I've chose to read this book right after I've read "Attachments" which I thought it was really good. Without further rambling, I would like to say that back in my school days, I never knew how to love someone like how Park does for Eleanor. And after reading this, I felt that there is a lot to take in with a lot of social ills that Ms Rainbow has brought on to her reader's attention.
Bullying
Eleanor has been a major target for being bullied in school. It's really heartbreaking enough to know Eleanor has just been through a traumatic state of moving to a new town and has to go through such an event of turmoil isn't helping her to develop for the better.
Abuse
Be it verbal, physical or sexual... this book has it all. We can witness how Eleanor's stepfather plays a dominant role on being the abuser at home which builds up the awareness of why Eleanor has become the way she is.
Racism
Although Park is half Korean half Irish boy, and Eleanor is a Red-Hair girl. Racial slurs were pretty bad for Eleanor where names were being slandered upon wherever she is around those people. Such daily abuse are not part of what school life is about and no one should ever go through such a state of impact everyday.
What stands strong in this book is their love for each other. Trust for each other. Whom we all know that love conquers but when circumstances kicks in, sacrifices are needed for the greater good.
Such a good book. I think love plays a part in this but I think awareness on social ills has been pronounced enough to make people think. I thank Ms Rainbow for writing such a fantastic light-hearted book for everyone.
Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Review Link
Oh my nerves, due to work I have been holding on to this book for nearly A MONTH! Not that it's not good, it just work commitment! Talk about having commitments with work and book at the same time. It's never easy to juggle when it is given a higher task that has been bestowed on us.
Screw my rambling, and back to book reviewing. I thought the second installment of the book is going to leave out all those favourable characters from "The Warrior Heir". Boy, I was dead wrong! Let's start with the core stuff:
World building
The setting is urban fantasy and I love how Cinda builts the world at "The Havens" while Seph was being held captives in there. Furthermore, we get to know more about the so-called NEW "Trinity" in Ohio that was briefly mentioned after the event takes place at the Raven's Ghyll from the first book.
Characters
We are being introduced with Seph as the lead character here with some of his friends that stood by him. So far, I realised that the characters are somewhat relatable but I don't have a favourite one. The author has brought us back to memory lane by re-introducing Jack and Ellen, Linda and Leander, and of course Nick Snowbeard.
Plot
Now, after some gruesome torture from the first half, I didn't expect to have such a PLOT TWIST towards the end. It was mind blowing and my jaw literally drops when I got to know what is it. Magic system was placed into the plot with successfully and it doesn't seem TOO dodgy. Cinda kept the love story to a minimal which I appreciate it A LOT! Pacing was ok.
Overall, I love this book. It was because of the twist, I have bump this up back to a 5 star rating. I will continue on with the 3rd installment soon which entitled "The Dragon Heir".
Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Review Link
Booksplosion Read-Along for the month - September - #8
My very first exposure in reading YA fiction in a poetry format. Indentations of each verse makes this reading experience a whole lot different and interesting. As I was giving it a try, I thought the beginning was a little slow to digest but as the story goes, there is this vault that just suck you right into their lives.
"Dude, I have f***ing moved on. I don't call him to dinner anymore. I don't think I hear him coming in the back door. I hardly ever dream about how he looked when... when I found him. But if you mean I should accept what happened, you're out of your mind! -- I never will."
Tragic has both it's good and bad side. It all drills down how a person respond to it. Here, we are reading in Matthew Turner's POV through out the book and we are able to observe how he and his family struggled through a lost of a family member due to an accidental outing of homosexuality cum aggressive bullying and discrimination in a school premise. It is never pretty; it is even uglier when it comes down to an emotional stretch when one doesn't know how to deal with grieve.
"That's the worst thing about you, and the rest doesn't matter. You're not perfect, that's a fact. But your imperfections are part of what makes you, YOU. And that's who I fell in love with."
In reality, love still plays a major part of human existence. No matter how stereo typical Hollywood has infiltrate our mind on how they portray their love scenes. It is never like what has been quoted above. This is the single most used quote about a person when it boils down to puppy/teenage/desperate love, although overly used but it is NEVER practiced in today's context.
"You know how they say revenge is best served up cold? I'd say it's best
not served up at all. Revenge is a great motivator, but it doesn't help
achieve the desired results. I've seen guys lose buddies, then go off
half-cocked, piss fuel running through their veins. Things never turned
out well."
I've known of many that always think that revenge is the ultimate solution because they thought they are the ONLY one that has to live through that pain/struggle WHOM they think someone has done to them but what they didn't know is that, would they feel happier now when they know that they have made someones life a living hell?
My question to them: How can you even sleep when you know what you have already acted upon out of just a mere revenge? And in what position are you to make that sort of judgement towards a person in measurement of your own revenge?
"You just asked Vince for forgiveness. Maybe the price is giving it."
After all that has happened, reconciling is always a major human pride issue. Are we able to lay ourselves down to take that first step so that we all can live a harmonious life? This question is thrown back to us many times when angers take over our life.
Awareness of homosexuality and school bullies are pronounced with great debates and arguments during the course of reading this book. However, it ended with a little bit of a rush when I expected it more when Ms Hopkins has already brought us into such a traumatic state.
Overall, it is a great read and a rough emotional ride. I like it!
Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Review Link
Trilogy US box set here
Trilogy UK box set here
I have to admit, I do not know how to write this review. It's all about the feels... I mean... just feels. Seriously, do you guys even feel me yet? I thought I would start with "That Ending... THAT Ending... etc" and it turns out I do not know how to continue with that statement at all. And, above all the series that I've read, this itself is one of the most exhilarating series of all times.
The world building itself is even more detailed than the first two. And if you think the those two books has detailed or deep characters introduction/background, you're wrong! He has a bibliography of all the characters and it's history. Talk about really really Epic!
I'm keeping this review short to avoid myself from giving it away too much. Just read this guys... I mean seriously, it went from mist/ash to something THAT epic. Mr Sanderson, YOU ARE my new found EPIC FANTASY hero!
Alright, "The Alloy of Law" is next! Good gracious, should I even start with "The Stormlight Archive" already?
I think this artwork by Marc Simonetti is absolutely brilliant!!
Oh yes please... I need some of that right now!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (I would give it a 10 if it's even possible)
Goodreads Review Link
A simple retweet causes me to go "weeeeeeeeeeeee...!!!" Yes, it's the ever so lovely Ms. Ellen Hopkins. I was only a few pages into her new release titled "Rumble" and it is sooo good, sooo raw...
Here's her Goodreads page.
