Dorothy Must Die Review + Discussion

Yesterday I finished Danielle Paige's debut YA novel, Dorothy Must Die. And here a review and my thoughts on it.

 

Dorothy Must Die showcases an evil version of Dorothy and her friends. It's surely a different story from the Wizard of Oz and the main character isn't Dorothy. Instead, it revolves around a teen named Amy Gumm who is in a unfortunate state in her life: estranged father, intoxicated mother, a pregnant bully, and life at Dusty Acres, Kansas. But then, a tornado passes by and she is swept away, landing herself on the land of Oz. Because of Dorothy's powerful leadership in Oz, the magic is diminishing and Oz is corrupting, prompting Amy to get recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. Her mission is to kill Dorothy. The concept is cool, but they are cons that make this book a little more than mediocre. Oh, and also I will discuss the pros and cons with and no spoilers. The writing in red will direct you to the proper information.

*Pros and Cons with no spoilers*

Cons

Stereotypical elements on Amy's background

Slow in the "beginning", or first-half of the book 

Some undeveloped characters

Pros

Instriguing scenes

 Different versions of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow

Still able to read this book even if you're not familiar with the Wizard of Oz story

Amy's conflicts

 

*Pros and Cons with spoilers (Discussion)*

 

Cons

• I felt like Amy's life in Kansas was stereotypical with the divorced & sucky parents and having a sucky life in a trailer home and being bullied by a "mean girl" who happens to be pregnant. It felt like Amy's "normal" life was too unfortunate and felt like it could be apart of a dramatic show or another story.
• I wasn't interested in the characters or the world until the second half of the book. For me, the interesting parts happened after around the 200th page. In other words, it was a slow first-half.
• Characters, I felt, were underdeveloped. I couldn't sympathize with some of the characters when they were in a situation that calls for pity (e.g. Gert).

Pros

• There were many scenes that were intriguing. (When Amy saves Ollie's sister, the Wizard confrontation, Jellia's reveal at the party, Pete and the garden, Pete transformation into Ozma)
• It was a great twist on Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion. They were very weird, vicious, and interesting. They're the real bad guys.
• Really liked the Wizard, Jellia, and Ollie. The Wizard was a suspicious-type of character, Jellia was strong and awesome, Ollie was a character that made me smile.
• I read this book knowing the basic facts of the Wizard of Oz, but it wasn't necessary to read/watch it in order for me to get parts of the book. It's all explained and easy to follow.
• Amy's conflicts on whether or not the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked is good or not

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is not my favorite of all books, but it wasn't bad. I think the series definitely has potential.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Ignite Me Review

Hello. Just yesterday, I finished the last book in the Shatter Me trilogy, Ignite Me, by Tahereh Mafi. I was really excited about reading Ignite Me, especially how the Shatter Me trilogy was one of my favorite YA dystopian series. Unfortunately, there were some elements that directed me towards a 4 out of 5 stars.

The book starts off with Juliette, the main character, waking up in a room, finding herself healed from a gunshot wound she received by Anderson (Warner's father). She does not know if anyone from Omega Point, especially Adam and Kenji, made it out alive from The Reestablishment's bombing of the area. She is determine to fight against The Reestablishment with the help of a man who she thought she hates, Warner. The synopsis sounded amazing, but there were definitely cons in the novel, which I will proceed to name and later explain.

Cons

- The balance of action and character development were unequal; about 90% of the book was purely building and fixing relationships

- lots and lots of "lovey dovey" scenes

- The last fifty pages were the only action in Ignite Me

- The ending felt rushed 

- Not enough character development of many characters; too much emphasis on others

- Slow middle

 *Get ready for spoilers now*

There was too much development of the relationships between Juliette and Warner, Juliette and Adam, and even Juliette and Kenji. I absolutely adore Warner, but the "lovey dovey" scenes made me close the book several times to contain myself from reading it. I wasn't necessarily cringing, I just couldn't read the scene with a straight face. Adam became flat out rude compared to his sweet self in  Shatter Me. Although I do appreciate how the relationships were evolving, the majority of this book was all about that I think for a proper YA dystopian book, and especially the last one of a series, there should be equal parts of action and equal parts of character development. With that being said, the ending was rushed (due to the improper balance that I just mentioned). The death of Anderson was too easy and too fast. Finding Sara and Sonya was coincidental: first Juliette wonders where they were, but then she finds them right after. I can't help but wonder how Warner just flat out agreed to let Juliette become the leader of Sector. I know he loves and supports her, but there should be a little bit of conflict there. But no, he easily agrees for her to replace Anderson. I was really gutted when there was no character development with the other survivors of Omega Point: Castle, Ian, Brendon, Winston, Alia, and Lily. It would have been awesome if Castle had a part in the story line; I always thought Castle was similar Professor X from X-Men, but they are not. I disliked how these characters were pushed to the sidelines because they could have been an awesome addition to everything that is happening to the story, but unfortunately, they're characters were "unimportant."

Despite the negatives, there were some things that I liked about Ignite Me. I love how Warner and Juliette's relationship blossomed, showing Warner's actual, kind self. He's a bit of a softee ^_^ And a romantic man. I was swooned by his gentleman quality and charm. I liked how we see a vulnerable side of him and how he is caring towards his mother (which we find about in this book). Kenji and Juliette are both considered to be best friends and Kenji's humor really brightens up the mood in Ignite Me. I liked the pop culture nods that referenced Power Rangers and Bruce Lee. A lot of readers had problems with Juliette and her poetic and extraneous ways, but Juliette doesn't have as many poetic and "annoying" (as some people mention) writing in Ignite Me as the other books. This wasn't a bad book, it was a good one. It's definitely worth reading if you started the Shatter Me trilogy, but I thought Ignite Me was going to be a fantastic end to the series. Sadly, it wasn't.

The ending was kind-of a cliff hanger, but a satisfying one. An example I can think of with a similar ending is The Dark Knight Rises film. The ending of The Dark Knight Rises is open enough for any expansion of the story line, but it is an uplifting end, making the audience fulfilled with the end of the Dark Knight trilogy. The situation is the same for Ignite Me. The ending is hopeful, but could be expanded upon even further.

Ignite Me is not like Allegiant, which has a surprising end, or Mockingjay in which many characters died. This one is its own book and is one that is a gratifying completion to the Shatter Me series.

4 out of 5 stars

Ready Player One Review

I finished this book 11 at night. And it was grand.

This was a fantastic book. In short, it's about an eighteen year old named Wade Watts, who competes in this  Easter Egg hunt, within this mega video game called OASIS, where the creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, left after he passed away. With a huge prize with many "gunters" participating and an evil company in play, this book is the epitome of EPIC.

I really liked the main protagonist Wade, or Parzival. I find him witty, nerdy, and just great. I also liked the other characters introduced: Aech, Art3mis, Shoto. Great character development.

I found the book to be slow in some parts, but by the last a hundred pages, it really picks up the pace. It's easy to read and the author way of describing the environment and the game and everything is well written out. Cline really lets you visually interpreted the world he creates.

The references I find too much. There was so many 80's nostalgia, it was confusing to visualize in my head (especially when I did not grew up in the 80's era).

Overall, I find this book fun and quirky. I enjoyed reading it.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Everything is Illuminated Review

***NO SPOILERS***

I finished the book "Everything is Illuminated" last week. You can either love this book, or despise it. For me, I'm near the "despise" meter.

The synopsis reads:

With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man - also named Jonathan Safran Foer - sets out to find the woman who may or may not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war; an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior; and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.

The novel explores many themes such as the meaning of love, illumination, memories, etc. I like how this book actually is pretty meaningful than it appears. But I dislike the fact that it takes so long to explain these themes that were present. A lot of the chapters, I felt, were useless. Just there as a filler and as a comedic relief  (although find that Alex's voice and the quest provides humor already). Many of the passages were profane, which doesn't seem to interest my still young self. This book can be perceived more positively if read by an older reader. So my disinterest is partially due to myself, not the book.

I didn't understand the chapters that was set in the past with Brod and Yankel and Kolker. I was confused on who was actually the voice (I later found out it was Jonathan). But I do like Grandfather though. He's viewed as this unimportant "blind" old man in the beginning, but later through out the book, he becomes an important component in the entirety of the novel.

I like Alex and Grandfather. Jonathan was okay. Loose ends were not tied in some parts. The Seeing Eye Bitch, AKA the dog, was not present at the end, which was unfortunate. I liked the emotional ending, but just the overused adult references and useless filler really got to me.

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Eleanor and Park Review

***NO SPOILERS***

Recently, I have finished a YA novel called "Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell. I was drawn to this book,in truth, mostly due to it's cute, geeky cover. But it's synopsis was something that appealed to me, especially good for my young romantic genre taste.

The book covers two voices, both in second person, both from Eleanor to Park, and vice versa. It explores young love and problems facing inside one's family with a bunch of 80's trivia. 

In short, it was an mediocre read for me: it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I felt it lacked chemistry between these two characters and honestly I felt that Eleanor was sort of annoying in some aspects through out this book, but at the same time, I felt sympathy for her too. 

I liked the cute interaction between these two and I liked Park's blossoming feelings towards Eleanor. Yet, I felt the ending was rushed and just came with full force. The ending wasn't resolute. It gives the reader to ponder on their interpretation of what happened and what would happen in the future. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Reading Updates #1

Dear fellow readers who happen to step upon this blog post. (Again, I thank you). I will like to illuminate your well being that I will be doing updates posts, hence the title, every so often. I will update on the books I'm currently reading.  I have a few things to talk, or should I say blog, about.

#1
Firstly, I will start off with a YA novel called "My Life Next Door" written by Huntley Fitzpatrick.

"A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another [...] A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over."

When reading the book for the first time, I loved it. I though it was cute, sweet, and a dream for any girl. I mean who doesn't want a hot next door neighbor who happens to be a football player AND be overly sweet and dorky? That would be fantastic. Unfortunately, guy like Jase don't exist to often. The lovey dovey things that the main character, Samantha, and Jase makes me giddy with glee. But after the first 100 pages or so...I became bored with the book. The characters are great. But I feel like I'm fiddling with the interest with the plot, especially when the two lovers now have gotten together. Once I hit a rough patch in a book, I don't have any motivation to read more. I need to though. This is a freaking library book I'm reading!


The next book I'm reading is called "Unravel Me" by Tahereh Mafi. It is the sequel to the first book in the series called "Shatter Me". I loved the first book and the novella following that, so I could not wait to begin reading the second one. I'm not that far into the book but I'm currently enjoying it.

And another novel I am reading (hopefully you can infer that I read numerous books at the same time) is called "Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer. It is not a YA book, surprisingly, but just a regular old fiction book. I am reading this for school and it is an entertaining read. Filled with hilarious nuances and quite sad moments, I find this book really amusing (in a good way). My only problem is the risque language and thoughts in this novel that has slightly taken my fragile mind off guard.

Last but not least, the last book I am reading is called "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer. Now this one. This one I like very much. It really captured by attention from the start and I'm still intrigued in it. In fact, I can't wait till I finish this post that's taking me an hour to write so I can read it. A sequel to the book "Cinder", it follows up on Cinder, a cyborg Cinderella, with a badass Red Riding Hood. Yeah. Freaking awesome much?


Well, that's all I gotta say. Thank you for reading.

Prodigy Book Review

Hello to anyone who cares to read this. This is my attempt to create a blog on books so hopefully I'll do my best to provide information for your sake. This post is the first of many posts, so please, hold your laughter from my yet-mature reviews and thoughts to yourself until you exit this page.

Thank you.

Based on the title and the sub title above, I will be reviewing the anticipating sequel to Legend by Marie Lu, in which I just finished about two hours ago. And to sum it up it was AMAZING. It was amazing paired up with so many feels and emotions. It was great, really.

The synopsis of Prodigy basically includes the assassination of the new Elector of the Republic by Day and June, or the Patriots as a whole. As I was reading the first half of the book, I basically planned how the plot is going to turn out. My initial thoughts were basically pointless because the Prodigy turned into a whole different new direction with many plot twists and climaxes that I wouldn't have imagine happen. 

Positives:

1. There were so many things happening in this book, but it goes in its own pace, in a good 300 page book. Compared to the previous book I have finished reading, The Diviners, was 600 pages of many worthless text that could have been taken out. Prodigy wasn't face paced nor slow. It went by a good speed to grasp what was happening.
2. The inner conflict between the June, as well as Day was nicely done. Lu did a great job of writing each of the main character's feelings and thoughts. June with trusting the Elector and the Patriots and the Republic. Day tied up between his feelings for June and Tess.
3. Marie Lu was able to capture so many emotions for the readers (at least for me it did). Especially at the end, I had those moments where I actually screamed, "Noooo!", and I had those times where I stopped for a few minutes to process what I was reading, and many times I was on the verge of crying (I only cry in sappy YA romantic novels. I'm a girl mind you). There were also times where I was like, "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!!!" 
4. The make out scene in the beginning of the book.The ending was so gripping and heart breaking. I was like, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I really want to read the last book to the series, but unfortunately it will come out in freaking 2014!
5. I liked how there were many plot twists with Razor and the Patriots and the Colonies and also the mighty awesome action like the Kaede fighter plane scene. There was also a good amount of romance that wasn't overpowering.

Negatives:

1. Towards the end, I wondered where Thomas went. He was present in the beginning, but he sort of disappeared  That really confused me. 
2. Tess was really agitating. She didn't come off as  sweet but more as whiny. 
3. I did not like Baxter's personality.
4. I HATE HOW THE NEXT BOOK IS COMING IN 2014!!! I can't wait.

And so, in conclusion, I loved Prodigy. It was action packed, but it also gives you the feels, and it makes you wanting more (especially the ending). I give this 5 out of 5 stars. And I hope you pick this up if you have read Legacy.