Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

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Pages: 295
Published: March 2012
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Humor

Goodreads Synopsis...
Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight
 
Review...
This is a love it or hate it book. It all hinges on whether or not you find it funny. If you find it funny, it will be hilarious, and you will love it. If you dont find it funny, then you will be subjected to stupid barf jokes more than anyone should. I am without a doubt in the latter group.

Gregs humor is like listening to someone who isnt naturally funny, try their hardest to tell a joke. So you laugh politely, not knowing that they will cling to this encouragement. Will then declare themselves funny, and will never stop telling bad jokes. (lesson: do not laugh unless something is funny, it benefits no one)

The problem with me not finding this book funny, is that there is nothing else. No interesting storyline, no likeable characters. And not even a hint of some life lesson about cancer or growing up. Instead you get deeply unlikable characters, monologues about how awkward things can be, and ever present barf jokes.

The one redeemable thing I found about the book, was the protrayal of Greg. He is the most accurate and honest description of a teenage boy, I have ever seen.

3/5

Book Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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Pages: 254
Published: 1890
Genres: Classics, Horror, Literature

Goodreads Synopsis...
The tale of a youth whose features, year after year, retain the same appearance of innocent beauty while the shame of his abhorrent vices becomes mirrored on the features of his portrait.
 
Review...
I have never found so many quotes I like from one book, as I have in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde is a true artist when it comes to words. Every sentence, every line revealed something more, it was like poetry and was exquisite to read.

The writing is without a doubt, my favourite thing about this book. I also feel as though there is so much I've missed, and I look forward to reading this again. To find the gems that I missed the first time.

The characters are another thing that I liked about this book. All of them are extremely unlikeable, but also extremely interesting. Basil and his love for Dorian, was such an interesting relationship. There's a kind of desperation to Basil that makes him both pathetic and endearing to me. Henry seemed to be the writers way of imparting new perspectives on things. I felt like whenever Henry spoke, I should be ready to take down a new favourite quote. And then there is Dorian, who becomes somewhat of a psychopath, while of course retaining his innocent beauty.

The way that this story explored themes of vanity, identity and the soul was quite unique. Also I really liked that there was a continual tone of elegance, even during situations of cruelty and horror. This was such an interesting book, and I look forward to reading it again.

4.5/5

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

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Throne of Glass #1
Pages: 426
Published: August 2012
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Goodreads Synopsis...
Meet Celaena Sardothien. Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?
 
Review...
This is going to be one of those reviews, where I say that I really liked a book. And then proceed to tell you the many things I didnt like.

Throne of Glass was a really enjoyable read. The writing style was fun, and kept me interested the whole way through. You also get to see the story through not only Celaena's eyes, but also Captain Westfall and Prince Dorian. It was great to be able to see what they were doing away from each other, especially as they were major parts of the story.

Another thing I really liked about the story was Celaena. She is this bad ass assassin, who can kill you and look amazing doing it. She embraces her looks and femininity, using them to her advantage. Also she was such a strong willed and stubborn character, even in precarious situations. And she loved to read. Need I say more.

Ok so those are the things I liked, now the things I didnt.

Unnecessary love triangle: Oh love triangles, how you plague me. The one that appeared in this story was expected, and turned out to be unoriginal and kind of dull. Mainly because it caused me no uncertainty. I knew who she would chose eventually. I wasn't worried, I wasn't rooting for the underdog. Because I knew it would be useless. (And I was right) Why couldn't they just be friends? Oh I know, because its YA. 

Implied Violence instead of actual violence: Basically I wanted more violence. Maas continually describes violent or action scenes after they have finished. The challenges were often skimmed over, in favor of the aforesaid useless love triangle. Also Celaena doesn't really get enough chances to show us her assassin side. Its something we always know about, but don't experience enough.

Slightly implausible: There were some situations, like the Prince being left alone with an assassin. That just didnt seem like they would actually happen. Also the whole challenge scenario also seems a bit dubious. Would a king actually allow an assassin or criminal to work closly with him, and have a high position in the kingdom. Then after a few years let them go free. I dont know about that.

So like I said at the beginning, I had my misgivings about this book. But I still enjoyed it, and I will definitely continue to read about Celaena the assassin.

4/5

May TBR

 

I read a lot of ebooks last month, and none of my tbr except for Allegiant. So this months TBR is basically the same as April's, minus Allegiant, plus two new books. Lets Hope I actually read them.

BUY THE BOOKS

Glow 

Days of Blood and Starlight 

The Child Thief 

The Ask and the Answer

The Book Thief 

Chamber of Secrets

 

 

Manga Book Review: Death Note Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

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Volume 1: Boredom
Pages: 195
Published: Jan 2001 Genres: Manga, Ya, Fantasy 

Goodreads Synopsis... 
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil.

But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?

Review...
I had very high expectations for Death Note, and they were all met! It was such a great book, and Im so glad it was my first manga.

The best thing about this book is its storyline and plot. At first glance it seems like it would be simple, but it is definitely not. There are so many layers to this story, which are only really touched on in this first volume. Also I loved the way in which the themes of death, power, and what is good and bad were addressed in this. And I cant wait to see them explored more through this unique story.

The characters were another thing I loved about this book. Light particularly surprised me in the ways he reacted to situations. He's so devious and convincing in the things that he does. The detective L, was very smart and I cant wait to see how he develops. And Ryuk the death god was very mysterious. Also his interactions with Light were awkwardly funny, which I really liked.

My only complaint is that sometimes I felt the illustrations were to packed together. Especially when showing the death god world. I would have loved to see this book in colour. I think it would make it even better. But overall I did enjoy the illustrations.

Cant wait to jump into volume 2, and see what happens next with Light and Ryuk!
 
5/5

Book Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

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Pushing the Limits #1
Pages: 203
Published: July 2012
Genres: YA, Romance

Goodreads Synopsis... 
I can't remember the night that changed my life. The night I went from popular girl to loner freak. And my family are determined to keep it that way.

They said therapy was supposed to help. They didn't expect Noah.

Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned me about. But he's the only one who'll listen. The only one who'll help me find the truth.

I know every kiss, every promise, every touch is forbidden. But what if finding your destiny means breaking all the rules?

Review... 
I started reading this book, and I really didn't like it. It was cliched and stereotypical. The voices of the main characters were not believable and their dialogue felt stiff. I was separated from the characters and their stories because of this. They were like cardboard cut-outs with difficult lives, that I didn't really care about. Then without even really noticing it, something changed.

After about 50 to 70 pages I really started enjoying the book. I also started caring about Echo and Noah. I wanted things to work out for them, and I wanted them to end up together. I think this change is mostly due to the voices of the characters. Somewhere along the way, they became much more individual and they felt honest. As well as this the smoothness of the writing definitely improved, making for a better reading experience.

By the end of the book, I was completely invested in this story, the characters and their struggles. It still had its flaws, and was still a bit predictable. But overall it was a great book about two very complicated lives coming together.

4/5

Graphic Novel Review: Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

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Volume 1
Pages: 160
Published: Oct 2012
Genres: Graphic Novel, Fantasy,Science Fiction, Adult

Goodreads Synopsis... 
When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

Review... 
I couldn't possibly have picked a better first graphic novel to read. Saga was amazing! It was like a 5 star meal with many courses. Each one incredibly delicious, making my mouth water for what would come next.

The writing and dialogue was interesting and funny. The characters were all crazy and different. Everyone having their own unique voice, and I loved all of them. I also really liked that the baby that is born, is the one telling the story. Its almost like you get a secret glimpse into their lives.

The world or should I say universe that this is set in, is captivating and rich. Both because of the strange and amazing characters that fill them. And also because of the beautiful and detailed way they are shown in the illustrations. The themes of family, race, war and love are dealt with in a subtle way which I appreciated. 

Just overall this was an amazing graphic novel, and I cant wait to read volume 2!

5/5

Book of the Week: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Inside the book:
Ive never read this classic, but with all the books, tv shows and movies its spawned. I look forward to reading it, and being terrified. 

Outside the book:
I love this edition of Dracula! The cover illustration is beautiful, its dark and decrepit, with everything falling apart. And then the silhouette of Count Dracula is at the very top. I also love the limited colour palette of blacks, greys and then the stripe of red. This edition by Sterling is also hardback and it cost me $13.

Buy Dracula
Goodreads page

Zombie Apocalypse Book Tag

I did a tag video, in which characters from my favourite books were a part of my zombie apocalypse team. Watch the video below!

Bookstore Tour + Book Haul | Kinokuniya

Lets go on an adventure! To what is probably my new favourite bookstore, Kinokuniya. To find out why, and also what books I bought there, watch the video below.

Book Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

*This is the second book in a series. If you haven't read If I Stay. Then don't read this review as there are spoilers.

Buy This Book
If I Stay #2
Pages: 274
Published: Apr 2011
Genres: YA, Romance, Contemporary

Goodreads Synopsis...  
It's been three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life.
And three years he's spent wondering why.
When their paths cross again in New York City, Adam and Mia are brought back together for one life-changing night.

Adam finally has the opportunity to ask Mia the questions that have been haunting him. But will a few hours in this magical city be enough to lay their past to rest, for good - or can you really have a second chance at first love?
 
Review...
If you've read my review of If I Stay, then you know I compared it to a stained glass window. This book is like stepping away from that window, from the light that shines through its newly put together pieces. Turning around and facing a new direction. You can still feel the warmth of the sun, and you know the colours and pictures are just behind you. But you no longer see them.

I loved the honest and unique way in which Adams story unraveled. He is in a very bad place, and we get to feel how much previous events have effected him. 

Just like If I Stay, the writing is simple yet truthful. The characters, feel real and their struggles become the readers struggles. I am becoming a big fan of Formans writing style, with its excellent pacing. And lyrics at the start of each chapter that connected things wonderfully, and that I would be thrilled to see become real songs.

The one thing I was missing in this book was Mia's family. They were not only my favourite thing in the previous book. But the flashbacks allowed for a balance between sorrow and happiness. That made the happy times sweeter, and made the sad present even more heartbreaking. Even so I still enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to those who have read If I Stay.
 
4/5

Book Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

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If I Stay #1
Pages: 201
Published: Apr 2009
Genres: YA, Romance, Contemporary

Goodreads Synopsis... 
Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

Review...
I feel like this book is a stained glass window. At first you look at the picture made up of little pieces of coloured glass, and the picture they make up is beautiful. You are just starting to look at all the different parts when BAM!!! Gayle Forman takes a baseball bat to the window, sending shards of glass flying your way. Then she starts putting the pieces back together. You just stand there with blood dripping from your wounds, because you have no other choice. You must see that window again.

Mia's family was my favourite thing about this book. They made me love them. Yes, they made me. I had no choice. The laughter, the sarcasm, the cute adorable little brother. All shown through flashbacks, made me fall in love with Denny, Kat, Teddy, Kim, and Adam (because Kim and Adam are part of the family too!)

The other thing that made me fall in love with them, was the writing. It was so honest, and detailed in the perfect moments. Yes there were flaws, and things could have been smoothed out a little bit more. But this story, this family, and the love that burst from them. As softly as cello chords, and as loudly as a rock concert was so real, and so heartbreaking. That those flaws meant little to me.

4.5/5

Book of the Week: The Child Thief by Brom

Inside the book:
This peter pan inspired story, is more dark and haunting then you would imagine. There were several times I had to take a breather, because of how brutally honest and gritty this book was. It is however a truly beautiful story, and this is very much aided because of the illustrations throughout the book.

Outside the book:
Arms outstretched, eyes closed, hovering in the air, is Peter. He is the main character of the book, and with his red jacket and weapon worthy shoes, he perfectly warns the reader of the eerie and exceptional story inside.

Buy The Child Thief
Goodreads page

Behind the Scenes Tag

I made a video all about how I make videos...

Book of the Week: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Inside the book:
I haven't read it yet, so I don't know. But I'm sure when I do, there will be an incredible world filled with adventure, and fantasy.

Outside the book:
I love the limited colour palette, and the wrap around cover. That is centered on the spine, so that the front and back are symmetrical to each other. Except that the front cover is day time, and the back is night time. There is so much detail in this, and it is without a doubt, on of my favourite covers.

Buy The Hobbit
Goodreads page

Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

*This is the third and final book in a series. If you haven't read Divergent and Insurgent. Then don't read this review as there are spoilers. 

Buy This Book   
Final book in the Divergent series.  
Pages: 526
Published: Oct 2013
Genres: YA, Dystopian, Romance

Goodreads Synopsis... 
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
 
Review...
One of my favourite things about Divergent and Insurgent, is that there was so much action. Things kept happening and it was so fast paced, and fun to read. So I should have known that for the last book in this series. The author would take away all my favourite things, and give me somewhat whiny Tobias perspectives in return.

Dont get me wrong, I actually liked the book. I very much enjoyed Roth's writing style. It also explained everything, giving answers to all my questions. The relationship between Tris and Four also got more complicated, and it was interesting to see their struggle. Both with their relationship and as individuals. There was a real effort to make things and reactions realistic and honest, and I did appreciate that.

However there were many things that made me dislike this book. Firstly I found Four to be really different then he was in previous books. This may be because we got chapters from his perspective, but it still felt strange. Also I felt like the relationship between Tris and Four was sometimes a bit cheesy, and uncomfortable. Some of the things they did and thought, really surprised me.

Up until around the 400 page mark, everything felt very drawn out. The plot was predictable, and there was very little action. I had to push myself to read on, which is the opposite of how I felt reading Divergent. It was also sometimes hard to distinguish which perspective I was reading, because they weren't distinctive or different enough.

Another complaint I have is that I felt we saw very little of the side characters. They seemed really interesting but only made quick appearances in what was basically the 'Tris and Four Show'. And let me tell you, I changed the channel often.

One thing I am happy about is the end. It was where things finally picked up, and got interesting. I felt somewhat content finishing the book, and was happy with most of the events leading up to the very end. Even the one that some people are incredible mad about, and many have been spoiled about.

All in all, I'm disappointed with the book as a whole. But I did like it, and was happy with how the series ended. 

3/5 

Books of the Week: Daughter of Smoke and Bone + Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Inside the Books:
The writing style of this book, is probably my favourite of ALL THE BOOKS! (sorry for shouting) It is so detailed and flows so well and the book is set in Prague. Prague! Its so unique, and the characters are so interesting and cool. I just love this series, and cant wait to read the final book.

Outside the Book:
There are two versions of this series out, and I'm so glad I got the ones I did. They are simple and the typography is great. Also the first book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone has an iridescence, so that the feathers change colour slightly in the light.

Buy Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Buy Days of Blood and Starlight
Buy Dreams of Gods and Monsters

Goodreads page

These are the two covers of the final book in this series, Dreams of Gods and Monsters. The one on the left is the one that is coming to me, in all its glory. I cant wait to read it! Gimme!!

Book Review: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Buy This Book
Pages: 229
Published:Sep 2006
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Goodreads Synopsis...
Katherine V thought boys were gross
Katherine X just wanted to be friends
Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail
K-19 broke his heart
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

Review...   
I took two days to read this book. It just so happens that there's a 5 month gap between those days.

This is a John Green book, which I've come to find means certain things. Which by all means can be found in this book:
-There is something very authenticly teenager about his writing. The thoughts characters have, the discoveries that might be simple, but change everything. Remind me so much of when I was a teenager. (Not that it was that long ago)
-Along with that authenticity comes intelligence, espcially in this book about a prodigy who aims to be a genius. The author doesn't dumb down the characters, infact he showcases their wit and intellegence, and best of all their sarcasm!  -The beauty is in the details. You can easily tell that a lot of work went into this book. The arabic, the anagrams, the footnotes and all the maths. As well as this, all the little quirks and small things. That are put together to make a beautifully detailed story. That has complicated and unique characters.

My main problem with this book, is I didn't get much out of it. I didn't love the characters, the plot felt aimless, and the themes didn't speak to me. I enjoyed reading it, but didn't miss it or feel the need to read it over my 5 month gap. I just sort of felt detached from what was a really well written story.

This is my third John Green book, and it is my least favorite so far. Thats not to say that I didnt like it. I just didnt care that much. Still, Im looking forward to reading Paper Towns.

3/5

April TBR

BUY THE BOOKS
Glow 
Allegiant 
Days of Blood and Starlight 
The Child Thief 
The Ask and the Answer

These are the books I hope to read in April. If you want to hear more about them, and why I want to read them. Then watch the video below. Have a great April everyone!

March Wrap Up

BUY THE BOOKS
Cress 

Eleanor and Park 

Seraphina 

The Giver 

The Snow Child 

An Abundance of Katherine's 

The Little Android (free) 

Carswell's Guide to being Lucky (in target copies of Cress)

BOOK REVIEWS
Cress 

Eleanor and Park 

Seraphina 

The Giver 

The Snow Child 

An Abundance of Katherine's 

The Little Android 

Carswell's Guide to being Lucky

To hear what I think about these books, and see what rating I gave them. Make sure to check out the video below.

Hope you all had great reading months in March. And if you didn't, Happy reading in April!