Tag: 4 stars

The Kill Order – James Dashner

November 29, 2014

Firstly I should say that this is a prequel to the Maze Runner series so I would suggest reading them first, there are reviews for them and I shall link them here (The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure)

I suppose I had mixed feelings going into this book. I wanted to read it because I loved The Maze Runner trilogy and everyone seemed to be talking about this prequel. However I’m always weary about reading prequels, I don’t know why but I just think they’re a little weird and have the ability to completely ruin the original series. I guess you could say I procrastinated, I always meant to read it but I never really got round to it and I didn’t even own a copy. However, quite spontaneously, I picked up a cheap copy in HMV (by the way HMV is fab for cheap books but there isn’t usually a big range…). When I finally opened the first page I was surprised, I have to admit I didn’t think it would be that good, but the new characters are really likable and courageous (I do love that in a book). Also the story line held its own in a way that it links to the maze runner (as a prequel should) but it didn’t fell as though this book was relying on the success of the original trilogy (if that makes sense).

Okay… to the actual story. Like I have said previously it is a prequel to the Maze Runner series so the story revolves around the start of the sun flares and the origin of the Flare virus and I would just like to add that this start really did shock me, I really wasn’t expecting it! The main protagonist is a young teenager named Mark. He is struggling to live in this new infected world and has to do his best to save the people he loves. What I really like about this book is that it really entwines with the story of the Maze Runner, I don’t want to spoil it but in the very beginning and at the very end we see some familiar faces *wink wink*.

Some of the elements of this book really took me by surprise (which I should have been expecting, I mean come on, this is a James Dashner book…). However thanks to a lovely chat with one of the Waterstones staff I did predict the end of the book (or at least I’m pretty sure I predicted it, it wasn’t really finalised, wow that doesn’t make sense but it will if you read it…). Anyway I feel as though most people wouldn’t have guessed it, I keep telling myself that so I feel clever… that was my only criticism to be honest, and it was a bit picky of me… oh well… this book was intense, engaging and really exciting so I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has read The Maze Runner series and loved it as much as I did! I’m going to award this book a 4 out of 5 stars, I would have given it a 5 but I predicted the ending soo it’s a 4 I’m afraid, but it was still bloody good!

but I predicted the ending soo it’s a 4 I’m afraid, but it was still bloody good!

The Death Cure – James Dashner

November 19, 2014

I always worry about the final book in a series. And as always it was bittersweet. I LOVED this series of books, I really did and I have to be honest the ending was… satisfactory. So this book is the final instalment of The Maze Runner series, I’m sure lots of you have heard of The Maze Runner, it was a massive book to movie adaptation that has recently blasted the Hollywood box office. Anyway there are three books in the whole series (plus a prequel but for that review my friends you will have to sit tight, it will be coming soon) and The Death Cure is the final book *cries*. If you want to check out some reviews for the first two books in the series I shall link them here (The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials).

So this book follows more of the exciting tails of Thomas and his friends after the maze and also their survival of the scorch trials.  By this stage they’re desperate to escape from WCKD (which I’ve been pronouncing ‘Wicked’ so I hope that’s right…) and this book really extenuates their trials and tribulations with doing this. I really don’t want to spoil anything so I will just say that there are some MASSIVE plot twists throughout the book, which I have becoming to expect from Dashner’s writing. Also there were some tragic secrets that were kept by WCKD that now get uncovered, just a disclaimer, it made me sob… a lot…

It was a really good story and I felt it continued well from the second book however there were some elements that I thought were a little unnecessary, this is my personal opinion and so you guys may completely disagree with me (and feel free) but I did feel as though there were bits that were just rather pointless. One of those bit’s I’m afraid to say was the ending. Errrg it really irritated me. This is just my personal opinion but it was just too simple. I wouldn’t say it was predictable because predictable implies that you knew what the ending was before you finish it (derrr) but it was so simple that I wasn’t expecting it from this story and especially not from Dashner’s writing. If I wasn’t already familiar with Dashner’s writing (as most are when reading the third and final book in a series) then I probably could have predicted it…I really hope that made sense and wasn’t as though my brain was sick all over the page, because that’s what it’s feeling like at the moment… so sorry if it was.

That was my main grievance of the book. I promise you that the rest of the book is fantastic! So if you’ve read the first two books, please to read the last one because it honestly ties a whole lot of loose ends and is rather essential in the entire story. I’m going to award this book a 4 out of 5 stars, I really did enjoy it (except the ending). Also if your new to the whole trilogy please, please have a look at the reviews of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, they’re linked right there and also at the top of this review. They’re all fantastic books.

The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

November 2, 2014

I have to be honest I only read this because my co-blogger and I are studying it for our AS level English and we had to finish it before the end of half term. I had heard of this book before I was assigned it and I had seen the trailer for the film, but I had never got around to reading the book off my own bat, although in time I’m sure I would have. I really liked the concept and the idea surrounding this story, it was really interesting and I felt it could change course at any moment which did make me concentrate whilst reading (a tough thing to do if you ask me)

This is quite a famous book so I’m sure most of you have heard of it or seen the film, but for those who have no idea, the book is based around a young girl named Susie Salmon who is murdered at the age of fourteen. Being brutally forced from this world, Susie watches her family from her position in heaven, being ripped apart as they discover her disappearance and piecing together the little clues they have of her murder. You as the reader are Susie and so know her killer, which is honestly is the most frustrating thing ever, as you watch her killer roam free unable to be prosecuted. But it also has the potential to be seriously tense at times.

I did like this book, it was interesting and at times had me on the edge of my seat. However, being rather simple minded, I got confused on quite a few occasions. Now this does happen from time to time when reading books, but I have to admit this book broke the record for the amount of times I was baffled, and that kind of annoyed me, quite a bit actually. I liked the ending to this book, I felt as though it summed up the story and everything that had happened during its course nicely and I closed the book smiling.

I’m sure lots of you know by now that I slightly judge the book on how quickly I finish it, however my finishing of this book was corrupted by sixth form and the sheer amount of work I have. As a consequence it took me quite a while to finish this book, although given the time I’m sure I would have finished it in a flash. Overall I really did like this book but I was confused a lot and it was a little dull at points, although the tense parts certainly made up for that! For the star rating I’m going to give is a 4 out of 5 stars * * * * I enjoyed it and I would recommend it for readers over the age of 15 (WARNING: there is explicit content)

More Than This – Patrick Ness

August 26, 2014

This book utterly confused me yet completely blew my mind. Is that possible?

I have been told…more than once…that I have a rather simple and easily pleased mind, now don’t get me wrong this may be a contributing factor to my blown mind but I’m pretty sure it was this AWESOME idea for an AWESOME story that turned my already fried brain into the equivalent of scrambled egg… fried scrambled egg…because that totally makes sense… 

In my opinion this is one of those books to go into blind (to get the full awesomeness effect) however I ,myself, dislike those kinds of reviews that tell me nothing about the story.. so here goes… right in the first pages of the book this teenage boy dies. Seriously that is the first chapter. He then wakes up in this strange place completely confused and also not fully clothed… That’s all you’re getting I’m afraid, the rest you’re going to have to find out your selves, sorry chumps… 

Although I have to admit, originally in the first few chapters I wasn’t convinced, I was extremely confused and also worried that the entire book was going to be like those first few chapters, however I stuck it out, kept reading and then OH MY GOD it was so exciting and amazing and fantastic and I found myself repeating the same superlatives to my (by that time) extremely bored family who, to be honest, couldn’t care less about my fried scrambled egg brain… 

In an overview an amazing concept for a story that literally left me questioning my life and humanity in general. However it really does need breaking in and perseverance (well it did for me anyway) which is my only criticism… actually if I’m being really picky I thought the ending was a bit woolly and could do with a bit more definition but that could be because there could be a sequel *holds hands up* who knows, who knows… don’t hold me to that, but I’d like to think so…    anyway a wicked story and brilliant for anyone over the age of 15, there are a few adult themes…I’m going to give this book 4 out of 5 stars * * * * go and read it (if you’re over 15)