#Friday Reads (18)

So, this weekend I'll be reading Extras by Scott Westerfeld. This is the forth and final installment of the Uglies series. However, this book is a little different from the other three because this is kind of like a companion novel and not a direct continuation of the story.

Here is the synopsis:

It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of "American Idol." Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for ...

I'm already 120 pages but honestly I can't really say if I'm enjoying it or not. I was really curious about this series - it had received such rave reviews! - but then, as I started reading it, I couldn't really connect with the story or with the characters and I wasn't particularly impressed by it. I just hope that this one is better than the other three ...

On another topic, I'll be posting - hopefully soon - my review for A Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón but let me tell you, reviewing this book isn't easy!

#Friday Reads (17)

This weekend I'll be reading La Sombra del Viento (The Shadow of the Wind) by Carlos Ruiz Záfon. I bought this book when I was in Barcelona and ever since then I've been waiting for the perfect moment to pick it up.

Here is the synopsis:

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

So far I'm 150 pages in and I honestly think that this will become one of my favorite books (not just for this year). I love the author's writing style and the story is incredibly engrossing. Definitely a book that shows a lot of promise and I hope to finish it during the next few days.

Carrie by Stephen King

Synopsis:

Carrie White may have been unfashionable and unpopular, but she had a gift. Carrie could make things move by concentrating on them. A candle would fall. A door would lock. This was her power and her sin. Then, an act of kindness, as spontaneous as the vicious taunts of her classmates, offered Carrie a chance to be normal and go to her senior prom. But another act--of ferocious cruelty--turned her gift into a weapon of horror and destruction that her classmates would never forget ...

My Thoughts:

I'm not the most experienced reader when it comes to horror books. I've read a few but I'm still relatively new in this genre.

Carrie was my second book by Stephen King and, once again, I was completely fascinated by the story he created. It was a really quick read - something that I didn't expect - and it captivated me right from the start.

I was completely awestruck by what Carrie went through, not only at school, but also at home. Her mother startled me and I actually think she was much scarier than Carrie - even though she didn't have her telekinetic abilities. She was too radical in her religious beliefs and the way she treated her own daughter was appalling! As for Carrie, I actually liked her but I also felt sorry for her even after all the terrible things she did. I think it was really unfortunate that people treated her that way and made her feel like a complete outcast ...

Also, I really enjoyed the writing style and the inclusion of different perspectives while the story was being narrated. Some of them were a bit more personal and emotional and others were objective - like the excerpts from books and the questioning led by the White Commission. I thought this was great because the story seemed a lot more complete and thorough - at least when it came to understanding what had led to the tragic events of prom night.

Overall, a great read that took me by surprise. I don't think it's the scariest book I'll ever read - I think Shining was a lot more scary - but I couldn't help but feel that prom night was quite grim and disturbing ... I definitely need to check out more of Stephen King's books!

I haven't watched any of film adaptations of this book but I plan on watching the first one. I'm not entirely sure I want to see the latest since its reviews haven't exactly been the best ...

I give it 4 ou of 5 stars.

Read in November

These are the books I read during the month of November.

Completed the series this year. You can check out my reviews for the entire trilogy here and here

My first book by Cassandra Clare. Wasn't particularly impressed by it and I'm not entirely sure I'll be continuing with this series. I've posted my review here

 Pleasant surprise :) Review here

 Not a favorite ... It was interesting to a certain point but then it started to get too repetitive and less believable ...

#Friday Reads (16)

I'll be dedicating my weekend to one of my recent purchases. In the beginning of November I bought Carrie by Stephen King but I hadn't got around to it until now.

I've started it today and I'm already 102 pages in an so far I'm really enjoying it. This is only my second book by Stephen King but, from what I've read so far, I think that I won't be stopping here.

Here is the synopsis (just in case you're not that familiar with the story):

The story of misfit high-school girl, Carrie White, who gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers. Repressed by a domineering, ultra-religious mother and tormented by her peers at school, her efforts to fit in lead to a dramatic confrontation during the senior prom.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

And another series is completed!

I have to say, even though I was never particularly attached to the Divergent trilogy or to its characters, I wanted to see how it would all end and how Veronica Roth would explain everything that had happened until now.

Like I’ve mentioned in my previous review, I always felt that I didn’t know that much about Tris’ world; I needed to know why they were living in factions and what had happened before Chicago was divided. In Allegiant we are finally provided with an answer and, I have to admit, when I first read it I just felt like saying “Really? This is how you decide to explain this world and connect all the dots?!”. After so much time – and pages – invested in this story and in this mystery, I felt that the explanation given by Veronica Roth was a little weak and that it diminished – in some way – the relevance of dividing Chicago into factions.

As for the characters, I liked Tris and Tobias’ story lines. Tris grew a lot during this book. She seemed a lot more focused on what was important and more determined to make a difference in her world. As for Tobias, I liked how vulnerable he seemed and that we got to see him deal with some unsettling discoveries. I also think that, as a couple, they matured a lot and were finally able to understand what being together truly meant.

Finally, as for the plot and how the story progressed, I have to point out some of issues I had with it. First of all, I think it lacked some balance because there were moments when we had a lot going on but then, all of the sudden, the narrative would start to drag and loose the pace that had been set before. I also think that some of the deaths were unnecessary and I’m not saying that just because I liked some of those characters. It just felt like the author had grown tired of them and decided to kill them off because there was nothing left to do with them. They didn’t add all that much – if anything – to the story!

Overall I give this book 3,5 stars. I think that, as a trilogy, it could have been told in fewer pages and that it could have delivered a lot more than it actually did. I think the story was overstretched and that there was a lot of stuff in the middle that wasn’t necessary and ended up seeming a bit pointless.

#Friday Reads (15)

I didn't do one of these last week because I wasn't really sure what I was going to read that weekend, but I've already lined up a couple of books for this one.

First of all I'll be finishing Allegiant by Veronica Roth. This is the third and final installment in the Divergent series and, even though this isn't one of my favorite distopian series, I really wanted to see how it ends.

Here is the synopsis:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.  

After that, I plan on starting Saving Grace by Wendy Hewlett. I don't know that much about it but it seems to be a mystery novel. Here is the synopsis:

After spending most of her life on the streets of Toronto, Taylor Sinclair suddenly finds herself in the lap of luxury as she attempts to protect Gray Rowan, a woman she’s idolized since she was ten years old, from becoming a repeat victim of escaped serial rapist/murderer Ralph Morse. The connection the two women share quickly develops into a deep friendship, something that Taylor denied herself for years. Just when Taylor begins to believe in herself, her world turns upside down. Taylor’s past becomes fuel for the insatiable appetite of the media, triggering a police investigation targeting her abusers. Taylor has to deal with the horrors of her past if she has any hope of making it through the Police Academy or developing a relationship with the gorgeous Caillen Worthington. (Book 1 in the Taylor Sinclair Series) .