#32 Winter

Winter by Marissa Meyer

(The Lunar Chronicles #4)

i read the first 3 books in this series Cinder, Scarlet and Cress in early 2014 so i have been waiting a long time for this finale! Initial thoughts were holy shit 824 pages, what a beast. About half way through i was glad that it was so long as i was not ready to be done with it.

This story follows Princess Winter who is our villain Queen Levana's step daughter. Winter is a young girl (age not disclosed) id guess around 16 or 17. When her father died Levana swears to him that she will look after and protect Winter. As Winter becomes a young woman Levana feels threatened by her beauty, so much so that she glamours her into cutting her own face. Winter refuses to use her Lunar gift of manipulating people and she doesnt use her glamour to hide her scars as a direct result of this she has lunar sickness which causes hallucinations and general madness.

In this final installment the gang (Cinder, Kai, Iko, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress and Thorne) decide to fight back and dethrone Levana to ensure Selene (Cinder) gains her rightful throne. As Kai is set to marry Levana in order to sign a peace treaty between Earth and Luna and secure the antidote to cure Letumosis, an earthen disease created by Levana. Cinder forms a plan to rage a war from the outer sectors of Luna and to ultimately overthrow Levana.

After reading Fairest, a novella that details why Levana turned into the evil dictator we know and love, i couldnt help but feel sorry for her. All she ever wanted was to be regarded as beautiful and to be queen. Her older sister Channery (Cinders mum) manipulates Levana into putting her hand in the fire resulting in her having quite severe burns in which she uses her glamour to constantly hide. Levana becomes bitter and sets out to become queen no matter what, when she kills Selene in order to eliminate a heir to the throne she becomes queen by default. Chaos and rebellion ensues.

I am very fond of the friendships and romantic relationships between each of the characters, particularly Cress and Carswell Thorne which i have enjoyed from the previous book. The introduction of Winter was masterfully crafted and her romantic interest Jacin was perfect, i loved the dynamic between them. I usually detest books with too much romance but these books are so subtle with it, its really well done.

The ending felt a little rushed and i was left with a gaping hole in my heart knowing that this was the final book and id never know what became of the characters or the relationship between Earth and Luna!

I gave this book 4 stars based on the abrupt ending but ultimately it was rather faultless! 

#31 Dangerous Girls

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

This book is a YA thriller centering around an intricate friendship group that go to Aruba over spring break. The story mainly follows Elise, Anna and Tate. Elise and Anna are best friends and Tate is Annas boyfriend. When Elise is brutally murdered towards the end of the holiday Anna and Tate are immediately in the firing line as the main suspects in her murder,

I really enjoyed the layout of this book as the chapters are split into before the holiday, during the holiday and the trial. It ever so slowly reveals more information allowing the reader to bring about their own conclusions of what happened. It goes into detail about Anna and Elise's friendship as well as the jealousy of the others in the friendship group and how this would play into the overall plot.

The main things i liked about this was how gripping and fast paced it is, i couldnt put it down and felt that although it was YA it lived up to some of the other adult thrillers ive read such as Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. The writing wasnt overly descriptive which is one of my pet hates in YA and it was a good length (388 pages), it flowed really nicely but the ending seemed a little rushed and i would have liked more detail of what actually happened in the end, it was glossed over intentionally which i did not appreciate. From looking online this book isnt that well known which is surprising as it was extremely well written and deserves more popularity.

A few things i disliked, the ending. Without going into too much detail to avoid spoilers, id heard that there was a big twist, i waited in anticipation and not only did i not like it but it brought this book from a solid 4 star rating to a 3. Also a few of the characters are pointless page fillers, the friendship group was rather small but to only focus on 3 characters in a mystery thriller seems silly, surely if you want the reader to guess who killed her you would provide background and potential motive for each character which this really lacked.

I saw on Goodreads that there is a sequel to this and as much as i didnt like the ending, i really need a sequel to this! from what ive read it doesnt follow the same characters but the plots are similar with the possibility of a few linked characters from the first book? Im not sure as the synopsis is raher vague.

Overall this was utterly gripping and the time jumps worked really well, each section was interesting and really developed the overall story, there was times when i had to stop myself from glancing down the page to read it faster and find out what was going to happen,
although i didnt care for the twist i still really enjoyed this.

#30 Night Film

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

This book is a mystery/psychological thriller set in New York that follows washed up investigative journalist Scott McGrath as he looks into the mysterious death of 24 year old Ashley Cordova. Ashley was the daughter of reclusive horror movie director Stanislas Cordova who has been off the grid since 1977. Scott has been in trouble in the past for writing slanderous stories about Stanislas and the dark and disturbing films he makes.These slanderous stories tainted Scotts reputation and he was no longer as highly regarded within the media profession.

When Ashleys death is ruled as a suicide Scott decides to look into it, not only because he deems it suspicious but because of his aberrant fascination with the Cordova family and the redemption he seeks after his career was ruined by them. Scott then begins an investigation in order to find out what happened to her. Scott teams up with Nora and Hopper and the three of them try to uncover who Stanislas is. Nora is a 19 year old aspiring actress who basically forces Scott into allowing her to be his side kick after promising him information on Ashley. Hopper is a drug addict/alcoholic with a difficult past whose intentions on finding out what happened to Ashley arent really discussed.

Scott was by and large a decent protagonist,his character was quite flawed yet realistic. Nora, i found to be really irritating but i think she was written this way purposely, she was a bit of a stereotype and didnt grow on me at all.

This book is just over 600 pages and is filled with news and web articles, police files along with clues that they find on the way. The visual aid really adds to the story and keeps the reader guessing. I think without these snippets i may have gotten a little bored and it is a little tedious in parts. 600 pages is a lot and the story remained gripping throughout. One of my favorite elements was the mystique surrounding Stanislas and the underground cult following he gained, that alone made for some interesting reading.

This book was marketed as a horror story and i really failed to see any element of horror incorporated, it was rather disappointing. The characters also lacked a little for me, i enjoyed the story surrounding the Cordova's but Nora and Hopper really bored me. There was many times where i found the dialogue when they were questioning people to be dull and unnecessary and it really dragged out the chapters.

The ending was a pleasant surprise, it was satisfying which you dont normally get with a thriller/mystery story. It wasnt rushed and flowed really well and seems to fit in well with the rest of the story.

#29 Station Eleven

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I love me some Canadian authors. This wasn't half bad. The story begins with the death of our protagonist Arthur Leander. He dies whilst on stage performing King Lear. Jeevan a trainee paramedic who happened to be in the audience rushes to Arthurs aid but sadly could not save him. On Jeevans way home from the theater a flu breaks out that has the potential to kill many people. The Georgian Flu as it is later known killed many people and the story focuses on those before, during and after this time period.

The story is presented in multiple perspectives and doesn't get told chronologically which can be confusing but by a large it makes sense in the end, it spans decades that covers before and after the pandemic. The perspectives are from people that knew Arthur or had influenced him in some kind of way. The story follows the people that knew him and isn't really about Arthur at all but he is still undeniably the protagonist.

The book is post apocalyptic but there is not too much focus on the world itself but more the people and how they are coping with the new world. What is mentioned about the world and setting is that there are no cities or infrastructure after the great collapse but there are settlements in which people live. The story is woven together so intricately that as the reader you dont even notice until it becomes apparent and you can see the spider web for yourself, a good indication of well planned and clever writing.

The atmosphere of this book was similar to what you would expect from a contemporary romance novel, it was light and easy to get through but the story did not disappoint and the characters were so well thought out that it was impossible to get bored.  The symbolism used throughout this novel was very interesting, the significance of the tattoos as a theme was very interesting (i wont say too much in order to keep this spoiler free)

This is the type of book that would make a superb movie if done correctly that is. I was pleased that it was a stand alone and that it was wrapped up in 300 odd pages. What is wholly apparent is how hollow Arthurs life was, this is clear to the reader through the stories of how others saw him not just his son and ex wife. This was such an interesting and unique twist to the typical dystopian novels.

The negatives for me were the length and the pacing. At times the pacing was all wrong and it went through a few dryer chapters and the length was a little too long and could have been wrapped up much faster than it was. There were a few chapters dedicated to irrelevant characters that seemed unnecessary to the overall plot.

Overall, the writing was beautiful but it felt somewhat incomplete and certain things went unexplained. Still well worth a read.



'Because survival is insufficient' 

#28 Armada

Armada By Ernest Cline (God, basically)

Everyone who knows me well, knows that Ready Player One is my life. I have put it on a pedestal above all other literature. To me, it is untouchable in so many ways, a work of art almost. When i heard that Cline was working on a second novel i was filled with a mixture of dread and excitement. I knew that it would be a triumph or an epic fail.

Armada follows the story of 18 year old Zack Lightman. He is a talented gamer ranked 6th in the world at the war fighting flight simulation game Armada. When he learns that the game was released in order to fight off a real life attack from alien invasion he has to make a decision to stand back whilst millions die or to take action and join the Earth Defence Alliance. The game he has been engaging in for so long was created as a combat training simulation and from the 9 million users the EDA hand picks only the best of the best to sign up. Zack chooses to sign up and help try to win the war. 

For the first 16% it felt like i was reading a few Wikipedia articles about old video games and pop culture references from the 80's, it felt disjointed and nonsensical. At about 20% the story truly kick started and the genius that is Cline finally shown through.

The war against the alien race comes in 3 waves that are separated by 2 hour intervals, the new recruits must prepare themselves to save not only themselves but civilization. There was a few plot twists that i didnt see coming throughout and the ending was not predictable at all! 

This is a very fast paced and action packed plot that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are believable and realistic. If you love video games and/or sci fi then you will love this. It is so imaginative and immersive. Cline is easily becoming one of my favourite writers and i hope he continues to write on top form. 

#27 You Against Me

You Against Me By Jenny Downham

I picked this book up having read Before I Die by the same author, i thought it would be a lighthearted YA romance. Imagine my shock at the darker YA themes i encountered. 

You Against Me follows the story of Karyn McKenzie and Tom Parker. When  Karyn claims that Tom sexually assaulted her the plot begins after the aftermath and the sought after truth. When Karyns brother Mikey meets Ellie who is Toms sister and they begin to get closer their conflicts of interest become apparent. With Ellie trying to defend her brother and Mikey seeking justice for his sister will we ever discover the truth of what happened?

The story is dark and is not for the younger YA reader, the themes are mature and it was much closer to a NA read for me and it had sexual content, violence and strong language. The book handled the issue of rape very well it delved in head first into how its one persons story against another which was abundantly clear from the title of the book. Karyn struggles to leave the house after the alleged attack and isolates herself from her family, her mother doesnt deal well with the trauma and turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism leaving Mikey solely responsible for the care of the younger 8 year old sister and ensuring that Karyn is ok. Ellie on the other hand is her brothers sole witness as she was present in the house the night of the alleged attack. She feels an enormous amount of pressure from her parents to defend her brothers honor and to say what she needs to to ensure that he will not go to prison for a crime she is convinced he did not commit. 

As Mikey and Ellie grow closer she realizes that she needs to do the right thing and tell the truth regardless of the consequences. 

This is a heartwarming story about love and family. I really enjoyed how believable the characters were and that it wasnt glorifying or unrealistic. I think the YA genre needs more books like this to make teens more aware of the risks of under age drinking and sexual assault, it also touches on the issue of consent. 

A few things i didnt like was there was no resolution in the end, i would of much preferred to hear the outcome for Tom following the court case. The ending was a little premature and felt all of a sudden. It doesnt leave the reader with a sense of closure especially after 400 pages! 

All in all, this is a 4 star book for me.

#26 Into the Wild

Into the Wild By Jon Krakauer

Everyone has those books that they prefer to most humans, Into the Wild is one of those books for me. Every year i go through the same torturous routine of incessantly reading for about 9-10 months and then.... nothing. The winter months cause me to hibernate with netflix and not much reading gets done. I decided to try and tactically re-read an old favorite to try and get more over this slump and im pretty sure it has worked!

Into the Wild is the true story of Chris McCandless (or Alex Supertramp as he was more commonly known) who in the Spring of 1992 abandons everything he knows, sells his car, gives away his money, creates a new identity and leaves his family behind to embark on a journey into the wilderness. When his decomposed body is found in a sleeping bag four months later on August 19th by six Alaskan moose hunters who discovered the abandoned bus in which he had taken up residence. After his death was announced to his family and those whom he met along the way there was an outcry to find out who he was and why he left his privileged life only to starve alone in the cold Alaskan wilderness. There was also a lot of controversy surrounding his death and what caused it, the most significant of which is 'did he take his own life?'. This book is written entirely from the journals that Chris kept during his time in the wild, the testimonies from the people he met along the way and how his family saw him. 

Immediately upon graduating university Chris left town without telling his family and friends and abandoned his car in order to hitchhike across America in his mission to reach Alaska. Chris spent two years in the west living on minimal, working for people and then moving on. The book is split into chapters that discuss each part of his two year and four month journey and each chapter begins with a segment from Chris'journal or a passage from a book that he highlighted that were found among is few possessions. The main story follows Chris' soul searching excursion told through interviews from those who knew him. 

The only thing that i didnt like in this book is that it isnt written in chronological order, it starts from his death and then goes from the beginning whilst simultaneously jumping back and forth. At points is does not read very fluidly. I love the maps that are included as it offers a visual aid to the chapter and allows you to see where Chris was ultimately allowing you to feel closer to him as a character. 

This is a beautiful story of how one man decided to be done with society and rules and live a solitary yet happy life. It can be summed up in my favorite quote used in this book:

'I have always be unsatisfied with life as most people live it, always i want to live more intensly and richly' -Everett Ruess