All posts tagged good reads

The Storm Thief Book Review

In the end itwas all about chance; but he knew one thing, above all else.

Anything was possible.

–pg 310

The Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

 

This book had an utterly fascinating premise. It takes place in a dystopia of the future on a small island, Orokos, in the middle of nowhere that’s entirely cut off from the rest of the world if at all the rest of the world even exist– to its inhabitants, there is nothing else but Orokos. The city is ruled by chaos. There are these storms, called probability storms, that wreak havoc over the city every time they come. They have to ability to totally and randomly alter things; they can make a house appear on the other side of the city, they can made people simply disappear, they can raze a district– the possibilities are limitless and utterly frightening.

Born into this imbalanced world are two young thieves, Rail and Moa, who struggle everyday and to survive. On one mission for their theif-lord master, Anya Jacana, they come across a rare piece of technology that in a moment of impulse, they decide to keep– a decision that alters their fate completely. It’s the beginning of the biggest adventure of their lives that will not only change the way they see the world, but perhaps all of Orokos as well.

 This book had a lot of fantastic things about it. It’s one of the better books I’ ve read in a long time.  (In a way, it  reminded me of Laputa: Castle in the Sky if you’ve ever seen that movie.)

First, I liked the characters a lot. Rail (a boy) and Moa (a girl) are well defined and very humanly so. Rail is down to earth and cynical; Moa’s a bit of the dreamer. I liked the way they relied on each other for what they lacked and how they stayed in character, for example Moa was a dreamer and thus she dreams of a better life. (It bothers me when books say characters are one thing and then they never act like it.)

Rail and Moa were very easy to get attached to. The story was told in third person, from many character’s points of view, which I liked becuase I got a chance to understand all the characters. I actually haven’t read a book like that in a long time (except for my own) and it was a rather nice treat. And because of it, I really got to know both Rail and Moa and they became full and real in my head.

That and the fact that the writing was pretty good was a major plus. I’ve been reading so many lame books lately that I was thrilled that this guy knew how to write. He doesn’t work the old saga style, but he, like many contempory authors, found a quick pace and stuck to it. It gave the book a certain mood, like a rainy day kind of feel– mysterious and fascinating, it made Rail and Moa’s journey seem real and dire. The writing drew me in and kept me interested.

One thing in particular that I really liked about the writing was how easily the conversation and story flowed. Everything worked together really well. The people sounded natural when they spoke and they had their little quirks. The plot was well paced, and events never seemed rushed or drawn out. While reading this book, I had a little movie going in my head. I guess this world was, though crafted with simple words, really came to life for me.

 The only bad thing I have to say about this book was that as I was reading, I got so attached to Moa and Rail that the other parts of the book, told from different characters points of view, made me anxious becuase I really wanted to know what was going to happen to the heroes next.

 That’s not to say that those other parts weren’t as good;  I guess in a way, this isn’t really a bad thing, because I was definately enjoying what I was reading. It’s simply that I like some people more.

The best part of this book was hands down the ending. It was superb. It answered all my questions and didn’t feel at all cheesy or rushed. It had enough meat to it to wrap things up nicely, but just like a good meal, it left me wishing for more. The story doesn’t need more; I was given enough information to infer what was going to happen, but at the same time, I was so invested in the characters, I was a little sad to see it come to an end.

My final thoughts for this book? Excellent. I really enjoyed it. It’s aimed at a younger demographic, mainly older kids between 10 and 14, but I still had a great time reading it. The writing was not at juivenille and it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll be looking into more of Wooding’s work. The Storm Thief brought me into a well developed world and gave me a cast of characters I could barely stand leaving.

Ri’s Rating:

QQQQ/QQQQQ
 
4/5
 

0. Couldn’t get past chapter one for fear of wanting to kill myself. Book induced suicide…

1: Yuck. Ew. Below Average. Probably didn’t even read the middle and skipped to the end.

2. Ok. Would’ve been better if I’d written the ending and everything else.

3. Not bad at all. Very enjoyable. Quite nice. Recommendable.

4. My kind of book. Near ideal, but something was a little off (annoying names, bad ending, that sort of thing).

5. WOW. Makes me wonder why people watch T.V when this is out there. Really liked it. Don’t expect to see this often.

6 and above. What I want my book to be.

7 Comments
by Ri on May 30, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ri on May 30, 2010

http://thespottedmushroom.com/2010/05/30/the-storm-thief-book-review/

The Titan’s Curse Book Review

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it’s up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened.

–back cover

Other books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series: Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5

Book 3:

The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

 

So we’ve finally gotten to book three. Percy is a little bit older now and its winter. It starts out with Thalia and Annabeth and Percy on a mission to find help Grover get two new campers, Bianca and Nico, safely back to Camp Half-Blood. In the process of rescuing them, though, Percy and the gang run into some super powerful monsters, which as usual, means big trouble. Percy makes a quick and reckless decision that ends pretty badly: Annabeth is captured by the monster and he is almost killed, saved just in time by the hunters of the moon goddess Artemis. Artemis goes after the monster and Annabeth; her hunters stay behind and accompany Percy and the half-gang back to camp. Percy wants to immediately go after Annabeth but Chiron won’t let him. Instead, Zoe, one of the hunters, and a select few others are chosen to go. But it’s not like Percy to stay behind and let others do the work: he sneaks after them, and the adventure begins.

Bleh. That was such a bad summary.

Anyways, this book is very similar to the first two. Actually, after reading it right after the first two, I realized how much that bothered me. The first time I read it, I had to wait half a year for it to come out and it seemed great. This time, though, the story wasn’t as fresh. The whole go on a quest thing had just been done in the two previous books and not much is actually accomplished in this one. Percy and his friends are once again travelling across America in search of someone, and as I was reading it, I thought, “Okay, okay, let’s get on with it,” because the traveling had become old news. What I wanted was the bit at the end where everything comes together.

That being said, I don’t think its fair to say that this book was bad plotwise. It still had plenty of action and adventure, and the Greek myths were still being woven in expertly. But you can tell that Riordan is really just using this book to set up for things to come later on in the series.

Still, the book is funny and exciting, if not fresh. Thalia, Zoe and Nico and welcome additions to cast. I think they added a lot to the story, creating drama, tension and some very climatic stuff at the end. Riordan let’s Percy explore growing up, from getting angry to frustrated and then suddenly happy again. The dialogue is full of sarcasm and silliness in equal parts. There are parts I absolutely loved and they greatly outnumber the bits I don’t care for.  And while this book’s plot may not be the best, the stuff that is set up in the story is totally worth it, meaning the bad guys get badder as pieces of Kronos’s plan fall into place and there is one heck of an ending in store.

So if you’re following the series, this book is a good addition, and you definitely should read it if you want to understand what’s going on in later installments. And if you read it and are maybe a little disappointed, don’t worry, because things get way more intense in the books that come after.

Overall, it was enjoyable and the ending will without a doubt leaving dying to read the next one (and lucky for you, you don’t have to suffer like I did and wait a year for it to come out).

Ri’s Rating:

QQQ/QQQQQ
3/5


0. Couldn’t get past chapter one for fear of wanting to kill myself. Book induced suicide…

1: Yuck. Ew. Below Average. Probably didn’t even read the middle and skipped to the end.

2. Ok. Would’ve been better if I’d written the ending and everything else.

3. Not bad at all. Very enjoyable. Quite nice. Recommendable.

4. My kind of book. Near ideal, but something was a little off (annoying names, bad ending, that sort of thing).

5. WOW. Makes me wonder why people watch T.V when this is out there. Really liked it. Don’t expect to see this often.

6 and above. What I want my book to be.

1 Comment
by Ri on March 6, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ri on March 6, 2010

http://thespottedmushroom.com/2010/03/06/the-titans-curse-book-review/

North Of Beautiful Book Review

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You’re the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?

– Front Flap

 

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

 

North of Beautiful is the story of a girl, Terra. From the back, you’d think she was perfect– perfect hair, perfect body, perfect boyfriend, perfect everything. Even her grades are good. However, look her in the face and you’ll see something else entirely: a girl with a birthmark that destroys her otherwise beautiful face.

Or does it?

This book was Terra’s journey to find exactly where True Beauty was in the world. “What?” you ask. “What the heck is True Beauty?” Well,  as Terra, the narrator, explained to me, there is the north, the one that changes with the earth. And then there is the True North, constant and forever. And just like the north, there is a beauty that changes, and beauty that just is– True Beauty.

For all her life, Terra has been burdened by her stain. She’s extremely self-conscious about it. Every treatment she’s tried for it has failed. To compensate, she makes sure that its hidden by makeup at all times and she keeps her body in perfect shape.

And her birthmark isn’t her only problem. She’s also got an awful dad. He’s constantly berating his family, from Terra’s mom, to her brothers and even Terra herself. They’re tied to him because he pays the bills and because he’s never hit them. And even though Terra and her family is hurt over and over again by his verbal abuse, they are stuck with him.

But Terra’s got a plan. She’s going to graduate early and get as far away from Washington as she can– an East Coast college it is for her. Everything was planned and ready until one icy day in winter. On the way back from trying yet another laser treatment for her birthmark, Terra gets into a car accident. And this is where her whole life changes. Out of the car pops an exuberant woman (who quickly bonds with Terra’s mother) and a young boy named Jacob who doesn’t just bond with Terra, but change the whole direction of her life.

So how cliché does this book sound to you? Ugly girl meets a boy and everything changes, blah, blah, blah, right?

Well, I thought it was going to be like that. I borrowed it on a whim. I started reading it– and kept reading it all day. It’s not like it was action-packed or anything. It was a slower book, a stroll down a country lane. But Terra was very intriguing in ways I wasn’t expecting.

First, she wasn’t whinny. She’s got her father and her birthmark, but she doesn’t spend excess amounts of time wallowing and complaining. She gets on with her life. Of course, she has her low times, where she feels ugly and worthless, but I found those times particularly moving and well written. It’s one of those books where you really feel for the person. I think people who aren’t totally confident with themselves will really find Terra attractive. The way she handles things are different. No loud arguments or rash actions. She’s logical and well planned. Which in a way made my heart bled for her more than if she was a drama queen.

I think that’s because Terra faces her problems in a very real manner. Also, her problems are put to light in a very real way as well. Like her father. Not all abuse is physical and I really, really, really, hated her dad. But Terra wasn’t biased. She didn’t call him names. She just told the facts, and they were simply awful.

Second, the romance wasn’t cheesy. Really. I actually thought Jacob and Terra had great chemistry. No pinning. No silliness. No stupid flirty moments when people just so conveniently tumble, or touch or whatever. They met, they hit it off really well and then Terra started to like him. And for a very good reason too. Unlike her boyfriend, Erik who only liked her for her body, Jacob liked her for her whole self– birthmark included.

What really made this romance work for me was that Jacob never really had to come out and say that he liked all of her. He showed it. I know that sounds weird but like I said, the chemistry between these two characters was so well written, it was like they were acting out the scenes before me. They didn’t have to say things out loud. You just kind of knew.

And finally, third, the book was very well written. Terra is a great narrator. She’s funny at the right times, serious when it matters. Her story is unique in many ways. I don’t think I really made that clear, but this isn’t like other find-out-where-you-belong romances that I’ve read. It’s special.

I think a large part of that was the fact that even though Jacob was “goth” to begin with (like all black clothes and stuff), he completely changed his look to “surfer,” explaining that it was all just costume. People used to stare at him (because he was adopted so he looked out of place with his family) and he wanted to determine the terms on which they stared.

I liked this because a lot of the time when authors write about certain cliques, it comes off as cliché. As if the world is really like that. Most of the time people try to stand out just for the sake of being different. And this broke that cliché– because Jacob wasn’t being a follower. He was just doing his own thing because he felt like it.

The other characters– good, bad, ambiguous, exuberant– they were all very well done too. Like I said, Terra made me hate her dad, love Jacob, and cry for her mom. Each person was crafted with a unique personality and were surprisingly human. They had their flaws and their strong-points. They grow and change. It’s one of those books where you decide good and bad on your own. Terra just gives you the facts.

Back to the writing now. The beginning half of the book is cozy and sad, the second half, which takes place in China, is exotic and eye-opening. I could tell that the story was well researched. The author knows what she’s talking about when she describes Shanghai. Actually, it was so well done that now I really want to go to China.

Anyways, there was a scene so wonderfully written, so deeply moving I felt like crying after reading it. It takes place in an orphange in China, when Terra sees a young girl with a port-wine stain (the same type she has). The emotion put into that scene was amazing. As an imperfect human being, it really struck home with me and I felt strangely empowered after reading it. As if Terra had convinced me that I was beautiful too.

So my final thoughts? The pacing was good, the ending satisfying. Everything flowed very nicely, even though some events weren’t told chronologically. I found the characters intriguing and the story delightful. The only bad part was a few awkwardly worded sentences.

I read this book in a day and it was definitely time well spent. Mothers, buy this for your kids. They’ll feel wonderful after reading it.  I think anyone will, actually. In a way, the book was a like a compass, pointing every person towards True Beauty, saying “Look, look. There it is. That is where you are.”

Ri’s Rating:

QQQQ/5

4/5

0. Couldn’t get past chapter one for fear of wanting to kill myself. Book induced suicide…

1: Yuck. Ew. Below Average. Probably didn’t even read the middle and skipped to the end.

2. Ok. Would’ve been better if I’d written the ending and everything else.

3. Not bad at all. Very enjoyable. Quite nice. Recommendable.

4. My kind of book. Near ideal, but something was a little off (annoying names, bad ending, that sort of thing).

5. WOW. Makes me wonder why people watch T.V when this is out there. Really liked it. Don’t expect to see this often.

6 and above. What I want my book to be.

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by Ri on February 16, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ri on February 16, 2010

http://thespottedmushroom.com/2010/02/16/north-of-beautiful-book-review/

The Ask and the Answer Book Review

‘Finally, we come to the real thing, the thing that makes men men, the thing we were born for, Todd.’ He rubs his hands together and his eyes flash as he says the word.

‘War.’

-pg 519

 

This book is the second in the Choas Walking Trilogy: Book 1: Knife of Never Letting Go, Book 3: Monsters of Men

The Ask and the Answer

by Patrick Ness

What to say, what to say? This book had so much suspense to it, so much wondering and waiting, that I don’t know if I can do a review without giving anything away…

I’m going to give it my best try.

First, a summary, as always.

The story picks up right where the last book left off, with Todd and Viola in the Mayor’s clutches. Hevan is now New Prentisstown and Todd and Viola have been separated, neither knowing whether or not the other is alive. Todd is being controlled by the Mayor, forced to do his every bidding, in the hopes that following orders will keep Viola alive. Viola on the other hand, is learning a different side of the story, and while she struggles to find Todd, she is sucked into a womanly world of secrets and dark questions. The Ask and the Answer is a thrilling sequel to the Knife of Never Letting Go and an emotional ride that will have even readers with the most secure morals question what is right and when wrong is no longer wicked.

And now, because I can’t see this working any other way, here are my bulleted thoughts on book 2:

–The Ask and the Answer has for the most part the same cast of characters as in book one. There are a few new folk, but they easily embed themselves in your mind and you are not left struggle to keep up with a whole array of new faces. Which is very nice, I must say.

–This book was told in alternating points of view, between Todd and Viola, which really, really, added towards the drama and suspense, especially in the end.

–Some deep, deep questions are brought up that really ask readers to question the images of good and evil that society has made us believe in. It really pushes the limits and stretches the mind. That is one of my favorite aspects of this series, that everything is not black and white. Because in real life people aren’t black and white, are they? This book really captures all aspects of the human struggle to make the right choices. And it does so very, very well.

–There were some plot twists that I could see coming, but they were built up with such suspense that they still kinda threw me and made me gasp.

–Todd and Viola are so perfect. I like it when a book builds a relationship that has essence between the characters. What’s nice about these two is they haven’t been sneaking around and makin’  out and watching each other sleep by crawling  in through bedroom windows (I’m looking at you Edward Cullen), but they have been thinking about each, all the time. And to me, that show a much deeper and sweeter relationship than any “Oh, I don’t want to be with you, but I must!”/”I’m bad for you but I can’t stay away!” -insert-long- confession-here romance.

–You get to know the villains so well, that you really can’t tell if they are wicked or not. Now, when I say, know the villains, I don’t mean an inside look on their daily lives. What I mean is that the main characters (narrators Todd and Viola) give a good sense of what these antagonists are doing, and thinking about, and through their actions, you start to question and doubt these evil doers, to the point where you are just as confused and vulnerable as Todd and Viola themselves.

–I ended up liking Viola’s parts just as much as Todd’s.  They each had a different kind of voice and thought differently, and it was interesting to get inside her head.

–I really loved the transformations the characters went through, and how they struggled to make the right choices and how they were affected by the decisions they make. In a lot of books, you get conflicts that involve violence, but you rarely see the good guys suffering from their actions of taking lives. Todd has a conscience and isn’t afraid to let us see it.

–This book is a little less actiony. I mean, some big stuff goes on, but Todd and Viola aren’t on the run, so they aren’t moving around and peeking over their shoulders as much. Now, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t as gripping. I was so addicted, I couldn’t stop reading it– during class, car drives, anywhere. The action is more subtle, you might say. More in your head…

I think I covered everything. I mentioned the drama, right? The thought-provoking questions? The characters? The build up?

But wait! I forgot to mention the total cliffhanger-I-called-it-but-I-still-can’t-believe-I-was-right-and-I-don’t-want-to-be-right-ending!!!!

Let’s just say, the ending was as such that I might spontaneously combust while waiting for the third book. No joke.

So, my final thoughts? Well, my W key keeps sticking and my keyboard fells sticky… and this book was great. Frosted Flakes grrrrrrreat kind of great. And if you liked the first book, the second does not disappoint.

Amazon link

[Once again, due to the fact that this book's writing wasn't any literary masterpiece, it doesn't get a 4. But, it is as worth reading as any 4. Really.]

Ri’s Rating:

QQQ.5/QQQQQ
3.5/5

I LoVe this series!!!!!

0. Couldn’t get past chapter one for fear of wanting to kill myself. Book induced suicide…

1: Yuck. Ew. Below Average. Probably didn’t even read the middle and skipped to the end.

2. Ok. Would’ve been better if I’d written the ending and everything else.

3. Not bad at all. Very enjoyable. Quite nice. Recommendable.

4. My kind of book. Near ideal, but something was a little off (annoying names, bad ending, that sort of thing).

5. WOW. Makes me wonder why people watch T.V when this is out there. Really liked it. Don’t expect to see this often.

6 and above. What I want my book to be.

2 Comments
by Ri on October 20, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ri on October 20, 2009

http://thespottedmushroom.com/2009/10/20/the-ask-and-the-answer/

The Knife of Never Letting Go Review

The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say. About anything.

-pg 1

This book is the first book the Choas Walking Trilogy: Book 2: The Ask and the Answer, Book 3: Monsters of Men

The Knife of Never Letting Go

By Patrick Ness

 

I first heard about this book from the Young Adult Reads blog. This place reviews a lot of those cheesy vampire stories, and I was a little reluctant to read this one, even after it had garnered five stars. Then, one morning, I came to school early and I was hanging out in the Library (’cause I am so cool) and I saw this book. And thought eh, and walked on. But I couldn’t get it off my mind and at lunch, I came back into the library and borrowed. Then, over the weekend, I devoured it. And soon you shall see why.

The plot follows as such:

Todd is the last boy in Prentisstown, a settlement in the New World. Don’t get confused thinking this is a colonial settlement story about the Americas. No, the New World really is a new world, as in not Earth. And there, everyone can hear everyone elses’ thoughts in an explosion of sound called Noise. Noise is more often than not annoying and there is no privacy. Todd absolutely hates it. He hates seeing all the men around him doing men things in which he can’t take part. He hates listening to all their stupid thoughts and he hates that everyone has to listen to his.

Life in Prentisstown is strange and slow and while Todd is exploring the swamp nearby he hears a most curious thing: silence. And finds something even stranger: a girl.

For, alas! All the women in Prentisstown were killed by the same germ that made Noise. Meaning the lovely young woman Todd found shouldn’t exist. But the fact that she does means something is up.

And trust me, something was definitely up.

Todd is very early on into the book, pulled into a whirlwind of action and adventure, and loss and pain and extreme pain, and lies and trust and everything from noise to silence to love. Which is to say, I liked the plot.

It started off at an excellent pace and lots of action, and was able to keep it up throughout the book. There really wasn’t ever a dull moment. The suspense was killer, but more about that when I talk writing.

I thought the plot was really original. I mean, we’ve got tons of vampires who can read minds and emotions nowadays, but I think very few authors are willing to strip all privacy away from their characters. Yet, Ness took the risk and the outcome was brilliant. Honestly, can you imagine living in a world with, A) only men and B) Noise that allows everyone to hear everyone’s thoughts?

It would be chaos! And it is chaos! In fact, the trilogy is called Choas Walking.

Inside all this action and chaos, there young Todd. Todd Hewitt. And he will be a man soon, but he isn’t yet. Todd is a wonderful narrator (yes, this book was first person). He brings life to this strange place with descriptions that fit the mood perfectly; his way of thinking is so unique. I really felt his struggle to be good and to be pure and it was amazing how attached I became to him.

Everything about Todd, his decision making process, the way he sees the world, his willingness to believe, and his unwillingness to trust– all those things mash together really well to create a very vivid and alive character. I rarely feel like I know main characters well and writing in first person is an excellent opportunity to make readers and narrators bond. However, most don’t take this chance and let their characters fall into generic stereotypes.

What was nice about Todd was that he was not a man, thus he didn’t speak, talk, or act like one. People write about children but forget to make them children. They make them wise beyond their years, which is fine every once in a while, but it is totally refreshing to read a story where a kid acts just like a kid would– rashly and based on emotion.

Todd is mature in some ways yes, but his insecurities are what makes him such a rich and well molded character. I am very much looking forward to reading more of the series and hearing more of his thoughts.

The other main character is a girl named Viola, and like Todd, she acts very much like how a child would. She’s a little bit more mature (but duh, that’s because she’s a girl) and a little bit more sensitive, but I liked how she was tough at the same time. And not tough in the I’m-a-tough-girl-so-all-I-can-be-is-argumentative-with-my-male-companion way. She was just strong, someone you could count on and come to for help.

These two young uns move the story along quickly, as they run and catch their breathe and see horrors and wonders and strangely horrible yet entrancing things. Ness writes the story very well. When I say this, I don’t mean that he created Tolkein-esque descriptions and stuff like that. I mean that he did what Suzanne Collins did for the Hunger Games and Catching Fire, which is to say, he wrote action as action.

When Todd found out something startling, he would create suspense, that I swear had me grinding my teeth down to my gums, by having Todd do something like this (note: not a direct quote from the book, but what I remember it being like):

Oh no!
It couldn’t be.
What they did to become men–
What they did that ripped all the boyhood from them–
Snatched away their innocence–
I didn’t want to see it but Ben kept showing it to me.
Those boys–
What have they done? 

It’s like freaking insta-suspense, because he kept stopping the sentences right before the most important bit and I kept turning the pages to find out what it was these people were doing (yeah, there is a scene like that in the book). And he kept doing that! He kept stopping right before it got good and sometimes I would scream but that didn’t mean I wasn’t flipping pages fast.

Sometimes when you get a really actiony book, the tendency is to skip to the end where everything is revealed. However what was going on currently in the book was always so interesting that I didn’t want to skip. I didn’t want to miss one bit. I especially didn’t want to spoil the ending.

One very curious thing about the book is the way Todd says things. Directions are Direckshuns. Implications are Implikayshuns. What Ness did here was write in the accent in which Todd speaks. Viola says impressions. Todd says impresshuns. It was a little odd at first, but after a while, all the yers and a’commins actually grew on me and I came to like it. Actually, it was nice that the author took a little bit of time to write some culture into his book. It gave it some added flavor. Yum, yum.

Something especially good about this story was the grey area between good and evil and the emotions that drive the characters to lean one way or another. It was so fascinating to watch these kids make choices we would never even dream of having to make. And how they struggled to make the right choice and lamented when they did not. All very interesting stuff.

Folks before I go, I must let you know that this was a great cliffhanger ending. As such is the case, I will only say that I am forever grateful that the second book is already out and that I don’t have to wait.

I think I covered everything here. Good action. Good action writing. Good nonaction writing. Great characters. Good book.

The Knife of Never Letting Go excellently shows a young boy’s trials as he discovers the truth hidden deep among the lies. It gives a great sense of character and really, really gives a sense of the conflict going on inside Todd. And Viola was great too. I am going to say that this book is going on the Read Again List and that I cannot wait to get my grimy hands on the second book (it’s already out) called the Ask and the Answer.

If you enjoyed series such as Percy Jackson, the Hunger Games or have a short attention span, this book is definitely good for you.

Plus, I think they may be some romance….

Thank you, Patrick Ness, for this wonderful read.

Amazon link

NOTE: on the rating, as with Catching Fire, this book will get a 3.5 because it isn’t literary gold. But it’s still a pretty darn good read.

Ri’s Rating:

QQQ.5/5

3.5/5

0. Couldn’t get past chapter one for fear of wanting to kill myself. Book induced suicide…

1: Yuck. Ew. Below Average. Probably didn’t even read the middle and skipped to the end.

2. Ok. Would’ve been better if I’d written the ending and everything else.

3. Not bad at all. Very enjoyable. Quite nice. Recommendable.

4. My kind of book. Near ideal, but something was a little off (annoying names, bad ending, that sort of thing).

5. WOW. Makes me wonder why people watch T.V when this is out there. Really liked it. Don’t expect to see this often.

6 and above. What I want my book to be.

1 Comment
by Ri on October 8, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in book review
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Posted by Ri on October 8, 2009

http://thespottedmushroom.com/2009/10/08/review-18/

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