The town was paper, the memories were not.

Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Rating: 3.9/5.0

"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."

I really wanted to fall in complete love with this book like I did when I read The Fault in Our Stars. Unfortunately, I did not. It's not that it's a bad book. Don't get me wrong! But it isn't as brilliant  as some of his other work.

To like this book you have to look deep inside of you. I'm a senior in high school. I've got less than two months until I graduate. So this book hit me at a perfect time in my life.

John Green does something that John Green in best at. Understanding teenagers better than teenagers understand themselves. Green has this uncanny ability to create something prolific from something so minuscule.

Now maybe I didn't like this book as much because it kind of lost me in the middle. Maybe it's because it didn't make me cry. But it made me think. It made me think about what was important in my life. About how I looked at my life, and what I was going to do with it.

Looking back at it, the middle (where I got lost) was probably the most important part. It's the part where the main character begins to realize who he is. You see Quentin realizes that all the people in his life are very different from what he believes them to be. Not because they're leading him on, but because he has a mental picture of who his friends are. While it's not completely incorrect, it's not perfectly accurate.

We see people in our lives how we want to see them. We do things because we believe that we need to do them. We spend every day of our lives planning for the future. And as soon as that future gets here, we begin planning ahead for the next day.

I'd really like to write a longer review of this book. But there's not a lot to say. If I were to try to paraphrase the 332 pages of this book I would never do it justice. Because what I get out of it will be completely different than what you reading this right now ever would. This book draws from the experiences of the reader. You project your own feelings into this book, and that's what makes it so great.

[Source: Goodreads, DeviantArt]

marriage can be a real killer: Gone Girl

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Rating: 4.2/5

Let's begin by saying that this book will mess you up in the head. You will fall in love with one character, while you despise another. Then, the next chapter you'll change your mind. By the end the lines between "good" and "bad" are slightly blurry and you'll be left wondering who exactly you should hate (I vote everyone).

This book is like a car wreck, you just can't look away. I would reach the end of a chapter knowing full-well who was the antagonist only to be twisted like a pretzel in the next one.

I really like the format of the story. Flynn creates a plot that is easy to understand, yet impossible to follow. It's told from two points of view. The man's (Nick) and the woman's (Amy). Nick's is a first-person present POV while Amy's is a flashback journal entry (and other things that I can't spoil). This keeps the story fresh and keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

I think the thing that jumps out at me most while reading this was Amy's disposition towards men (and people in general). She talks about how she creates personalities to fit what she wants people to think of her. When she gets bored, she changes herself into something different. While it sounds crazy...it's what we all do. We're just less psychotic about it. She also points out all the ways that women change themselves to make men happy. She says that she was the, "Cool Girl." They kind of girl that men like. It's a really good look into what we do socially to please people.

This book is also a good example that everyone is insane and we should probably seek help. Amy is creepy and yet totally endearing. Throughout the book you'll draw parallels between yourself and her. If you don't then you're lying to yourself. She is just a more extreme version of humanity. Too smart for her own good.

This story is so full of twists that it's hard to remember what's true and what's fictional. Anymore information and I'll ruin it for you. All I can say is that the writing is spot on. It's been a long time since I really enjoyed reading something.

Definitely worth the read + a secondary one (because i'm sure i didn't catch everything).

[Fair Warning: there is some pretty strong language and some sexual situations in this book so consider yourself warned]

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.

A story about independence: Anthem

Title: Anthem

Author: Ayn Rand

My Rating: 4.0

"It is a sin to write this. 
It is a sin to think words no others think 

and to put them down upon a paper 

no others are to see. 

It is base and evil."

This book drew me in from the first second I opened it. It had been sitting on my shelf for ages. I bought it almost six months ago on a recommendation from an English Professor. He and I had been discussing my writing and the books that I had enjoyed reading. He told me that this one was right up my alley, and was he right!

I was very cautious to read it since some of Ayn Rand's political views can be quite abstract. But none the less I gave it a try. And I'm glad I did. This book isn't about her political views as much as human reasoning.

"We strive to be like all our brother men, 

for all men must be alike."

The first person journal format is sometimes frustrating as the reader can only see what the narrator describes. There was much to this post-apocalyptic world that could have been shown in greater detail, or at least that was my first impression. But when reading this book, one must understand that it's not a YA novel. It was not written with deep imagery so that the reader can picture this futuristic setting. The point of this book is psychological. It is about man and how man acts. About our behaviors. The things that make us human, that shape our society. There are literary techniques that while confusing at first, become second nature to the reader after a few minutes. They add so much the the story and play a key role in the development of the main character Equality 7-2521 (best name ever).

It's very George Orwell and one can also draw parallels between this and most YA dystopian fiction that is read today (most specifically Matched). I found this book extremely compelling and a quick and enlightening read. Four stars because I've read it three times now and still get goosebumps. She was ahead of her time with this, and well beyond any other novels I've read. It was a pleasure.

The beginning will intrigue you, the middle will have you on the edge of your seat, and the ending will send a chill down your spine.

"We are all one in all and all in one.

There are no men but only the great WE,

One, indivisible and forever"-

Question Wednesday: What makes a good book "good?"

The title is pretty much self-explanatory in my opinion.

I'm sure everyone has their favorite books, or books that they think are "good" (or fabulous or awe-inspiring or life-changing, dot dot dot). The question is, what exactly makes a good book "good?"

First of all, I think the writing matters a lot. Every author has a different style, and not essentially every bestselling author's style suits your liking. However, generally speaking, a natural, established flow of story is fundamental. There should also at least be some conflict, and enough character interactions to push the plot along. For me personally, I have an obsession with first-person narratives (well I do still lovelovelove the Harry Potter series), particularly if it's a girl's perspective. Well, for the most part because I'm a girl.

Aside from the actual writing, I do think there's much more to a "good" story. Maybe one particular character (preferably the protagonist, or maybe the villain! You never know) connects to you in a certain way--most likely because it reflects some of your own qualities--you just bond with the book/character instantly. I think that's the case with a lot of books that I like. Say, the Perks of Being a Wallflower. I just felt so sympathetic towards Charlie and Sam, because I think their high school days, although crazy like mine, are splattered with the dark dangers of being a teenager, the almost inevitable melancholy that often accompanies adolescence. Another example, the Fault in Our Stars, I was constantly amazed by the wit the two main characters bring to the table. I was so invested in them and their relationship that I cried buckets for the turnout of the story (sobbbbbbb!).

So, I think a good story not only has to be solid in writing, but also has to be able to evoke some personal, emotional response from the reader. 

What do you think?

xx

Vanessa :]