A lovely analogy

Book review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

So as part of my schools compulsory summer reading I decided to read this book. It's quite a short read (it's only 50 pages long) And there is a movie based on the book!

Today, F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his novels, but in his lifetime, his fame stemmed from his prolific achievement as one of America's most gifted story writers. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a witty and fantastical satire about aging, is one of his most memorable stories. 

In 1860 Benjamin Button is born an old man and mysteriously begins aging backward. At the beginning of his life he is withered and worn, but as he continues to grow younger he embraces life -- he goes to war, runs a business, falls in love, has children, goes to college and prep school, and, as his mind begins to devolve, he attends kindergarten and eventually returns to the care of his nurse. 

This strange and haunting story embodies the sharp social insight that has made Fitzgerald one of the great voices in the history of American literature

To be honest I expected a little more from this novella.. It has such a great hook but it didn't follow through. The beginning  of the story itself is quite intriguing and you can easily tell that Benjamin Button is very similar to his father Thomas Button. They are both stuck up and self absorbed. The same characteristics are passed down to Benjamin's son. So overall the character's personalities were quite homogenous in my opinion.  I also felt that there were too many characters for a 50 page novella. There were too little words/scenes/descriptions given to each character. One other thing is that all of the characters were very pompous, or rather quite conceited. I think that F. Scott Fitzgerald chooses to portray the majority of a novels characters with one common trait. True my hypothesis is purely based on two of his novels and may not continue throughout all of them but it's food for thought. 

Even though the hook of the novella is well beyond its years, the actual medical reasoning was not explored at all. True it would be quite difficult to explain it but none the less some attempt should have been made. I feel that Fitzgerald just ignored the medical aspect. It is quite impossible to expect a mother to carry a fully grown man in her womb for 9 months and then give birth to him, all whilst he is conscious and has the mental capability to comprehend what is happening. 

I also felt that Fitzgerald's writing style for this novella is not at par to that of The Great Gatsby, but this was published before. The words in The Great Gatsby were put together to mean much more than what they were simply stating. Please don't misunderstand that I'm saying that his style in The Great Gatsby was better than in this novel because I'm not. The wordplay and various quotes in the novel were, well I wouldn't say better but they were different in the sense that this novella has much less romanticism and portrays a different side to the upper class society than that of The Great Gatsby. But it is also the change in Fitzgerald's style that makes the novella interesting. The entire novella was more of a tell instead of a show if you understand? (I'm not sure you will) Basically the plot and the dialogue was quite simple, and in it's simplicity the readers are open to think about what is happening to Benjamin and just process and appreciate the story more.

At first when I finished reading it I thought it was quite a plain novel with a wonderful hook. But I was quite disappointed that it wasn't as similar to The Great Gatsby and that Fitzgerald produced something like this. I had different standards of him and his novels (Probably because I read Gatsby first). But after some time you realise that there is much more to the novella that meets the eye. And I also liked change from The Great Gatsby, it allows the two novels to co-exist without being replicas of each other and it also shows a different side to Fitzgerald's writing. The thing is that people living in the early 20th century would probably not have the same opinion as me, they might have read this book, they might not have but I think they would understand that Fitzgerald had more time to develop and grow as a writer between the two books. That is also the main reason I prefer The Great Gatsby to this novella. 

All in all I would still recommend you read it, it's still a better than mediocre novella even with it's shortcomings. 

That's all for now, more book reviews will be coming shortly!

Exams, Reading, and Summer!

Hello guys,
apologies for not posting anything in such a long long time. I recently finished my IGCSE's and I needed to study really hard for those. So I didn't have time (or rather I didn't make time) to blog. Anyway I'm back now and it's my summer so I will be reading loads and loads and I will also be watching loads of movies! I'll definitely be posting lots of book reviews so I'm really excited about that.

Now, as you can see from the title of this post there are three things I really want to talk about. First let's get the boring exam stuff over with. Honestly I am feeling exam fatigue. My first exam was the Edexel Art exam that started wayyy back in  march the coursework took 6 weeks and the exam was on the 14th of April  (it's really sad that I have to go check my calendar to see when this was because I forgot) and my last exam was economics which was last week! That is a long time to study for and write the exams for. Understandably I am all worn out. I really don't want to do anything now as all my energy went into writing for so long. Typing used to seem like second nature to me now it feels really strange and I keep making silly mistakes.

 Regardless I am really tired of exams and I am so so happy that they are over. I calculated how many hours of exams I had and it rounded up to around 56 (inclusive of the time spent for Art coursework.) That is a lot of time; most of which maths, science, ICT and english took up. ICT required 7 hours of exams, English needs 8 (my school makes us do both Literature and First language english,) Maths requires 5 hours and Science needs 3. Oh and I forgot about Art (10 + approximately 12 for coursework.) My friends think I'm really weird for calculating all of this but I feel like I need to know how much work I put into this. Anyway advice for other people taking their exams sometime soon:

1. Manage your time well and stick to the limits you set (otherwise you will not finish writing and will have a huge issue)
2. keep writing no matter what. Just never stop. 
3. to help with the proficiency of #2 make a plan before you start so that you know what you are talking about
4. Do practice papers because often the questions (or at least the type of questions) are repeated
5. Try not to drink too much water because:

• you will need to pee
• you might spill it all over your work

Topic #2: Reading!

Now this is something fun that we can talk about! It's summer and what's better than to sit by the beach or pool with a good book? well to the dismay of some, it's now compulsory in my school to read during the summer. Some people (like myself) think that it's absurd that others would not read during the summer. Uh hello when else will I get time to do nothing and roll around like a cat yet still look like I'm doing something smart? My school has found some very interesting information about how reading in the summer helps your intellectual development and how it helps people to diversify their interests and what not. In light of this they decided to force us students to read 4 books, one of the school's choice and three of our own choices. They also expect us to answer questions on these novels and want to see evidence that we have read them. Personally I don't mind because it is not extra work for me, I read loads during the summer and I wanted to post reviews of them anyway. But I don't think that forcing students to spend their free time after several exhausting exams reading a novel they might not like (the school set one.) And maybe the do not like to read or really don't have time for it? 

If you are trying to get people to enjoy and sustain reading then you should let them find their own book at their own pace. I believe that everybody is a reader, and if you currently don't think you are, that just means that you haven't found the right book. There is always one book that will change the way you think or that will interest you so much that you will pick up another book. Finding this book is difficult, I am really lucky I was always interested in fantasy stories that made me start reading (mainly because they were so wonderful and magical and more interesting than my life.)  Everyone has the capability to love reading, they just need time. 

Last topic! SUMMER! 

IM SO HAPPY THIS DAY HAS COME! YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE HOW HAPPY I AM. There are so many things I want to do this summer that I don't think there will be enough time to do everything! If you are bored or don't have anything to do during summer here is a list of things to do. This is from Rookie Magazine (thanks to my friend for showing this to me it sounds really fun.) Seriously do these guys it looks amazing! Things to do halfway through summer. If that doesn't work out I have a reading list to check out for this summer on Goodreads (become my friends guys!) Summer 2014 reading list. There are also so many movies coming out this summer:

And there is my Summer 2014 playlist to jam to : Summer 2014 playlist online version <- for people who don't have spotify on their computers. Then there is the browser version below:

  

That's it guys, thank you so much for reading my super long post that probably did not affect you in many ways, but yeah. Its summer so lets enjoy it!

Book review! What's left of me by Kat Zhang

Hello hello!
I'm really excited to write this review because I absolutely loved this book, definitely one of the most unique books I have read in a long time. So here it is :D

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbours shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Doesn't that sound so exciting! Basically what the hook is that everybody is born with two souls within one body. For a long time both souls exist coherently in the same body until the body develops and then the more dominant soul will take control. What usually happens to the passive soul is that it basically withers up and goes into a super-extra long hibernation and never wakes up again (unless prompted to or that the passive soul never went into a "deep" hibernation.) The society in the novel calls this "Settling." If a body doesn't settle then both the souls are taken to a mental hospital/medical are to be treated. Yet in this book the main character has not settled in but the passive soul/personality (Eva) is still awake and did not go into said hibernation.

One thing that's really cool is that the POV (Point Of View) is almost third person but its also first person at the same time! I thought that was a really unique idea and this book has such a fresh perspective on dystopian novels and it is such a unique idea! I read this just after reading The Collector by Victoria Scott which was a drag in my opinion (I'll get to that some other time) and this was really refreshing. The novel is not that "literary" so if you are looking to expand your vocabulary I wouldn't say this is the book to read but you are an avid reader of YA or Dystopian novels then you should read this, I think (like me) you will love it <3

 The characters in this book just blew me away. I think that Zhang somehow managed to collate 6 types of major characters and fit them into the 3 main "protagonists" if you will. The character development is superb but I really want to know what happened to make Addie so uptight and quite frankly selfish. Eva has never been in control of their body yet Addie (at first) refuses to let Eva try! All right I wont say much more because people have been really controversial about this book so I will let you make your own judgements.

But lets just say that my expressions whilst reading this were all over the place. Kat Zhang really makes you empathize with the characters and it felt as if I was actually within the novel, as a character who couldn't speak, or be seen. I was special and had a super power, INVISIBILITY! You get the point

I went from this

to this

and this

in a matter of chapters

I also did make a playlist/soundtrack for this (Yay!) the link to that is here <- list version, the compact version for people who have spotify is the little playlist icon at the bottom of this post :) The problem with my playlists are that they don't account for the entire novel or how fast someone reads. So the songs are meant to be for specific parts of the book. I'm pretty sure when you listen to them you can figure it out because I don't want to spoil it for anybody. But if you must know then I will post a comment with which part is for what ;)

That's it guys I hope you enjoy this!

Yo guys I'm back, Also NEW BOOK REVIEW!

Hihi :)
I'm back (for a little while at least!)
So recently I read the famous "Thirteen reasons why" by Jay Asher and I really wanted to review it :) So here goes

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers. 

Now this review is going to be hard to write because I don't know how much to give away without giving away too much. One thing I will tell you is that this book can be quite despair and it's meant to be this way. It isn't one of your usual teen or Young Adult books that have a deep romance or a happy ending at all. I for one am relieved to know that people are still willing to read serious and heart-moving books. Anyway back to the book.

The main idea of the book is the aftereffects or the events that succeed a suicide and how it affects the people who were either involved/were the cause of a person's death or their family and friends. Often we do not know why a person commits suicide, and it's hard to find out. Think about it, there was something or someone who caused another person so much pain and angst that one day they decided that living just wasn't worth it anymore.

And I get it, life's tough, sometimes you feel like there is no one for you. No one to love you, no one to care for you, no one to take care of you, no one for you the relax with, no one to share your woes with. Believe me, I feel like that sometimes too but thats not true. There is always somebody out there in the large vast world of seven billion people who will gravely benefit by your presence in their lives. It might not have been somebody you met in the past, and it might not be anybody who you know but I'm sure that someone in your future will love you so much that it scares them. But you might not have known it then, you might not know it now but there will always be someone.

The book was set in a small town somewhere in America (Asher probably mentioned it but I have never been to/have much knowledge of the states of america or where they are located) and the great thing about this book is that the readers gets to see the same setting in two POVs, Hannah's and Clay's. I really think that this is one of the best thing about the book. I think that the setting is really crucial to the plot because it shows how rumours spread in a small town and how it can have a huge effect on somebody's life.

I really don't want to give too much of the book away (because it's worth reading) so basically what happens is Hannah (the main character) made a series of 13 cassette tapes (hence the name 13 reasons why) and she had someone (I'm not telling because its a pretty major part in the plot lets call them person X) sent them to the first person on Hannah's mailing list after she died. P.S. the mailing list is just people who are mentioned in the tapes Now you might think, why bother listening to them? well the tapes contain a lot of dirt on the people she talked about, if they didn't listen to the tapes then person X publishes the tapes for all the world to  hear. This story is about the emotions and events that occur after hannah dies and how people react when they find out that what they did caused another person to die.

Not lets talk about the characters! Personally I really liked Hannah, she seems like an amazing person from Clay's POV but when you listen to the tapes you realise that she sees herself as a completely different person. This is another thing that I really loved about the book, a person's views on you will differ greatly from how you see yourself. Clay's character development was amazing, at first I thought he was just this guy that liked her a lot but as the main story is told from his POV and reading about how each story (in Hannah's cassettes) affects him was shocking. Similarly person X's character development was a pleasant and welcome surprise :D (still not going to give away too much)

Last paragraph I promise! One of the reasons I picked up this book is because the idea of the after-effects of suicide aren't mentioned at all in our society and this book is an eye opener. It really makes you think about a lot of things to do with our society and it is a must read in this lifetime.

Also if you read thirteen reasons why and liked it another book similar to this is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson :)

So that's it I hope you guys enjoyed this and I'll be posting soon!
P.S.S. Happy Chinese new year!  

I won a book!

OMG OMG OMG OMG I won a book :D This is the first time I've ever won anything online :) Okay so a I won Generation V by by M.L.Brennan

Basically there was this book giveaway by the lovely people of Book lovers Inc. I'll put a link to their website down below somewhere. This is a signed copy of the book and I'm not sure if it's an ARC but oh well :) I'm just super excited that I won something, normally I would enter these competitions and never win but I actually won this time :) I will be doing a review of it once it gets shipped to me. The giveaway was meant to be for people in the US or Canada only, I didn't read that when I won ... Yeah I know that was really dumb but luckily I had some relatives who live over in North Carolina and I asked if I could borrow their address so that it would be shipped to them and then I would collect it sometime but they very kindly said they already shipped it to me :) So now my parents can eagerly find me at the letterbox downstairs (we live in an apartment) waiting for the mailman.

yayayayayyyayayyyaya <3<3<3<3<3<##<#<#<#<3<3<3,3,3,<3 <--- from my lovely friend Sunena, for some reason she always loves to mess up my word documents and notes with her "Stamps" (which is literally just a smiley face that she hand draws or types)

Thats about it really ;) I will be writing a review of Legend by Marie Lu and soon to come will be a little extract from a journal that I kept whilst trekking on my school trip :)
bye thanks for reading :P

Book Lovers Inc. website is Here

Book review: Destroy Me (Shatter me series #1.5, novella) by Tahereh Mafi

New review *yay!* this one is without spoilers :D it will be mostly on Destroy me (#2 in the series) and Unravel me (#3) because I loved those two books the best. Last weekend I spent all of both nights staying up reading the Shatter me series because well, it's just that good! I could not put the book (or more like my computer because I was reading an epub of the book) down, I just needed to kow what happens to Juliette! Yeah in this series the main character's name is spelt Juliette and not Juliet, personally I like it better this way  and I think it's a nice subtle way to show the heroin's individuality. Lets get to this shall we? 

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

This novella was simply fabulous! It's a wonderful insight to a misunderstood protagonist's life. At first when I read Shatter me, I really hated Warner. I thought he was a psychopathic being with no humanity or empathy at all! I understand the he was helping Juliette understand her powers and gain control of them but we, the readers are constantly bombarded with this negative diction of his past and he is constantly depicted as cruel and insufferable. I understood it then because of his actions, but in destroy me the impression he created is literally destroyed. <-- see what I did there *wink, wink* We learn so much about warner and his past, so much that it almost clarifies why he is so 'psychologically different' (I dont want to say that he is messed up but he kind of is so I'll just put in these words, no offence intended to Tahereh Mafi or the character it's just my opinion) A lot is revealed about Juliette as well in the novella, remember the little notebook she always carried around? Extracts from it are included! There are some really philosophical thoughts included, thing like if Juliette is going insane or not. Warner's father (The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, what an insane name...) is introduced and he is possibly even darker and twisted than Warner. Also in Shatter me, Mafi introduced this character called Seamus Fletcher who was mercilessly killed along side his family by Warner. He was constantly used as a reminder of just how merciless he is but in Destroy me there is a plot twist *dun dun DUN!* They weren't killed because he was a traitor as previously told! (I won't say anymore otherwise I might ruin it for you)

There are so many surprises in this little tiny book that I looked like this the entire time I was reading it. In all honesty I think I forgot to breath for a lot of it... 

There is one really heartbreaking moment when Warner goes to his "Mind palace" of sorts, it's kind of a simulation room, thing .... I'm not really sure but that scene is permanently marked in my mind, it completely changed my perspective of Warner and who he is. This book is a novella so it's quite short, I don't think I can write much more without including a whole bunch of spoilers but I can understand now how Warner feels this inclination towards Juliette because the both experienced/feel the same (okay maybe more like similar) emotions in their past, Warner feels like he can relate to her and GAHHH! Just go read it, this might possibly be one of the best novellas as a sequel ever! It might also be the best character changing moment/scene/novel/book ever as well. I won't say anymore because I feel like I'll be giving away far too much information then but I honestly suggest you read this book, the first one might not seem that enticing at the beginning but just stick with it because as you can see from my writing style, it get's really juicy soon.

Last but not lest I did make a playlist to go along with specific parts of the book so i'll put a link to that here. Now the song list:

1. Saturday by Ed Sheeran, this should be read at around chapter 10, Warner should be reading Juliette's notebook for the second time... 
2. Lovesick Fool by The Cab, chapter 11. I really really really think that this song is just perfect for this scene but then agin I really love the cab and do not understand why people haven't heard of them yet
3. Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men for chapter 16 THIS IS THE CHARACTER CHANGING CHAPTER OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! 
4. Jesus Christ by Brand New, because the book just ended and this is how I feel... 

Now I shall leave you with some wonderful quotes as I usually do

"Love is a heartless bastard"- Warner

"I've come to believe that the most dangerous man in the world is the one who feels no remorse. "- Warner

"I imagine this is what it’s like to fall apart"- Warner

The Elite (The selection #2) by Kiera Cass

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

Yo yo, its been a while since I wrote a review so here goes :) Recently The elite was published for the entire world to see (whoever got the ARC's you lucky people you!) Anyway I was pretty disappointed with the book. I'll keep this short because I'm not entirely sure if I can write much about it. 

The writing style wasn't fantastic, nothing new really we still see the events unfold from America's point of view but her thoughts are really stupid to put it simply. She doesnt think about the consequences of her actions (hint hint big event coming up if you do read the book) and she still hasn't made up her mind if she should pick Maxon or Aspen, though she does make up her mind at the end of the book and I really dont like who she picked :(. The plot was also pretty slow paced and there were so many events that were mostly pointless. There was one big, shocking event that does happen (its different to the one mentioned above) and that just broke my heart. The setting is still the same, Mer is still in the palace castle thing, Maxon's dad still has a distaste towards her except now she actually cares about what he thinks of her. Overall the book wasn't fantastic, definitely not a book I would read twice, I felt that there was so much that Cass could have done with the plot, like maybe make America kidnaped by the rebels or that someone inside could be secretly letting the rebels in. 

I feel like the only reason I might read the next book is just to see what the rebels will do. Overall the book was a pretty easy read, maybe two climactic events but thats about as far as the suspense goes. The language and plot were dull and the setting didn't change at all, I had my hopes up that this book would be better than the fist but sadly I was disappointed. One thing I did love was the covers of both the books so far, the dresses that they all wear look/are described gorgeously and I wish I had an occasion and one of those types of dresses to wear it to!

the two covers next to each other: 

Nevertheless it's still a good book to read lots of characteristic changes in the protagonists (hint hint nudge nudge), and if you are one of those people who just have to finish a series once you start them then you should really read this one :) 

Some fabulous quotes from the book that I thought were just too sweet:

• “Love is a beautiful fear.”

  —	America, The Elite

• “No, I’m not choosing him or you. I’m choosing me.”

  —	America, The Selection

• “It’s just the way it is. The sky is blue, the sun is bright and Aspen endlessly loves America.”

  —	Aspen, The Elite

Finally because I also love this cover to bits: The unofficial cover 

Long days ...

Today has been a long day and honestly I just want to go home and sit on my bed and read, I wish it was summer already! Truly, if I had books to read the entire summer my life would be perfect :)

Book review: Apollyon, The covenant #4 by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

All right lets get started, where do I begin. Firstly I need to thank and curse my friend Christine who got me interested in the covenant series, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?! She knows how I get when characters that I really like (such as Alex) are put through things that they should not. Back to the book, my brain is not functioning anymore, I just finished this book like, maybe 10 minutes ago and I just needed some time to collate myself and understand what I had just read (in the good shocking way not the bad one).

Once again Jennifer L. Armentrout has my emotion spun tight around her little pinky. This book is just full of surprises, its like eating salted popcorn and you randomly get a sweet one instead, but much more frequently. I was so happy when Aiden decided to take Alex of the Elixer, but I was really shocked at how Alex's personality changed. Jennifer used great diction to enhance the realisation that Alex really had changed. [SPOILER ALERT] When Alex ran out of the house and nearly killed Aiden I almost thought that she would actually do it because, well ... she changed so much, maybe she would. [End of the spoiler alert :)] The book went at a pretty quick pace though, I think it helped keep me interested because sometimes when you read books that have super long fight scenes you get bored a little (well at least I do) 

One thing I really do admire about Alex is that she is so strong willed, she has the tenacity to do what need to be done. Another thing I love about Apollyon is that Alex has a closer relationship with her uncle Marcus, it was really sweet the way he cares for her. On to the thing that I was just ecstatic about the entire time I was reading this...  SUPERNATURAL IS MENTIONED <3 clearly as you can tell I watch the american T.V show Supernatural and I think it's amazing. Now, the fact that Armentrout mentions fantastic shows like supernatural and has quite a few references to the phenomenal Harry Potter series just makes me like Covenant even more! By having references to these things I found it easer to see the plot actually taking place in our world. Sometimes there are these books that have amazing sci-fi stories and you're just like "Damn I wish that was real"? Well you don't need to worry about it with this book ;) Occasionally when an author refers to another mega hit series (like Harry Potter) they just degrade their own work because once you start comparing your book to another then expectations come in and people start to compare the two.

Something that really hooked me onto the series is the way that the Greek Gods are depicted, I never really gave Apollo any thought because he was sort of a menial god in my eyes before I started reading the series. I really like the way Hades was described when he came to steal Alex (even though there isn't really a full description). It made me realise that the Disney version of Hades with his weird copper blue skin and bald head with flames fuming of of it was just one persons view of him, Armentrout redefined my ideas of how all the gods looked and I think she really improved it :)

The ending of Apollyon was just bleeh, or maybe not. So many books end with cliffhangers nowadays that I just expect it, I guess if you really think about it Apollyon was also ended in a sort of half cliffhanger because we dont really know what happened to Aiden and Marcus or what's gonna happen when [SPOILER ALERT] Alex will have to kill Seth, [End of the Spoiler] but I prefer this ending because that way I don't fell as irritated when I have to wait like half a year (sometimes more) for the next book. Regardless I'm just really happy that  the next book will be out in like half a year :D

If you really like YA books and Greek Mythology mixed in with a little bit of zombies and loads of Adventure then I really think you should read this, even if you aren't one of those type of readers Apollyon is still a good book to read.

And now I shall leave you with this (for those of you who have read the book you will just love it):

' As my lids became too heavy to keep open, I heard her say, “I’m so proud of you, Lexie. Always remember that I’m proud of you and that I love you.” There was a pause and then her sweet voice said, seconds before I slipped away, “Don’t give up hope, baby. Paradise is waiting for you in the end.”'

The Luxe (Luxe #1) by Anna Godberson

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.This is Manhattan, 1899. Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone--from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud--threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

Okay, let's get started. Luxe is a book for all you romantics, it's got love, passion, gossip, treachery, vengeance, and acceptance.  This book is truly whole rounded, and what even better is that even though Luxe is set way back when the characters are people we (in this day and age) can still relate to. A forbidden love between the hierarchy, a enemy disguised as a friend, a child relentlessly defying the stereotype of her family. These thing sill happen now to everybody.
 I love Diana and how she is insistent on being who she is, but I really dislike that the her persona is shaped out of the hatred for perfection and her mother. Her fling with Henry is just like a red velvet cupcake, delicious! Even though the age difference is, shall we say considerable? Elizabeth really irritated me, don't get me wrong but honestly she didn't make up her mind. She was far too finicky and if she truly was Penelope's friend she would have told penelope about her engagement to Henry. 
On tho the setting! Anna Goldberson lifted my soul out of my body and transported it back to 1899. The description and language is just exquisite! Definitely a good read for new vocabulary! I have always loved the post victorian/renesancè era but now I love it even more. The houses, the people, the roads, everything appears fabulous and glorious. I seriously dislike the fact that nobody cares about you knowledge or your personality but the finesse of it all <3 
Not one of the books I would usually read and yeah, I guess that there isn't really a memorable plot, (the ending is quite disappointing) but the diction, oh the diction. It's really rare that an author can describe scenes so beautifully as Anna but what is a story without a plot? There was a sense of mystery when the reader was unsure if it was Penelope [SPOILER ALLERT!] who had Elizabeth killed or Lina's mystery man "dealt with it". Another thing that was a little confusing was how are we reading/getting to know about Elizabeth's thoughts if she died??? The ending did clarify that though. 
If I was picking The Luxe up for the first time, I might not have read it, but after reading it I am really glad I changed my mind. Once again, if you are into the whole Glitz and Glamour with scandalous secrets whilst waltzing around in a gorgeous dress then READ THIS BOOK :)

I'm super sorry if the post doesn't fit my theme it's just that blogger is being irritating -.-

Review, Opal (lux novel #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

GAAAHHHHH, THIS BOOK! It frustrates me so! Ok I need to surpress all my feels and write this.
Let us begin with the end (ironic right?). The ending is the most clishèd ending ever yet I don't even care, Armentrout transports her readers into Katy's world and I caught myself bringing myself back to reality to be disappointed by the lack of insanely good looking aliens made out of light. She did an amazing job and I am still trying to comprehend what has happened to Katy's life. If I ever had the chance to talk to J.L. Armentrout I would sit her down and ask her "HOW DO YOU DO IT?"
 I have next to no idea but ever since Obsidian (the first book in the Lux series) I was hooked. Each novel comes with it's own interesting twist and it just captivates you.

It's so shocking to see the change in Dee's character, after a certain climactic incident (which was shocking enough) Dee turns into this semi-introvert/filled with sadness and vengeance person. It's nice to see that she isn't all pink ponies and butterflies but my heart went out to her. I can only imagine how she felt when she lost Dawson. Another thing I was really happy about was the intimacy between Daemon and Katy. There has always been this grand innuendo in their relationship but "Opal" highlighted the affinity and trust in their relationship. Oh my lord, from the descriptions of what Daemon smells like, I think I'll just faint right now.

The fandom is going to be so mad at me for this but... I kind of want Blake to stick around until the next novel, He brings all the action with him. Oh and I definitly want to see what Luc's favour will be :)
The one thing I didn't like was that the pace of the novel kept changing. One minute the Black family is training to sneak into Deadelus, the next they are rushing home. Maybe it was because I was reading too fast (well I can explain! these books are just too good to put down, I finished the first two in a day) but never the less the plot and setting are not gravely affected.

I am just waiting for the next book in August, I think I might need an oxygen tank when I do start reading it. Jennifer L. Armentrout HOW CAN YOU LEAVE US READERS HANGING LIKE THIS! Well I know one thing, the instant it hits the shelves here I will run to the nearest book shop and buy it without a doubt. If you haven't read the Lux series yet I suggest you do because it is, indubitably one of the most intense series I have ever read.

OMGOMGOMGOMG ! Oblivion :D

Oblivion is definitely coming! You know the 5th book in the power of five series by Anthony Horowitz? yusss that one! its out! well at least the first chapter is available for everyone to read! I know I know its terribly exciting :) the official launch is October 4th (in the US) you lucky lucky ducks :( Anyway ... :) YAYERS I thought that he wan't going to write it or anything! I mean seriously, I started reading the series 4 years ago. FOUR YEARS!!!!!!! Seriously but the good thing is he's let out the first chapter :D  heres the link for anyone who wants to read it: http://cdn.anthonyhorowitz.com/nexus/p5b5c1/oc1w.pdf

There are a few typo's and ok I guess the plot is kind of what we expected,,, and it leaves us on a cliffhanger again, but gaaaaahhhhh! I am sooo sooo sooo excited :D too bad I will be in spain when it premiers :( hey at least there I will have a better chance to buy it in book stores right?? anyway comment if you like it or have thoughts about it, I will read all of them :D and follow this blog too because there will be more things like this to come :P Anthony you better make this a good last book! Ive been waiting too long for this to suck! I mean come on it sounds like you are writing a dictionary only longer, But I still have faith in you so don't disappoint me ok :)