The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Ok so Alex told me I HAD to write a review on The Hobbit, but how on Earth do you write a review on something that has been read and loved by probably millions of people for YEARS?? I honestly don't know, so I decided to both review as well as talk about the differences between the first time I read it and this time around.
The first time around, I think I was in Middle School still and I think my brother was reading it for a class in High School or something and I wanted to read it too. I tried really hard to get through it, but honestly it was a huge struggle. I hated how much detail there was in everything and just couldn't get past some of the language and story. I am ashamed to say it, but I really don't think I was a very good reader back then. I hated the fantasy books because they made you have to create your own version of a world and you couldn't just rely on thing that you were already familiar with. I didn't like the Harry Potter books the first time through either and still have yet to read The Lord of the Rings. I am proud to say now that I think I am much better at reading. As most people who actually read this know, I love Harry Potter and everything about the HP Universe. I also have now given The Hobbit a second try and Loved it as well!
This time around I found the immense amount of detail wonderfully helpful in imagining the scenes and characters. I did have some help from the movie, but this movie did not cover even close to half of the book. To be honest I am surprised they are making it into 3 movies. I am guessing they will have to take a lot from other sources like The Silmarillion in order to fill out the last 2 movies. I am very excited regardless.
Okay, so I may have lied when I said I was going to incorporate some actual reviewing in here, but it is too hard. I think that anyone who loves getting caught up in another world will love this book and if you read it at a young age, like me, then definitely give it another chance. That goes for most fantasy genre books.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in our Stars by John Green is a young adult book about...well...cancer? It is about way more than just the disease though. It is a story of the struggle of having the disease, knowing someone who has cancer, and loving someone who has cancer. Hazel, the main character has a form of cancer that is terminal. She is not looking for a cure, but just a way to prolong the inevitable. In the beginning, she seems like she is hiding from the world and just letting herself become the disease. She goes to a support group and meets friends there and everything is turned around. She ends up falling for Augustus, a boy with osteosarcoma, he had his leg removed and has a pretty good chance of staying in remission, and they enjoy their "infinite time".
I was really unsure how to approach trying to critique this book. It certainly makes you think about what it would be like to be in Hazel's situation. I don't know how she, and others like her, can be so strong. She is always worried about everyone else and never her own health. The writing style is not exactly anything new or exciting, but it definitely got the feelings across. I always enjoy a story that makes you think, and this was an easy read, and one that I could not put down. I would suggest it to pretty much anyone, but I know it is also definitely not a book for everyone...if that makes sense...
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I finally get to review a book that I LOVE!!! YAY!! haha
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a classic coming of age story, but I would say it is anything but your average take on this story type. It follows a freshman in high school named Charlie and his many ups and downs in life. It goes through all your normal awkward teenage problems like drugs, sexuality, love, and even life itself. He enters school this nerdy kid with no friends, and leaves having learned more about himself and growing into his own as well as making 2 of the best friends he could have, Sam and Patrick.
The epistolary, or letter written, narrative is probably my favorite thing about the whole book. It pulls you in so well and makes it so believable and incredibly relatable. I felt like it was letters written to me and I felt everything Charlie was writing. I felt his innocence, his vulnerability, his naivity, his love, and his longing to fit in. I did find that I could feel connected to other characters as well though. Whenever his new friends would be aggrivated or short tempered, I could totally relate. At times I got sick of his childish actions and innocence as well. The fact that I could relate so well even though it was from just the one character's perspective just goes to show how well the book was written.
I too use writing in order to help me make sense of my life and to get any frustration or worry out of my mind. Everyone has their insecurities and their ways of dealing with them and it might just be that I related to this situation so well, that I loved the book and Charlie, but I honestly think this is a book everyone should read.
P.S. I saw the movie and loved it as well, but I have always been one who loves the book more.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
I don’t even know where to start with reviewing this book… I
think it was my sister who pointed it out to me, but I can’t really remember.
All I know is that whoever it was was very wrong in suggesting it to me.
Geek Love is a story about a family of “Freaks” in a
traveling show. All of the children, or “dreamlets” as the father, Al, calls
them were created through drug experimentation during pregnancy. There is the
oldest, Arty, a flipper finned boy, the twins, Elly and Iphy, conjoined twins,
Oly the albino, hunchback, midget, and Chick who somehow has telekinetic
powers. They were brought up to be proud of these deformities because they are
what make the family successful.
I don’t know if it was the writer’s choice or the editor’s
choice to organize the flow of the story the way it was. It is really jumpy and
difficult to follow. The chapter and part names are not really helpful in
placing where you are in the timeline of the story, which is really
unfortunate, because I felt myself trying to figure out where I was for the
first couple sentences of each chapter. Was I in the present or past… I’m
really not sure why on Earth it skipped around like it did.
While the writing was intriguing and beautifully
descriptive, the story was terrible. I hated all of the characters, and couldn’t
understand who I was supposed to be rooting for. I am no expert in writing, but
I feel like a strong lead role is kind of important in a book. All of the
characters were weak and submissive, or incredibly manipulative and evil.
I didn’t like this book at all. I got to the end and all I
could think was, “Umm….What was that?”
