Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I haven't written a book review for quite a while, but now that I have some time (actually I'm pushing away some essays to write this review) I will do just that. Funny thing is, my class will be reading Lord of the Flies starting this week, but me being a bad girl and all, I went ahead and read it myself. I'd heard many negative things about this book from many of my fellow friends. I can't blame them. They read the book with their classes, and why would anybody in their right sense enjoy a book...moreI haven't written a book review for quite a while, but now that I have some time (actually I'm pushing away some essays to write this review) I will do just that. Funny thing is, my class will be reading Lord of the Flies starting this week, but me being a bad girl and all, I went ahead and read it myself. I'd heard many negative things about this book from many of my fellow friends. I can't blame them. They read the book with their classes, and why would anybody in their right sense enjoy a book they were forced to read? Despite the negative remarks, I quite enjoyed this book. In fact, I found it to be an exhilarating ride filled with allegorical depth and eye tearing moments. Many elder critics have stated that this book is nothing but a didactic novel coated with allegory, and that once the reader passes the figurative aspect of the book, nothing but a bare skeleton is left. A bare skeleton lacking substance in characterization and actual theme building. I would say otherwise. The characters, though they may all represent something greater then themselves, are all very realistic. Their behavior, for young adolescents, invites the sympathy of the readers. They are stranded on an island after all, with no adults to look after and take care of them. This sympathy is further built upon when the young adolescents began to rebel against each other, and some of these children are made to bear the brunt of the weight more than others-these children being Ralph and Piggy; two key characters who also happened to be my favorites. Ralph is the first character we are introduced to, and so we build a general bond with him. This bond grows as he becomes the leader of a group of boys and struggles to hold them together. Piggy is the second boy we encounter, and whereas Ralph is the mighty bronze, Piggy is the intellectual behind him. The one true friend who sticks by him through the good and the bad. The friend who acts as, more or less, the brain. Golding has created three dimensional characters out of these two. Ralph, for example, may be the leader, but he too is vulnerable to the evil, as Golding suggests, that shadows man. This vulnerability renders Ralph an interesting character. His shameful behavior, calling Piggy names, teasing some of the other boys, entices emotion out of the reader. We are made to feel disgusted, and in a sense, betrayed by our beloved character. To say the least, Ralph is a faulty little boy, but as the journey progresses and innocence is lost, he makes us proud through his courageous actions. That brings us to the theme of the book. Yes, many people say that the theme relates to the undeniable evil within man, which, when given the right circumstance, brings out the savage in us. I'm going to be a bit more general and state the theme to be that no human being is perfect, and evil is within every shadow and corner. Ralph is, as I see it, the representative of imperfection. He is the chosen leader on the island, but he too must succumb to a lower level. And as with Piggy, though he may be a modern intellectual, his physical aspect degrades him before the other boys. Golding, in regards to Ralph and Piggy, chooses to exhibit imperfection by using different means; Physical (Piggy), and spiritual (Ralph). As with evil always present in some form or way, Golding has used many different characters to portray this message. There would be Jack, one of the opposing boys, along with Roger. Jack is a haughty boy who likes to be in the light. He craves power, leadership, and when he does not get these things, he resorts to evil. Not evil right away, but as the readers, we see a gradual inclination towards evil on his part. He starts off by breaking up into a separate group, and then he takes to theft, following that, murder. As for Roger, he does not crave power, but simply wishes to bring harm upon the vulnerable. At one point he wishes to harm a younger boy, but the ever loosening grip of civilization holds him back. Of course, in the end that grip loosens completely, and he too, resorts to evil. As I have explained above, evil is not necessarily innate in all men, as some suggest the theme to be, but it is ever present for those to trip and fall down in its abyss (Roger, Jack). There is a lesser degree of evil, as shown in Ralph, but I would suggest that to be nothing but childish folly. To conclude, this book was absolutely stunning. I was swept away by the adrenaline that coursed through the book. I was brought to tears when my favorite characters were brought to tears, and I was absolutely amazed at the depth of this 'didactic' novel.

Starters (Starters and Enders #1) by Lissa Price

Title: Starters (Enders #1)
Author: Lissa Price
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blurb: HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Review: Alright, where to start... I'll be honest to say that the cover page of Starters pulled me in more than the description. The little blurb on the back was interesting, but I couldn't find anything unique about it. I mean, I can't number the times I've read about a post-something story where the main characters are on the streets (OK, maybe not that many books, but the idea just doesn't fascinate me as it did the first time). So honestly, I didn't have great expectations for this book. I had hope, but I have that for most books, or else I wouldn't try them.

OK, I'm boring you. So let me cut to the chase. The thing I really loved about this story was the suspense. Lissa Price did a good job staying away from a predictable conclusion, and that basically kept me from putting the book down. I wanted to know what all the hubbub was about, and along with an unpredictable conclusion, there was a good pace, whereas things weren't too slow, or too fast. As the story played on, the characters were nicely built on. We get to know more about them and for me, the relations became very important, and fascinating.
I'm not just talking about the romance, there was a bit of that (not a whole lot), but Callie, the main character, and her relations with the people she meets and her renter. In the beginning the reader doesn't know who Callie will be able to trust, and who she can't. Even when the good guys are brought into the light, things end up being different, and here's why:

The whole story revolves around young people renting their bodies to old people, Enders, allowing them to do whatever with that body. So if this is the case, than how can you tell who is really who they say they are... are you guys getting me? Oh, the suspense!

Another thing that I loved was the whole idea of young people renting their bodies. Throughout the book, this idea becomes scarier and scarier, and you start to want the main character to overcome this scary reality, and when good things do start to happen, the relief that follows is very strong. I loved how Lissa Price was able to play with out emotions like that.

Finally, let me say a word or two about the romance: Team Michael. There you go folks, you heard it here first. Now go try the book out, it's as good as it's cover! Better!   
 

Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Rating: 3/5 stars
Blurb: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’ death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Review: I read this book right after I read Ashfall by Mike Mullin, and I have to say, both of them made me go through the same motions... shrugs.

So anyway, Legend turned out to be an interesting read, and from the beginning I found myself fascinated by Day's character. He's very likable in that he's poor, yet totally bold and helpful. His is also the first POV in the story. June's POV comes second, and because of that, I wasn't as intrigued with her character. It's not that she was unexciting or anything, I just found that her character was very similar with Day's. Or maybe it was just their voices. Yeah, the voices.

The plot was alright. It kept me reading till the end, and it had enough twists to hold my attention. Especially near the end. I really wanted to find out how things would turn out, and John (Day's older brother), just became my favourite character after what he did. To be honest, I think I liked him from the very start.

There was one huge pitfall for me in the book. Both June and Day are these super smart, super agile and athletic, super famous (for different reasons), super mega beautiful 15 year olds... Have I said enough? OK, maybe all of the above might have been alright had our protagonists been older. I mean, they are so young yet so influential... it's all just very unrealistic, and therefor, it threw me off a bit.

In all though, the plot and characters were interesting enough, and the whole story was put together nicely. For me, this book is truly a three stars, nothing great, nothing sucky. Just average. I might give the second book a try (greater chance if it makes its way to me, and not me to it, yeah?) (Day said yeah a lot, is that like, and an American thing? Because I can totally use this on my cousins in the states, yeah?)  

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Title: Ashfall
Author: Mike Mullin
Rating: 3.5/5
Blurb: Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying super volcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.

For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone super volcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to search for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.

Review: After reading a whole bunch of reviews, and skimming through a page of 5 star ratings (goodreads), I feel like my 3.5 stars doesn't fit in. That being said, I will admit I wasn't sure what to rate this book, but after a while of debating, I figured this book was just average.

The first page, the first line drew me in, and for the most part, I was feeling the suspense of 'what's going to happen now?' I felt I could relate with the characters, and I really wanted them to overcome whatever opposing forces they had to face. The main character, Alex, had a very witty voice, which made the book that much more enjoyable.

Then there was the relationship between Darla and Alex. I have to say, it was very cute in the beginning and I really wanted to see it blossom into something beautiful, but it was also the thing that threw me down to a 3.5 stars. Yeah, yeah, I know, maybe a bit too drastic, but I have my reasons. The first is that for me, it went way too fast. Not even a month in, and they were getting way too serious. The second reason is that it was, if nothing, a bit too average. There was nothing special about their relationship. Of course, I just happen to prefer the slow and steady motto when it comes to romance in novels.

The other thing that threw me off course was the behaviour of the authority figures and the resources at the refuge camp. I mean, this is the US we're talking about. How can there not be enough food to feed a few hundreds, even thousands? And the authority that ran the camp, they were so crude and uncivil... Fine, there's a crisis, and it's a dystopian novel, but still, it was a bit unrealistic even with basic things. I guess it helped build the plot and suspense.

In all though, the book was well written. I couldn't stop reading it because of the anticipation. Sure, there were some pitfalls, but no matter, it was still a satisfying read. If you're a lover of dystopia, and suspense, then I'm sure you'll love this book. I'm going to give the second book a try, just maybe not right away.

Thirst no.5 (The Sacred Veil) by Christopher Pike

Title: The Sacred Veil
Author: Christopher Pike
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Blurb: In her five thousand years as a vampire, Alisa - or Sita, as she was originally called - has experienced the equivalent of fifty lifetimes. Every moment of her immortal life is seared deep into her being. Every person she has loved, every victim she has killed - their faces are forever part of her.

Yet, strangely, a handful of memories have been lost to Alisa. As she and her friends embark on a search for the location of a sacred artifact - an ancient veil that may hold the key to mankind's salvation - Alisa soon realizes that her own mind may be her greatest enemy.

The memories she is blocking deal with the most horrifying period in mankind's history, a time when she was tortured by a madman responsible for the deaths of millions. But what information did her torture yield?

Review:
Being the fifth book in a series I read a while ago, I was reluctant to pick It up. I couldn't remember much from the first four books, and when I saw this one, I looked over it. Then, just a few weeks ago, I decided to give this book a go because I had enjoyed the first four books, and I absolutely love Christopher Pike's style of writing. It is very professional. Let me begin by saying that I quickly got into the Sacred Veil, and the pace was perfectly set-not too fast, not too slow.

The characters were the same from the previous books, and some new ones were introduced. Aside from the main characters-Sita, Seymour, and Matt-I really felt with the minor characters, and I think this is a result of Pike's very realistic settings and events. He did an amazing job conveying the emotions and feelings our characters went through.

Other things I loved about The Sacred Veil-more like all of the books-were the ideas. I mean, the idea of different worlds and multi-billion organisations that were demonic-all of it was really fascinating. I absolutely love this about his books, especially the idea of beings called the Tellar, and the crazy strong children in the cradle. Just fascinating.

And now, for the ending (no spoilers). Pike decided to throw a cliff-hanger, a major one, and a cliff-hanger involving my favourite two characters! I suppose it's a good thing we can improvise on our own, but I still wish I knew how it would all end...

In all, the book was beautifully written, had a good pace, and had me hooked until the end. Give the series a try if you haven't already!