Title: Illuminae
Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Rating: 5 Stars
Dates Read: 12 October - 19 October 2016
Illuminae is unlike any book that I have read before. I am glad that I chose a physical copy of the book rather than a digital copy to appreciate the different "documents" that lay out the story.
The book starts with a planet with an illegal mining operation being attacked by a corporation. Kady Grant and her (ex) boyfriend Evan Mason manage to escape on two different ships and head for safety while one of the corporation's ships follows. The story is told through different documents - e-mails, IM conversations, confidential reports, etc that have been compiled by a hacker - Illuminae. There is even an appearance by a little paper clip guy to explain how these documents were discovered.
The action of the story was fast-paced and exciting. There was a little bit of romance through Kady and Evan's IMs, and even though their relationship is what seems to drive Kady's survival, it actually wasn't a distracting part of the story (as romances usually are for me). There was just enough science and technology to make the story believable. And I absolutely love Kady! She is a serious butt-kicking hacker!
At 599 pages, the book is hefty, but by using the document format it doesn't feel like a long book. The only downside to the format is that some of the pages are black, which means smudgy fingerprints when turning the pages.
Overall I was engrossed in the book and could not wait to see how it ended. I was somewhat surprised at one of the reveals at the end, and as someone who usually figures everything out, I liked that it caught me slightly off guard.
Showing posts with label #BookReview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #BookReview. Show all posts
19 October 2016
28 December 2015
Outlander - Book Review
Title: Outlander (Outlander #1)
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Dates Read: 09 October to 15 October
I started reading this book the day after I left Scotland. For someone that had only done library research and had not been to Scotland yet, Diana Gabaldon was pretty accurate in her world building. Of course the landscapes and spirit of Scotland were fresh in my mind as I was reading - Invergordon (just outside of Inverness) and Edinburgh were the two Scottish ports on my British Isles cruise.
Outlander is the first book in the Outlander series. Claire Beauchamp Randall, a WWII nurse and plant-lover, travels with her historian husband Frank Randall to the Scottish highlands so he can do research on one of his family members. While Claire is exploring some of the local flora at a henge, she ends up in 1743, where she is face-to-face with Jack Randall, the very person Frank was researching. Claire escapes Jack, who shares her husband's face but not his temperament, and is captured by a clan of Scots that is also fleeing from Jack. After mending the wounded in her captor's party, she is taken back to Castle Leoch, where she becomes that castle's healer. It is also where she develops a relationship with one of the men that captured her, Jamie Fraser.
Although there is a lot of romance in the story (and let's be honest, a lot of sex), the story is so much more than that. I was instantly hooked (of course as I was reading I was imagining myself back in Scotland, traveling the highlands) and wanted to read more. Honestly I did not like Claire very much. She whined too much and was kind of a brat. I am also skeptical of her relationship to both Frank and Jamie. But I did not come for the romance, I came for the adventure, and the story does have that.
Although the book was long (almost 700 pages), the story was so well written and compelling that it was easy to continue reading. After the way the book ended, I cannot wait to read more of the story.
And hopefully another trip to Scotland is in my future as well.
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Dates Read: 09 October to 15 October
I started reading this book the day after I left Scotland. For someone that had only done library research and had not been to Scotland yet, Diana Gabaldon was pretty accurate in her world building. Of course the landscapes and spirit of Scotland were fresh in my mind as I was reading - Invergordon (just outside of Inverness) and Edinburgh were the two Scottish ports on my British Isles cruise.
Outlander is the first book in the Outlander series. Claire Beauchamp Randall, a WWII nurse and plant-lover, travels with her historian husband Frank Randall to the Scottish highlands so he can do research on one of his family members. While Claire is exploring some of the local flora at a henge, she ends up in 1743, where she is face-to-face with Jack Randall, the very person Frank was researching. Claire escapes Jack, who shares her husband's face but not his temperament, and is captured by a clan of Scots that is also fleeing from Jack. After mending the wounded in her captor's party, she is taken back to Castle Leoch, where she becomes that castle's healer. It is also where she develops a relationship with one of the men that captured her, Jamie Fraser.
Although there is a lot of romance in the story (and let's be honest, a lot of sex), the story is so much more than that. I was instantly hooked (of course as I was reading I was imagining myself back in Scotland, traveling the highlands) and wanted to read more. Honestly I did not like Claire very much. She whined too much and was kind of a brat. I am also skeptical of her relationship to both Frank and Jamie. But I did not come for the romance, I came for the adventure, and the story does have that.
Although the book was long (almost 700 pages), the story was so well written and compelling that it was easy to continue reading. After the way the book ended, I cannot wait to read more of the story.
And hopefully another trip to Scotland is in my future as well.
16 December 2015
The Beginning of Everything - Book Review
Title: The Beginning of Everything
Author: Robyn Schneider
Genre:
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Dates Read: 17 November to 20 November
As I was reading The Beginning of Everything, I felt like I was reading Looking for Alaska, and as the book progressed, a dash of Paper Towns. I hate comparing this to John Green, but the story does follow a similar arc, albeit more generic and completely predictable. I did not relate to any of the characters and did not really care about them at all (except maybe Toby, but barely). I guessed what Cassidy's "tragedy" was long before the big reveal, and with how many times coyotes were mentioned in the book, I was just waiting for that particular scene to happen. (On a side note, that scene was tragic because I am an animal lover and because a few days ago a coyote that was missing one paw was walking down my street in broad daylight and I was thankful my 12-lb terrier Puffy was safely in the house). The only reason why I finished the book is because I just kept hoping that it would get better, that I would be wrong and the ending would completely blow my mind. I wanted it to be better. Oh well, it was a quick read and now I can move on to other books.
What I do find interesting is that the book has an alternate title: Severed Heads, Broken Hearts. I think I prefer that title, because The Beginning of Everything set my expectations very high. And so much of the story goes back to the severed head, I was more interested in that and in Toby's story than Ezra's story. But neither title really does the story justice, because even though the severed head is mentioned so many times, it was not enough to carry the plot, to mark the "beginning" of how Ezra's story developed.
Author: Robyn Schneider
Genre:
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Dates Read: 17 November to 20 November
As I was reading The Beginning of Everything, I felt like I was reading Looking for Alaska, and as the book progressed, a dash of Paper Towns. I hate comparing this to John Green, but the story does follow a similar arc, albeit more generic and completely predictable. I did not relate to any of the characters and did not really care about them at all (except maybe Toby, but barely). I guessed what Cassidy's "tragedy" was long before the big reveal, and with how many times coyotes were mentioned in the book, I was just waiting for that particular scene to happen. (On a side note, that scene was tragic because I am an animal lover and because a few days ago a coyote that was missing one paw was walking down my street in broad daylight and I was thankful my 12-lb terrier Puffy was safely in the house). The only reason why I finished the book is because I just kept hoping that it would get better, that I would be wrong and the ending would completely blow my mind. I wanted it to be better. Oh well, it was a quick read and now I can move on to other books.
What I do find interesting is that the book has an alternate title: Severed Heads, Broken Hearts. I think I prefer that title, because The Beginning of Everything set my expectations very high. And so much of the story goes back to the severed head, I was more interested in that and in Toby's story than Ezra's story. But neither title really does the story justice, because even though the severed head is mentioned so many times, it was not enough to carry the plot, to mark the "beginning" of how Ezra's story developed.
20 November 2015
The Martian - a Book Review AND a Movie Review
Today I am doing something different - a book review AND a movie review! I read the Martian in August, and I was immediately caught up in the story. I had heard of the book and purchased it months ago, but did not start reading it until after I visited the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City and saw the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which put me into a space mood. The movie released when I was on vacation, so I did not see it until mid-October. In September, I visited the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which is the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's Annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia and is home to the Space Shuttle Discovery. Between the two museums, and the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, I was able to see rockets and spacesuits and more, which made me appreciate the research and care that went into the book and the movie. On a side note, I hope to make it to Kennedy Space Center before the end of the year to see Space Shuttle Atlantis, seeing three out of the four surviving shuttles in one year.
Book Review
Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Dates Read: 03 August to 10 August
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I am not a scientist, but the science was definitely believable. I loved all of the "Macguyvering" that Mark Watney had to do to stay alive. I do not know if I will ever see humans on Mars in my lifetime, but the book made me feel like it was possible. I loved Watney's sense of humour and I was rooting for him to make it home. I liked how the book started out as his personal log but became more complex as the novel went on, waving other voices into his narrative. It was easy to read and surprisingly easy to follow the science as well.
Movie Review
Rating: 4 Stars
Date: 17 October
After falling in love with the book, I tried to keep my expectations low for the movie, as I always seem to be disappointed at book-to-movie adaptations. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. First, the book was so well researched that it was not hard to picture the space suit and the HAB and all of the other equipment and technology that Mark Watney possessed, so seeing it on the screen was almost exactly what I imagined. The special effects were not completely over the top, they were used very well to tell Watney's story. I liked being able to see a little more perspective from all of the other characters; however, I did feel like Watney's voice and his solitary experience did get overshadowed a bit. The movie followed the book fairly well, showcasing Watney's humour and his will to survive (and his love of ketchup, which I do not recall from the book). I think NASA's part was overstated and I would have liked to see more of Watney's problem solving - he did manager to survive a very long time without NASA's help. The only part of the movie I did not like was the very end. After I read the book, my mind went into overdrive imagining what happened after. I have never written fan faction before, but part of me wanted to write a hundred different stories for what happened next. I did not dislike the ending; it just was not one of my stories. In general, I am not a fan of epilogues in books (looking at you Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay), but at least the movie ending did not leave me questioning how an entire book (or series) could be amazing and then have such a lousy epilogue (one that makes you scream and throw the book across the room).
Final Thoughts
As a firm believer that you should always read the book first, I recommend that you read the book, even if just to get a better grasp of Watney's mental state and of his genius at surviving as long as he did on Mars. Then go see the movie to be impressed by the possibilities of space travel. And go eat a hearty plate of potatoes. With ketchup if you are so inclined.
Book Review
Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Dates Read: 03 August to 10 August
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I am not a scientist, but the science was definitely believable. I loved all of the "Macguyvering" that Mark Watney had to do to stay alive. I do not know if I will ever see humans on Mars in my lifetime, but the book made me feel like it was possible. I loved Watney's sense of humour and I was rooting for him to make it home. I liked how the book started out as his personal log but became more complex as the novel went on, waving other voices into his narrative. It was easy to read and surprisingly easy to follow the science as well.
Movie Review
Rating: 4 Stars
Date: 17 October
After falling in love with the book, I tried to keep my expectations low for the movie, as I always seem to be disappointed at book-to-movie adaptations. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. First, the book was so well researched that it was not hard to picture the space suit and the HAB and all of the other equipment and technology that Mark Watney possessed, so seeing it on the screen was almost exactly what I imagined. The special effects were not completely over the top, they were used very well to tell Watney's story. I liked being able to see a little more perspective from all of the other characters; however, I did feel like Watney's voice and his solitary experience did get overshadowed a bit. The movie followed the book fairly well, showcasing Watney's humour and his will to survive (and his love of ketchup, which I do not recall from the book). I think NASA's part was overstated and I would have liked to see more of Watney's problem solving - he did manager to survive a very long time without NASA's help. The only part of the movie I did not like was the very end. After I read the book, my mind went into overdrive imagining what happened after. I have never written fan faction before, but part of me wanted to write a hundred different stories for what happened next. I did not dislike the ending; it just was not one of my stories. In general, I am not a fan of epilogues in books (looking at you Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay), but at least the movie ending did not leave me questioning how an entire book (or series) could be amazing and then have such a lousy epilogue (one that makes you scream and throw the book across the room).
Final Thoughts
As a firm believer that you should always read the book first, I recommend that you read the book, even if just to get a better grasp of Watney's mental state and of his genius at surviving as long as he did on Mars. Then go see the movie to be impressed by the possibilities of space travel. And go eat a hearty plate of potatoes. With ketchup if you are so inclined.
10 March 2015
Book Review: Bones & All
Title: Bones & All
Author: Camille DeAngelis
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 Stars
I recieved an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book from St. Martin's Press as part of the Bones & All Street Team.
Bones & All surprised me in so many ways. First of all, it is a book about cannibals written by a vegan! The book is not gory, although there are some descriptive passages. I was not as disgusted as I thought I would be. Of course the idea of eating people is horrifying, but the idea of it being a compulsion was interesting.
I was hooked on the story from the first few pages. Maren is a cannibal. She ate her first person, her babysitter, when she was only a baby. She does not remember it, but she imagines that she does. She does not want to eat people, it just sort of happens. The day after her sixteenth birthday, Maren finds herself alone with some cash and her birth certificate. She decides to go searching for her father, whom she never knew. Along the way she meets others like herself. And, in true coming-of-age fashion, she finds herself as well.
It was easy for me to like Maren. She was just trying to make sense of her life and find a purpose. I know she may not have found exactly what she was looking for, or at least thought she was looking for, but I am glad that she was able to find a peace within herself. I appreciate her love of books, and like her, I would probably stuff my rucksack with more books than clothes or other practical supplies if I were to hit the road.
Author: Camille DeAngelis
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 Stars
I recieved an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book from St. Martin's Press as part of the Bones & All Street Team.
Bones & All surprised me in so many ways. First of all, it is a book about cannibals written by a vegan! The book is not gory, although there are some descriptive passages. I was not as disgusted as I thought I would be. Of course the idea of eating people is horrifying, but the idea of it being a compulsion was interesting.
I was hooked on the story from the first few pages. Maren is a cannibal. She ate her first person, her babysitter, when she was only a baby. She does not remember it, but she imagines that she does. She does not want to eat people, it just sort of happens. The day after her sixteenth birthday, Maren finds herself alone with some cash and her birth certificate. She decides to go searching for her father, whom she never knew. Along the way she meets others like herself. And, in true coming-of-age fashion, she finds herself as well.
It was easy for me to like Maren. She was just trying to make sense of her life and find a purpose. I know she may not have found exactly what she was looking for, or at least thought she was looking for, but I am glad that she was able to find a peace within herself. I appreciate her love of books, and like her, I would probably stuff my rucksack with more books than clothes or other practical supplies if I were to hit the road.
10 February 2015
Book Review: Landline
Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I need to confess that I have a hardcore crush on Rainbow Rowell. I do not know what it is about her writing, but I love it. I have thought about writing letters to her about how much I love her writing. But then I remember I am too old to be that much of a fangirl.
This is Rowell's first "adult" book.
It has taken me almost three weeks to write this review because, although I knew I liked it after I finished, it was one of those books that I needed to let settle; to linger. I originally rated it four stars, but after letting it soak into my brain, I think it deserves another half of a star. Maybe in another week or two I will think it is a five-star book. Because I am still thinking about it.
Landline is the story of Georgie and a magic "time-traveling" phone. It sounds silly, but it is not, I promise. Georgie lives in Los Angeles and is a comedy writer for a successful sitcom, but what she really wants to do is to write with her best friend, Seth, on a show they created together in college. She has an opportunity to fulfill her dream if she can send a pilot and four episode scripts to an interested producer in a very short time frame ... during Christmas. Georgie has plans to visit her mother-in-law in Nebraska with her husband Neal and their two children, Alice and Noomi. Georgie decides to follow her dream and lets her family go to Nebraska without her. This puts a strain on her marriage, and the book revolves around her reflecting on her marriage and her life. The magic phone is an old yellow phone she finds in her childhood bedroom closet. She needs it because she cannot remember to charge her iPhone and needs to talk to her husband Neal ... who is actually Neal from the past, from before they were married, from before he even proposed to her.
I enjoyed reading Georgie's story. As someone who lives inside her head far too often, I could definitely relate to her internal dialogue. I was surprised by the ending, which is a good thing. I thought about choices I have made in my own life, my own 12-year marriage. The book just gave me a lot to think about.
I appreciated the "time travel" aspect of the story. It was not your typical time travel story, which made it refreshing. Imagine if we all had a magic telephone that could call a specific point in our personal history. Would you make the call that could potentially change your life? Like I said, lots to think about.
I cannot wait to read more from Rainbow Rowell.
28 January 2015
Book Review: The Cautionary Tale of Butch Black
Title: The Cautionary Tale of Butch Black
Author: JB Maynard
Genre: Humor
Rating: 3 Stars
If you have ever worked in retail, then you will understand why this cautionary tale exists. J.B. Maynard really captures the despair of feeling stuck in a retail job that is going nowhere.
Butch Black is a dedicated employee of World-Mart. He has given ten years of his life to the company and does not want to quit. One of my favorite lines from the book is "A quitter gives up on his or her dreams in the face of complacency. A quitter gets comfortable." This mentality does not just apply to people working in retail jobs, but really to anyone who has ever felt stuck in a position and does not want to, or know how to, change.
Another favorite line is about how we become complacent. "Morale is necessary, a placebo to drown out the wasted years. People need to progress, even if it's down a road to nowhere."
This was a very quick read. It is written journal-style and it is easy to follow along with Butch's descent into madness, even if you have never worked a day in retail. There were a few technical issues that need to be worked out, but the story is there.
Full disclosure: JB Maynard is a personal friend to me and I received a Kindle copy of this book as a gift.
Author: JB Maynard
Genre: Humor
Rating: 3 Stars
If you have ever worked in retail, then you will understand why this cautionary tale exists. J.B. Maynard really captures the despair of feeling stuck in a retail job that is going nowhere.
Butch Black is a dedicated employee of World-Mart. He has given ten years of his life to the company and does not want to quit. One of my favorite lines from the book is "A quitter gives up on his or her dreams in the face of complacency. A quitter gets comfortable." This mentality does not just apply to people working in retail jobs, but really to anyone who has ever felt stuck in a position and does not want to, or know how to, change.
Another favorite line is about how we become complacent. "Morale is necessary, a placebo to drown out the wasted years. People need to progress, even if it's down a road to nowhere."
This was a very quick read. It is written journal-style and it is easy to follow along with Butch's descent into madness, even if you have never worked a day in retail. There were a few technical issues that need to be worked out, but the story is there.
Full disclosure: JB Maynard is a personal friend to me and I received a Kindle copy of this book as a gift.
06 January 2015
Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed the book, but I did not like it as much as Anna. I just could not relate to Lola the same way I related to Anna. I also wasn't really a fan of Cricket. Or their relationship. I did not care if they ended up together. In fact, I thought Lola was kind of a brat. I did find her talks to the moon very endearing though. I did enjoy seeing glimpses of Anna and Etienne in this book. I thought it was a well written story. I enjoyed the glimpses into San Francisco, which felt familiar because I was just there in October. I even went to the Japanese tea garden where Lola and Max had a date.
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed the book, but I did not like it as much as Anna. I just could not relate to Lola the same way I related to Anna. I also wasn't really a fan of Cricket. Or their relationship. I did not care if they ended up together. In fact, I thought Lola was kind of a brat. I did find her talks to the moon very endearing though. I did enjoy seeing glimpses of Anna and Etienne in this book. I thought it was a well written story. I enjoyed the glimpses into San Francisco, which felt familiar because I was just there in October. I even went to the Japanese tea garden where Lola and Max had a date.
01 January 2015
Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss
Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating: 5 Stars
I was hesitant to read this book. partly because of the hype and partly because I do not read much contemporary YA. This book surprised me in so many ways. I was immediately drawn into the story and could easily relate to Anna. I loved "discovering" Paris with her. I have not been to Paris (yet) although I have been to France, so reading brought back memories of my own travels and discoveries. I always wanted to study abroad and never had the chance in high school or college. Knowing that Stephanie Perkins spent time in Paris to write this book made me think that maybe I could still have the opportunity to spend time in another city just to write about it. But back to Anna's story. I loved watching her not only fall in love, but as cheesy as it sounds, I loved it when she found herself. I even loved the moment she realized that she understood French! I took French in high school and college, and both times I was in France it still felt so foreign to me to hear and speak. I thought the book was well-written. It sounded "young" without sounding annoying. I will definitely be reading more books by Stephanie Perkins this year.
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating: 5 Stars
I was hesitant to read this book. partly because of the hype and partly because I do not read much contemporary YA. This book surprised me in so many ways. I was immediately drawn into the story and could easily relate to Anna. I loved "discovering" Paris with her. I have not been to Paris (yet) although I have been to France, so reading brought back memories of my own travels and discoveries. I always wanted to study abroad and never had the chance in high school or college. Knowing that Stephanie Perkins spent time in Paris to write this book made me think that maybe I could still have the opportunity to spend time in another city just to write about it. But back to Anna's story. I loved watching her not only fall in love, but as cheesy as it sounds, I loved it when she found herself. I even loved the moment she realized that she understood French! I took French in high school and college, and both times I was in France it still felt so foreign to me to hear and speak. I thought the book was well-written. It sounded "young" without sounding annoying. I will definitely be reading more books by Stephanie Perkins this year.
16 June 2014
Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars
Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating: 5 Stars
The Fault In Our Stars had been on my to-read list for quite a while. I hesitated to read it because I do not really read contemporary YA and because of the hype surrounding the book. I think I owned the book for several months before I finally decided to read it earlier this year. I knew that I wanted to read it before the movie came out (which is actually my impetus for even doing a review for a book I read months ago) so I finally decided to give it a chance.
I liked Hazel from the start, but when I met Augustus, I was totally smitten. Not in a swoony "I want to date you" kind of smitten, but more of a "he says such awesome things" smitten. I think every quote I love from the book belongs to Gus. From the famous "I fear oblivion" to "My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations," Gus has the best lines in the book. Well, there is one from Hazel, but I will save that for later.
I was really drawn into Hazel and Gus's story; it felt real, it was believable. Okay, so maybe taking your sort-of dying girlfriend to Amsterdam as your final wish was a little far-fetched, but I went with it, because what happened when they were there was not. The emotions and feelings were real. I am not ashamed to admit that I cry when I read, and when Gus confesses to Hazel that his cancer is back of course I cried. And I cried several more times before the book ended (and thankfully it did have an ending, because I was afraid it was going to follow in the footsteps of An Imperial Affliction and end in the middle of a sentence or something).
"Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books ... which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal."
This book somehow made it into my heart. It stayed in my head for days. And while this book, for me anyway, is not described by either feeling above, I do think it is a book that people should read. Before seeing the movie.
The book also reminded me of when I volunteered at Kid's Village (Give Kids the World). If you do not know, it is a village set up for families of kids who want to visit Disney/Orlando as their final wish. The families are allowed to come and stay for absolutely no charge. They stay in a villa with a kitchen, a living room, and a few bedrooms (that depends on family needs). There is a pool with access for wheelchairs (well, the entire village is accessible), an ice cream parlor, a castle with an arcade and games, and a train that travels around the village. I am sure I am forgetting some other aspects of the village, but just know that it is a place where families can escape for a week and not have to worry about anything. I began volunteering in middle school. I would go on Saturday mornings and prepare the villas for families by picking out several toys and games from the prize pantry and sticking the fridge with items like milk, bread, peanut butter, and other food and snacks (I remember Lunchables being one of them). By the time I was in high school, I was volunteering in the castle, the ice cream parlor, and as either Mayor Clayton or his assistant, visiting the children and tucking them into bed at night. I loved volunteering there, and it gave me an appreciation for organizations like the Make a Wish Foundation that are able to provide that for families. So although Gus makes fun of Hazel for wasting her wish on Disney World, there are many families for which that wish was certainly not a waste. When I worked in the theme parks (and yes, at one point I worked for Disney, Sea World, and Universal) even though it was part of our training to go out of our way whenever we did see the kids with their GKTW buttons pinned proudly on their chests (not to call them out or anything, just to treat them extra special), my volunteer experience gave me a slightly different perspective.
I do not give out five stars very often. But The Fault In Our Stars earned every one of those stars.
Author: John Green
Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating: 5 Stars
The Fault In Our Stars had been on my to-read list for quite a while. I hesitated to read it because I do not really read contemporary YA and because of the hype surrounding the book. I think I owned the book for several months before I finally decided to read it earlier this year. I knew that I wanted to read it before the movie came out (which is actually my impetus for even doing a review for a book I read months ago) so I finally decided to give it a chance.
I liked Hazel from the start, but when I met Augustus, I was totally smitten. Not in a swoony "I want to date you" kind of smitten, but more of a "he says such awesome things" smitten. I think every quote I love from the book belongs to Gus. From the famous "I fear oblivion" to "My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations," Gus has the best lines in the book. Well, there is one from Hazel, but I will save that for later.
I was really drawn into Hazel and Gus's story; it felt real, it was believable. Okay, so maybe taking your sort-of dying girlfriend to Amsterdam as your final wish was a little far-fetched, but I went with it, because what happened when they were there was not. The emotions and feelings were real. I am not ashamed to admit that I cry when I read, and when Gus confesses to Hazel that his cancer is back of course I cried. And I cried several more times before the book ended (and thankfully it did have an ending, because I was afraid it was going to follow in the footsteps of An Imperial Affliction and end in the middle of a sentence or something).
"Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books ... which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal."
This book somehow made it into my heart. It stayed in my head for days. And while this book, for me anyway, is not described by either feeling above, I do think it is a book that people should read. Before seeing the movie.
The book also reminded me of when I volunteered at Kid's Village (Give Kids the World). If you do not know, it is a village set up for families of kids who want to visit Disney/Orlando as their final wish. The families are allowed to come and stay for absolutely no charge. They stay in a villa with a kitchen, a living room, and a few bedrooms (that depends on family needs). There is a pool with access for wheelchairs (well, the entire village is accessible), an ice cream parlor, a castle with an arcade and games, and a train that travels around the village. I am sure I am forgetting some other aspects of the village, but just know that it is a place where families can escape for a week and not have to worry about anything. I began volunteering in middle school. I would go on Saturday mornings and prepare the villas for families by picking out several toys and games from the prize pantry and sticking the fridge with items like milk, bread, peanut butter, and other food and snacks (I remember Lunchables being one of them). By the time I was in high school, I was volunteering in the castle, the ice cream parlor, and as either Mayor Clayton or his assistant, visiting the children and tucking them into bed at night. I loved volunteering there, and it gave me an appreciation for organizations like the Make a Wish Foundation that are able to provide that for families. So although Gus makes fun of Hazel for wasting her wish on Disney World, there are many families for which that wish was certainly not a waste. When I worked in the theme parks (and yes, at one point I worked for Disney, Sea World, and Universal) even though it was part of our training to go out of our way whenever we did see the kids with their GKTW buttons pinned proudly on their chests (not to call them out or anything, just to treat them extra special), my volunteer experience gave me a slightly different perspective.
I do not give out five stars very often. But The Fault In Our Stars earned every one of those stars.
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