Catching Fire

Hello avid readers! So today I was looking at my blog and noticed that I have made a mistake. My July review that was titled Catching Fire and had the picture of Catching Fire was really The Hunger Games. Don't worry the information was correct and I adjusted the post to display the correct title and picture. But it got me thinking that I haven't reviewed the second book in the Hunger Games series (titled Catching Fire) so my error turned into a review!

Characters: Katniss Everdeen: co-winner of the Hunger Games/member of District 12/a threat to the Capitol's power
Peeta Mellark: co-winner of the Hunger Games with Katniss/in love with Katniss/is trying to protect his family from the Capitol's wrath
Haymitch Abernathy: mentor of Katniss and Peeta/trying to keep the Capitol's agents from hurting the new champions/has a secret agenda
Gale: Katniss's best friend/contemplates resisting the Capitol/is also in love with Katniss
President Snow: President of the Capitol/trying to quell the resistance/threatened by Katniss Everdeen

The Plot: Catching Fire picks up almost exactly where The Hunger Games left off. Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12 and are poised for a life of luxury. Or so they thought. On the eve of their cross country tour in order to show off the new Hunger Games champions, Katniss gets a surprise visit from President Snow. His threatening arrival reveals to Katniss in her heart which she already knew: rebellion against the Captiol's wicked ways have begun, and at the center of it, her defiant gesture against the Captiol at the end of the games. The only way that Katniss can save herself, her family and all of District 12 is to prove to the world that she did what she did because she loved Peeta and couldn't bear to live without him. But as Katniss goes on her Victory Tour, she must face the truth about the Capitol, about Peeta, and about how far she will go to save what she loves most.

What I liked: Catching Fire was a fantastic sequel to The Hunger Games. Often, it is hard for sequels to live up to their predecessors but in this instance, this was not the case. Collins spun a flawless tale of deception, resistance, love, violence and self-realization that cannot compare to other novels out in the market. Part of the reason that Catching Fire was so great, at least in my mind, was because it seemed as if Collins had a plan. Too often, sequels are thought of after the original is published because the author wants to drain the last coin out of a dying series (Shrek anyone?). However, in this case, I felt as if the entire time Suzanne Collins knew exactly what she was doing. Every detail was meticulously planned, like the encounter with Rue's parents and it would have been impossible to write such a great novel if while writing The Hunger Games, she wasn't thinking about the next addition. I would compare it to the Harry Potter novels in that way, because J.K. Rowling brought back events from the first novel that I had forgotten about and wove them back into the final novel. That takes thought-out planning and it creates a novel so much more intricately woven and elaborate than a cut and dry sequel.

What I didn't like: I don't like Katniss's relationship with Gale for a couple of reasons. First, I think it is unrealistic. Katniss knows that by being with Gale, she puts her family, Gale's family, Peeta's family, Gale and Peeta in danger. She is too smart for that and so I doubt that she would be willing to take that risk. Second, I just like Peeta better. He understands her on a level Gale will never be able to comprehend. This is not a dig against Gale. Peeta was with Katniss in the arena; Gale wasn't. Gale will never be able to truly get what Katniss went through: Peeta is the only one who can do that. Plus, I just like Peeta better. So if I was going to turn this into a Twilight reference, I would have to say that I am firmly on Team Peeta. But that is only if I wanted this to be a Twilight reference.

Overall: 9.5 out of 10. Suzanne Collins once again delivers, and I for one cannot wait until the final Hunger Games novel, Mockingjay, comes out on August 22nd.

Giant Post Day

Well I'm back! Did you miss me blogworld? Actually I got back from San Francisco a few days ago but I have kind of been putting off writing my next review. But before I get to why I am filled with such trepidation with writing this review, I want to share a very special book nerd adventure that occurred while I was in San Francisco!

I visited the City Lights Bookstore! Woooo! That's great Augusta but what's the big deal? Well the City Lights Bookstore is one of the most famous bookstores in all of America. While not only being one of the last successful, privately-owned bookstores in the country, City Lights also has a rich and famous history. City Lights has always been a "stick to the man" kind of book store if you will pardon the School of Rock reference. Specializing in stirring up political change, City Lights took their beliefs to a whole new level when the store published a book called Howl. Now, in 1956 Howl was considered obscene, and the government arrested the author and publishers for spreading obscenity due to the book's depictions of homosexuality. But City Lights would not back down. Aided by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), City Lights fought the arrests and said that the refusal to distribute this book violated their First Amendment rights. It went all the way to the Supreme Court and City Lights and Howl won. This lead to an explosion of new, ground breaking literature that hadn't been published before and made City Lights a literary legend. So seeing the bookstore was a really cool moment for me and I actually made my profile picture me outside City Lights. So that is my San Francisco nerdtastic adventure.

Now on to why I have been putting off writing this review. It was because of the book I am going to review today The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. The truth is, I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the book and I was unsure of what to write in the blog. But without further ado, here we go.

Characters: Mikael Blomkvist: finacial writer/convicted for libel of banking tycoon Wennerstrom/hired by Henrik Vanger to find out the truth about Harriet Vanger
Lisbeth Salander: private investigator for Milton Security/is an expert computer hacker and excellent at getting information from anywhere/aids Blomkvist in his search for Harriet Vanger
Henrik Vanger: hires Blomkvist to find out what has happened to his niece Harriet Vanger who disappeared over forty years ago/ex CEO of Vanger Corporations/hates most of his family
Hans-Erik Wennerstrom: man who sues Blomkvist for libel/is attempting to destroy the Millenium, Blomkvist's old magazine/part of a crime circle that stretches over several continents

The Plot: Henrik Vanger has been plagued by the mystery of his favorite niece's disappearance for almost forty years. With no new leads for decades, the case has completely dried up and Henrik is aware that his time is limited. But the mystery still haunts him today. So in one last attempt to discover the truth about Harriet Vanger, he hires recently convicted of libel and soon to go to jail writer Mikael Blomkvist. Out of a job and out of options, Blomkvist reluctantly accepts and is thrown into a case decades old. The problem? The only suspects are Henrik's insane family who are all either dead or in their older years. Some don't even remember Harriet that clearly. In need of help, Blomkvist turns to Lisbeth Salander, a girl who can dig up information on just about anybody. With her aid, the two discover a mystery bigger than either one of them expected and learn that Harriet Vanger wasn't just a rich heiress with no problems in the world.

What I liked: The title. It was catchy.

What I didn't like: This is a forewarning to all of the people who like this book who are reading my blog. I am sorry but I just couldn't stand it. Apology in advance. So now to the meat of the novel. This may take a while. First off, the whole premise of the novel. Ruined writer has to solve decades cold murder to regain his honor and solve a decades old wrong. Not terrifically original but enticing enough. But then the novel starts. This may have been the most boring book I have ever read. It was certainly the most boring mystery novel I have ever read. So much of the novel was spent on Blomkvist and his fall from honor as a financial writer. I had multiple problems with this. First, Larsson stressed again and again how he was the only writer with "real detective instincts" who really looked at the big CEOs. Not realistic. Plus, Blomkvist was such a pompous, self-centered character who looked at every woman as some sort of object of his desires. Great mix for a main character. And anyway, this book is a MYSTERY NOVEL. Not a drawn out saga about a writer regaining his inner writing skills. So then we finally eighty pages in get to the real mystery. And we meet the overly messed up Vanger family. There were no characters besides Henrik Vanger that you could actually like. The family had rapists, murderers, Nazi supporters and crazy mothers. I could go into more detail but I really don't want to. So anyway I hated all of them making Blmokvist's dialogue with the family painful to read. But it's not like I was in too much pain because the next a hundred and fifty pages were about Blomkvist going on little adventures about the town and his gross, creepy relationships with all the women in the town. Don't get me started on him and Erika Berger (she's married for crying out loud) and with him and Lisbeth Salander (age difference-please!) So we finally, FINALLY get to some mystery details and it's so short and simple I kind of feel depressed while I'm reading it. Someone turns out to be part of a serial family of killers and rapists and its so disturbing I find it hard to believe. Larsson (SPOILERS AHEAD) wrote about how Harriet was raped and tortured by her father and brother. Disgusting and revolting. But she never mentioned it to anyone not even her beloved uncle. Also, no one knew in the entire family. I found that hard to believe no one figured it out; the family knew everyone else's business and every little detail but no one knew anything about Harriet. And Harriet was really alive the whole time to top off the ridiculousness. Want to know why? Because Larsson couldn't figure out how to kill her off. He had weaved a situation so impossible he had to cop out by making her be alive the whole time. And when the murderer was finally close to being apprehended, Larsson had him killed in a car accident because he didn't know how to deal with the fallout from the reality of the Harriet situation. Lastly, Lisbeth Salander. She made me mad as well. She gets assaulted by her new guardian multiple times and she "gets even" with him by tattooing and torturing him. Ridiculous. And personally I wasn't overly impressed by her skills. She can hack a computer. Wow. But the worst part? All the female characters in the story were a letdown. I couldn't cheer for any of them because they just let men abuse them time and time again and didn't want to take control of their lives. And the one woman that did (Salander) was so psychotic in her plan for revenge that I couldn't cheer for her either. So the cast of characters consisted of weak females and abusive males. Terrific literary material.

Overall: 2 out of 10. After all the great things I had heard about this book I tried so hard to over look all of its deficiencies. But the more I read the more the reader in me realized that this is not a good book and I can't see how people couldn't realize that. I am starting to realize that being a New York Times Bestseller doesn't exactly mean that it is a great novel.

Abarat

Hello blogosphere! Well today is officially the last blog I will be doing for a while because I am (finally) going on vacation! San Francisco here I come! Well anyways, I just finished the book Abarat by Clive Barker and I thought reviewing it would be good as long as it is fresh in my mind.

Characters: Candy Quackenbush: girl from Chickentown/travels via the Sea of Izabella to Abarat/is one of the first people to come to Abarat from the Hereafter in many years
John Mischief: is aided by Candy to escape from Mendelson Shape/has giant antlers where the heads of his eight brothers live/is a renowned thief
Christopher Carrion: Lord of Midnight/obsessed with finding Candy/has a glass helmet filled with nightmares that surround his face
Malingo: rescued from slavery by Candy/has some skill with magic/aides Candy in escaping Otto Houlihan
Otto Houlihan: aka Criss-Cross Man/Christopher Carrion's number one henchman/inspires fear into all who see him

The Plot: Candy Quackenbush is afraid her life isn't going anywhere. She lives in Chickentown, a slaughterhouse based community, she is hated by her teacher, who kicks her out of class as much as possible, and her father is a washed-up drunk who frequently hits her and her brothers. In short, Candy wants out. Badly. And one day, Candy gets her chance. After getting kicked out of class by Miss Schwartz (again), Candy walks to the edge of Chickentown in order to escape her mundane exsistance. However, just as she is about to turn around and go home to her normal life, John Mischief appears begging for her help escaping Mendelson Shape. Mischief and Shape aren't human; Mischief has antlers and Shape has swords fused to his body. In the process of helping Mischief escape, Candy gets swept to his magical homeland, Abarat. However, as soon as Mischief and Candy arrive at a safe stopping point, the two get separated and Candy is left to navigate this strange new land on her own. Along the way, Candy learns that she is more significant than she ever thought possible, and that Abarat is not as unfamiliar as she originally thought.

What I liked: Wow. That is literally all I can say. From start to finish, Abarat was a thrill ride that kept you guessing until the very end. But before I go further into the plot I just want to say the artwork in Abarat was amazing. Clive Barker drew every single picture in this book and each one was amazing. The pictures added so much to the story and made it so much more real yet abstract at the same time. With vibrant colors and creative ideas, these pictures were hard not to love, even if they could be a little dark and scary. Also, I liked the quirkiness of the book. Abarat was filled from start to finish with weird and strange ideas that shouldn't have worked all together. But because the world of Abarat was such an abstract place - the drawings, story lines, and characters all worked within the story in ways in which they normally couldn't.

What I didn't like: Nothing. I can't think of a single thing. Perhaps if I was getting extra extra super super picky, I could say that I didn't like how quickly Barker went from location to location. I wish I could have read more about each island. But it was essential for the story to be running from place to place as Candy was pursued so it was okay. And I satisfied my need for more information about the islands by reading the appendix at the back. Yes I know I'm a nerd but I wouldn't be writing this blog if I wasn't.

Overall: 9.9 out of 10. Amazing. Thrilling. Colorful. Dramatic. I would recommend this to anyone. I am fiercely upset that the next book doesn't come out until 2011.

Eragon

Hello everyone! Well I'm going to try to get a few more blogs in before I go to San Francisco (wahooo), so this might be the last blog for a little while. But I might sneak one in if I have time. So without further ado, Eragon by Christopher Paolini.

Characters: Eragon: the last dragon rider/rider of dragon Saphira/remaining hope of the Varden, a resistance group against the Empire
Brom: Eragon's mentor/a grumpy old man who is rather good with a sword/who is hiding a secret
Saphira: Eragon's dragon/one of the last of her kind/mentally connected with Eragon
Murtagh: man who saves Eragon/is a great fighter/helps Eragon and Saphira in their quest to reach the Varden
Arya: elf charged with protecting Saphira's egg/one of the only elves to leave their secret homeland/delegate between the elves and the Varden

The Plot: In times past, the Dragon Riders kept order in Alagaesia with their magic, fighting abilites, and diplomatic skills. But one rider, Galbatorix, turned against his fellow riders and destroyed almost the entire clan of Dragon Riders. Galbatorix only spared the riders who turned to his side, the Forswarn, and the dark riders built a new empire that Galbatorix commands. After the riders fell, Galbatorix destroyed every last dragon egg, preventing the riders from ever rising again. However, one egg was stolen back from Galbatorix and has been kept safe by the Varden, a resistance group against the Empire. Now, the egg has found its way into the hands of Eragon Garrowson, and has hatched, making Eragon the last rider. When the Ra'zac, Galbatorix's personal assassians, come looking for the egg, Eragon is forced to flee with Brom, a mysterious old man who knows the ways of the Dragon Riders and who agrees to train Eragon. The goal? Get Eragon and dragon Saphira to the Varden and enlist their help in fighting Galbatorix. The only thing standing their way? Thousands of miles of sand, rock, and mountains, and the entire Imperial army.

What I liked: I loved Brom. Your classic wise old man archetype (thank you English II for making me learn that word), Brom was a dynamic character who always gave Eragon sound wisdom and training. My most favorite scene from Eragon was when Brom and Eragon had their first sword fight and Eragon thought he would hurt Brom. He was in for a surprise. But this kind of comedic relief was present throughout the whole novel. I liked all the places that Paolini created. From the dwarf's home in the Beor Mountains to Gilead and Carvahall, all the places were interesting and each had distinct personalities and identities with their own dangers our heroes had to overcome. Overall, the novel was quick-paced and quick-witted, and also very well written; I can't deny Paolini's skill at weaving a story.

What I didn't like: Here is what bothers me about Eragon. I don't think Paolini broke any literary barriers when writing Eragon. It was just your classic hero's tale. The home attack and the journey, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. The Empire: Star Wars. Honestly, that is such a cliche. Evil Empire? Come on. Please. I wish Paolini could have thought of something more creative because I think he has the talent. And the Urgals felt like a twist on the Orcs from Lord of the Rings. I like a good reference to classic hero novels such as this but this felt almost like a copy and paste. Paolini's writing was underused here and I can't help but worry that Eragon may have to make a journey to a volcano to defeat Galbatorix.

Overall: I would give Eragon a 6 out of 10. Addicting yet commonplace. Engaging yet familiar. I can only hope that the next Inheritance Cycle novels have a bit more originality, but just as good writing.

Bras & Broomsticks

Hello avid readers! Today for my review I picked Bras & Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski because I felt like reviewing a fun, summery read! I hope you enjoy!

Characters: Rachel Wienstien: self proclaimed math nerd/sister to tween witch/desperately wants to be A list
Miri Wienstien: tween witch/karate champ/is nervous about using magic to solve Rachel's problems
Tammy: Rachel's new BFF/uses scuba hand signals to communicate/is always very supportive of Rachel and very perceptive
Raf Kosravi: Rachel's "secret" crush/extremely A-list/one of the only people in the school's talent show who is genuinely nice
STBSM, STBSMM, STBSGM: Standing for Soon to be step-monster, step minimonster, and step grandmonster/Rachel's new step family who is marrying her divorced father/who dislikes Miri and Rachel (feeling is completely mutual)

The Plot: Rachel Wienstien doesn't consider herself to be selfish. She just wants a few things in life. Her parents to get back together, to be A-list, to have an A-list boyfriend, to be prettier, to have her ex-BFF Jewel back and to be the most popular girl in school. Nothing too huge right? In all honesty it's probably a little far fetched. But when Rachel finds out that her sister Miri has magical powers, Rachel realizes that all of her dreams are suddenly possible. Date to the prom as a freshman? Yes. Knowledge downloaded instantly into her brain? Yes. The possibilities are endless. Only one problem. Miri won't use her magic to help Rachel, because their mom warned Miri that using too much magic only complicates lives. But Rachel will have none of that. Somehow, Rachel must figure out how to get Miri to use her magic for Rachel's gain and how to get some powers of her own!

What I liked: Bras & Broomsticks is one of the funniest novels I have ever read to date. It is so funny, that when I first read it, I was actually laughing out loud so often, my mom was laughing at me because I was laughing at a book. Nerdy right? Well I challenge anyone to read this book and not laugh out loud. Filled with hilarious acronyms, snide comments from Rachel, Miri, and the entire supporting cast, and endless amounts of magic mishap fun. When magic comes into play, the possibilities are endless: because magic doesn't exist, there's no limit to what can and cannot happen. Mlynowski didn't hold back as she delivered scenario after scenario that was funny, yet at the same time, dove deeper into Rachel and Miri's complicated, yet loving relationship. The relationship between the two sisters was well, magical. They behaved like normal siblings; they fought but at the end of the day they both loved each other and being around one another. It's nice to be able to read about a healthy sibling relationship, even if its a magical one.

What I didn't like: To be honest, Rachel can be a little draining in some parts. Because I have read the rest of the series, I can say with certainty that Rachel being this way was essential for her development as a character. But sometimes, I just wanted her to stop. But not that often. Her rants were too funny to hate completely.

Overall: This book is a 9 out of 10. A hilarious read and a great summer read to anyone who has some free time. It was a "spellbinding" read. Sorry just had to say it.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Hey everyone! Well I am taking a break from my AP English III summer work to write on my blog, so this is a much needed break. For today's book, I give you a twist on a classic; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, based off of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Characters: Elizabeth Bennett: one of five daughters/an expert in the art of zombie killing/despises Mr. Darcy at the beginning of the story
Mr. Darcy: experienced zombie killer/rich friend of Mr. Charles Bingley/tries to ignore his true feelings for Elizabeth
Jane Bennett: Elizabeth's sister who is the closest to her in age and attitude/likes Mr. Bingley/is a skilled zombie hunter herself
Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Bennett, Mary Bennett, Lidia Bennett, and Catherine Bennett: the rest of the Bennett family/most of them have some skill with dealing with zombies
Caroline Bingley: sister of Charles Bingley/is extremely jealous of Elizabeth/likes Mr. Darcy

The Plot: Enter a parallel world based off Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, but with a whole new twist. The town of Meryton, where Pride and Prejudice is set, is infested with zombies that enjoy nothing more than eating the citizens of the town. In Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Elizabeth Bennett isn't only a smart, witty young woman; she is also one of the most experienced zombie hunters in all of Meryton. Along with her sisters, Elizabeth tries to live a normal life, while still vanquishing as many of the zombies as possible. Just like in Jane Austen's version, Elizabeth's normal life is interrupted with the meeting of Mr. Darcy at a ball. However, in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the party does not end in a carriage ride home; it ends in a vicious, violent zombie attack on the townspeople. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth each note the other's skill in defeating zombies after the attack, and from then on their paths continue to cross. As they become closer, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth must confront the reality of each's station in society, and the more real threat: the continued zombie infestation.

What I liked: To be quite honest with you, there wasn't a whole lot I did enjoy about the book. It was more of a disappointment than a success. But I did think that the drawings that were in the book were fantastic. There is one of Elizabeth and Jane fighting through an army of zombies, while Mr. Darcy looks on in the background; for me, this really made the book more enjoyable and different from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Also, while it is kind of unfair, the part I enjoyed the most was the original dialogue from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

What I didn't like: Now I am sure some of you are a little confused right now. What does "Jane Austen's original dialogue" mean? Well, when Seth Grahame-Smith "wrote" the book, he took the original text of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and just slid in some dialogue and action sequences of zombies. Seriously? I fail to consider how this book even qualifies as writing, let alone became a New York Times Bestseller. The book was choppy and didn't flow well at all. It literally went from Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy having some meaningful dialogue to "Oh did you hear about Lady Catherine's trained ninjas?" Why? If you are going to write a story about Pride and Prejudice characters and zombies, why do you have to ruin the original, beautiful story with your zombie rubbish. Seth Grahame-Smith is again, not a writer, rather, a poor writer disguised as a New York Time Bestseller, who reverts to chopping up classics, instead of building off his own ideas and stories.

Overall: 2 out of 10. Horrible. You want to read something good? Read the original. If Jane Austen were alive, she would be bawling her eyes out because her novel of beauty, thoughtfulness, honesty, pride and prejudice has been reduced to washed up horror book designed to appeal to the minds of...well I can't even figure out who this would appeal to. Teenage boys? Yet somehow I doubt teenage boys would pick up a novel with Pride and Prejudice in the title in the first place.

The Hunger Games

Hello everyone! So today I am in a really good mood so I decided to review one of my favorite books of all time, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I recommend this book to everyone no matter what your age. But anyways, here we go!

Characters: Katniss Everdeen: seventeen year old daughter of a healer and a coal mine worker/an excellent hunter/chosen to compete for District 12 in the 74th Hunger Games
Peeta Mellark: the other member from District 12/a boy who once gave Katniss bread when she was starving/Katniss's only friend in the Capitol once they arrive
Haymitch Abernathy: the only previous victor alive from District 12/Katniss and Peeta's mentor/constantly drunk because of the horrors he witnessed in the arena
Effie Trinket: in charge of handling the tributes from each district/Katniss and Peeta's connection to the Capitol/hates Haymitch (but the feeling is mutual)
Cinna: the stylist who helps Katniss in the Capitol/one of the only people at the Capitol who cares for her/his designs have helped Katinss be safe and make great first impressions

The Plot: In a furistic world in North America, the 13 Districts lived in peace with the Capitol. However, the peace was broken when a great war was fought between the Districts and the Capitol. The Districts desperately wanted to be free from Capitol control, but the Capitol wanted to ensure their supremacy over the Districts. In the process, District 13 was completely destroyed, and the Districts lost the war. After the war, the Capitol created the Hunger Games to remind the Districts of their crushing defeat. Every year, two "tributes" one boy and one girl, from each of the remaining Districts, is chosen to go to the Capitol and fights in the Hunger Games, a gladiator style fight to the death. The people of the Districts are forced to watch as their children die every year. Enter Katniss Everdeen, a girl who lives in District 12. An excellent fighter, hunter and more clever than most people her age, Katniss just wants to survive. After her father died, Katniss has just focused on surviving the hard times and keeping her family safe. When her sister, Prim, is chosen to represent the District at the Hunger Games Katniss volunteers herself to save her sister, and her focus becomes more important than ever as she enters the Hunger Games with friend Peeta. However, things are not always as they seem and as Katniss ventures deeper into the Capitol, she finds resistance to the Capitol's treacherous ways is in every direction.

What I liked: I hate to be so general but I loved everything about this book. From Suzanne Collins writing, which was amazing, fluid, and descriptive, to the great plot line that keeps you hooked with its twists, turns and complete suspense. This is pretty much as perfect as you can get when writing a novel. You know what I liked the most? How original this story is. While some of the books that I have reviewed have elements borrowed from other stories, or are a twisted version of another story entirely... the Hunger Games is truly its own. I have tried to think of another novel that is even similar to the Hunger Games in any respect, but I just can't do it. It's a lot like Harry Potter in that way. There was nothing like Harry Potter before Harry Potter, and there has been nothing like the Hunger Games before the Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins created it out of her own imagination, from the Districts, to the Games, to the Capitol, Suzanne Collins has created her own world and we are just visiting.

What I didn't like: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In my mind, this book was sheer perfection. Nothing could make this book better unless it was longer so that I could read more.

Overall: 10 out of 10. Amazing. I am waiting on the edge of my seat until the next novels come out. I tip my hat to Suzanne Collins for creating such a mesmerizing read.

The Looking Glass Wars

Hey everyone! Today I am reviewing The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. It has been awhile since I have read it, so I am looking forward to revisiting it! Enjoy.

Characters: Because The Looking Glass Wars is a spin-off of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, I am going to give the characters name in both The Looking Glass Wars and in Alice in Wonderland
Princess Alyss Heart: Alice Liddel/heiress to the throne of Wonderland/has one of the strongest Imaginations of any Wonderlander
Queen Redd: The Queen of Hearts/ Alyss's cruel aunt/ highly proficient in the art of Dark Imagination
Hatter Madigan: The Mad Hatter/the leader of the Millinery/searches for Alyss after they disappear through the looking glass
Bibwit Harte: tutor to the Queens of Wonderland/the wisest man in Wonderland/part of the resistance against Redd
Dodge Anders: Alyss's childhood friend/a lead member of the resistance/wants revenge on the Cat for killing his father

Plot: Alyss Heart had it all. Heir to Wonderland, the most powerful Imagination in ages, and two parents who loved her. That was until her Aunt Redd, disowned Princess of Wonderland, used her Dark Imagination to kill Alyss's mother and father. Terrified and on the run, Alyss flees with her bodyguard Hatter Madigan to the Pool of Tears which they dive into. No one has ever returned from the Pool of Tears and no one knows what awaits on the other side. Until now. Alyss arrives in 19th century England and is taken in by the Liddels, who care for her as if she is their own daughter. However, as Alyss grows up in this strange world, she starts to think Wonderland was really only a dream or fantasy. But that all changes when Hatter Madigan, who had been searching for Alyss for many years after they got separated in the Pool of Tears, whisks her away back to Wonderland in order to fight the now Queen Redd and to restore Alyss as the rightful heir to the crown.

What I liked: The concept of the story was absolutely amazing. I would have argued before this point that everything had already been done with Alice in Wonderland, but Beddor proved me wrong. He completely revamped a classic but still kept the same elements in the story. I loved how Beddor actually had Lewis Carroll in the story as the man who writes Alice in Wonderland but gets it all wrong. That was a hilarious and great comparison to the original story and author. I also loved how most of the characters were from Alice in Wonderland but just tweaked a little bit. For example, the Cat was not Chesire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, rather he was Redd's skilled assassin. These little changes made the book that much better.

What I didn't like: Besides the concept, pretty much everything else. I felt like the characters, while interesting in concept, were nothing more than boring, one-dimensional figures. Alyss was boring and had a lack of personality, Hatter Madigan was too serious the entire novel, and Dodge was so obsessed with revenge, it made it hard to read as he continually talked on and on about how he was going to kill The Cat. The only redeeming character was Redd, and even she was just a stereotypical villain. Also, the plot was very slow. Beddor spent entirely too much time in England and not enough in Wonderland. And once we arrived back in Wonderland, there were a lot of dull points. The novel could have been so much more interesting than it ended up being.

Overall: I harshly have to give this novel a 5 out of 10. A five because the concept was so great, and no higher because the rest of the novel did not live up to my expectations. Instead of having well developed characters and plot, The Looking Glass Wars ended up being full of caricatures with a plot that was barely able to keep the story going.

Fire

Hello everyone and happy Friday! Well for today's blog I am going to review the second novel Krisin Cashore has written. Called Fire, it is a prequel to Graceling. However, you should still read them in the order of Graceling, then Fire, for clarity sake.

Characters: Fire: so called half monster/has the ability of complete mind control/works for King Nash as part of his spy ring
Archer: the best shooter in the Dells/in love with Fire/extremely careless and jealous
Prince Brigan: brother to King Nash/in charge of the King's army/the only one who respects Fire
King Nash: king of the Dells/trying to hold onto the throne/obsessed with Fire
Princess Clara and Prince Garan: twin brother and sister/the illegitimate children of King Nax/spymasters of the Dells

The Plot: Enter the world of the Dells, a land where monsters roam and humans work to keep them in check. These monsters are vicious animals. They possess a form of mind control that allows them to completely take over the mind of their prey. They also possess a terrible beauty that strikes fear and hate into all who set eyes on them. However, every once and a while there are human monsters. Half monster and half human. That is Fire. Named for her bright red hair. Fire can control the minds of all those around her. Only a select few know how to close their minds from such control. One of those is Prince Brigan. Fire meets Brigan at the house of his mother Queen Roen. Originally he hates her, due to the fact that Fire's monster father, Cansrel, killed his father King Nax. However, when Brigan sees Fire display her uncommon bravery and abilities, he enlists her help in defeating the enemies that surround the King's City. Along the way, Fire must confront her very real fears of ending up like her father and some of the darkest secrets in her heart.

What I liked: Another excellent novel from Kristin Cashore. I felt like Fire was a better story than Graceling. With more characters and a more in-depth plot, this book was much more exciting than Graceling. Also, Fire was a far more diverse character than Katsa. While Katsa was entertaining, Fire had so many layers, so many secrets. Katsa had one level; she was the misunderstood killer. Don't get me wrong, I loved Katsa. But Fire was the misunderstood monster, loving friend, brave soul... I could continue on but it would have too many spoilers. More importantly, I loved the dynamic of the four siblings who rule the King City. Nash, Brigan, Clara, and Garan represent a strong family force which I felt was severely lacking in Graceling. These siblings were intriguing, funny, and intelligent, making for a much better supporting cast than in Graceling.

What I didn't like: It's not something I didn't like it's more of a concern. I worry that Cashore is going to get stuck writing the same kind of novels. Fantasy, a girl with extraordinary abilities but is misunderstood, pursued by a man she does not love, and helped by a man she does. Both try to protect a kingdom. Do you see what I'm getting at? I mean Fire and Graceling were both great. But I think I have a legitimate concern. Cashore is too great a writer to get stuck writing the same thing over and over again. I love a powerful female character as much as the next person but I am worried that Cashore's next novel will be just the same as the last ones. But I believe Cashore's next novel is about Bitterblue, so I think it should be able to alleviate my concerns.

Overall: I will give Fire a 9 out of 10. I won't give it higher because I am very worried that Cashore's novels will become the same old story over and over again. However, I can't ignore the talent Cashore has and her ability to weave a magnificent story. I hope her next novel will have all of her talent, and just be a little different.