Comic Review: Ratfist

Title: Ratfist 

Author: Doug Tennapel (Author, Artist), Katherine Garner (Author)
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 176 pages
Buy the Book: Amazon
Source: NetGalley

Summery

Earthworm Jim creator Doug Tennapel is publishing his Webcomic Ratfist, a vigilante-in-tights that satirizes comics, politics, philosophy, and even Tennapel himself Featuring a forward written by MST3K/RiffTraxx''s Michael J. Nelson, and pin-ups by Ryan Ottley, Scott Kurtz, Christopher Hastings, and Ethan Nicolle.



Review

I usually like superhero stories. I even like satires. Ratfist has both of those things so it should be a fun read, right?

Unfortunately, I was let down. I can't really say that Ratfist was bad because it really wasn't. It's just that I'm obviously not the target audience for it.

I don't read satire that often so going back to it in a comic format was an interesting experience. However, like I said before, I'm not the intended audience for Ratfist. People who read superhero comic books and those who have a little interest in politics will more than likely enjoy this comic. I personally have no interest in either of those things which I think the reason why I wasn't impressed by this comic.

I think the biggest flaw of Ratfist is that, in my opinion, it fails to grab different kinds of audiences. It has funny moments, but only those who are hard-core comic fans will really get it. I don't usually get bored reading comics, but unfortunately I bored with reading this comic. I thought the story dragged on for too long mostly because it had too much text which I don't take as a good thing in comics. I understand in some parts it was done on purpose and it was funny when I understood it.

I didn't understand what the story was satirizing which is why I felt that the story overall was a huge mess Yes I know in most superhero stories thing don't always make sense, but here I thought it was a little bit too much. I thought some parts of the story was too stupid, like the tail thing which was a little bit too silly. Again, I know it supposed to be, but it didn't quite work for me.

I didn't enter this expecting a compeling superhero story. I wanted something entertaining and at some parts I was entertained. The art is unique in its own way, but in the end nothing special.

In the end, I found this book an interesting read despite its flaws. I think it's a shame because Ratfist could have been so much better if it had the appeal for a wider audience. I'd say if you're a hardcore comic book fan, you should check this one out.

In fact, if you want, you can read it here right now.

Final Rating

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Title: The Time Traveler's Wife

Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Publisher: MacAdam/Cage
Release Date: September 9th 2003
Pages: 560
Reading Group: Adult
Buy the Book: Amazon
Source: Bought


Summery

When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare's attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.

Review

This book has been haunting me for two years screaming for me to read it. Only back in January I felt this overwhelming desire to pick it up and read it. I know I’m late in joining the bandwagon, but it’s always a good thing because you get to open the book with an open mind.

I found some difficulties writing this review because I couldn't think of something that hasn't already been said about The Time Traveler's Wife. Everyone read this book and loves it. I'll try not repeat what anyone said, but forgive me if I ended up doing that.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is an engrossing love story that will make you believe in true love and the power of destiny.

This is a love story that chronicles the lives of Henry and Clare and how they deal with their abnormal situation. How does it feel to be the one left behind? how does it feel to be the one who always have to leave and powerless to control it? How does it feel to know things ahead of time but can't do anything about it? The book answers all these questions by showing us how can love survive against all odds.

The story is very well-crafted and cleverly put together. This is the kind of book you have to read over and over again in order to put the pieces together. I just finished the book and I already want to read it again. You can sense that the author spend so much time planning this book, and I admire her for that.

What makes the story so wonderful is its characters. The two main characters, Henry and Clare, are very well-developed and you get to see them grow throughout the story. We get to see the story from both sides and how each of them deal with the situation. It's easy to feel for these characters and what they're going through. As any couple, there are good times and bad times, but they stay together no matter what how awful things are sometimes.

Although this is the story of Henry and Clare, I'm glad that the side characters shine as well, which what I didn't expect. The side characters are great with each having a significance to the main plot. In fact, they are part of the puzzle pieces that put the story together. I have to say my favorite out of all of them was Kimy, Henry's caretaker.

The book made me appreciate how precious the time you spend with your loved ones because you don't know what might happen tomorrow. You don't know when they will disappear. Love is not easy. The only way to survive through the difficult times is your inner strength. Only a strong person would tolerate waiting for Henry and still love him.

Of course, this book does have its problems. For one, it has pacing issues. Although it's an easy read, it's a very long one. The author gives you even the little details about the lives of those characters that I felt could have been cut out. I consider this a minor complaint because I appreciated these little details when I finished the book. However, impatient readers might be turned off by the slow pacing.

Another issue I had with the book is the writing. It wasn't bad, but it was filled with grammatical errors. I don't usually notice these things so I don't think it's a good sign that I was able to spot these errors multiple times. Also there's the thing with the dialogue. Although it was very enjoyable to read, I found it unrealistic sometimes. As I was reading some parts, I thought; "No body talks like that!"

In the end, I think The Time Traveler’s Wife is deserving of all the hype that surrounds it. It has its problems, but the good parts do more that enough to keep the reader engaged. It's a clever story with a sweet touching romance and well-developed characters. If you love romance, you more than likely will devour this book. I personally think every couple, especially married couple should read it. It's a great representation on how love works and what it means to love another person. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a book that I'll never forget.

Final Grade

Pic Book Review: Michael Recycle and the Tree Top Cops by Alexandra Colombo

Title: Michael Recycle and the Tree Top Cops

Author(s): Ellie Patterson (writer), Alexandra Colombo (illustrator)

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Release Date: March 20, 2012

Reading Group: Children

Source: NetGalley

Summery:

Even super-heroes need a vacation, so where better than one of the world's natural wonders, the great Redwood Forest! But disaster has struck and the forest is under threat...can Michael Recycle and his new friends, the Tree Top Cops, save the day?

Review:

If you have a child and you want to introduce him or her to superheroes, the Michael Recycle series is a good pick. Before you pick up Michael Recycle and the Tree Top Cops, I'd suggest picking up the previous titles first. This is my first time reviewing a picture book, so any feedback would be appreciated. 

I've loved picture books ever since I picked up Where the Wild Things Are. There is an innocence in them that bring you back to your childhood. This is the first Michael Recycle I read and I gotta say, it was entertaining. 


I love the idea of a recycling superhero. I think it's important to teach kids the idea of recycling at a young age, and what better example for them than a superhero? It's a brilliant idea! Who doesn't want to learn from their idols? So yeah, I like Michael Recycle's character. As for the dog, Tin Can Stan, I felt it was their to "cuteness" purposes, which I think it's fine, just not for me. The other characters, though none stood out, all added a colorful spin to the story. 

The art is beautiful. I love the coloring. Although sometime I felt there was too much green, it makes sense here. The only thing that annoyed me is a certain image of Tin Can Stan that keeps appearing again and again. I don't know if it was an artistic decision, but it didn't quite work for me. Although the illustrations was great, the writing wasn't. I think it's because of the rhymes. Sometimes, they were fun and other times they were off, I felt. The whole book felt like looking at a great painting, then realizng that something is not quite right.

The story was good overall. It's one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book. It's shows how it's like living a childhood dream. It's a good way of showing kids that they could do anything if they worked together, especially if it's for a noble cause. I like that message.

All in all, Michael Recycle and the Tree Top Cops was an enjoyable read. I think it's a very good pick if you want to introduce your child to superheros.

Final Rating

Graphic Novel Review: Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Title: Friends with Boys
Author: Faith Erin Hicks
Publisher: First Second
Release Date: February 28, 2012

Pages: 224
Reading Group: Young Adult
Buy the Book: Amazon
Source: NetGalley

Summery


A coming-of-age tale with a spooky twist!

Maggie McKay hardly knows what to do with herself. After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, it’s time for Maggie to face the outside world, all on her own. But that means facing high school first. And it also means solving the mystery of the melancholy ghost who has silently followed Maggie throughout her entire life. Maybe it even means making a new friend—one who isn’t one of her brothers.

Funny, surprising, and tender, Friends with Boys is a pitch perfect YA graphic novel full of spooky supernatural fun.


Review

You may think it's weird, but I find it more difficult writing reviews for books I like. It's hard to point out the stuff you love in the book without gushing. It often comes out really messy and disjonted. Let's see how that goes. On with the review.

If want me to describe this book in one word, it's "Adorable."

Friends with Boys is a book that's charming, funny and tender all at the same time. I was enchanted from the very first pages.  

I always thought that sibling relationships are not portrayed enough in fiction. When I came across this book, I was pleasantly surprised that it were the main focus. This is a story about how life can make your relationships stronger or break them apart. Sometimes you'd like your life to stay the way that it is at the moment, but you can't help the fact that things will change. Sometimes these changes will prevent you from spending time with the people you love. That's what the main character is going through.

Maggie is a very easy character to love because you can't help but feel for her. She is facing a big change in her life.  After being home-schooled her whole life, she is going to high school, meeting new faces and facing new challenges. It's easy to empathize with her because when you live a life that you pretty much happy with, and there's a possibility of losing that, you feel scared and alone. I like how the illustrations added to that feeling of isolation. Maggie feels isolated even though she's in a place that's full of people. 

I may be making the story to be a bit dark, but really it's not. It's about teens and their challenges in high school. This book is kinda influenced by Japanese manga and you can tell if you've read manga before. It's not a bad thing, in fact, that's what made the story so charming. There is a sense of innocence in it that you feel when you read Japanese manga. What I mean is that these characters are not exactly realistic, and that's okay because they are so charming that you wish you were friends with them.

This is a really funny book. I found myself laughing several times. The dialogue in this book is great. The side characters are all incredible and they provide a huge chunk of the entertainment aspect of the book. They also each have their own unique personalities. There is the boy who love theater, the twin who tries to break apart from his brother, the friend with the wierd interests... I loved all of them. My personal favorite is Maggie's big brother. All the big brother figures are amazing. I wish I had big brothers like that.

When it comes to the art, I love it. The factual expressions are great and so is the character designs. I like how the transitions between the shoots flaw with the story. I wish I could dig deeper into the artistic aspect, but unfortunately I'm not an artist. I loved the writing.

If you can't tell by now, I loved this book. After I finished the last page, I was a little sad bacause I wanted more of these characters. I'd love it if Hicks considered writing a sequel.

I didn't feel the need to cover the paranormal aspect of the story because I fear that I may spoil things for you if I went into detail about it. You have to read the book to find out how it adds to the story.

All in all, Friends with Boys is a wonderful graphic novel. It had me laughing and "aww"-ing the whole way through. If you love coming-of-age stories or stories about sibling relationship in general, this book is for you.

You can read Friends with Boys here in the author's website till March 6. Don't miss the chance.

Final Grade:

Book Review: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Title: Monster 

Author: Walter Dean Myers 

Publisher: Amistad Press

Pages: 281

Release Date: May 8, 2001

Reading Group: Young Adult

Summery

Young, black, 16-year-old Steve Harmon, an amateur filmmaker, is on trial for the murder of a Harlem drugstore owner. Steve copes by writing a movie script based on his trial. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred until he can no longer tell who he is or what the truth is. Illustrations.

Review

Monster was unfortunately disappointing for me. When I started the book I was really enjoying it. However, as I kept reading, I found myself getting more and more bored with it. By the time I finished it, I felt... indifferent. I'll try my best to explain.

First of all, I want to give props for Walter Dean Myers for taking such a creative approach in writing Monster. I've never read a novel written like this before. We're basically getting exposed to the story through the main character's personal journals and the script he writes as the story goes on. Some may think that it's a lazy approach in writing the story, but I think it made the book fun to read... for a certain amount of time.

While I do appreciate the creative approach, I don't think it works for this particular story. This is a story that mostly takes place in court, so you really need to care about the characters to keep reading. Having most of the story written as a screenplay doesn’t give enough material about the characters or the situation they’re in. You could say that characters shine through their dialogue, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case in Monster.

Like I said, I do appreciate the creative approach, but I think this form of writing made the characters suffer in my eyes. It was really hard for me to get attached to Steve. I really didn't know what to think of him. His personal journals weren't enough for me to get to know him. The side characters in particular don't shine at all, even though there are several of those. As I kept reading the novel, I kept forgetting who is who. I'm not the kind of reader that cares about having a likable character, but I do want characters that are interesting enough for me to keep reading.

When it comes to the story itself, I personally didn't know where it meant to go. I don't think it succeed to delivering its central message, which is about how people see you. I was disappointed because I didn't get a satisfying resolution neither there was a character development in my opinion.

All in all, despite how I feel about Monster, I'd like to try more of this author's work. Keep in mind that I’m in the minority when it comes to this book, so don’t let me stop you from trying it out.

Final Rating: 

Book Review: Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

Title: Winter's Bone

Author: Daniel Woodrell

Publisher: Back Bay Books

Pages: 224

Source: Gifted

Buy the Book: Amazon

Summery

Ree Dolly's father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up for his next court date. With two young brothers depending on her, 16-year-old Ree knows she has to bring her father back, dead or alive. Living in the harsh poverty of the Ozarks, Ree learns quickly that asking questions of the rough Dolly clan can be a fatal mistake. But, as an unsettling revelation lurks, Ree discovers unforeseen depths in herself and in a family network that protects its own at any cost.

Review

Winter's Bone was not a bad book by any means. It's just wasn't my cup of tea. I just didn't enjoy it that much.

The main character Ree was a tough heroine you can easily sympathize and root for. She is the main reason why I kept reading this book. This is one of those stories about a girl who was forced to give up pretty much her life to look after her family. This is a responsibility a girl her age isn’t supposed to take. But Ree does everything she can to look after them, completely neglecting herself and her own needs and desires. 

Although the main character is the shinning aspect of the story, the side character pretty much felt one-dimensional. It’s probably because I didn’t see enough of them that I couldn’t connect with any of them.

I think what turned me off in Winter’s Bone was the writing and the story. Although this book was short, I still feel it could have been shorter. I didn't know what direction this story was meant to go, and I wasn’t satisfied by the conclusion. The book was full of some descriptions that I felt were meant to drag. I rarely skip through a book, but I couldn’t help doing that several times reading this one. Although I didn’t enjoy the writing, I really did enjoy the dialogue. I didn’t feel lost skipping through the book because the dialogue was enough to keep me on track.

All in all, I'm glad I read Winter's Bone. I don't usually read those kinds of books, so it's nice to try something new once in a while. It's just wasn't for me.

Final Rating

Book Review: That Summer by Sarah Dessen

This is a simple story with a heart. As Sarah Dessen's debut novel, That Summer really impressed me. Nothing much happens really, but I was personally touched by this book. It's a simple story about how you see life from the point of you of a teenager. It's the time of your life when you feel that everyone and everything is against you.

As I was reading the book, I was angry at all the side characters, everyone just seemed horrible to Haven, the main character. Throughout the novel, I just wished she would just scream and do something bizarre. I forgot I was reading from the point of view of a teenager. Everyone seemed horrible because that was the way she saw them. At the end of the day, they weren’t that bad. They were just people. However it took me a long time to see that. Because we see everything from Haven’s perspective, the other characters seemed one-dimensional most of the time. We don’t get enough time to see them for how they really are. To me, that was the book’s weakest point.

Haven is a very relatable character. I understood what she was going through. Things just don’t seem the way they are when you look back at them as you get older. Sometimes, when you have nothing in life to look forward to, you look back at the good times of the past so you would have something to hold on to. That’s why Haven kept looking back at that one summer when everything was the way she wanted them to be.

I think this book requires a certain level of patience to read. You have to read all the way through to appreciate the story. Although, I could say the story could’ve been more. I enjoyed it for what it is. The simple execution of the premise shaped a heartfelt story.

All in all, I really enjoyed That Summer, and I can’t wait to read Sarah Dessen’s other books.

Final Rating

Book Review: Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Goodreads Summery

The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a spellbinding tale of a mother's tragic loss and one man's last chance at gaining salvation. Can we save ourselves, or do we rely on others to do it? Is what we believe always the truth? 

One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice. In short, waiting for a miracle to happen. 

For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June's eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child. 

Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish? 

Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls readers with this story of redemption, justice, and love.

Issues regarding the death penalty, blended families, weight, mothers and daughters, sexual abuse, organ donation and religion.

My Review:

I’m probably one of the very few who would say this, but I hated My Sister’s Keeper!

The reason why I say this is because it made me very hesitant to read other books by Jodi Picoult. Finally after 2 years, I decided to try Change of Heart by her and all I can say is: Wow. I was hooked from the very first chapter!

I loved everything about this book.

I’m not really a fan of having multiple narrators, but I became genuinely interested in these characters. It was really interesting to see how they play out in a story that wasn’t really about them. Sure you get to see June (the mother)’s perspective sometimes in the story, but the real storytellers are Sean’s spiritual advisor Michael, his lawyer Maggie and his friend and cellmate Lucius . I remember getting really excited whenever the narrators interact. That’s how I was into these characters.

Jodi Picoult does a great job in giving each character a distinctive voice. Each of them responds to things differently and they have their own perspectives on life and faith. These characters felt really real. You can feel their emotions. I specially felt very sad whenever I read June’s perspective because it really shows how the people you loved and lost never go away.

Remember when I said the story isn’t really about the narrators? Well, it’s because it’s not. The story is really about Sean who killed a father and a daughter. And it’s also about the mother who deals with the pain of losing them while also trying to save her other daughter. However, as I said, I’ve become so invested with the narrators that it didn’t bother me who was telling the story.

Some people may get annoyed of the sudden shift between the narrators, but I didn’t find a problem with it.

The story is amazing. It’s about loss, faith, forgiveness, and injustice. Sometimes the world is unfair, but it’s okay as long as you have something to fight for.

I highly recommend this book especially if you are a Jodi Picoult fan.

Final Grade: 5/5

Book Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire, the fellow-up to the highly popular The Hunger Games certainly does not disappoint. I loved revisiting this world and found myself more emotionally involved with the characters than I did with the first book. Suzanne Collins is definitely one of my favorite authors now!


The plot structure was a little different from the first one. I like it when authors don’t fallow the same formula when they write a series; it gives every book a special flavor. While the Hunger Games was marking the beginning of a greater storyline, we get to go deeper in this book and explore new things and themes that were not addressed in the first one.

The characters were amazing! Katniss is a great main character because she doesn’t try to be anything but herself. She knows her own flaws, but doesn’t care enough to try and be better. She only has one thing in mind, and that is keeping the people she loves safe. Peeta is a great character too. It has been a long time since I've read a character that is genuinely good. It’s not as bad as some people thing. Sometimes we need characters like that in our books and even in our own lives. The rest of the characters were amazing as well. I don’t have much to say about them because I didn’t get to see enough of them, but I can say that Haymitch is one of my favorite characters.

I love Katniss’s voice. Collins knows how to make you feel the character’s emotions. I felt like I was there with Katniss. I usually don’t like books with first person narration and this one is the first to make adore that style of storytelling and writing. That’s saying something! The ending doesn’t bother me that much because I’m reading Mockingjay right now, but I can see how readers must’ve felt when Mockingjay wasn’t released yet.

The thing I found was annoying about Catching Fire is that sometimes it summarizes some of the events that I wanted more details about. This is something I didn’t like in the first book as well, but there was more of it in Catching Fire. However, this is just a minor complaint. And because I’m a character person, it bothered me a little that we didn’t get to see more of the other characters like Gale or Prim, but it didn’t change how I felt about this book.

This book is certainly for everyone! If there is a series that deserves all the hype it’s getting, the Hunger Games is definitely it! If you haven’t read the Hunger Games yet, you’re missing out one of the best YA series ever published!

Final Rating
4.5/5

Book Review: If I Stay

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.



Get ready for an emotional roller coaster ride that could change the way you think about life and realize that life doesn’t always go the way you expect it to. In an instant, everything can change. “If I Stay” is an amazing story about life, death, love and loss.

“If I Stay” talks about lots of things. It talks about friendship. It talks about family, but it mostly about how it is like to be able to choose between life and death, especially when you know that your life will never be the same again.

This book didn’t exactly meet my expectations, but I still loved it. “If I Stay” is one of the best books with a first person narration that I’ve read in a very long time. I really liked the writing style. When you read it, you feel like a real person is talking to you.

I don’t know what to say about the plot because this story takes place in a short period of time. There is not really much going on. The story moves back and forth between the flashbacks and the hospital. Usually I don’t like a book with many flashbacks, but in this one, I didn’t have a problem with it. The flashback is the way you get to know the characters and get a character development.

I loved all the characters. Gayle Forman has this amazing ability to write characters that are so lovable yet so real. This is the first book that I’ve ever read and found myself loving all the characters. In some ways, I found some of the characters to be inspiring, especially Mia. It’s hard to find people as passionate as Mia, a person that knows what she wants. Mia is really a character to look up to.

I loved Mia and Adam together. I guarantee you will fall in love with this couple. It’s definitely not one of these cliché love stories. These two have their own problems, but they’re a very good representation of what true love is. It doesn’t matter how much you argue or how different you are. What’s important is to have someone that accepts you, respects you and stand by you no matter what. That’s what I found in Mia and Adam’s relationship.

What I didn’t like about the book is that I found it too short and the story felt incomplete. Well, I didn’t feel too bad at the beginning because I already knew that there is going to be a sequel. “Where She Went” will come out in the spring of 2011. However, when I think about it again, I really can’t imagine a story like this to turn into a series. I like the story but I would prefer if “If I Stay” and the sequel “Where She Went” were turned into one book.

“If I Stay” gets 3.5 out of 5 because while I loved this book, I felt something huge was missing and it took me a while to get into it. I will still be looking forward to the second book and I got a feeling that “Where She Went” is going to be even more emotional. I congratulate Gayle Forman for her amazing novel and I’ll be looking forward to more of her books.

I highly recommend this book for everyone, especially those who love music. It’s worth checking out. It is an easy, but at the same time an emotional and a heartfelt read.

Final Grade: 4/5

Thirteen Reasons Why: Book Review

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

This book shows you how it is like to be giving up… on yourself. You get to see Hannah the main character's downfall. After reading this book, you will start considering the way you look at people, the way you judge people based on what you hear or what’s apparent. There is so much more in a person than any of us can figure out.

This book will also make you reconsider the way you treat people because sometimes, it’s okay to ask for help or even offer help. You don’t know, you may end up saving someone’s life without even knowing it. Believe it or not, many people around us are in pain, especially in high school, where most of us - if not all - are in pain. I may sound confusing, but when you read this book, you will understand what I mean.

I have to be honest with you. I picked up this book with high expectations. The idea itself gripped me. Unfortunately, this book didn’t turn out as good as I thought it was going to be, but it was a good story. What I like the most in a book is one that makes you feel and think, which what “Thirteen Reasons Why” offers.

I didn’t find this book hard to put down. The characters weren’t anything unique or interesting, but you learn from their mistakes, especially the main characters. Basically, watch what they did wrong and do the opposite. And yes it’s harder than it sounds, but it has good results. Also, I’m just speaking of myself here, the ending didn’t satisfy me. This story felt incomplete. I wished we could see more of the people on the tapes, how these tapes changed them.

What I really didn’t like about this book is the writing. It wasn’t that good. I noticed several grammatical mistakes as I was reading it. There was no character description. Although I didn’t like the writing style, I’m still glad I read this book.

I couldn’t bring myself to give this book a 2 because at the end, it has a meaningful story. You should check out this book. It’s a very easy but also a very dark read. I don't recommend this for teens under 15.

Mark: 3.5/5

Wings: Book Review

Laurel's life is the very definition of normal . . . until the morning when she wakes up to discover a flower blooming from her back. As it turns out, nothing in Laurel's life is what it seems. Now, with the help of an alluring faerie sentry who holds the key to her true past, Laurel must race to save her human family from the centuries-old faerie enemies who walk among them.

     It wasn’t that bad. That’s how I would describe it. This is not usually the kind of book I would pick up, but I decided to give this one a chance because many people recommended it. I was hesitating to read this book at first because it was compared to Twilight a lot. And yes they do have similarities, but they are very few. I found this book way better than Twilight! I hate reviewing a book by comparing it to another book, but in this case, I should because I don’t want this book to be judged because it was compared to Twilight.

     Unfortunately, this book makes the same mistake as Twilight by not having enough action and also the lack of complexity in the plot. The story ran too smoothly for me. There wasn’t enough suspense and action. However, what I liked about this book that there is actually story there. True that there is a lot of romance, but the story mainly focuses on Laurel discovering who she really is. It focuses on the main character.

     I really liked the characters. Laurel the heroine is a tangible yet strong character. She would do anything to protect the people she loves. Laurel is definitely no Bella Swan! She actually has a personality! I liked David too, even though I thought he was unrealistic. He is too nice. I liked Tamani more. He is such a charismatic character!


     The love triangle in this book is definitely more intense and interesting than the one in Twilight. Although this book had more David/Laurel than Tamani/Laurel, you can’t tell which one she will choose!


     The writing style is very suitable for its target audience, though it’s not what I usually prefer. This book is better written than Twilight. It says more in a lot less pages. The descriptions are not over the top. It gets straight to the point. Reading this book requires absolutely no brain power, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

     If you love love-triangles, if you are a Twilight fan or you were just looking for an easy light fantasy/romance to read, this book is for you.

     This series has a lot of potential. I just hope the author will choose a more complex formula for the plot in her next book. I’ll not be expecting much though. As I said, this book is not that bad, but doesn’t have anything that memorable. Pike has an interesting take on Faieries, but the story could’ve been better. I give Wings 3/5. It is worth checking out, an easy-light read. And I expect “Spells” to be better.


Mark: 3/5

Who Moved My Cheese? Book Review

Hi everyone!

today I want to give a short review on a book I think everyone should read.

The story of this book is very simple yet very meaningful. It's mostly a story about change and how people deal with it. While I was reading the book, I was comparing myself with the characters in it. what is wonderful about this book is that it's less then 100 pages but it takes you on a journey where you can see yourself in the characters as they look for their own special cheese. The cheese means anything that's important to you.

I loved this book very much because it taught me that no matter how comfortable your life is, nothing stays the same and you have to seek for new adventures and oppportunities before life changes shock you. Also if you worked hard, you will get what you want eventually.

Some Quotes:

"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"

"Nothing gets better until you change."

Some people don't get the message of this book due to its simplicity. In my opinion, it's is worth reading it has a powerfull message. Check out this book because it's simply amazing.


Mark: 5/5
And if you already read it, I hope you leave a comment and tell us what do you think.

The Book Trailer