The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Title: The School for Good and Evil
Author: Soman Chainani
Rating: 4 stars
Blurb: The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil. (More)

My Review:
Even before starting this book, I knew it would be different. Perhaps I felt this way because of the integration of fairy tales. Can I just say, finally. As a child growing up, I was obsessed with tales of princesses and princes living their happily ever after. Those times were truly magical, and reading this book has brought back the magic in an original and breathtaking way. I was pulled into the fairy tale world the author created from the very first line, and the excitement only grew as the story steadily progressed. I found myself lost in the plot, constantly envisioning the vivid imagery of the world in the story. 

The story line follows two best friends, one pretty, and one supposedly ugly. Sophie, dressed in pink and busy with good deeds, wishes for nothing but to be taken to this fairy tale land where she would acquire her happily ever after. Of course, when her friends Agatha, drab and constantly dressed in black, lands in her dream school, things take and unexpected turn. 

The idea I have to admit is ingenious. I mean, a legend about a fairy tale school the product of which are villains and charming princesses? Nice. Now add in just a touch of romance and mystery and you've got a perfectly wonderful book. 

The characters were, I would say, just right. I especially loved the son of King Arthur, who proved to override the mainstream Prince, though he had his times. The qualities and actions of the characters made me grow fond of them, and I even found myself teary-eyed at their occasional sorrows. 

Like every story, of course, this one did have flaws, the biggest being target audience. The length and vocabulary seemed much too long for a young audience, and yet the characters were aged only twelve and so the dialogue was sometimes tedious. I feel the problem could be easily resolved with an age swap, because frankly, it's difficult trying to picture a twelve year old Snow white, and even harder to picture a twelve year old prince charming. 

That's not to say that the story lost its effect on me. The plot line and world building cast aside my doubts and swept me to a truly enchanting ride. I was once again reminded that no one is ever too old for a fairy tale. 

And the cliffhanger! I will now start pulling out my hair. Oh, and did I mention, I'm loving the cover. 

Can't wait for 2014

Guys, it's almost the new year, and more than anything else, that means: NEW BOOKS. I don't know about you all, but I for one am just craving sequels and prequels and just other novels somewhere down a saga. And of course, just books that I've heard lots about. Oh man, you guys ready for the list? Here goes!

1) The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus, #5) by Rick Riordan

If you guys haven't heard of Percy Jackson, than you've yet to taste wonder. This is the 5th and final in the Heroes of Olympus series, following the Percy Jackson books! It'll all come down to this. Us Percy Jackson fans were lucky when Percy made a reappearance in the Heroes of Olympus series, but this might be it. After this, Percy might not come back. Oh sobs! Hope this one is good.

Coming out: October 7th, 2014





2) Undivided by Neal Shusterman (Unwind Dystology #4)

Ah, the Unwind Dystology. The fourth and final book comes out this year and I am just stoked! Neal Shusterman is an amazing storyteller, and his books are just heart robbing!

If I recall, the last book that came out, Unsouled, promised a very very intense last book. Let the epic journey begin!

Coming out: Summer of 2014 (yay, during stress free summer).
 
   




3) The Infinite Sea (The Fifth Wave #2) by Rick Yancey

Rick's second book in the 5th Wave trilogy. The first book was nice and enticing, so I'm just waiting for the second now! Can't wait to see where the characters all find themselves, and how they will survive the alien apocalypse!

Coming out: September 16th, 2014





4) A World Without Princes (The School for Good and Evil #2) by Soman Chainani

I've just recently read The School for Good and Evil, and I am impressed at this debut novel filled with mystery, romance, and fairy tales.  Reading through it was truly a magical ride, and I found myself once more stuck in a world of princes and princess. It reminded me that I am not yet too old to indulge in a fairytale. That is why I am absolutely looking forward to the sequel, A World Without Princes! I mean, look at that cover guys!

Coming out: April 15th, 2014




These are just a few that I was absolutely looking forwards to. There are many more, some I might not even realise until later on. What about you guys, what are you all looking forward too?

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. (more)

My Review:

Blue Sargent will kill her true love with a kiss, or so it was prophesied by the women in her family. The seers. And so when she sees a spirit on St.Mark's eve, it is clear that he is either her true love, or the one she will kill.

That can't end too well, and especially because the spirit happens to be a boy by the name of Richard "Dick" Campbell Gansey III. He is rich and attending Aglionby Academy, the local school for the rich, obviously. Aside from wealth, he has good friends, a not so nice car, insomnia, and a sick obsession with a lost Welsh King. I adore Gansey on so many levels. His characterization is astoundingly well formed, astounding to the point where I can imagine him right beside me, a solid human being.

Or perhaps the reason I feel connected to him, and the other's no doubt, is because Maggie Stiefvater has created such a thick atmosphere, I can almost feel the fog pouring out of the pages. As if I am there, and oh boy, the feeling is just breathtaking. I love that about this book, and the same effect was embedded inside her book, The Scorpio Races.

The plot is nicely paced, with enough to keep us on our toes yet simultaneously have us reclining on our chairs. The ideas are just extraordinary (really, they are), and the characters and setting are nicely built upon.

From the wit to the adventure and suspense, I would recommend this book to all and any. Do not be fooled into thinking that this is just another typical romance. It's not, it's so much more. It will keep you up at night, transforming the darkness outside to a forest in which an old king may lie, and the sweat on you to a warm Henrietta summer breeze. Read it. Just go and do it, you will not be disappointed.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Title: The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Rating: 3.5 stars
Blurb: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Review:
They attacked in waves, the aliens did. The first wave took out all forms of technology. The second wave destroyed the coastal cities. The third wave was a plague. The fourth wave, silencer's. And the fifth wave, well, where would be the fun if I told you guys that? Cassie Sullivan has survived all the waves, and now she must face the 5th. The worst of them all.

I was in much anticipation of the 5th Wave, partly because the author happened to be Rick Yancey, and then there was also the hype. Was I satisfied? Yes. Was it flawless? No.

I must admit that I did love the idea of the waves, but not necessarily the way they were portrayed. For the most part, the story is a retelling of the four waves that have already passed, and that really made the plot drag a little. But there was enough curiosity there for me to carry on until the plot started to twist enough to grab my attention and race me through the last half of the story. There were also two narrators, and both had a distinct tone and attitude, allowing us to distinguish between them. I admittedly preferred the second narrator, who I will not mention by name or I fear I might spoil the story. He, yes it is a he, was just more steady and natural sounding then Cassie. I think Rick overdid her tone, trying to bring out a forced teenager, but only slightly.

The one thing I absolutely loved was the element of mystery. The knowing something that later is not what you'd expect it to be but then suddenly it was. What? Exactly. At one point in the story you will begin to question everything, especially the characters. Who's good and who's not? The whole issue of trust is embedded deeply within the characters, and therefore within us.

Overall, I didn't know what to think of this story. I loved it but found myself shaking my head every here and there. Essentially, the plot was nicely paced and the characters were steadily built upon. There was enough excitement and mystery, and a nice touch of romance to carry me to the end. I would recommend this to everyone because it wasn't just another 'Hunger Games'. This was something more. It was enough to satisfy my search for a good read.  

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.