Review: The Fault in Our Stars

I've heard mixed things about the cover
I actually really like it.... but then again I am
a sucker for minimalist things.

Like a lot of people I was waiting for The Fault in Our Stars with baited breath. So when I finally got my hands on my copy I dropped my life (school and everything) and read the book in under four hours. And it was beautiful.

There were certain points in the novel that were hard to read, but I pushed forth because I was in love with the characters. Even though everything looked grim and I thought there was no way Hazel Grace was going to get her happy ending, I pushed through because I loved her. I loved her and I loved Augustus Waters and I didn't want to leave them behind. I needed to see the story through.

The novel follows Hazel Grace, a sixteen year old girl who also happens to be a cancer patient. Her parents force her to go to support group where she meets Augustus Waters. The rest of the book follows their story together and how they support each other and just how deeply Augustus affects Hazel's life. Saying anymore would be to spoil the book, which I don't want to do (I mean look at my summary of the book, it leaves so much out), because I want you to read it. This book is not a Twilight book, yes, there is a romantic element, and yes Augustus does change Hazel's life, but the love story in this novel is just right. Hazel is not cured because he loves her, Hazel grows from her experiences and meeting Augustus just happens to be one of them.

John's writing style is hard to describe. Read, when she finished the book described it as "the writing of that kid in school who managed to absorb everything that they ever taught you." This is pretty true. John references philosophy, literature, religion and many others. You would think that this would sound pretentious, but it does not. John Green's voice (and that of Hazel's) has this extremely human quality to it.

John Green manages to write a story about cancer, where cancer is not the central character, central plot point and it does not invoke emotions because it's expected to. This book feels real, like it could have happened or one day might.

Thank you John, thank you for writing this.

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

I love this cover... I think it's the colours

The best way I can describe Daughter of Smoke and Bone is that it's refreshing.

The book follows Karou, a young woman going to art school in Prague. There is much more to her then one would guess, her blue hair isn't dyed, but actually is "naturally" blue, and the fantastical sketches in her notebook might not actually be fantastical. Oh, and she can speak a ridiculous amount of languages... more than any normal seventeen year old would have learned... and can I point out that not all of them are human.

Karou's family is made up of Chimera, creatures that appear to be animal/human hybrids. Her father figure is Brimstone, a creature known as the Wishmonger, who trades wishes for teeth (human and animal). Karou has no idea why Brimstone collects teeth, but shrugs it off as a weird hobby. Karou's world shatters when one night, the secret door to Brimstone's world is destroyed in a fiery inferno.

Laini Taylor spins a fantastic tale, creating a believable world filled to the brim with interesting mythology. She goes about this in a rather effective way giving her reader just enough of the background to make them feel like they are in a world that does exist... that has some history to it, and that drives the reader to keep reading to find out more because they truly want to learn. What we find out is that there is another world where the Angels and the Chimera have battled for as long as either side can remember. Karou has no idea about what her family comes from and what is happening in their world even though she runs errands for Brimstone.

Taylor takes the idea of magic and creates an interesting spin on how it works. From what I have seen and read there has been a movement away from the Disney-ifed concept of magic and a spike in the idea that magic will have a price. This book is no exception. The magical system in this book is clever and works in the world of the story adding to the feeling that this is one compact functioning world.

The other thing that was really done well was the portrayal of love, relationships and sex. I find that in a lot of teen literature sex tends to be portrayed in a couple of reoccurring fashions: 

1. Sex either DOES NOT exist, is never mentioned or alluded to. The culmination of the character's romantic experiences end with a kiss or an embrace. 

2. The other route teen novels tend to follow is mentioning sex just to mention sex. Sexuality becomes a shock factor. The equivalent of "Hey Mom look what I'm reading!" 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone mentions sex, and it does so rather early in the book. But it works. It's part of the character, used to add another layer to her. The same can be said for relationships. Karou has a love interest, but she NEVER drops the ball to run off and be with him. At one point she tells him that she will choose her family over him if the decision ever came down to it. I was blown away.

I loved this book and I couldn't put it down. Taylor shows herself to be a strong writer and manages to tell a story full of love and heartbreak in one of the most believable fashions that I've seen in a while. If you love your paranormal romances, your urban fantasy or your regular fantasy or maybe are just looking for an enjoyable read that breaks from tradition then I recommend this book.

AFTER THOUGHT: According to Laini Taylor's blog the movie rights to this book have been sold to Universal. I'm a little bit iffy on the idea of making this book a movie. I believe that it could be visually stunning, as long as it's not given the Twilight treatment and just pumped out to be another teen paranormal romance movie. This book is so much more, and I hope if it does become a movie it won't be simplified.

REVIEW: World War Z

World War Z by Max Brooks

To start this review off, I'm going to clear something up about yours truly and zombies. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love them, but I hate how they tend to keep me up for most of the night staring at my closet with a slight look of concern. I really wanted to read this book, but I didn't know if I would be able to get through it. Lucky enough for me, my lovely Christmas present of a Kindle came preloaded with a bunch of books. I thought what the heck, might as well give this book a try. So here we go:


World War Z is a collection of people's experiences during the Great Panic and the War against the Zombies. The book covers people from many countries, ethnicities and ages. Some of the stories are horrific, some creepy, some heartwarming and all paint an interesting picture of humanity. My view on this book is mixed. I loved the idea of it. It was clever, it wasn't scary, but it was creepy. I did have some wonderful zombie themed nightmares during the process of this book. Some of the stories were more effective then others. 

My major problem with the book was the length. I feel the book could have been a little shorter. I understand what the author was trying to do including all of the stories he did. He wanted to make the reader see as many different view points (from serious to minor) to help make the story believable. The book could easily pass off as a textbook, but even though this is one of the books major strengths, it also is the books major weaknesses. There comes a point as you're reading it when you just think I get the point already.

I like the different interviews, and even though the reader doesn't get to build a complete connection with all the interviewees, their voices are real and their stories help create the Zombie World. 

If you're a Zombie lover, or even if you love a good survival story, this book is a good pick for you. I just recommend you take the story in pieces, read a few interviews at a time. But other than that, it's a good read.