Book Review: Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
Release Date: 29th November 2012

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 308
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbours. 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’s 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:

To be honest, I thought I'd like this a lot more than I did. I don't know what it was - maybe I had set my expectations too high because of all the hype - but I just wasn't wowed by this. But, I think this has done just enough to get me interested in reading book 2...at some point in time. 

Legend conforms to everything that's the rage at the moment - set in a dystopian future, we follow a boy and a girl from two vastly different upbringings on their quest for the truth. As the blurb says, Day is the country's most wanted criminal, June is the country's biggest success story. Each are searching for answers, and for both, one wrong move would mean certain death. Legend has the premise, and it even pulls it off - this is a well done book with a great, fast moving plot, with plenty of twists and turns.

And the characters are great too. Day and June are just the right mix of fight and vulnerability. Tess and John seem like lovely people, although my feelings for either of them weren't particularly strong. Thomas intrigued me - he's a ruthless soldier, following his orders no matter what they may be, but his pursuit of June reminds us that he is human. And Commander Jameson is brilliant - the complete opposite of June, her antithesis. If June had followed her orders exactly and never stopped to think, she could have ended up just like Commander Jameson, and boy, are we glad that she didn't.

Maybe I'm just a bit over the dystopian genre at the moment, because I just can't seem to pinpoint anything in particular that I disliked. I liked everything, but just not enough. It's probable that I will read Prodigy, but maybe I'll take a look at some reviews first. 

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Release Date: 28th June 2011

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 544
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 GVR

Summary from Goodreads:

"Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed."

Review:

Coming off from reading Days of Blood and Starlight, this was always going to have to fight an uphill battle. And, surprisingly, this book didn't fail to impress. 

The Help is set in the small town of Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s, during the time of the civil rights movement. We follow three ladies - Skeeter, a young aspiring author, and Aibileen and Minny, two black maids working for two white families - as they come together and try to make a difference, however small it may be. 

I've never read about this period of time before, so that it itself was quite interesting. The racism everywhere - from how the town is segregated into sections based on race, to Hilly's campaign to install additional bathrooms in all houses employing black maids because of their 'diseases' - it's just astounding to read that and think that people used to live like that. And nothing was ever done about it because either a) people had just come to accept the way things were (in Aibileen's case) or b) they just never thought about how wrong it all was (in Skeeter's case). Just that in itself was fascinating to read. 

I loved each of our three narrators for different reasons. Each had their own little story, and each grew throughout the novel and bridged the gap between the races. Minny grew to care for her employer on a personal level, for the first time. Skeeter grew to really appreciate her childhood maid, Constantine, and see her friends' true colours. And my favourite part by far, Aibileen decided to teach Maw Mobley, the little girl she looked after, that there was no difference between black people and white people. It may have gotten Maw Mobley in trouble a couple of times, but I loved that Aibileen taught her to see people for who they really are, not just the colour of their skin.

I loved so very many aspects of this novel, and it's a fascinating read - I'd suggest checking it out (or even just the movie, I heard that was pretty good too).    

Book Review: The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Release Date: 16th September 2003

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 288
Rating: 3.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 EBC 

Summary from Amazon:
"The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.

Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack 

1. Organize before they rise! 
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it. 
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer. 
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on. 

Don’t be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset—life. This book is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now without your even knowing it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is a book that can save your life."

Review:
This was interesting to read. It messed with my head a little bit, because it's set out like a non-fiction book, under the guise of being completely factual, that aims to help you prepare for the impending zombie apocalypse. In fact, many parts of this book are actually completely factual - descriptions of weapons, transport, and dwellings are all factual, but their descriptions are just zombified - ideal weapons for fighting zombies, ideal transport for getting away from zombies, and ideal buildings to shack up in during a zombie attack.

At first, it was a little hard for me to get into this book. Because it is written in the style of a non-fiction guide, its kinda boring at the beginning. When we started getting into detailed descriptions of different weapons and how they can be used, and then the same thing for transport, and dwellings, and areas that you might want to live or hunt in; it was just a tad boring. If you take out the minimal zombie reference, its just a description of loads of different weapons, and transport, and dwellings, etc - not the most enthalling stuff to read about.

But, I got more interested towards the end with the 'documented zombie attacks'. It was interesting, and funny, to read about all these different times in history where zombies could plausibly be added to the picture. I have to say, a lot of research must have gone into this book, and for that I have to give it props. Overall, it took a while for me to get into it, but I did enjoy it. 

Book Review: Uglies (Uglies #1) by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies (Uglies #1) by Scott Westerfeld 
Release Date: 1st January 2006

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook 
Pages: 432
Rating: 3.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:
"Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait for the operation that turns everyone from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to party. But new friend Shay would rather hoverboard to "the Smoke" and be free. Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. The "Special Circumstances" authority Dr Cable offers Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever."

Review:
Its been a couple of days since I finished this book, and I'm still not entirely sure what I think about it. I've spent the past couple of days trying to decide what rating to give it, and I've actually found it really hard. In the end, I have to go for 3.5/5 - this book wasn't particularly good, but isn't wasn't particularly bad either - it was an interesting read, but it was also predictable and there were no standout moments for me. 

Don't get me wrong, this book was very interesting. Its an interesting world that's presented, and at first I wasn't entirely happy with it. Obviously, that is the point - this is a dystopian world that we are supposed to identify as wrong in some way. But, the way the 'Rusties' were described at the beginning of the book - I just really didn't like it. The Rusties, a pet-name used to describe what I assumed was 21st century society, were seen as basically barbaric by Tally, and that just really rubbed me the wrong way. I don't know why though - what with Tally being told this her entire life, it's perfectly normal for her to think that why - but I just really, really didn't like it. 

Moving forward, the plot to this story is pretty predictable. You know what Tally's going to have to do when Shay runs away, and what will happen when Tally does reach the Smoke. I have to admit, I wasn't entirely sure what the ending was going to be, but when I found out, it made complete sense - I think it was the perfect way to end the book and clearly sets up what's going to happen in the sequel. Overall, this was an interesting read and I will continue on with the series at some point, but it won't be until some point in the distant future. 

UPDATE: Of course I figure out what else bothered me about the book just after I put up the review - the characters. A lot of these characters were annoying. Tally at the beginning, with her hopes and dreams of becoming pretty, was annoying. Shay, throughout the entire story, annoyed me - whilst she was supposed to be especially annoying at the end, I found her the most annoying at the Smoke, after a certain someone gave Tally a certain something (if you've read the book, you'll know what I mean). And Peris - I thought he was going to be much more involved in the story, but then he just faded into the background. Honestly, some of these characters..

Book Review: Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper

Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper
Release Date: 6th July 2010

Publisher: Baker and Taylor 
Format: eBook 
Pages: 272
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge

Summary from Amazon:

"WRONGED. HANGED. ALIVE? (AND TRUE!)

Anne can't move a muscle, can't open her eyes, can't scream. She lies immobile in the darkness, unsure if she'd dead, terrified she's buried alive, haunted by her final memory—of being hanged. A maidservant falsely accused of infanticide in 1650 England and sent to the scaffold, Anne Green is trapped with her racing thoughts, her burning need to revisit the events—and the man—that led her to the gallows.

Meanwhile, a shy 18-year-old medical student attends his first dissection and notices something strange as the doctors prepare their tools . . . Did her eyelids just flutter? Could this corpse be alive?"

Review:
I really liked the premise of this story. A girl, just a normal girl, survives her hanging. Her hanging. That's not something that happens. And, this story was based on a true story. Now I made sure to read the authors notes, and there was in fact a girl named Anne Green who survived her hanging. A person who actually did exist, survived a hanging. I'm sorry, I probably sound like I'm banging on about this, but don't you just find that amazing? That doesn't happen, people don't survive public executions, especially if they occurred the way it was described in this book. The fact that this book was based on a true story was a massive plus for me. It made the story so much more interesting.

So, to actually get to the story, I really, really enjoyed it. Granted, you know where the story is going to go from the beginning, but it was still really interesting to read the journey that took us from Anne's hanging to her revival. What I enjoyed was that the story had two narrators; Anne, who told us her story and established for us why she was hanged in the first place, and Robert, who details her (planned) dissection which turns into a resurrection. All of it was fascinating to read, and I found that I didn't have a preferred narrator either. Sometimes, I find that books with more than one narrator can have the problem where I don't like the narrators equally, and so I end up rushing through certain chapters or dragging through others. I'm glad to say that this wasn't the case for this novel.

Probably the only thing I didn't like was the character of Sir Thomas. He was in the background being very mad and angry, and it just annoyed me. I got to the point where I just skipped over whatever dialogue he had; his incessant yelling didn't need my attention. Overall, this novel was a great read - a solid plot, great characters, and a happy ending. 

Book Review: A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander
Release Date: 21th November 2011

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 432
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This books was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge

Summary from Amazon:

"To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.

All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more."

Review: 

This book had all the components to make me absolutely fall in love with it. I loved the characters; Claire, lovely young woman trying to move on from less than humble beginnings, and Sutton, the young lawyer with a heart of gold. I enjoyed reading the romance between these two characters - the slow build-up, that began as playful friends and evolved into something more. The plot, albeit predictable at times, was enjoyable. And the setting; the fact that the story was loosely (very, very loosely) based on fact, made the setting and the story overall much more interesting for me. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I do think it was missing that little bit of pizazz that would make it a 5/5. 4.5 out of 5 ain't bad though! I would definitely recommend this book to fans of romance and historical fiction.  

Book Review: The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #3) by Michael Scott

The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #3)by Michael Scott
Release Date: 27th April 2010

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 512
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge 

Summary from Amazon:

"Nicholas Flamel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.

But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent—the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.

If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic—Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane. "

Review:
Just like the first two books, The Sorceress by Michael Scott doesn't disappoint. I'm pretty much loving everything about this series at the moment - the characters, the plot, the action, the mystery, everything is just so enthralling that I found it hard to put this book down at times.

What I think this book managed to do well is that it took a step up - there was more confrontational action, the characters were growing, and (finally) the evil guys were getting their just desserts. What Scott has also managed to do well is to ensure that you'll keep reading the series with all the little mysteries (Who is Dee's Dark Elder? What will happen to Scatty and Joan?), and that cliffhanger at the end (which really has me intrigued). My only problem with this book (and the series as a whole) now is that the line of monsters never seems to end. Honestly, how many of them can their be? We've already had more than an entire series would have, and I'm only half way through!
But, overall, I think this is a fitting 3rd novel in The Alchemyst franchise, and I'm looking forward to reading the next instalment. 

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Release Date: 27th May 2004
Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 224
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge and 2012 ATS Challenge

Summary from Amazon:

"A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.

An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come."

Review:

First off, I have to say that I am so, so sorry that it took me so long to get around to writing this review. And while this review won't be long, I think I'll be able to get across what I need to say.

All I'm going to say is this - this has to be one of the best romance novels I've ever read. Not only do you have this once-in-a-lifetime love depicted, which is written really well, but you also have a bit of the supernatural thrown in, with Henry being able to time-travel. This one extra aspect makes this novel unlike any other romances.
 

This is a complex story about love, life and loss. It can be a bit hard to get into because of the time traveling - I found it a bit hard at the beginning to figure out the ages, what with the time traveling, and exactly which Henry was in each scene. But once you figure it out, this book is a piece of cake to read, and could quite possibly be one of the best romance novels you ever read.