What a delightful and clever book. I enjoyed reading this book SO much. It was pretty much an ode to the 80's and even though I wasn't around in theWhat a delightful and clever book. I enjoyed reading this book SO much. It was pretty much an ode to the 80's and even though I wasn't around in the era, I still appreciated the references. In fact, it got me really interested in that decade and I wished I had grown up then, just so I could get all the allusions.
I loved the world Cline created, it's where I feel humanity is eventually headed. Great characters, on point dialogue, fast paced writing and action packed pages. Perfect read for any gamer enthusiast, 80's kid, Sci-fi or dystopian reader and anyone who enjoys an intelligent page turner.
I'm probably going to be hated on for this, but I really did not enjoy this novel.
1984 is classified as a fiction novel and as far as novels go thisI'm probably going to be hated on for this, but I really did not enjoy this novel.
1984 is classified as a fiction novel and as far as novels go this was bad. While the plot must have been very interesting back in 1949, the characters fell flat, the writing was extremely boring and the book as a whole felt like a political essay. Whole chapters were dedicated to writing down the teachings of Goldstein, which was pretty much Orwell's musings on politics.
One cannot deny that this book is timeless, it brought us Big Brother (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's an unfortunate reality television series) and most of today's dystopians are clearly heavily influenced by 1984 (The Handmaid's Tale, The Hunger Games) but it should have been placed in the politics section, not fiction.
Orwell can't do fiction. I'm sorry, but he can't. He's too focused on delivering his message to the world to bother with fictional elements (world building, character progression, etc.)
I would give this book a 5 star rating for the theories it presented and the possibilities it lays out. As a novel it will only get 2 because ultimately it bored me to tears and felt like an obligation that I had to get done with.
I'm done with classics. They are clearly not my thing. If it means I can't discuss books with the "intellectuals" anymore, I can live with that. ...more
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. This book has picked me up, flung me around like a puppet and then threw me in a gutter to rot.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!?
I finished it two days ago and I'm still an emotional wreck.
First of all... THIS IS NOT Y.A. I feel cheated... I feel betrayed... I feel back stabbed! It poses as a Y.A., with its simple writing and juvenile style... Ooooh, you think it's Y.A., yes you do... BUT IT'S NOT. It's brutal and vicious and heartbreaking. AUGH. It also seems that Collins has either been hanging out with George Martin or she's been reading GOT because EVERYONE DIES. Actually, the death rate in those books kicks GOT's ass all the way to the North Pole.
I can't function. Vomit inducing. That's what this book does to you. I can't rate it. I can't!!! I'm torn between giving it a 1, a 5 and everything in between!
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Heavy Breathing
I don't want to talk about this anymore. I don't want to think about it anymore. In fact, I'm going to forget this ever happened. One should not have to suffer such emotional trauma from a Y.A. impostor.
Once again, wrote a whole review, just to have it erased when I accidentally clicked away from the review screen.
Let's make this short and briefOnce again, wrote a whole review, just to have it erased when I accidentally clicked away from the review screen.
Let's make this short and brief then.
4 stars. Why?
Fast-paced and maddeningly engaging. Could not put it down. Was reading while driving Caution: Don't try this at home. As fun to read as the previous book.
HOWEVER
Whereas The Hunger Games had a bit of originality, Catching Fire did not bring anything to the table. It was a filler. It dragged on a bit, especially the first part. We could've done without this installment. I realize that The Hunger Games lit the match of the revolution and Catching Fire pretty much set it on fire but again, it could've been combined into one final book rather than having a whole book dedicated to one concept.
That being said, I'm not fond of duologies, so it's all good on the Lilyan front. I'm satisfied and excited about Mockingjay.
I would never in a million years have picked this book with all the hype around it. I steer clear from those books, but I pickedWhat just happened?!
I would never in a million years have picked this book with all the hype around it. I steer clear from those books, but I picked it as one of my Take a Chance Challenge Books http://www.lifewithbooks.com/2010/12/... and am I glad!
I started this yesterday morning while waiting for at the doctors office; it was something to pass my time with. 24 hours later, I've read it and downloaded the second installment instantly!
The writing was so fast paced, I felt like I couldn't keep up, I felt like I had to read this book while running. So much action and things going on. Loved every single page of it.
I didn't give it a 5, no I didn't because at the base of it was "yet another teenage love story". And while Collins has return an "at the edge of your seat" story book, I've read countless of "yet another teenage love story books" and they stopped getting 5's. Yes, you can dress them up with heretic dystopian ideas and murderous children, yet they're still what they are at their core.
This was my second attempt at Dystopian and I still feel very uncomfortable with the concepts. I know that they're derived from our own history (Gladiators?) but they still disturb me and anger me. The people of the Capitol! Oh my god! Are they serious! Those books scare me because I know that we, in our current societies, are capable of evolving into such brutal and sick people. People who make sport out of watching Children kill each other. Frightening.
I'm looking forward to the fall of the Capitol in the following books! Collins don't disappoint me.
I feel... dumb. This is the first Sci-Fi book I read and I found it difficult to follow. Let's recap.
The book is set on aUm.... Um.....
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I feel... dumb. This is the first Sci-Fi book I read and I found it difficult to follow. Let's recap.
The book is set on a dystopian earth that had suffered two attacks by an Alien race called... The Buggers Yep, The buggers are ant like bug species that have evolved into functional intelligent beings.
To prevent them from attacking again, a group of highly intelligent, genius children are taken at the age of like 5 or 6 and trained to fight, somewhere in space. Enter Ender, our Child genius aged 4, and his equally genius kid siblings Peter and Valentine. Peter is a murdurous criminal from the age of 5. Nice.
Anyways long story short, the book alternates between Ender's time at battle school and battle strategies, of which I understood nothing, his struggles and his ability to CONQUER ALL. Really odd concepts are presented in this book, like the mind game in which he walks through levels that change according to his thoughts, I really don't know, I'm not a Sci-Fi nerd and I can't comprehend those things. We're then subjected to Peter's plans of taking over the world and political concepts are thrown at us out of nowhere.
All the while, I had to remind myself that I am reading about 10 year olds.
The book was interesting, it intrigued me, but I felt seriously cheated at the end. The ending was one of the most bizzare things I've read, after The Gunslinger ofcourse.
Again, maybe I'm just stupid, but What the Hell was that?
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