bookshelves: currently-reading
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"There was quite a lot of hype about this book so I'm eager to see how it turns out..."
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"Read a whole heap this morning, was up since five so didn't have much to do..."
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bookshelves: currently-reading
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Terry Pratchett just seems to get better and better, in my opinion. In Making Money he creates a host of colourful and amusing characters; I'd have to say I like Hubert the best, the Bank's mysterious and (slightly?) mad economist. Making Money was a very entertaining read; I read it for a second time and finished it in just two days. ]]>
bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: to-read
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I found this book hard to get into; initially the main character's obsession with her looks really grated on my nerves. I admit I do like how Gail Carson Levine reinvents fairytales with a new twist.
Fairest is a re-telling of the Snow White story, with the main character (Aza) an orphan abandoned to an innkeeper and his wife. She's 'ugly' by the standards of her kingdom, but she has an amazing singing voice. When the king marries a commoner from a neighbouring kingdom, Aza is sent to court as a companion to a wealthy old lady, and there, thanks to her voice, she's engaged as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, and forced to sing for her, as the Queen is too frightened to admit she hasn't got a good singing voice.
The writing style was what bothered me the most; it was very brief and snappy, and emotion was very confusing. There was little description of transitioning emotion; we were just told that a character was angry, or sad, with little understanding of how they got there. As a result I found I had no connection to any of the characters and felt very little sympathy for any of them.
I think this book would be ideal for the 12-14 year olds. I think it requires a younger, perhaps less sceptical mind to truly enjoy it. I remember I loved Ella Enchanted when I was younger and so I guess I've kind of 'outgrown' Gail Carson Levine's books. I do like how she re-vamps the fairytales and gives them a little more flesh and depth.
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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