Book Review #5

Obsidian

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

To review this book I must first explain what a book boyfriend is. A book boyfriend is that guy you read about that you just know if only he were real... if only, if only, if only... so many things. Let's just say the first words out of you mouth would be, "I. Call. Dibs."

Daemon Black is a book boyfriend. 

         Katy Swartz is our rocking main character who I absolutely adore reading through. Jennifer Armentrout makes her voice lively, witty, and relate able which are all the things I look for in a good main character. When Katy moves into a small town next door to two very nice looking siblings (a brother and a sister who just so happen to be named Dee and Daemon Black), things just go down from there. The boy next door isn't exactly what he seems and neither is his sister or their tight group of friends. 

         

         When she finds out their secret she is instantly pulled into their problems. The only question is, will she help them or make it worse? In this book their are no alternate worlds, instead the story is set like it could be happening anywhere. The antagonists of the story consist of another race and government conspiracies. 

        

        There really isn't, much to say about the book other than the plot was original, the writing was decent, the characters rocked, and all in all it had me on the edge of my seat, up until four in the morning, and needing more  Daemon-filled books when I was finished. As Katy discovers the truth about her paranormal neighbors and gets sucked into their world I can promise that anyone reading the book will get sucked in too.

That's right. He was so cool he got his own e-card.

My Rating: 4 /5

                            -Sarah Elisabeth          

                      Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

           (English: When the world stops spinning... We're still reading.)

                                                                             

Book Review #4

The Iron King

Exasperated sigh. 

That was my reaction to the whole first half of the book. 

         The Iron King was predictable, cliche, and every part of it was based off of a Shakespeare play. At least, that was my reaction in the beginning. Julie Kagawa starts us off in a small rural town where things aren't quite what they seem. The author does a good job of allowing our main character, Meghan, room to grow and become a better character and throughout the story she does. You are introduced to the best friend, Robbie, right off the bat and there is an easy transition that almost goes unnoticeable as you start to think of him as mysterious rather than just comic relief.

         Meghan is entered into the world of faery creatures and goes on a journey to save her brother for the unknown. The author cleverly sets up a love triangle, but their doesn't seem to be enough depth in either of the relationships until close to the end. The world is very interesting and the imagery used to describe the other world and its rules was pretty good. Meghan does have her growth moments which made me very happy. It was an interesting twist too that added more layers to the main character's personality as well when we see her fight against multiple minor antagonists and obstacles using wit and cunning inntelect rather than physical skill.

         While the writing wasn't fantastic and the beginning was not quite as strong as I would have liked it to be, the story does pick up the pace around half way through when you are really immersed into the world of faery creatures and meet new characters. There were some memorable moments as well and the ending had me wanting to read the next book and hoping for the best.

My Rating: 3 /5
 (two and a half out of five)

           (English: When the world stops spinning... We're still reading.)

Book Vs Movie

City of Bones

Does contain SPOILERS.

                                                                    

In the book their are some key differences that were taken out of the movie, but probably shouldn't have been. While a movie can't go on forever, describing every single detail from the book (even though I wish it could) and a movie only has so much money for special effects and awesomeness factors, their still were scenes that would have given the movie a lot more depth. 

• In  the book the first scene they mess up in the movie is Clary's  big fighting a demon moment. She walks in the house to find a demon and destroys it herself. In the movie they have Clary fail to destroy the demon and Jace has to rescue her. While it was an interesting and quicker way to insert Jace into the story for the second time, it took away some of Clary's obvious unnatural abilities which is later used to decide that she is definitely not your average human.

• The next scene to be completely deleted is Simon's. In the book Simon is tricked and magically turned into a rat by a group of vampires who then take them to their haunted hotel of a home. In this scene you get to see Clary risk it all to save her friend, stopping at nothing and proving her courage  you get to see exactly what she's made of. They took this scene out. Completely. No rats, no courage, and Clary loses a little more depth. 

• The next scene is more of a background scene that explains what happened between Valentine and Luke. While this may not seem like the biggest, most important scene it still gave the story more layers and mad the characters more tangible so you were able to relate and understand the hatred towards the antagonist of the story. 

• The last scene i'm going to comment on is the ending. To start with, Valentine never gained control of the demons. In the book he fails and uses people instead,while in the movie he posses the demons and uses them. Then you have Clary. Clary who barely knows about her rune gift. Clary who doesn't ever even use the runes the way she does in the movie. The end of the book consists of four people in a constant struggle of who is gong to die first. Luke, Clary, Jace, and Valentine all want the the cup. Clary and Jace, having just found out they are siblings are struggling with the idea of killing their biological father as he hold their blood over their heads. With one person's knife at someones neck every other  second the whole scene is intense and action filled, ending with Valentine having the cup and disappearing  through a portal. That is not at all what happens in the movie.

   My Rating: 3/5

                                

                            -Sarah Elisabeth          

                      

          Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray. 

                               (English: When the world stops spinning... We're still reading.)

              

                                                       

Authors of the Week

Authors of the Week #1

         We often look at a book and fall in love with it, never once remembering that there is a person on this planet who may have spent years working to perfect every individual word that falls into the sentences that make up the paragraphs that fill pages that sew together chapters that pile up so high they create books and we don't even know their name. This weekly post will make sure than anyone who reads them will be able to recall the names and faces and even success stories of each author who puts out the books that take refuge on our shelves. So to start off the very first one I have decided to go ahead and get the big names out there. 

J.K. Rowling

         If you don't know her name then you either have been living under a rock for the past ten years or you just don't read. J.K Rowling, one of the richest writers on the planet wrote the best selling series Harry Potter. Books were sold, movies were made, theme parks were created, fan-bases multiplied, Harry-Potter-themed websites wen boom, and by that time if you said anything about the books everyone would know at least a little something about it. 

         But how much do we know about the author? Hopefully you know her name. But did you know she had a daughter? That she went so deep in poverty once her family was living off of food stamps? Did you know that the book series we know today as a children's modern classic was reject by publishing agencies so very many times it seems insane now?

         J.K Rowling is an amazing writer who really just need a lucky break. She had a daughter and couldn't find work. Finding her family poor they had to live off of food stamps until Rowling became a french teacher juggling classes, a daughter, and writing a book. Getting back on their feet she began to submit her work only to be rejected multiple times. One lucky break was all she needed and she got it. Her success story is one of perseverance and determination that now grants her a lifetime of knowing that her passion is being shared daily with others and most likely will be for years and years to come.

John Green

         John Green is the author of many books such as Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and, most likely well known, The Fault in our Stars. His name isn't quite a J.K Rowling name that you hear and just know, but it should be and for a lot of people is. 

         Green's popularity took off when he became a vlogger (video blogger). Back and forth between his brother, Hank, and him they became one of the most watched channels in the history of Youtube. They created the nerdfighters which is the title of their constantly growing and already seemingly infinite fan-base who rally together to quote un-quote,"decrease the suck in the world and protect the intellectual abilities of humans" or something like that. By suck they mean world problems like raising money for poverty and planting trees. When John Green put out books that were amazingly well written and unique to the YA genre the public raced to them. His blog followers and Vlog followers skyrocketed. 

Book Review #3

Book Review #3

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 

               You know how sometimes you get so wrapped up in a book you can't think straight until you finish it? How your heart rate picks up a bit when you start to think about what might happen? Or when you just have to put the book down for a minute, take a deep breath  and you say to yourself, "If this gets any more awesome I might just start jumping up down while making little squealing noises like a six year old."

       This was one of those books.

          As soon as I started reading City of Bones I couldn't stop. The characters were well developed and the setting was fully thought out. The heroine, Clary, is now one of my favorite heroines I've read so far. She was never whiny or ridiculous, and she always held her own, never needing to solely depend upon another person, while still needing help from time to time. Really she was your ideal YA fantasy main character: red hair, green eyes, artistic with a love of books, and has the ability to see activity no one else can. 

         Our story takes place in New York City where crazy things go almost unnoticed in between all of the busy chaos already living in the crowded city. When Clary happens upon a dark stranger in a club her first thought is, of course, around the lines of, "Who was that handsome stranger and how did he do that crazy paranormal oddity that i'm not completely sure I actually saw." You are introduced to several well thought out characters near the very beginning starting with the best friend, Simon, this I'm-kinda-nerdy-and-proud-of-it persona with a witty aftertaste and the starter love interest, Jace, your ultimate trouble maker/really cool guy who fits the love interest mold almost perfectly as he succeeds in being witty with a nonchalant attitude, a talented fighter who has great looks, and has a secret deep side under the first impression. 

           While this book was great there were still a few flaws. Within the story you have a some pot lines starting up that may have you rolling your eyes or saying,"Not this again..." There were also some soap opera moments that could have been another deeper layer to the complex story, but just wasn't pulled off quite well enough. The story also seemed to have a few predictability issues as well. 

         Cassandra Clare did an amazing job creating a whole new world with leaders, well-known-places, and a history. She neatly sets up an interesting love triangle that didn't have you sighing in exasperation, but instead, interested and excited  The plot line had a few week points but wasn't cliche and still enticed the reader with it's intensity, riveting imagery, and the edge-of-your-seat action scenes.

        Over all this book had me hooked and putting the next one, City of Ashes, at the top of my to-read book list. With an already-cant-put-this-book-down reaction from the very first chapter and an ending that made me demand to read more I think it put in an excellent addition to the YA world.

   My Rating: 3 1/2/5

                              

                            -Sarah Elisabeth          

                      

          Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.
           (English: When the world stops spinning... We're still reading.)