Review of These Broken Stars

Hello again, back for another book review.

These Broken Stars promised me a wild space adventure with high stakes and, generally, the types of things you would expect from a YA dystopian (corrupt government, advanced technology, etc). I was disappointed. Unlike many of my favourite dystopians such as Hunger Games and Legend, this book lacked the excitement I was looking for. The whole plot can basically be summarised by one word: Titanic.

I will not insult your intelligence by retelling the Titanic/book's storyline. The main deviation is that the crash happens early and then turns into a little adventure on an unknown planet until help arrives. I try to read books generously and I will admit that it was an alright way to spend an evening, but it did not challenge my worldview or surprise me in any amazing way. It was a romance with a bit of sci-fi thrown in. The characters Lilac and Tarver were futuristic versions of Rose and Jack. If you prefer romance to dominate a storyline then this may be the perfect book for you, I just expected different.

Best parts: the title is perfect. The cover is pretty. One book down for my Goodreads challenge. In conclusion, I gave this a 3 star rating on Goodreads. So what book are you reading this Easter? Leave it in the comments. Ciao!

Review of The Distance Between Us

Hey guys! Welcome to another little book review of The Distance Between Us by Kasie West (click here to see Goodreads). Sorry I haven't blogged in a while because apparently law school means a lot more textbook than novel reading. Sigh.

I read this in about 3 sittings because it is one of those books that just makes you feel happy and alright with how life is playing out for you. It is the story of Caymen Meyers who works in a doll-shop in a town of rich people while not actually being rich. Her mum's experience with Caymen's father has taught her one thing: rich boys are trouble. Lucky for us, trouble strolls in, all arrogant and handsome by the name of Xander Spence. This is a slightly Cinderella story with a very cute prince, a lot of hilarious characters and a whole bunch of awwwwwww.

The story-line is quite straightforward and is fast-paced. This is one of the main reasons I got hooked so easily, that and the aforementioned awwwwwwws. It is perfect for a light read with a bit of humour, a bit of unbelievable things that we all wish could happen to us and a crisp ending. It felt finished, I had fun and I could forget about how hard life actually was for a while.

Like Sarah Dessen, the author chose to introduce some depth into the story through the college dilemmas of someone who can't afford it and a single-parent family struggling to make ends meet. It was by no means a Dessen masterpiece but this book was a solid effort. I had a little bit of issue with the ending but, you've got to be expecting a little bit of corniness.

All in all, this was a light-hearted read which is great for unwinding after a long and hard day. I gave this book a 4 star rating because it made me awwwwwww. Let me know if you've read it and how you're going on the Goodreads Challenge (I am failing miserably >.< ) Ciao

Favourite quote:
"Caymen."
Please don't turn it into a nickname.
"Good to meet you. Caymen."
Five points.

Review of A Tale of Two Cities

I've been reading this book for quite a while now as some of you may know (it was getting quite stale on my Goodreads shelf) and today I will tell you why, also why I will reread this at some point in the future.

Reading at the beach. I am a nerd.

A Tale of Two Cities has a small cast of characters, the most famous of which you clockwork princess fans out there will recognize as Sydney Carton. Pretty much, it starts with a slightly mentally ill prisoner known as Doctor Manette who has been imprisoned in the Bastille for political reasons. He is released by the caretaker of his estate, Mr Lorry the banker and his young daughter Lucie. A few years later these three are witnesses to a political conspiracy with a man called Charles Darnay. His lawyer is Sydney Carton. During the trial, everyone falls in love with Lucie- as you would expect- and she ends up getting married *no spoilers as to who.* They live a quiet life until the French Revolution when Charles Darnay is again accused of treason, this time to the new Republic of France and the doctor's mental trauma from his years in the Bastille begins to resurface.

Previously I hadn't flirted with Dickens although I had assumed he was an amazing writer, why else would he have lasted so long? I was blown away by the rhythm and movement of his work. There was a beautiful line on every second page. The imagery of for instance Madame Defarge and the Vengeance strangling enemies with their knitting lingered. Closer to the end when we see all the ladies in court knitting during the beheadings, Dickens paired the knitting with the horror. A row of stitches. 52 heads.

I really struggled getting through this book not only because of the subject matter -tragic and bloody- but also because of the length. Not much seemed to happen in each chapter and each were quite long. Also, I never really connected with Lucie or Charles nor with their love story. The character formation was lacking for me especially as I am so used to seeing much stronger and central female characters.

The satisfaction I got from finishing this book though was monumental. This has taken me almost as long as Game of Thrones, I feel like my vocabulary and reading skills have really been developed and I really challenged myself to read something outside my comfort zone. Additionally, the ending was absolutely incredibly done. I take my hat off to Dickens for tying up all the loose ends, even some introduced pretty late in the plot. It was like he had been painting something bit by bit and only at the end did he show you the big picture. Storytelling at its best. Bravo good sir.


Favourite quote:
"O you will let me hold your brave hand, stranger?"

Let me know what you think of Dickens and any other book recommendations. Ciao!

Review of Winger by Andrew Smith

Hey there! You look super nice today - nicer than usual I mean. Welcome back to another book review, my last before starting university. The attention battle between textbooks vs novels will soon recommence. Let's get into reviewing. 

This is also a dang good cover too btw.

My first though as I finished this book was, 'Quick, write what you're feeling,' and the next few minutes I stared at a blank page. Pretty much, I didn't know what to feel about what just happened which, I guess, was the point. More on the ending later though.

Winger tells the story of a rugby playing, cartoon drawing, 14 year old boy who is struggling to 'not become an ass' under the influence of his new dorm mates. He is the youngest in the grade by 2 year and consistently tries proving self-worth to his teammates, his new friends and to his best friend Annie who has friend-zoned him to the max. Some standout characters included his stalker/perverted friend Seanie, the big-hearted Joey and of course the British rugby coach whose pleasant humour was emphasised by his 'Henry Higgins' accent.

I cannot adequately convey how funny this book was. The book was littered with cartoons Ryan Dean draws to relive moments, play out his weird nightmares or sexual fantasies. There were so many ridiculously hilarious situations -he's a male version of Mia Thermopolis really- and a lot of too-much-information alerts. Being a kind of girly-girl, it took a bit of convincing for me to truly immerse myself in the book. A few chapters in however, I was hooked. The gigantic presence of Ryan Dean as a narrator was the hero of the book for me.

And now we come to the end, which I don't really want to tell you about apart from the shell-shock numbness that washed over me. It was a great book. Truly. But I don't think I'll reread it any time soon for fear that I will notice things I over-looked the first time through. I do recommend you read this book if you like John Green. That means everyone :) 

Favourite quote:

"I shaved this morning, Joey. I had one whisker. Here Can you see it?"

I held my chin up and pointed. 

Joey leaned close and laughed.

"Yeah. Sure." And then he asked, "How was her place?"

"Incredible. I am so in love with her, Joey."

"I can see that, Ryan Dean. More than I can see that nonwhisker, that's for sure."

Leave me your thoughts on Winger and your book recommendations. Ciao!

Reviewing The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater has done it again folks. She just gave us her best book yet for us to wallow and weep about. Following The Raven Boys -the first of this quartet- Stiefvater's storytelling capabilities in The Dream Thieves have have escalated to magnificence.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it is set in Henrietta a town situated on energy or ley lines. These abnormal energy currents enhance general power but also psychic abilities. The series begins when previously failed psychic Blue sees a vision of a boy's death, Gansey's. Richard Gansey the third is no ordinary Raven Boy of the Aglionby Academy. He has made it his business to find a sleeping king in exchange for one wish, a king he believes has been using the ley-lines to live hundreds of years. The ley-lines are the thing that keeps Noah visible. The ley-lines are what brings Blue to the Raven boys. The ley-lines are connected to Adam now. The ley-lines are the cause of magic and the timeless forest and perhaps Ronan's curious ability to somehow steal things from his dreams. And of course, Ronan isn't the most dangerous person looking for magic in Henrietta.

There aren't enough words to express my deep love for this book. The idea is completely original and creative. Every twist and turn is surprising and wonderful. The Raven Boys and Blue are so well-developed.
 We hadn't seen this much of Ronan before and the narration captured his essence so perfectly. In terms of writing, this book exceeded my expectations. It was fantastical and humourous. Formal yet warm.

This book was raw emotion at times and adrenalin at others. There was the luxury of Raven Boys filled with the darkness of magic and things money can't buy. The two best parts of the book was Ronan's character development and the writing. I closed my eyes and I could see their world. I highly recommend this series as a suspense-filled and fantasy young adult series.


Favourite quote:
“While I'm gone," Gansey said, pausing, "dream me the world. Something new for every night.”

Review and discussion of She is Not Invisible

Beach bags are for book carrying  The only downside to beach-side reading, like so many other beach-side activities: sand. What's up? How are you? Thanks for joining me in this review/discussion of the book She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick.

Let's begin at the beginning. The book in question has the vaguest blurb ever but the cool cover was enough to convince me to give it a change. So the story is about 16 year old Laureth, her very clever 7 year old brother Benjamin and his fluffy raven Stan. They get on a New York bound plane to collect their father's notebook hoping that they will find him nearby. He's missing, their mum is away, they have a credit card, so why the hell not? This impromptu rescue mission would be crazy enough without the added difficulty that Laureth is blind.

This book was funny, disorienting, immersive and fascinating. The added little mystery/code at the end really drives the point home. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. Let me know if you have read any Sedgwick. If you are intrigued by this review, please go ahead and read it.

A Spoiler-free Discussion

There are quite a few discussion-worthy happenings in the book. Mostly the coincidence phenomenon. I found it fascinating, the mathematical studies, the true coincidence surrounding Edgar Allen Poe. Lastly, how math, as often happens misses the human element of some things. (Corroborated in An Abundance of Katherines by John Green).

I'll give you an example of coincidence. The day I finished this book about coincidence, I went home and caught up on some Youtube. On the Shaytards daily vlog, Shay was discussing a big coincidence that had happened to him. About a death of another Youtuber some years ago, how a few days before he retweeted a bible passage about being ready for death, and how it somehow came back to Shay when he met a friend of the deceased at church.

Coincidences make us look twice. The book constantly reiterates how they not only pay attention but they make us FEEL something. They make us feel confused and scared. They make us believe in something bigger than ourselves or maybe confirm something we already suspected. If they do nothing other than remind us to read more widely (as this particular coincidence did) or living each day like it's your last then I think they have fulfilled a purpose. Whether it is their actual purpose is still up for debate.

Don't forget to tell me what you think about the book or what you think about this coinky-dink business. Leave me your blog name and I'll be sure to check it out. Ciao

Beyond words, reviewing The Book Thief movie

I am a strong advocate for great Australian authors and boy am I proud to claim Marcus Zusack and his brilliant imagination as ours. The Book Thief is one of my all time favourite books. I read it in two sittings –an accomplishment as the novel is a literary mountain. My eyes were hurting from lack of sleep and a constant stream of tears. Despite the sadness in the book, the unfairness of it all, I truly believe it to be a, “life affirming story,” as my little flyer said.

I’ve learnt over time to appreciate novels and movies as separate entities. With this in mind I had fun experiencing the story cinematically. There’s always an odd moment where you realise that what you are seeing is exactly what you thought you would see, a strange feeling of déjà vu overcame me as we entered Heaven Street and met Papa. Geoffrey Rush was incredible as was Emily Watson and our heroine, Sophie Nélisse.

There were so many beautiful cinematic moments such as the first look at the library. Liesel’s awe was a precious sight to behold. How the gold titles reflected in her eyes. Hans’ nickname for Liesel, “your Majesty,” melted my heart. The indoor snow fight complete with buckets for helmets and barracks was hilarious. Last but not least, our last look into the book thief’s life before the screen turns black *sigh* I knew the voice of Death, colours and faces would be forever burned into my memory.

My only critique was with the narration. Don’t get me wrong, I loved how direct narration was used sparingly –we all remember the Great Gatsby’s disaster narration, I felt like I waded through an entire book reading- but the voice of Death was not what I imagined, or liked. He was too polished, perfect. Not at all old, gravelly or sinister. It bothered me the whole time and I know I wasn’t the only one.

All in all, this was worth watching and I know it will grace my movie collection when released. Where were all the award nominations? But just a note, wear water-proof mascara and bring tissues. A whole box. To watch the trailer click here.

Let me know your thoughts. Was I too harsh on Death? Did you like the adaptation? Do you think it affirms life as such? I will definitely be responding to your comments J Ciao!

Review of 'The Moon and More' by Sarah Dessen

I got this book for Christmas and I was so pumped to read it. Lying in the sun with a book is my favourite holiday activity, handy really. The Moon and More lived up to my high expectations. There was romance, awkwardness, future talk and then, clarity. The sort of clarity you get after demarcation. Currently stuck in the limbo between high school and college myself, I found Emaline’s story empowering.

As always, Dessen’s characterisation was the hero of a beautiful dish. Emaline was awesomely kick-ass. Theo was hilarious. Benji was super duper cute. Morris, ah Morris. Every character was flawed and perfect, the relationships between them were dynamic and authentic. They make you laugh and empathise, all the things that characters should do.

Should I mention the crossovers? Crossovers are a notable part of Dessens work; although her novels are standalones, Colby is the hub of so many stories. Sarah Dessen is pretty much fuelling my obsession. The crossovers with Along for the Ride and Last Chance made me squeal. It was like seeing old friends for the first time in years, a phenomenon only a true booklover will understand.

The quote, “I will give you the moon and more,” resonates as Emaline is presented with a murky future. Should she pine for Columbia or be happy with her local college? Should she be aiming higher, or in a different direction? The concept was clear throughout and led to a really satisfying end.

Have I convinced you yet? Go read this book, discover Colby. Be happy.

Favourite quote:

“The mistakes you make now count. Not for everything, and not forever. But they do matter, and they shape you.”

First book of 2014. Done.

2013 in Review Tag (Part 1)

To herald the new year I have decided to make a long list of Bests. From best wake up to bonding experience, this will give a short summary on what has been a very long year. I hope you enjoy my reflections and post a comment or link me your response of the “2013 in review tag” which I have just made up right here, right now.

Best year 12 memory

My principal went to Italy and bought a picture book in Italian. She asked me to translate it into English and I said I would. One month later and just before an exam I rush to the office to drop it off. I hand it over and tell her how I organised it and she starts crying. “I really need to go to my exam now,” is how I responded to this sweet and unexpected outburst.

Best inspirational speaker

As a year 12 prefect, I went to a couple of conferences and events about leadership and service. Out of the blue at a Catholic school conference we had a keynote by Li Cunxin, the author of biography Moa’s Last Dancer. This biography begins when Cunxin is first chosen to begin ballerina training, his emigration of China to the U.S. and the dictatorial forces at work. I had seen the movie and heard about the book but it was completely different for the actual person to tell me. I admired his openness in sharing his struggles, some so extreme, cringe-worthy and heart-breaking that I saw many students pulling out tissues. I highly recommend the book and movie. Cunxin has changed my perspective on life for the better.

Best bonding experience

Sometimes the strongest bonds are made by accident. My friend was drunk, got into a fight and I helped her get out and looked after her. It was a vulnerable moment and although we don’t discuss it, I know that she knows I’ve got her back.

Best accomplishment

My hard work really paid off at awards night. Standing up on the stage as one of the Dux prize runner ups, I couldn’t believe what I had accomplished. Although I didn’t win, everyone told me afterwards that I had the biggest smile of the girls standing with me.

Best compliment

As a part-time scholarship I did two university subjects on creative writing and my tutor said that he loved my story. He said it was very much magical realism (which I intended) and compared me to a famous author (who I hadn’t intended but googled him later and felt very pleased about).

Best conversations

This is a difficult one but I will have to say my political/legal discussions with my friend Alex. Despite our lack of homework completion, we always had heaps to say on the subject and made the effort to dig deeper into the issues. Our discussion on saviour siblings for instance went for a good two days in classes, between classes and online.

Best phone calls

This is one of the things I will never forget about senior year: math is the only subject you MUST study for. If I had 3 subjects to do and only had time for 1, it would always be math because seriously... that stuff’s hard. Why on earth would you want to divide that? Where are they making this up? Why doesn’t  X just find itself? The best phone calls I ever had were the 2 hour math marathons with Georgie where it was dead silent on both ends until we finish the problem. “Did you get 93?” “Yeah I did.” “Cool. Moving on to chapter 9H, problem solving.”

Best Youtuber

I got very into the Youtube this year which was especially difficult during exam time. My favourite Youtuber is Dailygrace because she never fails to make me laugh.

Best OTP

Zalfie. They were so cute in Vlogmas.

Best Youtube series

The Lizzie Bennett Diaries are a phenomenal take on Pride & Prejudice. It was a brilliantly interactive, creative and addictive series. Emma Approved is also really kicking off now.

Best item of clothing

My green, paisley patterned dress. I love it, have worn it everywhere and wish to be buried in it.

*End of Part 1*

Remember to comment and post a response to one or multiple questions. I will upload the other half of the list as my next post. Ciao!

How to cry your eyes out- Allegiant book discussion

I’ve tried writing this several times now. But to be honest, I really don’t know what to feel. I may as well start from the beginning...

About a year ago I first read Divergent and Insurgent. Fast-paced and intriguing, it tells the story a Tris who makes the choice to change factions, jumps off buildings, falls in love with a boy of four fears, shoots guns, reveals government conspiracies and searches for some sort of truth. The highly anticipated conclusion to this dystopia increased on the release of the Divergent movie trailer. There was a lot of squeeling when I first saw the book on the shelves. Literally, squealing and skipping towards it in Target.

Brief combined reviews of Divergent and Insurgent:

 In Chicago, the government is controlled by members of factions. Factions divide the citizens into groups who have certain mental and moral structures. For instance, members of Abnegation- Tris’ original faction- dress in grey and are in charge of helping the city’s homeless as they prize selflessness. There are also other factions such as of knowledge and bravery. A person’s faction is usually inherited from their parents however when a person turns 16, an aptitude test reveals to which one they belong and a choosing ceremony forges their future. Tris’ examination reveals an anomaly, that she could belong to more than one faction. Tris is Divergent. Special and dangerous to the government. She commences the Dauntless initiation- the faction of bravery and dare I say, psychosis- where she meets friends, enemies, knives, tattoo artists and a cast of terrifying and fascinating characters. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Tris’ journey continues in Insurgent as she deals with the aftermath of death, killing, deception and knowing the truth when you don’t really want to. The concept of how different characteristics war in us – the good and bad, selfish and selfless, brave and complacent- is consistent in all three books and makes for a fantastic message in the finale. If this sounds appealing then please stop here. You really don’t want to be spoiled on such a fantastic series. When you read the books, feel free to come back and discuss. Ciao...

Okay. They’re gone.

Allegiant Review and Discussion

The novel begins a little while after the Edith Prior revelation. The whole city is a controlled experiment. I’m glad that’s cleared up but this opens up a wave of new questions. What is beyond the fence? Is it time to send out the Divergent to complete their original ‘mission’? Will Evelyn let them? It becomes obvious that the city is in danger of another uprising, this time of the Allegiant – a new rebel group dedicated to preserving the factions, overtaking the factionless and going beyond the fence. Tris, Four, Christina, Uriah, Cara, Caleb, Peter, Tori and Johanna head out of the city. This is where it gets interesting (straggling spoiler seekers, please leave. It’s for your own good and the rest may not make much sense).

How to run a maze

I thought it time to reveal the extent of my nerdiness. I read this novel in 2 sittings...

James Dashner’s novel The Maze Runner just taught me how to run a maze. ‘If you want to run a maze,’ I imagine Dashner saying, ‘you run hard so you and the audience are out of breath. You need to make sure the maze is dangerous and exciting so the audience can know how scared they should be. You’ve got to lead them right to a Cliff and jump off.’ Dashner knows this is the only way to run mazes and boy have I enjoyed the ride.

The concept of The Maze Runner is incredible.  This man had a plan and executed it with stunning results. Thomas’ sudden appearance in a complex maze with no memory, no friends or escape ideas to speak of really thrilled me- I was just as confused as he was and just as curious. His interactions with the other Gladers –the inhabitants of the maze- were carefully constructed to pike interest but not give the ending away.

The Maze Runner, book 75 in my Goodreads challenge 2013

My favourite scene was Thomas’ first run in the maze. Dashner’s very visual writing style highlighted the maze’s eeriness and the mad dash from the monsters was easy to imagine. The big reveal of Thomas’ memories was diabolical.

The only thing that bothered me was a lack of subplot, a problem I found most annoying as various subplots had time and opportunity to develop. However, I have no doubt that Dashner will use The Maze Runner as strong foundation for the rest of the trilogy.

To wrap up, I gave The Maze Runner 4/5 stars on Goodreads and I will definitely read book 2. Fans of Maximum Ride, The Hunger Games, Virals and Harry Potter will love the mystery as well as the fresh voice of Thomas. Read it before the movie in 2014.

Ciao!