Book Review: Awaken (Abandon Trilogy #3) by Meg Cabot

Awaken (Abandon Trilogy #3) by Meg Cabot

Release Date: 7th May 2013

Publisher: Scholastic
Format: eBook
Pages: 258
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2014 EBC, 2014 RC and 2014 SSC 

Summary from Goodreads:

"Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die."

Review:
Overall, this was a solid end to a series that I was starting to worry about. After that infuriating second novel, I was worried our third and final addition to this trilogy would be similar. But, thankfully, we returned to what I loved about Abandon (mostly). 

If you read my review of Underworld, you'll know that I had some major problems with Pierce. She just acted so stupid sometimes, and she couldn't seem to get by without John glued to her side. Thankfully that stopped. Whilst she may have been forced to deal with things without John, Pierce still managed to do quite well, so when John did return, she didn't return to the annoying girl she was in Underworld. And whilst John is still fiercely protective of Pierce, I don't remember him manipulating her as much as he has in previous novels. Then again, this could be because he was gone for a while and he actually wasn't able to, but I like to look on the positive side and see it as character growth.

Overall I enjoyed the plot. Lots of questions were answered, everything was resolved, John and Pierce are in a good place. Honestly, I can't actually remember specifically what happened, which probably is an indication of how memorable this book is. What I do remember were the major conveniences. Like the whole thing with Alex - majorly convenient. But lets not get into that, because that would lead to spoilers.  

So, my final thoughts? I enjoyed it. I thought it was a fitting end to a series that had started to go downhill - much, much better than the second novel. 

Book Review: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
Release Date: 24th August 2012

Publisher: Scholastic
Format: eBook 
Pages: 400
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge 

Summary from Amazon:

" Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. "

Review:
After finishing this book, I have mixed feelings about it. I'm not really sure if I loved it (I know that I liked it at least...), because there's something nagging at the back of my mind. But, whilst I don't think this was Suzanne Collins' best effort, it was a fitting end to The Hunger Games, and this was a book that I enjoyed reading.

You could kind of guess where the series was heading at the end of Catching Fire. We were moving away from the Hunger Games themselves, and more towards a rebel vs Capitol war till the last man standing won. The final instalment of the series is much more serious, focusing more on politics than on action and adventure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - there is still plenty of action and adventure in this book, its just surrounded by a much more grown-up plot - a small nation's struggle for independence from their oppressive dictator. I guess, you could say that Mockingjay was a bit of a war propaganda book, but honestly, this didn't faze me. 

What did bother me though, was Peeta. Peeta, who was such a great character in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, was missing for the first half, and then when he did return, he wasn't really Peeta anymore. Of course, Suzanne Collins has to take the best character in the novel, the one that everyone loves, and mess around with him. That was not a plot point that I particularly enjoyed.

Overall, I would have to say that Mockingjay is my least favourite book of the series. This isn't me saying that its not a good book, because it is, but I just think that The Hunger Games and Catching Fire were in a different league. Fans of the series will probably be a little disappointed, but the book is a fitting end to the series and I do recommend that they read it. 

Book Review: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: 15th December 2009
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: eBook
Pages: 480
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge 

Summary from Amazon:

"Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge."

Review:
I was actually a bit worried when I picked up this book. I didn't really know where the story could go, what exactly could happen after the end of The Hunger Games. But as soon as I started reading, everything made perfect sense. I was sitting there thinking I was such an idiot, because obviously this is where the story would continue too. And then BAM, at the end of Chapter 12, the story went somewhere I wasn't expecting, but probably should have in hindsight, but knew I would thoroughly enjoy. I'd like to say what happens, but I'll be spoiling the book if I do that.

What I loved about this book was that Suzanne Collins continued doing what she does best. She took what was an amazing premise in The Hunger Games, a story filled with plot twists and incredible characters depicted in the dystopian world of Panem, and took it to a whole new level. The characters that I know and love were still there, and extra attention was payed to Gale, which I enjoyed. All the action and adventure from the first book was still there, just taken to the next level. I feel weird saying this, but this book blew me away. I can't wait to read Mockingjay - I have no doubt that it will be amazing!

Teaser Tuesday (11)

Teaser Tuesday is a Meme hosted by Mizb @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can join in, as long as they do the following:

• Grab your current read. 
• Open your book to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. 
• Warning:  Avoid spoilers in your teaser as not everyone has had the pleasure to read your current read
• Share the Title & Author so anyone can add your current read to their list if they wish to do so. 
• Note: links go to Amazon
  
  

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Release Date: 15th December 2009
Publisher: Scholastic 
Pages: 480

"That's when I hear the scream. So full of fear and pain it ices my blood. And so familiar. I run wildly in the direction of the voice, heedless of danger, ripping through vines and branches, through anything that keeps me from her.

From reaching my little sister." 

Book Review: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: 3rd July 2010
Publisher: Scholastic 
Format: eBook 
Pages: 384
Rating: 5.0/5.0

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

Summary from Amazon:

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed."

Review:
When I picked up this book I had no doubt that I would enjoy it. I learned about the Hunger Games series long after they were released, so I knew that not only did they have a pretty strong following, but they were also being translated to the big screen. And everyone knows that a book has to be pretty good for Hollywood to consider making a movie version. 

From the beginning, I was drawn in. The one thing you've got to love about dystopian novels is that they fully immerse you into a new and different world, and with Panem being so different and so interesting, you can't help but get pulled in. And then you have the characters. Katniss is definitely my favourite character (I really can't go past a strong heroine), but I also loved Peeta, Haymitch, Cinna and Rue too. And, whilst this may be a little grim, I absolutely loved reading about the Hunger Games themselves. The action and adventure that took place was exciting to read, and I did also enjoy seeing how the character's dealt with being thrown into a battle to the death.
I pretty much loved everything about this book - the setting, the storyline and the characters melded so well together that I got through this book within a matter of days (which is a feat for me). If you haven't read this book yet, you need to add it to you TBR pile.