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.

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.

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.

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.

Hunger Games movie review

So after I read the book I watched it with my sister. As always when it comes to books being made in to films I tend to worry because it often happens that the story is not followed which ends up ruining it, well for me. It is understandable that it is difficult to make Panem realistic but they have. A lot of the props used are just right for the movie and the setting of the story.

However, just as my fears were, some parts in the book were not followed and to me they were very significant in the story such as the Mocking jay pin that was supposed to be given by Madge to Katniss during the visitation. Also the visit of Peeta's dad to Katniss. For me, they both had a significance such that they play a part in the upcoming events. In the book it made me wonder why his dad visited her and what part does the pin play in the story. It seems like such a huge deal for it to come from the mayor's daughter.

The scenes wherein Haymitch was supposed to give advice to them were also important because it showed a side of him that actually cares and knows what he is doing despite the initial appearance of his character being a drunk. Instead, the movie made him continuously look like a drunk and insufferable except for the scene when he went to get sponsors in order to send her an ointment for her burn.

Also the scenes that involve the planning of making Peeta and Katniss the star-crossed lovers from District 12. The theme of romance was not much played in the movie or at least I could not see it as much as I did in the book. They made Katniss look like she hardly cared about him the entire movie while in the book there was some feeling that was shown including the part when Peeta tells her when he started liking her. When his dad told him that he was supposed to marry her mum but she went off and married a miner. How Peeta knew from then that he had no chances with Katniss and then finds out that he does not have any competition. And also when Peeta finds out on their trip home that she's only been playing a part for him and he ends up feeling betrayed. These scenes help build up the tension not only in Peeta and Katniss's relationship but also Katniss's relationship with herself and to Gale. The confusion she had when he said they could leave the district and survive and be well off with what they have. The film failed to show this one aspect that affects Katniss.

One thing I did like the most in the film is the scene that they added when Rue died. I think it would have been great if it was mentioned in the book. It almost made me cry, or maybe I would have if I was not watching with my sister. It shows so much emotion and drama. It shows exactly what the people of Panem feel about the Hunger Games. However, this confuses me when I think further because I recall from the book with the upheaval of District 13 which is now obsolete might end up being the same fate for District 11's riot. It is a powerful scene and very moving. I hope it does not become a source of difficulty for Catching Fire.

It is only the riot of District 11 that was inspiring. But without the key scenes from the book being followed, the absence of the dialogue which are key to answering questions that arise in the beginning, presence and absence of characters also having roles in the story and help build it up, I can not like it more than how I do now. I might be choosy but it frustrates me when this happens and so this is all I think it deserves.

Hunger Games book review

At first I told myself when the film was soon to be out that if ever I desired to see it, I would read the book first. After much contemplation and convinced that I can actually like dystopia novels after reading Divergent I decided to start reading this book. I've been too excited and grown impatient to wait until I get the next book of the Divergent trilogy, Insurgent, that I thought in order not to lose my motivation in reading this genre I should continue reading books of the kind and so I thought this would suffice.

Turns out it did. It took me a maximum of 3 days to finish it, determined to find out what happens next. Very descriptive, including the emotions that I almost feel as if I am with the protagonist. However, I am also able to separate my thoughts from hers in some way I do not fully understand so in the end I'm reminded that it is a story that I am reading and that there is no real-life tv show that would make the young fight 'til one remains and is victorious with the killing of the other 23 tributes.

The story is amazing and very very much exciting. The vagueness of the rules make it much more difficult to resist anticipating the outcomes of the events. Romance is also a theme used but not so heavily. It is not the main theme but is also made significant by the author. It shows the wholehearted giving of one and the unsure return of feelings by the other. One, mostly I, can't help but fall for the romantic moments too.

I love the balance this book has on its themes of love (romantic + familial), bravery and courage, and credibility. There are more themes but these are what stood out for me.