Do you like to read?

Good. So do I. What started out as a place where I posted reviews, thoughts, and suggestions surrounding mostly young adult fiction has now turned into my personal venting space. I'm going to review books. I'm going to be honest. And I'm going to be snarky. You've been warned.







Nov 23, 2011

Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is an interesting piece of fiction. I guess it was rated one of the best 100 books of 2011 by Amazon (if that really means anything). I never read Before I Fall, her debut novel, which also made some lists, so this was my first whirl with Oliver. Whirl. I like that.

 
Set in some sort of close future, Delirium lets the reader in on a world where love is considered a disease, and it must be cured. Amor deliria nervosa the disease is called. At eighteen, people are required to "get the cure," an operation that makes them ultimately different people. One might say boring, or distant. Then, their whole future is pretty much decided. Before the operation, boys and girls are not allowed to mingle and there are strict curfews. Lena is just months away from her operation and actually can't wait. Considering the history of her family, she sees the cure as a way of being normal.

But oh wait, something happens! Can you guess what it is? Yep, she meets a boy (Alex), and then the world as she always knew it goes up in smoke. You know, the typical stuff. Fall in love, and then find out your whole world has been a huge lie. There is a true awakening, like a good 'ol dystopia novel should have. It kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games -- maybe because I just read it. Lena and Katniss both have obvious awakening moments and both worlds are being controlled by powerful forces. But there's no fighting to the death in Delirium.

This was one of the most infuriating books I've read in a long time. It was well written and thought out, but so much happened in this story. It was easy to follow and easy to see where it was going, but I was still so angry. Things built up slowly, and then revelations started to occur, and then bigger ones, and then it ended. Wait, it ended? Just like that!? WTF

And then I found out that this is the first book in a trilogy. Oh, well that makes more sense. And the second book, Pandemonium, doesn't come out until March. *#%$! Then, finally, in 2013, the third book will be released. Needless to say, finding all of that out only further pissed me off. But that's to be expected, I get angry with trilogies.

Though it might be cheesy at times (what young adult book isn't?) and I'm sick of reading about girls who think they're normal and have gorgeous friends to rub it in their face until they find a guy who digs them instead, the premise was still so interesting that I had to keep reading. So read Delirium if you may, but just be prepared to wait a few years to finish the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This book also kind of reminded me of this movie. No dancing + no fun = rebellion





Kevin Bacon, you win

Nov 20, 2011

Mockingjay (and The Hunger Games Trilogy)

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins concludes with Mockingjay. I read all three books (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) consecutively. The were easy to become lost in and it was impossible to not want to know what was going to happen next.

With that said, Mockingjay was my least favorite book. Catching Fire was somewhat predictable and slow-moving, and left all of the action for the end of the book, but it still had me flipping pages late into the night. The Hunger Games was by far the best (which I talked about here).


Now back to Mockingjay. I liked how this book neatly wrapped up the trilogy. It seemed like a real ending. I liked how people got what was coming to them, and I liked how there were consequences. But (and there's always a but), some of the deaths of characters seemed to come out of no where, like they only happened to make Katniss go a little crazier. Also, the action in Mockingjay just didn't measure up to the two books. It wasn't always easy to follow, either, and felt kind of forced. Though I liked how it ended, some of the characters just dropped off the face of the planet. Did Katniss really never talk to them again?? I didn't buy it. But it is what it is, and I still read it, didn't I?

As a whole, these three books, collectively, made up an excellent series. The movie looks interesting, too. This trailer is better than the last one I shared. And it pretty much sums up the whole first book, so I guess if you watch it, you'll be all set...



I'm super excited for Woody Harrelson to play Haymitch. Squee!