Mulling On Monday #16/Mission Re-Read The YA Book Shelf

Overall, 3 Stars

So, now that things are more back to normal, I am going to be able to write more often. Yay. 

  Anyways, so for my first re-appearance, Monday Mulling is back! (This is also technically the Young Adult Mission, but for now it’s mixed) And the best part is, it’s back with a new series. Well, technically, the last book in the series, but nevertheless, it’s a new book with quite a buzz about it.

  Any guesses?

  So this series. I loved the first novel. Absolutely, without a doubt, loved it. Caught my attention and brought me to the dystopian genre. It was dark, it had a sense of ‘what-if’ reality, the characters shone. It was a great thing. So I was very excited for the second one.

  The second one, I disliked. Almost extremely so. I was less than impressed with the writing and character development. I found the plot too rushing, with little time to breathe- and not in a good way.

  As for the third one. There was so much hype and excitement for it. I thought the author would redeem themselves and fix everything that they had done wrong in the second one. After all, I waited anxiously for a year +.

  Did that happen?

  Quite frankly, no. I was actually really upset with the author, and felt that the third one was no where near redeemable. The first one was the best and the author couldn’t touch that. Which is sad to say, and I really hate to say it.

  Overall, the series is a great idea, and the first book makes it to the five star list. But the other two left me feeling so disjointed and disappointed that the series, overall, only gets three stars. That’s saying something.

  How did I even find this series?

  I admit, I saw it on Stephanie Meyer’s site. This was when Twilight was low-key and not as over-the-top as it is now. It was a good suggestion, and I am glad that I have read this series, I’m just disappointed with the last two.

  Anybody figure out what series this is?

  It’s The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

   On that note, here is the rest of the review, book by book.

  The Hunger Games

5 Stars

  This novel I was over the top impressed with. Great characters, a good pace, amazing story idea that is very haunting. Everything about this novel was lovely. I really liked the idea of the dystopian world. It’s changed my way of thinking, quite literally.

  What I thought was so great was the set up. Everything was well paced, the timing impeccable, and she knew how to get the readers on the edge of their seats.

  And while I wished the book was longer, just for more reading time, I feel that the novel was the right size for what Collins wanted to give us. Everything was nicely in it’s place, and she knew what she was doing.

  What I didn’t like in this novel was the ending. I was surprised to see such a cliff-hanger, but I took it in stride and immediately looked up when the next novel was coming out.

  Other than that, this book is highly enjoyable and I would recommend it.

Katniss is a sixteen year old girl living in a world of danger and foul-play. But it’s not from the foreboding woods and the people she lives with ; it’s the Capitol, a pro-apocalypse controlling government that has taken over the ruins of North America and turned it into a running, controlled Panem, where all is restricted.

But to get respect for what they have so graciously done, and to put down any rebellions like District 13, who has been blown to bits, The Capitol holds games. The Hunger Games.

Twenty four kids, two from each district are sent into a world-simulated area to kill each other. The rules are simple; be the last to survive. And that is Katniss’ plan.

In a novel raw with emotion and power, The Hunger Games is sure to please, and make you think about true government corruption.

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published: September 14th, 2008

Page Count: 384

ISBN: 0439023483    (isbn13: 978-0439023481)

Catching Fire

3 Stars

  This novel, I had to read and re-read about four times to finally even enjoy it.

  There is just something off about this novel, which I feel, is the beginning of the downfall of the series. It’s fast-paced, yes, but, too fast, where it feels like you don’t even have time to process what has just happened two pages ago. Things appear and disappear randomly. It feels disjointed and not properly planned out.

  The characters undergo some development, but I feel like there was not enough for this sequel.

  What I did like was the introduction of the threat of Snow. He was a major threat before, but in this her seems even more frightening. He’s not a nice guy, to be sure.

  What I also liked was that the Quarter Quell was involved. However, this one is a mixed case for me, because I feel like it was too set up, to ‘on-purpose’. It just annoyed me a little.

  Overall, disappointing for me, but alas, these things happen.

In the next book of the Hunger Games series, this novel goes through the ‘after-life’ of the two winners of the Hunger Games. However, winning is no longer just a luxurious home, food on the table, and money in your hand. The Capitol is not exactly pleased with how the last Games turned out, and they are determined to  let the two winners know.

In a fearful, fast paced sequel to the first novel, this is one novel that will answer some questions; and pose some more.

 

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published: September 1, 2009

Page Count: 400

ISBN: 0439023491   (isbn13:978-0439023498)

Mockingjay

2 1/2 Stars

  In the highly anticipated final novel to end The Hunger Games series, this novel is fast paced with unexpected twists and turns that are compelling. It wraps up the series and answers many of the questions posed after finishing the last novel. Who will Katniss end up with? What happened to everybody? What will the Capitol do?

  And that is probably the nicest thing I can say about this novel. Perhaps I’m just bitter about being disappointed again with this series, but I was actually angry with the novel. I spent how long waiting for it, and then how long reading it? I give up my time and money to read an author’s work. If they don’t give, then I believe I have a reason to be a little upset.

  Endless killing. Hopeless suspense. An ending that suddenly stops the blurring of action. What???

  The characters that had been so meticulously developed ending up meaning little to nothing because they change so much in this novel.

  Which brings to the the idea that this is a pure war novel. And that Katniss’ life and her feeling mean next to nothing in this. They could have killed her off for all I care, I was so upset.

  So. Here is the novel that I am extremely disappointed in. Collins, I am very upset with you, and expected so, so, SO much more from you. The story had such potential, everything had amazing potential and something that could be so useful, but I felt you threw it away. And thus, I am both saddened and angry.

  Overall, a major disappointment.

In the final book of the series, this novel is fast paced and desperate. With enough power to answer the remaining questions, and enough creativity to give new life to the characters, the last novel is a rocky and emotional ride.

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published: August 24, 2010

Page Count: 400

ISBN: 0439023513   (isbn13:978-0439023511)

So that is that. Hope that you had a better experience with these novels.

Mulling on Monday #12

   3 Stars 

   So, here we are again, at another week. As of tomorrow, it will be three weeks until the official start of summer. The crowd cheers…yay. 

  Anyways, so for my ‘Monday Mulling’ moment, I have chosen to go a little outside of the box and go with a play, rather than an actual novel. Still. It is a classic, and is part of a few school English curriculum. 

  No, not Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (though that could be a valid option), rather, it is The Merchant of Venice. 

  A classic in any means, with a beautiful story line and marvelous speeches (The quality of mercy is not strain’d,/ It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven/Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest…) that are inspiring, and, once you can get past the Shakespearian wording and phrasing, then it is quite the story. 

  What I like about it is the dramatics. My, oh, my, how they go on and on in the most entertaining way, the sighing and everything that you have come to expect from a classic Shakespearian piece. The characters are not necessarily relatable, but they do represent somewhat of the population in that era. 

  The commentary! The presentation! (See? Dramatic.)And Shakespeare’s nerve to publish such a work is great.   

  What I did not like about this work was the fact that none of the characters are the sharpest tool in thy tool shed. Not really like-able, and they have the tendency to actually make you really upset, like the girl in the horror film that you scream at to not open the door. But what does she do? Open the door. This can be increasingly frustrating, especially when you just know what is being door number one. 

  I know that I had little to no issues reading the regular script, but I do know that many people struggle with the dialogue and the hidden meanings. 

  I realize that this was written hundreds of years ago, when racist and sexist were not words, but I did struggle with the way some of the characters were treated. This is also part of why the characters were not likable. 

  I also did not like the ending. I wish that it could have been a little more twisted, a little more un-predictable. But no, I did not get what I wanted. 

  Overall, a good work, but lacking in some essential areas. 

A classic work from Shakespeare.   

This is the tale of what friends will do for friends, what enemies will do to their enemies, and what lovers will do to their heart’s desires.

This is the battle for love, for allies, for enemies. It tells us how bitterness will lead us nowhere but ruin, and love will bring a smile to one’s eyes.  

It was a simple deal that was supposed to result in love and happiness, but instead triggered a landslide of anguish and dashed hopes. A debt to be paid. A pound of flesh. The chain of events that lead up to the moment in court when the deal must be followed through, and a friend must save another.  

 

  

Author: William Shakespeare

Published: January 1st 2004 by Washington Square Press (first published 1600)

Page Count: 228

ISBN: 0743477561    (isbn13: 9780743477567)

Mulling on Monday #10

3 Stars

It’s double digits for Monday Mulling now! Crazy how far this little project of mine has come, and the dimensions I have added to it. Sure, it’s only been a couple of months, but it’s still really, really neat.

Alright, so I read this a while ago and decided that it was high time I reviewed it.  It’s Girl With a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier, a novel that has been acclaimed, and even added into some schools as part of the English curriculum. It’s a simple and unique read, with the topic being about art and the behind the scenes of how the piece was made; after all, everybody recognizes it, even if nobody really knows the why behind it.

This book was on my ‘to read’ list before I started it. I think that I wanted to read it because of the topic; it sounded different, historic, and sounded like a novel that I might enjoy because of the ‘behind the scenes of history’ aspect.

However, by the end, I was a little disappointed.

It is not as compelling as I had hoped when I started the novel; as a matter of fact, it is sort of dull, in a sad way. For a novel that I had been waiting to read for a while, it was a very big let down.

For one, it was slow. It was also very much predictable, which made me angry at some points. When I read a novel, I do not want to read to the end just to see if what I thought was going to happen was right. I want to be kept guessing at every turn, and have all of my ideas about what is going to happen proved wrong. Sadly, this did not happen for me.

I also found some of the book to be vague and blotchy. I felt like I was missing pages sometimes, only to flip back & realize that no, it was not just me.

And, of course, my always-there-nitpick: the ending.  Random.  Strange. Just not good. Could have been done way better than it was, but sadly, was not.

What I did like, however, was the easy pace of the story, with the tension just in the right places. I also really liked Griet, other than her weird thing about her hair. But even then, she is relatable.  She is real. She is a normal sixteen year old in the 17^th century, struggling with life. It is something that any teen girl can relate with, even with the different day and age.

Overall, disappointing for me, but for others interested in the story behind the paining, it offers a pretty good look behind the curtain.

Griet’s life is changing faster than she thought would ever happen. After her father’s accident, she finds herself the family rock, and the only source of income. There is but one problem; she is a maid in a catholic household, in a town that is mostly protestant. Forced to live with her clever and pinching mistresses, and her secretitive painter master, Griet has a hard time adjusting. But this is only the beginning of a hard and strange life that will lead into decisions that might cost Griet everything she’s worked for.

Author: Tracy Chevalier

Published: August 30th 2005 by Plume (first published January 200)

Page Count:256

ISBN: 0452287022    (isbn13: 9780452287020)

Mission Re-Read The YA Book Shelf: Night World Series

Overall, 2 ½ – 3 Stars

Okay, so I was pretty much forced to read this by my friend, who thought I would enjoy it.  And it’s been a while since I have done a mission post. Oops. Note that this is not because I have been slacking on the mission, it is because I have been reading and not reviewing. Again, oops.

So. This series. I read it. It was okay. I know that there are plenty of people who fell in love with this series, and absolutely were enthralled with it, but I, for one, was not impressed. Maybe it is because I am half-sick of vampire are werewolves and crazy witches and strange forbidden/secret circles, but either way you put it, I was not happy with this series.

The writing was okay; mediocre, and so much like all the other YA novels I have read, that it was kind of like, yes, okay, I get it now.

What bugged me a little was the fact that you read one novel (they are all together, three to a volume, three volumes so far), you skipped right over to an entirely different story with different characters, different plot, but similarities like, oh! Boys. Typical ‘love is forever…and you are my soulmate and we will never be parted!’ It’s getting old real quick.

What really, really, irritated me was the strange similarities between Twilight and these novels. I had to flip to the original publishing date to see who was copying who. And, Stephenie? That would be you. Sorry.

I also, again found it hard to follow. The only thing that connected them was the whole ‘secret society’ and the ‘end of the world’. That kinda blew it for me. I knew it was an older series, but I had to laugh that here I am, ten years later. I seem pretty much alive at this point, so the apocalypse in 2000 is a little old. It’s 2012 now, just so you know.

What I did like about the novels were some of the characters. They seemed (for the majority of the stories) well rounded and realistic…other than the whole supernatural part. The stories (again, for the most part) well well written, even if I am weary of the supernatural teenager/vampire/witch/werewolf/whatever.

Overall, I think that this review may be a little biased due to my frustrations with the YA fad right now, but once I push all that away, this series is okay. Not fantastic, but okay.

Secret Vampire

Poppy is a popular, raven-haired girl who loves her summer fun. But that is all turned upside down when she suddenly gets sick, and it’s not what anybody could ever imagine; Poppy has terminal cancer. When she is visited by James, her best friend he reaches out to her; as a vampire. He can save her.

But it goes against everything the Nightworld laws lay out.

In the opening novel of the Nightworld series, it gives the rules that must never be broken; and what happens when you break them.

Published: June 1st 1996

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551337    (isbn13: 9780671551339)

Daughters of Darkness

Mary-Lynette loves to watch the stars. She always has; they are an escape, and her telescope lets her see far off into other worlds. One day, she sees into a different world alright. She sees what she thinks is a murder.

However, it’s just three vampire sisters burying their mysteriously-killed aunt. The sisters, Rowan, Kestral, and Jade are just trying to live ‘normal’ teenage lives, but when their aunt dies, and Mary-Lynette sees, it just becomes that much more difficult. It gets harder when their brother is sent to bring them back, and he slowly starts to fall for the human.

In a world where falling for humans is against the law, and loving an immortal seems impossible, can the two forgive and be soulmates? Or will the laws make that impossible?

Published: August 1st 1996

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 0671551345    (isbn13: 9780671551346)

Spellbinder

Thea and Blaise are cousins that are closer than sisters. They have always been together. But they are different as day and night, especially in their circles. For the two girls are witches.

Thea belongs to Circle Twilight, for the Glinda-type witches and Blaise belongs to Circle Midnight, for the ones that want a little more darkness.

The two become strained when they both fall for the same boy, and black and white magic flies, and there can be only one winner.

Published: October 1st 1996

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551353    (isbn13: 9780671551353)

Dark Angel

When Gillian is rescued from death by a guardian angel, all seems okay. And that much better when the angel says he can teach  the shy girl how to be noticed and become popular…which could capture David’s – the handsome boy she has had a crush on for ages – attention, making her a star.

But things get frightening when the angel grows dark and starts making demands that just might kill her.

Published: December 1st 1996

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551361    (isbn13: 9780671551360)

The Chosen

Rachel is vampires worst fear; armed with her special wooden stake,extreme martial arts knowledge, and he ability to resist mind-control, she is something from hell for the vampire. Fueled with a vengeance to revenge her mother’s death, She tries to kill as many vampires as possible;it’s what she knows.

What she doesn’t know is that when love forms, it does not matter what form the other person takes. Your worst enemy just could be your soulmate.

Published: February 1st 1997

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 067155137X    (isbn13: 9780671551377)

Soulmate

Hannah Snow is put together. Pretty, good grades, good friends, dreams of a good career. She is ready and prepared for life.

She is not prepared for the handwritten notes warning her ‘dead before seventeen’…in her handwriting.

When she goes to a  psychologist, she assumes it will all stop, and not get worse. Instead, she gets visions, and memories of other lives; her lives. But in each one she sees a vampire who killed a village in his rage. Until, in the eyes of a dying human girl, he recognized his soulmate.

Now Theirry is back, ready to make amends and get Hannah.

When your destiny is death, repeated a hundred times over, can love save you?

Published: April 1st 1997

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551388    (isbn13: 9780671551384)

Huntress

Jez Redfern is a vampire, through and through. The leader of a notorious vampire gang that hunts them, vermin, humans, she is comfortable with her brutality and strength.

Her world is turned upside down, however, when she finds out that although she is a vampire, she is only half of one. The other half is human. Vermin.

Her world blown out of the water, Jez leaves her gang to do what she thought she would never even think about -protect the humans. This means even hunting and killing what half of her self is.

But when Circle Daybreak sends her on a search for one of the legendary Wild Powers, Jez has to rejoin her old gang; and avoid her old ways. They welcome her back with open arms – especially her old second-in-command, Morgead. Desperate to stay faithful to the human she loves, she clings as hard as she can to humanity.

But when you find your soulmate, it’s hard to resist. Like the other part of herself she is resisting; the huntress who is thirsty for blood.

Published: September 1st 1997

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 0671014757    (isbn13: 9780671014759)

Black Dawn

When Maggie’s brother goes missing, something in his girlfriend’s story does not make sense. So when Maggie digs a little deeper, she captured, and told she is a slave.

She finds herself in a mountainous kingdom where humans are slaves to vampires, witches, and shape shifters.  The world that has no color. A world with danger.

Between escaping with her blind companion Aradia, Maiden of all the Witches, and discovering that she is the long-looked-for Deliverer, the prophesied liberator of the human slaves of this strange land, things just keep getting complicated.

It does not help when the young vampire prince Delos falls for her.

Determined to find out what happened to her brother, determined to escape, determined to resist Delos and his dark promises. She will do all she can, even if it destroys her.

Published: November 1st 1997

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671014765    (isbn13: 9780671014766)

Witchlight

Keller is a shape-shifter. Her ability to turn into a panther makes her strong, a fighter. One of the best in Circle Daybreak. That is why her and her team must find the last wild-power and lost witch child. That is why when they find Iliana Harman, who is supposed to be her, Keller is bemused. She is soft-hearted, sweet, and a little ditzy. Not exactly prime Nightworld material.

It makes the fact that Galen – Keller’s soulmate – has to marry this girl, as he is the prince of the Shapeshifters And as the Witch Child, she’s been prophesied to marry the him to cement an alliance between the witches and ‘shifters, a little hard to swallow.

Keller has to forget about that though, when they find out that they are not the only ones who are looking for Iliana; and that a dragon has been unleashed to find her.

A day in the life of the now-dangerous Nightworld.

Published: January 1st 1998

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671014773    (isbn13: 9780671014773)

Strange Fate

(Note – this novel is slated for release sometime this year, or next year.)

The long-awaited final novel in the Nightworld series.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Strange finds life a mass of contradictions.
She’s an ordinary-looking girl, and yet two of the most popular guys at school form her circle of friends.  Kierlan Drache and Mal Harman, who are as unalike as any two people can be.  That ought to make her happy, but recently she’s been having romantic feelings about each of them—and has seen two silver cords: one reaching from her to Kierlan, and one from her to Mal.  What’s going on?  In addition, every night she dreams of a future where dragons and vampires rule the world, and of a brave child called Crispy.  For a girl who hasn’t even heard of the Night World yet, Sarah has a lot to handle!  Even worse, the Apocalypse has finally come—and even the Wild Powers see only one way to stop it.  This is an epic volume, which stars all the most beloved Night Worlders from the other books. Be prepared, though, because seven go on a mission to save the world . . . and only two come back.

- From http://www.ljanesmith.net/booklist.php

Published: April 26th 2011

Page Count: 528

ISBN: 1416986774    (isbn13: 9781416986775)

Whew. That took some effort. Onto the next mission. Next series. Next adventure.

Monday Mulling #3

2 1/2 Stars

So, in light of the recent mission that I am working on, and the fact that I am reading more YA books than I am Adult (thus driving my sanity to the limit sometimes…the writing can get quite…juvenile), means that, yet again, I will be mulling over yet another YA novel. At first I considered doing The Grouchy Ladybug…then I realized that it was a children’s book, and not a YA. Oops. My bad. Please excuse my sudden loss of sanity.

Therefore, say hello to Just Ella, a novel by Margaret Peterson Haddix. A story that has re-mixed the well-known fairy-tale of Cinderella…but this is the after story. This is the story where Ella is being primed to be a princess, and a beautiful wife to the prince who she met at the ball. We all know how that went down. But what if she did not like the happily-ever-after? This is the story that explores that option.

It is hard to say what I liked about this book, other than the idea, really. The idea was lovely, captivating, different. But how the author presented the idea and how it was pursued it was not great.

As for what I did not like, I just did not like the book. The storyline was iffy, the idea not executed well, and the ending…abrupt. I had hoped for a sequel so that I could understand, but it never happened. The book just ended. Just like that, with Ella like “Well, I’m here now, so I suppose I can just stay here. And what’s his face can do his own thing while I’m here…” Really? No.

I lied. I like something else; I did like the book cover. I found it to be most interesting, and very pretty.

Ella has done what every girl in the country has wished for; she has won the prince’s hand, and she is becoming a princess.

But its not all its cracked up to be.

Ella has decided that perhaps this life is not for her. She is not allowed to do anything, her lessons are ridiculous, and her life is very bland. She misses the sun, and the freedom she has as a commoner. The prince is also dull and not very bright.

When she decides to escape, everything fall apart. Can she get out of the life that is slowly boring her to death?

Author:  Margaret Peterson Haddix

Published: June 1st 2002 by Simon and Schuster (first published 1999)

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0689851979    (isbn13: 9780689851971)

Quick Review: Pride and Prejudice

4 Stars

A classic novel? What? Yes, I read a classic novel. And I highly enjoyed it. Highly.

While some people have told me that reading classics is very hard, I find that I have to disagree; after all, the story lines are the same, the language no different. It’s a story about love, hate, and the barriers that people rip down to get what they truly want; and what they get at the end.

So, on that note, what I liked about the book was the characters, the way that the story climaxed, and the way it was built up to the said climax.

What I did not like was the long, dreary parts where I had to force myself through, and the parts that were really unessential and unnecessary.

But, overall I really enjoyed this classic; and I enjoyed it more than I thought. I read everything (for the most part) with ease, and found the story enticing.

When the rich and handsome come to your town, you will do anything to capture their hand…even if it’s for your daughters. That is exactly the plan that Mrs. Bennett has for her girls. Jane wins the heart quickly of Mr. Bingley, due to her mother’s plots and schemes. However, Mr. Darcy…Lizzy finds herself twisted up in a hateful relationship, but that’s all due to change…

In a classic novel that tells the  most classic love story other than Romeo and Juliet. Beautifully written, and written in the old-english tone, this novel is and always will remain a classic story about how two people who hated each-other fell in love.

Author: Jane Austen

Published: January 30th 2002 by Penguin Classics (first published 1813)

Page Count: 480

ISBN: 0141439513    (isbn13: 9780141439518)