tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92124786273759733622024-02-06T22:12:58.041-05:00Pepper InkPepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-75082927186194394192011-10-25T19:30:00.007-04:002011-10-25T21:00:50.409-04:00Annabel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuLyoLPu8dFFeaNmzJbV9JOIHaZS2ppH5FvRj2Ku7AlXTbtwlRdEd7WWTZjfzJl1uKfoI9Vt4Sk7gqt7G_1_b7YDreKLycBblYu5hqwVXbZbVwW6GyD6zZ6M-7yeZ_U6ip6isXQsDNXk/s1600/Annabel.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuLyoLPu8dFFeaNmzJbV9JOIHaZS2ppH5FvRj2Ku7AlXTbtwlRdEd7WWTZjfzJl1uKfoI9Vt4Sk7gqt7G_1_b7YDreKLycBblYu5hqwVXbZbVwW6GyD6zZ6M-7yeZ_U6ip6isXQsDNXk/s400/Annabel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667577825257976322" border="0" /></a><div style="font-style: italic;" class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">480</span> pages</div><span style="font-style: italic;"> Published March 10th 2011 by Jonathan Cape</span><br /><br /><span id="freeTextContainer1882275248859521880"><span style="font-style: italic;">In 1968, into the beautiful, spare environment of remote coastal Labrador in the far north-east of Canada, a mysterious child is born: a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor girl, but both at once. Only three people share the secret - the baby's parents, Jacinta and Treadway, and a trusted neighbor, Thomasina.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeTextContainer1882275248859521880">The tale of an intersex child growing up into adulthood, <span style="font-style: italic;">Annabel</span> is not the type of book I usually read, and thus it figures as the fresh and original meat of my pile of reads. I think this book is wonderful in the way that it deals with an issue that a lot of people need to relate with; as for if it's actually effective or not, I'm not certain I can entirely argue for or against.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeTextContainer1882275248859521880"><span style="font-style: italic;">Annabel</span> is written in a very rich, poetic language, and I think that's the biggest pro of the book. I was touched by many quotes and words coming from the characters, and it's definitively an easy read for anyone, making it thus accessible to a wider public.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeTextContainer1882275248859521880">I will say though that I wasn't particularly hooked by the story. I was very interested in Wayne's/ Annabel's journey, but I feel like it never really met enlightenment. The characters have, of course, greatly evolved; I was most touched by Wayne's father turn of thoughts and epiphany at the end of the book, and this sudden expressive fatherly love. Yet, when it comes to Wayne, a lot of what I was expecting to see didn't really happen; he does not clearly declare himself either male or female, yet keeps living on as a man. Instead he spiritually accepts himself as both gender, and although that is perfectly reasonable and fine and cannot be argued as a plot's flaw (and could even rather be seen as the most rational conclusion to such a existential dilemma), it did not touch me a whole much. Maybe it was the lack of drama that didn't quite make it up to me, the lack of tension and the fact the Wayne sort of... went on with the flow.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeTextContainer1882275248859521880">Annabel is not a bad book; it's arguably great and even won a prize. It personally didn't do it for me, and I even let go off it for a few weeks before picking it up again. I also feel that I would have liked the story more if it was about a female relating more to masculinity rather than a male relating more to femininity. Would I be wrong saying that male going female cases are more spoken of rather than female going male cases?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Originality: 9</span>.5<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Plot: 8</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Characters: 8.5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Writing: 9.5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cliffhangers: 6</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Annabel by Kathleen Winter</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Rating: 8,3/10</span><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-23397958485518352752011-10-11T21:51:00.004-04:002011-10-11T22:00:31.228-04:00So Silver Bright<div style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">354</span> pages<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5017122UsNhnvTmpmP466Csh4iJ92xWtOgYI5mrK43Dmp4lhPWRvXBHUoqf4Db8iORGQ7P1ur1sIjD8_UHhvDN_hEONh_zFZKPTGaHFgL6jC1pr2ctheECmBf2an0ezAKqlO1OOrg-8/s1600/So+Silver+Bright.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5017122UsNhnvTmpmP466Csh4iJ92xWtOgYI5mrK43Dmp4lhPWRvXBHUoqf4Db8iORGQ7P1ur1sIjD8_UHhvDN_hEONh_zFZKPTGaHFgL6jC1pr2ctheECmBf2an0ezAKqlO1OOrg-8/s400/So+Silver+Bright.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662417787364060130" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> </span><div class="row"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Published September 13th 2011 by Feiwel & Friends</span> </div><br /><span id="freeTextContainer5835567625606546601"><span style="font-style: italic;">All Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has ever wanted is a true family of her own. And she’s close to reuniting her parents when her father disappears. Now Bertie must deal with a vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family – and the Theatre Illuminata – from crumbling. To complicate it all, Bertie is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">So Silver Bright was definitively better than its prequels. Even if Matchev has stuck to her random, desultory plot lining where events pile up without much structure and instead with fairy-tale-ish mannerism, the flow of the story is this time easier to catch.<br /><br />Clearly, tremendous efforts were put in the writing style that came out quite literate, poetic and rich in imagery, even if it sometimes feels like over the top and a tad bit ridiculous with too much metaphors about cake and pie. I nevertheless appreciated this last installment for this very lightness and comedy that the author's writing style and plot brought to the book; I was in heavy need of a sweet, enjoyable read, and So Silver Bright was just my cup of tea.<br /><br />Plot-wise, I think it concludes the series' well. There are sacrifices as well as lessons learned, and the final answers that we all craved for are given and spun in Mantchev's ever constant original telling. With the final mystery solved, I must admit these books' plotline is truthfully interesting and appealing with originality, and although I still think it could have been carried out better in many ways, I'll drop my reprimands and say everything is good enough in the end.<br /><br />The main down of the book, and what I consider as a real shame, is that too much attention was given to Bertie. I feel as if Nate and Ariel were ever present only for the love triangle; I can barely recall them doing anything particular except fussing over Bertie or standing by her side. Bertie was always the one doing the confronting, and she ended up with a myriad of magical powers whilst Nate and Ariel never got their chance to be useful. Nate and Ariel never had time to settle their score or just become friends either, and I find that a lot more feelings could have been put in the other characters.<br /><br />But well, that's all I've really got to say. I'm curious of seeing what other novels Mantchev will create, and I'm also very curious how a motion picture adaption of the series would look like...<br /></div><br /><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style=""><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Originality: 9</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Plot: 8</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Characters: 7.5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Writing: 8.5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cliffhangers: 8</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Rating: 8,2/10<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">-Beryl</span><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-43163794326881255962011-10-11T15:55:00.002-04:002011-10-11T15:56:10.521-04:00Geist<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlSMLNz1Ouv08AQudiEZbtRgTnWSspGhF5b-cEenpt0a5tw7yeRO1oSW0uejBG_wrWPg7sKi6eahw99RgzaGQ5nK9HrM7Xq9cLzGcR-kP96y2CtIbZ3yYPpuoZTcHelp9F2pL3FTKHkE/s1600/Geist.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlSMLNz1Ouv08AQudiEZbtRgTnWSspGhF5b-cEenpt0a5tw7yeRO1oSW0uejBG_wrWPg7sKi6eahw99RgzaGQ5nK9HrM7Xq9cLzGcR-kP96y2CtIbZ3yYPpuoZTcHelp9F2pL3FTKHkE/s400/Geist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662319675649076402" border="0" /></a><div style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">304</span> pages<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Published January 27th 2011 by ACE</span><span id="freeText15167218352730397580" style=""><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to?</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm really disappointed I could not find a hardcover or simply bigger version of this book. I'm also surprised the two bookstores I went to only had one or two copies of Geist and Spectyr, because these books should definitively be found in a larger number.<br /><br />It only took me three days to go through Geist, and I can't wait to purchase the follow up. This novel offers one of the most original and inspiring fantasy universe that I have seen in a long, long time. It's fresh, loaded with action and strong characters and because the book can be relatively considered as an 'Adult book', it's devoid of the sappy, mindless drama that you drown in while reading YA novels.<br /><br />I loved every single one of the characters. Sorcha with her blunt, strong attitude, Merick with his intelligent but young naivety, Raed and his pirate-ish, cool-headed mannerism. I enjoyed the fact they all brought something to the story and that the plot's fate didn't rest on only one character's shoulders. I loved the fact they all have both weaknesses and strengths. The world Ballantine created is also fantastic and refreshing, and I can't wait to read more. It's been a while since I've looked forward to a sequel like this.<br /><br />Ballantine is very good at creating a stable, suspenseful plot. Just like with any other fantasy story, there may be a lot of elements to take in, the magic system can seem complicated at first, but I admired the fact all this universe was layered out one bit at the time in a very precise manner, and without some kind of major dumping of information on the reader, or on the contrary, none at all.<br /><br />Having read other reviews, I observed that a lot of readers stated that the first few chapters were really 'boring and hard to pull through'. I personally disagree. The first chapter of Geist is already hooking the reader to the core of the action, and albeit one or two introductory chapters about the characters themselves and the world, Geist is action-packed till the end. I may even say that that's something to beware of; too much constant rolling action can get very tiresome and ridiculous, but Geist treated everything perfectly. I hope though that in the following sequels there will be less fighting and more interactions, more passive drama and also more deepening of the character's pasts and future.<br /><br />In any case, I recommend this book to all those fantasy readers out there. Great, great novel and I hope it keeps being great.<br /></div><br /><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style=""><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Originality: 9.5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Plot: 8,5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Characters: 10</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Writing: 8</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cliffhangers: 8.5</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Geist by Phillipa Ballantine</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Rating: 8,9/10<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">-Beryl</span><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-20757716156227878622011-10-10T19:39:00.004-04:002011-10-10T19:44:21.612-04:00And we're back on a roll.<div style="text-align: justify;">It's really impossible for me to stay away from books for too long, and I'm glad to say I'll be posting up some new, fresh reviews soon. I don't know about Aithen, but I've been spending some of my money on some sweet deals lately, and I'm just dying to share my thoughts online. Look forward to reviews of<br /><br />'Geist' by Phillipa Ballantine<br />'So Silver Bright' by Lisa Mantchev<br />'Annabel' by Kathleen Winter<br />'The way of Shadows' by Brent Weeks<br /><br />and many more to come. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-12613140571756034552011-08-10T12:49:00.007-04:002011-08-10T13:00:06.113-04:00It has been a while now...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-gm3OUECj6w62IuxJTCOwaLF4XywaN1cJe8wtn8rYS4MyFd0YvDg_55Q7TLpGgsgLO_6oatBbJDCKJAvjxHdcM3bmcXfCc8D3ygHotYklr2dYdfMymwf_lm9MoEpYxi2KZaDIiyh0t4/s1600/dhfh.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-gm3OUECj6w62IuxJTCOwaLF4XywaN1cJe8wtn8rYS4MyFd0YvDg_55Q7TLpGgsgLO_6oatBbJDCKJAvjxHdcM3bmcXfCc8D3ygHotYklr2dYdfMymwf_lm9MoEpYxi2KZaDIiyh0t4/s200/dhfh.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639272580508530690" border="0" /></a>... since we've reviewed a book! And it may take some time before we update again.
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<br />See, it's not that we've fallen out of love for books, it's just that this summer Aithen and I have been concentrating a lot on simply writing! We've been writing our own stories, short and long, roleplaying and also getting ready for NaNoWriMo. We plan on participating this November, and thus we have to get mentally ready to write down 50 000 words in only one month. In September we're also entering College / 'Cegep' / 'Pre-Uni', which is a big change and will assure us a busy schedule.
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<br />This goes without saying that we haven't been reading much... It is really just a phase where we enjoy working with our fingers rather than with our eyes, but fear not! Pepper Ink is not dying and we're thankful for the attention we've been given till now! We'll continue on posting reviews whenever we finish a read.
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<br />We hope everyone had a great summer till now, and that the greatness continues till the end!
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<br /><div style="text-align: right;">-Beryl
<br /></div></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-45921501886153216742011-04-11T19:52:00.007-04:002011-08-10T14:21:18.624-04:00Before I Fall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3ZIXQuqxtzeLXybdfyQ0duGTdKN8EWfRo4EsoPu6GebHE2Q8FjJl3IYA18OddLJZHAa1Ke8mINSGVvIi9WWiblHtKr8l1cJSpK_XLy6HTdMPEJh6M9ayKPGjDWYI5jy08IF3x6lyStk/s1600/Before+I+Fall.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3ZIXQuqxtzeLXybdfyQ0duGTdKN8EWfRo4EsoPu6GebHE2Q8FjJl3IYA18OddLJZHAa1Ke8mINSGVvIi9WWiblHtKr8l1cJSpK_XLy6HTdMPEJh6M9ayKPGjDWYI5jy08IF3x6lyStk/s400/Before+I+Fall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594478333971896578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">472 pages</span>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Published March 2nd 2010 by HarperCollins</span>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Genre: YA Fiction</span>
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<br /><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">"What if you had only one day to live?</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What would you do?</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Who would you kiss?</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And how far would you go to save your own life?</span>
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Instead, it turns out to be her last.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing."</span>
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<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style="">It has been over two months since the site's last review! <span style="font-style: italic;">Gasp! </span>We're awfully sorry, but school has been nipping at our heels. Here's a book I just finished reading a few days ago, and hopefully this review can make up for the lack of any recent ones... and the sparse that are to come until the end of the school year.</span>
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<br /><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Before I Fall</span>! A not so bad read. Telling the story of how a girl lives the same day through an entire week and how she comes to change herself and the people around her, it is an interesting book that is both realistic and relatable to. Samantha Kingston, your vain, simple-minded and bitchy teenage girl who sees the amount of roses you get on Valentine's day as important, suddenly dies on said Valentine day, in a car accident after your generic teen party. The next morning, she wakes up in her bed, on the same exact day. Fun stuff!</span>
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<br /><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style="">In<span style="font-style: italic;"> Before I Fall, </span>Oliver makes her protagonist go through the same day seven times, causing her to evolve into a better, nicer person as she realizes that popularity, sex and social power aren't the only things that matter, and that there are better things to concentrate upon. For a novel of 472 pages, there's enough space to clearly witness Samantha's evolution and for the reader to end up liking her. The story itself is gripping and holds some jolting twists at the end. It was my personal pleasure to see the story and mystery behind Sam's death and quest unfold so well.</span>
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<br /><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style="">The same day, seven times? Might be a bit repetitive. It was, on day 3 or 4, but the events vary. Even if I did approach the ending of the book with certain relief and impatience, <span style="font-style: italic;">Before I Fall</span> offers many versions of the same day, and doesn't drag on the details that were already presented earlier. Character-wise, I think the cast is very realistic. All of Samantha's friends are the type of girls that one can classify as 'classical school bitch', and are presented such as that; bitching, being mean and vile, horny and self-centered. Lauren Oliver does, though, show their better side, a deepness to them that the reader doesn't realize at first. The character development is drastic and entirely believable.</span>
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<br /><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Before I Fall</span> captures the narcissistic emotions and feelings of high school very well. I think a lot of people can relate to the book and it's characters, and even if sometimes the repetition threatened to be overwhelming, the book satisfied me. The writing is engaging and flowing. A book I recommend.</span>
<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span id="freeText5862463045862395746" style="font-style: italic;">-Beryl</span>
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<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Originality: 9</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Plot: 8,5</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Characters: 9</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Writing: 8</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cliffhangers: 7,5</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver</span>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 8,4/10</span>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-12971831760745237492011-03-21T16:54:00.010-04:002011-03-24T23:27:56.178-04:00PEPPER INK IS GOING ON SALE<div style="text-align: center;">LADIES AND GENTLEMAN<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">THE TIME HAS COME TO PRESENT YOU<br />PEPPER INK, THE SPAZZSTASTIC COMPLETE GUIDE TO YA LITERATURE!!1<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIT-_BNNw5PnaUs-gKf5wQCfWeWfOjVRr7JEy6LjjaRs2CDMIP1cUFNbm8k-RNUkY5r6oBdZxzM12xg3BnEyEfLCONoRyMhVJUBgLq0xp_36u_YQs6r8yWojeanR1MXKsDan98OViXKY/s1600/Cover+copy.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIT-_BNNw5PnaUs-gKf5wQCfWeWfOjVRr7JEy6LjjaRs2CDMIP1cUFNbm8k-RNUkY5r6oBdZxzM12xg3BnEyEfLCONoRyMhVJUBgLq0xp_36u_YQs6r8yWojeanR1MXKsDan98OViXKY/s400/Cover+copy.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586640767712471938" border="0" /></a><br />26 RENEWED AND REFRESHED REVIEWS,<br />COUNTING SOME<br />THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN UPLOADED ON THE BLOG BEFORE!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AuCsDFB7bkZ3rhzqFNat6p_gTvPf26_0_wgeaGvyF_fsyLG_lQpTvtbi1m2BhPzM4Sg9hZeKjUo8DGORpmoFEpklPWJw8_CgHQuUITMqnqRJhxtkN189xojiIhGQKUJvAluDvHjHiz4/s1600/S1.png"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbfqSHPl_cQfsCjQr27f4aa58gSn5C3DwLik89yc9aHTvU5aGkNeudHgjA0h80BzTa2CRxnKJMx2nJ6mFEMAq46I0cH6eoKQU-LddqadInyV6nVJcsJh9xv08e6hgY2Qxq8bQWVLYfFI/s1600/2.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbfqSHPl_cQfsCjQr27f4aa58gSn5C3DwLik89yc9aHTvU5aGkNeudHgjA0h80BzTa2CRxnKJMx2nJ6mFEMAq46I0cH6eoKQU-LddqadInyV6nVJcsJh9xv08e6hgY2Qxq8bQWVLYfFI/s400/2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586643593407410866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF0kB2xddjTSwZCjmKgFbzZncsdeyKUTeRBtnmwS9wgNzbNNfqHJy_lsd7tc-t6imq7FtJwnE2LlDN0_tVGPgkNGca5SkVoiB9cUprfWPIIub-1vPkdzMgXK3avXiE0bqpWwSjo4VyO4/s1600/1.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF0kB2xddjTSwZCjmKgFbzZncsdeyKUTeRBtnmwS9wgNzbNNfqHJy_lsd7tc-t6imq7FtJwnE2LlDN0_tVGPgkNGca5SkVoiB9cUprfWPIIub-1vPkdzMgXK3avXiE0bqpWwSjo4VyO4/s400/1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586643810334950194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt64r860PKJCl9HKcCxKo3fcf90b_v2Z7aaUUTaCDY5Gkyc_8qRPq_c-v-nVaYeH923OMYACaI8VtcqVFQKHFjsQUAv7B39XVH9_8cG800Y7G44LQge8YAAYjeennMOXccs-5KS0oSZE/s1600/3.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt64r860PKJCl9HKcCxKo3fcf90b_v2Z7aaUUTaCDY5Gkyc_8qRPq_c-v-nVaYeH923OMYACaI8VtcqVFQKHFjsQUAv7B39XVH9_8cG800Y7G44LQge8YAAYjeennMOXccs-5KS0oSZE/s400/3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586644072419446818" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />70 PAGES OF BLUNT CRITICISM,<br />JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT!<br />THIS IS A MUST GET!<br /><br /><br />ORDER YOUR COPY NOW!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">for the little price of 999,99$</span><br /><br />-----------------------------------------<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Joke's on you. :P<br /><br />This was, actually, Beryl's final high school thesis. She wrote a YA literature guide for teens ad this is the result. XD And it is no where near worth 999 bucks.<br />But, admit it. You were already taking out your wallet. Yes, yes you were.<br /><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-23099180360028999512011-02-17T16:19:00.003-05:002011-02-17T16:25:21.146-05:00House Rules<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qzNYqW001GYHnfkW1K05IvPkZNEGsooRd2eWDYkhjmeDzNEve_GNdE1ZbB4FyCvM9HrlaMnNiEuqw4Qq-ozmRW0pl2UNoRFGLjbCcZi9_DDNy1gk4Rcb6rcRQ5WcrrqFKXNXFZA7Yp4/s1600/House+Rules.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qzNYqW001GYHnfkW1K05IvPkZNEGsooRd2eWDYkhjmeDzNEve_GNdE1ZbB4FyCvM9HrlaMnNiEuqw4Qq-ozmRW0pl2UNoRFGLjbCcZi9_DDNy1gk4Rcb6rcRQ5WcrrqFKXNXFZA7Yp4/s400/House+Rules.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573331050339314146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">532 pages</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Genre; Fiction</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Published March 2nd 2010 by Atria</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText12197863626706756038" style=""><em>When your son can’t look you in the eye . . . does that mean he’s guilty? <p>Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject—forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right. </p><p>But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, Emma, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob. </p><p>And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?</p></em></span><div style="text-align: justify;">I found House Rules a very enlightening read. I often like to take a break from fantasy and science fiction in order to grab a book from which I can learn something new. House Rules explores the many facets of a kid with Asperger's, who has a kick on forensic science, and Picoult does a great job into weaving a fascinating story around him and his family. Picoult has a simple, clear writing style that made it simple to understand everything that was going on, and she made the plot even more interesting by offering different point of views (of the cop in charge of the case, the lawyer, Jacob's brother...). She made me curious about forensic science, too, and I'm probably going to recommend this book too all my friends and relatives who are in criminology.<br /><br />Yet, sometimes I felt like I was reading Wikipedia. This was the case often; from when Emma, Jacob's mother explained how life with her son worked, to when all the various doctors and psychologies testified at the trial, I had the impression of reading a Wikipedia article. Yes, I did learn a lot, and I do give credit to Picoult for the extensive amount of research she did on Asperger's, but this is a novel, after all. It goes without saying that these walls of text became repetitive, to the point where I felt comfortable in skipping a few paragraphs of testimony (that blabbered about what the reader already knew about Jacob) just to get to the part where the plot advanced.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I also didn't get attached to the characters, except for Jacob. I consider the other characters as too representative of the generic family members struggling with a handicapped child; in this case a young adult with Asperger's syndrome (such as Emma, by example, who was your typical brave mom who loves her child no matter what or Theo, your typical normal brother who his annoyed by all the hardships that come with a 'defective' sibling, and who just wants a normal life). I didn't see them as characters that stood strongly by themselves. Of course, I consider House Rules more like a book that wants to bring a point across than a poetic tale that you enjoy reading over and over again.<br /><br />It was definitively an interesting read. Slightly predictable too, but very bright and smart.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Originality: 9</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Plot: 8,5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Characters: 7,5</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Writing: 8</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cliffhangers: 7,5</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">House Rules by Jodi Picoult</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 8,1/10</span><br /></div></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-26018993833956351812011-02-15T17:03:00.009-05:002011-02-15T17:40:54.084-05:00The Paper Girl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg273fu3AtddIgLKxH2Y9T4Kk7GNVaXWqpZ9Tzy3fUNSvKNxDx2FlRu9038gtiAp_XFUqHt4j6jrn55MGmWjBFTkKOl5sVYKN1YTN7KXa6HegkjP1jplg8gQMKJ8gvzAA29klwSB7wnTgI/s1600/La+Fille+De+Papier.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg273fu3AtddIgLKxH2Y9T4Kk7GNVaXWqpZ9Tzy3fUNSvKNxDx2FlRu9038gtiAp_XFUqHt4j6jrn55MGmWjBFTkKOl5sVYKN1YTN7KXa6HegkjP1jplg8gQMKJ8gvzAA29klwSB7wnTgI/s400/La+Fille+De+Papier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574042251943759410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >376 pages<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Published March 31st 2010 by XO Editions</span><br /></span><div style="font-style: italic;" class="row"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Genre: Fiction, Fantasy<br />Originally written in French, translation in English not yet available</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Soaked to the bone and completely naked, she appeared on my lawn in the middle of a stormy night.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">'Where do you come from?'</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">'I fell.'</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">'Fell from where?'</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">'I fell from your book. I fell from your story, geez!'"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Tom Boyd, a popular author undergoing a writer's block watches as the protagonist from his</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">novels arrives in his life. She is pretty, desperate, and she's going to die if he stops writing. Impossible? And yet..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Together, Tom and Billie will experience an extraordinary adventure where reality and fiction become intertwined in order to deliver a seductive but dangerous game.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Musso has a simple yet fluid writing style and offers us here a quick novel that is good when you're on a vacation or in the need of a break. Even if he doesn't stand out as an exceptional author, I must say I enjoyed this novel (the first I read by him) quite a lot. Actually, when thinking of this novel, one word pops out in my mind: Lovely.<br /><br />This is a funny and romantic road story about an author who struggles with his loss of inspiration and heartbreak, about friends overcoming hardships together and of course, about all kinds of love. Musso weaved together a curious plot that kept me hooked till the very last page and surprised me with a twist I honestly hadn't expected.<br /><br />His characters are all unique and interesting; Billie, the head strong but troubled woman, Tom the depressed but inspiring author, Milo the foolish yet caring friend and Carole, the sturdy cop that started with nothing but rose to the top. Each of the main characters play an important part of the story, from when they are trying to pull Tom out of his depression to dealing with their own troubles from the past. They reach the reader's heart with their many strengths and faults, and I was slightly reluctant in letting them go.<br /><br />I found the whole book very touching. It's a wonderful story about how books can change people's lives, and not only those of Tom, Billie, etc. It's an easy quick read that takes you all around the world; from the USA to Mexico, France and Italy. It hasn't yet been translated in English, and I don't know when it will be, but I recommend this book for those who want a cute love story with a bit of mystery and true feelings.<br /><br />I don't acknowledge Musso as a brilliant author and consider his writing style as bit too simplistic, but he sure knows how to plot.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Originality: 8</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Plot: 8,5</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Characters: 9,5</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Writing: 7</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Cliffhangers: 8</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Paper Girl by Guillaume Musso</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 8,2/10</span>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-57617717404455576712011-01-20T18:41:00.011-05:002011-01-30T14:36:31.411-05:00Sapphique<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8W8iIn6s6d7NqBF5GcXbtKonFDMuvA4XCtjVgzn_xVOvcvBdETF0AZ36pZcvjjXZQbj1v3H3x3_cB7ep2B4-cMCr4_mj2VvV4lf762SU5cEiPxxC2FJzc88sWyfP7zt1LLiyvEGQqDY/s1600/Sapphique.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8W8iIn6s6d7NqBF5GcXbtKonFDMuvA4XCtjVgzn_xVOvcvBdETF0AZ36pZcvjjXZQbj1v3H3x3_cB7ep2B4-cMCr4_mj2VvV4lf762SU5cEiPxxC2FJzc88sWyfP7zt1LLiyvEGQqDY/s400/Sapphique.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564417602441826162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;" id="freeText14296639353469594789" class="reviewText">Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don't even know who you are?<br /><br />Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Catherine's Fisher Incarceron was very satisfying, and I think Sapphique followed the league better than most sequels do. The world of Incarcon is an amazing one; Fisher really knows how to create a world and how to trap the reader in it. Her writing is fluid and rich, and it all got better in Sapphique. I just think that a lot of the book's potential was ruined buy the odd ending.<br /><br />Sapphique was Incarceron but more pumped. There was more action, more drama, more suspense and Fisher started to admiringly toy with cliffhangers. Already the first chapters have you standing on edge, and its hard to put the book down for the first parts of the book. Sapphique was also alternating between many point of views, giving us a good tour of each and every character and how they were struggling with the inner and outer problems.<br /><br />I must say I loved the universe Fisher created. It was truly original and fresh, not something I see often in YA litterature. She crafted two wonderful books and I'm glad she didn't extend them into a trilogy, because when authors do that they often slip away from their original goal, and the story becomes a mess.<br /><br />In Sapphique, I started caring for Jared and Keiro more, and also Incarceron itself. They are my two (three if you count the Prison as a being) favorite characters, simply because I like Jared's soft caring and Keiro's sharp attitude. Claudia, Finn and Attia, development-wise, stayed pretty much the same. I did not get to poke my head into the depths of their persona, and sadly didn't care that much for them. I did not learn much more about the Warden, either, and the unraveling of his true feelings for Claudia was nonexistent. We all knew that their father-daughter relationship was bittersweet, but it was nothing new. Some people were added to the cast, but they did not rise above their roll of supporting characters that are eventually forgotten.<br /><br />The only drawback in the book is the ending; it felt rushed and was extremely odd. Many elements were left unexplained. The reader is not told the true nature of Incarceron, and why it has a voice, a mind and dreams. The whole concept of 'magicke' that Rix uses and that is the essence of the Glove is left for us to wander about. The dove and the eagle appear many times throughout the book, at various places, but no clear light is made on them either. It's easy to assume and guess the eagle represents the royal family, and the dove, Sapphique, but what was their connection? Another example is when Claudia enters Incarceron while having it in her pocket, it being the little cube on her father's pocket watch. How is this possible? There were many plotholes of this kind.<br /><br />I an still unsure, and out-mostly confused on Sapphique's case. I liked the fact he was a legend, the hero of a myth whose real existence cannot be proven, and I would have been content on having him stay that. Yet, Fisher incorporated him back into the story in the most bizarre way imaginable, and without concrete explanations. The ending leaves the reader confused and asking for questions, and truthfully, it was just all so odd.<br /><br />I cannot say the ending satisfied me, even if the rest of the book was amazing. It seems Fisher rushed the last hundred pages into a senseless mess, and its a bit of a shame, I dare say, for so many pages of good stuff to be ruined. The series still stands as a wonderful duo of books that will enchant many Young Adults. It has a brilliantly crafted plot, characters that are perhaps not memorable but fun to follow, but a rushed ending. Go read it still, and I rest my case.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sapphique by Catherine Fisher</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 9/10</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></div></div></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-64298885390877189052011-01-13T16:37:00.009-05:002011-02-16T14:28:23.560-05:00Thirteen Reasons Why<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe6hNszRYuVOVkjqsvfyry2RUPnNK_9Q8g5SqsAjIPsXWN5iBhlpW2tEfl0vL2sJUqs9HfQy3IO_eXanWbFE98hIZsg2qvMoQH43EQrn0OYyxmrESA0qFeyFyDyymGm5SRcQxX1Xj04U/s1600/Thirteen+Reasons+Why.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe6hNszRYuVOVkjqsvfyry2RUPnNK_9Q8g5SqsAjIPsXWN5iBhlpW2tEfl0vL2sJUqs9HfQy3IO_eXanWbFE98hIZsg2qvMoQH43EQrn0OYyxmrESA0qFeyFyDyymGm5SRcQxX1Xj04U/s400/Thirteen+Reasons+Why.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561788725168384418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Thirteen Reasons Why is told by the recorded voice of Hannah Baker who, through the faces of seven cassettes, tells the story of how she came to be suicidal and eventually took her own life. Alternating with her tale is Clay Jensen, one of the thirteen people featured on her list. He spends an entire night listening to what she has to say and briefing the reader on his own vision of Hannah when she was still alive and on the few moments they spent together.<br /><br />Minus the flaws I will speak of later on, this book can be considered as relatively good. I had spotted it long time ago on the shelves of Indigo and heard it was very appreciated throughout the main stream. It was indeed plastered with genuinely good critiques almost everywhere. I nevertheless differ from the main stream opinion, and think that whilst this book can be appreciated for many reasons, it lacks too many things to be considered as strong and true.<br /><br />With Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher illustrates how the often cruel behaviour of teens leads to unconscious repercussions on others. In this book, it is Hannah who is the punching bag of the many nasty girls and boys that dwell in her school (the classical morons that you as well as I have probably already met once in our life) and who unable her from making friends that she can trust. With his debut novel, Asher tries to portrait how little cruelties piled up can do much harm.<br /><br />While I agree that high school can be hell for a lot of people I somehow thought it forgot to show and describe how Hannah suffered, and instead we learned it through her narrative, which didn't give the same effect, but I'll get to it later. First of all, the characters.<br /><br />My opinion on this book can be summarized with this simple statement: I loved what Hannah had to say. I wish I could have said the same about Clay.<br /><br />Clay was a total gary stu. It is unbelievable how amazingly annoying he was, to the point I started skipping his narrative towards the end of the book. Long story short, he is the adorable, kind and shy but understanding guy that would have been Hanna's 'the one' if he hadn't stepped forward so late. When he receives the cassettes and listens to the first one, he panics, terrorized like a little rabbit and shedding tears every few minutes. Asher gave him a quite important role in the book: he offers the reader a view of Hannah seen by the eyes of an outsider who has no clue why he's on Hannah's list. It is needless to say that Clay fails delivering such a view. All he does is nourish dialogs with Hannah in his head, even though she is dead. Every once in a while the reader has something going around the line of "Why did you do this Hannah?" "Why did you go there? You knew it was dangerous!" "Oh Hannah, what did I do, tell me what I did to you!"<br /><br />This pitiful whining is not needed to explain Clay's distraught mood, especially since he spends more time saying these lines over and over again instead of really focusing on how he remembers Hannah. Most of the time he simply repeats what she tells in her recordings, but by altering the information with his own words. It is incredibly frustrating and this is why I didn't appreciate the book as much as I could have.<br /><br />Hannah's character and personality are pretty clear from the beginning: she's an outgoing, smart and mature girl who easily falls in love with poetry. She's slightly rebellious and imaginative, but eventually looses herself as the nagging from the kids all around her becomes constant, and as those she considers friends slowly backstab her. Hannah’s narrative is interesting, since she’s a dead girl getting her revenge. The idea of getting her due back by recording people’s actions on tape and making them listen to them is ingenious and quite chilling. It is truly a good way of shoving the truth into the faces of those who don’t realize how much they hurt people. That is why I was intrigued by what Hannah had to say, and why I could have easily skipped Clay’s narrative.<br /><br />One of the only issues with this book is that it lacked emotions. Clay failed in giving us the picture of the gradually evolving Hannah, and Hannah's narrative concentrated on describing the events that led her to change, but not how she changed. Asher concentrated too much on making Clay feel sorry for himself and on Hannah describing everything. He forgot about the emotions that needed to come along, and as a reader, I didn’t see Hannah change. Never once in the book did I relate to her. Clay was also so over emotional it seems the author forgot who the suffering victim in his book was.<br /><br />Lastly, during the reader, I felt disconnected to Hannah’s motives, and constantly felt like they were surrealistic. I know and do understand how few years of bad high school life can destroy and be painful, especially since teenagers are in their full growth and development. The list of misfortunes that Hannah has to endure is clear, and I do agree that most of it is nasty and all, but somehow I am not persuaded. To me Hannah seems like a very strong character, mentality speaking. She has the smarts to rise above the level of teen stupidity and ignore it, but somehow she always gets caught up with it, and chooses to be affected by it, too. Even when she meets Clay and discovers he can be her life-saving boat she chooses to kill herself. High school can be bad, but it doesn't last.<br /><br />Thirteen Reasons Why will touch some readers. It is a reminder that even when we think we are alone, there is always someone out there that truly cares for us and who is just waiting to help out. I nevertheless met with too many flaws to appreciate this book. It's a good read for Young Adults, and entertaining enough when you ignore Clay's inner monologue. It brings its point across and is highly original, but somehow slipps when it comes to the feelings of the characters. I still encourage teenagers to read this, since it's good for the consciousness of some.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">-Beryl</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Rating: 8/10</span><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-76445963250945503552011-01-05T21:28:00.006-05:002011-01-05T22:37:13.123-05:00Pepper Ink's New Year's Resolutions<div style="text-align: justify;">It is 2011, and we love the you that follows us in our reviews! We are always <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> thankful for your comments and for your opinions. You don't know how much it means to us to make a difference and help other book lovers in their reading choices. Yet, in order to provide even better services, we put a few question for you. Please answer honestly; the polls' results will help us improve our reviewing so we can satisfy our darling readers, in other words, YOU.<br /></div><br /><br /><form method="post" action="http://poll.pollcode.com/w31U"><table bg="" style="color: rgb(238, 238, 238);" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="400"><tbody><tr><td><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;" ><b>Do you enjoy reading Pepper Ink?</b></span></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;" ><select name="answer"><option value="1">Yes</option><option value="2">No</option><option value="3">Sometimes</option></select></span></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><input value="Vote" type="submit"> <input name="view" value="View" type="submit"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="right" bgcolor="white"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></form><br /><br /><form method="post" action="http://poll.pollcode.com/BClZ"><table bg="" style="color: rgb(238, 238, 238);" 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cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="400"><tbody><tr><td><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;" ><b>Does Pepper Ink review a good enough variety of books?</b></span></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;" ><select name="answer"><option value="1">Yes</option><option value="2">No</option></select></span></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><input value="Vote" type="submit"> <input name="view" value="View" type="submit"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="right" bgcolor="white"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></form><br /><br /><form method="post" action="http://poll.pollcode.com/U5HA"><table bg="" style="color: rgb(238, 238, 238);" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="400"><tbody><tr><td><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;" ><b>Rate Pepper Ink on a scale of 1-10</b></span></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;" ><select name="answer"><option value="1">1</option><option value="2">2</option><option value="3">3</option><option value="4">4</option><option value="5">5</option><option value="6">6</option><option value="7">7</option><option value="8">8</option><option value="9">9</option><option value="10">10</option></select></span></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><input value="Vote" type="submit"> <input name="view" value="View" type="submit"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="right" bgcolor="white"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></form><br /><br />If there's anything you'd like to tell us, feel free to do so! Opinions, critiques... fire away!Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-13942446495680665102010-12-31T16:29:00.013-05:002011-01-04T21:19:38.908-05:00Favorite Books of 20102010 is coming to an end, and so is our first year of existence. We've read and reviewed 66 books over the course of the year, some amazing, some awful, some just average. I believe now is a good time to say which were the best reads of this year. Some were published this year, most were not. We just lay our hands on them during 2010. Without further ado, our top-5 reads of the year :<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Aithen's favorite books of 2010<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">5.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCOnvhyphenhyphenlVtygXCvN4jm3_H-0CEP-4zp1l_u30v70x9JXCsc-2Y1vFlf28Ormboxb2S9USETOTSXOI_Lbb_pCba6t_CcMo7DF42bZ1fNFdpzFs8Pp7PIZFDetTRbnEAQ7th2WiUiIEkzQ/s1600/hauntingofalaizabelcray.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 101px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCOnvhyphenhyphenlVtygXCvN4jm3_H-0CEP-4zp1l_u30v70x9JXCsc-2Y1vFlf28Ormboxb2S9USETOTSXOI_Lbb_pCba6t_CcMo7DF42bZ1fNFdpzFs8Pp7PIZFDetTRbnEAQ7th2WiUiIEkzQ/s200/hauntingofalaizabelcray.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556924336971846802" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/haunting-of-alaizabel-cray.html">The Haunting of </a></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/haunting-of-alaizabel-cray.html">Alaizabel Cray</a></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wych-kin, similar to what we call demons, run all over London. It is up to Thaniel Fox to rid the city of them. On one of his hunting trips, he encounters a young woman, Alaizabel Cray. I especially loved the world created.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />4.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h1q7fGgBsYMVSGiQjuVesbWXgGCt1qaIh7b022PtmVWB5eG7gSu0sQBkMLvc1djUzAdD3DAv3uSUsacz9k_gdlSSeo4HuhssDoTzyDKv-AQqIpUIJSE2-wlUG79TQJT5jVUF36fk59M/s1600/the_alienist.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h1q7fGgBsYMVSGiQjuVesbWXgGCt1qaIh7b022PtmVWB5eG7gSu0sQBkMLvc1djUzAdD3DAv3uSUsacz9k_gdlSSeo4HuhssDoTzyDKv-AQqIpUIJSE2-wlUG79TQJT5jVUF36fk59M/s200/the_alienist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556926203179840130" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/03/alienist.html">The Alienist</a><br />Laszlo Kreisler investigates a series of gruesome murders, all committed on young prostitute boys. He explores the psychology of the murderer in search of clues. What I preferred in this one is the complexity of the plot - every page was more complicated than the last.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9KFBFU-qgTfGG_Z_NSpjiLPJyxC8ETbAyz4C2EeCUS4f5YIDSasgL_uViPEQUg6QxvLCVearO2bVPLqzfCDA3u-5FxjDgUlZCmsJhHXFpo0QUqLzTIDX_uRw4CNrpilCbbQ50odAl3Q/s1600/incarceron.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9KFBFU-qgTfGG_Z_NSpjiLPJyxC8ETbAyz4C2EeCUS4f5YIDSasgL_uViPEQUg6QxvLCVearO2bVPLqzfCDA3u-5FxjDgUlZCmsJhHXFpo0QUqLzTIDX_uRw4CNrpilCbbQ50odAl3Q/s1600/incarceron.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/incarceron.html">Incarceron</a></span><br /><span>Stuck in an alive prison, Finn tries to escape its grasp. Meanwhile, outside the prison, Claudia, the daughter of Incarceron's, the alive prison's, warden, is trying to escape a marriage to a boy she despises.<span> </span>Though at the time, I hadn't given it a very high rating, Incarceron marked me. I can't wait to read the sequel, I've already ordered it!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sB3I0UBITIeW9Fb_bHMw3Z8kapxwpyL80JTmyyiNV3P7u_rwr9KEUa4LwCO8CzkZEVi4t39FkPXRZdUzt-3OhYmzGUB1XE6686mQe0BB7zbWWnqFt37ZJGOYzIc4ibcH_oH4gfyqrBs/s1600/Feed.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sB3I0UBITIeW9Fb_bHMw3Z8kapxwpyL80JTmyyiNV3P7u_rwr9KEUa4LwCO8CzkZEVi4t39FkPXRZdUzt-3OhYmzGUB1XE6686mQe0BB7zbWWnqFt37ZJGOYzIc4ibcH_oH4gfyqrBs/s200/Feed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556933460913099682" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/feed.html">Fe</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/feed.html">ed</a></span><br />People have a chip inside their head that constantly gives them the latest updates on everything - fashion, games, vacation locations. Titus, a normal teenager, meets Violet, a young girl who rather dislikes her feed and the capitalist society that comes with it. There was so much emotion in this book, it overflowed. The world was frightening, yet amazing.<span><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span></div><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7sAQD4Q-I4HWGezGuraGf3O_e_OLqf8PAdsX9o3mOgiQags1_-wj9aBbGgIgzNrM4lO_kaCYfeWvqZbzIMJaXqRTRea5YAfTwQBe2XUOy0AMhiaQJwO3zlK3USCL1_lkSeybkrqpuMI/s1600/unwind.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7sAQD4Q-I4HWGezGuraGf3O_e_OLqf8PAdsX9o3mOgiQags1_-wj9aBbGgIgzNrM4lO_kaCYfeWvqZbzIMJaXqRTRea5YAfTwQBe2XUOy0AMhiaQJwO3zlK3USCL1_lkSeybkrqpuMI/s200/unwind.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556928022461698130" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/06/unwind.html">Unwind</a></span><br />In a world where troublesome children, orphans and tithes can be unwound (have all their organs removed and donated), three Unwinds, Connor, Lev and Risa are running from their fate. The horrifying scenes and terrifying world in this book were what made Unwind memorable for me - I still think of them sometimes and cringe.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Beryl's favorite books of 2010</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtUblkM3Iv3GJzU-lPTqfjiVhb9TwSqZqHSjD2bgZVKXFbVBrlFRWgl2L71kADrf2vAbKlz5McDXnPcOe9Kpz8K4gkz0LsFommNShrIz4y-mTzywcjNjAQaHN3epxbyUiYb3s1JSxIoI/s1600/The+Hunger+Games.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtUblkM3Iv3GJzU-lPTqfjiVhb9TwSqZqHSjD2bgZVKXFbVBrlFRWgl2L71kADrf2vAbKlz5McDXnPcOe9Kpz8K4gkz0LsFommNShrIz4y-mTzywcjNjAQaHN3epxbyUiYb3s1JSxIoI/s200/The+Hunger+Games.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556969402141683682" border="0" /></a><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/hunger-games.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Hunger Games</span><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">In Panem, every year, two children from twelve districts are chosen to compete against each other in an arena. The last person alive wins. The Hunger Games has a message, and this message is very clear. It is the perfect presentation of humans' cruelty and of how some people see many things as simple games that they watch from high above. It is the start of a good trilogy, but it's the best of all three books.<br /></div></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQ-PCY7EJcyzSt-luAMRu4uDH8dcOC_tD89vIGrlIaT3SSz1RPEnvGJcqMvew8LmPXnT4aLF4qX8obdfNJAcRHKPlRJSG0Qx04JDxVrB5onGCU7VyBml1of4JNXqkoAClE3yjJzp6Cho/s1600/Noughts+%2526+Crosses.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQ-PCY7EJcyzSt-luAMRu4uDH8dcOC_tD89vIGrlIaT3SSz1RPEnvGJcqMvew8LmPXnT4aLF4qX8obdfNJAcRHKPlRJSG0Qx04JDxVrB5onGCU7VyBml1of4JNXqkoAClE3yjJzp6Cho/s200/Noughts+%2526+Crosses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556968098452139506" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/noughts-crosses.html">Noughts and Crosses</a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">In a world where the white are persecuted and the black rule the world, and where both races are not supposed to mingle, Callum and Sephy struggle to love each other. This book really brings in a fresh point of view and slaps discrimination in our faces. It is true and tragic, and I recommend it to all young adults.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-vnIRYMPUYe3PlXg0-EzVWE5JzHCvH0pe3IyW23aAOw0rQ-GLxylLoMpb5Oicn-bBJAdUq1AxmN4ekYYtXuiNXV11d_VfJJuj0FwDnNyJzxCPgOxdreGMs0AbbCOG8AlFFKKGVNJJYc/s1600/The+Lovely+Bones.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-vnIRYMPUYe3PlXg0-EzVWE5JzHCvH0pe3IyW23aAOw0rQ-GLxylLoMpb5Oicn-bBJAdUq1AxmN4ekYYtXuiNXV11d_VfJJuj0FwDnNyJzxCPgOxdreGMs0AbbCOG8AlFFKKGVNJJYc/s200/The+Lovely+Bones.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556966925018248082" border="0" /></a><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/lovely-bones.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Lovely Bones</span></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Susie Salmon was murdered on December 6, 1973, after being raped. It's from her gazebo in heavens that she tells the story of how her family survives her loss and how life goes on. I had trouble putting this book down. It was filled with so many emotions it brought me to tears. It is a beautiful story that proves that after the greatest tragedy, not all is lost and that life keeps on going...<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />2.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53pC9ypao_crbSSL8xaduCEKskgDwZIq6sBMpK3XZn1iFXR_F55Q1UqyLDNhqtcMglYvsGBJ-SxcMMIO1hfWG6fb6VvNRmibCgCG-Kvk3SDz3JSbU54PI7tGNpIVxvuZ0ApLjwrWzRF8/s1600/The+Book+Thief.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53pC9ypao_crbSSL8xaduCEKskgDwZIq6sBMpK3XZn1iFXR_F55Q1UqyLDNhqtcMglYvsGBJ-SxcMMIO1hfWG6fb6VvNRmibCgCG-Kvk3SDz3JSbU54PI7tGNpIVxvuZ0ApLjwrWzRF8/s200/The+Book+Thief.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556965291939457698" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/book-thief.html">The Book Thief</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">In Nazi Germany, Liesel Meminger, a little girl adopted by a foster family, starts an amazing love affair with books and words. I will always remember this book for its wonderful characters and truthfulness, and how Zusak succeeded in showing a side of Nazi Germany that I didn't know. Told by the point of view of Death and written in a very original way, this is a must read.<br /></div><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpg7DQTzh2_R8itfxszBoxFNVDJv10Bkp5pDjefdQ-6xQF-AfHASTgTL32q1zY3y6j2Naz2ajD8PZumOQ3w_5uRvv4X-ZxMxmH_Glklnknv19V2odMqONlp2S2TAuIML9UwJWJ8pVkuE/s1600/Ogrod+Wiecniej+Wiosny.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpg7DQTzh2_R8itfxszBoxFNVDJv10Bkp5pDjefdQ-6xQF-AfHASTgTL32q1zY3y6j2Naz2ajD8PZumOQ3w_5uRvv4X-ZxMxmH_Glklnknv19V2odMqONlp2S2TAuIML9UwJWJ8pVkuE/s200/Ogrod+Wiecniej+Wiosny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556963834851334146" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/garden-of-everlasting-spring.html">The Garden of Everlasting Spring</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;">One of the most beautiful and inspiring stories I ever read. It is the tale of the Laguna women who struggle against their curse of unhappy love throughout many generations. The characters are memorable and deep, and the writing is elegant and extremely rich. This book is for all who crave true love.<br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year! And our best wishes for the upcoming year. May you read as much as you want!<br /></div></div><br /></div></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-58822992099189511302010-12-27T22:42:00.005-05:002010-12-31T16:34:09.660-05:00The Graveyard Book<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXWNUoodjTw8Tj1V97Yk5wvv1YkOlnCyR33IYwr1rflpOI7RWJzLKCCk_Mc13Smyc_nS_lG2r8mU8BoM-NFCYnuD3ct6KYAWfpE06T5g29TvNEEqcezXcfuVdZSJJn83Lt-V6GkOLu1g/s1600/the-graveyard-book.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXWNUoodjTw8Tj1V97Yk5wvv1YkOlnCyR33IYwr1rflpOI7RWJzLKCCk_Mc13Smyc_nS_lG2r8mU8BoM-NFCYnuD3ct6KYAWfpE06T5g29TvNEEqcezXcfuVdZSJJn83Lt-V6GkOLu1g/s400/the-graveyard-book.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556921951648778914" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">After his family was murdered, a little boy wanders into a graveyard, where the ghosts decide to let him live with them and protect him from the murderer still searching for hi. Raised by spirits, the boy, named Nobody, will stay with his adoptive parents and guardians until he reaches manhood.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I got a lot of money for Christmas (people never know what to get me, so they opt for gift cards for book shops), and The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, is the first book I bought with my new (and temporary) riches. Wonderful, wonderful book, in all aspects, and even if it's sometimes labelled as a children's book, it's much more than that.<br /><br />First of all, I had never personally seen a story about a child being raised by ghosts, in a graveyard. Sure, there are lots of ghost stories out there, but this one struck me as truly unique, and was well enough executed to excuse any resemblances to other novels.<br /><br />The characters are amazing. Bod, short for Nobody, is growing up in a graveyard. Obviously, he's different from the other children, and Gaiman really has the trick to make his characters believable. Bod really grows throughout the novel, and has an amazing depth I can only admire. The crew of ghosts and spirits that raises Bod is also very diversified, and though none of them are as well developed as Bod himself, they are all unique.<br /><br />The way this story was written was in a series of short stories, memorable moments of Bod's childhood. Most of them don't have much of a link between them, but that doesn't really matter. The tales of Bod's life are all equally adorable and they all draw you into the story. What I really liked, though, was how even though each story could stand alone, there was an actual plot : Jack wants, needs, to kill Bod. It was introduced in the first chapter, and concluded in the last, each story bringing its own contribution to the evolution of the story.<br /><br />The only thing this book lacked was explanation. The book raised many, many questions, and hardly any of them were actually answered. Who is the Honour Guard, what do they do, how did they come to be? Where do the Jacks of All Trades come from, what is their purpose, who prophesied their death? I wish the book had provided answers to all these questions and more.<br /><br />Overall, even though many side stories and plots in the book were left hanging, I thought it was a wonderful book. I didn't stop reading for an instant once I opened it. I read on the ride home, on the sofa, on the other sofa when my brother pushed me out of the TV room. I read it in a single sitting, and I couldn't have put it down if I had wanted to. I recommend it to everyone, young and old. It has the power to charm any reader, even if the years during which they were Bod's age are far, far away. After all, this childhood tale is, as Neil Gaiman said himself, also one about parenting.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Aithen<br /><br /></div> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating : 9/10</span>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-74440208690590802582010-12-24T12:49:00.005-05:002011-01-04T21:52:30.640-05:00A Thousand Splendid Suns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JhQH0SaX7_j50Ix6vp3JIgjWxZrXpQKcF4PNGaFSwMgXxywpPuc_2N0JFT45UiqmQChGO9nyjKsvORSHu2nQP4mOEeteHCww5ptcJr7k-NTV2SRi2ORIX9Fr_noXXhN1VweN6mlQz_c/s1600/A+Thousand+Splendid+Suns.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JhQH0SaX7_j50Ix6vp3JIgjWxZrXpQKcF4PNGaFSwMgXxywpPuc_2N0JFT45UiqmQChGO9nyjKsvORSHu2nQP4mOEeteHCww5ptcJr7k-NTV2SRi2ORIX9Fr_noXXhN1VweN6mlQz_c/s400/A+Thousand+Splendid+Suns.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554307679909079042" border="0" /></a><span id="freeText7507824152934720958" style="font-style: italic;" class="reviewText"><em>A Thousand Splendid Suns</em> is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7507824152934720958" class="reviewText">The</span><span id="freeText7507824152934720958" class="reviewText"> very first issue I had</span><span id="freeText7507824152934720958" class="reviewText"> with this book was that I didn't like reading about a woman that is married against her will and that is afterward beaten for various reasons and trapped in an unhappy marriage. Because this is also the story of many real women, I felt bad and didn't enjoy reading the first few chapters. I nevertheless pushed myself and made it to the end rather satisfied.</span><br /><br />I picked up<span style="font-style: italic;"> A Thousand Splendid Suns</span> mainly because I wanted to learn something new. This book is rich in history and culture of Afghanistan, and I'm glad it enlightened me.<br /><br />This is the story of Mariam and Laila who survive the many conflicts in Afghanistan and also the hardships of their marriage to the same man, Rasheed, your typical cruel husband who beats and reduces the freedom of his wives. It's the story of how, despite those hardships, they create a family and find happiness after many years of death and war.<br /><br />The book is written in the point of view of Mariam and Laila, and alternates between the two. The plot itself is quite good, but to me most of the characters seemed flat, at the beginning especially. There isn't much I could say about any of them. They aren't memorable characters, either, and got better only towards the ending of the book. Look how short my review is! I really don't have much to say about it. It is a book that will be appreciated for the mass of information it contains, for its message and meaning, but not for the characters.<br /><br />I think this story should be read for the context and history it presents. It definitively has something to teach, but I consider <span style="font-style: italic;">A Thousand Splendid Suns</span> as the kind of book that is only good to read if you want to get a good portrait of some chunk of history: The characters are flat, the writing style is simple and uninspiring, and so all you pay attention to or remember after the read is the drama and the moral.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 7,7/10</span><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-29279807953278500222010-12-23T15:05:00.007-05:002010-12-23T15:20:17.092-05:00Books that will become movies : Incarceron<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjGwIzMkl4h-rNu7KFKwg1VNAkXAeTmOD920I7w4Nr0J5vhp-thPqNdEiH9oO4Ky16rRi1aeK_tfmBcXS2xOk4z4ACmfAcR600JKDJLBxm46f68FwKESLXib5k350wTDU5kDgTmOuIF0/s1600/incarceron-book.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjGwIzMkl4h-rNu7KFKwg1VNAkXAeTmOD920I7w4Nr0J5vhp-thPqNdEiH9oO4Ky16rRi1aeK_tfmBcXS2xOk4z4ACmfAcR600JKDJLBxm46f68FwKESLXib5k350wTDU5kDgTmOuIF0/s400/incarceron-book.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553974693875262626" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://pepperinkbooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/incarceron.html">Incarceron's review is here</a><br /><br />No. I can't believe it.<br /><br />And that was supposed to sound really, really depressed and annoyed.<br /><br />So Fox 2000 is going to make a movie out of Incarceron. Super! I loved that book. I hope it'll follow the book's plot enough for me to appreciate it. I'm also anxious for Sapphique to come out in Canada, so I can buy it. I'm literally counting down days, and there are 5 left.<br /><br /><br />But guess who's been casted as Finn.<br /><br /><br />Taylor Launtner.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4uClPFtoUyj_kPExLpOibypTpZsiANQZGtANiCW7umpymlOftf34q-M4vzgSa0oA6h4z0wtMbiSUsBKmeT6JPOMn59-XEjnKanDoKJmBDnftwXq1OS3V-kVhoGYmo5KX9qsRtRQQ2gk/s1600/taylor-lautner.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4uClPFtoUyj_kPExLpOibypTpZsiANQZGtANiCW7umpymlOftf34q-M4vzgSa0oA6h4z0wtMbiSUsBKmeT6JPOMn59-XEjnKanDoKJmBDnftwXq1OS3V-kVhoGYmo5KX9qsRtRQQ2gk/s400/taylor-lautner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553973552380028002" border="0" /></a><br />THIS GUY. --><br /><br />TAYLOR LAUNTNER. THE WEREWOLF DUDE THAT JUST SHOWED OFF HIS BODY FOR THE TWILIGHT SAGA.<br /><br /><br />That just ruined it for me. He hasn't proven he can act, and he doesn't even fit the role! Finn isn't supposed to be over-the-top gorgeous (I don't think Taylor Launtner is gorgeous, but the fangirls do), he's an awkward misfit that looks ugly compared to his buddy.<br /><br /><br /><br />Whatever. I'll go see it anyways, and review it anyways, but right now, I am so.pissed.off. I had high expectations for this book, the book itself fulfilled them, but THIS? I guess I'll have to wait to see the movie to really judge it, but I can hardly believe they actually casted Taylor Launtner as Finn. Ugh.Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-75326722386030528152010-12-19T11:29:00.013-05:002010-12-23T12:29:48.563-05:00Zombies vs. Unicorns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsMZbolj5EAlDoJb2qypN738D_Ad14SEK8aTKBpxwvo_srdE7KJT9nBPVOFTg5TlSJWMBNc8CLzz7QI02nJYVIlJTS7YBIG-TWN4Jd4G6KkmDfSVN34Cy_9_tVl3XsXQB6SnPGdkt-10/s1600/zombiesvsunicorns-250x380.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 380px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsMZbolj5EAlDoJb2qypN738D_Ad14SEK8aTKBpxwvo_srdE7KJT9nBPVOFTg5TlSJWMBNc8CLzz7QI02nJYVIlJTS7YBIG-TWN4Jd4G6KkmDfSVN34Cy_9_tVl3XsXQB6SnPGdkt-10/s400/zombiesvsunicorns-250x380.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552441050683654242" border="0" /></a><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aithen's Review</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">This was a pretty awesome anthology, to say the least.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">I adore zombies (though as a kid, I was a fervent believer that unicorns existed and would be back to save the world - some day), and I was already 100% team zombie before I even started reading this anthology. But that didn't stop me from loving many team unicorn stories (even if the zombies were better, in the end).</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">Something I really loved is the little introductions Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier gave before each story. They were really funny, and it was cute to see them argue about which kind of mythical creature was best.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">It was amazing to see all the different stories that could be done with the theme. Every single one was different, even if a zombie or unicorn had to play a main part. They were all quite different, and that is what made every single story interesting.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">Of course, I won't review every single story in the book, but I'll tell you the highlights of my read:</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">- The Children of the Revolution, by Maureen Johnson</span><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"> A seriously deranged story that sent shivers down my spine. My favourite story of all. No story can even start to amaze me as much as this one. I had never heard of the author before, but I am definitely hunting down more of her books with my Christmas money.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">- The Care and Feeding of your Baby Killer Unicorn, by Diana Peterfreund</span><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"> A really amazing unicorn story. Killer unicorns? Count me in! This story was really, really cool, and the best of the unicorn stories. If all unicorn stories were as good as this one, maybe my unconditional zombie love would've wavered. Maybe.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">- Inoculata, by Scott Westerfeld</span><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"> A strange spin on a zombie story. Zombie-human hybrids are extremely interesting, and the fact that the main love-story is between two girls just adds to the awesomeness.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">- Princess Prettypants, by Meg Cabot</span><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"> Absolutely hilarious, this story kept me laughing all through physics class (don't do like me, kids, reading in class is bad, bad bad XD). It was a caricature, really, of the sparkling purple and white unicorns of our childhood, and it was exquisitely done, too. Another author I've never heard of and am going to read more from. (Okay, wait, scratch that. ALL her stories are sparkling-colorful-girlish stuff. Guhh. )</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">These stories could've given this book an easy 10. Sadly, some of them weren't as good (Like Cassandra Clare's Cold Hands. I was <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> disappointed with it, and I already didn't really like her books and wasn't expecting too much. Margo Lanagan's A Thousand Flowers actually disgusted me. Bestiality? With a unicorn? Uh, sorry, but no. Hating that.) and made me want to give this book a 6. That's the problem with anthologies, I guess. Some stories are amazing, some aren't, and you have to live with it. Overall, though, it was really excellent, and I recommend it to all zombie-, unicorn-, and fantasy-lovers out there.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText">What team will <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> be on? Zombie, or unicorn?</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzhG2osZL_c">The awesome-tastic promotional video</a></span><br /></div><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"><span style="font-style: italic;">-Aithen</span></span><br /><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="" class="reviewText"></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating : 8,5/10<br /><br />Beryl's Review<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span>I'll</span><span> tell you which story I liked, and which I didn't.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span 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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Love Will Tear us Apart (Alaya Dawn Johnson)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> This story is told by the point of view of a zombie, which I found interesting, since no other story did this. All the thoughts and the mentality of the protagonist who is actually the zombie really gave a cool insight.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Purity Test (Naomi Novik):</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Hilariously ridiculous. It's the kind of story that is so silly you just love it.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Children of the Revolution (Maureen Johnson):</span> This story was funny, but I found it a bit generic. I know Maureen Johnson is a popular and good author, but I found her story a bit unoriginal. She took the base concept of zombies and made her characters turn into them. Let's say there was no new element. She didn't try to redo the concept of zombies in her own way. The reading was nevertheless good.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span id="freeText4909061604988269794" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" class="reviewText">The Care and Feeding of your Baby Killer Unicorn</span><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> (Diana Peterfreund):</span> I think this one is my favorite. I just found it really fun to read and I couldn't wait to learn what happened to the baby unicorn.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inoculata (Scott Westerfeld) </span><span style=""><span>:</span> This story had an interesting concept, and kudos for the lesbian pairing.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Princess Prettypants (Meg Cabot): </span>I laughed so hard while I read this. This story really made me pity and relate to the protagonist. It's another of my favorite stories.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Third Virgin (Kathleen Duey):</span> The story is told by the point of view of a unicorn, and so it's another interesting insight. Loved the ending.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Prom night (Libba Bray):</span> Libba Bray has a usual succeeded in creating this atmosphere that makes the reader want to keep reading. Her short story really seemed like the beginning of an awesome novel. It only lacked a bit more of zombie action.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Those I didn't like</span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Highest Justice (Garth Nix): </span>Very dull, lack of characterization, and a mess overall. I browsed through it quickly instead of wasting my time reading it.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Bougainvillea (Carrie Ryan):</span> It had a nice decor and setting, but the rest was boring.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">A Thousand Flowers (MargoLlanagan):</span> Somewhat weird. A failed attempt at creating a sort of fairytale with bestiality. What I hated most was that the story was told by the point of view of three persons, but in the 1st person. You don't write a few pages using the 1st person point of view, because it has the effect that the reader quickly gets attached to the narrator. If you kill the narrator off a few pages after, and switch to another person, the reader is destabilized. The transactions from person to person were also messy.</span><br /><span style=""></span><br /><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Cold hands (Cassandra clare):</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Boring. It's Cassandra Clare, after all.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating : 9/10</span> (if you don't count the bad stories)Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-64858460868909864112010-12-17T19:21:00.006-05:002011-02-06T10:38:08.028-05:00The Book Thief<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn_4w2TcKhu-VM1BRz1RO-dFl2Oj27u8QvTJytGYPXI9F4XVGkvIVxeoh9tgYaRzNJhXKs_X4ljbVAKj_uZlgOfNUrYkLYdEwhRDNeGBmJa0MqH0m_4KNCSJ3gcdhdW6n2mb83BN2i58/s1600/The+Book+Thief.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn_4w2TcKhu-VM1BRz1RO-dFl2Oj27u8QvTJytGYPXI9F4XVGkvIVxeoh9tgYaRzNJhXKs_X4ljbVAKj_uZlgOfNUrYkLYdEwhRDNeGBmJa0MqH0m_4KNCSJ3gcdhdW6n2mb83BN2i58/s400/The+Book+Thief.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551810891133356002" border="0" /></a><span id="freeText48140280435899465" style="font-style: italic;" class="reviewText">It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .<br /><br />Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.<br /><br />This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a magnificent story about the power of words set in Nazi Germany, where Death tells the tale of a little girl who started an affair with books that eventually saved her life.<br /><br />The writing is rich and Zusak toys with the words like only the best authors do; those that write for the joy of doing so. He painted the book like you paint an artwork, but with the use of words alone. The story flows easily and the plot is ingenious while being very simple. It stretches on four years, from the moment Liesel Memminger meets her foster family until the 'end of the world' arrives. This book is filled with feelings. The reader can definitively not ignore them.<br /><br />The characters are true and it is hard to let go of them. You do not love them at first sight. You <span style="font-style: italic;">grow to love them</span>, and I think that is what makes them such good, strong and willing characters. What I loved the most about The Book Thief was of how the narrator was Death. It fits, I think, for after all, the World War II was all about death, and death had become man's best friend. But in this book, instead of having a cruel and merciless picture of the end itself, Death is afraid of humans, and is described in almost a gentle way. It makes me want to believe that when I die, it is this Death that I shall meet.<br /><br />Zusak offers the reader a different perspective on Nazi Germany, one where more than one person despises Hitler and his doings, and where children see Hitler's Youth as boring. It never occurred to me that German children could see Hitler's Youth as boring, or even have the opportunity to think so. But here you have Rudy defying his Hitler's Youth leaders and Liesiel adopting the uncanny hobby of book stealing.<br /><br />This book is truly beautiful, and on the way to become a classic. It is a must-read that you should have on your shelf.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Book Thief by Markus Zusak</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 9,8/10</span><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-38496876006130194932010-12-17T17:14:00.004-05:002011-01-04T21:55:25.231-05:00The Explosionist<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rrAH_U5bEpZUW41NAAo68C1Y9cx_9c1QEiet0eaekUa9tixbE1vqLba6BVt3NkR-TblVNaYGg1bhS8t5q0P-DfZivaJpjcUJHzWoKQ36iGwESjlrrqqSpmsy7aMgaGuSU9VEq9zGFQw/s1600/explosionist.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rrAH_U5bEpZUW41NAAo68C1Y9cx_9c1QEiet0eaekUa9tixbE1vqLba6BVt3NkR-TblVNaYGg1bhS8t5q0P-DfZivaJpjcUJHzWoKQ36iGwESjlrrqqSpmsy7aMgaGuSU9VEq9zGFQw/s400/explosionist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551784204667653282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;" id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">The Explosionist (formerly known as Dynamite No. 1) is the story of a 15-year-old girl growing up in an alternate version of 1930s Edinburgh. There, the legacy of Napoleon's victory a century earlier at Waterloo is a standoff between a totalitarian Federation of European States and a group of independent northern countries called the New Hanseatic League. This world is preoccupied with technology (everything from electric cookers to high explosives) but also with spiritualism, a movement our world largely abandoned in the early 20th Century; Sigmund Freud is a radio talk-show crank, cars run on hydrogen and the most prominent scientists experiment with new ways of contacting the dead.</span><span style="font-style: italic;" id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText"><br /></span><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">I thought this book was rather ordinary, and definitely not worth all the excitement I had over reading it, and finding it with Beryl at the bookshop for 2$. Lets just say I understand why it was only 2$<span style="font-style: italic;">.</span></span><br /><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">First of all, this was extremely hard to understand. And not in a mysterious, interesting way. In the sense that the author never gave explanations or descriptions of the main, important events. Dialogues were often downright cut out and resumed into a paragraph. It was always unclear to me what was happening.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">The timeframe was also extremely unclear. Up until the 3rd chapter, I thought it happened today (when I finally discovered it was in the past, it was rather shocking, actually, and I thought it was in the 1950s). And then, I was absolutely convinced it was a normal world, with no spins on history, and I only had a hint that it was an alternate history when a whole chapter, the 5th, was completely devoted to History. Never assume your readers know everything you know. Never assume they know History as well as you do, because they don't. They haven't spent hours researching the subject. No, I didn't have the slightest idea that Napoleon had lost at Waterloo in our world, and won in theirs. These are things that need to be explained early on in the book, when writing science-fiction.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">Sci-fi lesson 101 : Introduce your reader to the world you've created within the first page, ideally, because the reader always assumes everything is exactly like in his world unless proved wrong.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">Some details appear at random, and that can be quite annoying. Like Sophie's carsickness that suddenly starts to manifest itself in the end, while throughout the whole book she rides around in cabs and trams and never feels the slightest bit queasy.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">Finally, the technology gets way too strange. I could've accepted the fact that mediums and spirits could communicate easily and were quite common, if it had been on its own. I could've accepted the whole turning-teenage-girls-into-emotionless-zombies-thanks-to-technology on its own. But combined together, they make a strange mix. Plus, neither element is the centre of the story. By the way, the actual plot isn't really introduced or explained until the last chapters!</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">Despite all this, I thought it was a rather remarkable idea, and the whole concept was quite amazing, frankly. I never saw such a unique alternate history, neither one that had such a source. It was really quite a compelling idea. It was simply quite poorly executed.</span><br /><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">I had no fun reading it, and it was actually a laborious read. I constantly had to stop reading to simply think at what the author meant, and even the greatest idea can't overcome the description problems. In the end, it kind of felt like a childish Spy-Kids kind of plot and book, and greatly disappointed me. Definitely could have been better.</span><br /></div><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText"><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;" id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText">- Aithen</span><br /><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText"></span></div><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating : 6/10</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span><span id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" id="freeText13640056728454174361" class="reviewText"></span>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-54387279587132551102010-11-22T16:31:00.006-05:002010-11-22T17:02:26.519-05:00The City of Ember<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDMmiOVGcr5cIEltaOFquda-56aEzOjlLmI4ZCBku7tr59ClRvWZt4RTHuVQNtlEb9jDdT-O1aG1rn_yn5cT3bfQO9_oBv-j7DnkkwPmfO_S43EGILWLb7TzsEJQNWVn1cwhHbzjAB_s/s1600/0375822739_large.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDMmiOVGcr5cIEltaOFquda-56aEzOjlLmI4ZCBku7tr59ClRvWZt4RTHuVQNtlEb9jDdT-O1aG1rn_yn5cT3bfQO9_oBv-j7DnkkwPmfO_S43EGILWLb7TzsEJQNWVn1cwhHbzjAB_s/s400/0375822739_large.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542490169591741842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">From Goodreads: </span><span id="freeText2872821177131638285" style="font-style: italic;" class="reviewText">The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. 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It was an amazing read. As a young teenager, I didn’t think science-fiction could get any better than this. The characters spoke to me, the setting marvelled me, the story had me on the edge of my seat. When I found out a movie was going to be made about it, I squealed. Literally. And excitedly jumped up and down for about five minutes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">I have reread it with critical eyes. I found that even though I still appreciated the book, I no longer adored it like when I was younger. I was nonetheless drawn in and interested throughout the book. That, I believe, is the true mark of a good children’s book: it can mesmerize teenagers and adults as well as children.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">The characters were interesting, and well constructed, though many things were left untold. I would’ve liked a little more characterization, but then again, it’s a children’s book; so if it were any longer it probably would’ve discouraged the less motivated readers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">The world created was probably what I loved best, and I remember, for weeks after reading this book, how I had an unhealthy obsession with caves. Indeed, the world Lina and Doon live in is built entirely underground, in a huge, brightly-lit, cave. I loved how it was completely decrepit, and how everyone lived in a perpetual state of need, and how there wasn’t enough of anything anymore and the people of Ember had to adapt and recycle literally everything. The ever-lasting longing every citizen of Ember felt for things as essential as food was extremely well described, and this is probably one of the strongest points of the book, with the world-building: the beautiful yet simple very descriptive writing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">The plot in itself is also interesting, though not quite original enough for me to love it. Indeed, it is a basic, simple, “we need to save the world” plotline, with not much twist to it. If it wasn’t for the amazing world, it probably would’ve been a very bland book.<span style=""> </span>So don’t read this book expecting to see an amazing story, because there isn’t one: the true impressiveness of this book lies in the city of Ember itself.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">It is a good read; fun, without being light-headed, serious, without drowning the reader in dark themes and nerve-wracking plot-lines. Some issues were still talked about, like corruption, poverty and how a society faces a crisis, but it wasn’t painfully moralizing like some other books. Overall, a nice, quick read that I recommend to those of you who still feel young at heart and want a fast-paced, interesting novel for a weekend’s entertainment.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: right; font-style: italic;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">-Aithen</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; text-align: left; font-style: italic;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau</span></span><br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-CA">Rating: 7,7/10<br /></span><span style="" lang="EN-CA">P.S.: This book has been made into a movie, but I haven’t seen it yet and the critiques about it are awful. Do any of you have comments about this?</span>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-55348564686861960182010-11-20T15:08:00.009-05:002010-11-22T17:04:12.362-05:00The Garden of Everlasting Spring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXY6LsveeiGQ1jvOIphphu0Iswcr90yHZmJ204IIFDlIhAQ9etQsgeOTns2VpHnSLDH6sYeelWDiYUI7W90v7Po2Gongy0A0enMIYUpHBT9j6fj8DKSTq585TzVSZGdq0obPro-qQh4B0/s1600/Ogrod+Wiecniej+Wiosny.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXY6LsveeiGQ1jvOIphphu0Iswcr90yHZmJ204IIFDlIhAQ9etQsgeOTns2VpHnSLDH6sYeelWDiYUI7W90v7Po2Gongy0A0enMIYUpHBT9j6fj8DKSTq585TzVSZGdq0obPro-qQh4B0/s400/Ogrod+Wiecniej+Wiosny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541727248085243122" border="0" 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-style: italic;" class="reviewtext"><span style="">The curse hanging over the Laguna family ruins golden-eyed Clara’s love. The distress thrown on the girl causes a miracle to happen; the red house’s garden starts to bloom all year around despite nature’s laws. Women from the next generations </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">live condemned by the merciless fate of unhappy love, loneliness and revenge. Will any of them manage </span><span style="font-style: italic;">to reverse <span style=""> </span>their destiny? "The Garden of Everlasting Spring" is written in a colorful language. It is a <span style=""> </span>multi-generational saga, where the heroines fall in love only once - for life. It is a stunning and inspiring story of hidden passions, sinful pleasures and about the power of love.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This book was originally written in Spanish, and it seems it has only been translated to Polish for now, so no, it isn't available in English. Yet, when it comes out, I really, really recommend readers that are fan of romance and drama to buy it.<br /><br />I was in Poland, in my little southern village called Iwonicz Zdroj, when I bought this book. The cover was like a magnet. (I need to brag about how polish publishing houses know how to choose the best covers, even more beautiful than the American ones. :P ) I must say I wasn't disappointed by this novel, and if it wasn't for school, I would have already read it. I can't believe such a masterpiece was left unread for 3 months!<br /><br />In Spanish; "The house of impossible love", and in Polish; "The Garden of Eternal/Everlasting Spring", is the kind of book that is so good you fear of reading it for too long, and end up reading it bits by bits, enjoying it slowly, and looking forward to the next time you'll pick it up. The books that I read this way are rare, but they always come out as my favorite works, the kind I can read over and over again.<br /><br />This story is first of all a saga, and it starts in Spain, in a little village in the mountains around 1896. It is the story of multiple characters, that spreads over an entire century. Some might be ready to argue that because the characters live and die, and new ones appear, none of them are developed sufficiently enough for the 340 pages that contains the book. Wrong. The book is <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> about the characters, their love, misery, happiness. Their story is narrated so well that we very easily get to know them. I must say I loved all of the characters. They all had their faults and strengths, and every woman brought something new. The relationships were explored on all sides, and even when the time if a character came and went, her deeds weren't forgotten. They were mentioned again later in the book. Their presence never disappeared.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfMyR07ZBgXxhxqwIGyrtyL3a-_IqCELROH55jwC6jV9gJZMhXgwkhVelj3f6Yj6o_GJq5pUiSjtd5UDLKiqGSTfRpVJ802E7-a2kueentvuAj_l57PXsCU7CRTL3tSaqIf2Djtc8VlI/s1600/La+Casa+De+Los+Amores+Impossibles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfMyR07ZBgXxhxqwIGyrtyL3a-_IqCELROH55jwC6jV9gJZMhXgwkhVelj3f6Yj6o_GJq5pUiSjtd5UDLKiqGSTfRpVJ802E7-a2kueentvuAj_l57PXsCU7CRTL3tSaqIf2Djtc8VlI/s400/La+Casa+De+Los+Amores+Impossibles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541737079600043922" border="0" /></a><br />Another thing I loved about this book is that it's a saga. It takes place during an entire century. The changes of times, the world's evolution, all that was magnificently portrayed. I loved seeing the characters grow up, pass from childhood to adulthood and then give birth to the next girl, and watch the curse take effect each time. Of course it isn't really a 'curse'. The story has nothing to do with magic and spells. It's a beautiful tale of love and passion, and how it isn't love that dies, but ourselves.<br /><br />The writing; Exquisite. Inspiring. Beautiful. Masterpiece. The book itself is a masterpiece in my eyes. The writing made the world come alive; the smells, every shadow and light, the colors, the characters themselves. There's only one book whose writing ever inspired me so much, and it was Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty (and its sequels).<br /><br />I have nothing negative to say. This book isn't filled with action. It isn't a thriller you read in one sitting. it isn't Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games. It also isn't a cliche and sappy romance story like Twilight. It's this beautiful thing you don't want to die. I think it deserves a prize of some sort.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Garden of Everlasting Spring by Cristina Lo</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">pez</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Barrio </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 9,7/10</span><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-45731882985076958822010-11-09T23:15:00.008-05:002010-11-10T16:25:09.333-05:00Interview With The Vampire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFITZtxpBHjrTLTdychLeRVSPPF34ED4ow0GYrtmPsjUFQ1YvsWfeH8lHytMcIbqEipAJsFGDdnlzQIh1mjtrvjIxDawMF2wyEjLpAroM8FbirN8Glh89j5bvnVFyPXVS4GFWsKxE_RXE/s1600/Interview+with+a+Vampire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFITZtxpBHjrTLTdychLeRVSPPF34ED4ow0GYrtmPsjUFQ1YvsWfeH8lHytMcIbqEipAJsFGDdnlzQIh1mjtrvjIxDawMF2wyEjLpAroM8FbirN8Glh89j5bvnVFyPXVS4GFWsKxE_RXE/s400/Interview+with+a+Vampire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537770087730332194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;" id="freeTextContainer10917723124768713551" class="reviewText">This is the book that started it all. We are in a small room with the vampire, face to face, as he speaks--as he pours out the hypnotic, shocking, moving, and erotically charged confessions of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I have never liked vampires very much, not before reading Twilight and certainly not after reading it and a couple of other YA vampire novels. Having read only pathetic baits for crazed teenage fangirls craving sappy romance, also meaning to bring in lots of cash and standing as potential sources of horrible movies, I never really got to get familiar with the <span style="font-style: italic;">true</span> vampires. Of course, I knew about the blood drinking and the coffin-sleeping, but a friend of mine persuaded me to read this, in order to enjoy a real and worthy vampire novel. Interview With The Vampire did not make me like vampires more, but it certainly made me see the real picture, and I'm grateful for that.<br /><br />Honestly, Twilight and everything that came afterward is negligible compared to Anne Rice's first vampire novel. This book was not about sparkling brooding vampire teens, but about real vampires, those who lived in the 18th century, who slept in coffins, fed of humans at night and wore silky jabots and embroidered suits, hiding from the sun and the fire. I liked that I was confronted to the real monster instead of some ridiculous falsity named Edward Cullen, and that I got to experience the life of a vampire beside the characters, the life of the vampire as the world knew it. Anne Rice crafted her book around the original version of the blood-drinking creatures, but by still adding a bit of her own to it.<br /><br />The reason why I loved these vampires so much was due to the writing. The scenes when they attacked their victims, drank their blood and tore the skin were so rich, so well described it was a great pleasure to read. It was as if you were there, on the scene, seeing everything with your own eyes! Even if I read the book in French, I can guess by the varied vocabulary and the numerous metaphors that Anne Rice is a competent writer. Her descriptions were full and beautiful. She truly brought the beauty of the world during the 18th century to the reader's eyes.<br /><br />I shall say that these are the two major things I love in this book; the very well exploited concept of vampires, and the masterful writing that crafted this book.<br /><br />Interview With The Vampire is nevertheless not a very action-packed book. The story revolves around Louis de La Pointe du Lac, who has been turned into a vampire by Lestat, with who he thereupon lives before adding another character to the group, Claudia, a young girl that will from the moment she is turned into a vampire be trapped in the body of a five-year old. The story is narrated by Louis, and it is the story of a vampire's slow birth throughout 200 years. Those who expect great mysteries, lots of action, romance and drama will be disappointed. The drama is delivered sufficiently, but Interview With The Vampire is a very deep and psychological book. Throughout the entire novel we follow Louis as he mediates on his case and the cases of others, and so the readers has to go through long, elaborated, meticulous dialogs or walls of text about bad and good, God and Devil.<br /><br />I personally didn't relish it so much. I loved all the reflecting and the deepness of the story, but I'd rather have a bit more action, a bit more plot in what I read. This book can be said to have no plot, actually, since it simply recalls a part of life of a certain character. The plot itself is the series of events. This is why I my appreciation of the book was moderated until the last 100 pages, where things picked up a bit more.<br /><br />The characters. I can't say I liked any of them, and here is why: Louis was terribly dull, weak, and easy to manipulate. He easily accepts any misfortune fallen upon his shoulders without fighting back, and lets the others pull him by the ears. Lestat was terribly conceited, whiny and arrogant, to the point where you wonder why Louis ever put up with him. Claudia was a spoiled and egoistic brat, the type you should get rid of as quickly as possible. These characters didn't harvest your sympathy or pity, and mainly got on your nerves most of the time. That's why I didn't like any of them.<br /><br />Yet I still bore with each of them, for the simple reason that they were <span style="font-style: italic;">developed,</span> something most characters lack in today's book. Even if the characters themselves didn't have a persona that pleased me, I was still interested in why they were like this and how it acted on the other characters. Let's take Louis, by example. Louis was always so confused and afraid of his nature of vampire, simply because as a mortal, he had been very close to God, and that one day he woke up immortal, killing of humans, which totally shattered his conception of good and bad. He loved Claudia as his child, the child he had educated and shared his passion for books and knowledge he couldn't have shared with Lestat. Lestat, on the other hand, was hungry of luxury and wealth, for as a mortal he had never gotten any of those things, and now that he was immortal, there was no reason not to seek all he desired. Claudia was the woman trapped in the body of a five-year old, weak physically, frail and in need of care, something she didn't want to. She kept on trying to act like a woman, but how could that look on the face of a child? She loved Louis as a lover, but Louis loved her as a father.<br /><br />And so, all of these characters were crafted with such realistic weaknesses, with so much behind their unlikable personas, that I almost didn't mind that I didn't like them.<br /><br />Another flaw in Anne Rice's novel is the very vague use of 'love'. There was a lot of 'love' between the characters; Louis and Claudia, Claudia and Madeleine, Louis and Armand, even between Louis and Lestat. Yet, this love was never defined. Was it a romantic, fatherly or friendly love? In most cases I never understood what were the characters' feelings.<br /><br />Thus, as you see, this book has many flaws but also good points. Personally, it didn't blow me away. It didn't mark me emotionally, neither did it inspire me. But it opened my mind; I learned new things and met the true nature of the vampire. I know there are several other books following, but I'll pick them up another day. I highly recommend this book for those who want better than Twilight and its numerous imitations.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;">-Beryl<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8,2/10</span><br /></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-40515909020823804182010-11-04T16:17:00.005-04:002010-11-04T18:11:32.951-04:00The Giver<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDY3lkokVg53imb_TaWkm3HUuAYRk-q58EP4fcohonCdWQ_s-JDnJ7sv-2USden1IB2Yw2xX9j8-6ZIKNl1I9AhphGNduUUM8-hM1q_kEoI36AepkjOZo5qId24nws0jEvw79KdD02__c/s1600/The-giver.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 400px;" 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mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-style: italic;">From Goodreads: In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders.</span><br /><p style="font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"><span id="freeText12059828418299427674" style="" class="reviewText">This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare.<br /><br />Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world.<br /><br />With an eerie futuristic setting, Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">We are so sorry for the lack of updates! Beryl and I are in our senior year of high school, and we didn’t think it was so much work! We’re both overachievers, so we hardly have any time for books and this site. Please stay with us, though! We’ll try to read enough to provide you a few reviews every month.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">The Giver is a book the juniors read every year at our school, and they kind of hate it. All of them hate it, really, without exception. I don’t see why, though. I absolutely loved this book, even though it was rather plot-less. It was a book of feelings, and the author has the amazing ability to transmit her emotions through her words.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">Jonas, our protagonist, is brave and intelligent, even in his young age. He has started to see things others don’t see, and has been chosen to be the next Receiver of memories of his community. The Receiver knows everything. He is taught everything of a world before Sameness, of the world we live in.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">The world built is perfect, supposedly. But to me, it is simply eerie. A guy with whom I was talking claimed it was a magnificent utopia; I call it a disturbing dystopia. I guess it’s just how you look at it, really. Nonetheless, it was a fascinating world I would gladly read more about. I would hate to live in a gray world where everyone is the same. Colors and art are such an important part of my life, I would be unable to live without it, and the way this world works captured me. Who would’ve thought to create a world where people willingly accept never to think, never to choose, don’t ever see color, but also a world with no war, no fear, no hard choices?</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">The Giver is a book of tenderness, emotion, and feelings. It is amazing. It can make you feel the warmth of Christmas, make you fall in love with colors all over again, show you an orange sunset and give you the calmness that comes with it. But it also can make you disgusted with the world by showing you pain and hunger, though not with as much efficiency as it gives the happier feelings. I highly recommend and praise this book. I didn’t find it had much of a plot, but that might be because I didn’t fully understand the ending I recommend it nonetheless. It is a book you feel in your heart and cherish once you are done.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="font-style: italic; text-align: right;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">-Aithen</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">The Giver by Lois Lowry</span></p><p style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-CA">Rating: 8/10</span></p>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-91260072271968659942010-09-30T17:06:00.009-04:002010-09-30T18:16:30.181-04:00Freak Show<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-RUeAfVsehPLL5KLZGHhFHM3UIRki65v3ZPeLKJG8VYkqw_5ULEhHTafMDwTuIRpBvx9aL0q_bE-TqwNE0C5gF7cnrhWPpmk47oNEFX_7J9Z-C-TSvlcbBl6z5XXS08nZZ4lV2uL2zU/s1600/Freak-Show.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-RUeAfVsehPLL5KLZGHhFHM3UIRki65v3ZPeLKJG8VYkqw_5ULEhHTafMDwTuIRpBvx9aL0q_bE-TqwNE0C5gF7cnrhWPpmk47oNEFX_7J9Z-C-TSvlcbBl6z5XXS08nZZ4lV2uL2zU/s400/Freak-Show.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522825607867608834" border="0" /></a><span id="freeText929802615346967525" style="font-style: italic;" class="reviewText">Meet Billy Bloom, drag queen extraordinaire and new student at the ultra-white, ultra-rich, ultra-conservative Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy. Actually, "drag queen" does not begin to describe Billy and his fabulousness. Any way you slice it, Billy is not a typical seventeen-year-old, and the Bible Belles, Aberzombies, and Football Heroes at the academy have never seen anyone quite like him before. But thanks to the help and support of one good friend, Billy's able to take a stand for outcasts and underdogs everywhere in his own outrageous, over-the-top, sad, funny, brilliant, and unique way.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Hm.<br />Ahh.<br />I'm not too sure what to think of this one.<br /><br />I'm having difficulty buying it, honestly.<br /><br />Life, for Billy, goes from getting his brains bashed in during biology class to running for homecoming queen.<br /><br />Yes, you've guessed it: Billy is a drag queen, and an over-the-top fabulous one at that.<br /><br />I (miraculously) found this at the library; I'd been wanting to read it for a few weeks. So I picked it up and started reading immediately (even though common sense told me to finish the other 20 books on my pile first). At first, it wasn't too bad. Billy seemed to be a great character, and if it wasn't for ALL THAT ANNOYING RANDOM CAPITALIZATION AND <span style="font-style: italic;">ITALICS</span> AND <span style="font-weight: bold;">BOLD TEXT</span>, I thought, at the time, that this would be (another) great coming of age gay book.<br /><br />Wrong.<br /><br />I'll give it to you, it was a real shocker of an eye-opener. The bashing, at the beginning, especially had me moved. The life 17-year-old Billy leads is somewhat too realistic for me to bear, since I'm positive kids get beaten to a pulp for who they are in these crazy hell holes we call 'high-school'.<br /><br />But then, <span style="font-style: italic;">Billy just didn't learn.</span> He shows up in Drag garb again, and again, and again. He made me groan in exasperation. Sure, he's a great model of determination and resilience and knows exactly what he wants, and who he is, and has the courage to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> who he is, but then... There seems to be nothing under the makeup. He seems to be just an empty husk at times. Fine, he has interests in everything stereotypically gay but... Does that make him a deep and meaningful character?<br /><br />One thing I don't know, though, is whether the gay community would take this book as an insult or a touching cry of a teenage boy. Billy is OVER THE TOP. He's... Too much. Sure, there are Drag Queens in real life too. I acknowledge and accept it.<br /><br />But, even whilst being incredibly true and powerful, Billy's CAPITALIZED speech and maneurisms and <span style="font-style: italic;">obsession</span> with looking like a freak (his word, not mine) somehow doesn't ring true. Indeed, there just something... in the random capitalization... and how he never learns... and is practically a masochist... and then the cool kid who becomes his best friend... That makes me sceptical about the whole thing. He kind of loses points for credibility, to say the least.<br /><br />Two things I have to give the author is that, first of all, he has <span style="font-style: italic;">exceptional</span> vocabulary. Honestly, once or twice I needed a dictionary to figure out what he really meant in a said sentence. And the pop culture references were also varied and numerous. Secondly, there were one or two moments where I burst out laughing during class and got a few weird looks from my piers. There were also a lot of funny moments that made me smile, but I wouldn't say the whole book was laugh out loud funny. I got pretty dramatic at times.<br /><br />In retrospect, I'd say it is a good read, and definitely a mind-opener. Recommended as the next book you'll order from the library, but not necessarily from the <span style="font-style: italic;">bookstore</span>.<br /><br />Aww, shoot. Now <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm</span> writing with excessive italics and CAPITALS.<br /><br /></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: right;">- Aithen<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Freak Show by James St-James</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 7,7/10</span></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212478627375973362.post-46531156485621963422010-09-24T20:45:00.011-04:002010-09-30T18:03:59.595-04:00Mousetraps<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHbeNfZP4SqbBMSSZN0rp7drm-ILT4__ra3UabTt6_r1JluscPd0k-AsZ0LSSpIatkQKm8U67zB4Agb6BNyhZSfn9Hka5gF4rYUg1QhPwRd51AdtmghcI3LjvdhJPTASkr-hfFeq1WIg/s1600/mousetraps.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHbeNfZP4SqbBMSSZN0rp7drm-ILT4__ra3UabTt6_r1JluscPd0k-AsZ0LSSpIatkQKm8U67zB4Agb6BNyhZSfn9Hka5gF4rYUg1QhPwRd51AdtmghcI3LjvdhJPTASkr-hfFeq1WIg/s400/mousetraps.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520662163316309362" border="0" /></a><span id="freeText8253023858534980517" style="font-style: italic;" class="reviewText">Back in grade school, Maxie and Rick were best friends. Rick would design crazy inventions, and Maxie, the artistic one, would draw them. Then something terrible happened to Rick, and he vanished from her school and her life. Years later, he shows up at Maxie's high school. In some ways he's the same person she once knew. But in other ways - frightening ones - he's very, very different . . .</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warning: This rant will contain spoilers</span>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I picked this really short novel up at the library because I was dumped there for 5 hours after school yesterday. Reading this book passed the time, but I can't say I liked it or felt more elevated after reading. In fact, there wasn't much good in this book.<br /><br />It started out seeming promising, though rather cliché: a guy comes back to high school, meeting his best friend from grade school again, with whom he'd lost touch since a mysterious incident in middle school. It sounded promising; this, coupled with the fact that many minor characters were gay, drew me into the story at first.<br /><br />Sadly, as I read on, I got more and more frustrated.<br /><br />First of all, I was irked by the random describing at the most dramatic times. I know the main character is an artist, but I swear, when you're having a huge argument with your best friend, you will definitely not stop to look at a robin fly through the air, and how his feathers clash with the bright blue sky. I was really annoyed, because this occured so many times. It seems to me that the author's editor asked her to write more descriptions or something, and that she added them at random.<br /><br />Also, there seemed to be no character development at all, and even less descriptions of the characters. They were anonymous to me, completely unreal and unbelievable. The main character, Maxie, was as flat as a piece of paper. I don't know what she likes, who she is, what she looks like, apart from the fact she loves to draw cartoons. That is the only thing mentioned about her personality! Other utterly flat character: Tay. Even though we were told she was a complete hockey fan, she just abandons her favourite sport early on because she dislikes the coach. Completely unrealistic. I personally have been playing baseball since I was 5, and have continued even when I had notorious jerks as coaches. I never stopped because of that, because I love the sport. When you love something, you don't just abandon it at the first difficulty you run into. There was also Rick, short for Roderick, constantly bullied in school, who was apparently completely psycho? If I wasn't told he was, I would've guessed he was a sad little angel.<br /><br />Bottom line : the way the characters act in the book and the way we are told they are are radically different.<br /><br />I could probably rant on about the characters for hours, but I'll keep it at that.<br /><br />I was also very surprised by all the developpments that took place. But I don't mean surprised in a good way. In fact, the developments made no sense. Since the main object of the book (at least, until page 150) seemed to be the relationship between Rick and Maxie, it was an unpleasant surprise when it turned out Rick actually wanted to blow up the school, got kicked out by his dad, turned out to NOT be gay, and was taken in by Maxie's gay uncles, all within about 40 pages. Honestly, I was lost. This development didn't make any sense at all to me.<br /><br />Which bring on the next reason why I was disappointed : everything was so poorly explained! I didn't understand how Rick turned out to be the psycho. I don't understand how Tay and Maxie would ever be friends in the first place, I don't understand why Maxie pushed her best friend away in sixth grade, and what was the big secret, and in what grade are the characters, and who, what, where, when, why? Whaaaaaaaaat is going on!?<br /><br />I found it excessively odd, though, that although Rick is called a faggot at every possible occasion, and picked on, and singled out, and attacked, Sean, Maxie's gay cousin raised by her gay uncles, was relatively unscathed. Come on. If a straight kid is being picked on for <span style="font-style: italic;">looking</span> gay, how can a real gay kid, raised by <span style="font-style: italic;">two gay men</span>, be pretty much left alone? Logically, this would not happen.<br /><br />There was one little thing I really did like: the relationship between Rick and Maxie when they were still little kids, and the whole mousetrap company they invented. I thought it was an adorable concept, and it made the ending even more dramatic when you saw the relation between the childish games and all the traps Rick set up to ensure the school would blow up. But then he took everything down because... Actually, I don't know why.<br /><br />All these things led to me greatly disliking this book, and it left me kind of mad. I did not like it. But it did entertain me for a few hours, just the time I needed to get my brain off school. It could have been good, if it was better explained. The concept wasn't really innovative, but there were a few elements that could've been exploited to make this much better, and many, many things that could've easily been corrected in order to keep my attention longer.<br /><br />Overall, not so good a read. You can find something better to read, I'm sure you can.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">-Aithen</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mousetraps by Pat Schmatz</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: 5,3/10</span></div>Pepper Inkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622593832008265315noreply@blogger.com0