Book Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot's Abandon:

I was disappointed with this book. To fully understand the depth of this statement, you must know that I've read about 80% of everything Meg Cabot has published. So, I would say that I'm a fan of her work. But this one didn't do it for me. The narrator/MC was boring, bounced around in her head too much, and spent half of the book trying to convince the reader that she wasn't crazy or saying that she didn't care that anyone thought she was crazy. I thought the narrative was poorly constructed. It was supposed to be suspenseful (I wonder what happened to Hannah? Why did she get kicked out of her old school? What really happened to her in the Underworld?) but it just fell flat.

Also, she was just unintelligent. She didn't connect that D-Wing=rejects of school. She didn't ever TALK to anyone. She doesn't know who Homer is and she doesn't care. She comes off as an unlikable selfish spoiled rich girl who is self-absorbed. Only when she spoke to the Cemetery guy (I can't even remember his name) did the story begin to make any sense.

And John. He could have been such a developed tortured character. He came off as flat and one-dimensional though.

One aspect of the book that I like though, was the quotation from Dante's Inferno at the beginning of every chapter. I didn't necessarily think that many quotations should have been included (a few separating the book into sections would have sufficed) but it was appreciated.

My only hope is that the second and third books will somehow redeem this good, if poorly executed, idea.

Rating: 2/5.

DFTBA and happy reading!
Nadia

Writing and Connections

So occasionally I write things and even less often I post them on the internet. But, I feel like posting something this close to my heart will be good for me. It's hard and that's why I'm doing it. The working title is Connections  and I wrote it in a few minutes. It's unedited, raw, and straight from my heart or wherever that place is that magically makes words appear on a page. Now enough stalling, here it is:

There is an impossible sadness when you realize that all you want to do is spend time with someone. That you know you want to share your life with this person. To have them there to hold your hand. To exchange a glance that contains an entire conversation. To fight with about everything and nothing, just to challenge one another. To kiss on the forehead. To work through the bad times with and laugh during the good ones.

There is strength in relationships. We become better people when we let others in. Yes, we get hurt. We get used. Not every person wants to be your friend. By that’s ok because for every person you meet that is horrible to you, there is another one who will be nice to you. Who knows, that niceness might change your life. But you will never know if you don’t try. If you don’t take a chance and just say one word, “hi”. That little first step can look like a giant leap, but it can truly open a door to something that you’ve only dreamed about.

Without our relationships, we are nothing. We will have no one to remember us. No one to feel a tug in their heart whenever they hear your name on the street. And all it takes is “hi”. You could find a person that you want to share your life with, even in a platonic way. And there is nothing sadder that realizing all of this and wanting al of this and realizing that it might be beyond your reach. Maybe not forever- but for now. When it matters most. 

The Hunger Games

I just finished rereading The Hunger Games in time for the movie. I've said it before, but I have no idea how they're going to capture the majority of the violence. Also, one of the best parts of the book is knowing that Peeta loves Katniss and almost chuckling at how ignorant she is and how she sees the strings attached to every movement. Jennifer Lawrence better be a damn good actress to pull that off.

Also, if they mess up one moment of Rue's relationship with Katniss or her death, I will be very angry.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I finally finished another book, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. But, because of my preconceived notions, it took me a few chapters to 'get into' the book. I heard this book was a horror novel, which almost detered me from reading it. But, it was a unique fantasy narrative blended with vintage photographs that added a chilling element to the story.

But before I discuss any further, some plot details. Jacob was a normal teenager whose grandfather, who is Jewish, told him stories from World War II. These stories eventually turned into fairy tales. The, Jacob's grandfather is murdered by a monster that is right out of the stories from Jacob's childhood. Everyone thinks that he is crazy and he gets sent to a psychiatrist. He then goes on a trip with his father to the island where his grandfather grew up during the war. Jacob meets children like his grandfather who are "peculiar" and the story twists, turns, and develops from there.

I would have enjoyed the pure narrative of this novel. But, the vintage photographs added a unique dimension. These photographs peppered throughout the novel are not random, but are what Jacob is looking at during the story. For some reason, I thought they were fake photos created for the novel. But, in the author's note in the end, Riggs states that they are all real vintage photographs. To me, this added a special touch. It makes the reader wonder who these 'peculiar' people pictured really are, what they were like, and what the true story was behind each photo.

The historical element was an added bonus as well. A decent portion of the novel is set on September 3, 194o (don't ask how this happens- just read the novel). There were many parallels between the hunting of the Jews and the hunting of the peculiar children.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will anticipate the sequel that seems promised by the conclusion of the novel. My rating is 4.5/5 stars. No matter how slow certain parts were, it always propelled right back into the story. Also, I thought there were several underdeveloped minor plot points. But, I guess I'll just have to wait for the sequel to see if they ever get addressed!

Best Wishes and DFTBA!

Nadia

P.S.- Random note, but John Green and Ransom Riggs went to college together and remain friends. Here is a video by John discussing this. (Also, here is a rather hilarious video of a road trip they took together in college). At this time, they've been on or near the top of the New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Chapter Books for eight weeks in a row.

Crossed

Another YA review! This one is for Crossed by Ally Condie. (http://www.amazon.com/Crossed-Ally-Condie/dp/0525423656). This is the sequel to Matched. Basically, it is the dystopian love-triangle that you see in YA all the time. The "unique" twist is that every one is "matched" with their soul mate. But, Cassia, the main character, gets matched with two boys. She has to choose between her best friend and the guy that she has fallen in love with. Basically, that's the plot of Matched.

In Crossed, she has chosen (I won't tell you which one) and he was sent away. She got herself in trouble to try to escape the Society in order to join back up with him. This book is about her journey, and the choice they have to make together to join the Rising (the rebellion).

To be honest, there wasn't much remarkable about this novel. There were several moments of excellent suspense and the novel ended with a complete cliffhanger. My favorite thing about this series though, is the constant stress on the importance of history and art, including literature, poetry, songs, and visual art. But, there is not much that differentiates this novel from the myriad of other love triangles dystopian novels on the market right now. I do recommend the series if that is what you like because they are pretty well written and have excellent- if rather obvious- symbolism.

Tumblr

So, I gave into the the internet peer pressure and made a Tumblr. I'm going to post my blogs on there as well from now on. But, I will still be posting on here first. There will also be lots of Harry Potter, Nerdfighter, Doctor Who, and other general internet things, as well as posts from my literature blog (hpobsessed21.blogspot.com). If Tumblr is your thing, come join me on there at NadiaBlogs21.tumblr.com!

DFTBA and Best Wishes!

Tour de Nerdfighting, Across the Universe, and Nick and Norah

This post will come to you in parts, three of them to be exact.

Part One, Tour de Nerdfighting.

Last night I had the awesome opportunity to meet John and Hank Green for a second at the Tour de Nerdfighting, the book tour for TFiOS. Hank sang songs, John read from TFiOS and talked about heroism and living a good full life. John got shocked and Hank forgot one of his songs. I gave them hats that I made for them (TFiOS for John and DFTBA for Hank). I sat with nerdy friends and felt a special feeling that can only be found in such a place with no judgement. I got to meet Schubes17, a YouTuber that I'm a fan of. Only Nerdfighers could create an event that was so pure and happy and nerdy and deep and sad and funny all at the same time. I'm sure this won't make coherent sense to anyone that wasn't there, but it is one of those experiences that I may never be able to articulate fully.

Also, the TFiOS van happened to be going the same way we were, so we creepily followed it. In circles. At that point, we realized that they probably realized some crazy creepy nerds were actually following them. So we noticed which hotel they were staying at and left them alone. But it was exhilarating, being in a car with four other girls, most of who don't know more about each other than a name and a love for nerdy things. It was a shared experience that was very appropriate, considering that we were following John Green.

Ok, Part Two: Across the Universe by Beth Revis. (http://www.amazon.com/Across-Universe-Beth-Revis/dp/1595143971).

I have a hard time summarizing this book. But I do like Melissa Marr's blurb on the back of the book, "An astounding ride! Beth Revis erases genre boundaries with a murder mystery, a budding romance, and a dystopian world gracefully integrated into a sci-fi novel that blows away all expectation." That pretty much summarizes my reaction to the book.

The main female character, Amy, is cryogenically frozen and put on a ship sent to colonize a world 300 years away. The main male character, Elder, is the leader-in-training for the civilization on the ship. I can't discuss a lot of this book without spoiling it, but let me just say that the first 75 pages or so are kinda hard to get through. But keep going. Once Amy wakes up, this novel is a roller coaster that you won't want to get off. It was a bit of every genre and masterfully blended. Oh, and if you read this, contact me. I want to talk to someone about it, but I don't know anyone who's read it.

Rating: 4.5/5 (Points off for lack of subtlety on a "twist" and the beginning section)

Finally, Part Three. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (http://www.amazon.com/Nick-Norahs-Infinite-Playlist-Rachel/dp/0375835318).

I had high hopes for this book. When I watched the movie, I loved it. But, the book really didn't do it for me. I felt like it was too whiny and angst-ridden while somehow also being full of lust. But this book is about feeling the highs of life without ever using a substance. It's also about the pitfalls of opening up yourself to someone and using your imagination to make the relationship more perfect in your head. This book had some really touching moments and hilariously sarcastic exchanges. But, they almost felt out of place to me. After reading Across the Universe, which was so beautifully blended, this novel almost seemed choppy and ironically, unrealistic. Honestly, I prefer the movie to the book, which is a near-unheard of happening for me.

Rating: 3/5.

Non-YLC: 6

YLC:0

P.S.: I AM NOW AN ENGLISH MAJOR WITH A CONCENTRATION ON LITERATURE AND I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER AND ONLY ALL CAPS CAN EXPRESS MY JOY.