Annalisa has
726 books
(28 selected)
—
compare books
|
stats
| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
date
|
date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1442423664
| 9781442423664
| 4.30
| 7,627
| Aug 28, 2012
| Aug 28, 2012
|
3.5 I always categorize authors into two groups: those who are awesome storytellers and those who are beautiful writers. Sometimes authors can be a lit...more 3.5 I always categorize authors into two groups: those who are awesome storytellers and those who are beautiful writers. Sometimes authors can be a little but of both, but usually they are one or the other. Shusterman is definitely a storyteller, and an exceptional one at that. When I heard he was writing a sequel to Unwind, I was a little worried he'd milk the story into a trilogy when there wasn't much to add, but when asked why, he said there was still more to the story he wanted to tell. I could picture him sitting in his writing cave imagining a future for Connor and Risa and Lev, holding on to this world he'd created because it was larger than himself, something that lived and breathed on its own. That's the kind of sequel I like to read. At first Unwholly read a whole lot like Unwind version 2, but once Cam was introduced the story changed. He was my favorite character, probably because he was the most fleshed out, the most complicated, in a way that none of Shusterman's characters have ever felt for me (even if I did have trouble picturing his blended skin and hair). I was at times fascinated, disgusted, sympathetic, and annoyed with him. And he gave me a lot to think about. I contemplated his meaning to this whole Unwind universe and I'm not sure I like what it brought to the discussion. (view spoiler)[The discussion about where a soul comes from is fascinating, but to suggest that humans could create a person, even from a plethora of other people, who had a unique soul completely negating a higher power didn't settle right with me, in a way I was never bothered with in Frankenstein or any other book. Interesting, because some of the characters here had a belief in a higher power when it is never discussed in Frankenstein. Maybe it's because Cam felt more like a human being where the creation in Frankenstein more like a machine. I'm not sure. It was an interesting topic, but I was as conflicted about Cam's creation as the people in the book. I was also conflicted about the message in Unwholly taking away from Unwind's. While I think the degree for unwinding stemming from a fear of feral teenagers more realistic than a resolution to pro-life/pro-choice, this installment in the trilogy kind of negated the whole abortion discussion in favor of one about souls. Kind of in the same family, but not nearly as intense as that one. (hide spoiler)] While I was into this story and enjoyed it immensely, I knew it wouldn't reach the level of Unwind. Here, I was a little more aware of Shusterman's at-times clunky writing, his plot formula, and his less-than-perfect characterization. It's worth it for the story though. There are some strong villains here and unexpected turns. I like that the story took me someplace I wasn't expecting. I can't wait to read the conclusion.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Sep 04, 2012
| Sep 21, 2012
|
Aug 07, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 030788743X
| 9780307887436
| 4.28
| 59,743
| Aug 16, 2011
| Aug 16, 2011
|
This book should come with a spoiler warning to the 1980s. If you ever, inspired by Back To The Future, build a time machine to live through the bodac...more
This book should come with a spoiler warning to the 1980s. If you ever, inspired by Back To The Future, build a time machine to live through the bodacious 1980s, this book will spoil the surprise for you. Of course, if you're a fan of Back to the Future--which you totally should be, one of my favorite things to come out of the '80s--chances are the '80s won't be much of a surprise anyway. Even though this '80s wasn't quite the Madonna-intense, hair-crimping, Cosby-watching '80s I remember, I still waxed nostalgic reading about the movies, music, and Atari games from the decade. After an awesome opener, the book started off a little rough for me with extensive info dumping, everything from a tour of the OASIS mingled into the history of video games to a long-winded argument for atheism. I thought this book was going to make we want to be a full-fledged geek (I like video games, but I would never consider myself worthy of that level of commitment), but all that nerd talk (in the same vein as guys who spout sports stats) actually turned me off a lifestyle where video games trump everything else. I was starting to think however awesome Cline's story idea was, it would be lost in so much explaining and Cline's knowledge dropping that the plot would never take off. But once the story gained steam, with a few hiccups, all that talk about video games and the '80s became part of the setting. As the book progressed, these kids obsession with the '80s made me sad. Living through the good old days is very different from trying to reenact them and prove you know more about them than the next guy in some empty attempt to connect with a time that isn't so depraved. I stayed up later than I wanted to on more than one occasion to read one more scene, and then another. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, Cline would throw in a new twist that kept me guessing. It reminded me of the nights I watched the NBA finals with my nails bitten down to nothing because those cocky Bulls were going to three-peat laughing at the underdog Jazz as though they weren't good enough to be there. (Not that the Bulls were evil like the IOI or overpaid Jazz players underdogs to the level of high school video game geeks, but I still felt the same anxiety for the need to win.) The throwback to some '80s movie plots were awesome too, a little reward for those of us who know our '80s trivia. I kept thinking the whole time I read the book that it would make an awesome movie and was pleased to see it's in the works to become one. Wade was an awesome protagonist, a lonely geek whose only friends are in the OASIS, people he's never met. He's overweight, acne-prone, and never leaves his abandoned van, but as Parzival he's tall, muscular, and knows his stuff. He's definitely the guy I wanted to win a contest for Halliday's fortune. Aech was a awesome side character too. In fact, I think I liked him more than Parzival. Art3mis, on the other hand, didn't give me much to endear me to her. Her negativity and mistrust, especially when the game clock is ticking away by the seconds, got on my nerves. It could be that unlike the other characters, I wasn't given much of her history outside the OASIS to ground her for me or that while Parzival claimed she was funny, I never saw that side of her so all I saw was the hardened, online identity. (view spoiler)[But, having said that, I thought she was perfect for Wade, so I was ultimately okay with her. (hide spoiler)] As a dystopia, Cline did his job in not just creating an interesting world, but giving us readers something to ponder about where our society is headed. He especially drove home the point about people's identities being different online than they are in real life and how people escape unfavorable reality for a shallow existence online. We aren't becoming any less dependent on the Internet, so a future where we are so dependent is realistic. He also touched on corporate greed, what extents people and organizations will go to for money, our depleting natural resources, how technology and innovation don't always improve society or change it in unexpected ways, and ultimately what I thought the most damning point, public apathy that did nothing to stop society from unravelling when it was easiest to escape to a more favorable existence online. It's a fun, fast-paced read that will make you want to grab a quarter and hit an old-fashioned arcade (or wish you still had that ghetto Atari around). I think I'm going to round up a copy of War Games and Back to the Future, and maybe a little John Hughes and Ferris Buehler's Day Off, and have myself an '80s fest.(less) | Notes are private!
| 1
| Jan 22, 2013
| Feb 03, 2013
|
Aug 07, 2012
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0007442912
| 9780007442911
| 4.31
| 157,173
| May 01, 2012
| May 01, 2012
|
In the beginning (or most of book really) I struggled to sympathize with Tris. I kept reminding myself that like Katniss in Mockingjay she was traumat...more
In the beginning (or most of book really) I struggled to sympathize with Tris. I kept reminding myself that like Katniss in Mockingjay she was traumatized and to cut her some slack. But it was hard when she wasn't very likable. She wasn't the strong character of Divergent that I liked and I never knew what was going to come out of her mouth. The lover's spats got on my nerves more than anything. I get why Roth didn't want to have her making out all the time despite everything that happened, but she could be sad and conflicted without fighting all the time to the point that the fights started to feel forced, fights just to keep the lovers apart. It made me like Four a little less than I did after Divergent. We got to know Tris and Four so well in Divergent and here I felt like they rushed around from plot point to plot point without ever really connecting. More than anything, I kept noticing all the similarities with [[book:The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset|7938275]. I already mentioned Tris acting like Katniss, but there was also Jeanine who was like President Snow and Evelyn like President Coin, the factionless like District 13, etc. However, I noted in my review of Catching Fire that it was too similar to Uglies so maybe it's just a case of there isn't any new fiction out there. About halfway through, I had this suspicion that maybe this was more like (view spoiler)[The Maze Runner (hide spoiler)] and it turns out I was right. The ending wasn't really the surprise twist it was supposed to be. I thought maybe I was wrong when Marcus said he couldn't even describe it to Tris, but that turned out to be a cope out so Roth could keep the secret until the end. I'm not sure how else Roth could have ended the book, but this one left a lot more questions than answers.(view spoiler)[ I didn't really get how when a society has more Divergents than not, that would accomplish peace. I still don't understand how a society wouldn't already be mostly Divergent. Nor does it make sense that if you lock a bunch of people in a city and split them up in different factors that eventually most of the characters will show tendencies toward more than one of the factions. And I'm still not sure I understand Caleb's betrayal. Between his sister's life and woman's quest for power, he chose power. I can kind of get that the unknown of opening up the gate is scary, but not any less scary than the oppression Jeanine had planned. (hide spoiler)] But I have faith in Roth to wrap everything up in the next installment. And like Divergent, despite all my questions, I was into the story. I didn't take time to stop at the discrepancies I found but forged ahead. Roth kept me guessing throughout the novel with twists and developments. Jeanine was a viable villain I wanted to strangle. Despite all the fighting, I still adore Four. And I may not always like Tris, but I still find her interesting. With a little suspension of disbelief, this story is quite entertaining.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| May 25, 2012
| May 26, 2012
|
May 25, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385738773
| 9780385738774
| 3.82
| 37,914
| Oct 11, 2011
| Oct 11, 2011
|
Things Dashner does well: Storytelling. Making up this world and coming up with all the plot twists are well done; he's a very talented tale spinner. H...more Things Dashner does well: Storytelling. Making up this world and coming up with all the plot twists are well done; he's a very talented tale spinner. He's great at creating suspense, making the next plot twist come at the right moment, and making you want to go on to the next chapter. A lab-created zombie virus and an overzealous world organization with too much power: fantastic ideas. Some of the plot twists and answers I questioned, but overall it was a fast-paced tale that easily drew me in. What Dashner does not do so well: Character development. This is the third book in the series and I still have no idea what most of the characters look like or what they are about at their core. They all seem rather the same, especially their short tempers. The book is about plot more than character so for the most part I gone on with the shallow characters, but it would have been nice to get a better feel for who I was caring about while reading about all their close calls with the Cranks. Description. I got lost a lot in this book. A lot. I know some of that is me forgetting details from previous books, but most of it was my inability to keep up with what Dashner was trying to describe. I was especially lost in the conclusion, partly because things weren't described well, but partly because I didn't feel like I all my questions were answered. (view spoiler)[How exactly did the wall convert into an entrance to the Flat Trans? I get that it was some form of liquid solid, but the fact that it opened up into a new place sounded more like magic than advanced science. How could this paradise be disconnected from the rest of the world? Couldn't they keep walking and end up in someplace overrun by Cranks? Couldn't the Cranks roaming around the earth eventually wander into them? Also, what ever happened to the people in Maze B? Did they just head to the Maze A and save those people while forgetting all the people in the other maze? Why didn't they split up? Why didn't someone lament about the other maze and the hundreds of immunes dying there? It was dropped from the story. And it wasn't the only loose end I still had questions about. I liked that the conclusion to the trilogy wasn't a happily ever after. There wasn't an eleventh hour cure that was going to fix everything when the world was way past Gone, but I did feel like it happened too quickly without addressing all the loose ends. And one last complaint that we discussed at my writing group. How come Thomas never got his memory back? We've been wondering what's in there since the beginning of Maze Runner. We've waited all this time to learn Thomas' involvement in Wicked and especially at the beginning of this book where he fought so hard against getting his memory back and Wicked fought so hard to give it to him. We were teased (from the very first book) with secrets and information to prove Wicked was good and find out who Thomas had been and how he's changed, but Dashner never came through. (hide spoiler)] ETA: I just found out The Kill Order *spoiler* has nothing to do with Thomas and Teresa. *spoiler* Seriously?! The only reason I was considering reading it was to find out what Dashner should have written here. But instead of milking one more book out of the trilogy, Dashner has milked a prequel to set up the milking of yet another prequel. It irritates me when author's milk a story idea instead of moving on to the next one. That information should have been in this book and I'm not reading a lot of new books for a little bit of information. I will not be reading anything else that has to do with the Maze Runner trilogy.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Jan 02, 2012
| Jan 07, 2012
|
Jan 02, 2012
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1442429984
| 9781442429987
| 4.04
| 20,895
| Jun 07, 2011
| Jun 07, 2011
|
2.5, maybe 3, stars with the disclaimer that this is a case of not for me. I failed to connect with the book and only briefly, between Hopetown and Fr...more
2.5, maybe 3, stars with the disclaimer that this is a case of not for me. I failed to connect with the book and only briefly, between Hopetown and Freedom Fields, was I into the story. While there are a lot of unexpected and suspenseful plot twists in this book, they seem to overwhelm the story at the expense of character development and world building. Saba's quest is all to get her beloved brother, Lugh, back, but where I never cared about Lugh, it didn't matter to me whether Saba got him back or not. The more she kept repeating how much he meant to her, the more I resisted her putting him on an altar without understanding why he deserved to be up there. I'm not sure how Young could have given me a chance to see more of Lugh where he's taken so early in the book, maybe in flashbacks, but I personally needed more to care about the quest. It's not just Lugh. Other than Saba (because we're in her head the entire book), none of the other characters are well developed, not the Free Hawks, not Jack, not even Emmi to the extent I would have liked. The King was an odd caricature (although I loved the picture of the Sun King); I think Madam Pinch was a better developed villain than he was. I didn't fell anything for the loss or suffering of the characters. For such a long book, there was room to show some humanness to the characters. A difficult task when Saba had such tunnel-vision about her brother and was somewhat emotionally/socially stunted and therefore not the most reliable source to read other people's character. Saba started off awesome: strong, determined, and fierce. I loved the red hot and would have loved to see more of her cage fighting era developed, but it seemed like more of a backstory. She was a little too much like Katniss, down to the bow, but not nearly as strong or likable without Katniss' reasons for being so tough. As Saba's journey progressed, she seemed more selfish than determined, more bullheaded than fierce, to regress in character development instead of progress. I struggled at times to connect with her and care about her journey and often wondered what those who risked their lives for her saw in her. About the romance...(view spoiler)[I was most dissatisfied with her about Jack. There no reason given for their relationship other than her necklace burned whenever he was around. Maybe it was because of that, or her inconsistency with him, or the fact that he wasn't developed enough to like or or understand why he was there, but I didn't connect with them as a couple. I started to get annoyed with the way Saba treated Jack, knowing that eventually she was going to give into it. Despite having a reason to fight a relationship (she couldn't be distracted from finding her brother), the resistance felt forced, as did the relationship. As cocky as Jack was, I often thought he deserved better. But I'm not going lie. I'm glad there was finally a good make out session in there, even if it felt a little ripped off of Ron and Hermione on their way into battle. (hide spoiler)] Not only would I have liked more development of the characters but the world as well. I thought the illiterate dialect went a long way to set the world, but I could have used more. A strong picture of Hopetown and the Freedom Fields, a stronger sense of the oppressed people and the injustice of it all, a stronger sense of how much worse the quasi-government would get if it wasn't stopped. There was an interesting premise here if it had been taken further. While there were some fantastic plot twists, very creative storytelling, and some promise as an author, I often pulled out of those plot twists and found myself a bit disbelieving. (view spoiler)[You have the dead villain in front of you and you don't check to make sure he's dead? Then you have to kill him 3 more times before he actually dies? Climbing a cage surrounded by people who want to kill you somehow gets you out of the building unharmed? The one that really got me: 18-foot worms come of the tiny cracks in a dried lake and not only do they have heads but they can walk? As awesome as killer worms are, they didn't sound very wormish to me and reminded me too much of The Maze Runner (and were handled too easily too). (hide spoiler)] A little too much save the day in the knick of time for me to worry about their safety and success. I can definitely see why people love this book. It's packed with twist, tough heroine, and an unusual world. I would have just liked to see less of the text dedicated to stretching out the intense moments and more to developing the characters and the world. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Jun 18, 2012
| Jun 24, 2012
|
Oct 13, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0062024027
| 9780062024022
| 4.39
| 296,005
| May 03, 2011
| May 03, 2011
|
It's been awhile since I stayed up late to finish a book. I nearly gave it 5 stars, but I reserve my 5-star shelf for books I believe are so original...more
It's been awhile since I stayed up late to finish a book. I nearly gave it 5 stars, but I reserve my 5-star shelf for books I believe are so original or beautiful or thought-provoking that they stand separate from the masses, and this wasn't quite there. It took me a long time to buy into this world. I had trouble remembering what the factions were, what they stood for, and who belonged to which one. But more than anything, I didn't really believe that this society would develop, and I wasn't sure what we as readers were supposed to take away from it. I also had trouble with how easy it was to be factionless and yet how draining that must have been on the society. You would think they would work hard to keep people in factions as viable members of society, yet a boy didn't run fast enough to catch a train so he's banished to a fate worse than death? I finally had to tell myself that it didn't matter why Roth created this world; it made an interesting premise and a fun read. While I had issues with the why, I still think she created the world well enough. It wrapped itself around me so I thought about it when I wasn't reading. Roth is a very creative writer. She had me hooked and kept me guessing enough that I wanted to learn more. Even though most of the book is Beatrice's training, I found it interesting. Sometimes I got lost in the description and didn't quite follow what Roth was saying, but I still found myself enjoying the book. I have a few things that bothered me or questions I didn't have answered: If it was such a disgrace to move factions, how come so many people did? And if families rarely visited kids in their new factions, how come everyone's parents showed up? If Divergent were people who didn't fit exclusively into one faction, wouldn't most, if not all, of society be Divergent? I kept waiting for the book to explain why there weren't any old people in Dauntless, but maybe that will be clearer in a future installment. (view spoiler)[If Tris' mother was in danger when she chose factions, did that mean the government had been working on this rebellion for decades? And wouldn't that make Jeanine a lot older? (hide spoiler)] And about the plot twists: some of them got a little unbelievable in the end (view spoiler)[Four and Tris giving up their weapons instead of fighting when they were supposed to be Dauntless, Will being the soldier she has to shoot, her mom finding her in the knick of time, etc (hide spoiler)] but without them, the read wouldn't have been as exciting. I really enjoyed the romance, which fueled a lot of my interest. I loved that I couldn't tell who the interest would be in the beginning but that the guy I came to like without every suspecting he could be a love interest turned out to be the one. I loved what we slowly got to know about him. I loved that it wasn't some contrived love triangle. Most of all, I loved that he didn't baby Tris. He pushed her to be a better person. I really liked him. The only thing that bothered me about the romance was all of Tris' doubts. I know she was insecure, but sometimes her double guessing bordered on silly girl stupidity and I thought she was above that. About Tris, I loved that she was small but tough and how much she developed and came into her own throughout the novel. I didn't always like her, but she intrigued me and I liked following her journey. Most of the characters intrigued me and even the villains elicited feelings of anger and frustration from me. I liked that the characters were human and flawed, even if at times I had trouble keeping them straight. Just like the factions. Even though I had to suspend some disbelief for this, they were interesting and certainly got me thinking about virtues in society and people. I will definitely be reading Insurgent.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| May 14, 2012
| May 18, 2012
|
Oct 03, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385738757
| 9780385738750
| 4.02
| 59,345
| Oct 12, 2010
| Oct 12, 2010
|
Maze Runner didn't interest me enough to continue the series, but my friend lend me her copy of Scorch Trials. After weeks siting on my dresser, I tho...more
Maze Runner didn't interest me enough to continue the series, but my friend lend me her copy of Scorch Trials. After weeks siting on my dresser, I thought I'd give it a shot. Format for the book: New Chapter. Something's going on but you don't really know what. Wait for it, wait for it... Big Reveal!! (key drum music). Ha, you don't really know anything. New Chapter. Something's going on and you don't really know what. Wait for it, wait for it... Big Reveal!!! (key drum music). Ha, you don't really know anything. New Chapter. Something's going on... Okay you get the point. It gets old after about the third chapter. I was so annoyed with the plot and dialogue and description revolving around holding information and then surprise that around page 50, I committed a mortal sin. I peeked to see if the book was worth continuing because i couldn't stand it anymore. Okay, I was curious. I'd endure the suspense overdose. After awhile I got used to it. And really, even though the writing is nothing special and the character development non-existent, Dashner is very creative and that's what drives the story. I was surprised by some of the plot turns and never really sure what was coming next. I just wish some of those plot twists had been explained better and not dropped so easily (view spoiler)[I'm most curious about the purpose of the green-lit room (hide spoiler)], but there's always The Death Cure to tie everything together and answer all my questions. There's a lot Dashner has to justify in the next book and I'm not sure he can tie it all together, but we'll see. I'm actually more interested in reading the finale to the trilogy then I was to read this one.(less) | Notes are private!
| 1
| Jan 17, 2011
| Jan 26, 2011
|
Jan 17, 2011
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0545265355
| 9780545265355
| 4.56
| 55,317
| 2008
| Aug 24, 2010
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| Aug 26, 2010
|
Aug 27, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0061448761
| 9780061448768
| 3.91
| 55,372
| Jun 24, 2008
| Jun 24, 2008
|
The big question in my head most of this book, was "who is the target audience?" Nobody in the book is over 15 (despite the 18-year-olds on the awful...more
The big question in my head most of this book, was "who is the target audience?" Nobody in the book is over 15 (despite the 18-year-olds on the awful cover), so you'd think 13 or 14 year-olds, but at close to 600 pages, I can't see most of them reading this. And if you get too old, stories about abandoned children--babies--dying of neglect might bother you, or maybe even stories where you'd have disappeared because you've hit your 15th birthday. But despite all that, it's a great premise with a lot of fantastic twists that drive the story forward. I'd say this is one of those few YA books that really appeals to guys more than girls. My other question was: is there really that much of a hierarchy of bullies and that many sociopaths in any given society? I realize when society breaks down, so does civilization, but that many "bad kids" was a little unbelievable for me. However, some of those villains are very strong though and thoroughly creepy and they were great assets to the tension in the story. All the characters are very well fleshed out. And the other characters are very likable. Sam is the quiet kid who acts heroically when disaster is thrust upon him and Astrid the quiet know-it-all with a big heart. No matter what had happened, I would have been interested in their story and rooted for them. Grant did a good job adding twists and turns and unexpected problems along the way. It's a very creative story. I was a little disappointed with the open ending, but all-in-all a good read. Those meet-doom-around-every-bend thrillers aren't my favorite (thus why I'd recommend the book more to guys than girls), but it's well written and creative. I can only imagine where Grant takes the series from here.(less) | Notes are private!
| 1
| Jul 18, 2010
| Jul 27, 2010
|
Jul 18, 2010
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0385737947
| 9780385737944
| 3.99
| 90,205
| Oct 06, 2009
| Oct 06, 2009
|
If Dashner got anything right, he delivered with the suspense. The writing can be a little dry and non-descript (maybe it's a guy thing), but once I b...more
If Dashner got anything right, he delivered with the suspense. The writing can be a little dry and non-descript (maybe it's a guy thing), but once I became involved with the story, I didn't want to put it down. My problem with the book is that Dashner sometimes sacrificed the story for the suspense. It didn't always feel organic, the character choices and the plot direction, and it made me pull out of the story a little. Also, because he built up the suspense so much, the story didn't always deliver. (view spoiler)[For instance, I thought the grievers were thoroughly creepy in the beginning, the stuff of nightmares, but once Thomas encountered them, Dashner didn't bother scaring us anymore. I felt as though he thought we could freak ourselves out now that we understood what they were, but after Thomas beat them, I needed Dashner to remind me that they were a threat. And I was disappointed with that night in the maze. Going into it, the suspense was awesome, but then the night felt like two hours from sunset to sunrise and it was too easy for Thomas. I wanted more escaping going on, more struggle with the maze, more time in there. (hide spoiler)] Dashner explains why Thomas has an easy time in the maze, but still. I would have liked more discovery from him instead of him just knowing stuff from his erased memory and that goes for the whole glade and all the people, not just the maze. It's tough to balance a plot-driven story with the slow pace of character development, and I think this story needed to be faster paced, but I would have liked a little more development, a little more showing of the other characters instead of Thomas telling us what they were like. More depth to the stereotypes and even with Thomas, a few fatal character flaws, a few catastrophic mistakes (other than going into the maze), that made me have to figure out if I liked and trusted him and fear for his life a little more. Also, the fake swears didn't ring true. Normally I love made-up words in a dystopia, but these didn't feel like made-up words so much as replacements for real swear words Dashner didn't want to use. There were a few times that it was too obvious what words they were supposed to be and that they were a straight-across replacement. I think the story could have used a few more drafts before publication, but overall it's a solid, suspenseful story. I really liked the idea of the grievers and the maze test and WICKED: intense, unique, creative. When all my nitpicking fades, I'll remember that I liked the story. If I'm in a good mood 3.5 stars.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Jun 20, 2010
| Jun 22, 2010
|
Jun 20, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0525423648
| 9780525423645
| 3.76
| 171,923
| Nov 30, 2010
| Nov 30, 2010
|
When I heard Condie's trilogy was being pushed as the next big thing, I instantly expected this to be cheap, tantalizing but empty, and poorly written...more
When I heard Condie's trilogy was being pushed as the next big thing, I instantly expected this to be cheap, tantalizing but empty, and poorly written. Is my faith in the publishing industry that low? Sadly, sometimes yes. Then I met Ally. She's adorable, down-to-earth, and not at all tainted by the buzz. Ever since, I've been anxiously trying to get my hands on an ARC of Matched. I really wanted it to be as good as her publisher thinks it is. I sat down Friday afternoon with my friend's ARC (and more than a little anxiety) and didn't close the book until I finished. I don't know how Condie managed to make a perfect society where nothing ever happens so intriguing, but she does. From the beginning she pulls you into this world and keeps you interested. You never know when an Official is going to pop up in Cassie's seemingly perfect life to call her out for insubordination to the society's propaganda. Condie ties a clean writing style into this sterile dystopia which builds on the naivete of its citizens. It's not simplistic in a poorly written sense--there are moments when Condie shines with beauty--it's simplistic in a stylistic sense. And it works too in capturing Cassie's teenage mind. Condie's weak point is her characterization. I never fully grasped Cassie or Xander or Ky beyond a general characterization, but my fear for the characters and curiosity about the love triangle was strong enough to make me keep turning pages. And I doubt the depth I wanted and my other issues with plot and character will faze the intended audience. This isn't crossover fiction; it's purely YA. I can see why her publisher wanted this. It has that "it" quality in YA commercial fiction that I can't quite explain but that will grip its teenage audience the way other reads may not. I won't go into my usual in-depth review since most people haven't read it, but if you read YA commercial fiction, you don't want to miss this one. The scoop from someone I know who's read a draft of the sequel is that it's amazing, but we'll all have to wait a year for that one. Matched comes on November 30. Go, preorder it now. (About the cover: Am I the only one who doesn't like it? I never would have picked this book off the shelf. The glimmery background is cool, but the gray doesn't stand out. The dress, which is supposed to be the gorgeous dress Cassie wears to her Matching, is meh, and her hands don't line up with the bubble, which irritates me. I'm glad Dutton is pushing a book with writing talent, but I think they could have done better on the cover.)(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Oct 2010
| Oct 2010
|
May 31, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 037321006X
| 9780373210060
| 3.86
| 10,907
| Apr 01, 2010
| Apr 01, 2010
|
I'd say this is a cross between The Uglies and (view spoiler)[Dark City (hide spoiler)]. Interesting, but not completely original. I struggled underst...more
I'd say this is a cross between The Uglies and (view spoiler)[Dark City (hide spoiler)]. Interesting, but not completely original. I struggled understanding some of the world, especially the way she calculated birthdays and eventually gave up trying to figure out how old everyone was or how much time had passed. Plus, there were some minor discrepancies/holes in her world that gave me pause (like the rotating of shifts that supposed to be half on/half off, but then staggered when it was convenient). Some of the plot twists or character availability/knowledge seemed a little too convenient too. Having said all that, her world is vivid and I have a clear picture in my mind of Trella and the Inside. The more I read the more intrigued I became with the plot. The intensity had a nice crescendo through the book. I wasn't surprised by the end, having watched that not-well-known movie in my spoiler, but it was still interesting. And Snyder includes a lot plot twists to keep you turning pages. The story was good enough, it just felt too much like the Uglies for me to be wowed by it. And of course, it's a series. I've committed to only reading the first of a series and being okay with those loose ends at the end.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| May 09, 2010
| May 10, 2010
|
May 10, 2010
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1590513134
| 9781590513132
| 3.75
| 2,685
| Aug 29, 2006
| Jun 09, 2009
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
|
0
| not set
| not set
|
Apr 30, 2010
| Trade Paper
| |||||||||||||||
| 3763251111
| 9783763251117
| 3.92
| 514,238
| 1953
| 2002
|
I'm always amazed when speculative fiction stands the test of time. In 1953, Bradbury created a world where: -people are so obsessed with TV that socia...more I'm always amazed when speculative fiction stands the test of time. In 1953, Bradbury created a world where: -people are so obsessed with TV that socializing is getting together and watching your favorite show; it's all anyone talks about anymore (Bachelor parties anyone?) -characters on shows are your family, more real to you than your own family (I think this mentality started with Friends) -people watch reality shows and police chases like a drug -kids are so desensitized by what they see on TV that vehicular manslaughter is a popular past time (okay we haven't gone that far, but we are desensitized and drawn to crashes on the side of the road) -everyone drives at alarming speeds without seeing the world around them or thinking of the consequences if they crashed or hit anyone -in his go, go, go society, nobody can be bothered to stop and think, to stop and see the world, to interact with people -houses aren't build with porches any longer because nobody sits around and talks anymore -advertisement jingles are fed to people everywhere so much so that it prevents anyone from thinking beyond them -people are too impatient and disinterested in real knowledge and need things dumbed down for them (the kind of information you could get from a quick twitter; look at the difference in literature from the classics that teens can't even get through these days and modern literature where short, choppy, fragmented sentences are a must) -the voice of minorities is strongest: political correctness (though the term and its way as social thinking didn't come about until the 1990s) is what spears people to get rid of books with portrayals of history that offend them as a minority (read reviews for Gone With the Wind; that book would never be allowed to be published now because of its real portrayal of the South during the Civil War) -his society is so high on instant gratification and a sense of well being that they can't be bothered with guilt, remorse, morality, other people, anything that disrupts their mind-numbing, thinkless state of happiness -TV is a babysitter for parents too busy and self-absorbed to be bothered with their own children (started with Sesame Street) -families aren't important anymore nor is having children; people are just too preoccupied to be bothered with something that disrupts their lives that are busy, busy, busy about nothing Bradbury's book has a definite 1950s feel to it, but the intrinsic message/warning in his society is more relevant today that it has ever been. It's scary how much he got right.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Apr 26, 2010
| Apr 30, 2010
|
Apr 26, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1416912045
| 9781416912040
| 4.23
| 52,738
| Nov 06, 2007
| Nov 06, 2007
|
Page one, I'm iffy. Pro-life and Pro-choice fight a civil war and the only way to satisfy both armies is the agreement that no abortions take place bu...more
Page one, I'm iffy. Pro-life and Pro-choice fight a civil war and the only way to satisfy both armies is the agreement that no abortions take place but from the ages of thirteen to eighteen any child can be unwound and his or her divided body and soul be used as organ donation? First off, pro-choice isn't going to go for a woman sacrificing her body through pregnancy and raising a child thirteen years before she can dispose of it. And pro-life isn't going to go for the termination of a child who is more developed than an embryo. I'm not buying that anyone would go for this resolution. Page ten, I don't care anymore. I'm already invested in Connor's fate when he goes on the run after finding the copy of his Unwind order. The premise may be absurd, but Shusterman made the distopia so real for me that I had to find out the fate of these unwanted kids through every horrific detail. The story never slows down with twists paced through the end that kept me glued to the book. What disturbed me most (beside the unwinding) was the music played at the chop shop. Every time I think a society could not possibly go that far, throw in a little reminder of Nazi Germany and I know it already has. While disturbing, the story is near impossible to put down or get out of your head once you do because every scene can be taken to discuss a larger issue in society. It's not really about the absurdity of the resolution but a vehicle for Shusterman to make statements about society. He introduces important questions about abortion, organ donation, stem cell research, the destructive power of propaganda, apathy of uninformed decisions, consequences, parental control, and religious fanaticism among others. But he doesn't shove answers down our throats. He just introduces the discussion. Pro-choice advocates could make the claim that Shusterman is defending their cause by showing all the unwanted children that would come from anti-abortion laws. Pro-life advocates could make the claim that Shusterman is defending their cause by showing how sick the destruction of children is as parents turn a blind eye to the specifics of the practice just because they selfishly don't want to deal with a child anymore. I think what Shusterman is showing is that a society should never allow a government to be its moral compass, but individuals should make their own informed, ethical decisions.(less) | Notes are private!
| 1
| Apr 14, 2010
| Apr 15, 2010
|
Mar 16, 2010
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0763622591
| 9780763622596
| 3.57
| 20,853
| Sep 23, 2002
| Feb 23, 2004
|
I started this book over a week ago and only got through the first page before all the "likes" turned me off. I took a break, read a few other books,...more
I started this book over a week ago and only got through the first page before all the "likes" turned me off. I took a break, read a few other books, and tried again. This time I got through two chapters before I closed the book and took a breath. "I can't do this," I told myself. "I hate books that overuse our obnoxious vernacular. And the made-up words are annoying and stupid. I much preferred the made-up slang in A Clockwork Orange." "So you're going to punish Anderson for using slang that is more realistic? You're going to punish him for making you uncomfortable with the world the way it is, for yourself because you know you use that word, like it or not." "Okay," I told the stupid analytic part of my brain. "If you'll just like shut up. I'll keep reading." And that is how I ended up reading this book. And it did make me uncomfortable. It's everything obnoxious about our media-frenzied, frantic-paced, impulse-driven, uneducated-praising society exemplified megawatt. In Anderson's world people are hardwired into corporate feeds that advertise to them according to what they're thinking, feeling, saying, looking at, etc. They chat with each other, watch shows, check the internet, invade each other's privacy, all within their bodies. Schools have quit teaching them facts because all that's accessible at the push of a button-no simpler than that, with nothing more than a thought. All their interactions are interrupted by this internal conversation/shopping/distraction. Through a combination of advertising and ignorance these shallow people don't care that the feeds are destroying them after they've destroyed the world where they continue to live in vertically stacked suburbs with fake air and fake sun and fake food. And they all (adults included) speak in that valley-girl like/dude hollowness, only their words are mega and unit and still plenty of like and f words. I picked up this book weeks after my disenchantment with facebook over the debacle on targeting advertising for us. I can see spelling and vocabulary plummeting in this text-typing generation and the interruption of technology into every moment of our lives. I fear for the laziness in education when information is at our fingertips. I can fathom technology being introduced where electronic devices are implanted so kids (okay me too) stop breaking them and losing them. I don't think we're that far off from biological computers. I can see the pitfalls of our society heading in something akin to this direction and it's disturbing. No more jokes from me about my surgically implanted cellphone. But those "likes" are too ingrained. I just have to keep kicking myself mentally whenever one slips out. ETA: I've been thinking about this book ever since I read it. I can't stop thinking about it. For all the dystopias I've been reading, I'm amazed that Anderson's world could discomfort me this much. And I've been thinking about his main character. While reading it, I was often disappointed with his choices, but now I think he was the perfect embodiment of this shallow world. I loved that Anderson offers no judgment or solution, just shows us this world with all its many flaws and lets it creep under your skin and make you uncomfortable with where the world is headed. M.T. Anderson is amazing. I look forward to reading his other books.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| May 29, 2010
| Jun 09, 2010
|
Mar 03, 2010
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385736819
| 9780385736817
| 3.62
| 40,833
| 2009
| Mar 10, 2009
|
Creepy. It's a combination of The Giver and I Am Legend with a flair of The Village. I spend so much of the book trying to shake off the hopeless feel...more
Creepy. It's a combination of The Giver and I Am Legend with a flair of The Village. I spend so much of the book trying to shake off the hopeless feeling that Mary would never escape the zombie apocalypse that it did its job creeping me out. There was a little too much of the zombies have a hold of her and their mouths are reaching for her and she closes her eyes and knows she's going to die and then someone saves her with no plausible way for either of them not be bitten, but it was still suspenseful and the world Ryan created very interesting. My biggest complaint about the book is the writing--of course, isn't it always? :). You take a book written in first person and we're seeing more into Mary's head than the description of this world built to keep the zombies out, which really was very intriguing and we don't get enough of it. Then you write in present tense and the plot slows down, losing the ability to keep up the fast pace a horror novel requires. On top of that, Ryan felt the need to stop the dialogue after each sentence to tell us exactly what Mary was so obviously thinking and the story slows to a stand still. Sure zombies are creepy because they're slow but relentless, but I don't want the writing to mirror those traits. Also, there were times when Ryan wanted to keep up the suspense so she's evasive with her details. I reread several scenes a couple of times trying to figure out exactly what happened, but at a loss to understand. I'd have to guess, often to find out later that I assumed the wrong thing. Like the almost kiss. There was way too much touching for there not to be kissing, so I thought I must have misunderstood the vague introduction to the scene, but no, I was supposed to believe that she was lying on top of him, his hands on her hips pulling him to her and they weren't kissing. I still don't think I understood exactly what happened in that scene. You can built suspense and still let your readers know what's going on. And speaking of the love rectangle (is that what I should call it?), it got on my nerves. Not that it was there, that made the story interesting, but the back and forth of it. She likes Travis, she likes Harry, one likes her, than the other, no he likes Cass, who knows. It didn't really matter after awhile who ended up with whom; I just wanted the back and forth to end. For as much as she claimed she loved Travis, she did an awful lot of avoiding him when she had the chance to be alone with him. It seemed more like she lusted after Travis but could be herself with Harry. Ryan never justified Mary's love for Travis for me. I didn't see it build or grow, just a confession of it. For all that Ryan put me into Mary's thoughts, I should have had a better understanding of her feelings for the boys. My favorite part of the book is when they're stuck in the house/platform with the constant moan of the zombies outside and no idea where to go or if there even is a where, so very reminiscent of what I enjoyed about I Am Legend. I wanted more interactions with Travis, more description of the world, more panic about time, but the creepy moaning zombies really captured the horror of the scene. The story was original, but there's too much saved in the nick of time and very slow writing for me to enjoy it like I could have.(less) | Notes are private!
| 1
| Feb 13, 2010
| Feb 14, 2010
|
Feb 15, 2010
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0439023513
| 9780439023511
| 4.03
| 841,771
| Aug 24, 2010
| Aug 24, 2010
|
3.5 stars Well, hmmm. I'm not sure how to react to Mockingjay. I didn't love it and I'm not sure it satisfied me, but it was a disturbing read that wil...more 3.5 stars Well, hmmm. I'm not sure how to react to Mockingjay. I didn't love it and I'm not sure it satisfied me, but it was a disturbing read that will stick with me. Sadly, I can't say that I'll be recommending the series as fervently as I did after reading The Hunger Games. Not that the series isn't good, but I'm not longer sure it's for the masses of YA readers. Like Catching Fire, Mockingjay took awhile for me to get into. When the pages turned into the triple digits and I wasn't hooked, I got worried it wouldn't be epic. And maybe that's problem: I expected this to match The Hunger Games when I don't think anything can. Like Catching Fire, the stakes are upped, the gruesomeness of war more real, and the intensity more fierce. And in the end, that was my biggest problem. In my opinion, this crossed the line with violence into shock value for the sake of shock value. Yes, it's meant to be thought-provoking and show the price of war to humanity, but at the peak of all this violence, I pulled out of the story. It wasn't President Snow or President Coin (I hated that name) torturing Katniss; it was Collins. I could see the questions running through her head: "What is the worst thing I could do to Katniss? What will break her the most?" In war, the casualties fall randomly, if heavily, but this was all targeted at Katniss. The death that should have hurt most hardly fazed me (view spoiler)[Primrose (hide spoiler)]; at that point, I had already shut down in a story that was working too hard to manipulate my emotions. It was (view spoiler)[Finnick's death (hide spoiler)] killed me (no pun intended), and it disappeared like a whisper. It seemed like Collins picked the only character she made us care about in this book on purpose. It should have felt natural to the progression of the story, but it didn't. (view spoiler)[Primrose's death upset me because it made the whole series seem pointless, which I'm sure is the frustration Collins was going for--the futility of war, the aftereffect, the scarring, the psychological burden--but it's so under described and anticlimactic that it fell short for me. (hide spoiler)] Plus, the desensitization was, in my opinion, too much. There is a lot of bleakness in the other books in the series, but it is balanced with a humanity and hope that I think is crucial in YA fiction. My review of Hunger Games states that Collins took an unbelievable story and made it believable. Here, she took the believable violence and cruelty of war and made it a little unbelievable for me. I struggled to find motivation from President Snow targeting children, to understand why the citizens of the capital continued to believe him, to accept that these villains could be this sadistically evil, to believe that this much could go wrong for one person, to champion Collin's bleak take on humanity. Not that this story is any more unbelievable than The Hunger Games, but Collins delivered this one with such a numb, detached string of events that relied on violence instead of characters to deliver her message. Even more important than hope in YA is a strong character you would follow anywhere. I didn't want to follow Katniss in this story. She shut down in the end, but really she'd been shutting down the entire book. After the fiery character of the first two books, it was hard to get nothing from her (especially as a first-person POV) and still feel vested in the outcome of her story. Her cold, detached comments to (view spoiler)[Peeta (hide spoiler)] in particular bothered me, especially after everything he sacrificed for her. I had to keep reminding myself of all the horror she'd been through because although her detachment realistic, it bothered me. I couldn't remember why anyone wanted a self-absorbed teenager as the Mockingjay. I didn't need Katniss to lead the revolution, but I wanted something from her: a peek into her emotions/insights, a proactive motion, anything that pushed her character forward. Without any character development (from any of the characters), the story relied too heavily on action without connecting the pieces, developing those story lines, or making me care about the characters involved. I would have almost rather heard the story from a third party watching a broken Mockingjay than the emptiness with which Katniss tells her story. What I really wanted is Katniss back. I know I can't have her, but if I had to lose her, I wanted to feel heartbreak instead of nothing. About the love triangle... (view spoiler)[You need only look at the comment section to this review to know I'm a Gale fan--was a Gale fan. But I was happy with the resolution for these reasons: 1. Gale never showed up in this book, not the intense Gale hiding a painful love for Katniss that I loved. Not once in this book did I feel his love for her. Was comfortable with her, coldly understanding, wanted to win her because it was a competition, but never once did I sense any love. And when he knew the enormous hurdle he had to overcome to win her back, he laughed and walked away. I would not have minded if the Gale who showed up for this story had been one of its casualties. It was pretty clear from the first chapter that Collins was directing us away from this relationship she had dangled in front of us. If this is the way the relationship had always been, as this book seems to imply, than this is the relationship that should have been there in Catching Fire. 2. For the first time in the trilogy, Peeta was not a Gary Stu, a doormat, a little too sacrificial for me to believe. He bite back. Unlike during the games, I never doubted that he could survive on his own. He stopped wanting to be a pointless martyr (the death pleas were still there, but this time they made sense). Not that I ever wanted Peeta to be mean or broken, but he can have heart and a backbone too. He could have a few flaws. Finally, I could root for him. 3. My last reason is not that as Gale and Peeta changed, Katniss did too, and so did the world they lived in. In a harsh war world, you need someone strong and skilled by your side. In the other books, Katniss needed Gale. In a world where you have lost everything and no longer have a reason or the mental state or the will to fight, you need someone soft and caring. Even before Katniss said her bit about needing heart not fire, I knew she was going to say it. And finally, the words were true. So yes, I am eating my words and saying Katniss ended up with the right person. I just hate what Collins did to her to make her need it. (hide spoiler)] I guess what depresses me most about this book is that I expected so much more from it. I know Collins is capable of power. In the end, I was too numb to feel its power, to even cry, to feel anything at all. I left a fantastic series with a major blank.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Aug 25, 2010
| Aug 26, 2010
|
Feb 11, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0439023491
| 9780439023498
| 4.30
| 925,302
| Sep 01, 2009
| Sep 01, 2009
|
In some ways I liked this book more than Hunger Games and in some ways less. The suspense is stronger, the relationships deeper, and the twists greate...more
In some ways I liked this book more than Hunger Games and in some ways less. The suspense is stronger, the relationships deeper, and the twists greater, making this more of a page turner, but it took too long to get there. Plus it's the basic outline of Hunger Games so you're not as intrigued or enamored by the details that have to be hashed out again. I found myself thinking too much of the Uglies, particularly the societal control and makeovers. The capital did not concern me as much in Hunger Games because I was focused on the games, but the similarities are definitely there and even more obvious here. I also found myself questioning the validity of her forced relationship with Peeta. It bugged me a little in Hunger Games (not in the arena but afterwords) and if Collins had moved on from it quicker I wouldn't have thought so much about it. While not as contrived as other stories I've read (*cough* Eclipse), I did find myself questioning the validity of the country's stability relying on Katniss kissing Peeta for the camera. Yeah it was believable enough that she was forced, but a little too convenient to keep the love triangle going. I wanted less love triangle in the beginning and more action in the end. It isn't until about halfway through that the story really begins and with too many details about her wardrobe and her time wandering beyond the fence. Once it did get exciting, I didn't want to put the book down and although I was anxious for the conclusion, I felt like it was rushed. I wanted more details. I kept forgetting which characters were which because I hadn't heard enough of them (which is probably the effect Collins was going for, but even with the dummy trick I had to go back and find the name). I can see the developmental difference in Katniss, an older, wiser, more observant girl while still retaining that fire. I thought her confusion over Peeta and Gale well done and age appropriate. I could feel her emotion for both boys--her respect, camaraderie, in sync feelings with Gale and her protective, guilty, grateful feelings for Peeta--and why she could not give up or disappoint either one. I enjoyed learning more about Haymitch and seeing more of the danger Katniss' district faced for her unintended rebellion. In Hunger Games I felt intense concern for Katniss where here I felt it for her whole district. Of course, with a more dangerous story, there is definitely more gore. Once again, not appropriate for younger teens. It's challenging to take the same format and mix it up enough to keep it exciting, but Collins is an excellent story teller and she does a good job keeping the plot exciting (although her overuse of periods for all forms of punctuation still bother me). She makes you feel more invested in the tributes, more angry at the capital, and more fearful for the districts, which made the book more intense. I got to about twenty pages from the end and wondered how she was going to wrap everything up. I had an idea in my head, but no, she still surprised me. And now I'm even more anxious to read the conclusion. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Sep 08, 2009
| Sep 09, 2009
|
Sep 08, 2009
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0439023483
| 9780439023481
| 4.44
| 1,582,932
| Sep 14, 2008
| Sep 14, 2008
|
I started this book thinking the idea was preposterous: a government choosing to squelch rebellion by forcing its citizens to give up their children a...more
I started this book thinking the idea was preposterous: a government choosing to squelch rebellion by forcing its citizens to give up their children as contenders in the ultimate reality show of death to the last survivor. Yeah right, and yet it reminded me a lot of the absurdity of the Nazi party, child armies in Africa, and even back to the gladiators of the Roman empire. I realized I believed a government could be this arrogant and wrathful, that society could be this absurd, that the common people would be too afraid to fight back. When people are pitted against each other instead of turning on the establishment they often fight each other within the failed system, fighting for that elusive top spot or ignoring the pain of others grateful to escape tragedy themselves. I soon found myself intensely involved in the Hunger Games and hoping for a certain outcome that would certainly bring about the death of many children but save our brave heroine. Once you're in, what option do you have but to play and survive? Collins did an amazing job of taking an unbelievable and predictable storyline and making it believable and unpredictable. Complete with an impossible love interest, twists in the arena to keep you guessing, and both sympathy and hatred for the other characters, the book is hard to put down. I stayed up late to reach the conclusion that would seem obvious but was still evasive when I could conceive many alternate endings. In some ways the story reminded me of Lord of the Flies, but without as frustrating of a dues ex machina ending. I found it interesting that even in this life and death situation, the kids refused to do anything that would displease the Capitol and make them look rebellious or unwilling to play, or worse emotional and disturbed by death. They did not bond with each other, help each other, or ever want to be indebted by anyone's kindness. Sad that the gravest error would be vulnerability of spirit because the tough ones are the ones to survive. While Katniss gets out of having to do a lot of the killing, she still plays her part, and even being the cause of one death is too many. I found it interesting that they switch to survival mode and kill without thought or regret. I'm sure the regret and nightmares will come later, but we as the readers have to feel the sadness of the deaths now, and live with our own relief that a child died who wasn't Katniss. There is obviously a lot of death hashed out, but only a handful experienced by our narrator. There is one death that is rather gruesome, but for the most part, I thought the subject matter handled appropriately for YA. Nonetheless the subject matter is not appropriate for younger children. My one compliant about the novel would be the overuse of fragments. As a grammar freak, I'll let powerful fragments go. On occasion. As a literary device. But you throw five and six back to back. Just for effect. And all I'm doing is counting. How many are going by before we're back to complete sentences. There were a few paragraphs with way too many. But that's just a style difference. And the story is worth it. A good tale and a thinker. Even after I closed this book, I found myself mulling over the statements about society, our gruesome need for reality TV, our shallow obsession with looks, how much a community will let others suffer as long as they are safe, and the strength of the human spirit when backed up against the wall. I enjoyed Katniss' emotionally detached character, Peeta's vulnerable goodness, and Rue's small but fighting spirit. Now I want to learn more about Gale. A good strong female protagonist and a great set up for the sequel which I will be reading. How will the Capital be brought down? Who will Katniss chose? Can she stand by and let another gruesome show go by training the tributes from her village without action? Can this society be saved or is it beyond redemption? I'm intrigued. ETA: I've been thinking a lot about the messages in the Hunger Games with all the hype for the movie. Good dystopias are warnings, something to make you mull over trends in society by making these public wrongs absurd and larger than life. Here are some of the comparisons I found between Panem and our society: -Overindulgence. The plastic surgery, the bright peacocky colors, the time and money spent primping, the obnoxious outfits that one could never work in or survive in come catastrophe. The shoes Effie Trinket wears in the movie are popular today and nobody can walk properly in them. Our obsession with looks is headed toward the unimaginable level of the Capitol. And the overindulgence doesn't stop at appearances. The overeating, the mcmansions, party-the-time lifestyle. Our shallow, keeping-up-with-the Joneses society is heading there. -Entitlement. The people of the Capitol don't care where their resources come from, who works and dies for it, or how limited the supply is. They don't conserve; they don't say "thank you"; they don't look beyond themselves. The degree of separation from them and their food and resources means they have no appreciation for it. It's like us with our grocery stores full of already slaughtered food and the diamonds we were fought hard for in Africa. You can say the entitlement is a lesson for the 1% out there and you can say the entitlement is a lesson for the anti-1% who feel entitled for their government to support them. Even the poor in America are still better off than most of the world. We are all the 1% and the sense of entitlement from Americans could be our downfall. -Desensitization. Reality TV, video games, gruesome movies (like the Hunger Games :) ) have desensitized us. As horrific as the Hunger Games is (not the book but the actual Games in a society), how far off are we when girls throw parties to watch other girls get their hearts broken on The Bachelor, or when we feel nothing as people starve through a month on Survivor, or break out in fights on shows on MTV. We stop shy of death, but how long before push the envelope there too? How long before a gladiator-style game becomes popular for us too? After all, we are following the footsteps of the Roman Empire. I've been reading articles on Yahoo! like crazy the past few weeks about how to do Katniss' braid or what food to eat in celebration of the movie release. We are as bad as the Capitol in some cases.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Jun 03, 2009
| Jun 05, 2009
|
Apr 08, 2009
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0689865406
| 9780689865404
| 3.77
| 77,359
| May 09, 2006
| May 09, 2006
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| Feb 18, 2009
|
Feb 15, 2009
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0689865392
| 9780689865398
| 3.87
| 104,317
| May 05, 2005
| Nov 01, 2005
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| Feb 09, 2009
|
Feb 05, 2009
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0393312836
| 9780393312836
| 3.93
| 215,366
| 1962
| Apr 17, 1995
|
Interesting. Disturbing but insightful. Real horrorshow. For as dark as cynical as the book is, the main point I got out of the book is that freedom of...more Interesting. Disturbing but insightful. Real horrorshow. For as dark as cynical as the book is, the main point I got out of the book is that freedom of choice is more important than being good. Burgess takes the most atrocious person possible and strips him of his ability to choose until optimal vulnerability makes you agree that choosing evil is better than not choosing at all. The obligatory warning that vague spoilers follow: Here we have a futuristic society in which the night is overrun by youth gangs written from the perspective of one gang's sociopath leader using their slang which sounds like Shakespeare had he been born in modern-day Russia. You are reading along a third of the words this unknown lingo you must interpret and define to understand the novel. But by the end you not only understand but want to speak nadsat slang yourself. You viddy oh my brothers? Although at times, particularly when describing food, I found it unrealistic to have so many invented words, even if I loved the genius of them and how they defined this group. For the first few chapters you get the general gist of the action but are a little hazy on the grahzny details, which just adds to your moral distance to this youth. Since the first section of the book is the most violent, it is enough to know that they beat a man to the pulp or raped a woman in front of her husband without the picture of what exactly happened in your head. You get a picture of the antisocial quality of "your humble narrator" as you experience Alex's need for violence and sex, his uncharacteristic obsession of classical music, and his interpretation of those around him only in terms of how they affect him (classic sociopath). When Alex is caught and imprisoned he is chosen for an experimental technique to change the bad to good with intense aversion therapy. Here Burgess introduces universal questions of free agency and what makes a person human. "A man who cannot choose ceases to be man." I loved the poetic discussion of the clockwork orange. What gets me is that his aversion was not just to crime, but art that provokes any emotion. Take his intense passion of symphonies and associate it with goodness instead of crippling him with it knowing he will have to hear music as he integrates himself into society. This added perversion to his therapy seems an torturous form of punishment inflicted by a government that doesn't truly care about the human in these monsters only of making them non-thinking zombies of exemplar behavior. But does the therapy truly change Alex? It is obvious from his criminal days that he cares for nobody but himself and you see the same pattern of self preservation in latter chapters. He is not good to be good, but only to avoid pain and is left victim to the society he once preyed upon. Can't his curers be accused of assault by negligence? Is ripping a person of his will to act, his humanity, good even if it prevents widespread crime. Is crime only toward the reformed criminal worth the price? This bezoomny government hires gang members to their millicent force because they know how to hurt young criminals. How can they hate one prestoopnik and reward another? Just because you fight for the law doesn't make you more ethical. It only gives violence unholy power making life for the common man even more uncertain. How far can a government's control extend to alleviate the fear of its citizens? And what of the doctors or anti-government cronies who manipulate for their own political gain? Granted they hurt for the greater good, but is that any less ethical than impulsive crime? Alex states he has paid. I do not agree. His lack of remorse for his crimes and only self-pity at his own victimization shows this. Alex's parents seem to fall through the cracks of culprit too. Praised as loving parents he is unworthy to have, how much is their indulgence without discipline to blame for his youthful crime sprees? And what of Mr. Alexander who paid for intent he never had the opportunity to act upon? Caught in the middle of a political mess he becomes an unfortunate victim. Revenge is hardly a worse offender than political gain, a twisted sense of fun, or any of the other reasons characters maluse each other. His droogs never take accountability for their crimes either, particularly in the controversial last chapter that Burgess' editor smartly exempted from his first edition. A chapter in which we are to believe that all sorts of misdeeds done by youth are just rites of passage. It dismisses punishment, accountability, and even claims as we grow older we easily shed the terminology of our youth, which anyone who has tried to render "like" obsolete in their language knows is not an easy task. Ending the previous chapter leaves one contemplating good and evil, fixed and broken, the rights of individuals vs community. This chapter tells us we should indulge all heinous crimes brought about by these psychotic youth, even murder, because in time they will outgrow it, get married, and have their own children to shake their heads at as they play with their lives and souls out on lives edge. I get the intent: good must come from within, everyone has a chance to grow up and/or change, but I think the book is better left without it.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| Jun 21, 2008
|
Apr 24, 2008
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0689865384
| 9780689865381
| 3.88
| 190,760
| Feb 08, 2005
| Feb 08, 2005
|
None
| Notes are private!
| 1
| not set
| Feb 04, 2009
|
Mar 26, 2008
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||
| 038549081X
| 9780385490818
| 3.97
| 251,142
| 1985
| Mar 16, 1998
|
I wanted time to digest this book in order to do justice in my review, but still I'm not sure I can adequately explain how powerful this book is. Firs...more
I wanted time to digest this book in order to do justice in my review, but still I'm not sure I can adequately explain how powerful this book is. First off, Atwood is a beautiful writer. Her style is clean, intelligent, articulate, and she takes the time to develop the roots of her society so when it grows around you like ivy, it grabs you in its clutches--which is exactly how Atwood's imaginary government came to be. Take away the right to vote, the right to money, the right to read, and slowly you have a government where women are debased as nothing more than their husband's property. Throw in rampant infertility from modern ecological influences and it's disturbing how accurate this dystopia could be. After over twenty years and countless changes, her world is as much a fear in modern times, if not more so with all we're learning about the Middle East, than it was then. Stripped of her right to be a wife and mother because she's not enough of a religious zealot, the protagonist becomes a handmaid for a commander, as in a vessel for his wife to conceive a baby when she cannot. Her only value in society is if she produces a child and the commander is not young, fertile male. The fear, the frustration, the fruitlessness of it all are powerful. What struck me most was how little the characters knew whom to trust and what exactly was going on. I personally enjoyed the lack of understanding and the open ending, no duex en machina to save the day, no sudden revelation of exactly how the government was working, nothing but the reality of her jailed life. We the reader feel as frustrated as she behind her winged hat with nothing more than clips of what is going on and what has happened to the people in her life. There is much to speculate and much to fear when a society demands all and gives nothing back.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Nov 06, 2009
| Nov 11, 2009
|
Feb 12, 2008
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0451524934
| 9780451524935
| 4.06
| 909,692
| 1949
| Jul 1950
|
For concept, Orwell gets 5 stars for being the father of dystopias. No dystopia since has reached the level of creepiness that he has. Unfortunately,...more
For concept, Orwell gets 5 stars for being the father of dystopias. No dystopia since has reached the level of creepiness that he has. Unfortunately, this book read more like a discourse on Orwell's dystopia than a picture of one. I know that's indicative of the time, but this one was excessively so. Orwell's style of writing was very dry and very much tell without a lot of show. He missed a lot of good opportunities to make this book real for me. Every time I became invested in the story and sure the next turn of events would make the story worth it, it was just more of the same dry, intellectual writing. Having said that, his dystopia is pretty creepy and the opening line one of my favorites ever: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." I liked the concept of doublethink and how easy it is for the mind to alter its reality and belief. History exists only in memory and is therefore not a solid reality. The idea of bleakness and control and the fascist creed of the State were very thought-provoking if not well executed. I would have liked more exploration into the effects of these concepts instead of lectures on them. Interestingly enough, the moment I lost faith in this society ever overthrowing its totalitarian government was when I discovered that it encompassed the entire world. That there was no diversity of government showed that ultimate power had already been gained, both in a macro and a micro sense. While disturbing in theory, I wish I had been shown more of Winston's transition in the end. If I had taken the journey with him, it would have been powerful. As it was, I felt rather empty myself of the loss since I never made much of a connection to Winston. Definitely worth the read if for anything for the warnings inherent in Orwell's society. This hit especially close to home, the way in which people (politicians more than anyone) turn words around so everything is the opposite of what it seems: War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength(less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Apr 05, 2010
| Apr 30, 2010
|
Feb 12, 2008
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1416936408
| 9781416936404
| 4.07
| 9,340
| Oct 23, 2007
| Oct 23, 2007
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| not set
| Feb 2009
|
Oct 24, 2007
| Boxed Set
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385732554
| 9780385732550
| 4.11
| 532,045
| Apr 26, 1993
| Jan 24, 2006
|
This is a very quick read. I finished it in a few hours. The story deals with a society that chooses everything for its citizens and keeps difficult k...more
This is a very quick read. I finished it in a few hours. The story deals with a society that chooses everything for its citizens and keeps difficult knowledge and feelings from them in order to not give them the chance to choose incorrectly. It makes you appreciate free agency. What would be the point of our lives if we could not choose for ourselves? If we didn't know how to make right or wrong choices and the opportunity to choose for ourselves are our lives worth living? It's a good thought-provoking young-adult read.(less)
| Notes are private!
| bookclub
|
1
| not set
| Aug 2007
|
Oct 13, 2007
| Paperback
|
Loading...
