Welcome!
So this is the review page, as you may have already deduced from the title. I will post my personal book reviews on the page. Generally, this page is going to contain all of the "official" reviews. This basically means that they are spoiler-free, full format (mostly at least), and fairly "professional" (or at least as professional as I can make them). If you're looking for more of a "rant or rave" format with general book stats, check out the "My Views" page. The info there might help you more!
Please enjoy and feel free to contact me about anything and everything using the Comment box at the bottom of the page! The comments box only sends the comments to me. But I will post them on the site as soon as I receive them!
Index
To make finding the reviews you want easier, I made an index! Just read below to find which reviews are located where! (Or if it's easier, press and hold control and the "f" key, than type in the name of the novel.) Enjoy!
Reviews
1) Gossamer by Lois Lowry
2) Ironside by Holly Black
3) Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
4) Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
5) Leap by Jane Breskin Zalben
6) The Possibility of Fireflies by Dominique Paul
7) My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
8) Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks
9) The Promises of Dr. Sigmundus: The Hollow People by Brian Keaney
10) Before I Die by Jenny Downham
11) Sketches by Eric Walters
12) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
13) Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
14) The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
15) The Story of My Life by Anne Cassidy
P.S. The pictures are links to the author's website!
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
In a world where a young girl’s touch can heal a soul, Gossamer will anchor its elaborately woven tale within your heart and your mind. Remembered only as a glint of a dream, always just a heartbeat away.
Young Littlest One is still a petite transparent creature, a curious chatterbox waiting to be brought up as a dream-giver. Just starting out, her teacher, Fastidious, led her to the house where she worked, delivering dreams night after night. Using her own gossamer touch to feel and uncover memories by collecting the memories preserved in personal items, she begins to weave dreams of her own, bestowing them upon the elderly woman that resided within the small home. But one day, the woman receives a letter, carrying troubling news of an abused, abusive, and angry boy that would soon join her in her home. As Littlest grows, she uncovers the past of this young boy and the quiet lonesome woman. She learns to love, protect, and strengthen the pair, binding them together with wisps of dreams and illusions; protecting them from the pain inflicted by nightmares. A journey of discovery begins; and the true meaning of family will be uncovered.
I have always greatly admired Lois Lowry’s works and, despite how many books I’ve read, I am still amazed at how meaningful and rich the texts she produces are! She has such a simple and casual style of writing that makes the novel easy to follow and understand. As I read, I began to relate to each of the characters, thinking back to when I didn’t feel loved, or being left behind when there was a party, or wanting something so bad that I would do whatever it took to get it. To have a novel that one could relate to on multiple levels made reading a really rewarding experience.
As the story progressed, I also got to watch the characters grow through experiences while learning lessons that I once had to learn, too. Although it was indirect, these messages came across to the reader and by the end of the novel, I felt ready to look at the world with a new set of eyes. The fantasy-tainted world she created was incredibly easy to lose oneself within and she painted such a clear image for the younger audiences (although integration of more descriptions would have made the novel more engaging for older adolescent audiences); she incorporated the importances of believing and accepting, and allowed me to escape from my own material world and slip into someone else’s. The story had a clear climax and gave me time to slow down (and sleep!) before the remarkable end.
Gossamer is descriptive, imaginative, and extremely well thought up; this book will leave you speechless! Geared towards any child between the ages of 9-12 who loves a great story; this astonishing novel will leave you grasping onto the many life lessons and themes that Lowry displays. A truly thoughtful novel that will turn your gears and keep YOU thinking!
Ironside by Holly Black
In the realm of faerie, a realm that exists within our own, the time of Roiben’s coronation has come. Returning for that time alone, pixie changeling Kaye has found herself, once again, within the malevolent Unseelie Court. Uneasy in the wake of the failed Tithe, Kaye is forced to open her eyes to a side of the faerie realm she could not have even began to comprehend…Welcome to Ironside.
In present-day New Jersey, the solitary fey are on the rampage. As the faerie realm is slowly spinning out of control, Roiben, a Seelie knight finally freed from the Unseelie bonds, has asked that the solitary fey and the Unseelie subjects bind themselves to him. In a ceremony to crown Roiben as the new king of the Unseelie Court, a coronation was planned. In the midst of the commotion, Kaye, oblivious to why Roiben refuses to allow her to bind herself to him, rashly makes a declaration of her love to him. Unsure of everything except her love for him, she was willing to go any length to prove her love, and that love was about to be tested; for Roiben, hoping to protect her from any more of the dangers that existed in Faerie, was forced to send her on an impossible task.
Now, convinced that she does not belong in either worlds, Kaye, despite Roiben’s efforts, has once again found herself a pawn in an ancient struggle for power. Silarial, the Seelie ruler, wants Roiben’s throne and will go to any means to get it, even if it means sacrificing one of her own silently obedient pieces first. To what lengths is Kaye willing to go in order to protect her knight and lover? To what lengths will Silarial go to secure her own power? In this elaborate game of wits and weapons, can Kaye outplay a queen?
The perfect mix of haunting horror and enthralling passion, Ironside had me captivated from the very start. Black’s carefully crafted world mingled reality with fantasy, creating the magnificent backdrop to an epic battle of wits and will that kept me hooked until the resolution. This novel managed to portray the lives of down-to-earth and real characters in a world that is quite the opposite, and had me literally bound to it’s oh-so-human conflicts and struggles between fantastical magical powers.
Holly Black spins a chilling and enchanting web set in the dangerous nooks of a world where pleasure can become the tools of pain and love can become the weapons of hate and destruction. Kaye returns to the Faerie world with the bewitching sequel to Tithe. Ironside is a seductive novel that will draw you deeper and deeper into the world of Faerie with every passing word. A truly beautiful tale about power and manipulation, I would give it 4 ½ stars, and a thumbs up to anyone who has enough spare time to be appreciate a truly mystifying world that will take your breath away.
Maximum Ride - The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Maximum Ride was created for one reason: to save the world. Incredible as it is, in a world that doesn’t know she exists, her family is about to be ripped apart for that purpose. Welcome to her nightmare. In a riveting tale that crosses love and friendship with hate and loss, James Patterson boldly explores the fantasy realm of what may really become our future.
Max and her flock of six are only related by one thing, they are all human-avian hybrids. Together, they grew up in a science lab/prison called the school, manipulated by sick-minded scientists (whitecoats), when one of them, Jeb Batchelder, snuck them away, feeling sorry because of their helplessness. He taught them how to survive, hiding them away in a little house out in Colorado, but soon after, he disappeared too. He had died, they knew that all along, but it was never really declared.
After escaping the cages for a few years, the whitecoats’ lapdogs; the Erasers, went back to find them. The Erasers were genetic hybrids too; human and lupine. Heartless hunters that could easily transform between forms were trained to do the bidding of the whitecoats. And when they came after you, it was bad news.
And so the journey of survival begins. After the flock’s first encounter with the Erasers, they had already lost one of their own, little six-year-old Angel. Max, refusing to let her little baby return to the School, brings two of her flock with her to hunt them down and beings to uncover truths, lies, and a little bit of history along the way. It’s a race against the clock to save her precious Angel, and every second counts.
A real thriller is a book that goes by so fast, your eyes start hurting from trying to keep up. This was exactly what happened to me when I read Maximum Ride. A novel this fast-paced and meaningful rarely comes around but when it does, the excitement never dies and I love it! The characterization was also amazing. In an action novel, the portrayal of characters and their individual identities tends to fade into the background, seconded to the action, but in Maximum Ride, it just got better and better! James Patterson managed to capture the personalities of the flock with amazing detail and keep the book moving at a fluid speed all at the same time. It is quite an achievement and is what makes James Patterson, in my books, an outstanding author.
An amazing read for anyone of any age, Maximum Ride – The Angel Experiment, really makes pages fly! An astonishing tale about the power of love, strength, and hope and how family stands above all, Patterson allows readers to fall into his world and keeps you there ‘til the last minute. Prepare for the true definition of thriller; the incredible, indescribable, Maximum Ride.
Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
If you don’t know Max yet, now’s the time to drop in on her story. Max and her flock have been on the run from the white coats for over 800 pages now, and the big question is, is this the end? As Max and her flock continue to uncover the secrets of Itex and their plans of world domination, only one thing is certain, you really will fly higher than you ever have as Max and the gang brings you wild adventure, fierce battles, and endless humour that no other group of flying bird kids could ever truly appreciate.
The director had seen nothing but mistakes for months now and was tired of failure. The by-half plan had all lose strings carefully handled and whipped together, all except for a group of six loose cannons, and Jeb was to turn that around as soon as possible. With the mutant failures still on the run, nothing would reach completion stages, and now was the time to eliminate them. On Max’s end, this translated into basically the equivalent of get rid of the voice or face imminent death.
As she and her flock continue to flee from the grasps of Itex, Fang resorts to the Internet for support. And slowly but surely, the save the bird-kids campaign begins to gain speed, but as the pressure begins to mount, the flock is forced to make a life changing decision; splitting up. Now alone and without the support of Fang, Max and her mini flock found themselves caught up in the tornado of events that would lead to the most extreme finale ever, as the power of kids is pitted against that of Itex, this would be one battle you do not want to miss!
James Patterson once again creates a riveting tale that is guaranteed not to disappoint. The unforgettable, unstoppable, and totally outrageous Max is back as her adventures will once again take you away through 403 action-packed pages of adolescent mutant bird kid drama! Max fans, first timers, and bookworms all alike, prepare to go on James Patterson’s wildest roller coaster ride yet, filled with fun, pizzazz, and humour, and some haunting twists that will keep you hooked until the very last page.
Leap by Jane Breskin Zalben
When you love and fear something that means everything to you, what do you do? When all the walls come crumbling in on someone that you couldn’t stand to lose, what could you do? If you had the power to save them, but fear held you back, would there be a right or wrong choice to make? And if there was, why? These are the questions that Jane Breskin Zalben cleverly explores in the uplifting novel, Leap.
For Krista, her friendship with Daniel used to mean the world to her. But somehow, that all fell apart, and they ended up where they were now; close to nowhere. With Daniel in a walker, afraid and unable to chase after his dreams, and Krista confused and fearful of everything around her, they must find a way to help eachother through the mess. After the terrible accident that left him temporarily paralysed, Krista is forced to choose between her old swim buddy and Bobby, the guy who pulled the two apart, but also the one whom Krista loves.
And so they start on a journey, a journey of discovery and learning for the old Barracuda buddies. A journey that would lead them to places they had never pictured themselves being in, and a journey that would teach them the true meaning of friendship. As Daniel takes leaps to try and claim his swim title again, Krista must take leaps of her own in order to find the courage to find her place in the world, once again.
Leap was an incredible novel told by an incredible voice. From two perspectives, I felt the struggles of both Daniel and Krista as they tried to reason with themselves and those around them. The novel had a great storyline and was an enjoyable read, but the true beauty of it lies within the little details; the characters’ soft but strong voices, the little snip-its of quotes that began every chapter, and the little metaphors that gave big impacts on the reader.
This book left me completely speechless. I was blown away by Jane’s ability to manipulate every little incident and turn into it’s own story with it’s own moral. A beautifully crafted work that explores the challenges of those with shattered lives, and how dreams can pull them through whatever hardship.
A must read for anyone of any age, Jane Breskin Zalben’s amazing story flawlessly portrays just how gentle and fragile a heart can be; and how easily broken but difficult to mend they are. A heart-warming tale of a delicate friendship that carries the power of dreams, ‘Leap’ will allow the flame of hope to burn within readers everywhere.
The Possibility of Fireflies by Dominique Paul
If you had ever asked me whether or not it was possible to capture the true hurdles of teenage life within the bindings of a book, I would’ve answered “Of course not!” -until now. The Possibility of Fireflies is a beautifully crafted novel that opens up a window into the life of a troubled teenager trying to hang onto hope. With her family life spiralling out of control, Ellie must discover how to save herself, instead of waiting forever for her knight in shinning armour to take her away. An inspirational must-read, ‘The Possibility of Fireflies’ will take you on an unforgettable journey of discovery, leaving you clinging onto each last word.
Fourteen-year-old Ellie Roma was just hoping to have a normal life, a normal family, and someone to love and accept her. Recently arrived in town, she has to juggle both the regular life of freshman-year drama, and the not so regular life of an ‘un-parenting’ family. Ellie, in her first year of high-school, has close to no friends, a mom who decides that she needed a break from parenting, a sister who spends most of her time getting stoned as a part-time juvenile delinquent, and a father who decided to walk out of their lives. Ellie spent a lot of time alone, and felt virtually isolated, except for the possibility of fireflies, from the rest of the world.
Things were looking pretty sad…until she met Leo. Leo is the person who Ellie hopes will save her from herself, but Leo thinks otherwise. Leo teaches Ellie that no one can save you from yourself. If you want change, you have grab it, and no matter how hard change fights back, you can’t let go. And so one frightening, terrible, yet thrilling night, she decides to act on those words. With fireflies as her inspiration, she starts to journey down a new path in life, pulling away from the familiarity that she had come to hate.
Dominique Paul sure knows how to tell an amazing story! Right away, she pulled me straight into its pages, but the faults of this novel were also well defined. The story itself was brilliantly composed, and I found myself frighteningly close to Ellie, as if we were one person. I felt the same emotions that coursed through her, flow through me. It was a story told with such imagination and depth but stuck so close to the truths of real life that I could not believe the complexity. This is why I was disappointed to have to note the unsatisfactory delivery of the story.
The book was written with detail, I suppose, but not enough to really allow the ideas, settings, and characters to become fully formed. I always thought that there was room for improvement within the actual writing, kind of like the things that make a house, a home. I don’t think that she gave enough time for the story to develop and made the events felt way too rushed. The ending, too, came so unexpectedly that, despite its impact, left me with an empty feeling.
However, with that said, I still thought that Dominique Paul’s debut was an amazing book. Written from an appropriate first-person perspective, it gives audiences of all ages a glimpse into the real-life events of a teenage girl. Recommended for anyone 14 and up, Dominique and Ellie will transport you into another world, where The Possibility of Fireflies can take you anywhere.
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
In the adolescent world, everyone is trying to find their place and identity. Anna is one of those teens, confused about where she stands and what rights she has to challenge her current position. As she begins to question everything her life has become, she makes a decision that has the potential to rip her family, and life, apart, all in a last ditch attempt to reclaim her right to control her life and what she makes of it.
Anna has spent her entire life being defined in terms of her sister, Kate, and Kate’s leukemia. Conceived by her parents as a perfect bone marrow donor match for Kate due to preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna has spent her entire life being just that, a donor. Now, as she begins to question her place in the world and within her own family, Anna is willing to go to whatever lengths to prove to the world that she, too, exists as her own person; defined in terms of Anna and Anna alone. With Kate in relapse once again, Anna begins to struggle against the system and her loved ones who have placed her within it, and is finally forced to choose between the sister she loves and the life that she never truly got to live.
My Sister’s Keeper is a truly heart-wrenching novel that readily captures the gravity of a situation in which people are forced to choose between two unimaginable scenarios. Written from the point of view of every character involved, Jodi Picoult gives insight into the motives and perceptions of every decision made, including that of Anna’s. As I read, I was pulled further and further into the plot and the carefully-handled struggle, and found myself unable to pick sides or decide who was the protagonist and who was not. Emotions poured out of the book and into me, and I was able to interpret every moment through the eyes of opposing counsels, as victories and as defeats.
Picoult’s flawless manipulation of flashbacks and progression made the story, along with its haunting truths and issues, come across as larger than life, and gave the story a sense of wholeness that can only be achieved by master story-tellers. Laced with intricate background stories and sub-plots, My Sister’s Keeper managed to explore a wide range of issues, tied together firmly by the strength and creative edge of Picoult’s writing style.
A provocative novel that fuelled both my tears and my mind, I would strongly recommend this novel to women and young adults of all ages. Overflowing with insight, tension, inspiration, and heartbreak, the story of Anna and her families’ struggle will leave you with a moral message that will forever transcend time.
Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks
As junior year pressure begins to build, Leo, Max, Jane, and Daisy find themselves stuck at SAT prep, doing what they feel is nothing of consequence. As time progresses and the group begins to bond, they question amongst themselves why the necessity of such a test exists, and what it really measures anyways. But with the discovery of an SAT cheater, all eyes are turned towards the group. The pressure is on for someone to confess, so who will it be?
Mariah Fredericks explores a very interesting subject that exists in almost every high-schooler’s life, standardized tests and what they amount to. An interesting topic, and one very thoroughly investigated in Crunch Time. This novel had me thinking and rethinking my opinions, turning the topic of the necessities and the realities of standardized tests over and over again in my mind. That is only one of the many everyday issues Fredericks explores.
Along with that, the reality of cheating is also emphasized and the nature of people who are willing to do anything to achieve a goal. This novel is a strong prompt for kids to reach out and consider what occurs around them on a daily basis. Crunch Time is one of the few novels that does not draw a conclusion of “right or wrong” for you, but allows you to see what the outcomes and consequences are and what they are worth in the long run.
I found the book to be a realistic and carefully handled portrayal of high-school life and the pressures involved and placed on the youth generations of today. The characters are all easy to relate to, not as stereotypes, but full-blown real people, allowing the story to seem 3D and true. A different take on a highly discussed subject, Crunch Time is filled with friendship and laughs, and still manages to ebb meaning with every turn. A novel to please any teen, Mariah Fredericks has truly created an appealing novel to an audience that is hard to please.
The Hollow People by Brian Keaney
Dante and Beatrice both live in a world where their parallel paths are pre-paved by others thanks to the promises made by the mysterious Dr. Sigmundus. But when Beatrice, the privileged daughter of doctors, begins to wander off her path and into the wild, finds Dante, a lowly kitchen boy, they begin to discover things that were never meant to be discovered. As they are thrown into a journey to save mankind from its own ignorance, you will be thrown into a mystical world woven from the strings of modern society and be engulfed in the vivid world of The Hollow People.
Tarnagar is an small island governed by the Promises of Dr. Sigmundus. Revolving around a petty little asylum, with the arrival of a notorious prisoner, the entire city is disturbed by what the consequences may be. But the two people who believed they were the least likely to be affected, were about to have their lives thrown apart in order to make way for the truth that would change their lives forever…
The Hollow People really is a work to be reckoned with. Although the story did start off a little slow, Brian Keaney really picked up the pace and built on it until you were left with no other choice but to hang on for dear life. With creative and captivating characters like Dante and Ezekiel (the prisoner), you really learn to see through the eyes of each character individually and they can each move you in their own way.
The one aspect that I really liked about this novel, was that the characters were fully developed but not through direct characterization. Keaney used experiences and interactions to detail exactly who the characters were, and this style allows the story to progress at a good pace and gives the reader insight into the personality of the character. He also gives the minor characters just enough detail to establish who they are, but also leaving room for the readers to fill in the blanks themselves.
A great new series layered with meaning and morale, Keaney’s genius manipulation of characters and plot will leave you eagerly anticipating the next instalment! A must-read for anyone who appreciates the beauty of a real story-telling masterpiece, The Hollow People will plunge you into an alternate universe woven upon the strings of modern society.
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Sixteen-year-old Tessa has leukemia and knows that it's terminal. But she's not ready to die yet, not before she has lived properly. So she makes a list, a list of things she wants to do before she dies, and the top of that list is sex. But as Tessa begins to cross things off her list, she discovers that what you want isn't always what you need, and certainly not what you will value. Before I Die is a tale that celebrates life itself and the human existence, and everything that makes every minute of it worthwhile. A true eye-opening story about facing life through another's eyes, it will open the door to a new perspective of the people and things that make you who you are. This is truly a must read for all teens!
The story itself was very moving, filled with emotion and tragedy, but the delivery was not up to par. The beginning of the novel was quite hollow, with the end being the only section that contained truly refined writing and real emotional expression. I found the characters to be flat, and two-dimensional, leaving the book devoid of any strong relatable presences. The pace was also very slow at the beginning, however as the speed picked up, so did the rest of the elements.
The second half of the story was filled with emotions and moving passages. This section of the novel was what brought Tessa, as a character, to life. Using the tragic topic of Tessa’s fight against cancer as a buffer, Jenny Downham brings in real conflict in the second half. Although belated, these conflicts saved the book from becoming a plotless list of events. Despite the slow pickup, it was here that I fell in love with Tessa and her determination to get through her struggles.
Before I Die left me with a realization that everything I take for granted is something beautiful and valuable in and of itself, and I’m sure that feeling will carry over to everyone. Despite its faults, I still managed to find myself in love with the characters and the excellent finishing delivery. Jenny Downham’s work is a beautiful affirmation of life that can be appreciated over and over again, shedding light on true importance of family and love in life.
Sketches by Eric Walters
Dana is new to life on the streets. Unlike Brent and Ashley, she has only been on the streets for a couple of months. Forced into this life to escape a desperate situation at home, life for the three has become a day to day struggle. Dana, a talented painter, turns her creativity into graffiti on the streets, and when a worker at a drop-in centre called Sketches asks her to drop by and enjoy real art every once in a while, she agrees.
As Dana begins to explore her feelings with her brush, the ghosts of her past come back to haunt her, and reveal dangers she had never anticipated. In a desperate struggle to free both herself and her loved ones from the destruction that she has run from, she will be forced to, once again, confront her emotions. With the support of the staff of Sketches, it just may be possible.
Sketches is an amazing novel that is simplistic yet beautifully realistic, providing readers with an authentic outlook into the lives of children on the streets everywhere. I was engrossed in the book because of the depth and complexity of the characters, and everything that they had been through. The way their pasts shaped their personalities could be clearly seen from Walters writing perspective and the gentle words of Dana and the staff of Sketches.
The setting of the novel was also both authentic and appropriate. Eric Walters took apart the simple outsider view of Toronto and showed me what exists beyond the well-dressed workers and troublesome youths in not only Toronto, but any other city. Sketches deeply explore situations that are being brought upon teens today, and challenges you to step up and reach out to make a difference. It left me feeling inspired and ready to take action.
A deep novel riddled with compassion, heartbreak, and love, Sketches is a true display of fictional literature at its best. Guaranteed to comfort, impact, and inspire, I dare you to pick up this book and discover what you, too, can do.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
“Burn it…Burn it…Burn it…” These are the words spoken again and again by the firemen of the nightmarish world of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. A fictional novel set in a dystopian world in which firemen burn instead of extinguish, Bradbury conveys with awful clarity how ignorance is not always bliss. Filled with all the qualities of a million-dollar cinematic feature bound neatly into a hundred and ninety pages, Fahrenheit 451 is a novel you definitely don’t want to miss out on.
Guy Montag is a fireman. An official censor. A judge. An executor. Take your pick of titles. His job is to burn books, and along with them, the prejudices and unanswerable questions they carry. Ten years into this occupation, he had yet to question the purpose of his job. “The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning, along with the houses in which they were hidden.” Never had he believed it was possible for the world to have ever been any different.
Enter Clarisse McClellan. A seventeen-year-old girl who questions everything. Unbeknownst to Montag, his fateful encounter with Clarisse would throw the rest of his life off-course forever. In the all too short week that Montag spent with Clarisse, he would learn truths that would refocus his view on his entire world. Truths about a past in which people were not afraid to question, or think, or love, or live in the true sense of the word. And as he begins to look at the world through a stranger’s eyes, Montag, too, begins to question. Finally, in his search for this truth, he comes upon a professor who spoke of a future in which people could think for themselves and gain “the right to carry out actions based on what we learn…” and suddenly, the path he must now take becomes crystal clear…
Bradbury’s fantastical world had me captivated from the very start. He created an alternate universe in which every seemingly surreal aspect bore haunting similarities to our very own. The most interesting aspect of his novel is the change in viewpoint of the narrator. The novel is narrated through a third-person perspective, but the narrator only speaks through the perspective of Montag. As Montag’s view of his world begins to change, the reader could clearly see such changes through the changes in narration. This allowed me to view this stunningly fantastic world through first the eyes of an average citizen, and later, the eyes of a disapproving outsider.
Each character within the story itself was also fascinating. What surprised me was that although the obvious differences in thinking styles between that of a citizen from the book and an average reader can certainly be easily distinguished, if you look closer, the amount of similarities is also startling. Characters in Bradbury’s world merely wanted to be happy, just as we do now, and although the means we use to achieve such aims are different, the underlying principle remains the same. Individual characters, such as Clarisse were also intriguing. Clarisse is an outcast in her society because of her difference in thinking styles. However, she could very easily be mistaken for just another girl in our world.
Mildred, Montag’s wife, is also a very interesting character. I found myself drawn in by every detail that told of an aspect of her life. She is a character that represents how the bulk of the population in Bradbury’s parallel dimension think. From the perspective of an outsider like me, I found her existence to be a sad and misled one, but through analyzing the dialogue, it was clear that she was happy to live like that and would have continued to live like that if Montag had not complicated her existence with his ideology.
Overall, I found that Fahrenheit 451 was a worthwhile read, however I felt that the story was rushed unnecessarily. The framework for an amazing novel existed, yet Bradbury used nothing more than the bare essentials. The dialogues were anything but complex, and were often times merely a script of who said what. The spoken lines were straightforward and to the point, which made the book seem hollow despite the depth of the underlying message. For me, the book was like a badly prepared but healthy meal; it lacked seasoning and flavour to top off the contents, and although it was nutritious and wholesome, it was not a pleasure to eat. The only icing on this cake was that of the vivid imagery Bradbury used in major scenes like the opening.
Despite its short-comings, Fahrenheit 451 is an intensely meaningful read and gives you more than enough food for thought. A classical work published nearly fifty years ago that still fascinates readers of all ages today, Fahrenheit 451 definitely receives my praise. After seeing this world through a stranger’s eyes, what will you choose to do?
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Kira lives in a world that is viewed as a utopia by her fellow villagers, but Kira knows otherwise. As a crippled child, she has spent her life in the shadows of the capable villagers. When her mother and protector dies, she fears that her life and future may quickly come to an end, until the Council of Guardians spare her, entrusting her with a task that no one else in the community is capable of carrying out. Using her talents as a weaver, she is entrusted with the job of repairing and recording the past, present, and future upon cloth. But when she discovers that something exists beyond her own world, she begins to walk a path she never knew existed.
I realize that this is a summary more than a review, but due to time constraints (and a nasty mind-block) I have yet to complete this review. Please check back soon for the full review!
The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
Jade, in nature, is a very strong substance. One that is even stronger than steel, but Jade DeLuna just can’t seem to find that strength. When her panic attacks set in, her only calm is in the distant desert, with the elephants. And that was the only life she knew, until she met Sebastian. As she’s pulled into a situation that she knows is beyond complicated, all she can do is hold on for both what she believes in and for what she knows is right. Deb Caletti’s most powerful and riveting tale is about to unfold, and you will be left breathless as her ever-changing characters weave out the tale of the beautifully intricate, knotted ball called life.
Please check back soon for the full-length review!
The Story of My Life by Anne Cassidy
One September Saturday had completely changed the course of Kenny’s life, forcing it into an uncontrollable roller coaster that had enough cataclysmic force, to rip apart his whole world. Because that was the day he met Mack, and their relationship was just like the beautiful ocean; despite the calm surface, turmoil always brews within. A bone-chilling tale of crime and deceit, Anne Cassidy creates a story fueled by the possibilities of love, hatred, and passion in this world. When the stakes are raised, morals can lose all of their meaning…
Please check back soon for the full-length review!