Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR CLOCKWORK ANGEL.
If you have yet to read, DO NOT read this review!
This review IS spoiler-free.

“We live and breathe words.”

It seems such a cliché manner in opening this, but I think the quote sufficiently sums up how I feel about this book – this series. I do not simply read this series, but live and breathe the words. In my head, the characters exist perfectly, as though they’ve always been a part of my world. I picture them wholly and imagine them as distant friends of mine, recalled from a memory. I know, I’m being corny. Forgive me; this book has affected me, and I think I’m still under its spell.

Despite the mockery poked at Cassandra Clare, despite the way her books are scorned, this is possibly one of my favorite books I’ve read – and certainly the best book I feel Clare has written. What sets The Infernal Devices apart from The Mortal Instruments is a number of factors, but most notably how the writing seems so different. It’s not something I can quite pinpoint, but simply to note she has an eloquence. Certainly, one can credit the Victorian London era for this, as her writing certainly fits in the era in which she writes. And it’s something I absolutely love. This simple trick immerses me into this world, set so many years before me.

I’m serious. I LOVED this book.

From the get-go, readers are thrown into the plot. In the beginning, we learn the overall push of the story. The end of Clockwork Angel was a storm of disaster, with the death of De Quincey, the escape of Mortmain, and the revelation that the Institute housed Nate the traitorous and lead to the betrayal and the deaths of Agatha and Thomas. Because of this, Charlotte has only two weeks to locate Mortmain and prove to the Clave she can successfully run the Institute – or else Bennedict Arnold Lightwood will take control of it. And it is with this daunting task we meet again with Tessa and her makeshift family.

Two new characters are introduced, as replacements to the late Agatha and Thomas, though we unfortunately learn very little of them. Knowing Clare, I have a feeling we’ll learn more about them in our final book.

Something I feel Clare really did well in this book was the way the everyone had their own subplot, in contribution to the overall arc of the book. Poor Tessa, alone in this world and abandoned by her brother, has forged a family with the members of the London. But she still doesn’t know who – or what – she is. Mortmain wants her for something and she has no idea what that something is. It’s incredibly disconcerting to her and she continues her search to learn what she is.

The ending of Clockwork Angel makes more sense as we follow Will around the book. Far more likable in this book than the last, readers learn of the burden he’s carried on his shoulders for five years, and we even get a glimpse into his past. Anyone who disliked Will or felt apathetic towards him before now will surely thaw as they get to know him better. I’m standing proof! As someone who liked Will enough, I find myself incredibly drawn to him.

Even Sophie has a storyline! A very well deserved one, too, at that.

“Trains are great dirty smoky things," said Will. "You won't like it."
Tessa was unmoved. "I won't know if I like it until I try it, will I?"

One of my favorite parts of the book, though, is where the storyline takes us. Finally, we travel outside of the London Institute. We take a train to Yorkshire, so perfectly described, you really are there. Clare’s craft for descriptions creates the world around you. In desperation, we travel to the slums of London. We visit an elaborate, dangerous masquerade. Readers are taken on a ride, and oh, it’s a beautiful ride at that. Through our travels, readers finally start to learn more about Mortmain. While little plot seems to take place, a lot of the book is discovery and information, which is important in finding Mortmain in the first place.

And in uncovering Mortmain’s motives and past is the most painful discovery for the London Institute: that someone of their group has betrayed them.

Of course, the main storyline of which everyone speaks is the love triangle. Recall that I’m not a fan of triangles, as I find them overused, sloppily-done, and unnecessary. However, Clare seems to have done the nearly impossible in the creation of this love triangle. It is, to say the very least, the perfect triangle. We don’t have two boys fighting over one girl, but a triangle with an important relationship at every point, and it makes me anxious to see how everything will pan out because someone will be hurt. Maybe multiple someones.

From the beginning of Clockwork Angel, we have been entertained by the reckless passion of Tessa and Will, and this certainly continues in the second installment. Tessa, to my immense pleasure, deviates from the typical YA heroine, though, and while readers may be upset in her self-preservation, it is something that only makes me love her more. The more we’re in Will’s head, though, the more we come to understand his actions, and the terrible things he has said and done in the previous book.

Less notable to many, but unmissed by this self-professed Jem fangirl, in Clockwork Angel was his subtly growing affections for Tessa, and of course this continues as well. For all who found Jem boring, they’ll find a rather entertaining side to him that proves nice boys aren’t always droll. In Will’s distance to Tessa, Jem keeps her company and helps alleviate her homesickness by showing her around London.

“Will has always been the brighter burning star, the one to catch attention — but Jem is a steady flame, unwavering and honest. He could make you happy.”

When you think of it that way, I can’t blame Tessa for being torn. Two beautiful boys whom each appeal to you in a different way? How does anyone make a choice?

“Our souls are knit. We are one person, James.”

For me, though, the heart of the relationship is the one centered around Jem and Will. Nevermind the parabatais attraction to the same girl. What I love dearly about this story and this triangle, is the way these two love each other. For so long, the only person Will has ever loved is Jem, and despite his moods, despite his “habits”, Jem loves Will dearly. They are fiercely dedicated to each other, and their worlds don’t just center around the other, but overlap.

It’s a beautiful relationship, but a rather scary one.

As we recall, Jem is dying. He is sustained only by a drug that as well as keeps him alive, kills him. The impending death of Will’s parabatai is further explored, in a heart breaking manner. More than I enjoy Will or Jem’s affections for Tessa, I love the relationship between these boys, and the beautiful relationship they share. I do, in this moment, declare them my brOTP. It is Jem’s practical acceptance of his impending death that really makes me feel for the parabatais relationship, and it makes me fear, for the way Will depends upon him.

“Someday, Will, I will go where none can follow me, and I think it will be sooner rather than later. Have you ever asked yourself why I agreed to be your parabatai?”

Of course, the triangle is the culmination of these points. It is the web of affections and relationships which threaten to drive the three apart. Beautiful is the three together, and how effectively they work together and with what ease the three of them have struck friendship. The banter is playful, if not competitive at times, and often lends to a laugh. Even better is how they look out for each other and how obvious all three care deeply for the others.

"I've never swum naked in the Thames before, but I know I wouldn't like it."
"But think how entertaining for sightseers," said Tessa, and she saw Jem duck his head to hide the quick flash of his grin.”

With this relationship in place, it is easy to love everyone, and it is easy to just want everyone happy – because we all know that in a love triangle, someone will be hurt.

Everything about this book is beautiful and so well done. Clare has perfectly created Victorian London around me, in a most vivid way. The dialogue remains witty and delightful, with most of the funniest lines belonging to Will, whose sense of humor seems to shine even more this time around. So much of this book is composed of great character development. Already, Clare had had a cast of fantastic characters, but with this book, we further explore them and learn more about them. More complex layers are revealed, and for me, by the end of the book, it was nearly impossible not to love the cast. I was converted. I went from preferring Jem to Will to loving them dearly in their own way (even if my bias remains with Jem.)

And oh, the romantic scenes! For me to say anything of them would not only ruin the book, but the moments and the beauty. Seldom have I read romantic scenes that left me so breathless, gurgling on fractured noises of nonsense, and burying my face to hide squeals as my toes curled and my body crushed in upon itself. The propriety of the era and the manner of speech lends everything to a far more romantic feeling, and only made these moments so much sexier. 

Do I even dare warn you of the impending emotional crisis? I'll just warn you - some of you may need tissues. Clare plays with your heart like a puppeteer and her puppets and numerous passages broke my heart in some kind of way. Even Clare herSELF cried and SHE wrote this! 

Clare has absolutely outdone herself with this book. I find it far superior to TMI and encourage anyone who was not entirely sold on Clare’s other series to try the prologue, if only for the fantastic setting and the brilliantly complex characters. Though it seems little plot is really accomplished in this book, it feels like so much has happened (and trust that quite a bit of action ensues) by the end of the book. And with the sheer amount of character development accrued on all parts, it more than exceeds the middle book syndrome. Sequels are rarely better than the first, but I am in love with Clockwork Prince. It is, by far, my favorite of Clare’s work, and deserves its place amongst my favorite books.

All fans of Clare will enjoy this book, and I encourage anyone to try this one. The writing is beautiful, the characters are all so likable and complicated, and despite the romantic tensions, the book fortunately lacks the severe amounts of dramatic angst I’m so wary of from TMI.

Go. Go read this!

★★★★★

P.S: You have NO idea how difficult this was to write. In the beginning, simply collecting my thoughts was an excruciating task, given my nonstop fangirling. (For the record, no, I have not stopped fangirling.) Even once gathering my thoughts, to write this without spoilerizing the whole thing was AWFUL and hard. You should thank me. It was hard work to do for you guys. <3

Notes

[1] I confess, I have few flaws from this. I am still in my glowing I-LOVE-EVERYTHING-ABOUT-THIS-BOOK phase, so it's hard to view things objectively - and also how to confess the few things I disliked without spoiling. So here, I'll try it for you.

• For starters, I kind of really wanted to know more about the new characters. It is very unlike Clare to introduce a character whom doesn't become important in some way, and I feel as if maybe she's dropped some clues I just don't know how to read in to. 
• There's also the matter of... erm. Well. There's a rather melodramatic build up surrounding Will's secret and his doings with Magnus, but in the revelation, I found them rather laughable because of the build up. Trust that they're important to Will, but at the same time, the hype took the serious nature of it from me.
• I HAVE TO WAIT ROUGHLY A YEAR FOR THE NEXT  BOOK. I JUST WANT IT OUT RIGHT NOW. IN MY HANDS. PLEASE. :( 

I do have a Jem bias, I confess. But I truly love EVERYONE in the book, and while the love triangle feels so prominent, I feel there's so much more to this book than the shipping wars. Like, for instance, HOW WILL EVERYTHING PAN OUT WITH THE END OF CLOCKWORK PRINCESS?! And OH GOD IS JEM GOING TO DIE?! And WHAT IS TESS? WHAT. THE. HELL. IS. TESSA?! And finally HOW DO I KEEP THESE BABIES FROM BREAKING AND HURTING?! :( :( :( 

This book left me an emotional wreck.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Confession: I liked The Mortal Instruments trilogy. I know it’s not literary genius, and I was okay with that. I know it’s a laughing stock in the YA community, and that’s okay with me. I know the fandom wank about Cassandra Clare and blah blah blah, but I will admit to you: she has a talent. She wrote a riveting story that sucked me in, despite its overuse of metaphors and similes. Some of the characters entertained me and, as if in a morbid sense of fascination, I wanted to see where the series went and how it could possibly end. Over all, I was pleased with the ending of City of Glass. I would have preferred that Jace stayed dead, but we all knew better than that. The fact Clary asked for him out of everything in the world annoyed me, as I prefer my protags to have a bit more substance, but, I was fine with the ending. I was content to let Clary and Jace go off and be disgustingly in love and let Simon roam the world as a Daywalking vampire and Magnus and Alec could go be in lurve~ and just let the world be.

I was fine. I liked it. It made me happy.

Clare then began her new series, and against my better judgment, I preordered it. You’ll learn this is a terrible habit of mine, and one whose mistakes I never learn from. To my immense surprise, it was GOOD. So good that I had renewed hopes for Clare’s announcement she would add three new books to the TMI trilogy. I thought, “Her writing has improved so much! She chucked some of those similes and metaphors! Maybe City of Fallen Angels will be good!”

Again, I preordered. How could Clare let me down after the beautiful improvement of her Infernal Devices series?

One day, I will learn my lesson.

Maybe had Angie not read the book before me, I wouldn’t be so reluctant to read. I remember sitting around, waiting for the book to arrive from Amazon. I remember Angie talking to me on MSN while she read the book, and I remember how each time she spoke of the book, my hope faded more and more, until it’d nearly completely diminished.

Once the book was in my hands, I was all hesitance. I tried the first chapter – and nothing. The book opens with Simon, which should have been great! I’m a very vocal Simon fangirl. I love him, and I prefer him to Jace. But I just couldn’t get into it, because I knew what waited ahead: drivel.

Nearly eight months later, I decided to reopen the book and suffer through – mostly because Angie kept begging me so she could have someone with whom to bitch, but also because I figured I may as well. There you have my feelings summed up: I may as well.

What. Did. I. Just. Read?

No.

Really.

What was the plot? Because as far as I’m concerned, this book felt like a massive fanfiction written by someone who missed the TMI series. Everything was shipping, and everything hurt!

Loosely, the plot can be summed up as: Shadowhunters whom were previously supporters of Valentine are falling dead and no one knows who’s doing it. But that’s okay! Because I promise you, this plot has next to nothing to do with the book. Really! Don’t worry about it! Simon is coming to grips with being a vampire and trying to find the balance of humanity and monster, but he’s kicked out of his house and trying to fight his instincts, he’s dating two girls, and he is propositioned by a vampire to take over the NYC vampire clan. As for Clary and Jace? Oh, don’t worry – Jace just keeps having dreams in which he kills Clary so, rather than do anything rational or tell her about it, he just freezes her out, refuses to break up with her, and occasionally mouthrapes her before fleeing off into the night to be BFF with Simon.

And honestly? That’s the best part of this book for me. I rather LIKED Jace when he hung out with Simon, and I could totally get behind a Jace/Simon bromance, except I know better than to expect so much. But really. That was the best. They were funny, awfully delightful, and it was a great reprieve from the disgustingly corny drama of Jace and Clary.

Seriously.

I’m probably biased, in my dislike for Clary/Jace. I’m probably TERRIBLY biased in my near disdain for Clary. Another confession: I skimmed so much. Every time I was in Clary or Jace’s head, they just ANGSTED the entire time about the other. “Oh noes why doesn’t Jace look at me, doesn’t he love me, he won’t kiss me, he’s avoiding me, waaah my life is over my life is ending!” “Oh noes, I dream I’m killing Clary, clearly I am my father, by the Angel, I can speak of this to no one lest they find out I’m a monster, what should I do, oh NOES!”

I just… all that clichéd drivel; and it was SO repetitive. Every few pages, it would pick up again, as if MAYBE I’d forgotten JUST HOW DETRIMENTAL THIS WAS.

There was also this other underlying plot involving the attempted recreation of Sebastian and a lot of dead babies infected with demon blood. It was meant to be a bit more horrific, I think, than I found it.

I just… I can’t wrap my head around what I read. What I FORCED myself to read. At times, I felt as if I was literally pushing myself along, encouraging myself to complete this, just to say I could.

And frankly, this book should never have existed.

The ending of the TMI trilogy was great! The books were a fanciful guilty pleasure, a great, fun read, and when they ended, I felt at peace. I was excited for her Infernal Devices series. And then… this: an obvious cashcow piggybacking on her own success of a trilogy swarming with obsessive, rabid fangirls in love with the obviously mental-issue-ridden Jace, crazy about the selfish Clary. And if I’m to be perfectly honest, I feel that’s’ all this book is. A continuation of the Clary/Jace relationship, which probably explains why I didn’t care for it. There was no overall plot; everything was just SHIPPING romance and terribly repetitive dramas.

Even the “villains” in this book didn’t come across as realistic.

Here we have LILITH the UBERDEMON of Demons. The MOTHER of Downworlders. And she felt like a villain from Scooby-Doo! Her speech came across as terribly unrealistic, and she did like all great Scooby-Doo villains do, by telling us exactly what her plan was, assuming it infallible, and most offensively, assuming readers not clever enough to read into subtle clues and figure out what was about to happen. It was one of the worst dialogue-driven info dumps I’d read in ages. I didn’t feel ANXIOUS for anyone, I didn’t expect anything BAD to happen. And once Lilith explained just what she was doing, I couldn’t even be arsed to CARE.

Amongst all this, I’d hoped perhaps Magnus, fabulous Magnus, could entertain me a little, but no such luck. After returning from exploring the world with Alec and meeting up with his old boo, Camille, Alec turned into a jealous fifteen year old. “Waaah, waaaah, my immortal warlock boyfriend is immortal and has loved before me. Waaah waaaah waaaah, who was Will, how dare you know others in your past? Waaah waaaah waaaaah every time you mention someone from your past I will assume they meant something to you. Waaaaaaaaaaaah I clearly mean nothing to you but a fleeting romance until you tire of me and my pretty face.”

OH MY GOD HE NEVER STOPPED THAT PETULANT BRAT ALL HE DID WAS BITCH AND MOAN AND POUT. HE ACTUALLY KICKED A CHAIR. HE. KICKED. A. CHAIR. WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? WHY?! Ugh.

I TOLD YOU. All this book became was SHIPPING DRAMA out the WAZOOO.

I’d actually FORGOTTEN about the dying Shadowhunters.

Even after reading, I’m left with one last question. (That’s a lie: there’s a LOT of questions, most about the idiocy of the book and the lack of plot.) WHERE THE HELL DOES THE TITLE COME FROM?! IT STILL MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.

And you know what’s even worse? Knowing that, because I’m 4 of 6, I will finish reading the last freaking books of this damn series, just because I can’t bear to own an incomplete series. City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire will find their way on my shelves and I will only pray they were have some actual plot, as opposed to more shipping drama to ~distract me from the complete lack of story.

Take Michelle’s advice. Don’t buy them brand new. Don’t preorder them. When City of Lost Souls comes out, wait a week or two for the people who LOATHED the book to show up on Amazon begging people to “please, PLEASE take this drivel off their hands for a measly $2 dollars PLEASE I beg of you.” I assure you, you’ll be better off that way. Because, if you’re like me and you’re compelled to finish off this forsaken new trilogy, you may as well save as much money as possible.

★

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent tells the story of Beatrice (later known as Tris), a girl who lives in a world where as soon as teenagers reach the daunting age of sixteen, much choose to which faction they wish to belong for the rest of their lives: Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, Dauntless and Amity. [1] When Beatrice chooses the path of the courageous and admittedly unpredictable Dauntless over the selfless Abnegation life she'd always known, no one is more surprised than Beatrice's family. But what Beatrice didn't know was that just as it was within her right to choose Dauntless, it is within Abnegation's right, too, if she gets to stay. And so, her initiation begins, not only exposing her to the ruthless and violent demands of her new faction, but also threatening to reveal a secret that may cost Beatrice her life.

Perhaps my favourite part of this novel was its heroine. Beatrice was in no way the stereotypical self-conscious and socially impaired main character we all know and are tired of reading about. Tris starts off as a seemingly meek girl from the Selfless Faction of Abnegation but soon her true colors are shown; she is resourceful and sometimes scheming, kind but not to the point where it can be used against her, and appears to know herself enough to know her strengths and weaknesses. As a reader, it was a refreshing experience to see her world through her calculating eyes. [2] 

The same could be said for the rest of her characters, too. Doubtlessly, we don't spend a lot of time with them meeting them as Tris is admittedly not very interested on her new Faction friends, but the times they were part of the narrative, they appeared to be well-rounded and interested, thus leaving me, someone who has the pesky habit to grow attached to side-characters, wanting more of them. Fortunately, there was enough action that not only managed to keep me interested but also helped the book move along at an acceptable speed.

But not everything is the color of roses [3] and as it happens, I had a few issues with the novel.

Warning: Spoilers time! And time for Snarky Writer to honor her name!

First of all, I'd like to say that I really like Roth's dystopian society. [4] It was unique, and interesting, and certainly different from the societies of other books (of the same genre) that I've read in the past. That said, the plot was almost too simplistic and at times, made no sense whatsoever. There was no world building, no explanations about anything; at times I felt like I was just shoved into this world were everything was fuzzy and nothing made sense. Other times, I had to remind myself that this was the first book of a series rather than a sequel; facts were given to me without a single explanation, as if expecting me as a reader to understand the reasoning behind them, and were never ever brought up again.

I know what you're thinking: But you just said yourself that this is the first book! And I did. It's true it is the first book, but it is also true that when you give yourself the task to create a new world for the characters in your novel to live in, it is necessary to at least explain some things. To think that everything can be explained later on and expect the reader to be fine with it is, to put it bluntly, ridiculous.

Unsurprisingly, I had a similar problem with the factions [5] and the idea of anyone deciding that a sixteen year old possesses the ability to make what is arguably the most important decision of their life. Because, did I mention that once you choose a faction, you're stuck there for life? Because that's how it is. Sixteen year olds are known for doing exactly what is wrong for them, and often do things out of spite; in short, they're stupid and tend to make rash decisions to mend the mistake a previous rash decision caused. 

But back to the factions! We're never told how they came to be, or why would anyone ever thing they're a good idea - which, again, brings up to those pesky little things known as No World Building and Lack of Explanations. We are simply told that Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) were created to ensure that society functions efficiently and to prevent war.[6] Abnegation and all the pushovers behind it are in charge of the government because the power should be given to those who don't want it, or so we are told; the self-entitled, self-centered and arguably self-sufficient Erudite work on developing new technology; Candor is composed of what can easily be called human lie detectors, whilst the job of ensuring security, then, falls on the hands of the always reckless sociopaths of Dauntless. It was unclear to me as to what Amity did, other than they did everything with a big smile adorning their faces.

So, exactly what happens in Divergent? We spend the majority of the novel with Tris, as she participates in the training that will determine whether she'll truly is a Dauntless or if she'll become one of the factionless [7]. Considering that the purpose of the Dauntless is to protect others and keep the order (aka the police) the training those who wish to be part of them have to endure is preposterous as it is mainly composed of senseless violence, death-defying acts of sheer stupidity that are supposed to be considered a signs of bravery,  and what doubtlessly is psychological torture. 

Somewhere along all these training, the times Tris got the living everything beaten out of her (see: senseless violence), and was nearly raped by a pack of bullies that were hardly punished by any given authorities, we're supposed to remember that title of the book is Divergent and that it means something. Fortunately, the author makes sure to explain the meaning behind the name of the book; being a Divergent, it would seem, means that you can easily fit into any of the factions and immediately become a problem to the authorities, should they discover your condition.

Early on in this review I stated that I'd enjoyed Tris as a character. But the problem with Tris is that Roth seems to have used her Divergent condition as an excuse to make her capable of being good at everything she does. Or at least, that's what she'd have us believe; because the truth is that if Tris could have easily fit in any of the other factions - including the Erudites - how was it that more than once I found myself being two or three steps ahead of her? And in spite of being a Divergent, and knowing how dangerous this could be if anyone found out, Tris constantly did things that more or less equated to her jumping up and down and telling the world exactly what she was.The inconsistencies in her character could become irritating, as I expected Tris to both catch up on what was going on and to simply know better than to act like an idiot.

The thing about Divergent is, though, that it still sort of met my expectations; the problem was that in order for it to meet them, it stumbled its way to the climax, tripped with its untied shoelaces and then proceed to fall on its face like a drunk freshman after its first College party. At times, I wasn't amused, but that didn't stop me from finishing what is a 500 pages long book in two and a half days. Because for all its flaws, Divergent is addicting, and serves the purpose that so many other young adult novels fail to do: it entertains the reader without asking them to take its narrative too seriously. 

★★★

NOTES 

1.  Think of Harry Potter and all its houses but without the sorting hat. I found it pretty cool, at first, and immediately sorted myself as an Erudite, which should not be a surprise to anyone who knows me. In fact, because I am nerdy, I went out of my way to sort the factions:

• Gryffindor: Dauntless! And don't tell me that the "sociopaths" part makes them Slytherins because, cunning and ambitious=/=sociopath. And really, you are very naive if you think that Gryffindor is full of saints.
• Hufflepuff: I actually feel like shoving the spineless Abnegation and almost catatonic Amity into Hufflepuff is an offense to the house, but they just really don't fit anywhere else.  
• Ravenclaw & Slytherin: The two houses in which Erudite would be sorted into, of course. /biased

2.  Sounds familiar? It should! Because Tris is basically the low-rent version of our beloved Katniss Everdeen. And I know that sounds harsh, and that I said I liked her, but that doesn't mean it's not true. It's like Veronica Roth read the book and went, "Ohh, I'll make the blonde, short, and well-off version of Katniss and everyone will love her." No, really, I understand why some people didn't like Tris at all; the bitchy, deadpan and "selfish" demeanor works for Katniss (and for us as readers) because at this point in her life, and after all the things she's been through, she's almost entitled to be that way. But Beatrice? No. She's bitchy and sometimes mean, and kind of selfish without any reason other that she claims to never have fit in Abnegation. And it kind of pissed me off a bit that the author felt like excusing these flaws of her, because - why? Why can't the main character be like that for no reason other than she's an ungrateful sixteen year old? Sixteen year olds are often self-centered little shits just because they can. I WOULD KNOW, I WAS ONE. I just don't get it. I mean, honestly, the reason why I like her is because she was like that instead of the meek and annoying typical MC we get in most YA novels.

3.  I'm actually not sure that phrase made much sense. Because I pretty much used the literal translation of this spanish phrase (No todo es color de rosas) that basically means that not everything was/is pretty/good. Anyways, my apologies if it confused you!

4. I did! I mean, as opposed to a lot of Dystopias out there, I did feel like I was reading about a completely different society. Most of the time, anyway, because sometimes she'd mention JEANS and I'd go like, "Are you telling me the super smart Erudite have yet to come up with something more comfortable than JEANS? SHUT UP!" 

5. Who the hell would EVER think that separating people like this is a good idea? Like, I have NO idea how the world in this novel EVER functioned? It makes no sense at all. Because by their very existence, structure, and way of living the factions promote things like segregation, discrimination, inequality, oppression, and competing belief systems. DO THESE SOUND FAMILIAR? They should. Because the leading causes of discord & war among human civilizations throughout history. Are you really gonna tell me the Super Smart Erudites did not see this coming? Oh, what am I talking about, they've always known, the crazy bastards! No wonder by the end of the novel they're trying to go all fuck da police! let's throw down the system!

• 5.1 Did I forget to mention that the Erudites developed this vaccine that basically turned most of the Dauntless (except for Tris and her boyfriend, of course) to throw down the government by annihilating the Abnegation faction because they are the government? So basically genocide! yay! and it was taken super lightly and really, at the end of the book it was the Big Plot but for MOST of the book it was just a ~*threat*~ that Dangerously Loomed in the Background. Ugh. I like this book I like this book I like this book. 
• 5.2 I also forgot to mention that Tris made her instructor her boyfriend. I'm sorry. Except I'm not because the entire romance was stupid and unnecessary, but thankfully was like only 2% of the book, so thank you for sparing me of that, Veronica Roth. 

6. War happened. And, again, you're telling me NO ONE THOUGHT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM? I can't. Don't insult my intelligence, Veronica Roth. I beg you.

7. The factionless are the individuals who have dropped out of their factions or have gotten kicked out because they never passed the tests you're supposed to pass when you turn 16 in order for you to be fully part of your faction. Lovely. More segregation. But to be honest, I think that, ultimately, I’d prefer to be factionless because, frankly, all those factions are full of assholes.

► Book Reviews 101

So, you like books. Maybe you read a lot, and you feel really strongly about them. I bet you want to blog about them, don't you? Or maybe you just want to write a nice review on Goodreads, to encourage (or discourage!) people to read the book you just did. C'mon, admit it. Of course I won't laugh! If you don't feel you can write a quality review, I'm here to help! Often, all you really need are some tips and a boost of confidence - lucky you, I can provid some of both!

First things first, this is not a book report for school. Throw away all those preconceived notions. Never open your review with something like "I'm reviewing False Awakening[1] by Ashlie L'Homme." Do not say something like, "It's a fantasy about a girl who exists in two different worlds - one while she's awake and one while she's asleep." Nothing about that is entertaining, let alone engaging. People read to know what a book is about, if it's good, what it's high and low points are - but they also want to be entertained, or they'll go find a new review!

And while we're talking about openings, I'll share a bit of advice with you I learned from my years of journalism. NEVER, EVER BEGIN WITH A QUESTION. Ever. Questions seek people out, and you are not looking for a specific audience, but to reach out to everyone. If you ask "Have you ever felt trapped in your dreams?" you will likely lose a lot of your audience. If they don't remember dreams, or haven't ever felt that way, you've lost their interest. Capture them with your first lines and continue to lure them in. 

TAKE NOTES

My first tip applies to your reading process: ALWAYS TAKE NOTES AS YOU READ. This is probably the best thing you can do, and will help you the most. I confess to not always doing this - especially if I'm caught up in a book (and trust that I regret it when I sit down to write my review, too!) Take note of quotes you love (and dislike), moments you like or hate. When you write, this will be important, because being able to use points enforces ideas.

You can tell people something is badly written, a character is droll, a plot is awful, but to back it up with proof shows readers. Likewise, what good is saying, "I loved Annie!" if you don't say why you do? Tell us traits and actions that readers can see. As long as they aren't spoilers, you can use quotes, too. When used strategically, the quotes can help tell your review, or prove your points! It's a simple concept, and one easily taken care of. 

 ORGANIZATION IS KEY

When you sit down to write, remember the order in which you write is important. Including a brief synopsis or set up of the book towards the beginning is useful. Readers get a quick run down of what the book is about and it sets the scene for you. Less work telling! The keyword is brief, though - remember it is not a book report. You don't need a detailed retelling of the book. Your job is only to engage the reader and ignite (or douse) their desire to read.

Example:

When insomniac Annie stars having a series of recurring dreams, she thinks something is off - especially because each dream seems to pick up as though the world exists without her. Even stranger for her is the familiarity of the world. The strange Dreamworld she visits nightly is inhabited by people familiar to her, who've dotted numerous dreams before and fill the pages of her diary. But the strangest part is that these people don't seem like recollections of dreams, but memories. Which can't possibly be real. Except, the more Annie visits the world, the harder it becomes to tell which world is real and which is imagination. Even worse than that, though, is the possibility that each world is a separate reality - and eventually she may have to choose between the world from which she comes, and the world in which she feels she belongs. 

And then, you go ahead and write about how you enjoyed or disliked the book - how it lived up to your expectations or came up short and had much to be desired.

Try to be orderly in your review, so your readers don't become confused. Bouncing ideas around is simply too disorienting, and I hardly think I need to explain that to you. I mean, sure, you can do some things out of order, but make sure it's clear! Maybe you open your review talking about how that's the worst cliffhanger ever. Readers are intrigued - we loathe and love cliffhanger endings, especially if they're well done and leave us grappling for more! Move on and discuss the book. In the end, come back to the cliffhanger point - and there you've utilized the full circle effect!

If you find yourself really into an aspect of your review - that's really great! But be careful not to be running away on random tangents. It's really easy to do, and some people just happen to be REALLY good at random tangents. But these are great! So are personal anecdotes and elaborate thoughts and opinions. What ISN'T good is when you start to go off on this tangent and lose direction. In the end, you're left with a cluttered review. If you find this applies to you, try using notes[2]. See what I did there? If you scroll to the bottom of this entry, you'll find a notes section, and corresponding notes apply to the number in the brackets. This is where you can go on and on! Readers get to know you, get to read more of your tangent, but you haven't lost them in the reading! Win for all!  

ENGAGE THE READER

Here's something else that bothers me about most reviews. They're so boring. By that, I mean, they don't engage me, the reader, at all. I have honestly read views that seriously go something like this:

"I really liked False Awakening. The idea was interesting. It was romantic and made made me happy to read. I enjoyed reading it. I also enjoyed Annie. She was so interesting and I felt bad for her. I liked her adventure. It was so interesting. I loved it!"

What did that even tell me?! Do you want to read that book?

Using description and supporting facts really aids you. If you can explain why (and what) you love, what makes things "interesting" (what a generic choice when used on its own!), you already have a picture painted. Is the writing beautiful? Tell me how and give me an example! Are the characters realistic? Is the book riveting? Did the book make you fall in toe-curling love? Once again, this goes for dislike. Don't just say a book is trash and it's the worst thing you've ever read. You haven't convinced me. Tell me how the plot is cliched and overly used and nothing about it feels original. Tell me that the word choice feels like someone opened a thesaurus and tried to use the least commonly used synonyms.

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE & OPINION

Remember. This is your review. I want to hear your thoughts and your ideas. How did you feel during and after the books? Were you completely sucked into the book and immersed in the world? Maybe you just couldn't get into it, no matter how hard you wanted to? In the end were you left reeling and breathless and dizzy, or did you have to force yourself to keep reading through obvious "twists" and insulting writing? Maybe you began it in love, but as it went on, your agitation turned into loathing? Tell me! I want to know! What should I expect? Your experience may not be mine, but if I read it, it gives me a clue.

While we're at it, what did you love? Even if you hated the book, did you enjoy anything? Maybe it was that secondary character who felt more real than the stereotyped main cast? This is doubly important, because readers uncertain about a book are looking for a reason to read. Always use examples when you can! Snippets of witty dialogue, fantastic moments, brilliant characters. Tell me more, tell me more!

This goes for criticism, too. Just because you loved a book doesn't mean you didn't like everything - and that's perfectly okay. Maybe you really hated this side character/something the protagonist did/the final choices and ending/the overly mature dialogue/how long some scenes were/how naive so-and-so is/ the romance plot/ the best friend/ a bad portrayal. It's okay to dislike, I promise. No one is ever perfect and the more you explore that, the more you notice it. Go ahead and tell us what you didn't like or what really help up a book. Readers will appreciate it, I promise.

Note: If you were lucky to receive a book as an ARC, you are in no way obligated to write a glowing review. I see so many blogs that seem to love EVERYTHING they EVER get their hands on, and maybe for some people they really do. But sometimes I wonder if people don't just feel obligated to write glowing reviews because they don't want a publisher to never give them another ARC. But here's the thing. Publishers give those books out because they want to know how people feel about the book. I bet, if enough people read False Awakening and loathe the same, mutual aspect of it, they might rethink said aspect. ARCs let readers know if it's even worth it to preorder this book. Don't cheat them out of their money. Tell them the whole story - not just a glowing, raving review of lurve.

THE BENEFITS OF GOOD STYLE

Some people have an incredible talent for comedy or come equipped with wit. I am not one of those people. If you happen to be one, make good use of it! I know so many people who can just SAY things and it has me laughing. Seriously! Use it! Just because you're writing a review doesn't mean you have to be overly formal about it. Certainly, you want enough formality to be taken seriously, but you should sound like you. You have a clear voice and you should channel that. Chances are, you're writing for a blog or Goodreads, so you don't have to worry about journalism professionalism.

If, like me, you happen to be someone who lacks natural entertainment, but you haven't any faith in your abilities, style can be useful!

One of my favorite blogs to lurk is CuddleBuggery - both for her fantastic wit, her sharp tongue, but also for her style. She uses memes (and images in general) to back up her review. Trust me, it's lulzy. Her images are like the asides in television, when sitcom characters break the fourth wall, and typically, they earn a chuckle out of me.

Those who don't feel they're strong in writing can try the break down aspect, like Peace, Love, and Books does. She breaks books down into Initial Thoughts, Writing, Characters, Plot, Other, and Final Thoughts. This helps you as the writer organize everything and prevents overly cluttery reviews.

Over at Hippies, Beauty, and Books, they break their reviews into the First 50 Pages, Their Review, and Their Final Thoughts. This is, personally, one of my least favorite styles, but maybe this is what helps you warm your way up to writing!

Have a look at these blogs, and around at others if you need ideas! Of course, the best way to do it is to just start writing. Write a draft, ask someone to read it. They can likely tell you what you need to work on. And if you want, I (Reader Girl) would be more than willing to look over your reviews. Feel free to email me and I'll have a look at it. But the only way to improve is to DO it. Just like writing, you never improve without effort.

If you have ANY questions, comments, suggestions, or need assistance, don't hesitate to comment! I'd be more than willing to help you out! That's what I wrote this for! I realize this is probably far from a great guide, but it should provide assistance. And I mean it - I will help you if you need it! So, go ahead and ask. But you should probably just get to writing your review! 

NOTES

[1] Uh, you probably noticed. False Awakening is not a real book. It's one of my works-in-progress. I figured, surely, the most unbiased way to utilize a book is to use a fake one, yeah? So, you know, no books were hurt or offended in the writing of this blog! While we're at disclaimers, I cannot promise you will become a perfect reviewer over night. Remember - PRACTICE. Organize! Use support and examples. And ENTERTAIN your reader!


[2] This is an example of a note. It's a great option to utilize. This way, you keep your review from being so cluttery that people don't know what they're reading. Check out Snarky Writer's review of Fallen for a GREAT example of how she has use her notes! Thanks, Snarky Writer, for the idea!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES.
If you have yet to read, DO NOT read this review!

Find my The Hunger Game's review here!

Typically, while reading a series, as soon as I've finished one book, I move right into the other. Oh, sure, that's that momentary downtime it takes to digest the book, to settle over my thoughts. So many books in a series love to utilize the cliffhanger ending, though, so more often than not, I'm ready to dive right into the next book.

Not the case with the Hunger Games series.

I had to use a couple days to digest the first book. Reading was easy (and I say this loosely, given my anxiety attack [1]) and happened in one sitting. The book gripped me and I stayed up all night, through until dawn lit the basement so much I no longer needed the flashlight app on my phone. But afterwards, even though I crept through my morning-soaked basement and woke my fiancé up climbing back into bed and kicking him around, even though I had Catching Fire in my hand, I couldn’t sleep.

I was strung out, okay?

Catching Fire picks up a few weeks or so after the ending of The Hunger Games, which is nice, because at this point, Katniss is attempting to “settle” back into her old life – except, you know she’ll never be able to. [2] Not because, as a reader you realize this is a trilogy and big things are happening, but after surviving the Games, life will never be normal again. It doesn’t help that Panem is caught in a ripple – and Katniss is the pebble.

After she and Peeta trick-won the Games, you would think she’d be able to catch a break. Go home, do some hunting with Gale, ignore Peeta’s icy frigidness. She has more money than she’ll need for her lifetime with which to take care of her mother and Prim, she has a brand new house and electricity and hot water. And, as a bonus, Katniss can’t be reaped again. Life is supposed to be good.

Except, after tricking the Capitol, a movement has started, and even if it hadn’t been Katniss’s intentions, full blame falls on her. That one seemingly inconsequential act has entirely way more consequences than Katniss could ever have expected – beginning with the ripples leading to an uprising. And with these rumors of rebellion in the air, President Snow wants someone to pay.

It isn’t hard to guess who’s going to pay.

But go ahead. Take a few seconds and guess.

Because if you said “Katniss Everdeen”, you are more than correct!

A surprise visit from President Snow informs Katniss that her life is so far from safe. Lives are on the line – and this time, it isn’t just Katniss and Peeta’s. With threats on the lives of everyone dear to her, Katniss has to be sure that everyone believes in her and Peeta’s passionate love, but even that might not be enough.

SO MANY FEELINGS, OKAY?! SO. MANY. FEELINGS. But mostly crazy anxious stressy feelings.

It’s so hard to write about the book without giving away spoilers, so I’ll do my best for you, I promise.

But where The Hunger Games made me so anxious I was ready to puke, Catching Fire made me bit my nails – and I can assure you, I NEVER bite my nails.

Everything about this series wrought with tension and anxiety! There's all these moments where nothing is happening, but you're waiting and you're on the brink of despair because TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WAAAH! The Capitol is not just harsh and domineering, but violent and in absolute control. Ab-so-lute con-trol. Every action has the potential for a dangerous reaction, and that alone is a nerve-wracking hardship.

And President Snow is one ruthless, anger-inducing man. Plus, he smells like blood. Blood! That is mega-creepy. His violence knows no bounds, though, and it’s clear through all the scenes featuring him – and even the ones he’s not in. I don’t really dislike many people in the series, but I really hate President Snow at this point. Like, blood boiling, rage-inducing HATE.

For a while, I was teetering between how much I liked Catching Fire. At no point in time did I find myself disliking the book. Second books in series have that issue of being a gap filler. Book one sets the world, sets the characters, sets the motion. Book three has your final action, your resolution, a sort of sense of closure. But your second book tends to be less enjoyable – it’s filling a gap. In the beginning, I guess that’s how it felt to me. It was filling a gap, bridging one book to the other, and I couldn’t fathom how they were going to fill the book. And of course, in reflection, it makes so much brilliant sense. What other way could you fill the book?

Once again, this series introduces fantastic characters. That is something I feel Collins does really well. Rather than these secondary characters whose sole purpose is to move along a plot, the new characters have lives and dimension. They are likable and hatable, but they are real and more than just plot devices. And for the record, Finnick Odair? You can share your sugar with me, any day. Hurr hurr.

The thing I like least about this book? How about that whopper of a cliffhanger?! I’m not new to cliffhangers, but this is just a terribly, crippling ending! I’m lucky to be reading these once the books have already been posted because I cannot imagine finishing that book and knowing you still had to wait for the last book.

I promise you. It’s a crazy cliffhanger.

Unfortunately, there were times where I felt like the pacing of this book was too fast. It didn’t leave me confused, but sometimes, the pacing left me with whiplash. One moment, we’re at this point, and then two paragraphs later, we’ve completely moved on! I guess I didn’t like the rushed feel of it, even though I realize that’s entirely what Collins was trying to do: rush and create the sense of tension, anxiety, and frantic moments.

Something that’s really well-done, though, is the love triangle. Typically, I’m not a huge fan of them. More often than not, one male is “ideal and perfect” and the other boy is a poor sap who’s been strung along and clearly not the choice option. Again, Collins escapes this tried cliché with two males who are both whole and both make good options. Peeta’s affections for Katniss are nothing short of whole and true and Gale causes a sort of pang when you realize that, outside of his family, he has no one else but Katniss. And Katniss, miraculously, cares about both males and isn’t so much as torn between them as she doesn’t want to hurt either.

But what I found I liked more is that Katniss isn’t seeking romance. Her story is about so much more than romance and boys and “Team Gale” vs. “Team Peeta”, and that was awfully comforting, in a Young Adult novel. Her life is in danger. Her family and loved ones are in danger.

And fans are engaging in shipping wars?!

Let it not be forgotten that the Hunger Games is a series about so much more than one girl choosing between two boys. And if you do feel like talking about love? Let’s not forget that everything Katniss ever does is for her family – especially Prim.

For a while, I teetered between 4 and 5 stars for this book. At no point did I feel it really dragged and it did have me gripped from the start. Because, once again, reading this book I found myself insatiable and ravenous, even as I chewed on my nails in the middle of the night and anxiety clawed at my chest. In the end, it's definitely worth the five stars! 

★★★★★

Notes: [1] While reading Catching Fire (and The Hunger Games), this was basically my inner tumoirl: 

  

Basically, it was a traumatic experience. I get so stressed, so distressed, so nervous, so anxious, I become a glass case of emotion. I can't help myself. :( It's a normal reaction, I think, but man, I end the books feeling like I've run a marathon all night. I'm exhausted by Katniss's life. 

Guys, if I was her. I would be dead. I'd have died way back before the books began, though, after her dad died. Just starved to death. ;~;

[2] Face it. Even with her life eased via money and a great new home and knowing she can never be reaped again and Prim is safe from the tesarae, how can her life ever be easy again? Look at Haymitch, who turned to alcohol! Her life is now plagued with nightmares from the arena. She killed people to save her life! She sat with Rue as she died. How does anyone ever recover from that?! How can anyone think of romance in this world?! Do you blame her apathy towards marriage? If I was her, I wouldn't want to marry and have kids, either! The chance that you'll watch your own child get reaped? The fact that winner tribute's kids almost always get reaped? No. No way. I can't blame Katniss, either.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Confession: I'm a sucker for book covers.If the cover is pretty, interesting-looking or just different, there is around a ninety-seven percent chance that I will buy the book. It doesn't matter if the summary on the book jacket sounds silly or potentially rage-inducing; I will buy said book because the cover is pretty and for all I know the book may actually turn out to be good.

Because of this, I've stumbled across books that I've immensely enjoyed (Julie Anne Peters' Luna, I'm looking at you) and books that I've absolutely detested (the first four House of Night books, for instance, which - yuck). As of late, however, the results of my ludicrous book-shopping tendencies have either fallen in the 'it was okay/mediocre' or just 'What the hell did I just read?' categories. As such, I've quite rightly (Hah!) grown wary of books with pretty covers.

And so, when I stumbled across this particular book, my eyes narrowed and my lips pursed[1] because while the cover is not necessarily 'pretty' it is certainly interesting enough for most people to look at it at least twice. The summary on the book jacket was kind of ambiguous, and to tell you the truth, rather formulaic. And by that I mean that it sounded like the story of just another Plain Jane (who, of course, really isn't a Plain Jane and everyone knows it but her) pining after a boy who not only doesn't return her feelings (except that, of course, he totally does) but also goes out of his way to publicly humiliate her (which is, of course, done for her own good).

See? Formulaic. And rage-inducing.

Even so, I shrugged off my doubts, admired the pretty, long black hair the model on the cover of the book possessed [2] and paid for the book, hoping for the best. Or at the very least, very little disappointment.

Fallen tells the story of Lucinda (Luce) Price, a girl who was sent to a school with he most ridiculous name to ever exist (Sword and Cross) because she's suspected of Arson. The place the school is located in dates back the Civil War, complete with its own cemetery and church-turned-gym. The students are strange or crazy, many with tracking bracelets on their wrists; there are security cameras everywhere and a fence to keep them in. Within an hour of being there, Luce immediately befriends a slightly questionable (albeit tolerable to me, as the reader) girl called Arriane and sooner than you may think, she's already drawn to a beautiful boy[3] called Daniel. Strangely, Luce has the feeling that she knows him from somewhere, but she doesn't get the chance to ask him if they've met because as soon as Daniel spots her, he gives her the finger[4] Luce is (quite rightly) surprised by the reaction this complete strange had to her, but nevertheless she doesn't find it in her to return the feeling of animosity he has towards her.

Throw into the mix an awkward best friend, an incredibly handsome suitor and the shadows that have been chasing Lucinda since the day she was born, and you have something that may even be mildly interesting.

It isn't.

I compare reading Fallen to have the shadows that chase Luce cover your eyes and make you walk down the street, with only your ears to help you narrowly miss (though not always) the passing cars. Except it's not the shadows the ones who deserve the blame for this; the culprit is the main character, Lucinda, and by extension, Lauren Kate. I don't really know what anything looked like; the prose was laughable and thus, the descriptions were poorly drawn, and sometimes conflicted. Visualizing the setting was impossible, and though I'd like to blame it on the fact that I've never been to Georgia (where Sword and Cross is), it just has a lot to do with the fact that Kate spends pages describing the staggering beauty of Luce's love interests and barely a paragraph at all on the reform school the main character attends to. I know sexual tension is the driving force in paranormal romances, but the plots have to at least make sense, as do the settings. This reform school she was sent to, had cameras everywhere but lacked the adult supervision that is common in normal boarding schools. I wasn't ever satisfied with an explanation why Luce, present at the scene of a tragic accident that happened before the book started, needed to even be at a reform school.

Whatever plot there is moves excruciatingly slowly, and every time something with the potential of being remotely interesting happened, Lauren Kate utilized her favourite tactic: She made Luce downright stupid, ignorant of everything but her school crushes. Although, if I'm being honest, this was something that happened all the time; Luce wavers through every single scene, allowing others to take control of her life and tell her exactly what to do and say - or not to do or say.Whenever she was called 'a bore' or a 'selfish, stupid teenager' I was inclined to agree, found myself having no sympathy for her at all, and rooting for the villain. To say that I understood the rest of the characters would be a lie, as Kate seems to go out of her way to stifle any possible character development there could be, because maybe it may be a spoiler for something she has in store for her next book[5]. But not unlike Luce, I wasn't supposed to notice that I wasn't getting any answers (except I did). I was supposed to be consumed by the hot guys the main character spent the entirety of the book lusting after (but I wasn't).

In short, Fallen is almost five hundred pages of Luce's internal dialogue of self-deprecation and confusion with the story sometimes happening in the background.[6]

NOTES

1- That was surprisingly not a shout out to the fact that Luce seems to do those exact two gestures every other page. It's kind of the way she reacts to everything:

Person A: Luce, the dog pooped in the living room!
Luce: *Narrows eyes and purses lips*
Person A: Luce, have you seen my chapstick?
Luce: *Narrows eyes and purses lips*
Person: LUCE, THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO END AND I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU!
Luce: *Narrows eyes and purses lips*

2- I've always had a fascination with black hair. Blame JRK's description of Harry having jet-black hair (I blame her for a lot of things, so it's okay if you do) if you want, but that doesn't change the fact that I LOVE black hair. It also doesn't help that I've actually, in my entire life, only a met one girl who happened to have natural black hair.
3- Whatever happened to falling in love with a perfectly cute, albeit kind of average looking boy? I realize that there's nothing ~fascinating~ about that, but come on. Not only does it get old but IT'S ALSO UNREALISTIC, which I know shouldn't even be brought up because this is all fictional, but still. What message does that sent? That only people with outstanding good looks can be qualified as your One True Love. Fuck that right in the, er, place where the sun normally doesn't reach you? Anyways.
4- You'll have to forgive my excessive use of capslock but, I AM TIRED OF FICTIONAL GIRLS PUTTING UP WITH WHATEVER CRAP BEHAVIOUR HER LOVE INTEREST GIVES HER AT FIRST. I KNOW DANIEL HAD ~LEGITIMATE REASONS~ FOR HIS BEHAVIOUR [7] BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT HE WAS STILL AN UTTER ASS TO HER FOR ABOUT ONE HUNDRED PAGES! AND THEN, SUDDENLY (FOR WHATEVER ASININE REASON I CAN'T REMEMBER BECAUSE LUCE IS A BORE) HE ISN'T AND HE'S IN LOVE WITH HER AND SHE'S READY TO DIE FOR HIM (this is a legitimate quote from the book, right after he kisses her, which - WHAT THE HELL!!!) EVEN THOUGH ALL SHE KNOWS ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE'S BEEN A CONSTANT ASS TO HER EVER SINCE HE SAW HER. BUT OF COURSE ~FORGIVING~ THIS IS EASY BECAUSE A-) SHE FEELS AS THOUGH SHE'S KNOWN HIM ALL HER LIFE (BARF!!!) [8] AND B-) BECAUSE HE'S FINALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO HER.


I CAN'T EVEN WITH THIS CRAP REASONING.


GIRLS, HAVE SOME SELF-RESPECT, I BEG YOU. AND I NEVER BEG.


5- The sequel of this book is called Torment, and is already out and I won't be reading because I know that the only one who will be in torment if I read it will be me and not stupid Lice, I mean Luce.
6- Sound familiar? It should! Because it's Twilight all over again! And just about 75% of all the YA novels out there right now, too! Ugh.
7- Did I mention that the main plot of the book is that Luce is basically an old soul (LOL!) who is destined to meet Daniel, fall in love with thim and then die because a-) their love is forbidden since b-) he's a fallen angel. (another LOL!) If I didn't mention, though, my apologies; I just kind of have a hard time remembering that THIS is the plot of the entire book when it doesn't really get the importance it deserves because lusting after two hot boys (who happen to be fallen angels who don't like each other, of course!) is way better. Yipee!

7.1 I'm not even going to go over the fact that both of these themes (old souls and fallen angels) are fairly popular right now, because I actually like them. The problem is that writers rarely make them work, and Lauren Kate was obviously not the exception to this rule.
7.2 Don't ask me for specifics or any mythology in regards to the fallen angels or the old souls. Because there was none. All I know is that the shadows had something to do with both, but the details were quite poorly given (if at all) because, again - lusting after two hot boys is way more important than the things that have brought you misery for the past sixteen years or so. Yipee!

8- I just realized number eight was rather unnecessary. See: old souls.

★

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Oh, look, it’s another case of “that one book Reader Girl never expected to read”! It doesn’t happen as much as it sounds – maybe. Perhaps I’ve deluded myself!

It’s no secret that the Hunger Games have swept the world. And I admit – I am way late to the bandwagon. People have been praising this series for years now. The last book has been published and devoured by the masses and I’m still trickling behind. Give a girl some credit! I can’t even watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show without getting a little squeamish. What in the world gave me the mad idea I could love these books with the rest of the world?

Set in the future, is the dystopic world of Panem, in the ruins of what once was North America. These dystopias aren't exactly uncommon in current mainstream YA, right? In a world ruled by the Capitol, an overseeing government bent on reminding its people just how very much control they have over the 12 districts, we find an annual tradition horrifyingly similar to Roman Gladiators. Each year, every district sends one male and one female as a “tribute” to fight in the Hunger Games.

That is to fight to the death. Let me rephrase that for you: 24 kids aged twelve to eighteen are sent to fight each other to the death. Did I mention that it’s on live television? For everyone to watch.

Go ahead. Pause. Let that sink in a little bit.

Katniss hails from District 12, where everybody mines coal. If it wasn’t for the hunting done by she and her best friend Gale, her family would have starved long ago. Yeah the Peace Keepers suck, but some turn a blind eye to the illegal hunting. Life is far from cozy for Katniss, and it’s due to these hardships she’s bitter as she is. And I’ll go ahead and say it – Katniss is a bitch. And you know what? I don’t mind it. It’s nice to see a kick ass heroine worried about more than shallow aspects of life: her friends, boys, who does or doesn’t like her. Singlehandedly, Katniss pulled her family out of danger and literally saved their lives.

Yeah. Her life pretty much sucks.

And it only sucks more when her sister is chosen as a tribute during the reaping. And yeah, it gets worse, when Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place.

Now that is a display of family loyalty. Her willingness to take the place of her sister is noted as incredibly huge. Few people actually do it.

It’s so hard to write this without giving away spoilers. I’m trying, I promise.

Hunger Games is something I haven’t seen in YA fiction lately. It is gripping. I literally could not put the book down, because something inside me kept urging me to finish and get to the end. I laid in bed beside my boyfriend, using my phone for a light, because I couldn’t bear to sleep before I made it to the end. Let’s be perfectly honest here: I thought I was going to puke. It was intense, it was gritty.

The Hunger Games is wrought with tension and the pacing is perfect. Action scenes did not drag the book down, but added a heavy, terrifying impact. Kids were killing each other! And holy crap, that’s terrifying! It is survival of the fittest and wave after wave of nausea kept striking me down in my anticipation to just get to the end and see how it all pans out. Katniss had to make the kind of moral choices that would have gotten me killed. It was humanity versus survival, and finding the overlap between the two is next to impossible. This was so much worse than the kids in Lord of the Flies killing Piggy – and trust that that scarred me. I feel like the book picked me up and carried me piggy back style – because there was no other way I could have made that journey on my own.

I feel like so much of it was brilliant and, dare I say it, breath taking.

So what is it that left me so unsettled? I guess the romantic aspect just left a weird taste on my tongue. It wasn’t entirely bitter, but I certainly hadn’t just consumed the most delicious dessert in the existence of all time.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the characters. I was fiercely fond of Katniss, who was strong and so family-oriented, and so amazing. I was crazy about Peeta who seemed too impossibly sweet for such a dangerous bloodbath. I was beyond crazy about Rue, who manage to surprise me all the while holding my hand. I even enjoyed the other tributes, one-dimensional as they are. When we see them only through the eyes of Katniss, whom is competing against them, I can’t expect to get to know them too well.

I guess I’m just torn on the romance. As a romance, it’s actually rather cute, given the circumstances. But used as a survival tactic… I guess, caught in the in between of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I’m simply teetering as Katniss is. If she doesn’t know how to feel about it, how am I supposed to? In the end, I suppose my issue stems from Katniss’s naiveté; she can read people, she can fight for her safety, yet when it comes to reading the romantic clues, she is not just blind but naïve. No, it didn’t hold up the book for me, but it was certainly an undercurrent running through my mind.

Going into this, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. A gory, horrific blood bath? A trite romance somehow set in a collosseum? And what I got was a whirlwind. A slap in the face, a shattered heart, and a sense that I might never be quite the same. At times painful, at times swoon-worthy, The Hunger Games captured my heart – and occasionally drove an arrow or two through it. But it was brilliant and fast paced! I can safely say the emotional turmoil was far from anticipated, and in the end, it left me weary.

And hungry.

You know. For the next novel. 

★★★★

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I know, I know. This review is so belated! It's not like I haven't read this book five times since it came out. It's not like everybody and their mother has likely written this same review. The chances are you as a reader have probably read this book - maybe twice. But what better way to start than to do so with one of my favorite books as of recent? 

Most teenage girls would jump at the chance to visit Paris, France. Anna Oliphant, however, is more than reluctant when shipped there to a boarding school. Out of place in a foreign country with little experience in the native language and entirely out of her element around children of senators and Very Important People, Anna is able to adapt with the help of a close-knit group of friends, including the very gorgeous but very-taken Etienne St. Clair. Friendship is effortless, but quickly develops beyond that. St. Clair is off limits, though – even if he flirts with Anna and drops hints, which can’t possibly be hints. Complications, undoubtedly, arise, in a series of mixed signals, tender moments, and the sweet budding of possibility.

Told with impeccable pacing, the tension grows and leaves readers wondering: Will they ever?

I have made no secret my love of this book. I love the three-dimensional and realistic characters. I love the fantastic writing, the amazing descriptions, and the simplicity of the storytelling. I love authenticity and relatability of the plot. It’s humorous, it’s witty, it’s playful, and it’s delightful. 

You want some honesty? I never intended to read this book. I missed John Green raving about the brilliance of this book. I'd read about it, of course, and I cast it aside, under the inane premise that is one of those novels I hate - you know, the ones that take place on the beach and people fall in love in two months and the characters are so unfathomable I can't make it three pages in? I figured it would be stifling romance, and likely cliched at the same. And then my friend Michelle raved about it. Raved. I trust Michelle! She's never lead me wrong (see also: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour). If Michelle was in love, then I could surely try. So, I ordered the book and thought I'd give it a try.

And boy did I ever fall in love. I fell in mind whirling, toe-curling, butterflies in my stomach, I may puke I'm so delightfully in love love. 

From the opening, Stephanie Perkins had me wrapped around her creative little finger, and I wasn't keen on unraveling any time soon.

Perkins, while not an elaborate writer, is a fantastic writer all the same. She uses no gimmicks and doesn’t hide her story for what it is: it’s a love story and Anna and the French Kiss is proof that sometimes, simple does it best. There are no paranormal beasts to stand in the way of true love, there is no danger to their union, and that alone was so refreshing.

Anna is your everyday girl. All she wants is to spend her senior year with her friends and maybe finally get together with that hot guy at work. She loves film and cinema, she loses herself to fantasy, she’s quippy and quirky, and she’s especially consoling. And then she goes to Paris and falls for St. Claire – and who can blame her? Even jaded as the “everybody loves him” male love interest is, you can understand how Etienne St. Clair – with his English accent and puppy dog eyes, can wrap so many people effortlessly around his finger. He is charming, he is charismatic – and he is very far from perfect. And it was his flaws, perhaps more so than his charisma and puppy eyes, that made me love him even more.

But friendship is complicated when you can’t help but fall for your best friend, and though Anna spends quite a deal of time bemoaning her inability to be with the boy who’s captivated so many of thoughts, you can’t even resent her for it! Who hasn’t fallen for the wrong person before, or found themselves attracted to someone who already has a partner? It feels unfair, it drives you mad, and sometimes, it makes you sick to your stomach.

Beyond the perfectly developed and well-executed main characters, though, even the side characters felt rounded and real! Through numerous scenes, you get to see Anna one-on-one with the various supporting cast and see her interactions with them, rather than using them to speed along a plot. Josh’s humor and relationship with St. Clair was honest and reminded me of male friends of my own. Meredith was a brilliant display that a female can be both a tomboy and feminine. And Rashmi is razor sharp and brilliant. While I’d have loved to see more of Meredith, especially with Anna, and Rashmi and Josh’s fighting was sometimes petty, it also felt very real.

And how often do you find that in YA?

Of course, there were times I wanted to strangle everyone in the books. At times, Anna or St. Clair said something and set back their entire development, and there were moments where I wanted to open Anna’s eyes and remind her of everyone around her. In other moments, she threw tantrums and reminded me, shock shock, of a teenager! But it also rang true to my own adolescence: we are so often clouded by selfishness and desire that we don’t keep ourselves in check.

Even if romance isn’t your style, Anna and the French Kiss is a refreshing breath of YA writing and worth the try. If the tension and pacing doesn’t somehow hold your attention, then Perkins’s tour of Paris can do it. Even those of us (aka me, Writer Girl) jaded by the allure of Paris and exhausted by the romanticized city fall for the breathtaking locations depicted by Perkins: the pâtisseries (pastry shops), the panthéon, the very streets themselves! At no point in time did I even forget I was in Paris. Perkins certainly brought me to Paris, France.

Anna and the French Kiss is a fun read. It’s light, it’s playful, and most importantly, it is real. The writing conjures those familiar butterflies of falling in love, it curls your toes, and delights you.

And frankly, my dear, if Anna and the French Kiss doesn’t do it for you, I don’t know what will. Hurry! Save yourself!

★★★★★