Love Triangle? Epic Battle? Mommy Issues? Don't look for Answers HERE!

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

The finale to the Delirium series could not have disappointed me more.  I looked up the name of the book Requiem because I was not familiar with the word.  It means a mass for the dead or a song for the dead.  I just knew either Alex or Julian was going to die and then Lena was going to have her decision made for her.  Well stop reading if you don’t want spoilers.  This blog is for the pissed off fans of the Delirium series!  Again, spoilers ahead!

What the heck was that ending?  “Take down the walls.” I expected 3 more chapters, that was no ending.  Ok, so we know that Alex, Julian, her mom and Grace were alive, who cares?  I want to see someone (besides Raven) die in this epic battle.  Actually there was no epic battle.  Common sense tells us that since it is the entire nation that has the cure that the capital will send in reinforcements and level Portland to the ground, taking out all cureds and invalids.  It’s ridiculous to say that the Invalids won.  They didn’t win, this was really their first battle and for it to end with no questions answered, it’s stupid. 

I have enjoyed Oliver’s writing throughout the entire series, even this book while throwing a curve ball of Lena’s questioning of the entire reason she is free.  Thinking that the cured have it so much better than the free people was a weird thought process going on with Lena, when we know that she does not believe that.  Besides those side bars, the writing is good.  The character development is good, and I enjoy the love triangle.  However, authors I believe have to make hard decisions.  They have to kill great characters, they have to choose a man in the love triangle and there was no real clear distinction on who Lena was going to end up with and who was going to get their heart broken.  She loves both Alex and Julian, dangit, Oliver, who did she end up with?!?! 

So, where does Lena go from there?  Like I said, she wasn’t happy with life in the wilds, so does she stay in the city?  Does the rest of the country come in and regain order?  So many questions, no answers at all.  Don’t start something you can’t finish. UGH! 

I loved Delirium and Pandemonium, now that was an ending!!! Alex walking in and saying “Don’t believe anything she says.” Or something like that, it was the best ending to a second book in a trilogy ever, but this Wall crap is for the birds.  The ending was rushed and too many questions! 

If you can’t tell, I’m quite upset about this book.  I am demanding a redo, a mulligan!  If you haven’t read this book, don’t waste your time.  Keep Reading My Friends!

"Okay?" "Okay."

 Fault in our Stars by John Green

Hazel Lancaster is dying.  She’s been dying of Thyroid cancer, which has now moved to her lungs since she was thirteen.  To fight depression (which is quoted to be a side effect to dying) her mom is requiring her to go to Support Group every week.  She loathes support group, where the leader Patrick talks about his experience with testicular cancer every meeting and that they meet in the basement of a cross shaped church in the “actual heart of Jesus.”  Her only reprieve is Isaac who has eye cancer and has one false eye and one real eye that he has to wear glasses for.  They can communicate through sighs.  Of course all of her life changes when she meets Augustus Waters. 

This story is heartbreaking and amazing at the same time.  I loved the characters, I loved that this book is a book about a book.  The journey that Hazel and Augustus go on together is wonderful.  The characters are well developed and no matter what is going on with Hazel even if the audience has experienced nothing even close to the horrors she went through on a daily basis, the audience felt them with her. 

Even though I am no longer in Olive Books Book Club, this was a book club pick by Lydia (I think).  And with most of her picks, I loved it.  It was a fast read with a heartwarming yet heartbreaking story.  I would recommend it to any reader of most ages.

Well it wouldn’t be a blog of my opinions if I didn’t mention at least one complaint.  It happens to be my only complaint.  The language between Hazel and Augustus was a bit farfetched.  They not only spoke like they had their PhDs in English, they spoke way above their education.  I could have understood that they were smart kids without feeling like a dummy myself every time they had a conversation.  I should have looked up words at least 20 times, of course I didn’t because I’m lazy. 

All of that to say, I had many quotes that I highlighted because Green said some things in this book that are worth remembering.  I will leave you with a few of my favorites.  Keep Reading my Friends!

“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 like An Imperial Affliction, which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal.” Hazel’s thoughts

“The only solution was to try and unmake the world, to make it black and silent and uninhabited again, to return to the moment before the Big Bang, in the beginning when there was the Word, and to live in that vacuous uncreated space alone with the Word.” Hazel’s thoughts

“It seemed like forever ago, like we’d had this brief but still infinite forever.  Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” Hazel’s thoughts

“That’s the thing about pain.  It demands to be felt.” Augustus

“I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things.  I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.” Augustus

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind, Hazel Grace.  It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.” Augustus

Change is a Good Thing!

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

“R” is a zombie.  He has a zombie wife, 2 zombie kids, and he eats brains.  As he goes on a hunting trip with his best friend “M” something changes.  He meets Perry and Julie.  He meets Perry by eating his brain, and meets Julie through Perry’s memories.  R takes Julie back to his home at the airport, determined to keep her safe.  As Julie gets to know R, things start to change, not only with R, but the zombies around him.  Will change happen before the humans kill R and his transforming zombie friends?  You have to read to find out what happens in this shocking novel.

I enjoyed this book very much.  It was highly entertaining and there is action, romance, suspense, and of course a bunch of undead eating people.  I loved the anatomy pictures that start each chapter.  It was fun way to break up the action. 

I loved the love triangle between Perry, Julie and R.  It was interesting to get to know Perry’s story through R and to watch Julie with R and have to deal with Perry’s death along with R knowing everything that Perry knew about Julie.  It was an interesting way to have another character without having one. 

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but for anyone who has read the book, I guess I’m confused about the ending and why the change took place.  I have a few thoughts, but again I don’t want to give spoilers.  Leave a comment if you have any insight on the yellow eyes, the kiss, and Julie’s dad.  I was a little confused about all of those and why they happened or what was the significance of those items in the book.

So, any thoughts on Warm Bodies?  Are there going to be more books in this series?  I hope you enjoyed!  Keep Reading my Friends!

You will know how it feels.

You by Charles Benoit

Haunting.  This is the word that is sticking with me after finishing this book.  Kyle Chase is a fifteen year old boy that is trying to be himself but he can’t actually find out what that means.  His parents and teachers talk at him, his friends are losers that he doesn’t even like.  His grades are beyond help but there is always Ashley.  He doesn’t know what brought him to where he is and he realizes that every decision big and small change your life. 

You is written in second person and it is a fantastic example of how to use second person correctly.  To me, second person is the hardest point of view to explain and to use.  English teachers, read this book so you know where to send your teenage students!

I tried to explain the book to a co-worker and had a difficult time telling her exactly why I was enjoying it so much.  First, I think it’s interesting to be in the perspective of Kyle, a hard to get to know character.  I felt that he was a good kid at heart, but was constantly looked down upon from his folks and teachers.  It’s like everyone expected him to be a screw up, poor kid.  Second has to be the second person point of view, loved it! Third, would be Zack.  I can’t give any spoilers, but it’s just a character you would love to hate.  Very interesting.

This book took me just a few hours to read, it’s fast paced and a good read.  I recommend it to anyone that has a free weekend to read a book.  Keep Reading my Friends!