Weekend Reads #2

I had a pretty successful read last weekend and completed The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. Overall I found it an alright book, it just wasn't what I expected it to be, it was too character driven with a lack of action for me to really enjoy it: to view my full review click here. I also started and completed Before I Die by Jenny Downham and I loved it so much, it's such a beautiful read and it's definitely a book I'll read time and time again: to view my full review click here. However my hopes to continue with The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath went down the drain as I'm still on chapter 2 but I figure I'll get round to picking it back up.. eventually.

This weekend I've only tasked myself with one book and that is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. The book follows the life of a teenage girl called Clary Fray who witnesses a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the murdered body disappears into thin air and it's hard for her to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing, not even a smear of blood, to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? That question ultimately leads to Clary's journey of learning who she really is and the history of her family after she discovers a connection between the sudden disappearance of her mother, the three mysterious teenagers, called Shadowhunters, and an attack she receives from an alleged demon.

In all honesty I thought I had been done with the fantasy world of vampires and werewolves but this book (which is the first in a 6 part series) has received so much hype and critical acclaim that I figured I may as well give it a shot, not to mention that the trailer for the film adaption looks pretty good.

Even though I'm only tackling this book this weekend chances are I won't finish it by Sunday as it's quite a hefty read and I'm currently only on chapter 2, but I guess we'll see how it goes. Be sure to let me know what book(s) you're tackling this weekend in the comment section!

Before I Die - Jenny Downham

Synopsis: "Sixteen-year-old Tessa is going to die and she has made a list of ten things she wants to do in the time she has left. But getting what you want isn't easy and getting what you want doesn't always give you what you need, and sometimes the most unexpected things become important."

Before I Die by Jenny Downham follows the story of sixteen-year-old Tessa who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Despite four grueling years of chemotherapy she discovers that her cancer is terminal, thus not giving her very long to live. She ultimately decides that she wants to spend the rest of the time she has left living life to the full and composes a list of 10 things she wants to do before she dies, most of which are illegal. However as Tessa grows closer to her final days she realises that what you want isn't always what you need and that the small and intimate pleasures of life are what truly mean the most to her.

To begin with I found it difficult to connect and sympathise with Tessa as I felt she was too busy being reckless to appreciate the help and support she has from everyone, particularly her father. He gave up everything for her including his job, his friends and all the things he generally enjoyed in life when Tessa was diagnosed yet here she was throwing it all back in his face because she couldn't see that he was suffering too; she failed to understand that although her father's days weren't limited like her's, he'd have to deal with outliving his daughter and not seeing her grow up like she should.

I loved the juxtaposition Downham created between Tessa's father and her best friend, Zoey, who despite Tessa's condition constantly reminds her that although she may have cancer it's no excuse for her to feel sorry for herself and mope about all the time. She argues that everyone is dying every day and that Tessa should just take it with a pinch of salt because eventually we all die and although that may sound morbid to many Tessa appreciates Zoey's honesty, especially because it means she doesn't act differently and tread on thin ice around her, unlike everybody else.

The way the relationship between Tessa and Adam is expressed by Downham is so beautiful. There are so many novels out there where romance becomes superficial and unrealistic, creating a false sense of hope and belief that love actually does exist, Downham however doesn't do that. She acknowledges that love has ups and downs and that it's never plain sailing. Yes, ok, the whole 'boy next door' thing may be a little cliché but there was no nauseating Romeo and Juliet love at first sight nonsense, there was just pure, unexpected love between two people; it was so engaging to read.

However it was the gradual progression of Tessa's cancer which lead to her appreciation of the smaller things in life that really gripped me in this book. She starts out thinking that sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll are the most important things to her but when she learns that she has a matter of weeks left she comes to realise that what she has really wanted to experience to the full has been right in front of her the entire time - her friends and family, and that was heartbreaking to read, more-so in her last few of days where she couldn't move or talk, only listen and sleep. Her dreams became so vivid, thought provoking and stunning to read. She dreams of the things she didn't get to experience and it all becomes so enticing and touching to read.

Before I Die is a beautiful novel that made me happy, sad, laugh and cry (or should I say hysterically sob). It's such a shame that people compare it to The Fault In Our Stars so often because this truly is a unique and enticing novel that is like no other.

I give Jenny Downham and Before I Die ★★★★★

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

Synopsis: "On a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs. Runs from the beings that only look human, who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be her only hope. Now Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death."

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey follows the story of a teenage girl called Cassie as she tries to survive in a world that has been invaded by an alien species. The invasion however wasn't like the Hollywood film view the world expected and instead happened over the course of four waves. The first wave was an EMP which wiped out everything running on electricity, batteries and engines, killing half a million people. The second put that number to shame as a tsunami hit the world's coast, predominantly effecting America's West and East coast. The third was a deadly disease which took out 97% of the world's remaining population, and the fourth brought the Silencers who were set to take out the last few pockets of civilisation. But that's not it, there's a fifth wave coming but no one knows what it is.

It's a shame that so many people raved about how 'amazing' this book is before I picked it up as it gave me high expectations, unfortunately I found myself somewhat disappointed after the completion of this book and I dominantly put that down to me expecting far more from it because of the awesome reviews I had heard.

Although the world Yancey has created is innovative and thought provoking, I found that the plot didn't have much to it to keep me hooked and interested. I initially wasn't too bothered about the slow pace of the book as I was expecting it to all build up to an epic conclusion, but I was left incredibly disappointed by the lack of action the last few chapters provided; everything seemed to be too clean-cut for me.

However saying that I thoroughly enjoyed how Yancey provided a variation on character point of views throughout the book in order to further enlighten pre and post invasion. The story dominantly follows the point of view of Cassie, despite being primarily dual narrated by another character who's name I shall not mention because of spoilers. As a result of this the book is very character driven and provides a lot of character development.

The lack of action within this story is really disappointing, as previously mentioned. Yancey provides so much opportunity for action but there just isn't very much of it and whenever there is action I didn't find myself anxious or on the edge of my seat as I turned each page, it was all just very average to read and some of the events that unfolded seemed too simple and easily achieved when they shouldn't have been. I was also a little disappointed with the fifth wave as I had a lot of suspicion over what was happening at Camp Haven so when it was ultimately revealed I didn't find myself too surprised or gripped by it.

Ultimately The 5th Wave is a survival story and an examination of the state of the human race in world where it is all about kill or be killed and because of that I expected far more from this read. I just hope that the next book in the series, which is due out Summer 2014, delivers more.

I give Rick Yancey and The 5th Wave ★★★

Weekend Reads #1

I'm generally the type of person that will only ever take on one book at a time, simply because I easily become so engrossed in the world of the book I'm reading that there just isn't enough room for another book. That however isn't the case this weekend as I'll be battling three, well, rather attempting to battle three as I've just started watching Teen Wolf and I can't get enough of it.

My first task for this weekend is to finish The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. So far I'm really enjoying the story and the characters, however I'm yet to understand why so many people have raved about it because although it's a unique story that challenges some really interesting themes, there hasn't been much going on action wise. The lack of action however is made up by the guessing game I'm having with this book, each time I think I've figured the plot out it takes a different direction and I really enjoy that in a book. I'm currently on page 362 of 457 so I should have it finished by tomorrow night.

I'm also hoping to start Before I Die (previously known as Now Is Good) by Jenny Downham. I've been eager to start this book for ages as the plot sounds fantastic. The story follows a sixteen-year-old girl called Tessa who has cancer and is soon to die. Tessa however doesn't dwell on the coming of her death and instead makes a list of ten things she wants to do in the time she has left. But Tessa soon finds that getting what you want isn't easy, nor is it what you always need.

Chances are I'll have my heart ripped out and trampled on and will most likely sob like an uncontrollable baby, nevertheless I'm looking forward to this read. Clearly I haven't learnt my lesson from The Fault in Our Stars.

And finally, simply because I have to for my A2 English literature course, I'll be carrying on with The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. So far I'm only two chapters in and I'm already uninterested in the novel, most likely because it's a book I'm being forced to read and forcing me to read something never goes down well.

Be sure to let me know what books you're tackling this weekend in the comment section!

The Kill Order - James Dashner

Sun flares have unleashed devastation on the Earth. Mark and Trina were then when it happened, and against the odds they survived. But now a violent and highly contagious disease is spreading like wildfire. Worse still, it's mutating, and people are going crazy. Mark and Trina will do anything to save their friends - if only they can avoid madness and stay alive.

The Kill Order by James Dashner is the prequel to The Maze Runner trilogy and takes place 13 years before the day Thomas goes into the Glade. It follows the story of Mark and his friends as they try to survive in a world which is now flawed by despair, starvation and disease. For those of you that are yet to read the trilogy I strongly advise making your way through those books first as this book contains a lot of spoilers to events that take place in the latter three books.

To be perfectly honest I was rather skeptical about picking this prequel, although I am a massive fan of The Maze Runner trilogy it left me with a lot of unanswered questions and I was therefore dubious about whether or not this book would answer those questions and overall I'd say it did a pretty good job of doing so.

Although a lot of my questions were answered, such as where the Flare originated from and what happened to the Earth the day the sun flares struck, I was still left confused about how the flares came to hit the Earth as well as some outstanding questions about Thomas and the other Gladers. For those of you that know me you'll know that I'm a massive fan of Dashner when it comes to his use of epilogues as they're always so cleverly written and leave you wanting more. The epilogue to this book introduces Thomas in the moment WICKED come to collect him from his mother and although it was a sad few pages, I was left disappointed as I still didn't understand, or rather know, how WICKED came to selecting the brightest children and how they knew of their intelligence.

What I loved most about this book is the character development. From the synopsis I had the idea that Mark and Trina (who is Mark's love interest) would be the main characters and I wasn't sure if I wanted to delve into a soppy teenage romance, however I soon found that the main characters were actually Alec, a man who found Mark and Trina soon after the flares hit the Earth and took them under his wing, and Mark. This shone a new light on character relationships for me as I haven't read many novels which contain a strong father and son figure relationship. The character development between them both was fantastic and I loved how Dashner connected them in a way where they always knew what the other was thinking and strove to protect the same thing; their friends, despite none of them actually being blood related.

The general premise to this novel was also rather enjoyable. It dominantly follows the present tense but also uses flashbacks to the day the flares hit and the weeks that followed, during Mark's dreams. I thought the way Dashner blended the past and present together in that way was great to read and there was never a dull moment, I always found myself on the edge of my seat and my heart racing. The last few chapters were definitely the highlight of the book. I found myself shaking more and more as I turned each page as there was just so much suspense. The very last chapter was heartbreaking and found myself stunned by the realisation of who a certain female character is and sobbing over the last few moments between other characters.

Overall I really enjoyed this prequel, although maybe not as much as the trilogy itself, nevertheless it's a good read that answers a lot of questions. I just wish the book was a bit longer so I could have the answers to all of my questions! If you wish to read my review on The Maze Runner trilogy then click here to do so.

I give James Dashner and The Kill Order ★★★★

Summer Reading Tag

Today I decided to do a tag, specifically the 'Summer Reading Tag', which was originally created by Kitkatscanread on YouTube (click here to view her original video). Now, as this tag is YouTube driven and I haven't actually been tagged by anybody, I'm kind of cheating here, but oh well!

It's morning and there's a hint of sunshine in the sky. What book has a good start for you?

A lot of the books I've read have slow starts which create a lot of setup with a general lack in anything exciting occurring so I found this question rather difficult. However I ultimately decided on two books, the first being The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I adore this book, it's one of my favourites, and what I love about the start is that I managed to connect with and fall in love with Charlie's character instantly as Chbosky gives you a lot of insight into Charlie's life and his struggles and I believe that's difficult for an author to achieve in such a short space of time. Secondly I chose Heroes by Robert Cormier. Although overall I found it an average read, the opening sentence is easily the best I've ever come across: "My name is Joseph Cassavant and I have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and I have no face". Need I say more?!

You go outside with a good book in hand. What do you choose?

For those of you that know me this will be very much predictable; it has to be The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's no secret that the first book in the trilogy is my favourite. I love how despite being a YA novel it is a book that appeals to everyone, regardless of age and/or interest. Collins portrays a great sense of realism in the plot. The themes dealt with are a really interesting mix and I find the story an enormous eye opener to capitalism and the world we live in.

You decide to fetch an ice cream to cool down. Name a chilled out/cool read!

Those who have read Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry may not perceive it as a relatively chilled/cool read as it's such an emotional and heartfelt book. However I picked this book up after completing The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, despite the fact my heart was still seeping from the trauma of that read. I found that McGarry's writing is pleasant and enjoyable to read and it genuinely chilled me, which surprised me as I'm not a massive romance fan, and therefore I was able to relax into the story and the characters effortlessly. So as I said, the actual story itself isn't particularly relaxed, but the writing style is.

The sun gets trapped behind a cloud. How annoying. What book has annoyed you recently?

This is probably the easiest of all the questions as I've never been more annoyed by a book than I have by The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. The title of this book gripped me straight away and I was so excited to read it, I mean it's such an unusual and interesting title. Nonetheless, I was incredibly let down. Although there were some humourous parts that I enjoyed, overall I was rather annoyed by this book as I found it too difficult to get into and found the political side of it (which may I add takes up about half of the book) incredibly tiresome and colourless.

It's later in the day and the sun has moved you. Time to relocate. What book has amazed you to the finish?

The most obvious choice for this one is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, I mean do I even need to explain myself on this one? Hands down the most heart wrenching, shocking, stunning and amazing read I've ever come across; I just have no words.

The day is almost over and it's been fantastic til' the end. What book has amazed you to the finish?

Yet another book I don't think I need to explain, The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. This book is easily my favourite of the Harry Potter series, no question about it. In this book Rowling finally finds her voice as she delves into more adult themes and situations and I loved that. I also don't think I've ever been so gripped by a book in my life, the plot is just fantastic, it's humorous, action packed and the climax just blew me away. I'd happily read this book again and again and again.

Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson

Synopsis:"All summer, Jess pushed himself to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade, and when the year's first school-yard race was run, he was going to win. But his victory was stolen by a newcomer, by a girl, one who didn't even know enough to stay on the girls' side of the playground. Then, unexpectedly, Jess finds himself sticking up for Leslie, for the girl who breaks rules and wins races.

The friendship between the two grows as Jess guides the city girl through the pitfalls of life in their small, rural town, and Leslie draws him into the world of imaginations and a whole new world called Terabithia. There they rules as king and queen, until a terrible tragedy occurs that helps Jess understand just how much he has learned from Leslie"

Considering that the film adaption of this book is my all time favourite film, I'm quite ashamed that it has taken me this long to get round to reading the novel. Nevertheless I got through this book within a couple of hours spread over two nights.

I didn't think that it would be possible but Katerine Paterson has made me fall uncontrollably and irrevocably in love with Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke all over again. The character development and relationship between the two is so real and current that as a reader I felt as if I too was living the adventures Jess and Leslie faced on a daily basis; Paterson's writing takes you on an extraordinary adventure between three best friends.

Both Jess and Leslie were from opposite ends of the spectrum. Jess' family is poor and barely scrapes by every month yet they soldier on and stick together as a family, whereas Leslie is originally from a comfortable background in Washington and at first finds it difficult to fit into her new life in rural southwest Virginia, yet they unexpectedly become friends and momentarily change each other's lives, and that is expressed so beautifully in Paterson's writing, the treatment of the two characters and the illustrations provided.

Reading of Jess and Leslie's friendship pulled me back to my childhood and the games and worlds I'd too create with my best friend. It give me a great sense of nostalgia and longing to have my childhood back and live it all over again. Paterson successfully manages to portray adults themes such as abuse and hardship in a way that is both effective and suitable for a children's book as well as enlighten the beauty of a child's imagination and it's never ending possibilities.

Furthermore, the transition of Jess' character from just an ordinary lonely boy to an imaginative, cheerful and heartfelt preteen and how his friendship with Leslie got him there is fantastic to read and my heart broke when tragedy struck and changed everything.

From the end of chapter 10 onward my tears repeatedly fell onto the pages of this book and with the turning of each page my heart broke even more as Jess struggles to face and accept the tragedy he has experienced and how it changes everything for him from how he perceives the world all the way up to the living on of the world himself and Leslie created together, Terabithia.

Although I was disappointed by the lack of detail in regards to Terabithia itself and the adventures the two inevitably had within, I found this book an enchanting read and a touching tale of preteen companionship and loss that has most definitely become one of my favourite books.

I give Katherine Paterson and 'Bridge to Terabithia' ★★★★★

Book Haul #1

Despite being an avid reader, I've never been one to buy more than a couple of books at a time and even then they tend to be books which are part of series' that I've started and the odd stand alone book here and there.

However, over the last two weeks I've purchased a total of 12 books which is out of the norm for me, nevertheless I'm excited to read all of them. I got them all for bargains, most of which I paid £3.85 for at various UK supermarkets. Even the two books I picked up at Waterstones came to just £5 for them both and that never happens!

Originally this blog was going to be entirely text focused however I figured it'd be best to create a YouTube channel to share my book hauls on and the occasional review here and there. So be sure to click here and subscribe to my channel! Enjoy the video!

*video temporarily removed*

The Maze Runner Trilogy - James Dashner

As I'm currently reading The Kill Order by James Dashner I thought it would make sense for me to review The Maze Runner trilogy before finishing and reviewing The Kill Order. As I'm reviewing all three books in this one post it may turn out rather long, or not, we'll see how it goes.

The Maze Runner

Synopsis: "When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there - or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything to try and find out."

What I love most about this novel is that you are instantly thrown into the world of the Maze with no explanation of what, why or how; you remain as clueless and dumbfounded as the protagonist, Thomas, allowing you to build a greater connection to the story and Thomas. James Dashner enables you to experience the world he so cleverly created first hand, keeping you on the edge of your seat and begging you to read on as the plot unfolds. This technique creates a sense of realism for the reader and enforces the belief that such an event could happen in the real world.

Although the book was at times quite menacing and terrifying to read, I felt as if the Maze itself lacked creativity. As you learn more about the Maze you expect it to be like another world out there filled with an array of horrors and beats, but it isn't. You've just got the Grievers, which are mechanical like bears, and the curiosity of who WICKED are, but after a while you lose interest in them both because they come up so often that you're almost expecting them to appear in every chapter. They lose their novelty and there isn't much else for the reader to look forward to, until the last few chapters.

I thought the epilogue however was so cleverly written. Whilst reading the ending I became quite disappointed because it was just so predictable and almost too straightforward to be true. As a matter of fact I hated the ending, until Dasher dove right in there and created a twist I was not expecting.

I give James Dashner and The Maze Runner ★★★★

The Scorch Trials

Synopsis: "Thomas was sure that escape from the maze meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one knew what sort of life they were going back to. The earth is a wasteland. Government and order have disintegrated and now Cranks, people driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim...and meal. Thomas can only wonder - does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?"

I found The Scorch Trials far more enticing, action packed and exciting to read than The Maze Runner. I simply could not put this book down. From the very first page to the very last you are without a dull moment. It's action from the word go that does no disappoint.

Again, Dashner cleverly maintains that level of confusion between Thomas and the reader for this novel and that remains an important aspect to the series as Thomas and his friends discover that they're far from being out of the trials.

Each twist within this novel provides a windowed opportunity for attempting to figure out what is really happening and what WICKED are really up to, yet every time you get close to having a hunch it's dashed by yet another plot twist. Now, some could argue that this novel is full of too many twists to keep track of but I personally have to disagree because they ultimately lead to the one thing you question as a reader, who created the Trials and why?

I found this such a well written story that keeps you hanging on the edge of a cliff by a fingernail with each chapter more terrifying than the latter.

I give James Dash and The Scorch Trials ★★★★★

The Death Cure

Synopsis: "The Trials are over. WICKED have collected all the information they can. Now it's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test. But something has happened that no-one at WICKED has foreseen: Thomas has remembered more than they think. And he knows WICKED can't be trusted. The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than anyone could have imagined."

The Death Cure is the final book in this trilogy and I'll be honest, I was a little bit disappointed with it. I'd say that I enjoyed this as much as the first book, The Maze Runner, but nowhere near as much as The Scorch Trials.

Just like the two previous books, there is little space for a dull moment in this novel. The level of action and suspense leaves you anxious throughout the read and I found myself shaking through most of it as I was so eager to see what happens to Thomas, his friends, WICKED and the remainder of the human race, all of which have been effected by the destruction the sun flares brought to the Earth many years before the Trials began.

However what I didn't like about this book is that Dashner continued with keeping the reader as dumbfounded as Thomas. Although it worked well and was needed in the first two books, the third is where loose ends were supposed to be tied up, yet not all of them were which results in a slight struggle to understand some basic concepts such as what first happened when the flares hit the Earth and how WICKED found the most intelligent children and where they came from. There was such a lack in detail and I felt that the novel really needed that detail in order to stand out.

Another thing that I didn't like about this book was the end. I actually found it quite ridiculous and the story just lost it's sense of realism. Throughout the trilogy there's this sense that such events that Dasher portrays in these books are possible in real life, however the ending tarnished that. The whole world faced destruction and is still in it, even those areas that are quarantined are facing the effects of the flares, yet somehow and somewhere this 'paradise' had remained untarnished and undiscovered by so many, allowing Thomas and many others to escape the horrors of the real world to build a new life and restart civilization. I just couldn't process how that was even possible. Maybe if there was some explanation as to how it was located, survived etc it would have been slightly more realistic, but it wasn't.

I give James Dashner and The Death Cure ★★★★