One Person's Craziness (R.T. Ojas)

It's been a while but I really am trying to get back to posting. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I had mentioned my lack of time for reading due to returning to school and being in a reader's block mindset. It's been a while since I picked up a book of my choosing (with the exception of Cursed Child) and I think it's effecting my enthusiasm unfortunately. Despite that, I will continue to slowly work through the novels that have been sent to me before taking a break from author-requested reviews. Without further ado, here's a new review!

One Person's Craziness by R.T. Ojas is a science fiction novella about Amoli and his unusual history. Amoli grew up on an isolated island among the Sarato people, where no one ever left the island's edges to the potential beyond the waves. During the annual Mazota festival, a strange event occurred that changed that: everyone disappeared except Amoli and his brother... or so they thought. The novella describes the events thereafter through the police investigative interview of which ends on quite a twist. Is Amoli crazy for thinking these events occurred or is the detective the one with the mind in make believe?

I read this novella during my co-op work placement this summer and I'd like the thank the author for providing me with something to help pass the time at work. The story was written quite well and the plot was definitely thought out. I loved the characters that Ojas created because each one had a different outlook on the mysterious events happening on their island. As the novella progressed, I'll admit that it made a turn in a direction that I did not expect and am still unsure as to whether I liked it or not. Minor spoiler: aliens. Now, I've watched movies with them and read other novels with them, but I'm truly not a huge fan of them. With that in mind, I guess you could say my opinion is slightly skewed towards a negative viewpoint; however, the novella did hold my attention.

Rating: 2.5/5

Reason: The writing was solid and the characters were believable; however, the plot ending is not something I can say made me dive into the novella even more.

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Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Foundation (Isaac Asimov)

Welcome back everyone! I'm continuing the journey through the beginning of science fiction as a genre and I have now entered the 'Golden Age' - so I learned in class. This age of science fiction is strongly recognized due to the work of Isaac Asimov, published in 1951.

Foundation is actually a series of books; however, with the time frame of my English course, we only read the first one. The novel takes place over hundreds of thousands of years in the Galaxy. The story begins in what time period with a psychohistorian by the name of Hari Seldon, a man who creates the Foundation - an organization thought to be creating an encyclopedia of the Empire's knowledge. However, as the universe becomes shaky, the truth is revealed for the Foundation's true purpose. Seldon predicted a series of crises and created the Foundation to reduce the impact as they arise. Though the Foundation faces many challenges, and tries to think on their own, their fate appears sealed by the predictions of one man. Does the Foundation complete it's mission, or will the resistance of the Empire stop them from creating something new?

The synopsis you just read was actually quite difficult to formulate because the story is quite confusing when you read it. The book itself is split into 5 parts, each in a unique time period and each with a different set of characters; you have to adapt quite quickly with each part of the novel. The characters within each part of the story are all very similar in the sense that they try to complete the same task and try to think how Seldon would have predicted them too. But you can also think of the civilizations - the Foundation, Empire, and four Kingdoms - to be macro-characters themselves. The book is very multi-leveled in the sense that you can gain different meaning and symbolism, depending on how deep you look into it.

I knew I wanted to share this book with you because it's a classic and quite defining for the genre of science fiction. The novel is extremely dated, since it came out in 1951, so the language can feel aged. But there's this unknown thing that keeps your attention grasped when you let the book do so; it just pulls you in. Of course, since this was for my English class, I did have to analyze it in the form of an essay. One of the main themes I pulled from it was how technology is a tool that, if developed enough, can create a forward moving society. Also, people approach technology different depending on how knowledgeable they are of it; they either view it with fear or wonder.

Overall I would rate Foundation 3.5/5 because (as with Wells) you have to give credit Asimov credit for creating a new age of science fiction. He also created the concept of psychohistory, which is pretty incredible. But, the story has aged quite visibly and a lot of times I didn't know what was going on.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells)

Time flies so quickly, doesn't it? I was hoping 2016 would show a continuation of the consistent posting that I had achieved towards the end of 2015. But sadly it did not and I'm sorry about that. It's so easy to forget how much time University actually takes up after being off and working for 4 months. Now that I am back in school, I guess that means I can't continue to expect my reviews to be posted bi-weekly. Saying that, however, I am taking that English course I mentioned and I have finished two of the books; one of which I am going to talk about in this review!

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. That's a pretty well-known and classic title in the world of science fiction. This novel is, as I learned in my course, the father of the genre; it is the first footprint made in a now wide-spread and fast-selling family of books. The War of the Worlds is a story of aliens vs. humans in an uneven battle of technology and lifestyle. As human beings, we see ourselves as advanced and merciful creatures; however, in the face of extraterrestrial beings, we are fearful and under equipped. The novel follows the journey of one man and his brother, experiencing the same terrors of alien threat but in different places in Europe. The aliens, mechanical creatures that reflect the image of a tripod, have unimaginable technologies that allow their domination over humanity. But these aliens are defeated by something they could not foresee and something the humans will forever be thankful for: microbiology.

I'm expecting quite a few people reading this to have either done one of the following: read the novel or watched the Tom Cruise movie. If you've done both, you'll know there is some disconnect between the two, so I shall leave the movie out of my review.

The War of the Worlds was originally published in 1898, so it's safe to say the literature and writing-style has aged considerably; but the story itself holds quite well. Being over 100 years old, the cultural context plays a significant role in the characters presented to the reader. H.G. Wells used archetypal writing to reflect his opinions and the world around him. For example, the Curate represented how the church and religious figures would react in the event of an invasion; the artilleryman represented the army and how they would react; his brother represented science and how their stable or open minds would give them an edge during invasion. H.G Wells was not only a science fiction writer, but he was an incredible executor of literary devices. I understand why Wells is so respected in the genre; he dreamed up these intelligent creatures and the concept of flying spacecraft. He had an imaginative mind.

The Many Covers of WOTW - http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/wotw.html

 

Stepping back from the analysis of Wells' writing, and his pure genius of genre creation, my overall opinion of the book is less idealistic. Though the concept of aliens vs. humans was new in 1898, the idea in our present day society is old and overindulged. As a reader of many science fiction books, it was as though I'd read the story already; of course that isn't Wells' fault. I just wish the story was timeless. If I were to also push this aside, I'm still left with the dry literature and the lack of character presence. Since the writing used archetypal characters, you don't bond with them or learn about them as you go: you already know them. Discovery of character is my favourite part of reading!

Overall I would rate The War of the Worlds 3/5 because I have to give H.G Wells credit for the incredible feat he conquered over 100 years ago. He created a genre of novel that is well respected today and my favourite one to fall back to. However, being published in 1898, the story and writing have aged which means the captivation is lost.

Until next time,
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The 5th Wave (Rick Yancey)

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, for those who are celebrating it today! Hope you are enjoying your time and are appreciating everything you have to be thankful for. This book is one I have been meaning to read for a while, after first hearing about it from YouTuber Joey Graceffa. He gave this book high praise and I wasn’t going to pass on this book after hearing about it at that level of enthusiasm. When I first picked up the book, I was not aware that this was set to be apart of a trilogy; I was disappointed when I found out, especially since the third book is not due to release until 2016. But, with that detail set aside, I read the book and I’m excited to share my thoughts.

The 5^th Wave is a futuristic, science fiction novel that follows the stories of several people whose lives become very intertwined as they struggle to survive. The novel is broken into clear cut sections, each following the mind set of another individual trying to survive to the next day; a few of these characters include Cassia, Sam, Ben, and Evan, though there are many other viewpoints you get to experience in addition to those four. The story begins by explaining how the Earth reached “the 5^th wave” and who was behind these destructive waves: aliens who appear to want to exterminate and move in. But, humans, being the stubborn species that we are, won’t go down without a fight, and the characters plan to do just that: fight. Cassia and Sam fight for family, Ben fights for righting past mistakes, and Evan fights for change. Who will come out on top: humans or aliens?

I know what you must be thinking – another science fiction novel? Struggle to survive? – this is just going to be a cookie cutter story of what you’ve reviewed in the past. I too had my reservations about it all as I started, but it has a lot going for it. Though I was worried about the constant switch of perspective, especially since they aren’t clearly labelled as to which character you have entered the mind of, it only slightly distracted from the plot. Each character brings a unique viewpoint of the problem at hand and a unique way of dealing with the pressures of an extraterrestrial attack. Cassia is the sister you would want rooting for you: she is strong and does not flinch when faced with a challenge. Sam is the brother you would want to protect until he’s an adult, though he has grown up so quickly that he is just fine on his own. Ben is the “boy next door” type that you would label as a hard-core guy, but discover he may actually be sensitive behind all the walls. Evan is the mysterious boy that is dangerous and raises some red flags, but also melts you inside so you hold on tight. I really enjoyed the diversity of the characters, especially since they blended together so well.

The plot of the story is slightly cookie cutter “aliens attack Earth”, and I did find myself predicting some of the events that popped up along the way; however, I was very immersed in the novel and struggled to pace my reading. There are a few moments in the story that take you by surprise or leave you yelling at the pages, hoping to get through to the character with your outside perspective. I would have preferred the story be written from only two or three perspectives instead of the upwards of six you go through, but I do understand the author’s reasoning behind doing so. Though the stories of the characters are intertwined, they take place in their own time and space; trying to tie them together without separate perspectives would be difficult.

As mentioned at the beginning, this is the first book in a series of three novels. The second book is entitled The Infinite Sea and the third book is entitled The Last Star, due to publish on May 17, 2016. The first book is also coming out as a movie, premiering in January 2016!

 

Overall I would rate The 5^th Wave 3.5/5 because the multiple perspectives left lags between sections, since it took me a few paragraphs to grasp which character I was following. Also, the lower rating is due to the slight cookie cutter plotline; I would have enjoyed some more creativity, especially with the four waves leading up to the 5^th wave.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The Bodies We Wear (Jeyn Roberts)

Hello again everyone! I'm officially starting to get this blog back on a decent publishing schedule and it makes me really happy knowing that. Since it's mid-September, quite a few of you may be back at school and already feeling like you're drowning in work. But, despite that, reading is something I always made sure to make time for and encourage you to as well. This book was an easy read, so it's a good one to start with if you decide to add reading nightly into your routine; I promise you it's a good way to distract yourself from the stressful or tiring day you've had, either at school or work.

The Bodies We Wear is a science fiction novel that follows the life of Faye, a seventeen year old girl who has survived six years past her expected life span. In the world that she exists in, there is a drug referred to as Heam that allows the user to die momentarily and see heaven; however, not everyone has a pleasant experience, especially when you overdose. An overdose is equivalent to painting a target on your back. The moment you've been marked, your ability to live a normal life becomes near impossible. Faye, on the other hand, defies odds to attend school in the hopes of a normal teenage life. Despite her attempt at normality, Faye's activities outside of school are far from normal, due to her plot for revenge that left her marked by Heam. But just as she starts to get going, a ghost from the past seems to want to help her instead of haunt her. Who is this ghost, and what is their purpose? Will Faye succeed in normality, or will her plan for revenge rip that away from her?

While reading this book, I truly struggled to put the book down. I found myself binge-reading the novel, despite my busy schedule, and finished the full story within three days. The reading itself is very easy and required no brain power at all; but I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Since the wording was simple, it allowed me to focus more on immersing myself in the characters and plot development. The concept behind the story was unique to me - I haven't read something quite like it yet. Faye is definitely a character that I bow down to and strive to be. She is incredibly strong, knows who she is, and doesn't let her physical flaws (and the society's interpretation of them) define her life; I wish I had her grounded self of being. The other main character - who I referred to as a ghost and am going to keep nameless - is the type of guy I would like to meet. He is caring and truly wants to give Faye a life of meaning and happiness; he knows what's best for her and tries to make her see that too.

I do applaud the author Jeyn Roberts on this story because it could have been a very predictable plot, but I didn't find it to be. After visiting her website, I discovered she has two other novels listed there, set to be part of a trilogy. I might just be adding this author to my list of authors to watch, because both of her books peaked my interest with only a glance at the cover and a skim of the synopsis.

 

Overall I would rate The Bodies We Wear a 4/5 because it was a brilliant story with some incredible characters, but I did feel that something was missing. The plot consisted of several mini climax points, but it didn't have a main climax point. Maybe that's a personal preference, but I really do enjoy when there is a point in the book that sideswipes you and takes you on a roller coaster ride.

Until next time,
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Zodiac (Romina Russell)

Good morning readers! How is everyone enjoying the first days of August? I hope everything is well and that you are enjoying your summer - unless you are somewhere like Australia, then I hope you're keeping warm in your winter. The following review is for a book I discovered through Tumblr, having seen it a lot on my dashboard; however, I read about 2 months ago, but never got around to writing about. Therefore, I apologize for the short review as my memory of books upon starting another is actually quite terrible.

Zodiac is a science fiction book written by Romina Russell, that creates a physical world around the 12 astrological signs. Each of the signs are visualized into individual planets, all of which are governed by a single Guardian. The 12 planets lived in harmony and peace until a violent blast struck the moons of Cancer. This worldly disaster left Rhoma Grace (Rho for short), a 16 year old student, with a lot of responsible and an eye for astrology that the elder Guardians couldn't understand. Rho is left to convince these Guardians that the disaster is not some of natural cause, but of a a 13th figure. But does Rho really know what she is fully leading herself into?

Before starting this novel, I was very intrigued with the both the cover art and the actual concept of the story. Creating physical beings and planets from the astrological signs, is a unique plot that I had never read before; thus I had relatively high expectations. But regardless of my standard, the book left me disappointed, and at times confused. The beginning of the short became an overwhelming blurb of information and I found character introduction to be vague and confusing; too many characters in a short time frame, each with little guidance as to who they were. Once I had found my footing of the world and the people who existed in it, I noticed the story to be relatively captivating, but it was also slightly dry. It lacked the suspense or thrill that I hoped to find in the story - it was very standard heroine-villain relations.

Upon writing this review, I have discovered that a sequel is due to release in December, titled Wandering Star. I'm currently unsure if I will read the novel or not, but perhaps this will allow for clarification and a better sense of closure to what felt like a slightly disorganized book.

Overall I would rate this book a 3.8/5 because it was a rough start with a decent plot. I think if I had taken the time to read this story in one go, without being in school, I would have found it more enjoyable. This is definitely a need-to-binge type of plot line.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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A Thousand Pieces of You (Claudia Gray)

This is a book I came across on Tumblr, much like many of the others I've read. I was scrolling through my dashboard when a picture of this book appeared on my screen. The cover of this novel was so captivating with all of its bright colours and the mirrored "two-worlds" that look so distant but feel so connected. It's a simple cover, yet it is also very complex because you can tell there is a meaning behind it that must tie well with the story.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray is a book that is very unique in its own; I can't say I've read any books prior to it that have a storyline quite like this. The story follows the life of Marguerite Caine, the daughter of two very bright parents who are scientists. Her parents also happen to have created a device that allows one to travel to neighbouring dimensions: they call it the Firebird. Despite this amazing feature of the Firebird, it also seems to cause quite a bit of trouble. After a tragic event, and the disappearance of one of the assistant inventors, Marguerite is left with one thing on her mind: kill Paul Markov. The responsibility of this tragedy all falls into one arrow that points straight at Paul; however, after jumping dimensions, Marguerite must determine if he really is the cause or not. The book follows Marguerite, and her family friend Theo, as they chase Paul through dimensions, facing personal challenges in each one.

The characters in this book are ones that I did initially struggle to connect with, but I think that is more to do so with the fact that the plot is quite abstract; you can't really relate on a personal level to someone jumping through alternate dimensions. Despite that though, the relationships between all of the characters feel well developed and you can sense history between them without anything being explicitly stated. When reading the book, I became fully immersed in the world that Claudia Gray created, and I actually ended up finishing the book in three or four hours. It's not a difficult read, but the plot does have several layers, meaning even the smallest detail can actually be quite significant.

Upon completing the book, I was satisfied with the ending. I was left with the feeling that everything would work out and I liked the idea of an open ending; it allowed for some personal creativity to imagine my own outcome. But it turns out Claudia Gray is actually turning this into a trilogy, according to Goodreads. I'm not sure how I feel about it becoming a trilogy - since it is the typical thing to do now with YA books - but I will not prejudge the books until I read them. The sequel is called Ten Thousand Skies Above You and is due to release in November this year.

Overall, I would rate A Thousand Pieces of You 4.5/5 because it held my attention so easily and I didn't want to put the book down once I started. Of course, as mentioned before, it was hard to personally relate to the characters but the story was built in such a way that it wasn't too big of an issue for me. Also, the mainstream trilogy creation is a slight letdown, as I loved this book as a stand alone.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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