What if the life you’ve always known has been a lie. What if you are not really who you think you are? What would you do if someone told you that you ar...moreWhat if the life you’ve always known has been a lie. What if you are not really who you think you are? What would you do if someone told you that you are going to fade?
Celestra Caine’s life has been pretty normal. She was your average teenage girl who had a hot jock boyfriend and family that loves her. But on one fateful day all of that would change. All she ever knew she needed to forget. Her family has already faded. Now she needs to fade too.
This would be my first book of Kailin Gow. I’ve had this on my mini library for some time and finally picked it up.
“What if you found out you never existed?”
This was the statement that caught my attention. The concept of Fade was unique. To Fade was to become someone else entirely. I am not sure why they fade the others but for Celes’ case it was because she was special. They considered her a national threat which was why there were people who were after her and why the Underground needed her to fade, to protect her from them.
I liked Ms. Gow’s writing style. It was simple yet very descriptive.
The book was short. Really short actually. It leaves you asking for more. I don’t know if that's intended or not but I hope that Ms. Gow made it longer rather than cutting it to three books. I hope that there was more of it in the first book.
I gave this book a 4 because I liked the concept. If it has been longer or executed better it would have been a huge success. The concept of people from some other planet coming to earth for refuge because their home planet has been eradicated seemed cool. It sort of sounded like Superman but still I liked it.
The characters were okay. I have kind of love-hate Celes. Mainly because though she was not whiny and stuff she still went back even when she was told not to. Celes was one of those characters who does what she wants and doesn’t think the implications of her actions.
Jack on the other hand was a different story. When I first read about Jack who's last name was Simple. My first reaction was like what?! Is that even a last name? It was exactly how Celes reacted when he introduced himself. What do I like about him? He was gorgeous with his British accent. He was like an undercover agent for the CIA only their agency was not the CIA but was called the Underground. He was a fader. I wish I had gotten to know him more if this book was longer. You will get a glimpse of his past though which was good. But you don't get to see much of who Celestra really is.
I really thought that this book would earn my first 5. It started so strong for me but towards the end it became a little predictable. I will be reading the other two books just to find out who Jack and Celes really is and what will happen to Celes' ex-bf or current bf Grayson.
This book would not be my first encounter with David Levithan. The first book I read of his was Lover’s Dictionary which I loved completely because of...moreThis book would not be my first encounter with David Levithan. The first book I read of his was Lover’s Dictionary which I loved completely because of how he unconventionally told the story of the lovers whose names were never mentioned (their gender was never mentioned too).
Every You, Every Me was eccentric. It was odd. It would put you on the edge of your seat. It would keep you reading until you find out what really happened.
Evan started getting weird photographs. First when he was on his way to school and the next was a photo on the exact same spot on the first picture but this time of him. He has no clue of who was sending these pictures. Evan thought that the pictures were probably from his friend Ariel who had to be taken away. He and Jack felt guilty but they knew it was the right thing to do. The pictures were all related to Ariel which led Evan to depression and paranoia. He believes that Ariel was getting back at them for what they did but was it really her that was really sending those pictures? Or was there someone else in Ariel’s life that they didn’t know about that knew all her secrets too.
The whole experience of reading this book was eerie. It gave you this feeling that someone was watching you which I think is how Evan felt as well when he’s been constantly receiving those creepy photos. You’ll see those photos in the book so I’ll leave you guys to be the judge of the photographs. All I am saying is they’re unusually unusual which means that unusual is already weird which makes the photos in this book even more unusual than normal.
One thing constant although out of the book aside from the eeriness was the teenage angst. It was all over the book. There was depression, paranoia, suicide, despair, sorrow and a lot more of angst. I mean I am okay with a certain amount but for a book to really have a significant amount of angst it just gets really depressing.
I would have to say that the strikethrough on Evan’s inner thoughts were just amazing. I liked how his thoughts were hidden yet revealed at the same time. You get to feel how Evan feels despite him not wanting to divulge that side of him to anyone. But we as readers get to see his concealed thoughts through the strikethroughs. I give kudos to that!
Although I seriously loved the concept, writing style (as always) and the photographs there were a couple of things I disliked.
1. It was too depressing. It was full angst that you’d feel Evan’s depression and paranoia.
2. You get will meet Ariel but you won’t be able to really know her. For me Ariel’s character was pretty one dimensional in contrast to Evan. Ariel was pretty much a main character as Evan but we don’t get to really know her at all aside from the little snippets of her in Evan’s memories.
3. I didn’t like the ending period. I was expecting more from the ending since everything on this book has been pretty much great. It didn’t do well with me that it has such a weak ending. I would prefer if the Ariel girl was dead rather than what was revealed as to why she committed a (stupid) suicide attempt.
As much as I would like to this book more than 3 stars I couldn’t. I mean everything has been great. It was thrilling and mind boggling, I just didn’t like how it ended. I don’t always like happy ending but I want a decent ending and the ending on this book just didn’t work with me.
For me David Levithan would always be one of my favorite authors. If I would recommend a book I would recommend Lover’s Dictionary and not really this one.
“Time moves in its own special way in the middle of the night. You can’t fight it.”
After Dark was a short novel about what happens in the streets of T...more“Time moves in its own special way in the middle of the night. You can’t fight it.”
After Dark was a short novel about what happens in the streets of Tokyo after midnight. After we close our doors, turn off our lights, there is a whole lot more happening outside that we might not be aware of which was what this book showed us. The story takes place over the course of one night. This book was narrated in a unique way. I have never read a book wherein the narrator was in the first person plural form. Somehow the narrator was like a camera that floats and follows the characters around. The first person that was focused on was Mari who was killing time reading a book at Denny’s when she unexpectedly met Takahasi, a boy she hadn’t seen in a while. Kaoru, the manager of a nearby love hotel seek her assistance in talking to a Chinese prostitute who was beaten by one of her customers. She found herself inside the love hotel translating Chinese to Japanese vise versa and also feeling an attachment to the poor prostitute. After that the camera shifts to her sister, Eri who was soundly sleeping in her room who was making very little movements. Her unplugged TV however was more alive than she was. Inside the TV, a masked man was watching Eri Asai sleeping.
This would be my first Haruki Murakami book and I loved it. I was dying to get my hands on one of his novels for so long and I finally had it. Murakami’s storytelling was not one I had encountered before. He had this way of mixing reality with surrealism. What can I say, this book made me think how small our world is. That everything we do might or might not affect other people. It also shows how small our world is. We meet people every day that may have a big or small part in what would happen to us or what happened to us in the past. Also this book shows us the value of our relationship with other people. How we all need one another to survive. How a conversation, a pat on the back could greatly affect us in ways we do not thought possible.
All in all the feel of this book to me was like a dream. It was like a long dream that has some sort of vague meaning like an Impressionistic painting. Reading this book was somehow magical. Murakami’s writing style made me crave more. I wish to be transported once more to a world that only Haruki Murakami can create.
I had such high hopes for this book. It had loads of potential which was why I was overly disappointed after reading the first 200 something pages of t...moreI had such high hopes for this book. It had loads of potential which was why I was overly disappointed after reading the first 200 something pages of this book. I was actually surprised I even reached 200 pages. Reading this felt like watching one of those Filipino soap operas that drags on and on with the same stuff.
The reason I picked up this book was because of the mystery revolving this certain book, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. Did I get that correctly? I think I did. Anyways, thought it would somehow give me the same feel I had when I read Dan Brown’s books. I was for the first few pages really ecstatic because the synopsis was really promising. After I was done reading the first 100 pages that was when I started to get disappointed. It was getting too slow and too boring for me. The characters were fine; I liked them being all close and all but where was the mystery? Where was the thrill? I thought that probably all the talk and flashbacks were just preparations for what was yet to come but I was wrong. I was already past 200 pages and I still didn’t get what I was looking for and that was when I decided to put this book down. I had enough.
When a friend asked me how the book was I told him it was pretty much okay because I was in the first 100 pages then. I even told him I was wondering why this book had a low rating. I don’t know if it would be the same for everybody who read the book but the real reason why I didn’t enjoy this book was because of the pace of the story and the unnecessary flashbacks about how the friendship of the characters evolved and all that crap. At least that was what I thought. There were a lot of story telling about how the characters became friends and such but it didn’t really give much emphasis on the real main concept of the book.
I mean the story was about the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili right?
Or is it just me who thought that?
This book has 500 plus pages which I think should have just been around 300 plus if it just focused on the main story. I would have enjoyed it more. I have no issues with a slow paced story if it fitted the whole concept of the book but this is supposed to be a mystery/thriller right? It’s not supposed to be slow. It is supposed to make you want to know what happens next and savor the action and thrill that comes out from its pages.
I would have to give this book a three. This review is just based on the first 200 something pages I’ve read. I did not have the interest to read it any more. I may or may not reread it again in the future, I’m not sure. (less)
Sandra Howard
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