The Giver - Movie Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free**


"The worse part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared."

The Giver was originally a book published in 1993 (which I've posted a review on here). The story follows a young boy called Jonas who lives in a perfect world where everything is the same and everyone is equal. There's no war, no famine, no hunger and no hatred; yet, Jonas knows something is still missing. This film is a beautiful commentary on the importance of the freedom of choice and the value of love. 

The Good 

If you've read the book before going into this movie, then you won't be disappointed. There are several changes and a lot of things were added in, but I felt that these things only added to the story rather than taking away from it. I thought the acting was really good; even Taylor Swift did an alright job in this regard. The world building was done pretty well. The ending was so beautiful and it made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack.

The Bad 

I didn't like the beginning of this movie. I found it boring and dragged on for a little too long. The same goes for the whole black and white thing... If you go to see this movie, don't stress!! Eventually things do become in colour, but I wish that there was some illusion to this in the beginning. The only other thing I didn't like was the characterisation of the Elder. In saying this though, it didn't take away from the movie's message. 

The Recommendation

If you read this book, no matter how many years ago it was, then I think you will enjoy this adaptation. If you haven't read this book, then you're not at a disadvantage because for the most part, everything is clearly explained. If you're a dystopian fan, then this world would be really interesting for you as well! 

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The Giver by Lois Lowry - Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free.**

"The worse part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared."

The Giver is a young adult dystopian novel that seeks to question the importance of choice and freedom. The story follows Jonas, a young boy who lives within a perfect community, a community with no war, no hunger and no pain, and Jonas couldn't imagine it any other way. Until, of course, he can.

The Good

This world was fantastic! I was so intrigued about the world that I could read books upon books that just described it, because I'm still desperate to know more. The story was also extremely fast paced, and the book is short so I got through it very quickly. The overall concept of this novel is extremely interesting and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed this read!

The Bad

I loved this world so much that I wanted to hear more about it, and there was just so much left unexplained. I also think the ending was a little too ambiguous; however, there are two companion novels and one direct sequel which were written over a decade after The Giver's first publication. I found that the novel did jump ahead in time a lot more than I liked, especially towards the middle and ending... The first third of the novel follows almost every day of Jonas' life, but from the middle onwards chapters sometimes jumped weeks ahead, which I found annoying because I just wanted to know more.

The Recommendation 

Everyone should read this book. Absolutely everyone, because it raises important questions and values that everyone can learn from. I would especially recommend this book to someone who was new to the dystopian genre, or if you've been reading a lot of dystopians and you want something from that genre that is a lot less violent. 

Happy Reading! 

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A Subjective Guide to Genre - Choosing Your Next Book

**A note on my notes: This post is of my opinion only, and I'm not an expect.**

Choosing your next book is hard. 

We've all been there - when you have so many books that you haven't read, but you have no idea how to choose which one to read next. When this happens to me, I tend to choose a genre that I'm in the mood for and pick a book from it. These are the genres that I usually feel in the mood to read.

Contemporary
If you're searching for a light, easy read, then the contemporary genre is where you need to look. Often featuring cute romances and beautiful friendships, good books from this genre can easily make you laugh and cry within a few pages. If you're in a reading slump, then contemporary is usually a good genre to dive into because they're often short, stand-alone books that you can get through quickly. Some of my favourite contemporary author's are Rainbow Rowell, Nicholas Sparks, and I'd also 100% recommend Wonder by R.J. Palacio and The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick.

Fantasy
Fantasy books are often a commitment because they usually come in a huge series. Fantasy is split into two sections (that I read, anyway): urban fantasy and epic fantasy. If you're new to the fantasy genre or if you don't really feel like learning a whole new world, stick to urban fantasy (which is set in the world as we know it, but with fantastical elements, while epic fantasy is in an entirely different world). Some fantasy series that I love are the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, the Obernewtyn chronicles by Isobelle Carmody and the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. If you're looking for some fantasy stand-alones, then I would recommend Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta or Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

Dystopian 
This is one of my favourite genres, and I think that it always is the most enjoyable when you hate the world. If you're feeling depressed about something that's happening in the world that you can't change it, or if you're reflecting on how shit people are or how nothing is fair, then you need a dystopian book. These books often come in trilogies, although there are several classic dystopian stand-alones that I really enjoyed. Of this genre, I would recommend The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth and any dystopian I mention in the classics section.

Science Fiction
I love science fiction a lot, but it's not a genre that I read that often. I often find that sci-fi is a good cross between fantasy and dystopian, so if you're feeling like one of those genres but can't quick pick something, try looking in the science fiction genre. Some of my favourites include Ender's Game and Pathfinder, both by Orson Scott-Card, as well as The Host by Stephanie Meyer. 

Classics
It's not often that I'm in the mood for a classic, but when I'm feeling really smart (or that I need to be more well-read), I usually quite enjoy them. Most classics are a challenge, so don't pick them up when you're looking for something to read quickly. For me, classic dystopians are my favourite, and I'd recommend reading Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm by George Orwell, as well as A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Other classics that I've enjoyed have been Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (although don't expect to get through this quickly), To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Historical Fiction
I don't read much of this genre either, but the books that I have read from it have been really good. Books from this genre often tug at your heart strings, so if you want an emotional book, something from this genre will give you that (especially some World War II fiction). My favourite historical fiction books are The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

Hopefully, the next time you're stuck trying to choose your next book, you can come back to this list and make an informed decision. Happy reading!

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Delirium Trilogy - Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free. If you don't agree with me, that's okay too!**

"What if love was a disease?"

"Life can change in an instant."

"Can the truth set you free?"

The Delirium trilogy is a YA dystopian series written by Lauren Oliver that is set in America somewhere in the future. In this world, love has been classed as a disease and at the age of 18, all citizens are forced to get a 'cure'. This cure stops allowing them to feel any significantly strong emotion, such as love or hate. Those who disagree with the cure illegally live within and outside the major cities borders.

While I did enjoy this series, I didn't love it. I had a few of problems with it, particularly with the second and third books. In saying that though, I enjoyed all three books and I was compelled and invested in them enough to complete the trilogy easily.

Delirium
Delirium is a solid start to the trilogy and I obviously liked it enough to finish the rest of the series. The story moves along at a good pace, making the novel super easy to get into and to get through. The characters are established well and are pretty interesting; however, sometimes Lena, the protagonist, makes stupid decisions. And the cliffhanger is really exciting, and by exciting I mean makes you want to read more.
Like most dystopian series, the first book is bigger because it has a lot of world building, which is something that I also really enjoy. However, the world building in Delirium leaves a lot to be desired, and this goes for the trilogy as a whole. There is so much information that you're not told, and I think this is something that really let me down as a reader.

Pandemonium
I enjoyed the second book, but no where near as much as the first one. The second book isn't told in chronological order and it switches from the past to present, which I think worked really well in terms of the plot.
Pandemonium introduces a lot of new characters, and really the only character from the first book that is prominently featured in this one is Lena. I found the new characters a lot more interesting and I was able to connect with them a lot more. The cliffhanger at the end of this book is incredible... It's probably the most adrenaline-pumping cliffhanger in the history of cliffhangers.

No matter how many issues I have with this series, one thing Lauren Oliver did right was cliffhangers, and these books have the most cliffhangery cliffhangers I've ever read in my entire life. 

Requiem
As soon as I finished the second novel, I knew I had to read the final one just because of the cliffhanger. I enjoyed this book as well, but it's definitely my least favourite of the trilogy.
This book is told from the dual perspective of both Lena and Hana, Lena's best friend from the first book, and I also think this style worked well with the plot. The only thing that I really didn't like about Requiem was the ending! It's extremely ambiguous, which I know would be something that a lot of other readers would really enjoy.

Recommendation
If you mostly read contemporary fiction and are new to dystopian books, then this trilogy is for you. I would also recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of dystopian series' and trilogies, because while these books are not my favourites, I did enjoy them and I think the concept and ideas they raise are important ones.

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More Than This - Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free. Also, you should read this book.**

"Haven't you ever felt like there has to be more? Like there's more out there somewhere, just beyond your grasp, if you could only get to it?"

More Than This by Patrick Ness follows a young boy who drowns and wakes up somewhere completely different. But it's so much more than that. And I know, what a sneaky pun. But seriously, that blurb only describes about the first third of the book. If you're interested in reading this book, you should go into not knowing anything about it, because you'll appreciate it so much more that way. (I know, I did it again).  

The Good
I loved this book. The concept of the novel is an interesting one, and it definitely lived up to my high expectations. It made me think so much, about anything from life to technology to depression to friendship and probably close to a thousand other things. It's almost definitely the most thought-provoking book that I've read this year. I love Ness' writing style; it's short and to the point, with a lot of short sentences to emphasise certain events, which makes the book incredibly easy to read. Seth is an excellent protagonist - he's well-developed and I found it so easy to sympathise with him.

The Bad The Not-as-Good
There isn't much I can fault with this book... However, I found the beginning to be a little slow. I don't know what it was, but it took me just as long to get through the first 100 pages as it did to get through the rest of the 200+ pages. After that section though, I flew through it. There are a few times when I thought it was a little repetitive, but that wasn't a major issue for me at all.

The Recommendation 
If you're looking for a thought-provoking book that really makes you think about life and all that jazz, then this book is 100% for you. If you're looking for an unique book, something unlike anything you've every read, then this book is also for you. If you've never read a Patrick Ness book, I think you should definitely try More Than This because the writing style is for sure something I'd read again.

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BookTubeAThon Reads - Quick Reviews!

**A note on my notes: these reviews are spoiler free.**

BookTubeAThon is finally over, which is both a relief and a little sad. If you're interested in how I did, you can read my wrap up post here. Because I did read a lot more than I usually would during the week, I've decided to do one post that does a brief review of all the books I finished rather than full, individual reviews.

Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carol
I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. If you know anything about Alice in Wonderland then you'll know that the story isn't supposed to make sense and is complete nonsense most of the time. While this means that the story ultimately lacks plot (intentionally, though), it is still a fun read. This book was quite short and had some really interesting illustrations which made it perfect for BookTubeAThon. I would recommend that you read this book regardless of who you are - it's a classic that can be read across several sittings or all at once, depending on how you feel.

Unwind - Neil Shusterman
I flew through this book because the plot was so intriguing. I thought the entire concept and idea of the story was really interesting and unique, which really added to the books appeal. I thin k the characters were pretty well developed; however, the book really lacked in terms of word building. There was hardly any background information about the wars that are constantly referenced in the book, and the concept of Unwinding - like how it first came about and the original reactions - weren't explained in much depth. Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I just really wish there was more world building.

The Romeo and Juliet Code - Phoebe Stone
This book was definitely not what I expected. I went into this book knowing nothing about it, and from the picture on the cover I assumed it was a cutesy romance, which it wasn't at all. I did like this book, but it took me longer to read because I didn't really care that much for the story. It's narrated by an eleven year old girl, so I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I was a few years younger than what I am. The plot was kind of slow paced as well, so there wasn't really anything that made me want to constantly keep reading.

Pathfinder - Orson Scott Card
I loved this book! I thought the overall concept and ideas were super cool, which I why I picked up the book in the first place. Not only that, but these ideas and concepts were explained really well. However, this book is science fiction, and there were some sciency bits that flew right over my head, but I was able to understand the general gist of things, which is enough to follow the story. I think the characters were developed nicely and the plot is a good pace. I would definitely recommend this book to any science fiction reader.

Those are my quick reviews for the four books I finished during the week of the BookTubeAThon. Let me know what you thought about any of the books I read! Happy Reading!

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Breathe by Sarah Crossan - Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free.**

"Oxygen is essential for most living things. For 2.5 billion years, it was the most abundant chemical element of Earth. Until the Switch."

Synopsis 

Breathe by Sarah Crossan is a young adult novel of the dystopian and science-fiction genre. It's told from multiple perspectives of teenagers living in a post-apocalyptic Earth where the planet no longer has enough oxygen to sustain its populations. In this world, the human race is confined to a large area that is 'domed'-off from the rest of the planet in which air is manufactured for them. In order to be able to breathe, everyone must pay a tax, and therefore there are strict rules that govern how much oxygen each citizen is allowed to consume, and these rules heavily limit the activities that people of different demographics can perform. 

The Good
First of all, I thought the concept of this book was brilliant. I've never read a book that dealt with the issues of deforestation and overpopulation in this way, so I really loved that. The setting complimented these major themes nicely and the world-building description was fluid and well-written. As with the majority of dystopian novels, a corrupt government was a major part of this world. While in some novels, the focus is too much on this corruption and takes away from the actual story, in Breathe, it only adds depth to the narrative.

The Bad
While overall, I enjoyed this book, I did have a few issues with it. I found that towards the middle, the story became a bit slow; however, that could just be me not finding enough time to read for a decent period. I also found that the characters relationships to be unbelievable at times, particularly between Quinn and Bea. I didn't really like Petra as a character at all, through she was necessary to the story and played an important role.

The Recommendation 
I gave this book a 3.5 star rating on Goodreads, which is pretty close to the average rating. While I did enjoy it, I didn't love it. I would recommend it to everyone because I think the themes and concept of the novel are really important for the people living in our world today. However, the plot isn't for everyone, so if you don't usually enjoy dystopian stories or young adult novels/main characters, then this book probably isn't for you.

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