Madness or Magic
By: Justine Larbalestier
Reflection
1) What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?
Mainly through half the book the author made it clear that Reason, the main character wasn’t suppose to know the she was magic or that magic even existed. This concept was mention or brushed over frequently while she met others who knew of magic and were forced not to say anything to Reason. I caught on quickly to this easy message and even if some how some way I didn’t get it within the first few chapters it would become have became clear quite soon.
2) Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
The author portrayed her characters real enough; they were pretty believable as a person could be. Though the negative, drastic things Reason’s mother told her about her grandma were a bit out there. Even though she masked those crazy actions Reason’s grandma sounded like a crazy women with issues and I concluded early in the book that it was probably because she was a witch. Reason herself was more “normal” in her character though a difference would be her decent intellect though all in all a typical teenage girl trying to get through the struggles in life in her own way. I myself don’t relate to any predicaments that the main character went through mainly because of the highly fictitious problems she went through which in turn questions reality. I’m not only picking on Reason, I couldn’t find any relation to any of the characters. Although, if I had to choose the tiniest hint of similarity to any one of the characters it would be towards the character Jay-Tee. She has that little tolerance gift even if the person she’s with bugs her to no end. I can relate to that easily.
In itself the book was a pretty decent read. The plot was unique in the way the author told the story based on magic and witches and such. There are a few ideas of the author she placed in the book that I would deem as already witnessed before but they by no means would fall under the category of cliché. Plus, there were only a couple, not an excessive amount. The setting was modern, for some reason when I think witches I picture more of a olden style fantasy setting which I myself don’t get so the modernization was also interesting, in my opinion. Again on the topic, the characters were lively with their own genuine personalities differentiating them from the others. I had absolutely no problem reading in the mind of a character and didn’t have to force myself to drag through it as if they were some dull, boring person I had no interest in. One characteristic I enjoyed about one character was his goal to be a fashion designer; I thought the goal was cute which enhanced my liking towards him. Even though everything sounds great I did find it a little troubling to get myself through the book willingly. Sometimes I would have a reluctant feeling when I picked the book up to continue the chapters yet my reluctance then faded the more I read through. I’m not saying this book is horrible; it just took ME a little bit to get through. The book is still a nice read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a little novel about magic.
Book 2
Inkdeath
by: Cornelia Funke
1) What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
The plot in itself was unique and the concept that brought the book together is very clever and creative. The setting was more of an olden fantasy setting lacking electronics or cars that our modern world has. The complete fantasy part was due to the presence of creatures such as fairies, brownies, nymphs, and people who controlled fire which set the fiction. The ability of the silvertounge which started the whole journey between the characters is an idea that maybe many authors would wish excluding that horrible exchange in return. The ability read a story and literally pull a character from that book brining to life is splendid idea that fueled the story as it continues forward.
2) Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
The characters Cornelia portrays seem completely real the way she writes them. I can picture them as actual people today living life as a human with human nature. Even the characters with inhuman abilities still held those human, realistic traits. The characters are all enjoyable good or bad. Although, the predicaments they go through isn’t one I would find myself under. When would I find myself harassed by fire fairies, caught in the clutches of a nightmare, captured by the horrible Piper. I won’t. The character I can relate the most to would be Maggie (the main female character). She is caring and kind to those around her often worrying about their safety, characteristics I hold accountable myself.
I really enjoyed this book to no end. It being the final novel to the 3 book series sadden me because it left me wanting more. Left me wandering about future adventures, what will happen to them through their lives? The ending just didn’t leave me satisfied and left a somewhat empty hole. Though the journey through these books was amazing and I enjoyed every page of it especially Inkdeath. Everything seemed to pick up from there and characters changed, relationships shifted, all the events kept me flipping through curious how and if it would be resolves. I especially loved her variety of character the other put together to weave and bind the storyline together even if some of the characters were the villains who aren’t meant to be liked I still enjoyed their villainous attitude. Neither of the characters where boring in anyway, their different quirks and traits always amused me and I grew an attached feeling to the ones I admired the most. Out of the few authors in books I’ve pursued Cornekai Funke is an author whose writing style I also admire and take note of when I myself write. Her words flow nicely leaving no confusion and she paints a perfect picture in your head. A movie one can replay over and over clearly. Another random thing is I love how much she writes and how big her books turn to be. Inkdeath is by far the longest book I’ve ever read and still I repelled at the idea of it ending. Unfortunately, the vast sized can be a turn off to some readers who aren’t found of about 700 pages worth of reading. Yet, I recommend this book to everyone who has read Inkheart and/or Inkspell. Don’t give up on it, Inkdeath must be read till the end! Also those who enjoy a good fantasy should definitely these books and impatiently await Inkdeath.
<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>
Book 3
Beastly
By: Alex Flynn
To begin with, Kyle Kingsbury (the main character) is a rich and handsome young man who believes he has it all. These ideals shape him to having a selfish, cruel attitude towards others especially if he considers them ugly. He finds joy picking on those he deems inferior to him and often exchanges harsh words towards them. The major change in him towards the ending of the book is that his views are completely changed, exactly opposite from what they used to be. After being transformed into a beast he is forced to live a life as an ugly being which is nothing compared to his former life. He is being taught a lesson and a girl he falls in love with helps him to understand the lesson he needs to grasp. In the end, the outside doesn’t matter to him anymore but what’s on the inside of a person is of greater importance. Basically, he learns that looks doesn’t matter and love isn’t dependent on appearance.
The main theme Alex Flynn is trying to get across to her readers is that appearance isn’t what gets us through life. We shouldn’t judge by what someone looks like but how they are on the inside like how they act or what their personality says about them. We need to get past the deception of the skin and look towards the heart. The book also expresses how true love isn’t looking for the “fairest of them all” or most dashing man in the entire world. True love finds pleasure in the heart of their soul mate. Unfortunately, even though this is an somewhat overly expressed concept, we just don’t seem to get it and some of us never go past the skin.
Reflection
I absolutely adore this book! If I accurately timed myself I would say I had this novel finished within five hours. I’m the type of person who enjoys any love story especially those with a happy ending. I’m a complete sap when it comes to love. Also this book was based on the infamous Beauty and the Beast story which is another fairy-tale I loved although I’m only aware of the Disney version. I admire how she took this story and placed it in a modern city in our modern world with the modern news we are all familiar with. I took a liking to most if all her main characters. There personality we just easily likable especially the slight sarcasm in Will, Kyle’s English tutor. A few downsides to this novel was that I wasn’t too fond of her writing much and found myself a little confused at a few phrases till I comprehended them by reading the lines repeatedly. Also, being nitpicky, I didn’t like how big the words were and how little of them were on the pages which meant this story wasn’t going to me last me very long. I do wish the novel expanded a little more in pages yet all in all I’m still satisfied. I recommend this book to someone who is searching for a well told love story.
Word Count: 516
Book 4
Rangers Apprentice: The Burning Bridge
by: Jogn Flanagan
The setting of the book took place in a more so medieval era containing castles, kings, knights and what not. There means of transportation was that of horseback or simply by foot. Always and forever with settings such as this grasp my interest. It’s a world we do not live in, a world that has past us long centuries ago which makes the experience of reading the story all the more appealing. It’s great to witness how man was able to protect themselves without guns but with that of swords, shields or in the Ranger’s case bows and arrows. In the instance of the story the setting to it couldn’t have fit ever more perfectly.
2) Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
Book 5
Frenzy
By: Robert Liparulo
I love, love, loved the first book of the series. I applaud James Patterson; he just had me wanting more and more and more. This idea is brilliant and the story kept me drawn in from beginning to end. There was no way that I wanted to put it down, not once. The characters Patterson depicted were so easy to attach to. I found myself falling in love with them from the very beginning. Each of the characters has such a distinct personality that I just clung to. I have my two favorites, one being the calm, collective type and the other just a huge comic relief and absolutely adorable in character. We have Max, who is the leader and most responsible. We have a little girl who’s as innocent as a girl can be and her brother who contributes to the comic relief. Finally, we have an eccentric girl who babbles away to know end. These are all such illustrious personalities which add to the story perfectly. I adore how Patterson could make someone feel so much about a character. I even attached to one of the “Erasers” sent out to capture the. Thy story behind him grew mixed feeling which I still have. Being the emotional wreck that I am, I get way to into the story when something may happen to the characters. My heart with either sunk in despair or leapt with joy. Again, admire how Patterson created such a line that pulled me in and hooked me securely. They story line is unique and had so many twists and turns that had me gasping or throwing an exasperated fit. The imagination put into the story is something to be respected. I would recommend his book to everyone! They should all give it a chance! I’m so excited to delve deeper into the story and plot!
The author portrays his characters pretty realistically with the exception of the somewhat inhuman accuracy to a Ranger’s skill in using bows and arrows. Plus there are a few humanoid creatures that without a doubt would not exists in our real words yet that’s what makes fiction well fiction. Since the novel is utmost fiction, no one could really relate to any of their predicaments. Let me rephrase, most of the predicaments would lean toward the illogical side. There are a few realistic dilemmas that the world could relate to like a child losing their parents or the struggle in maturing. Yet, these are the only simple problems present. The characters themselves are all unique with various personalities. Halt, (the main characters, Will, mentor) remind me of a father in a way. Although he is strict and a bit grim he cares for Will although he hides the sentiment to himself.
Reflection
I really am enjoying the series even though I have only begun I am willing to make it past the ever growing number of books continuing the series. Like I said, I am instantly drawn in to a novel that relates to medieval like ways and all its wonder. The storyline is easy to follow and keeps you flipping through the pages wondering what will happen next or wondering if the protagonist can find their way out of a horrible situation they fell head first into. The sequence of events kept me alert and never did it once bore me. It’s great to witness how the characters struggle through their obstacles and how they grow together in strength and friendship. I have hand it to the author too, his writing is pleasant to my eyes and my mind. Not once did I struggle to comprehend a situation peeling before my very eyes. The only reason I would reread a line, a few phrases or paragraphs would be because they amused me to no end. He depicts his characters in a way that effortlessly brings us through the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great adventure or wonderful medieval madness. Though I strongly suggested if anyone is interested in reading this book they should obviously read the first. Also, if anyone decides to pick up the first novel I highly require that we breeze through every novel of this series. I have confidence that those books will indeed not let me down.
Word count: 524
<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>
Book 5
Frenzy
By: Robert Liparulo
Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
The characters are very real and very believable. They are teenagers with teenage interest by no means are they boring. Xander is the eldest is in to cars, girls and my favorite interest of his, movies. He’s an older brother and he has that instinct t protect his little brother, David. David’s barely a preteen who starts off a little insecure. These indeed are the main characters and they are pretty down to earth. The other minor characters fit in just fine as well. I don’t recall any similarity between me and any of the characters personality wise but I can relate to an event in their life that sets off the entire series. The fact that the King’s family had to move from their home town is something that happened to me as well. This is a very fictional book so this is the only event I COULD relate to.
How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
The one who goes through the biggest character development is David. He seemed to have most of the pressure placed on him which in return molded his personality and made it stronger. At first he was depicted as a fragile like boy who crumbled under pressure and had the most emotion when hard times came. He was the one who always worried and was always scared. By the end of the story, David gained a new found courage and faced his problems with a determined and brave face. He would practically do anything for his family and his brother Xander gained this characteristic as well. The basic series of events that shaped their character was by practically facing death almost every day. They stared into the eyes of death a bunch and came out alive every moment.
Reflection
Frenzy is the very last book of the series and I was left quite satisfied with the ending. Of course, I did wish for more because I grew attached to the characters and I’m always curious about their lives will be like from now one. They were left with a great responsibility and I probably won’t see how they handle it. On a happier note, I love the series to no end. They were all a great read and Frenzy was a nice final chapter to the King’s adventure. I feel compelled to read the series all over again! They author’s style of writing is easy to follow and I liked they wittiness he put into some of his characters. One of my favorite characteristics to a character was Xander’s obsession with movie. I don’t recall going through one single book without a single movie reference. This story is just great and I recommend it to someone who is looking for adventure.
Word count: 450
Book 6
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
By: James Patterson
I would aim the genre of this book towards science fiction which always attracted my attention. So far I and the book hit it off to a great start. I was intrigued by the idea of experimented kids who broke free from the lab. They are interesting people with their abnormalities due to the experiments. The creatures sent to capture were also interesting beings. The setting is modern which fits perfectly. I do well with a good modern science fiction story. It’s not to over the top nor is it boring in the least; it’s just right (for me that is).
My definition to “uncomfortable” doesn’t fit with me feeling awkward because of some part in the book. No, when I felt uncomfortable, it was because I was feeling uncomfortable for and with the characters. I seemed to have sucked myself so far in this book that I feel exactly what the characters feel which is a good and a bad thing.
Reflection
I love, love, loved the first book of the series. I applaud James Patterson; he just had me wanting more and more and more. This idea is brilliant and the story kept me drawn in from beginning to end. There was no way that I wanted to put it down, not once. The characters Patterson depicted were so easy to attach to. I found myself falling in love with them from the very beginning. Each of the characters has such a distinct personality that I just clung to. I have my two favorites, one being the calm, collective type and the other just a huge comic relief and absolutely adorable in character. We have Max, who is the leader and most responsible. We have a little girl who’s as innocent as a girl can be and her brother who contributes to the comic relief. Finally, we have an eccentric girl who babbles away to know end. These are all such illustrious personalities which add to the story perfectly. I adore how Patterson could make someone feel so much about a character. I even attached to one of the “Erasers” sent out to capture the. Thy story behind him grew mixed feeling which I still have. Being the emotional wreck that I am, I get way to into the story when something may happen to the characters. My heart with either sunk in despair or leapt with joy. Again, admire how Patterson created such a line that pulled me in and hooked me securely. They story line is unique and had so many twists and turns that had me gasping or throwing an exasperated fit. The imagination put into the story is something to be respected. I would recommend his book to everyone! They should all give it a chance! I’m so excited to delve deeper into the story and plot!
Word Count: 472
Book 7
House by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti
What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?
This whole book was an entire mind game that messed with the characters will to trust one another. With every passing situation trust became harder as the game they were forced into becomes even wilder. The characters sink deeper into darkness and their minds become clouded. This exact thing does happen. When we are surrounded by darkness we our minds are clouded and we began to isolate ourselves and forget to trust. We forget there are actual people to trust. Also, as the story portrays, we must follow the light, the path of righteousness for this path alone will take us out of our deepest darkest holes. In trusting the right path this book also shows an act of faith. In order to leap out of darkness we must be filled with trust and once again trust.
Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
Jack and Stephanie seem like an average couple hitting along their struggles. No one would really think weird thoughts about them because in a sense they are normal. They are pretty down to earth. Randy are Leslie are the same in which they are also a typical married couple. (Or, as we see when they are first introduced. Shhhh. Not revealing anything.) The keepers of the small motel on the other hand are quite weird and give off a creepy vibe. The White Tin man and the trapped girl would be classified as pretty supernatural, so therefore they are not normal folks. These people would indeed make a person feel uncomfortable and edgy. I would not likely find myself in a predicament as the main characters found themselves in and I hope that I won’t ever find myself in such a horrid predicament. The only characters I can really relate within the slightest are Jack and Stephanie. They lost their daughter and I too have lost someone who I loved dear. Their pain I can understand.
Reflection
I really did enjoy this book! Suspense is up there in my list of favorite genres! Not mention, Ted Dekker in my all time favorite suspense writer. I have read maybe a book or two from Frank Peretti so when I saw that they were collaboration in bringing this story to life that alone sparked an interest. I am truly pleased with the outcome and all tough it may not be my favorite book written by either author this story House is still a good read and highly entertaining. As I said this book is full of suspense and it kept me on the edge and anxious to find out what would happen next. The story does live up to its creepy titled and it does hold an eerie dark vibe, a vibe no one would really want to encounter. Of course, as expected from these authors, I promise plot twists and unexpected outcomes. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a decent suspense story.
Word Count: 480
Book 8
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
The characters are taken to a place completely hidden from the eyes of an average mortal being. Camp-Half blood, a place only for demigods; including maybe a few centaurs, nymphs and satyrs. The setting is a dream to any mythological freak. Though what is interesting is how the author combines the modern life setting such as cities, wide open space, forest ect., with a twist of a Greek mythological taste. My favorite example is how the author took the house Jack London bought which burned and used it as a house specifically for demigods. The mixture of modern and Greek settings allows the story to flow in a better and more intriguing pace.
How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
The three main characters: Jason, Piper and Leo, are unaware of the fate that lies before them. They are at first unprepared, dazed and confused. As reality sinks they struggle with the news. Jason practically lost all his memory and has a hard time putting the pieces together, understanding why things are happening the way they are. He feels like he should know something important but the amnesia shields the answer from him. Leo is insecure about himself and lacks self confidence. He finds it hard to share the importance event in his life with his close friends. Piper has the hardest time with trust as her reality soon becomes false and she is forced between killing her friends to save her father or kill her father to save her friends. She is weak and feels useless, As the story progresses and reaches its “to be continues…” ending , 3 heroes overcome their faults. Jason slowly regains memory and becomes a leader, Leo gains self confidence and Piper grows strong mentally, physically and in trust.
Reflection
I honestly could not out this book down! I was utterly heartbroken as my eyes absorbed the last few words. The idea is just so original and the author continues to take Greek mythology to higher and higher level. I love how the author writes. His characters appear so real as he jots them down with his words. I feel like he really got into character as he wrote. I adore Leo, he is my all time favorite character in this book and I praise Rick Riordan for how clearly he displayed Leo. I love Leo’s witty personalities and his wise cracks and random outbursts always had me smiling. The adventure knit together during the story is one to look forwards too. I found it interesting and pretty cool to learn about Jason’s past at the same time as he learned. I still enjoy the fact how Riordan gave the mighty gods such human like personalities. I was able to relate with than more than what a true god might seem like. Before I recommend this book to anyone I suggest they get familiar with the Percy Jackson series. The camps, the gods, the character will be more familiar if that series is read first. Trust me when I saw there will be absolutely no disappointment concerning the Percy Jackson series. In my opinion this series is in my top three of favorite books series. So, if anyone is interested adventure and some geek mythology this epic book is definitely a winner.
Word count: 540
Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
No comments:
Post a Comment