"For ever and one day": Just One Day

Title: Just One Day

Author: Gayle Forman

My Rating: 5/5

"A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines." - Goodreads

I haven't given a book such a high rating since I can't even remember (okay maybe I do. I think it was The Fault In Our Stars, which moved me to tears no less than ten times). Just One Day, though, totally blew my mind.

Perfecto.

When I first started the book on a five-hour train ride to visit a friend, I didn't set the bars high. Some decent romance would do, I thought. Never did I expect to be so out of breath, moved, and yearning for more when I finished by the time the train pulled into the station.

It's funny, really, because the most appropriate place to read this book is probably when you're traveling, because a large part - or I should say the most important part - of the story happens on trains, planes, different places on a journey. Being on a train filled me with the kind of wanderlust that was just right for this book.

Allyson/Lulu and Willem's quick-sparked romance surprised and captivated me. Personally I'm never a big fan of insta-love! in YA books. But this one, oh how this one makes me swoon! Everything seems to click between the two of them, and the chemistry is undeniable, yet at the same time full of guessing games. In retrospect I think the time they spend with each other - one day - is what makes this love so believable. This one day that was given to them is full of uncertainty, curiosity, unasked questions and imperceptible answers, and that is why they feel brave enough to fall for each other, or more accurately, the image of each other. This kind of love cannot stand the test of time, but is enough to make Allyson, and the reader, think deeply about love. 

In Allyson's college course Shakespeare Out Loud, the students perform As You Like It. One of the lines struck me the most. It's in Act IV, when a jealous and desperate Rosalind asks the confused and smitten Orlando if he'd take Rosalind as his love. Then comes Orlando's reply, "For ever and one day."

Can one day be forever? Can forever be condensed into just one day?

The answer is, in my opinion, both yes and no. No because no promise could and should be made beyond the one day if all you ever came for is adventure; yes because the amazing things that can happen in one day will last a lifetime.

Lastly, a song that I think goes with the book quite well.

xx

Vanessa :]

The taste of leaving: Paper Towns

Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
My Rating: 4.4/5

"Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows.  After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew."

Despite the high rating, I have mixed feelings for this book. And by mixed feelings I mean I'm not a fan of the relatively slow start of the story. I understand that the night Margo and Quentin spend together in the beginning of the book has a big significance later in the plot, and the things they did that night is great and all, but at some point it just didn't really engage me anymore. 

So I had a slow, growing-to-love kind of relationship with this book. But as the story carried on, I became completely engrossed in it. Sorry about that French worksheet that I never turned in, Madame . The thing about John Green is that, as a YA author, he never tries to talk down to his readers. He has these amazing insights into coming of age, and sometimes these insights require some thinking on the reader's part, and he doesn't dumb it down for us. It is in this rewarding thinking that I often find myself transformed into some new level of self-awareness and understanding of the world. It's truly incredible, especially when the story is not only philosophical but also very frequently hilarious (*SPOILERS*: oh my god Ben's little problem on their "graduation road trip" oh my god I just laughed to death at one in the morning while my roommate slept soundly on the bed next to mine).

The ending is especially enlightening, and it totally made me cry. Dang it, the entire read I was like wow I didn't cry to this one isn't that something now--come ending and I am oh so screwed. If I explain why I was so moved by the ending, I will probably totally ruin the story for you, so I am going to be a nice person and not do that. I am going to talk about a few quotes from the book that really got me.

Timeout. Before getting to the quotes, I forgot to tell y'all something: I am currently a high school senior, 61 short short short short days away from graduation. I have people (okay, one person especially) that I hold very dearly to my heart, and the thought of having to say goodbye--maybe forever--just breaks my heart. So this book was the perfect, spot-on, just-in-time remedy for me.

Now, back to those lovely quotes:

"Doing stuff never feels as good as you hope it will feel." (77)

"She raised on leg and gave me all her weight as I dipped her. She either trusted me or wanted to fall." (79)

"It's a metaphor for adolescence: writing in a language--adulthood--you can't comprehend, using an alphabet--mature social interaction--you can't recognize." (86)

"Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." (199)

"It is so hard to leave--until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world." (229)

"Marco knows the secret of leaving, the secret I have only just now learned: leaving feels good and pure only when you leave something important, something that mattered to you." (234)

"But there she is, and I am watching her through the Plexiglas, and she looks like Margo Roth Spiegelman, this girl I have known since I was two--this girl who was an idea that I loved." (282)

xx
Vanessa :]


EDIT:
Forgot to say: surprisingly I liked this book more than Looking For Alaska.

A Quest for family: The Reece Malcolm List

Title: The Reece Malcolm List
Author: Amy Spalding
My Rating: 3/5

"Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?" (from Amazon)

Again, not a surprise, I read this book while I was traveling in India. (Just for the record, I read a total of four books while I was there: the Silver Linings Playbook, the Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, this book, and a re-read of Anna and the French Kiss.)

This book was an okay read, given that I was on vacation. It's a typical vacation-y read, very relaxing, sort of a no-brainer, easy to follow (and, sorry, Spalding, easy to put down, too). The plot is very bland, although the idea of the List is novel and refreshing. Actually, the List is probably the one great thing about this story. Other than that, the rest is typical and quite predictable.

One thing I didn't really buy, of the entire story: Reece's attitude change. For me, it seems like it took her way too short of a time to come to loving her daughter, who she gave up at birth. I mean, it's not so detrimental to the plot line overall, but, if only the author explained it better, it would've been more natural.

Recommended for when you are generally bored and need something you could easily read on an on-and-off basis.

xx
Vanessa :]

Roller coaster love: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

My Rating: 4/5

"Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?" (from Amazon)

I read this book when I was in Periyar, Kerala, India. I was chilling up in the mountains. In the cool mountain night air, this book is just such a page-turner: the romantic, cinematic execution of the plot, and to-die-for type of characters, made me unable to put this book down. Bravo, Jennifer E. Smith!

What I liked about this book: 

The characters. While Hadley is very...typical indecisively girly sometimes, Oliver is the "to die for" type I was talking about. Boy, is he hot. And totally thoughtful and kind. And in a way that feels real instead of fictional (yes, I know, he is, technically, very much fictional. I meant that he doesn't sound fake; Oliver sounds like he could be someone that exists). 

The descriptions of emotions. This books talks a lot about Hadley's struggle with her dad's marriage to a woman she has barely met, not that long after leaving her mom and her. While I cannot relate to her at all, given my life experiences, Smith did a good job describing Hadley's complicated emotions. As her relationship with Oliver develops, Hadley rethinks her feelings towards her dad and her family, and this "rethinking" is very nicely done. I felt like Hadley's character growth is very easy to follow, and very reasonable (as in, readers expect her to feel a certain way after a certain incident).

The insertions of past events in Hadley's thought process. Smith did a good job giving informational background to help us understand why Hadley is feeling a certain about a certain experience, without seeming intrusive to the main storyline. This is a very sophisticated skill, so I was very impressed.

And... the lurrrrve. All I want to say is the ending. OMG the ending. 'Kay I'm done.

What I'm not so in love with about this book:

Pacing. The entire story happens in a span of two days, and most of the time the pacing is excellent--not too stretched nor too compressed. Readers feel at ease, going through the story. Sometimes, though, just once in a while, I wish it could be more...rushed. There could've been more urgency at places.

And most of all, the book just didn't...have that chemistry with me. (Don't get me wrong, the chemistry between Hadley and Oliver TOTALLY works.) For me, I have to personally have that one special moment with a book/film to be able to say it's perfect (or near perfect). This book, sadly, as much as I love it, didn't have that special moment with me. So, no 5/5 rating, sorry. Good read though--recommended for sure.

xx

Vanessa :]

P.S. What a cute cover. just, stapit!

Top Ten Tuesday: top 10 fictional boyfriends

*Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.*

This week's Top Ten Tuesday theme is fictional boyfriends!!! asdjk;fahg;dlskdfhgj;adsd
Who hasn't fallen for a completely unreal boy on paper before? I believe this isn't some rare happening that only chanced upon me, so I'm gonna be open about it and introduce you to my top 10 fictional boyfriends ;)

*There is no specific order.*

1. Etienne St.Clair from Anna and the French Kiss 
(see my book review here)
Okay I lied. This hottie right here is actually topping my charts as of now. It's been over a month since I last hugged and kissed him (aka read the book), however I still haven't been able to get over him. He is just...SO AMAZING! French-speaking boy with sleep-mussed hair, an English accent, and an adorable fear of heights--voilà, you got Etienne alright!

2. Peeta Mellark from the Hunger Games 
PEETA!!!!!!!!!!!! the boy with the bread!!!!!! The lovely, strong, humble, kind, sociable Peeta!

Okay I'm done. I am. Really.














3. Augustus Waters from The Fault In Our Stars
Although cancer-ridden, Augustus is still hot! Messy hair, beautiful eyes, and that smart, flirtatious mouth of his! The way he contemplates the universe alone is more than enough to have all the girls in the world lining up for him. He is caring, understanding, and so tragically heroic. Ah. Let's just say this baby of John Green's earned buckets of tears from me.

4. Charlie from The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

He may be a little cray-cray at times, but he's seriously the sweetest, nicest, most committed boyfriend ever (if only he were mine, if only!).

5. Ron Weasley from Harry Potter
He may be moody sometimes, but you can't deny the fact that when he likes someone, he really likes someone! His dedicated (love-hate?) relationship with Hermione lasted through 4 books (3-7)--if that's not even to prove to you his commitment, then I don't know what can!

6. Four/Tobias from Divergent
(see my book review here)

Boy with a hot bod + a dark past + intense personality = ermahgerd I can't freakin resist thissssssss

Okie. Nuff said.

7. Miles Halter from Looking for Alaska
Your regular nice boy, a little uncool at times (but the uncoolness is totally adorable), growing up, trying to fit in, learning to love... sounds like a great boy to date during high school.

8. Eli from Along for the Ride
From the many Sara Dessen books I've read (more like tore through), I know at least one thing for sure--Ms.Dessen doesn't disappoint. (Ever.) Along for the Ride is no exception. Like Four from Divergent, Eli is also a boy with a past, with fears, with hopes and longings. Together with him, Auden (the protagonist, a girl virtually without a childhood) embarks on a quest for her childhood. Through somewhat immature yet extremely exciting experiences, their romance slowly blooms. Eli is the man. Oh trust me he is.

9. Jacob from Twilight
Why does he have to be so awesome? Sometimes he may still a little childish and reckless, but boy, isn't he a hottie. Perfect body + (sometimes immature) protectiveness of Bella = omg lemme date this guy

10. Nick from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
A little insecure, sometimes defined as a lower, Nick is in truth the go-to boy. He is smart, charming, obsessed with music, all of this and a little bit of shyness. Sounds like your guy-next-door type? Go for it, gurl, go for it ;)














Who's your favorite fictional boyfriend?
Let's hear it.

xx
Vanessa :]

A life story: When Love Comes to Town

Title: When Love Comes to Town

Author: Tom Lennon

My Rating: 3.9/5

"A new edition of this acclaimed novel. Meet Neil Byrne - try-scorer on the rugby field, prizewinning student, one of the in-crowd at the disco, regular guy, gay. Presenting one face to the world and burying his true feelings in fantasy, Neil manages to keep his secret. But when fantasy isn't enough and he becomes caught up in the bizarre subculture of Dublin's gay nightlife, the pretense must end. It is the time for truth. The consequences are both hilarious and painful. Told with honesty, humour and originality, When Love Comes to Town brings a new type of hero to modern Irish fiction."

**THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON A THIRTEEN-CHAPTER PREVIEW OF WHEN LOVE COMES TO TOWN THANSK TO ALBERT WHITMAN & COMPANY (ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY)**
I've never read a gay/lesbian romance before, so honestly, I didn't know what to expect coming into this. Even with no standards, When Love Comes To Town still manages to sweep me off my feet. I am a perfectly straight person, however, Neil's story of his struggles as a gay person still deeply touches me, which I consider a great success on the author's part. The book wants to attract as big an audience as possible, after all.

The characters in this book are very relatable, and I personally really enjoy being brought back to the 90s. The narration is very detailed, which I'm not usually so hot about, but this time it worked just fine for me--it is these details that show how SCARED Neil is of coming out, of becoming the person that he truly wants to be. On a grander scale, this not only applies to all that who are still awaiting the perfect time to declare their homosexuality, it is also an acute description of young adult life in general. How many of us have fidgeted and worried ourselves sick over one little thing that might have turned out absolutely trivial? How many of us have fought to voice our true thoughts? I think in this aspect, the author does a phenomenal job of writing a very sensitive yet mature voice.

One little thing that kept it from being a perfect read: since the story was written in the last decade, the culture back then is much less accepting of homosexuality, so there are some cultural beliefs that are somewhat outdated, which takes away from the modern-day reading experience.

**This book was originally published in UK, under this cover:

which one do you guys like better? Lemme know :)

xx

Vanessa :]

Top Ten Tuesday: The Young and Adorable: Top Ten Unconventional Films about Children and Teens

So, today, we're starting a new tradition--Top Ten Tuesday! (applause :P)

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature I saw on this blog: the Broke and the Bookish, which is an amazing blog by the way, I think you should all check it out :)

Anyways, Top Ten Tuesday here is basically when Sara or I list ten things that fit whatever category we pick for the week (and this one is, as seen in the title, "The Young and Adorable: Top Ten Unconventional Films about Children and Teens").

Without further ado:


**The films below are numbered randomly, not according to any standards**

1. Amore 14
(see my review here)
A refreshing movie about falling in and out of love, and what being young means. Summery and beautifully Italian.

2. Little Manhattan
Two little kids falling in love (instant awwwwwww). And little boy Josh Hutcherson's in it--need I say more?

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I'm sure everyone's heard of this one already, so I'm gonna be brief: the Perks of Being a Wallflower is an amazing and powerful coming-of-age story that everyone should see (and read). It will bring you to tears, promise.

4. Moonrise Kingdom
Quirky, funny, yet dealing with heavy themes, Moonrise Kingdom is set in 1960s America. Definitely one of a kind, and very vintage-feeling. Has great soundtracks--now that's a real bonus. Oh and, Wes Anderson is the director...honestly, how does it get better than that?

5. The Art of Getting By
About love, about falling for someone who you aren't sure you should fall for, about being a teenager and trying to figure out about life, about making mistakes and trying again and making new ones. Beautiful and poetic, yet infused with humor.

6. LOL

(see my review here)
Endearingly French (featuring many hot guys, I'm serious), this movie is similar to any Disney high school themed movie, minus the "commercial" quality. Lighthearted and cute, it's great for a sleepover, and will sure make you swoon ;)

7. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
(see my review here)
Unconventional indeed! A movie about first chances, second chances; one night, two loves; music, high school... in a sentence: all the good stuff.

8. Waiting For Forever
Okay, I cheated. A little bit. This isn't completely a children/young adult film, but it does deal with a guy and a girl who were bffs as kids! It is a romance movie, a sweet one actually, but what I love the most about it is the way that it demonstrates the so-true fact: there is someone in your childhood that you will never forget.

9. Flipped
Similar to Moonrise Kingdom, only with a less dramatic plot. However, Flipped is equally cute and awwww-inducing, so be prepared!

10. Juno
I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. Everyone knows about how uncommon the topic is, and how well the film portrays it.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Enjoy the films!
xx
Vanessa :]

A peek into Edwardian England: Cinders & Sapphires (SNEAK PEEK)

Title: Cinders & Sapphires
Author: Leila Rasheed
My Rating: 4/5

"One house, two worlds...

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton"

**THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON A THIRTEEN-CHAPTER PREVIEW OF CINDERS & SAPPHIRES THANSK TO DISNEY-HYPERION (ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY)**

Ah, what a book! The first thirteen chapters of Cinders & Sapphires (which I believe is the first installment of a series) is like Downton Abbey meets Mean Girls: taking place during Edwardian England, the book tells the story of people--young and old--in one house, Somerton, of their hopes, love, and ambitions. 

The characters, although clearly not from our time, are surprisingly relatable. Rose, a housemaid who is later promoted to a ladies' maid, is this young, beautiful, insecure girl who is unsure about her own place in the house. Her kindness, curiosity, and good humor makes me as a reader sympathize with her. Plus, the mystery shrouding her identity is all the more intrguing... Rose's lady, Ada, is the oldest daughter of the owner of Somerton. Although vastly different in social status, Ada and Rose share many similarities: both young and sometimes childish, they dream of opportunities they aren't supposed to have, things they aren't allowed to yearn for  (boys included, may I mention). By making them utterly human, the author brings the characters to life--they feel so endearingly close to us the readers.

The author also does a good job describing the lifestyle of Edwardian England. While reading, I found the elaboration on architecture and interior designs of Somerton quite intriguing and evocative. Details concerning the ladies' dresses, etc, are also well paid attention to.

Having read only the first thirteen chapters, I don't really know enough about the story to give much criticism. One thing about this story, though: because people during that time of history have so many titles/names (Rose, for example, is referred to as Ms.Cliffe by people "lower" than her after her promotion), it might be hard to get into the story in the beginning. However, after some getting used to, I'm sure you will find yourself enjoying the read!

xx

Vanessa :]

A story about solitude: The Age of Miracles

Title: The Age of Miracles
Author: Karen Thompson Walker
My Rating: 3.2/5

“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.”

Luminous, haunting, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles is a stunning fiction debut by a superb new writer, a story about coming of age during extraordinary times, about people going on with their lives in an era of profound uncertainty."

This refreshing debut novel, full of poetic language and subtle emotions, tells the story of 11-year-old Julia. The world she is used to is changing drastically, starting with what the media calls "the Slowing"--the decrease in the speed of Earth's rotation. The slowing makes the days longer and longer, the nights shorter and shorter. As a result gravity is affected, tsunamis wreck the shore, birds fall dying from the sky... and soon enough the society is in chaos. 

While the story gives the big picture (the society, the Slowing, aka the sci-fi/dystopian aspect of the story) just enough attention, the main plot focuses on how the Slowing affected Julia's life. Essentially The Age of Miracles is a coming-of-age story about Julia dealing with family and friendship problems, falling in and out of love, and ultimately becoming her own person. The Slowing and the bleak big picture adds a subtle, almost invisible but definitely tangible sadness and urgency to the whole story, which is beautifully unconventional, and certainly takes some courage for the author to do so.

With so many good things said, why I couldn't give the book a higher rating is mainly because, although it is very evocatively written and has a very well-imagined world, it lacks the certain "something" that can pull me in. That said, as much as I appreciated the story, I wasn't attached to it. I cared about Julia, and her boy friend/boyfriend Seth (I'm actually really fond of him), but only to an extent. Unlike the 4- or 5-star books I rated, this one simply didn't do it for me. It is a smooth, slow-moving read, with beautiful language, but not a lot of personal appeal.

xx

Vanessa :]

What are the chances: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

Title: Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

Langage: English

Director: Peter Sollette

Starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings

My Rating: 3.7/5

"High school student Nick O'Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg when she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes."

Okay, I know I should’ve read the book before seeing this, but I was on an art trip to New York City and the DVD was in my computer and I had nothing to do, so I decided to watch it. And it was in many ways worth the time.

I enjoyed the movie in that the development of Nick and Norah’s relationship is subtle, not the typical I’ll-spell-it-all-out-for-ya-in-the-first-ten-minutes kind. As the night deepens, you could really see their bonding grow. They didn’t start out liking each other, exactly, but as the night goes on they start to see more and more in each other. To me, that’s exactly how real life works: the unexpected happens all the time, and a lot of things don’t end up where we thought they'd be. The uncertainty, the expérimental and adventrous nature of Nick and Norah’s relationship is probably the biggest success of the film.

My two favorite scenes is towards the end, in the studio, and in Penn Station respectively. The way their chemistry blooms in those two scenes is totally believable yet very adorable (okay I realize that’s a big teaser right there, but in danger fo spoiling it for you guys I won’t go into the deets).

A few things that are in the film’s way of being a fantastic—not just good but amazing:

Nick’s character. Yes, I am charmed by his gentleman-ness, and how he carries a handi-wipe (I have to admit, that bit is really cute). However, other than that I don’t know what else is great about him. To me he seems overly indecisive sometimes, and that lessed my fondness of him significantly.

The course of the night. I know, I sound like I’m contradicting myself. «Didn’t you just say the development of their relationship is the best part of the movie?» I hear ya, I hear ya. What I’m trying to say here is that although the character/relationship growth is beautiful, the events that take place in the night are sometimes hard to follow. After watching the film, it sort of leaves you with this «besides that they fell in love, what exactly happened again?» feeling.

Overall it’s still a nice film, and 90 minutes well spent. It’s very unconventional for sure, not your typical rom-com. Recommended for when you need a change of taste and a dose of adolescent recklessness.


On a side note: The emphasis on music (especially angst music) really reminds me of A Visit From the Goon Squad, a book I'm reading for English class at school. If you like the movie, check out the book; vice versa.

xx
Vanessa :]

EDIT: all things aside, two thumbs up for the soundtracks in this movie! Fantastic picks. Similar to OST of Perks of Being a Wallflower, but with a more "modern" feel. If anything, definitely check out the soundtracks! It's called Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, after all.

We Didn't Miss It, This is It from fourchambers on 8tracks Radio.

[sources:imdb, 8tracks]

Insanity Candoramity: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
My Rating: 3.2
See Vanessa's Review

Wow. First of all I would like to say that Insurgent blew Divergent right out of the water. Secondly, I would like to say that it still didn't live up to my expectations.
This is a beautiful plot, with an amazing setting. The idea behind this book is fantastic, but the execution leaves something to be desired.

First half of this book was...zzzzzzzzz. Huh? Oh, sorry! I fell asleep just thinking about it. So boring, so completely useless.
Second half of this book was...not that great either. But I'm holding my head high, and praying that it's just fallen prey to the "second book curse" and is just setting up the series for a majestic ending to end all endings. *crossing fingers*


And then there were spoilers... (skip to the next purple bit if you don't want them)

Let us begin with the characters. I would like to blatantly say that none of the characters in this story caught my attention. You never fell in love with them. You never hated them. It was like reading a news article about people you don't know, something that doesn't affect you. Seriously, when they started bring back characters...I couldn't remember who they were. I had to go back to the Divergent and re-read parts to remember what the characters had done (I forgot that Will died...and who Will was in the first place)

Tris is...weak. I actually liked her a bit more in the first book. In this one, she seems to spend too much time trying to deal with the death of her parents and Will. Now, while I understand that this had to be hard for her, it still seemed too much. Also, her aversion to guns, while creating an extra conflict in the story, was extremely annoying after multiple mentions. Her insistence on dying for the first half of the book was alarming, but finally tapered off after she "died". One of her redeeming qualities is her divergence, which finally came into play in this book (thank god). Her aptitude for Erudite was very interesting as we witnessed her develop plans and beat Jeanine at her own game.

Moving on to Tobias/Four/whateveryouwannacallhim. Where? Did? He? Go?
Yes, I understand that this book revolves around Tris, and she was always going off by herself and risking her life (and Tobias had to come and save her...multiple times). But seriously, it was like he didn't even exist at times. Tobias was Tris's redeeming quality. Tobias was what made Tris interesting. Yet Roth constantly left him out of the plot line. Why? I don't know.

Even though no time passed between the first and second books, I felt like the characters were completely different. The relationship felt forced. It didn't feel real. Not because the characters didn't feel it. But more like Roth didn't. The relationship seemed to take a backseat (which isn't always a bad thing), and the story lost some of its luster. Don't get me wrong. The relationship was definitely there. They make out every chapter for the first half of the book. But then Tobias tells Tris to be safe, Tris promises to, Tobias falls asleep, Tris slips out to risk her life. EVERY TIME. There just wasn't a point.

There were some nice twists that came about in the second half of the book. Peter, finally, turned out to be (moderately) good, and helped to save the plot. Caleb turned out to be bad. Which I guess didn't surprise me since his presence in the story was ultimately useless otherwise.

You are safe now... (no more spoilers from here on)

I would like to state that NO ONE IN THIS BOOK IS EVIL. Jeanine is disturbed. But not evil. I didn't hate her. I just found her annoying. Like a mosquito. Or draperies.

Let's just say that no one is this book is endearing, nor is anyone despicable. They are forgettable at best.

Oh goodness. What happened at the end? It was so strange. I'm not going to talk about it. You can draw your own conclusions. I hate all book endings.

So, after reading this entire review, you are probably wondering why on earth I gave this book three stars? Because the main idea behind this is brilliant. I love the factions. I love the simulations. Let's face it. I'm Jeanine.

While I do find the factions...useless (they never really are explained), and the whole, "Dauntless have to have tats and piercings. They have to jump of trains and pull bullets out of their abdomens without pain killers," and "Erudite have to wear glasses," and "Amity have to act like hippies and be pumped full of drugs so that they act like hippies," is moderately annoying. It's almost too cliche.

But I still LOVE it. If you ignore the serious lack of story line and character building...this book is AMAZING.

In conclusion. It's worth the read in my opinion. The setting is unbeatable. Use your imagination. If you're looking for a quick read, it's totally worth it.

Quiet anxieties: Where Things Come Back

Title: Where Things Come Back
Author: John Corey Whaley
My Rating: 3/5

Just when seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter thinks he understands everything about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town, it all disappears. . . . 

"In the summer before Cullen's senior year, a nominally-depressed birdwatcher named John Barling thinks he spots a species of woodpecker thought to be extinct since the 1940s in Lily, Arkansas. His rediscovery of the so-called Lazarus Woodpecker sparks a flurry of press and woodpecker-mania. Soon all the kids are getting woodpecker haircuts and everyone's eating "Lazarus burgers." But as absurd as the town's carnival atmosphere has become, nothing is more startling than the realization that Cullen’s sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother Gabriel has suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. 

While Cullen navigates his way through a summer of finding and losing love, holding his fragile family together, and muddling his way into adulthood, a young missionary in Africa, who has lost his faith, is searching for any semblance of meaning wherever he can find it. As distant as the two stories seem at the start, they are thoughtfully woven ever closer together and through masterful plotting, brought face to face in a surprising and harrowing climax. 

Complex but truly extraordinary, tinged with melancholy and regret, comedy and absurdity, this novel finds wonder in the ordinary and emerges as ultimately hopeful. It's about a lot more than what Cullen calls, “that damn bird.” It’s about the dream of second chances."

Going into this book, I had high expectations (MORRIS! PRINTZ!), unfortunately, the story let me down. Maybe if I didn't read it with the intent of gaining so much from it, I would've been able to enjoy it better.

The story is, just like its Goodreads summary, long. I appreciate the tranquil (yet underlying with angst) atmosphere the author tries to create, and I do think in this aspect it's quite successful. The unsettling tension and anxieties gave me the sense that something was sure going to happen, something big and terrible and destructive. However, this something never quite happened, not for me at least. The story is filled with heavy themes such as family problems, religious issues, etc. However I never found the narration engrossing enough to keep me going. 

I found the frequent sentence structure of "When one is...." in this book particularly off-putting. Since the story was told in first person, this sentence structure seemed to take me out of the POV, which didn't work very well. In addition, I wasn't a fan of the heaviness on religious issues. Just personal opinions, though.

I read this book over Thanksgiving break, when I ran out of books to read. Quite unfortunately, it also had to fill the big shoes of Looking For Alaska, since I read that one shortly before starting this book. Overall, I would recommend it if you are just looking for something to read. However, bear in mind that this is not a casual read--it does deal with some heavy issues.

xx

Vanessa :]

A story about choices: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

My Rating: 4.75/5

See review of Insurgent's prequel: Divergent

"One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature."

*mild spoilers*

This review will be on the short side...ish...because I'm tired...and because I can't wait for the third book to come out!

In most series, the pattern is that the first one always tends to be the best (with the exception of Harry Potter). I was worried this would happen to Divergent, and I'm so very happy to announce: it didn't! 

Insurgent did not disappoint. In many ways, I think it far outshone Divergent.

Pacing. The pacing in Insurgent is much better than Divergent, with less "meaningless" episodes and more logical, emotional events that will make you laugh and cry and get so nervous/frustrated you wan't to punch a wall.

Relationship. Who else thinks romance without a triangle worked perfectly fine? I was wondering whether Roth would put a love triangle in here, and I'm glad she thought better. With such thick events (war, deaths, grief, etc) going on, a triangle would seem unnecessary. The relationship between Tris and Tobias alone was satisfying enough, and full of tension and emotion.

Emotion. I think Roth did a spectacular job on this. Since her mother is a psychologist, there is no wonder how accurate some of the scientific facts in this books are (the explanation about functions of brian parts, etc). I like how things make sense in this book-it strengthens the reading experience immensely (not saying Divergent didn't make sense).

One thing lacking, though, if anything, would be Roth's character-building. Her world-building is clearly fascinating, but she seems to do not as well in characters. In Insurgent, I didn't feel as attached when some characters died, because Roth simply didn't flesh them out enough for me to root for them. The only characters whose intentions I truly understand are Tris, Tobias, sometimes Christina, and sometimes Christina. I think Marcus definitely needs to be worked on more...in the next book.

Overall it was better than Divergent and a truly thrilling read. I loved it!

*fangirl moment*

YAY TOMORROW'S FOURTRIS DAY!! 6/4 ("six and four, four and six"-well technically there could be two fourtris days...)

A story about courage: Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

My Rating: 4.5/5

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

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

*mild spoilers*

Alright. Deep breaths. Review time. Can't do it. Still too shaky from the last 70 pages of this book. And that ending. Oh gawd.

Okay. Let's get down to business.

First off, I'd like to address all the things I wasn't so crazy about. That way when I talk about how the last 70 pages and some other moments totally redeemed the story, you will know what I'm talking about.

Excuse me for one second. Have to go put on my steel suit, so when Divergent maniacs throw rotten tomatoes at me I'll be unharmed. Anyways. Here goes:

the pacing/meaningfulness. I get that Veronica Roth is trying to give us readers a thrill ride by putting in exciting events every once in a little while, from the train jumps, to the Pit, to the chasm, to the Hancock building, and so on. But I just wish they weren't so meaningless. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the adrenaline kicks as I read them, I just can't fully embrace the deeper ideas behind them (probably because there aren't any). I get that the initiation is important, but I just wish Roth'd condense things more, because some parts just seemed a little unnecessary.

the factions. I pay tribute to the well thought-out characters of the factions(dauntless, abnegation, candor, erudite, amity), and do think they're very very interesting and worth writing about/reading about. However, one little thing that disappointed me is how Roth made the faction people appear to be. Who said tattoos and piercings have anything to do with fearlessness? To me it's just more reckless gangster, which isn't a good image. I wish Roth used less stereotype in describing the factions. Maybe then I'd embrace Dauntless more. Right now I just see them as a bunch of reckless teenagers who don't think before they do things (with the exception of Tris and Four, because I love them too much).

That being said, Divergent isn't perfect. But...let's move on to the good stuff here...drumroll, please!

Tris. She is a very likable characters. Unlike Katniss(forgive me, I had to draw a comparison, although I love them both), Tris is more selfless in some sense. She is more willing to sacrifice, and readily (more readily than she lets on in the beginning of the story). Her character growth is interesting to watch, and quite mesmerizing to me. I like how her mind matures and grows a thicker skin. She is loud, annoying at times, weak at other, and insecure. She is real. Relatable.

Four. Okay. I have to be a little girl here for a few moments. AHHHHH FOUR!!! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU FORGET TRIS AND BE MINE!!!!! Okay. That's that. I really like the mystery that surrounds him, and his seemingly dual character (toughness vs. kindness). The multi-factedness of his character makes him very real and believable, and his weaknesses (although only four fears) make him likable (that and his charming appearance ;)

The discussion of humanity. Although I wish Roth explained more about the coming-into-being of the factions, I really enjoyed her thoughtfulness on characters of humanity. Through Tris's struggle between her identity as Abnegation and Dauntless, Roth discusses the similarities between selflessness and bravery-that they are, in truth, very similar. I agree with her very much on this. And I think this is one of the things that sets Tris apart from the other initiates/Dauntless. She is selfless first, then brave. This marks her as loving and caring as well, and saves her from becoming a merely powerful cruel person (like Peter). In addition, I also enjoyed reading about the Erudite, and how knowledge can be destructive, if used wrongfully. I would love to see more of Amity and Candor in the sequels (from the cover of Insurgent I can already tell I will learn a fair amount about Amity in that book).

The last 70 pages (or so). The imagination is raw and creative and eye-opening. Here's my salute to Roth. The simulations and the serum and the conspiracy is truly well thought-out and amazingly written. The last part of the story is the best part, truly engrossing and compelling. I'm sure parts of it will bring you to tears, as it did me. The power in the last part of the story cannot be overstated. I promised not to give away too much, so you'll have to read the story to know. All I can say is it's powerful.

So yeah, that's it. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and captivating read