Monday 17 September 2012

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children


Title:  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Format: eBook
Rating: 4.5 / 5.0


Well, what can I say? I loved it! It was like Charlie Bone and X-Men combined. I totally loved the idea of this book and I am so glad I wasted the whole weekend finishing this. This book is about Jacob Portman who goes psycho after the death of his grandfather. He has been seeing and dreaming about monsters and has blamed his grandfather’s stories for it. Thinking that it’ll help him cure his trauma, he sets out to a tiny island in Wales where his grandfather grew up. But as Jacob is about to think that all of his grandfather’s stories were mere fiction, he begins to realize that they might be indeed true and that the peculiar children are still alive.
I loved the characters in this book. Sure, they’re not as cool and strong as the X-Men but their uniqueness of personalities made me love them. The peculiar children (plus Jacob) and equally lovable. At least, most of them.  
One more reason why I enjoyed this book is the usage of vintage photographs. Some were just laughable but some did send chills down my spine. It was also like looking through a photo album os bizarre people.
The book is written in a first person POV and the usage of words is simple (I prefer simple : -)). To conclude, I must recommend this book to Charlie Bone and X-Men fans out there, to those who love time travel and to those who simply love a story about how a group of teens can save the world. 

Friday 14 September 2012

Book Review: Flipped


Title: Flipped
Author: Wendelin van Draanen
Format: eBook
Rating: 4.0 / 5.0


Ah, puppy love! It’s the reason why girls giggle, boys feel embarrassed when teased and why our hearts keep beating. Flipped is a story about two completely opposite middle-schoolers who share their story about experiencing love. If you think that this is another “girl-loves-boy-but-dumps-her-and-later-boy-loves-girl-but-dumps-him” story, then you are correct. The plot is totally predictable (as all romance books, are) but what kept me going was that I wanted to see the change of emotions the characters experience.
First, we have our girl, Juli Baker. She’s Earth’s own daughter, lover of all creatures that breathe, klutzy and sometimes clueless. Next is our lover boy, Bryce Loski. He’s the shy type, the handsome boy every girl is dying to be with. Sure, he maybe a coward and a bit in denial with his feelings but things become different late on. Their relationship was like Tom and Jerry’s. One desperately avoids the other while one chases the other. It’s like that until the end of the book. J
The book is written in an alternate point of view of Juli and Bryce. The author’s writing style was simple yet classy and romantic but funny. It’s funny alright. I could’ve easily given this book a perfect 5. I mean, it’s totally realistic and totally relatable but the ENDING, ugh, the ENDING. It totally didn’t work for me. When you’re writing a romance novel, you just have to satisfy the audience with the ending. It just didn’t work for me, I’m sorry.
So, overall, it’s a good book, with a dash of romance and a pinch of humor, this book is definitely a re-read.

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower




Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Format: eBook
Rating: 4 . 0 / 5 . 0

Have you ever read a book that's absolutely relatable and you end up saying "Been there, done that" or "S***! I've been through that feeling!" at almost every page? If not, then you should try reading this book by Mr. Chbosky. Okay, the only reason I picked up this book was that I heard there was going to be a movie and so I wanted to read it first just in case I planned on watching the movie. While it might have taken me a few days to read through this whole thing (hey, I hate reading ebooks), it was certainly worth it.

This book is about Charlie, who writes letters to his "friend", telling him about almost all the stuff he's been through: high school, family problems, socializing with people and his love life. One reason why I loved Charlie was that he's so straightforward with what he wants to say that it could sometimes be pretty funny.

The writing style is in the form of short letters so it’s a pretty quick read. Woosh! The characters are pretty memorable, each with their own different personality. `

Moving on, I definitely recommend this book to every fifteen year old boy out there. This book is just absolutely funny but at the same time, deeply moving as we all reminisce the ups and downs of being a higschooler.

Sunday 2 September 2012

Book Review: The Rise of Nine


Title: The Rise of Nine
Author: Pittacus Lore
Format: Paperback (International Edition)
Rating:  4.2 / 5.0

It’s finally here! Though I have to admit I was much bummed when I knew that this book isn’t as lengthy as the first two books. Nevertheless, I’m still stoked to continue reading the adventure of our favorite aliens. Pittacus Lore’s third book in the Lorien Legacies, THE RISE OF NINE, will not disappoint readers. It’s a perfect example of entertainment: action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling. One of the reasons why I love this book is that it stars where THE POWER OF SIX left off, not wasting time explaining things that happened on the last book. I cannot say THE RISE OF NINE is perfect but there’s definitely development in the writing style.
First, Character Development. Why yes, there is. The weak Seven and innocent Ten are proving to be more of use than they were on the last book. Our main protagonist, Number Four a.k.a. John, is still head over heels for Sarah. Six and Nine just got more badass, and Eight is surely an entertainer.
Next is the dialogue. Hurrah! We say goodbye to the awkward and monotone dialogues we had in I AM NUMBER FOUR. The joy! There was however, not a lot of Plot Development. Yes, the book did have a happy conclusion but the Garde didn’t do much other than desperately find each other. Also, I didn’t get that “giddiness” I usually have after reading a good book. I felt it after reading I AM NUMBER FOUR and POWER OF SIX but after this book, negative.
So overall, I’m going to give this book 4 stars and hope that the next book is the best one yet and also hope we see Number Five.