The Fault in Our Stars

Summary:
Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.

In One Word: Heartbreaking

Plot:

When I read this book I didn’t know if I liked it or not. I feel the same about this movie, but for different reasons (I’m still not sure why I felt that way about the book). It’s really hard to say you loved a movie that is so gut-wrenchingly sad. But you do. It doesn’t make any sense really, to love a movie like this. As far as staying true to the book goes, I think this movie did a pretty good job, I can’t remember exactly what happens in the book, but overall I didn’t notice anything that was really different. The story is beautiful and tragic, and there’s not much more you can say about it.

Characters:

This is where the movie really got to me. I liked the characters in the book, I thought they were ‘real’ and normal, but I didn’t fall in love with them. This movie made me fall in love with them, which made it extremely hard to watch them suffer. Hazel is incredible without realising it, she’s funny and smart and different, without trying too hard. And Gus...Gus is sweet, funny, easy-going and yet a very deep character. Their chemistry is great, they click and you totally get why the one falls for the other.

Cinematography:

Very good, the colours bring out the different moods in the story, but it’s not extremely noticable and it doesn’t distract from the story.

Who should watch this:

If you liked the book, or just need a good cry then I definitely suggest this. If you’re looking for a light, happy movie then this is not the one for you.

My rating:

Rarely do I stay sad after a sad movie has ended. However, this one broke my heart. 5/5

Quote:
I fell in love with him the way you fall asleep: Slowly, and then all at once.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Patrick Ness

Chaos Walking #1

Summary:

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown.

But Prentisstown isn’t like other town. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets.

Or are there?

Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence.

Which is impossible.

Prentisstown has been lying to him.

And now he’s going to have to run...

In One Word: Haunting

Plot:

I’ve heard many great things about this series, but I never expected this. At first the writing was a little hard to get into, seeing as the narrator (and protagonist) is a little illiterate. The author writes his thoughts, exactly as he thinks them, which means run-on sentences, bad grammar and atrocious spelling, but strangely, this book wouldn’t have nearly the same impact without it. I loved the concept of the mind-reading, and it was executed very well in my opinion. The story is dark and dreary and frightening, but extremely compelling and there’s no way I could’ve put it down once I got into it. It’s a strange feeling, loving every minute of reading such a tragic story (as well as not minding the feeling of being punched very hard at some points while reading...)

Characters:

I liked Todd right from the start, his rebellious attitude combined with his naivity made him an extremely interesting character and the development is really great to see. He’s also not perfect in any way, but manages to learn from his mistakes, and gets to know himself better as the story progresses. Viola is also a very wise, and at times mysterious character. Then there’s the extremely lovable talking dog Manchee, who is the main source of some dry humor from our main character. The villians are also wickedly fascinating and horribly scary, and probably one of the best (and worst) parts of the book.

Who should read this:

13+, there is a lot of violence (some of it really scary and disturbing), as well as some pretty explicit language. There is some mild sexual content, but it’s not extreme or graphic. If you like dystopians, science fiction or fantasy, but you’re tired of reading the same story over and over again, you might like this. I don’t suggest this to anyone who likes happy ‘fluffy’ reads, because you won’t find it here.

My rating:

I loved this book. I didn’t know if I would at the start, but it was all so fascinating and horrible at the same time I couldn’t put it down. I cannot wait to start the next book in the series. 5/5

Quote:

‘Without a filter, a man is just chaos walking.’

Black: The Birth of Evil

Ted Dekker

The Circle #1

Summary:

Enter an adrenaline-laced epic where dreams and reality collide.

Fleeing his assailants through deserted alleyways, Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes to the roof of a building. Then a silent bullet from the night clips his head...and his world goes black.

From the blackness comes an amazing reality of another world-a world where evil is contained. A world where Thomas Hunter is in love with a beautiful woman. Then he remembers the dream of the chase as he reaches to touch the blood on his head.

Where does the dream end and reality begin? Every time he falls asleep in one world, he awakes in the other-both facing catastrophic disaster. Thomas is being pushed beyond his limits...even beyond the limits of space and time.

Black is an incredible story of evil and rescue, betrayal and love, pursuit and death, and a terrorist's threat unlike anything the human race has ever known.

Some say the world hangs in the balance of every choice we make. Now the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance of one man's choice.

In One Word: Woah!

Plot:

Okay, so what do you get when you cross Narnia, with some crime thriller about a terrorist attack? You get this book, and it’s fascinating. I really liked this story, although it did drag on a bit in the middle. The whole idea of two completely different worlds linked by one man is extremely interesting. Then add some weird bat things and trees that glow, and a very scary virus and you’re set. Overall I felt like this was an extremely original idea, but the writing was not as good as I would’ve hoped. That might improve as the series progresses, though, we shall see. I do think the story was more than just interesting, though, Dekker is a genius at allegories.

Characters:

This is where the book disappointed me a little. The story was very unique and interesting, but it felt a little like the characters weren’t as important to the author. Which is very weird for a Dekker book, since he usually focuses primarily on the characters, not the story. The characters were all a little flat and at times even a little silly. I do, however, hope for improvement for the other three books.

Who should read this:

12+, there is quite a bit of violence, but it’s never extremely graphic or disturbing. If you like Narnia, then you might enjoy this, since one half of it had a very similar feel to it in my opinion. If you don’t like books that have Christian undertones, or want a light, happy read, don’t read this.

My rating:

This book wasn’t perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I loved the ideas and concepts. 4/5

Quote:

“How can there be love without a true choice? Would you suggest that man be stripped of the capacity to love?” 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Neil Gaiman

Summary:

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond this world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed – within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.

His only defence is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

In One Word: Mysterious

Plot:

I must be honest, I didn’t get everything in this story, I kept feeling like there was something I’m missing. That doesn’t mean, however, that I didn’t like it. It reads almost like the strange nightmare of a little kid: you don’t understand it, but while you’re reading it it makes sense in a weird way. I loved the way it was written, it’s easy to read and creates a dark mood that sucks you into the story, almost unwillingly.

Characters:

Definitely one of the strong points of this book is its characters. They’re strange and original and I don’t think it will be easy to forget most of them. I liked the main character (whose name the reader isn't told), but he wasn’t the best character in my opinion. I preferred the three Hempstock women, Lettie especially. They’re magical and mysterious, yet they feel comfortable and safe at the same time, which is a weird combination. I would’ve liked a little more clarity about the narrator’s parents, but his memories of them seemed almost hazy to me, which wasn’t very realistic since they play a huge part in his life.

Who should read this:

12+, mainly for some mild sexual content and scary imagery. If you’re looking for something different, short and easy to read I’d definitely suggest this. However, if you’re looking for a simple, happy or light read then this might not be the one for you.

My rating:

I really liked the overall feel of this book, the dark tone and atmosphere that Gaiman brings to life sucked me in and made really hard to put down. I didn’t really get what was happening when I started reading, mainly because I knew nothing about this story, and didn’t know what to expect. 4/5

Quote:

Lettie shrugged. “Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside. You don’t. I don’t. People are much more complicated than that. It’s true of everybody.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1

Summary:

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek god.

I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Now I spend my time battling monsters and generally trying to stay alive.

This is the one where Zeus, god of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea.

In One Word: Entertaining

Plot:

This book is great, the story is exciting and interesting, and the writing is so easy-going. I did think it was a little similar to Harry Potter (you know, boring ‘weirdo’ kid suddenly becoming this extremely ‘interesting’ person in a whole different world that he didn’t even know existed), but the whole mythology concept is so original that it didn’t bother me at all. I loved how the humorous writing style made sure the book never got too tense or dark, while it still stayed exciting. The author doesn’t try too hard or take himself too seriously and that makes it a fun read. I did guess the ending in this book, but it wasn’t blatantly obvious and it was more a suspicion than anything.

Characters:

I like how the author made kids ‘with problems’ into something cool, and with that I mean that the demi-gods have dyslexia and ADD, and that somehow makes them even cooler (SPOILER: not to mention the fact that a ‘crippled’ boy turns out to be a satyr....the hooves make it a little awkward for him to wear shoes). Percy is funny and a nice kid, not always exceptionally bright, but still a hero to look up to. I liked Annabeth and Grover as well, they’re loyal and brave and great sidekicks. The gods were also really interesting, and also made me laugh a couple of times, Riordan uses exaggeration to make them larger than life (quite literally...)

Who should read this:

10+, there’s no sexual content or language and the violence is very mild, although there are some scary scenes. If you have a problem with reading about Greek ‘gods’, then I don’t suggest this for you. If you enjoyed Harry Potter then you might like this, it has the same feel to it. If you want a serious or thought-provoking read this is probably not for you, but if you want something fun and entertaining, I definitely suggest this book.

My rating:

I’ve heard so much about this series that I had very high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed at all. I can’t wait to read the next book. However, it wasn’t amazing enough to join my favourites. 4/5

Quote:

“I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.
The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!”