (definitely before the movie comes out)

• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Matched book review

It is definitely unlike the other dystopian books I have read recently. Although the plot of having a government rule over everything that happens in your life, who you're paired with, what you eat, where you live, etc... Everyone thinks that they are safe and sound. However, compared to Delirium, which is another dystopian book that also controls who is partnered to who, the main character, Cassia Reyes finds out at the beginning who her match is. The story we follow is not how she falls in love per se but falls for someone who is not her match and is someone who should not have one according to their society. She struggles to keep everyone safe but in the long run she merely wants the freedom to choose and for everyone else to have the same liberty, she and her Romeo, Ky Markham must find a way to either convince their society or to rebel from it and fight for what is right. I'm not entirely sure whether I really like this book enough for me to declare it or recommend it but for some reason I do want to finish this trilogy perhaps because I want to know what happens in The Outer Provinces since Oria is too perfect to have a real adventure, which is probably why I am confused about how I really feel about the book.

The Scorch Trials Book Review

Just when they thought they were safe, there was more to come. There are unexplainable happenings and they come across uncooperative people that may or may not be trustworthy to begin with. The story continues from when the gladers have been rescued and Thomas has difficulty falling asleep. After waking up to seeing the victims of the Flare at the windows of their room they all panic and try to find a way out. Finding a way out has never been easy, just as the Maze wasn't. Finding their rescuers hanged in the dinning hall and then the mystery of Teresa disappearing only to find a boy named Aris in her room.

No Teresa and no idea how to get out are the initial problems of the gladers until they meet the rat-looking man from WICKED who tells them that they have to move on to the next stage of the experiment. To be honest, I am not sure how I really feel about the second book of the Maze Runner trilogy. There are more questions raised, more puzzling and more confusing. If there's anything James Dashner succeeded in this book is the expression of feeling frustrated. Through the most part of this book, I definitely felt just as annoyed as the characters about their situation hiding from the heat of the sun, finding a place to stay and keeping safe. I suppose the reason why I don't like it as much as the first is because there isn't much to learn about their surroundings and it always feels like there's only dead ends no matter how much further you go.

I am still interested in knowing what happens in the end because I am keen on learning the reason for the existence of WICKED. I want to know whether it really is good and just using the cruelest means possible or they're just plain bad.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner book review

This is truly an amazing book. It is the first in the trilogy preceding The Scorch Trials. It follows Thomas' story from waking in a box up to his and the Gladers' escape from the Maze. They all start out the same when they arrive. Their memories have been wiped out except for the basics like their name or how to walk. Thomas wants to satisfy his curiosity by pushing questions like that of why were they sent there? who sent them there? what are their ages? Unfortunately, not everything has an answer and as I've said earlier, their memories have been wiped. Everyone is left to figuring out how to get out of that place, however, a series of unfortunate events occur that end up pointing fingers at Thomas.

Thomas is one of the major characters in this trilogy. He is very inquisitive and finds it difficult to contain himself when his desire for information exceeds his need to shut up at certain times and/or just saying the wrong thing as a whole. He is braver as well as smarter than the rest of the Gladers. Despite being the second-to-the-last sent to the Glade, he reacts faster and manages to keep himself together far better than the others did when they were first brought into the Glade. He, along with Teresa, Newt, and Minho are somewhat the strategists in the story and find the escape route towards the Creators and to give them what they deserve.

Their desperation to leave the Maze is due to a couple of factors, the most important one being Hope. Hope that there is a way out even if it takes a long time to find that one exit. It is what driving-force them to continue with their lives by building a community-like life in the Maze by having systems/jobs to keep the Gladers busy. 

The second factor is that after Thomas had been sent by the Creators, everything changes like the day after he arrives they send another one, which everyone finds unusual because the Creators only send one every month. To make him look even more suspicious is that they sent a girl who at first the Gladers thought was dead and then suddenly startles everyone by waking up yelling "Everything will change" then back to unconsciousness. And of course, the heroic act of Thomas, outsmarting a Griever, a vile creature that kills anything in its way that is not of its kin, must not be forgotten because no one has ever survived in the Maze at night and yet not only did he survive it but managed to save Alby, the leader of the Glade who was at the point of death before the Grievers even arrived.

After The Ending has been triggered by Teressa, everything has been fast paced from then on. The sun disappears and the sky turns grey. The doors don't close, which means protection from the Grievers at night is lost. The Creators no longer sent food via the box. Everyone starts to hustle and bustle and so does the reader.

The language/dialect the author used is interesting. Such that the Gladers are speaking in English and yet they way they speak it is as if it were another and once again we start to learn how to speak the same way they do via Thomas when he tries to use it every once in a while.

It is a very exciting book and it has a lot to offer. There is always something happening even in silence and I find it almost impossible to let go of my copy to eat or the like. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who takes pleasure in reading adventure/action, dystopian, mystery books.

Fifty Shades of Grey book review

I admit, I didn't finish the book myself but I do know the ending and so I may or may not spoil this book to you readers who have not finished the book yet so go go go away from this page if you don't want to know what happens in the end yet or stay if you must because you're tired of waiting like I was. This is going to be quick, I think.

I thought at first that it was amusing at first because Ana is sexually inexperienced and her thoughts were just funny. But then it got exhausting and sometimes I just think that there's a lack of sense in my reading of this book. It becomes predictable later on and now I just find it plain boring. I don't know what the hullabaloos' about, why people are going crazy about this book but I am definitely not intending to just read about a confused girl who suddenly has a fetish for wild sex and whose inner thoughts just makes me confused and gives me a headache.

Here's the spoiler, which isn't even surprising in the end: Greyand Ana break up and guess what happens in the next 2 books, they get back together again and then break up. This is just a series of break ups and make ups and repetitive inner thoughts from Ana banana about how handsome and to-die-for Grey is. I regret not reading reviews of this book.

*For those who like this book, I apologise for giving the book a negative review but it's just not my cup of tea. For sure you don't completely agree with the rest of my reviews too so I hope you don't stop reading my blog just because of this.

Entwined book review

Alas! I have finished reading the book. I do not say this in such a manner that you would think I have been exhausted by it, rather it is  because of how little time I've actually had to read this. What with all the continuous walking around town and whatnot, which at the end of the day makes me tired leaving me to fall asleep. Nevertheless, I have finally finished it and it is remarkable. Heather Dixon's book, Entwined, is somewhat like a re-telling of the 12 Dancing Princesses. Here, it starts with the death of a loved one who passes an heirloom or the like to the main character and her journey begins from their. It is filled with magic and excitement. Love of course is a major theme as well as Family, and Trust.

The princesses are left in the castle during mourning while the King is away in the war. He left them in bad terms that they ended up disobeying the rules about dancing while mourning. It was not allowed in their kingdom but since they haven't been dancing in public and no one from the kingdom sees them, technically it wasn't a problem at all. However, this secret place lures them every single time they come to dance that it ends up becoming a place they regret coming.

Being a dancer myself I love how the author the author describes the dances mentioned in the story and how it is delivered by the characters. The images of skirts twisting when they turn or spin seems so real I want to do it myself and feel what their feeling. The emotions she describes when they dance is exactly how I feel whenever I succeed doing a dance step. I love ballroom dancing the most among all the dances I do. Some might think that the choreography is too simple or boring but reading from this book tells you otherwise. You suddenly feel the dances themselves the same way the lovers of princesses Azalea, Bramble, and Clover make you feel when they say or do something romantic. Although Lord Teddie didn't sound romantic but his funny ways of showing how much he fancied Bramble was more than enough for me to understand that they're a good match. Not to mention the villain of the story, Keeper or the High King, who was described to have a "chocolate voice", handsome, and was great at dancing. Initially, I had my doubts at the beginning. maybe it's because he was to perfect to begin with and there was something about his dialogue that made him suspicious. Later on his descriptions became more and more close to that of the High King. I put the pieces of the puzzle together, chapters before Azalea did. But she was exhausted already from all the tortures and pressures he gives her, and she has to assist 11 girls in their household so I'll give her that.

It is a very lovely book and I love the cover too. The time, place, characters, I adore. Best fairy tale story and since I haven't read the original version of the 12 Dancing Princesses I can't really make a comparison to say whether or not this was a better version. It's a great read and I recommend it to anyone who loves stories of Magic, Love, and Fairy Tales coming to life because you'll not want to put this book down once you've started.

My Summer Reading List

It's a long list but I've started and finished with some already but just to give a heads up on my agenda. So far I've read Divergent and Insurgent and made book reviews. Currently I'm reading Delirium which is somewhere in this list. What you'll find mostly here are dystopian novels. The order in which I listed the books do not reflect on which I attempt to finish first. I will make it a point to write a book review for every one that I finish. Some reviews might not be as insightful as others due to reasons I do not know yet why but it can happen.

• Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth

• Divergent

• Insurgent

• The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
• The Maze Runner

• The Scorch Trials

• Death Cure

• Delirium Series - Lauren Oliver

• Delirium

• Pandemonium

• The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins

• The Hunger Games

• Catching Fire

• Mocking Jay

• Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy - EL James

• Fifty Shades of Grey

• Fifty Shades Darker

• Fifty Shades Freed

• The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Michael Scott

• The Alchemyst

• The Magician

• The Sorceress

• The Necromancer

• The Warlock

• The Enchantress

• The Uglies Trilogy- Scott Westerfeld

• Uglies

• Pretties

• Specials

• Extras

Insurgent book review

Following Divergent, the story continues when Tris, Tobias, Caleb, Susanne, Marcus, and Peter are on their way to the Amity compound. The rest of the story leads to numerous obstacles and puzzling mysteries about the unknown that is beyond the fence. Tris and Tobias's relationship and Marcus's credibility are tested. Veronica Roth has ceased to fail bringing in suspense to the story, I know because I was craving for more every time I turned a page. I bet you can't imagine how I felt when I finished the book. There is not much repetition of locations, which is good because it is nice to see new places and what wonders they may have to offer our imagination. Insurgent has definitely kept up with the thrills from Divergent or possibly more.

Divergent book review

I absolutely could not separate from this book. It's like every second I'd have to continue reading. A definite must-read for those who are fans of dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games. In this series, the protagonist, Tris, lives in a society divided into 5 different factions; Amity, Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite. It is at the age of 16, in the choosing ceremony, that they will then select their choice of faction. Although it may seem that the choosing is difficult, it is the initiation process that makes it much more unbearable and yet as you continue to read, you get through it alongside the protagonist.

The narrative makes it easy to comprehend such that a second reading is not necessary. It also makes it much more exciting even if it is only told from one perspective. The mysteries and obstacles that Tris faces adds to the excitement of the reader. The links and connections from past to present makes the reader think outside Tris's train-of-thought. Even the pain that she feels almost seem real for the reader as the images are powerful and stirring. 

I haven't been a fan of Dystopian novels but now that I have read this, I can't stop looking for more. I'm looking forward to reading the next, Insurgent, as it is out already. After that, I don't know how long I can stand until the 3rd book comes out, Detergent.