If I Stay series ~Gayle Forman~

Dear Gayle Forman,

I read the If I Stay series expecting greatness. The first book met my expectations—great. 

The second, on the other hand, was so scattered and pointless that it brought the value of the first book down at least a thousand notches.

The plot of If I Stay is very creative, so kudos to you Gayle, if I may call you that, for writing a book with an intense plot, lovable characters, and deep themes.

However, whatever creativity points you gained from writing the first were DEMOLISHED after you wrote the second.

I would bet some good money that you were pressured to write a second book by publishers and so, inspired by the money, you wrote an ending for Adam and Mia. 

And what a lame ending you wrote, my friend.

Part of the beauty of a tragic novel, one of injury or sickness, death or hurt, is the fact that complete healing isn’t always found in the end. 

The fact that the reader is unaware at the end of the first book whether Mia chooses Adam or chooses her career is a beautiful thing. 

We, as the readers, are left to ponder the choices in our own lives. Will I choose those I love, or a career I love? Is it possible to mesh the two? Can I have both my loved ones, and my dearest passions?

By wrapping up the series with a sequel that details Adam and Mia’s continued hurt and struggles, you lost some of the magic of the unknown. 

But hey, I would have given you even half credit had you written a second book with ease and flow.

Alas, you did not.

And what the readers are left with is a brief view of the destruction of everything we loved about Adam: his character, his love for others, his humour, and his passion for music.

We see Mia, who we before handedly assume to be mourning her family and missing life with Adam, but who in reality is talking to them daily, hearing their spirit voices in her mind. 

Like. What. The. World. 

When did Mia become some animist? Oh right, I remember. The same time Adam was sleeping around, getting drunk, and becoming a superstitious freak. 

Was the second book really necessary, Gayle? Because your readers don’t think so.

Sincerely a reader who liked the first book, hated the second, and is praying there won’t be a third,

Jessica

The Hunger Games series ~Suzanne Collins~

I read the Hunger Games series my freshman year when a friend of mine gave me the books. It was before the movie came out, before the fandom had officially formed, and before theology had changed perspectives. I loved it, and I still do. Before seeing The Mockingjay Part 1 in theaters with my family, I decided to reread the series for a fresh remembrance. I felt that a book review about the series would bore me, since most of the topics and themes of the books have been well-worn and debated by scholars, students, and friends around the world, so I decided to make a little video/review of some of my favorite scenes, and play them to the song that Katniss sings, The Hanging Tree.                                                                                 

The Maze Runner series ~James Dashner~

The Maze Runner series is yet another series since The Hunger Games that details a dystopian society and the turmoil therein. These books describe the journey of a group of teenagers who are forced to enter a series of tests, at which time they are evaluated in order to discover a cure from a disease known as the Flare. These teenagers are originally trapped in a maze. They face their deepest fears as they try and decode the secret to the Maze. Upon escape, they are sent through the Scorch Trials, a laborious race to an uncontaminated haven. The third book in the series describes the group’s internal battle between discerning ally from enemy, life from death, and right from wrong. 

My favorite thing about this series wasn’t even a thing, but rather a person: Newt, labeled as ‘The Glue’ of the experiments. In the Maze, he was the leader, and everyone recognized his gift of careful discernment. He had been injured by a Griever monster, and barely escaped with his life. This terrifying event traumatized him; yet, he did not give up. He fought through the Maze and through his fear. In the end of the series, Newt understands his capacity to kill so he sacrifices himself by requesting death. He is my favorite character because he was created to embody one of the most important themes in this series, “Innocence destroyed.” Yet, he revolts against the pressure to lose his innocence, and even chooses death over fully embracing evil. 

I had heard much about these books, mostly good reviews. The author was exceptional at writing an air of horror and ‘creepiness’. (I even jumped a mile high once, so enwrapped in the story I was.) However, I thought the writing style made the story difficult to visualize, which effected the connection between myself and the characters. I think about these books often, even though I finished reading them a while back, and I think that’s because the themes in the books are so relative to struggles I face. 

Are the people I consider friends truly on my side? How should I react to the feeling of betrayal? Will I still love my friends when they change?

 ~

Oh, and here’s a picture collage thing of Newt that I found on abbiemarie1998.tumblr.com.

 (Yes, I was too lazy to make my own and also, what could I make to compare to this one?)

~

Oh, and I read the prelude, The Kill Order, and it sucked. 

Yay: I now know the origins of the Flare. 

Boo: What a horrid, sad, depressing, poorly-written prelude.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians series ~Rick Riordan~

BASICALLY: When Karina was in junior high, she and all her friends read these “Percy Jackson books”. I had read a few of Rick Riordan’s other books like Heroes of Olympus and the Kane Chronicles (I know like, “You’ve read those but not Percy Jackson? Like did you understand anything at all?”) I assumed that Percy Jackson & the Olympians would not bring anything new to the stories. Upon reading it, I found it was similar; yet, it gave me a strong background and foundation for many of the other Rick Riordan books. I thoroughly enjoyed the series’ characters, humor, plot, and themes.

I love Rick Riordan’s writing: he has such a great sense of humor, and he has so much knowledge of Greek mythology. I won’t even try to count the number of tests I’ve aced on Greek mythology because of my prior knowledge due to Percy Jackson. (from the Sirens to Cyclops, fights between the gods to mythological methods of transportation//It’s all there.) Rick Riordan has an insane understanding of history, and he uses it to make his books great.

SIDE NOTE: I love Percy’s take on life. Bullies don’t get him down, his inabilities don’t hold him back, and he tends to see the good in others where others judge. Oh, and the plot is heartbreakingly real.

BONUS: I made some Percy Jackson cupcakes to celebrate my completion of the series.

Young Sherlock: Death Cloud ~Andy Lane~

Loving the intensity of the BBC program Sherlock, I assumed that the suspense and mystery of the book series written off of Sherlock’s supposed childhood would intrigue me as well. However I found the book drudgingly slow and very unrealistic. 

The predicaments Sherlock entangles himself in are, not only coincidental, but extremely impossible. Time after time, Sherlock is thrown into situations that are unrealistically horrible: he is almost killed in a fire, yet escapes; kidnapped at a fair, yet escapes; is attacked in a boat, yet escapes; meets an evil baron, yet escapes; attacked by two sinister apprentices of the baron, yet escapes; captured on a ship, yet escapes; and fights against the same baron, yet escapes. Too many narrow escapes for reality, even for Sherlock Holmes. 

Though the overall plot of the book was unsatisfying, I enjoyed understanding more of the great genius’ past, and the reasons for much of his bitterness. The author does a very good impersonation of the adult version of Sherlock, adding a childish rebellion, crush, and innocence.

Thanks to the kind friend who recommended it, for it taught me, one, how to read a book persistently even when I don’t love it, and two, that the books are not always truly better than the movies.

The Diamond of the Rockies series ~Kristen Heitzmann~

“To rise to higher joy is to risk a deeper sorrow. Do I dare reach for the sun?” (The Rose Legacy)

Carina Maria DiGratia, thirsting for adventure and betrayed by the ones she loved, embarks on a perilous journey through the Rocky Mountains. The Diamond of the Rockies series detail her adventures, her trials, and her path towards forgiving and loving.

Quillan Shephard, though strong outwardly, is buried inside by fear of love and vulnerability. The scars run deep. Unable to live dependently, he hides his soul, and bares a pirate face, warding off all who reach and endeavor to care.

Except one.

Carina.

“Ah, mia bella Carina.”

“I've always felt out of step. Like literally stumbling through my life.” (Eclipse) 

Bella Swan, quiet and discontent, knew not the loneliness that plagued her soul. Faces blurred in a crowd and no one stood out to her as unique. Monotony characterized her simple life, until she met her greatest adventure.

Edward Cullen, quiet and discontent, knew the loneliness that plagued his soul. Searching for her, he lived his life in seclusion, hiding his soul, and baring an angel’s face, warding off all who reached and endeavored to care. 

Except for one.

Bella.

“Plus que ma propre vie.”

Adventure. Beauty. Love. A life different than the one I have been dealt. 

Jessica Jansma, adventurous and discontent, knows the deepness of her soul, though others see the external detriments. Faces stand out in crowds, and she searches for ones who reach and endeavor to care. When will she find one who will never leave? When will she find contentment in her adventure? When will peace be enough?