Review: The Fault in our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars is a heartbreakingly beautiful story.

It is a YA novel about two teenagers who both have been diagnosed with fatal illnesses. This is a love story, a story of survival, and a story of pursuing moments that make life worth it.

I was reminded of Jodi Piccoult's heart-wrenching My Sister's Keeper in the way that we see the world-altering importance of having people who love us stick by us no matter what.

It's not a happy read, as books about kids with cancer cannot be, but it is enlightening. Everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, but unless you've had the illness, you can never REALLY understand. Having cancer and knowing someone with cancer is very different. Green allows us a glimpse into that experience. The sympathy, the hopelessness, the struggle, and the disdain for the world and the unfairness of it all is very moving. It was nice to understand just a little bit better and be able to better appreciate what people go through.

The book ends all too abruptly for me, but I have no other complaints. John Green is an amazing writer and he's written a sweet, but tragic tale with room for smiles, for tears, and for catharsis in seeing these brave teens rise above something awful and unstoppable. This is a novel that all young people should read. It's a wonderful piece of fiction and soon to be yet another YA page to screen adaption.

After reading this book, I DESPISE the tagline for the movie poster, but that's just my opinion. Here's to hoping the movie doesn't destroy the power of the book, as My Sister's Keeper did.

4 stars. A YA must-read.

Review: Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Hyperbole and a Half is the funniest book I have read in a very long time. It is exactly my type of slightly immature, slightly sarcastic, and very witty humour and I identified a lot with Brosh's hilarious narrative voice. The book is essentially a memoir, told in a mix of small textual paragraphs and graphic novel-style. It discusses real life events that happened in Brosh's life, such as the struggles of training and living with her dogs, struggling with depression, familiar childhood antics and stories like getting dental surgery, the world-ending desire for cake, being lost in the woods, and so, so much more. As a human being, you will be able to appreciate and relate to what Brosh is saying and drawing.

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IN PUBLIC IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST GRINNING AND/OR LAUGHING LIKE AN IDIOT WHILE READING. This is NOT a Go Transit Quiet Zone-type of book. You will laugh. You WILL love everything about this book. You have been warned.

If you, like me, slightly live under a rock, you will vaguely recognize the drawings from many Internet memes. The book partly draws content from the original blog by Allie Brosh called Hyperbole and a Half. There's plenty of new content, though, so if you are less embarrassing than myself, there is still much to love about this book.

I didn't know what to expect with this book--but it certainly wasn't to read about a book that was so down-to-earth, so relatable, and so entertaining that I now plan to happily harassing every person I know to read it. Now. Stop all reading plans and go buy this book. Thank you.

Allie Brosh is hilarious. She is the voice of reason as we question our motives in our most ridiculous or terrible moments. Why DID we repeatedly just not pay that bill or return that movie?

She is the friend we wish we had, making us laugh, making us cry, and making us appreciate the world for the good and the bad. She explores the dark and embarrassing corners of our own minds through her expressive drawings and her honest words.

I read this book in one sitting, but the chapters make it great to read it in chunks or return to our favourite stories again and again. The book is aimed at young adults--there is content that is inappropriate for younger readers (ie. swearing, serious subjects like depression, etc). It reads better for a young adult audience anyway--someone who is young, but has experienced enough of life to know just how bullshit the world can be. Fortunately, Allie Brosh has turned that bullshit into a brilliant book that will leave you smiling. All. Day. Long.

Five stars. Hell, six stars. This book is going on my favourites list!

(Note: I do not own these images. They were easily located in a Google search. They are here for personal use only, to further my point that Allie Brosh is absolutely hilarious). 

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater is a must-read author for this generation. Not only is she charming and a down-to-earth in person, but she's a talented writer. Stiefvater's words flow across the pages, constructing an addictive story that will have you reading late into the night.

Although the subject matter isn't really my thing (witches, psychics, ghosts), The Raven Boys is a thrilling story and I enjoyed reading it very much. The premise of the story is this: the daughter of a psychic befriends attractive group of boys from elite prep school and follow clues on a supernatural treasure hunt of sorts. Murder, mystery, and danger surround a ghostly legend, along with the supernatural, tarot cards, psychic readings, and black magic rituals.

Stiefvater impresses me not only with her ability with words, but also with her ability to create very different stories. Lament sounds very different from the darker and more sophisticated-sounding The Scorpio Races. I liked The Raven Boys not only because it's not as pre-teen-ish sounding as Lament nor does it use overdone tropes like werewolves as she does in her Shiver trilogy. There's just more to this book than Lament or Shiver.

This story has a small romance component, but the story largely focuses on murder and the mystery. There's twists and turns, violence and social issues, ghosts and other spooky stuff. This is a great teen read for people who love a good supernatural story. I enjoyed it more than the supernatural drama in Beautiful Creatures and it's written much better than the ultimate teen supernatural book: Twilight. All in all, a great teen book and a good choice to get young people reading something of substance.

Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

"I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me."

I had high hopes for the final book of the Divergent series. I loved Divergent, enjoyed Insurgent, but Allegiant was only good, not great.

Normally, the history of the characters/ the world occurs early in the series, but we get most of it in Allegiant. As I waited three books for the dramatic conclusion to the series, the informational part of the narrative bored me to the point of annoyance.

With a pub. date in 2013, Roth cannot claim The Hunger Games had no influence whatsoever in Allegiant. I found this book to be very similar to Mockingjay in both the state of the heroine and in the rebellion against the corrupted government (with the opposing power not looking so competent either). If you want an exciting, fast-paced, flowing narrative, read Mockingjay instead. Essentially, Allegiant could have used an editor with a stronger hand. I would made many cuts to the editorial to make this book more concise. The tendency toward unnecessary detail in the mundane affected the book's overall impact.

Then again, Allegiant does go to darker places than Mockingjay. There is more vivid detail in the horror and there's more BANG in the violence. There's more death and far more tragedy. This book has no short of injections, guns, explosions, betrayals, suspense, and tragedy.

My biggest complaint is the fact that there were too many enemies! I was getting whiplash as Roth makes you hate and distrust one person after another. It made the narrative seem a little aimless and not as effective as it could have been. For example, the ending sees a reunion between Four and his mother--after we're made to dislike her for a book and a half. Let's pick a villain and build on him or her. The multiple villains makes for too many flat characters.

I won't spoil the ending. Allegiant might have bored me for most of the book, but around page 280, shit really hits the fan. Excuse the language (but there's no other way to describe it). More than the heart-pounding conclusion, Roth makes a very bold choice in her story arc that I did not see coming. When Roth is writing action, she's a powerhouse author. Bold, breathless, and brilliant.

Regardless of the fact that Allegiant was a little dry to start, it is the final book in a popular series. You, like me, NEED to finish the series. It might not be AS good as the first two books, but it's still definitely worth your time! Allegiant is dark and violent. It's filled with twists and turns, and the ending will leave you with a hole in your chest--and not just because the series is over.

Fortunately, the movie is coming... and with the competition of Catching Fire (click to see the trailer!), I think there is a VERY good chance that Divergent (the movie) will not let fans down.

Once Upon a Time S03E11 "Going Home": The mind-blowing winter finale that will have you questioning if anyone cares at all

***Warning: This review contains spoilers***

Well, that was a stressful sixty minutes.

I'm not going to go over the whole episode, because this one was JAMMED packed full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and moments where I was totally shocked, smiling, or grumbling at the screen. This episode was possibly the best one of season three--and thank god it was only the winter finale, because the ending is absolutely heart-wrenching. My dad tells me that as terrible as the cliffhanger was, the episode was really good because "at least they're out of the goddamn jungle!" I have to agree with him there...

Here are just some of the bigger points on my mind after watching Once Upon a Time, Season 3, Episode 11.

Snow and Charming do NOT say any variation of "I will always find you."

Snow reassures her daughter that it will be okay and that the future is not always what we expect it will be, but that Emma will have a happy ending. Snow and Charming both insist that Emma should have hope, no matter what. Much of the episode dances around the importance of having hope. But apparently, as they stand at the town line to say goodbye, having hope does not include the hope of being with your family. 

Snow and Charming will always find each other, but they feel no need to find their daughter or their grandson. Have hope, dear daughter. We're going away to another land, we'll be separated all over again, you're not going to remember us, and we won't make any promises to see each other again. At all. Even though we've been making them all along.

REALLY?! No one thinks to offer this hopeful statement? Emma really needed to hear that this isn't goodbye.

Henry is oddly calm and quiet about the whole goodbye event.

I wonder if Henry is quiet on screen because the actor is obviously going through an exciting time in one's childhood where the voice is wonky and speaking is awkward. But...could he not pretend to cry? Could he not look a little sadder? Could he not have given Regina a more desperate, emotional goodbye hug? He watches Rumplestiltskin die, he says goodbye to his adopted mother, his family, and his friends, but everything is cool.

Henry seems to react more to the fact that Emma forgets the cinnamon on his hot chocolate, than to the idea of leaving everyone behind. What happened to your dreams of going to the Enchanted Forest and riding horses and sword-fighting?!

Get the hell off the ground, Belle, and pull your shit together

Poor Belle. She watched the love of her life die before her eyes, and worse, she was frozen and unable to stop it from happening. They're unfrozen and Belle, understandably, goes to pieces. Nobody asks if she's okay. No one comforts her or really even looks at her.

And even NEIL, Rumple's own SON is oddly uncaring about his father's death. His comment about Rumple's dying a noble death was a little too conversational. Essentially, his tone implied this twist on his words: My dad just died. Well, at least he died so that we could all live. Moving on... what's next, guys?

Belle is a sobbing, broken mess on the street, but--REGINA! You've been quiet these last ten seconds, are YOU okay?

Cursed life? Sure, I'll take it

Emma has spent three seasons bitter about the fact that a curse ripped her away from her family. She has witnessed how terrible it was not to remember who you are, even if not remembering was easier. Emma knew how important it was not to be under a curse. Her entire EXISTENCE is about being the saviour; about BREAKING the curse that made everyone forget. Not remembering who you are means no happy endings. But when Regina offers her a variation on the curse to forget her past, she's all on board. Henry, of course, stands contentedly next to her, also not objecting to forgetting who he is and his past.

Even if Emma accepts the cursed life because it's the easier choice...what about HOPE?! Hope that one day, your family will find you. She just made it a lot harder on herself.

Oh wait, I forgot: her family has no interest in finding you.

#WickedIsComing

This is a pretty awesome hashtag. I'm VERY excited about the newest villain: the wicked witch of the west! FINALLY! The merry old land of Oz!

At the same time... after the Evil Queen (evil, powerful, breasts all over the place), Cora (absolutely immoral, power-hungry, blood-thirsty woman), Pan (the most annoying and heartless child in the history of the world)...how bad can the Wicked Witch be?

Hopefully the enchanted forest has a good bucket of water somewhere...



Emma... please take a better look at the stranger at the door

Sure, the jerk grabbed you and kissed you. But... did you REALLY get a good look at him? He's got #GoodForm

Review: Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am By Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis

In Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am, Ben Bright makes a decision that not many people can understand: to volunteer to be a solider. When all of his friends are going to college, Ben has known that this is what he wants to do. I'm not a supporter of war, but I can appreciate his decision and his courage.

The book is quite short at just over 140 pages and is divided into "Before," "During" and "After" the incident where Ben loses his memory. The action moves quickly and the reader is spared the gory details. It is also interesting to note that as soon as Ben is injured, the protagonist becomes a minor character for the rest of the book. The story becomes about how his friends and family handle how Ben's decision to join the army and his resulting injuries from his time in Iraq have turned him into a shadow of the person he was before. It's quite heartbreaking.

Guilt, anger, fear, and hope are all working against Ben's family and friends as they attempt to cope with his condition. Arguably the decision to go to war and the risks associated are ones that will not only ruin your own life, but the lives of everyone around you. This is a story about a boy who made a very brave choice, but a choice that has devastating consequences.

The story ends on a hopeful note as Ben makes progress with his recovery, although the ending is rather abrupt. At the centre of all the devastation is Ben, and just as his near-death experience was the cause of a lot of dysfunction and despair, his recovery might allow for the damage to be repaired.

An interesting book, but the reader will have many unanswered questions at its conclusion. This YA novel is short, sweet, and to the point. It is an easy read and portrays the ugly realities of going to war.

Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A touching, memorable, and gripping story about finding hope, happiness and power in a seemingly hopeless world.

Markus Zusak writes a tragic, yet wonderful, and heartfelt story about a little girl growing up in World War II, Germany. As many books on this tragic moment in our history, Zusak's story stands out from the crowd. This is a must-read book for young adults and adults alike.

The Book Thief is narrated by Death and follows the life and struggles of nine-year-old girl Liesel. Death is neither evil or good, but simply someone fulfilling his role in the world. Death makes a point in revealing important events to come, but never the manner in which they will occur. I think this narrative style is fitting for the time period, because we all know the devastation that is coming, we just don't know when or where or how it will strike. If anything, this technique built more suspense as I dreaded the inevitable as I fell in love with the characters.

Zusak shows the other side of Germany--the people who protected their Jewish friends and risked everything to do so. It shows the German people who didn't agree with the Nazis, who wanted no part in the war, and the effect of the war on these innocent German people (hunger, bombings, and death), and it shows how people express their refusal to give into despair.

Liesel's theft and reading of stolen books is representative of the power of words in Nazi Germany. Words can destroy a country, but they can also provide hope and relief from despair. For all the terrible words that Hitler puts out in the world, Liesel steals some of them back. Reading bonds her with her foster father and it allows Liesel to bring comfort to crowds of people waiting in the bomb shelters. Zusak shows that the power of words is endless.

Although the book is slightly long, everything about the book makes the length justifiable. The writing is accessible for the younger audience, the characters are interesting and well-rounded, and the story is hard to put down. The writing is vivid, without delving into the gory details as Zusak gives the reader just enough to be able to construct the horrors on your own.

I have not seen the movie yet, but I do hope it will encourage people to read the book. It might taken readers a little longer to get through, but it's definitely worth it. I hope that the film is a faithful adaption. Catching Fire certainly set the page-to-screen adaption bar extraordinarily high.

5 stars