I first saw "Olive's Ocean" on a bookshelf in a sixth-grade classroom and felt intrigued by it. But with whatever task I had at hand, I soon forgot about it. Years later, I remembered the book, looked it up and decided to read it, even though it was technically a children's book and I was already in college.
Absolutely worth it. Brilliant. Beautiful.
The book is centered around Martha Boyle, a twelve year-old girl whose life experiences a significant turn with a note from a former classmate and a family trip to Cape Cod. Martha knew Olive Barstow, and even though they weren't really friends, she was still shocked when she heard that Olive had been hit by a car and died. She is reminded of, and further jarred by, the incident when Olive's mother comes to her with a page from Olive's journal. From this entry, Martha discovered that Olive wanted three things: she wanted to be friends with Martha, to visit the ocean and to be a writer.
When Martha gets to Cape Cod, she is confronted with family problems and a crush on Jimmy Manning, one of the five Manning boys who visit the same area as Martha's family every summer. During her visit, Martha grows especially close to her grandmother Godbee, and tells her all about the feelings she won't tell anyone else in her family about. All the while, she thinks about Olive, and finds inspiration in her.
Martha wants to be a writer too, and hopes to tell the rest of her family before school starts back. She does quite a bit of growing up as the story progresses, and the way Henkes captures these particular moments in Martha's life is absolutely beautiful. He shows us what it is like to be a twelve year-old on the cusp of puberty and the middle child stuck in a sometimes complicated family. Henkes also paints a wonderfully accurate picture of how it feels to like someone at such a young age, and how intimidating it can be to realize what you want to be in life so young, and in the middle of such changes.
Even though Olive does not have any actual dialogue, her character is manifested in the story in such a way that gives powerful insight into the pain experienced by kids who are bullied and left out. Olive was the new kid, an outsider, and was treated as so from her first day at school until the day she died, just a few months later. She is portrayed as a lonely, quiet young girl who was afraid to speak up. One of her next-door neighbors even called her a "Lonely Little Olive Pit", because she never had any friends to play with. Martha often heard and saw people making fun of Olive, but she never chose to speak up. She feels so close to Olive with the page from her journal, yet so far as she realizes Olive is truly gone, and she will never be able to be her friend or figure out why Olive wanted to be hers. It makes me think a lot about the book "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher, except that "Thirteen Reasons Why" deals with teenagers, and "Olive's Ocean" is centered mostly around a twelve year-old.
I read online that "Olive's Ocean" was a banned and challenged book for years. While I understand that death and bullying are heavy topics to read about, that doesn't mean we should prevent kids (and even adults) from reading about them. Yes, I wouldn't recommend that a seven year-old read this book unless they are very mature, considering that there is a little bit of strong language and just one sexual reference. But you're probably fine reading this from the fifth grade up. The strong language is actually pretty brief, and the sexual reference is so brief I can barely remember it, so it's hard to see why this book was so challenged for so long.
Going back to the book itself, I'm amazed at how Henkes paints such an intricate portrait of the life of an adolescent girl through such simple language. Perhaps my point of view is conditioned by the fact that I read this book at nineteen instead of eleven. But looking back on my own life when I was twelve, I find that the snapshots of this age given to us by Henkes are heartbreakingly lucid. Martha feels left out of, and often overwhelmed by, her own family. Her younger sister is constantly in need of care and attention, while her older brother is a rambunctious thirteen year-old who nearly always gets his way. Their parents have some troubles in the story, and Martha wonders at one point whether her father is tired of their family and just wants to leave them all. She wants to hide her feelings for Jimmy Manning from everyone except Godbee, knowing there is a risk that her brother will mess something up. All the while, Martha thinks about writing, and starts a novel inspired by Olive, as she confronts the question of what it means to be a writer and to have feelings for an older boy.
During her trip to Cape Cod, Martha becomes braver and more determined to write her novel and be kinder to others. She also finds out what true heartache is like, especially at the story's climax, when she learns that Olive is truly gone, and there is nothing she can do to help that. Martha wants Olive to know the ocean, so she brings her some salt water inside an empty jar of baby food to give to Olive's mother. But when she goes to Olive's house after her trip, she finds that Mrs. Barstow has moved away. The only witness to Martha's tribute is their neighbor, who recalls Olive's loneliness with great clarity. It comes to show that, while giving gifts to the dead can help us to heal and become better people, it is best to give everyone the respect they deserve while they are still alive. We should treat everyone kindly, no matter what others say. And we should embrace our dreams and share them with others, because you never know when you'll find someone who has the same dream as you.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
#18: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
As a long-time fan of romantic stories, I have been drawn to the work of Nicholas Sparks ever since I saw "The Notebook" for the first time. I had never picked up one of his novels, however, until I saw the preview for "The Best of Me", and decided that I should read the book first. (I usually do read the book first, but in the case of the Nicholas Sparks movies I have seen, I ended up seeing the movie first instead.) I felt like it would be a great book, fulfilling and very well-written, seeing as how he's been so successful and has had 1) many books published, and 2) most of those books turned into movies. After reading "The Best of Me", I can say that it wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't exactly the good read I was hoping for either. Keeping in mind how a good friend of mine looks at the story differently, I feel conflicted as to whether I would recommend it or not. Personally, I don't feel motivated to do so. Let me explain, starting with the plot.
The story centers around Dawson Cole and Amanda Collier, who fell in love as teenagers and had the kind of connection most people have only dreamed about. Their relationship was perfect, but their surroundings were highly unideal. Amanda came from a rich family who was abhorred by the idea of her dating someone from the Cole family, which was known for the violence and criminal records of its members. Dawson, however, had always stayed out of trouble, and cultivated both strong physical and emotional attributes. But Amanda's parents couldn't see any of the good things about Dawson, because they hated the idea of her going out with someone with one of the most despised family names in their small town of Oriental, North Carolina.
When Amanda receives the opportunity to attend Duke University, something she had dreamed about ever since she was young, her parents declare that they won't pay for college, or support her in the least bit, if she keeps up her relationship with Dawson. Amanda tells Dawson about her problem, and he decides to let her go, not because he wants to, but because he wants Amanda to have this opportunity to grow, make her dreams come true, and be happy. They eventually both leave Oriental, but for separate cities, thinking they might never see each other again. Little did they know that the death of old man Tuck, a mutual friend and huge support for them both, would bring them together again about twenty years later, for just a few days that would change the courses of both their lives permanently.
It took me several chapters to realize that the story had several striking similarities to "The Notebook". The rich girl meets poor boy romance. The stubborn mother with an iron fist, but not enough control to stop her daughter from making these escapades with the boy she hates. The parting of ways as boy and girl try to escape the situations they dislike, but separate from each other along the way. Don't get me wrong, I love "The Notebook" and plan to watch it many more times in the years to come. But there were several characters and plot points that just confused me, or made me feel extremely dissatisfied with the story, and sometimes both things at once.
(NOTE: I haven't read the novel "The Notebook", so unfortunately I have to make these criticisms based on the movie. I have not seen the movie for "The Best of Me", but even if I had, I wouldn't be comparing the two films, since I am trying to review a book instead. It doesn't seem entirely fair to compare a book to a movie, but what I am trying to focus on more is the story in and of itself, its characters and the main elements of the plot. Writing style is also important. I apologize for any moment in which the comparisons do not seem just.)
First, there's Amanda's mother, Evelyn Collier. Always dressed to perfection, constantly conflicting with her daughter. Not especially caring or sympathetic, even when Amanda most needed her to be. (NOTE: SPOILER INCOMING. If you don't want to read it, then skip this next part!)
But when Evelyn finds Dawson and Amanda together one morning, clearly knowing what happened between them the previous night, she simply tells Amanda not to listen to anyone else's advice, and instead to listen to her own. While I think that comment by Evelyn is wise, and one of the nicest things she says to Amanda in the entire book, it seems out of place. Evelyn has been judging Amanda ever since she was young, as is explained throughout the book. It's also clear that Evelyn will never stop questioning or judging Amanda's actions and intentions, even when she is doing the right thing. She judges Amanda's marriage, her attitudes about marriage, her attitudes about the child she lost to cancer. Then, all of a sudden, when Evelyn sees her daughter with the guy she's hated, and continued to hate, for years, she tells Amanda not to listen to her advice. Evelyn had always wanted Amanda to listen to her advice, as the author portrays from earlier conflicts regarding Amanda's relationship with Dawson, and there doesn't seem to be any real explanation for Evelyn's change of heart. It's a nice gesture, but not very believable.
Then there's Dawson. He was my favorite character in this book. Strong, empathic, honest, raw, hard-working, perseverant. But, like all characters, he had his flaws. After Amanda had gone off to Duke, he moved to New Orleans and got a job on an oil rig, returning every once in a while to a lonely trailer away from the crowded city. During all his years of living in New Orleans, Dawson never took the time to enjoy any of the city's attractions (ex. Cafe du Monde) or develop any other close relationships, other than the one he maintained with Tuck from a distance. The only significant effort he made to be happy was getting out of Oriental, where his demented and violent family was waiting for the day when they could take him down. Dawson knows how to make people like Tuck and Amanda happy, but it seems like he doesn't make much of an effort to make himself happy. He seems to lack motivation, except when he is reunited with Amanda, which changes him completely.
Earlier in his life, Dawson's strong motivation kept him from being like the rest of his family, and prompted him to build up his strength and run away from home in order to escape his father's cruelty. In a place where his family definitely can't find him, a place for a fresh start, why can't Dawson really start over? Because of Amanda. I understand that she is the love of his life, and he feels that they are meant to be together forever. But having seen Dawson's character shine through in the diverse struggles he experienced, it seems off-putting and disappointing that he would let the mere thought of this woman keep him from even going out to Cafe du Monde. Yes, I can maybe understand that he wouldn't want to see other women (Although twenty-something years is quite a long time not to date when you're his age.) But why not at least enjoy this new place, to the fullest extent that you can?
It does seem that Dawson enjoys physical exercise, as is portrayed by the description of his early morning jogs when he finally goes back to Oriental. But these are momentary distractions for a person who is deeply unhappy. And maybe here is where I get to the idea that most bothers me: that someone as smart and cultivated and romantic as Dawson Cole ends up unhappy with his life just because he can't forget about a girl he loved as a teenager (who, by the way, got married shortly after finishing college, to a guy she had dated since sophomore year.) Does this girl think about him? Absolutely yes. She thinks she made a mistake not to marry him. But in the end, she chooses the less risky and less satisfying path of staying married to her husband, instead of going for what she really wants. The book even seems to insinuate that maybe Amanda did make the right decision (BIG SPOILER COMING), since her son Jared's life is saved when he receives a heart donation from, guess who...Dawson Cole, who was shot by one of his crazy family members while trying to save two innocent people from getting shot. The most genuinely kind character in the book gets shot by violent loonies, while his true love's son (not his son, of course) is saved by his heart. And herein lies the irony of the story: Dawson truly gave the best of himself to Amanda, by giving the heart with which he loved her always to her dying son. He "lives on" in Jared's body, while Amanda is left to wonder "What if?", and the reader is guilt-stricken, wondering if Amanda's son would have died had she chosen Dawson in the end. How can that kind of choice ever turn out right?
And how, for that matter, can you leave your reader thinking about how such a wonderful person wound up shot in the head while his true love drove off to see her drunk husband, who was one of the reasons why Jared almost died? It's frustrating and unfair. Yes, I understand that many stories do not have happy endings. But the final resolution did not prompt me to read another Nicholas Sparks novel. I have read many sad books that have prompted me to read them over and over again (see my earlier reviews of books such as Looking For Alaska, Thirteen Reasons Why, The Fault in Our Stars and The Tribes of Palos Verdes) because they have much deeper meanings. I was expecting this novel to have a bit more depth to it, a little more meat, and I was disappointed.
I still plan to see the film version of "The Best of Me", just to see how it turned out. But I'm left highly disappointed by the novel, which also happened to be written in a style that fell below my expectations. I've heard that some of his other books are more well-written, so I might give those a chance. But for now, I'm moving on to other books by other authors. I admire Nicholas Sparks's hard work, and hope to write as many, or more, books than he has one day. But I don't feel inclined to recommend this novel. Perhaps in the future, another one of his novels will be more satisfying. I wait with much hope for that day.
The story centers around Dawson Cole and Amanda Collier, who fell in love as teenagers and had the kind of connection most people have only dreamed about. Their relationship was perfect, but their surroundings were highly unideal. Amanda came from a rich family who was abhorred by the idea of her dating someone from the Cole family, which was known for the violence and criminal records of its members. Dawson, however, had always stayed out of trouble, and cultivated both strong physical and emotional attributes. But Amanda's parents couldn't see any of the good things about Dawson, because they hated the idea of her going out with someone with one of the most despised family names in their small town of Oriental, North Carolina.
When Amanda receives the opportunity to attend Duke University, something she had dreamed about ever since she was young, her parents declare that they won't pay for college, or support her in the least bit, if she keeps up her relationship with Dawson. Amanda tells Dawson about her problem, and he decides to let her go, not because he wants to, but because he wants Amanda to have this opportunity to grow, make her dreams come true, and be happy. They eventually both leave Oriental, but for separate cities, thinking they might never see each other again. Little did they know that the death of old man Tuck, a mutual friend and huge support for them both, would bring them together again about twenty years later, for just a few days that would change the courses of both their lives permanently.
It took me several chapters to realize that the story had several striking similarities to "The Notebook". The rich girl meets poor boy romance. The stubborn mother with an iron fist, but not enough control to stop her daughter from making these escapades with the boy she hates. The parting of ways as boy and girl try to escape the situations they dislike, but separate from each other along the way. Don't get me wrong, I love "The Notebook" and plan to watch it many more times in the years to come. But there were several characters and plot points that just confused me, or made me feel extremely dissatisfied with the story, and sometimes both things at once.
(NOTE: I haven't read the novel "The Notebook", so unfortunately I have to make these criticisms based on the movie. I have not seen the movie for "The Best of Me", but even if I had, I wouldn't be comparing the two films, since I am trying to review a book instead. It doesn't seem entirely fair to compare a book to a movie, but what I am trying to focus on more is the story in and of itself, its characters and the main elements of the plot. Writing style is also important. I apologize for any moment in which the comparisons do not seem just.)
First, there's Amanda's mother, Evelyn Collier. Always dressed to perfection, constantly conflicting with her daughter. Not especially caring or sympathetic, even when Amanda most needed her to be. (NOTE: SPOILER INCOMING. If you don't want to read it, then skip this next part!)
But when Evelyn finds Dawson and Amanda together one morning, clearly knowing what happened between them the previous night, she simply tells Amanda not to listen to anyone else's advice, and instead to listen to her own. While I think that comment by Evelyn is wise, and one of the nicest things she says to Amanda in the entire book, it seems out of place. Evelyn has been judging Amanda ever since she was young, as is explained throughout the book. It's also clear that Evelyn will never stop questioning or judging Amanda's actions and intentions, even when she is doing the right thing. She judges Amanda's marriage, her attitudes about marriage, her attitudes about the child she lost to cancer. Then, all of a sudden, when Evelyn sees her daughter with the guy she's hated, and continued to hate, for years, she tells Amanda not to listen to her advice. Evelyn had always wanted Amanda to listen to her advice, as the author portrays from earlier conflicts regarding Amanda's relationship with Dawson, and there doesn't seem to be any real explanation for Evelyn's change of heart. It's a nice gesture, but not very believable.
Then there's Dawson. He was my favorite character in this book. Strong, empathic, honest, raw, hard-working, perseverant. But, like all characters, he had his flaws. After Amanda had gone off to Duke, he moved to New Orleans and got a job on an oil rig, returning every once in a while to a lonely trailer away from the crowded city. During all his years of living in New Orleans, Dawson never took the time to enjoy any of the city's attractions (ex. Cafe du Monde) or develop any other close relationships, other than the one he maintained with Tuck from a distance. The only significant effort he made to be happy was getting out of Oriental, where his demented and violent family was waiting for the day when they could take him down. Dawson knows how to make people like Tuck and Amanda happy, but it seems like he doesn't make much of an effort to make himself happy. He seems to lack motivation, except when he is reunited with Amanda, which changes him completely.
Earlier in his life, Dawson's strong motivation kept him from being like the rest of his family, and prompted him to build up his strength and run away from home in order to escape his father's cruelty. In a place where his family definitely can't find him, a place for a fresh start, why can't Dawson really start over? Because of Amanda. I understand that she is the love of his life, and he feels that they are meant to be together forever. But having seen Dawson's character shine through in the diverse struggles he experienced, it seems off-putting and disappointing that he would let the mere thought of this woman keep him from even going out to Cafe du Monde. Yes, I can maybe understand that he wouldn't want to see other women (Although twenty-something years is quite a long time not to date when you're his age.) But why not at least enjoy this new place, to the fullest extent that you can?
It does seem that Dawson enjoys physical exercise, as is portrayed by the description of his early morning jogs when he finally goes back to Oriental. But these are momentary distractions for a person who is deeply unhappy. And maybe here is where I get to the idea that most bothers me: that someone as smart and cultivated and romantic as Dawson Cole ends up unhappy with his life just because he can't forget about a girl he loved as a teenager (who, by the way, got married shortly after finishing college, to a guy she had dated since sophomore year.) Does this girl think about him? Absolutely yes. She thinks she made a mistake not to marry him. But in the end, she chooses the less risky and less satisfying path of staying married to her husband, instead of going for what she really wants. The book even seems to insinuate that maybe Amanda did make the right decision (BIG SPOILER COMING), since her son Jared's life is saved when he receives a heart donation from, guess who...Dawson Cole, who was shot by one of his crazy family members while trying to save two innocent people from getting shot. The most genuinely kind character in the book gets shot by violent loonies, while his true love's son (not his son, of course) is saved by his heart. And herein lies the irony of the story: Dawson truly gave the best of himself to Amanda, by giving the heart with which he loved her always to her dying son. He "lives on" in Jared's body, while Amanda is left to wonder "What if?", and the reader is guilt-stricken, wondering if Amanda's son would have died had she chosen Dawson in the end. How can that kind of choice ever turn out right?
And how, for that matter, can you leave your reader thinking about how such a wonderful person wound up shot in the head while his true love drove off to see her drunk husband, who was one of the reasons why Jared almost died? It's frustrating and unfair. Yes, I understand that many stories do not have happy endings. But the final resolution did not prompt me to read another Nicholas Sparks novel. I have read many sad books that have prompted me to read them over and over again (see my earlier reviews of books such as Looking For Alaska, Thirteen Reasons Why, The Fault in Our Stars and The Tribes of Palos Verdes) because they have much deeper meanings. I was expecting this novel to have a bit more depth to it, a little more meat, and I was disappointed.
I still plan to see the film version of "The Best of Me", just to see how it turned out. But I'm left highly disappointed by the novel, which also happened to be written in a style that fell below my expectations. I've heard that some of his other books are more well-written, so I might give those a chance. But for now, I'm moving on to other books by other authors. I admire Nicholas Sparks's hard work, and hope to write as many, or more, books than he has one day. But I don't feel inclined to recommend this novel. Perhaps in the future, another one of his novels will be more satisfying. I wait with much hope for that day.
Monday, July 6, 2015
#17: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Finally, a book where the stakes are high and you're constantly seeking more satisfaction, even though every page feels fresh and crisp, no matter what part of the book you're reading. It's one of those books that doesn't have any good "stopping points". At first thought, you might wonder if it's a bad thing for a book not to have any adequate places to pause. But in my case, I wanted to keep on going, and see what happened next, even if the latest chapter had ended with a good temporary resolution, such as a small conflict getting resolved. One might consider this situation to be a good stopping point. You can finally say you're going to sleep or something of the sort. Although that was the path I took a number of times while reading this book, I was never quite satisfied with it. Every chapter left me wanting more. Every single one.
The peculiarity of "The Name of the Wind" is that you have that story within a story. Kote, an innkeeper who leads a seemingly peaceful life, agrees to tell his life story to a man who goes by the name of Chronicler, who has been asked to seek out stories such as Kote's. Kote agrees, but says that he will take three days, a sum which Chronicler finds ridiculous at first, considering that he usually takes one day at most to record the story of a very important man. But Kote insists that his story must take three days, and Chronicler finally complies. He soon finds, after all, that Kote's story is one that deserves to be listened to and narrated intricately and carefully.
"The Name of the Wind" is the first book in a trilogy, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and it depicts the events of the first day Kote takes to tell his story, the first part of which encompasses his childhood up until he is about fifteen or sixteen years old. At that age, he was known as Kvothe, a brave and remarkably intelligent young boy who finds his strength of heart and mind tested after a horrible tragedy leaves him to fend for himself. The numerous hardships he experiences are narrated beautifully, but Rothfuss never lets us forget that, beneath the beauty of the tale Kvothe tells, lies the terrible fact that Kvothe is truly on his own, and is constantly on the edge of survival.
There are many aspects of this book that deserve applause, but one that I must point out immediately is that every detail seems to matter. I think that, as a writer, it can be very easy to write in seemingly interesting details and just leave them hanging there, not really attached to any particular person or event that could make them more than just snippets of information. I noticed, for example, how much detail Rothfuss used to describe Kvothe's relationship with music, especially with the lute. Each tiny incident involving music, especially a lute, added to the overall narrative and the interactions Kvothe had with other characters. It changed his mindset and the way he thought of himself and others. The making and breaking of this music drove even more twists into a very rich plot.
I must also commend Patrick Rothfuss for making a very thick book feel incredibly light. The book is over 600 pages long, (whether you get the book in a larger or smaller format) yet the narrative feels continuously fresh and enthralling. You're never left wondering when the author is going to "cut to the chase" or "get the book over with already". Instead, each page draws you in more than the last, and by the end of the book, you're left wanting so much more, it's highly tempting to get to the nearest library or bookstore as fast as possible in order to procure the second book.
"The Name of the Wind" is now one of my favorite books. I give it a ten out of ten for narration, description, character development and satisfaction in both the literary and emotional senses. Patrick Rothfuss is a true genius, and I can't wait to pick up the second book in The Kingkiller Chronicle.
Enjoyed the review? Check out my Writer Intro blog here.
The Name of the Wind Book Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The peculiarity of "The Name of the Wind" is that you have that story within a story. Kote, an innkeeper who leads a seemingly peaceful life, agrees to tell his life story to a man who goes by the name of Chronicler, who has been asked to seek out stories such as Kote's. Kote agrees, but says that he will take three days, a sum which Chronicler finds ridiculous at first, considering that he usually takes one day at most to record the story of a very important man. But Kote insists that his story must take three days, and Chronicler finally complies. He soon finds, after all, that Kote's story is one that deserves to be listened to and narrated intricately and carefully.
"The Name of the Wind" is the first book in a trilogy, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and it depicts the events of the first day Kote takes to tell his story, the first part of which encompasses his childhood up until he is about fifteen or sixteen years old. At that age, he was known as Kvothe, a brave and remarkably intelligent young boy who finds his strength of heart and mind tested after a horrible tragedy leaves him to fend for himself. The numerous hardships he experiences are narrated beautifully, but Rothfuss never lets us forget that, beneath the beauty of the tale Kvothe tells, lies the terrible fact that Kvothe is truly on his own, and is constantly on the edge of survival.
There are many aspects of this book that deserve applause, but one that I must point out immediately is that every detail seems to matter. I think that, as a writer, it can be very easy to write in seemingly interesting details and just leave them hanging there, not really attached to any particular person or event that could make them more than just snippets of information. I noticed, for example, how much detail Rothfuss used to describe Kvothe's relationship with music, especially with the lute. Each tiny incident involving music, especially a lute, added to the overall narrative and the interactions Kvothe had with other characters. It changed his mindset and the way he thought of himself and others. The making and breaking of this music drove even more twists into a very rich plot.
I must also commend Patrick Rothfuss for making a very thick book feel incredibly light. The book is over 600 pages long, (whether you get the book in a larger or smaller format) yet the narrative feels continuously fresh and enthralling. You're never left wondering when the author is going to "cut to the chase" or "get the book over with already". Instead, each page draws you in more than the last, and by the end of the book, you're left wanting so much more, it's highly tempting to get to the nearest library or bookstore as fast as possible in order to procure the second book.
"The Name of the Wind" is now one of my favorite books. I give it a ten out of ten for narration, description, character development and satisfaction in both the literary and emotional senses. Patrick Rothfuss is a true genius, and I can't wait to pick up the second book in The Kingkiller Chronicle.
Enjoyed the review? Check out my Writer Intro blog here.
The Name of the Wind Book Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
#16: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
This novel by Laurie Halse Anderson has left my head spinning since I finished it around 1:20 a.m. several nights ago. There is a LOT to say about this book. It was mesmerizing and very well-written, but I do have some questions and concerns about this book that I would like answered.
Hayley Kincain has that same authentic, acidic tone of voice as Melinda, the protagonist of "Speak", one of Anderson's most successful novels to date. At first, it seemed like Hayley was a bit too similar to Melinda, but I soon found my suspicion to be wrong. It's not that one is better than the other. Hayley has different challenges to deal with, and Anderson describes these challenges, as well as Hayley's approach to them, impeccably. For Hayley, it often seems that, just as life is starting to get a little better, something terrible happens, and things suddenly get a whole lot worse. The opposite happens as well, such as when Hayley escapes the unexpected "party" her father is having with military friends and goes to the football game she had promised her friend Finn she would write about, then finds herself having a very sweet time with Finn when he reveals his romantic interest in her. But then, there is the terrible moment when they are about to have their first kiss in front of Hayley's house, and Hayley's father Andy comes out holding an axe, drunk and angry. Things only get worse when Trish, Andy's ex-girlfriend and Hayley's former "stepmom", comes back. In the midst of all of these challenges, Hayley must deal with both her father's mental instability and her own, as both are scarred by the memories they have tried so desperately to escape.
Anderson portrays the struggles of Hayley and those who care about her with such clarity and poignance, I cried. I know it sounds really cheesy to say it like that, but I'm the kind of person who doesn't cry easily at books, even if they really are sad. I read plenty of novels and stories that were labeled "tear-jerkers", "heartbreaking" or just plain sad, but didn't make one tear come from my eye. This novel made me tear up twice, and for prolonged moments, which says a lot. The few other times a book has made me cry, it was always after the book had ended and I was processing everything. A couple of short stories I read made me cry, but I'd read them before and they hadn't made me cry the first time; I'd been a little more torn up when I started reading them for the second time. In conclusion, it is hard to get my tears from any book, period. This book did it, and more than once. And it did so with such beauty, I can only applaud Anderson for her ability to create situations and characters that you feel so attached to, even if you have no prior experience with PTSD of family members or of your own. The snippets that describe Andy's experiences in the military are nothing short of excellent. Hayley's descriptions of the "ripping" feeling as sad memories resurface is spot on. It is from these "knife" and "ripping" allusions and descriptions that the book seems to get its name.
But I have a few questions and concerns. WARNING: THERE ARE BIGGER SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON. If you do not want to hear about the ending, or other more intricate aspects of the book, please do NOT read on.
My first question is a minor one, but not insignificant. What is with all the typos? I don't know if it was just an error in my particular edition, but I caught multiple instances in which there was either a word missing, words in the wrong order or some other kind of small but significant grammatical error. I understand that, no matter how many times you edit it, any novel is going to end up with at least a couple of small grammatical errors. That's completely acceptable. The first time I caught a mistake of this kind while reading "The Impossible Knife of Memory", I brushed it off. But it kept on happening, again and again. I don't mean to be nitpicky, but certain errors can really lower that feeling of exhilaration you get when you're reading one of the more "dangerous" parts of the novel. I'm not blaming this error on anyone in particular. But I think it's something to be kept in mind for the future.
Second question (and this is a bigger one) goes as follows: What on Earth happens to Gracie and Topher?? I know that Hayley is the protagonist, and she and Finn are much more focused on than they are (and with good reason), but I was a little bit thrown off when Anderson didn't say a bit more about where these characters ended up. Before Hayley, Finn and Andy are thrown into a life-threatening situation (mostly because of Andy), Gracie was trying to get into college somewhere far away while trying to deal with her parents' rut in their marriage and the care of her kid brother. Where is she off to when Finn is off to Swevenbury and Hayley is off to state school somewhere? (And what school does Hayley even get into anyway? And where? It would be good to know at least what city or state she is going to, because the mention of somewhere south of where she went to high school that gave good financial aid and bla bla bla just doesn't cut it for me.)
But back to Gracie. What does she end up doing? Does she stay close to home, or does she get a ticket to get out and go somewhere far away? And what does Topher end up doing? Do they end up in different schools? Honestly, with the descriptions of Gracie given throughout the book, especially of her darker moments and her fleeting innocence at the beginning, I thought I'd be able to see where she finally ends up. Either there was some indication of Gracie and Topher's "final" outcome that I completely missed, or it just isn't really there.
And what happens with Finn's family? He wasn't exactly seeing rainbows and unicorns at home with his sister's addiction and his conflictive, perhaps overbearing (in just a few aspects) parents. I understand that end is a bit trickier to tie up, and could get messy in the process of trying to figure out a resolution to Hayley's story, which is the main focus. But it would have been nice to know just a little more about what happened with Finn's family. Frankly, I was very happy that Finn got a huge scholarship to Swevenbury (he deserved it) and was able to get away from home. Still, now that I am processing this situation further, this lack of a more fixed conclusion may match what happens at Hayley's house, although at least with Andy the author alludes to the idea that he might actually be getting better this time. If he really isn't, then at least Hayley can get away from that. The same goes for Finn and his family. But I do have those questions, and it makes me wonder if Anderson will write a sequel to "The Impossible Knife of Memory". It would be really interesting.
Although there are plenty of things about the ending that are highly satisfying, I still felt a little dissatisfying. I wanted to hear a bit more from Hayley. It broke my heart to see her and Finn going their separate ways, although it's understandable, given their circumstances of college searches. It was a beautiful ending, but I felt like something was missing.
If I had to rate this book, I'd give it a seven, at most an eight, out of ten. It was beautifully crafted, very poignant and highly realistic. If my rating were based solely on the quality of the writing, (minus the errors which are just shortfalls in the editing) the book would be a nine or ten. Adding up the questions I still have, mostly because of that sense of incompleteness and "What about this person?", plus the accumulation of errors in editing, I give it the seven. It pains me to do so, because this was a really beautiful book, but after the initial (very strong) book hangover, I had questions hanging. I wanted answers that I could not find. I still think a lot of people should read this book, because there are some beautiful character and plot evolutions, as well as some revelations that are very well-placed. Anderson has a way of making you feel glued to the page, barely satisfied one moment before becoming hungry for answers over the next fifty pages or so. This pattern repeats itself until the very end of the book. I admire that very much of Anderson's writing. She gave me that same feeling with "Speak". Although I liked the themes and characters of "The Impossible Knife of Memory" more, I have quite a few questions still. I hope to find answers to them somehow.
Have any questions or comments on my review? How well did I do in describing the book? Feel free to comment below.
Check out my writer's blog here.
The Impossible Knife of Memory Book Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Hayley Kincain has that same authentic, acidic tone of voice as Melinda, the protagonist of "Speak", one of Anderson's most successful novels to date. At first, it seemed like Hayley was a bit too similar to Melinda, but I soon found my suspicion to be wrong. It's not that one is better than the other. Hayley has different challenges to deal with, and Anderson describes these challenges, as well as Hayley's approach to them, impeccably. For Hayley, it often seems that, just as life is starting to get a little better, something terrible happens, and things suddenly get a whole lot worse. The opposite happens as well, such as when Hayley escapes the unexpected "party" her father is having with military friends and goes to the football game she had promised her friend Finn she would write about, then finds herself having a very sweet time with Finn when he reveals his romantic interest in her. But then, there is the terrible moment when they are about to have their first kiss in front of Hayley's house, and Hayley's father Andy comes out holding an axe, drunk and angry. Things only get worse when Trish, Andy's ex-girlfriend and Hayley's former "stepmom", comes back. In the midst of all of these challenges, Hayley must deal with both her father's mental instability and her own, as both are scarred by the memories they have tried so desperately to escape.
Anderson portrays the struggles of Hayley and those who care about her with such clarity and poignance, I cried. I know it sounds really cheesy to say it like that, but I'm the kind of person who doesn't cry easily at books, even if they really are sad. I read plenty of novels and stories that were labeled "tear-jerkers", "heartbreaking" or just plain sad, but didn't make one tear come from my eye. This novel made me tear up twice, and for prolonged moments, which says a lot. The few other times a book has made me cry, it was always after the book had ended and I was processing everything. A couple of short stories I read made me cry, but I'd read them before and they hadn't made me cry the first time; I'd been a little more torn up when I started reading them for the second time. In conclusion, it is hard to get my tears from any book, period. This book did it, and more than once. And it did so with such beauty, I can only applaud Anderson for her ability to create situations and characters that you feel so attached to, even if you have no prior experience with PTSD of family members or of your own. The snippets that describe Andy's experiences in the military are nothing short of excellent. Hayley's descriptions of the "ripping" feeling as sad memories resurface is spot on. It is from these "knife" and "ripping" allusions and descriptions that the book seems to get its name.
But I have a few questions and concerns. WARNING: THERE ARE BIGGER SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON. If you do not want to hear about the ending, or other more intricate aspects of the book, please do NOT read on.
My first question is a minor one, but not insignificant. What is with all the typos? I don't know if it was just an error in my particular edition, but I caught multiple instances in which there was either a word missing, words in the wrong order or some other kind of small but significant grammatical error. I understand that, no matter how many times you edit it, any novel is going to end up with at least a couple of small grammatical errors. That's completely acceptable. The first time I caught a mistake of this kind while reading "The Impossible Knife of Memory", I brushed it off. But it kept on happening, again and again. I don't mean to be nitpicky, but certain errors can really lower that feeling of exhilaration you get when you're reading one of the more "dangerous" parts of the novel. I'm not blaming this error on anyone in particular. But I think it's something to be kept in mind for the future.
Second question (and this is a bigger one) goes as follows: What on Earth happens to Gracie and Topher?? I know that Hayley is the protagonist, and she and Finn are much more focused on than they are (and with good reason), but I was a little bit thrown off when Anderson didn't say a bit more about where these characters ended up. Before Hayley, Finn and Andy are thrown into a life-threatening situation (mostly because of Andy), Gracie was trying to get into college somewhere far away while trying to deal with her parents' rut in their marriage and the care of her kid brother. Where is she off to when Finn is off to Swevenbury and Hayley is off to state school somewhere? (And what school does Hayley even get into anyway? And where? It would be good to know at least what city or state she is going to, because the mention of somewhere south of where she went to high school that gave good financial aid and bla bla bla just doesn't cut it for me.)
But back to Gracie. What does she end up doing? Does she stay close to home, or does she get a ticket to get out and go somewhere far away? And what does Topher end up doing? Do they end up in different schools? Honestly, with the descriptions of Gracie given throughout the book, especially of her darker moments and her fleeting innocence at the beginning, I thought I'd be able to see where she finally ends up. Either there was some indication of Gracie and Topher's "final" outcome that I completely missed, or it just isn't really there.
And what happens with Finn's family? He wasn't exactly seeing rainbows and unicorns at home with his sister's addiction and his conflictive, perhaps overbearing (in just a few aspects) parents. I understand that end is a bit trickier to tie up, and could get messy in the process of trying to figure out a resolution to Hayley's story, which is the main focus. But it would have been nice to know just a little more about what happened with Finn's family. Frankly, I was very happy that Finn got a huge scholarship to Swevenbury (he deserved it) and was able to get away from home. Still, now that I am processing this situation further, this lack of a more fixed conclusion may match what happens at Hayley's house, although at least with Andy the author alludes to the idea that he might actually be getting better this time. If he really isn't, then at least Hayley can get away from that. The same goes for Finn and his family. But I do have those questions, and it makes me wonder if Anderson will write a sequel to "The Impossible Knife of Memory". It would be really interesting.
Although there are plenty of things about the ending that are highly satisfying, I still felt a little dissatisfying. I wanted to hear a bit more from Hayley. It broke my heart to see her and Finn going their separate ways, although it's understandable, given their circumstances of college searches. It was a beautiful ending, but I felt like something was missing.
If I had to rate this book, I'd give it a seven, at most an eight, out of ten. It was beautifully crafted, very poignant and highly realistic. If my rating were based solely on the quality of the writing, (minus the errors which are just shortfalls in the editing) the book would be a nine or ten. Adding up the questions I still have, mostly because of that sense of incompleteness and "What about this person?", plus the accumulation of errors in editing, I give it the seven. It pains me to do so, because this was a really beautiful book, but after the initial (very strong) book hangover, I had questions hanging. I wanted answers that I could not find. I still think a lot of people should read this book, because there are some beautiful character and plot evolutions, as well as some revelations that are very well-placed. Anderson has a way of making you feel glued to the page, barely satisfied one moment before becoming hungry for answers over the next fifty pages or so. This pattern repeats itself until the very end of the book. I admire that very much of Anderson's writing. She gave me that same feeling with "Speak". Although I liked the themes and characters of "The Impossible Knife of Memory" more, I have quite a few questions still. I hope to find answers to them somehow.
Have any questions or comments on my review? How well did I do in describing the book? Feel free to comment below.
Check out my writer's blog here.
The Impossible Knife of Memory Book Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
#15: If I Stay by Gayle Forman
"If I Stay" was met with much anticipation on my part. After trying several times to get it from my local library, I finally received it as a Christmas present, and immediately dug in.
Gayle Forman has a magical way of weaving the story. At the beginning, I was very intrigued to know who Mia was, what the world around her and the people in her life were like. Mia's voice is honest, humble and unsparing. Forman creates amazing descriptions of the events in Mia's life, from the car accident that kills her family (described so realistically, I could see it all gruesomely unfold in my mind) to beautiful moments from her past and the cold, tense moments of limbo she experiences as she waits in the hospital, looking at her broken body and processing the changes that have occurred and the decisions she must make.
One thing I especially liked about Forman's writing is that she shows the virtues and flaws of each character brilliantly, making the characters easier to imagine as people in real life, rather than just storybook characters living in a seemingly real world. In fact, showcasing Mia and Adam's flaws as people, as well as in their relationship, made them seem much more realistic as a couple. The same goes for Mia's family and friends, including her best friend, Kim, who seems very unlikeable at first, but then reveals herself to be a mature, insightful, humble friend who defends Mia with tooth and nail.
The setting in which the story took place also seemed very vivid. It wasn't merely that Forman used a real state, Oregon, but that she also described Mia's school and home, the hospital and many other places without exaggeration, emphasizing just the right qualities of each place, such as the mixture of comfort and conflict in Mia's home and the cold, unforgiving hallways of the hospital that Mia wanders through. Her music camp seemed to glow with the warmth of campfires, stars and camaraderie. The coffee shop she and Kim would frequent seems surrounded by a dim glow, the coffee smell almost jumping off the page. The wet, grey backdrop of Oregon surrounded most of these locations, never to be forgotten, as it seems to remind us of the dark gloom that encroaches as Mia contemplates her family's deaths and thinks about what her own might be like, if she were to choose it.
Overall, I thought Forman's writing was beautiful and masterful, evoking sadness, beauty and empathy brilliantly. As a Young Adult writer, I hope to craft novels as masterful as hers. "If I Stay" has become a model of inspiration for me, due to both the way the story is told and how the book is structured. There is an alluring air to it all, and I'm so grateful I was finally able to get my hands on it. If you are looking to read YA, write YA or both, then I highly recommend you read this book.
If I Stay Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Gayle Forman has a magical way of weaving the story. At the beginning, I was very intrigued to know who Mia was, what the world around her and the people in her life were like. Mia's voice is honest, humble and unsparing. Forman creates amazing descriptions of the events in Mia's life, from the car accident that kills her family (described so realistically, I could see it all gruesomely unfold in my mind) to beautiful moments from her past and the cold, tense moments of limbo she experiences as she waits in the hospital, looking at her broken body and processing the changes that have occurred and the decisions she must make.
One thing I especially liked about Forman's writing is that she shows the virtues and flaws of each character brilliantly, making the characters easier to imagine as people in real life, rather than just storybook characters living in a seemingly real world. In fact, showcasing Mia and Adam's flaws as people, as well as in their relationship, made them seem much more realistic as a couple. The same goes for Mia's family and friends, including her best friend, Kim, who seems very unlikeable at first, but then reveals herself to be a mature, insightful, humble friend who defends Mia with tooth and nail.
The setting in which the story took place also seemed very vivid. It wasn't merely that Forman used a real state, Oregon, but that she also described Mia's school and home, the hospital and many other places without exaggeration, emphasizing just the right qualities of each place, such as the mixture of comfort and conflict in Mia's home and the cold, unforgiving hallways of the hospital that Mia wanders through. Her music camp seemed to glow with the warmth of campfires, stars and camaraderie. The coffee shop she and Kim would frequent seems surrounded by a dim glow, the coffee smell almost jumping off the page. The wet, grey backdrop of Oregon surrounded most of these locations, never to be forgotten, as it seems to remind us of the dark gloom that encroaches as Mia contemplates her family's deaths and thinks about what her own might be like, if she were to choose it.
Overall, I thought Forman's writing was beautiful and masterful, evoking sadness, beauty and empathy brilliantly. As a Young Adult writer, I hope to craft novels as masterful as hers. "If I Stay" has become a model of inspiration for me, due to both the way the story is told and how the book is structured. There is an alluring air to it all, and I'm so grateful I was finally able to get my hands on it. If you are looking to read YA, write YA or both, then I highly recommend you read this book.
If I Stay Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
#14: Slant Six by Erin Belieu
Slant Six is one of several poetry anthologies I acquired over the year 2014, when I began my very first Poetry Writing class at my university. I even got to meet her and have her sign my copy, which is super cool!
Anyway, about Slant Six: This little collection of poems is dark, funny, innovative, evocative, surprising, beautiful and ultimately satisfying. Knowing Erin, who came with Lauren Berry to a private Q&A session in my class, her poems reflect her personality quite well. Erin is very sincere, but also funny in a serious sort of way. Her humor comes naturally, both in her personality and her poetry.
"Poem of Philosophical and Parental Conundrums Written In An Election Year", for example, seems to be, in my opinion, a prime example of Erin's impeccable style, as well as a reflection of her motherly love and keen perception. The poem, like many others Erin has written, is effortlessly upbeat and witty. One particular part that struck me reads:
"how we're suckered into thinking this kid stuff
is a science when really it's the most abstract
art form, like you're standing in a gallery at
MoMA, staring at an aquarium in which float
three basketballs, and the piece is titled
Aquarium with Three Basketballs...." (Erin Belieu, Slant Six, 2014. All rights reserved.)
Other poems I particularly liked include "The Body Is A Big Sagacity", "Burying It", "Apres Moi" and "Olentangy River". Overall, nevertheless, the collection is brilliant and memorizing, and prompts me to read it over and over again until I have every bit of Erin Belieu's poems memorized.
For more information on my time with Erin Belieu and my writing, check out my other blog at http://cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com/
LIKE my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/courtneyjustuswriter?fref=ts
Slant Six Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Anyway, about Slant Six: This little collection of poems is dark, funny, innovative, evocative, surprising, beautiful and ultimately satisfying. Knowing Erin, who came with Lauren Berry to a private Q&A session in my class, her poems reflect her personality quite well. Erin is very sincere, but also funny in a serious sort of way. Her humor comes naturally, both in her personality and her poetry.
"Poem of Philosophical and Parental Conundrums Written In An Election Year", for example, seems to be, in my opinion, a prime example of Erin's impeccable style, as well as a reflection of her motherly love and keen perception. The poem, like many others Erin has written, is effortlessly upbeat and witty. One particular part that struck me reads:
"how we're suckered into thinking this kid stuff
is a science when really it's the most abstract
art form, like you're standing in a gallery at
MoMA, staring at an aquarium in which float
three basketballs, and the piece is titled
Aquarium with Three Basketballs...." (Erin Belieu, Slant Six, 2014. All rights reserved.)
Other poems I particularly liked include "The Body Is A Big Sagacity", "Burying It", "Apres Moi" and "Olentangy River". Overall, nevertheless, the collection is brilliant and memorizing, and prompts me to read it over and over again until I have every bit of Erin Belieu's poems memorized.
For more information on my time with Erin Belieu and my writing, check out my other blog at http://cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com/
LIKE my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/courtneyjustuswriter?fref=ts
Slant Six Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
#13: Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole
This book was on display at my university library. I picked it up out of curiosity, and immediately found myself immersed in the world of David, Elspeth and those around them. There are two main time periods in the book: just before and during World War One, and smack in the middle of World War Two. David and Elspeth, who meet through a series of letters, are shown at alternate stages in their relationship. These fragments, in turn, are pieced with the story of Margaret, Elspeth's daughter, who begins to uncover the story of her mother's great love when she is grown up and nearly ready to have a family of her own.
The main difficulty David and Elspeth face is the distance that separates. This distance changes from time to time as the two characters move from place to place, and peril ensues when David goes off to war after losing his job as a teacher, hoping to make something greater of his life. Elspeth, on the other hand, mostly remains on the Isle of Skye, writing books of poetry, until the strength of David's love changes both of their lives forever.
There are very difficult and sad parts in this book, but Jessica Brockmole writes with such grace and clarity that they seem beautiful. Whether you've had problems with distance in relationships or not, you can still greatly enjoy the story and empathize with its characters, who Brockmole has fleshed out carefully and cleverly. She has done the same for the story in itself, allowing us to envision the various landscapes and situations of the novel so starkly, you feel as though you were reading the book at Place Three in France, or at Elspeth's cottage in Skye.
Overall, Letters from Skye was both surprising and pleasing. I highly recommend it and would definitely read it again.
Letters From Skye Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The main difficulty David and Elspeth face is the distance that separates. This distance changes from time to time as the two characters move from place to place, and peril ensues when David goes off to war after losing his job as a teacher, hoping to make something greater of his life. Elspeth, on the other hand, mostly remains on the Isle of Skye, writing books of poetry, until the strength of David's love changes both of their lives forever.
There are very difficult and sad parts in this book, but Jessica Brockmole writes with such grace and clarity that they seem beautiful. Whether you've had problems with distance in relationships or not, you can still greatly enjoy the story and empathize with its characters, who Brockmole has fleshed out carefully and cleverly. She has done the same for the story in itself, allowing us to envision the various landscapes and situations of the novel so starkly, you feel as though you were reading the book at Place Three in France, or at Elspeth's cottage in Skye.
Overall, Letters from Skye was both surprising and pleasing. I highly recommend it and would definitely read it again.
Letters From Skye Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
#12: Looking for Alaska by John Green
I finished "Looking For Alaska" today at around one in the afternoon in the car on the way to the bus station, knowing I could not take this precious book with me back to college because it had to be returned, so I made every second count and felt myself blown away.
It. Was. Amazing.
Miles Halter is a sixteen year-old seeking more out of life. Tired of his "boring" school friends and the life he leads in general, he goes off to boarding school in search of what he calls a Great Perhaps: the possibility of something new and amazing happening to him. He finds more adventures than he bargained for when he meets his roommate, Chip "The Colonel" Martin, Takumi, Lara and Alaska Young, a beautiful and fascinating young woman he is dying to have. Amidst strict teachers, precalc tests, study sessions at McDonalds and a few pranks, Miles finds what could be his Great Perhaps...and something more.
John Green's prose is pitch perfect in this book, and the messages woven carefully into the next are enough to throw you for a loop, make you question what you thought you knew and then make you want even more. Every object, look, face, detail in the fabric has its own story, its own meaning in the book which goes way beyond what you first imagine.
Because of its poignance and depth, "Looking For Alaska" is now a frontrunner for my new favorite book. It's still sinking in, but I have to say...Never has a book told the parallels of our lives so well.
Even if you are not a sixteen year-old boy at a boarding school in Alabama, you can still identify with other aspects of Green's novel. Personally, the labyrinth of suffering, the love stories and the connection of the Religions class to the final essay, which connected every point in the novel, were some of my favorite things. Those words have stuck with me till today, and hopefully they will stick with you too.
Looking For Alaska Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
It. Was. Amazing.
Miles Halter is a sixteen year-old seeking more out of life. Tired of his "boring" school friends and the life he leads in general, he goes off to boarding school in search of what he calls a Great Perhaps: the possibility of something new and amazing happening to him. He finds more adventures than he bargained for when he meets his roommate, Chip "The Colonel" Martin, Takumi, Lara and Alaska Young, a beautiful and fascinating young woman he is dying to have. Amidst strict teachers, precalc tests, study sessions at McDonalds and a few pranks, Miles finds what could be his Great Perhaps...and something more.
John Green's prose is pitch perfect in this book, and the messages woven carefully into the next are enough to throw you for a loop, make you question what you thought you knew and then make you want even more. Every object, look, face, detail in the fabric has its own story, its own meaning in the book which goes way beyond what you first imagine.
Because of its poignance and depth, "Looking For Alaska" is now a frontrunner for my new favorite book. It's still sinking in, but I have to say...Never has a book told the parallels of our lives so well.
Even if you are not a sixteen year-old boy at a boarding school in Alabama, you can still identify with other aspects of Green's novel. Personally, the labyrinth of suffering, the love stories and the connection of the Religions class to the final essay, which connected every point in the novel, were some of my favorite things. Those words have stuck with me till today, and hopefully they will stick with you too.
Looking For Alaska Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Monday, August 11, 2014
#11: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
This is my second David Mitchell read, and certainly not my last. I finished it this morning with great anticipation, and was not left unsatisfied.
Cloud Atlas is not your typical fiction novel. There are six different stories in the book, all intertwined and divided up. While I love the way Mitchell's novel is sort of like a puzzle, it can be a little confusing at times. For example, I was close to page 40 of the book (The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing) when one of his entries ended and a completely different section of the book started (Letters from Zedelghem). Although this intrigued me, it took me several pages of the next section to fully understand what the author was trying to do-connect Adam Ewing to Robert Frobisher, the writer of these letters-and how he was trying to do it.
Surprisingly, an entry that at first seemed bewildering, Sloosha's Crossin' An' Ev'rythin' After, turned out to be one of my favorites. The particular language of this section caught my attention from the start: since it is narrated by a semi-uneducated man living on a tropical isle, Zachry, the grammar and pronunciation of his words are odd and at times difficult to understand. I did notice, however, a similarity to the way Black Swan Green, a later novel of Mitchell's, is written while reading Zachry's narration. There were some similarities in Timothy Cavendish's narration (The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish) as well, since Timothy is an authentic Englishman and speaks as one would expect an authentic Englishman too.
Going back to Sloosha's Crossin', I was able to see a sort of transformation in Zachry, different from the ones I saw in other characters. When he first started narrating, I disliked Zachry. I couldn't understand why he'd purposefully let a savage Indian tribe kill his father and brother, and I disliked the way he treated Meronym, a woman from another island, while she was staying in his home.
However, there were distinctive moments of clarity which made the transformation progress and helped me gain a better understanding of what was going on with Zachry and the novel in its whole. For example, Zachry describes how he'd fallen in love with a girl and planned to marry her, but after their first child was stillborn, she'd left him for someone else. This shows how Zachry hardened up and did not perceive love in the same way from that point onward. In addition, when his younger sister Catkin is dying, Zachry confesses some of his darkest secrets to Meronym, desperate and overwhelmed, and in turn Meronym is able to find a way to help Catkin, which makes Zachry respect her more.
One of this book's most fascinating and important details is a comet birthmark. It is one of the main connecting elements of the novel, which brings the six stories together. The fact that Mitchell uses a comet feels symbolic; a comet is cosmic, brilliant and often short-lived, just like a single human life when compared to the infinite time span that stretches before us. The comet birthmark also bears a similarity to Mitchell's references to clouds in the sky being like souls crossing the sea of time, thus tying in the title to the story lines.
All in all, this book was amazing. Despite some difficulties reading it, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to read it again. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good adventure story or a novel that is "different" from the conventional. Boy or girl, young or old, you are sure to greatly enjoy it.
Check out my other blog: cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com
Cloud Atlas Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Cloud Atlas is not your typical fiction novel. There are six different stories in the book, all intertwined and divided up. While I love the way Mitchell's novel is sort of like a puzzle, it can be a little confusing at times. For example, I was close to page 40 of the book (The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing) when one of his entries ended and a completely different section of the book started (Letters from Zedelghem). Although this intrigued me, it took me several pages of the next section to fully understand what the author was trying to do-connect Adam Ewing to Robert Frobisher, the writer of these letters-and how he was trying to do it.
Surprisingly, an entry that at first seemed bewildering, Sloosha's Crossin' An' Ev'rythin' After, turned out to be one of my favorites. The particular language of this section caught my attention from the start: since it is narrated by a semi-uneducated man living on a tropical isle, Zachry, the grammar and pronunciation of his words are odd and at times difficult to understand. I did notice, however, a similarity to the way Black Swan Green, a later novel of Mitchell's, is written while reading Zachry's narration. There were some similarities in Timothy Cavendish's narration (The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish) as well, since Timothy is an authentic Englishman and speaks as one would expect an authentic Englishman too.
Going back to Sloosha's Crossin', I was able to see a sort of transformation in Zachry, different from the ones I saw in other characters. When he first started narrating, I disliked Zachry. I couldn't understand why he'd purposefully let a savage Indian tribe kill his father and brother, and I disliked the way he treated Meronym, a woman from another island, while she was staying in his home.
However, there were distinctive moments of clarity which made the transformation progress and helped me gain a better understanding of what was going on with Zachry and the novel in its whole. For example, Zachry describes how he'd fallen in love with a girl and planned to marry her, but after their first child was stillborn, she'd left him for someone else. This shows how Zachry hardened up and did not perceive love in the same way from that point onward. In addition, when his younger sister Catkin is dying, Zachry confesses some of his darkest secrets to Meronym, desperate and overwhelmed, and in turn Meronym is able to find a way to help Catkin, which makes Zachry respect her more.
One of this book's most fascinating and important details is a comet birthmark. It is one of the main connecting elements of the novel, which brings the six stories together. The fact that Mitchell uses a comet feels symbolic; a comet is cosmic, brilliant and often short-lived, just like a single human life when compared to the infinite time span that stretches before us. The comet birthmark also bears a similarity to Mitchell's references to clouds in the sky being like souls crossing the sea of time, thus tying in the title to the story lines.
All in all, this book was amazing. Despite some difficulties reading it, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to read it again. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good adventure story or a novel that is "different" from the conventional. Boy or girl, young or old, you are sure to greatly enjoy it.
Check out my other blog: cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com
Cloud Atlas Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
#10: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Where to begin? I've been looking to review this book since the creation of this blog, but I've been looking for the right words to say about it, because this book deserves an excellent review. And that is what I am going to give it.
In a city divided into factions according to different ideologies, Beatrice Prior feels out of place in her family and the world around her. At school she is made fun of because she is from Abnegation, a faction which values selflessness, and other peers call her a 'Stiff'. But Beatrice doesn't feel selfless, especially when she compares herself to her brother, Caleb, who constantly exhibits the qualities Abnegation parents want their children to have.
One day, a special test tells Beatrice that she is Divergent, meaning that she has aptitude for three different factions-Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless-, something very rare and, as she is told, 'dangerous'. When she decides to leave Abnegation and join Dauntless, Beatrice, now called Tris, learns more about what she is, what she truly believes in and what kind of life she wants to lead.
What I especially love about this book is that it focuses on what it's like to be 'different'; in this case, Divergent. Tris shows what it is like for her to feel and be different from everyone else, while being judged according to both her old faction and her 'special' aptitudes, skills which secretly come from her Divergence and place her in a different category from her fellow initiates, though they hardly realize it. The author, Veronica Roth, portrays being Divergent, or being different, as something good, which gives the book a really nice feel.
Another thing I love is the portrayal of fear. As part of her initiation in the faction of Dauntless, Tris must go through a series of realistic simulations in which she must face her own fears. During her first few simulations, Tris calms herself down by telling herself that it is only an illusion, which allows her to get through the simulations much faster than the other initiates. The idea that our fears are illusions is actually a fascinating, spiritual idea, supported in books such as The Alchemist. -"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."During initiation, Tris must get past her fears in order to become an official member of Dauntless, which prompts me to ask a question:
Don't we need to get over our fears in order to get to where we really want to be in life?
Divergent is fast-paced, entertaining, deep and meaningful. It will have you hooked from page one until the very end, making it an unforgettable novel which is worth reading again and again.
Be sure to check out my other blog: cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com
Divergent Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
In a city divided into factions according to different ideologies, Beatrice Prior feels out of place in her family and the world around her. At school she is made fun of because she is from Abnegation, a faction which values selflessness, and other peers call her a 'Stiff'. But Beatrice doesn't feel selfless, especially when she compares herself to her brother, Caleb, who constantly exhibits the qualities Abnegation parents want their children to have.
One day, a special test tells Beatrice that she is Divergent, meaning that she has aptitude for three different factions-Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless-, something very rare and, as she is told, 'dangerous'. When she decides to leave Abnegation and join Dauntless, Beatrice, now called Tris, learns more about what she is, what she truly believes in and what kind of life she wants to lead.
What I especially love about this book is that it focuses on what it's like to be 'different'; in this case, Divergent. Tris shows what it is like for her to feel and be different from everyone else, while being judged according to both her old faction and her 'special' aptitudes, skills which secretly come from her Divergence and place her in a different category from her fellow initiates, though they hardly realize it. The author, Veronica Roth, portrays being Divergent, or being different, as something good, which gives the book a really nice feel.
Another thing I love is the portrayal of fear. As part of her initiation in the faction of Dauntless, Tris must go through a series of realistic simulations in which she must face her own fears. During her first few simulations, Tris calms herself down by telling herself that it is only an illusion, which allows her to get through the simulations much faster than the other initiates. The idea that our fears are illusions is actually a fascinating, spiritual idea, supported in books such as The Alchemist. -"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."During initiation, Tris must get past her fears in order to become an official member of Dauntless, which prompts me to ask a question:
Don't we need to get over our fears in order to get to where we really want to be in life?
Divergent is fast-paced, entertaining, deep and meaningful. It will have you hooked from page one until the very end, making it an unforgettable novel which is worth reading again and again.
Be sure to check out my other blog: cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com
Divergent Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Monday, July 21, 2014
#9: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
To be honest, I am guilty of doing movie before book on this one. However, over a year passed between the time I saw the movie and read the book, so I didn't remember a lot when I picked it up. Plus, I found, as I went along, that there was a lot of great content I didn't even remember seeing in the movie (Bad memory? Or too much censoring on the in-flight entertainment? Hahaha) and was surprised and pleased as I went along. That being said, here is what I love about this book:
The protagonist of this book, Charlie, is one of the sweetest, most lovable, sincere and down to Earth book characters I have ever come in contact with. With every page, I only wished more that he was an actual person and not a creation of Stephen Chbosky's imagination (although I know there are people similar to him in spirit, some of which I know, and for that I am grateful.), flaws and all. Charlie narrates the story in a series of letters he is writing to an unnamed "Friend", for whom he expresses a deep trust. But really, it feels as though Charlie is talking to YOU, the reader, telling YOU in person about his experiences.
Charlie is an introvert who longs to survive high school. Not long into his freshmen year, he kindles a friendship with two seniors, Patrick and Sam, who become very near and dear to him. They show Charlie the different ins and outs of high school, and teach him lessons schoolbooks cannot. Charlie grows, physically and mentally, and learns to come to terms with the more difficult aspects of life-the ones that most people, especially introverts, want to run and hide from-and gain a deeper perspective and understanding.
I saw this book on a list of "challenged" books once, and I can see why. There are some drugs, sexual content and allusions to mental/psychological issues. However, these do not make the story any less compelling. If anything, I think we should take the time to question ourselves about such things in our society. If I had known from before that this had been a "banned" book and decided to stay away from it, I would've missed out on a story that impacted me hugely. As a fellow introvert, I still think of Charlie and his story from time to time, and ask myself when I am going to pick up that book again.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The protagonist of this book, Charlie, is one of the sweetest, most lovable, sincere and down to Earth book characters I have ever come in contact with. With every page, I only wished more that he was an actual person and not a creation of Stephen Chbosky's imagination (although I know there are people similar to him in spirit, some of which I know, and for that I am grateful.), flaws and all. Charlie narrates the story in a series of letters he is writing to an unnamed "Friend", for whom he expresses a deep trust. But really, it feels as though Charlie is talking to YOU, the reader, telling YOU in person about his experiences.
Charlie is an introvert who longs to survive high school. Not long into his freshmen year, he kindles a friendship with two seniors, Patrick and Sam, who become very near and dear to him. They show Charlie the different ins and outs of high school, and teach him lessons schoolbooks cannot. Charlie grows, physically and mentally, and learns to come to terms with the more difficult aspects of life-the ones that most people, especially introverts, want to run and hide from-and gain a deeper perspective and understanding.
I saw this book on a list of "challenged" books once, and I can see why. There are some drugs, sexual content and allusions to mental/psychological issues. However, these do not make the story any less compelling. If anything, I think we should take the time to question ourselves about such things in our society. If I had known from before that this had been a "banned" book and decided to stay away from it, I would've missed out on a story that impacted me hugely. As a fellow introvert, I still think of Charlie and his story from time to time, and ask myself when I am going to pick up that book again.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Friday, June 27, 2014
#8: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
As far as inspiration goes, it's pretty hard (if not impossible) to top "The Glass Castle". This is a memoir unlike any you have ever read. It is one of those books that will keep you up at night, whether it's reading the next chapter or just thinking about what you've already read.
Jeannette Walls had a far from easy childhood. Her first memory is of catching her dress on fire while cooking hot dogs in the family's trailer. She was just three years old. Her parents took her to the hospital, but her father checked her out "Rex Walls style" (secretly) before she was ready to come home.
Things did not go any more smoothly from there. Her family moved from one town to another, always careful to avoid tax collectors and other officials who could put Rex and Rosemary (her mother) in jail or take their kids away from them. Jeannette was raped and nearly shot while living in one small town and bullied for most of her childhood, due to her family's poverty, her physical appearance and, on a few occasions, for doing well at school.
Her biggest supporters throughout her childhood were her siblings: Lori, Brian and Maureen. However, Lori and Brian also went through their own shares of bullying, and Maureen, although more sheltered by friends, was not immune to the problems her siblings went to at school and at home. Their father was an alcoholic who couldn't keep a stable job for more than a few months. He would sometimes exhibit violence towards their mother, an artist who dedicated more time to her artwork than to her children. She struggled to be a successful artist but refused to use her teaching degree to put food on the table. The logic she used was along the lines of: "Why spend an hour making a meal that will be gone in minutes, when I can make a painting that will last forever?"
However, in spite of all her struggles, Jeannette was able to triumph, both career-wise and in character. For example, while living in Welch, West Virginia, she was able to make friends with a girl who once bullied her by helping her little brother escape from danger and, subsequently, aiding the former bully in schoolwork. Jeannette also helped her sister Lori escape to New York, but was never one to avoid helping around the house. She created a family budget while her mother was away working in order to help properly feed her family, and even tried to make their run-down house in Welch look nicer by painting it. But once she left that life behind, her success only continued to grow as she graduated with honors from college and became a successful writer.
All in all, it's a fantastic book that deserves to be read over and over again. If you ever feel like there are obstacles in your life that can't be surpassed, that your circumstances are blocking you from a brighter future, or you are simply looking for a source of inspiration, then you should read this book. You'll be grateful that you did.
Also check out my other blog: cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com
The Glass Castle Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Jeannette Walls had a far from easy childhood. Her first memory is of catching her dress on fire while cooking hot dogs in the family's trailer. She was just three years old. Her parents took her to the hospital, but her father checked her out "Rex Walls style" (secretly) before she was ready to come home.
Things did not go any more smoothly from there. Her family moved from one town to another, always careful to avoid tax collectors and other officials who could put Rex and Rosemary (her mother) in jail or take their kids away from them. Jeannette was raped and nearly shot while living in one small town and bullied for most of her childhood, due to her family's poverty, her physical appearance and, on a few occasions, for doing well at school.
Her biggest supporters throughout her childhood were her siblings: Lori, Brian and Maureen. However, Lori and Brian also went through their own shares of bullying, and Maureen, although more sheltered by friends, was not immune to the problems her siblings went to at school and at home. Their father was an alcoholic who couldn't keep a stable job for more than a few months. He would sometimes exhibit violence towards their mother, an artist who dedicated more time to her artwork than to her children. She struggled to be a successful artist but refused to use her teaching degree to put food on the table. The logic she used was along the lines of: "Why spend an hour making a meal that will be gone in minutes, when I can make a painting that will last forever?"
However, in spite of all her struggles, Jeannette was able to triumph, both career-wise and in character. For example, while living in Welch, West Virginia, she was able to make friends with a girl who once bullied her by helping her little brother escape from danger and, subsequently, aiding the former bully in schoolwork. Jeannette also helped her sister Lori escape to New York, but was never one to avoid helping around the house. She created a family budget while her mother was away working in order to help properly feed her family, and even tried to make their run-down house in Welch look nicer by painting it. But once she left that life behind, her success only continued to grow as she graduated with honors from college and became a successful writer.
All in all, it's a fantastic book that deserves to be read over and over again. If you ever feel like there are obstacles in your life that can't be surpassed, that your circumstances are blocking you from a brighter future, or you are simply looking for a source of inspiration, then you should read this book. You'll be grateful that you did.
Also check out my other blog: cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com
The Glass Castle Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
#7: Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
I finished this book just over a week ago and have been planning to write a review for it since. If you are a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants fan, this book should be on your to-read list (if you haven't already devoured it, that is.).
Ten years after their wonderful vacation in Santorini, the four "sisters" (Carmen, Lena, Bridget and Tibby) are distanced from each other. Sure, they all saw each other at Carmen's big celebration at the bar...but that was two years ago. They are each living their own separate lives; Carmen is a TV actress in New York with an iPhone, makeovers and a massively packed agenda; Lena teaches art classes and lives in a tiny apartment in Providence; Bridget lives in California with her boyfriend Eric; and Tibby has moved to Australia with her boyfriend Brian, but she becomes even more uncommunicative with her friends the longer she stays in Australia.
Finally, Lena, Carmen and Bridget all receive letters from Tibby containing plane tickets and letters stating that they will reunite in Santorini in October. They all know how excited they are to get there and how much their friendship means to each other, but none of them know how much this trip, and some future letters, will change their lives.
There is tragedy, heartbreak, bitterness and sadness, but also compassion, empathy, kindness and the joy that only true friendship can bring. Each page will have you more gripped than the next one as you seek to learn what becomes of these sisters, their love interests, their passions and their friendship.
It's a great read, very well-written and absolutely perfectly planned. If you couldn't get enough of the other books, this one will surely satisfy your thirst. Just keep a tissue box nearby, just in case.
Sisterhood Everlasting Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Ten years after their wonderful vacation in Santorini, the four "sisters" (Carmen, Lena, Bridget and Tibby) are distanced from each other. Sure, they all saw each other at Carmen's big celebration at the bar...but that was two years ago. They are each living their own separate lives; Carmen is a TV actress in New York with an iPhone, makeovers and a massively packed agenda; Lena teaches art classes and lives in a tiny apartment in Providence; Bridget lives in California with her boyfriend Eric; and Tibby has moved to Australia with her boyfriend Brian, but she becomes even more uncommunicative with her friends the longer she stays in Australia.
Finally, Lena, Carmen and Bridget all receive letters from Tibby containing plane tickets and letters stating that they will reunite in Santorini in October. They all know how excited they are to get there and how much their friendship means to each other, but none of them know how much this trip, and some future letters, will change their lives.
There is tragedy, heartbreak, bitterness and sadness, but also compassion, empathy, kindness and the joy that only true friendship can bring. Each page will have you more gripped than the next one as you seek to learn what becomes of these sisters, their love interests, their passions and their friendship.
It's a great read, very well-written and absolutely perfectly planned. If you couldn't get enough of the other books, this one will surely satisfy your thirst. Just keep a tissue box nearby, just in case.
Sisterhood Everlasting Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
#6: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Of the many books I've had the pleasure of picking up, this has been my favorite for quite a while. It is one of those stories that makes you feel like the world has changed orbit the minute you put it down. Let me tell you why.
Thirteen Reasons Why Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
From the very beginning, you know that this will not be a "happy story". It starts with the main character, Clay Jensen, talking about a package he got in the mail. But this is no ordinary package. It is a package he got in the mail from Hannah Baker, a girl he knew who had just committed suicide. The contents of this package change Clay's life. As Clay delves into the content of this package, he learns who made the most powerful marks on Hannah for her to consider taking her life.
Not only is the storytelling so compelling and powerful, but ingrained with a deep message. Hannah's story inspires authentic empathy as she invites the reader, to listen to her, to understand what happened to her and how it made her feel. She doesn't beat down on those she feels acted wrongly, but rather implicitly asks them: "What was going through your mind when you acted the way you did? Why did you want to do that? Did you truly want to do that?" And even though it never says it, the whole story seems to be asking you two questions:
1)How would you feel if you were in this person's shoes?
2) If you had known that your actions would make this sort of impact, would you have gone through with them anyway?
1)How would you feel if you were in this person's shoes?
2) If you had known that your actions would make this sort of impact, would you have gone through with them anyway?
Some characters will spark hate, while others will gain your trust and affection. But all of them have two thing in common: they will teach you something and make you think. And in all of this, one thing's for sure: you will not be the same person after finishing this book as you were when you started.
Also check out my other blog: cjustuswriterintro.blogspot.com
Thirteen Reasons Why Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
#5: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Have you ever found yourself wondering what the purpose of your life is? Do you have a dream, but a lot of doubt surrounding it? Have you ever feared failure or even success? If so, then "The Alchemist" would be a perfect read for you!
The Alchemist Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Even if you haven't read a lot about metaphysics, religion or anything of the sorts, you'll find that the language Coelho uses is easy to understand. He makes his message very clear in the book; you don't have to struggle to see what the main character is thinking or what he was talking about when he first met the glass merchant. It is all within your reach, a treasure that is your for the taking.
The story line in itself is also simple. Santiago, a young shepherd boy, goes to a gypsy to find the meaning of a dream, and she tells him he will find a great treasure. From there, Santiago sets off on a quest that will change his life and the lives of those around him, learning about passion, perseverance, purpose and dreams in the process.
This book has some remarkable quotes. When I first picked it up, I found myself scribbling them down in an adjacent notebook as they popped up. Here are some of my personal favorites:
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.”
And these are only a few of the many great quotes in the book! Pick up this book today. You'll be glad you did.
The Alchemist Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Friday, June 6, 2014
#4: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
In honor of the movie coming to theaters today (YAY!), I have decided to give a review of what I can say is one of my favorite books of all time: "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. This book has been given so much attention, especially with the new movie, and it deserves it one hundred percent.
Ever the brilliant writer, John Green has created a book filled with metaphors. From the first chapter, when Hazel and Augustus meet. “It's a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing.” To the very end, metaphors such as this one and "Some infinities are bigger than others", keep you wanting to hear more and more.
I will confess that, at first, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I had been told that it was really nice, but I didn't know how to handle the fact that the main characters, Hazel Grace, Augustus and Isaac, had cancer. But after some very eager reading and a lot of thought, I can tell you truthfully that this is not a "cancer book". Sure, there are mentions of how different characters, including the kids from their support group, struggle with and/or feel bad about having cancer. Hazel, for example, does not have full lung capacity, and she tells Augustus how "not being able to breathe really sucks". But that is not the focus of the book.
What is the focus of the book, then? The answer...Love! Romantic love, love in friendship, love in family, love as an emotion and a driving force. It is at the heart of this book. It's what keeps you reading, wanting to learn more and more about Hazel, Augustus, Isaac. From Amsterdam to egging, from support group to stars, from bigger infinities to smaller infinities, they will make you laugh, cry and think very, very hard about what life means to you.
I am not recommending this book just because it is a mega best-seller. I am not recommending it just because one of my favorite actresses is playing Hazel in the "must-see" movie. These are reasons to give it attention, sure. But most of all, I am writing this because this book positively changed my life, and the way I view the world, forever. And hopefully, if you choose to pick it up, it will positively change yours too.
The Fault in Out Stars Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Ever the brilliant writer, John Green has created a book filled with metaphors. From the first chapter, when Hazel and Augustus meet. “It's a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing.” To the very end, metaphors such as this one and "Some infinities are bigger than others", keep you wanting to hear more and more.
I will confess that, at first, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I had been told that it was really nice, but I didn't know how to handle the fact that the main characters, Hazel Grace, Augustus and Isaac, had cancer. But after some very eager reading and a lot of thought, I can tell you truthfully that this is not a "cancer book". Sure, there are mentions of how different characters, including the kids from their support group, struggle with and/or feel bad about having cancer. Hazel, for example, does not have full lung capacity, and she tells Augustus how "not being able to breathe really sucks". But that is not the focus of the book.
What is the focus of the book, then? The answer...Love! Romantic love, love in friendship, love in family, love as an emotion and a driving force. It is at the heart of this book. It's what keeps you reading, wanting to learn more and more about Hazel, Augustus, Isaac. From Amsterdam to egging, from support group to stars, from bigger infinities to smaller infinities, they will make you laugh, cry and think very, very hard about what life means to you.
I am not recommending this book just because it is a mega best-seller. I am not recommending it just because one of my favorite actresses is playing Hazel in the "must-see" movie. These are reasons to give it attention, sure. But most of all, I am writing this because this book positively changed my life, and the way I view the world, forever. And hopefully, if you choose to pick it up, it will positively change yours too.
Note: I do not own any of these images. All images are the property of other websites and organizations.
The Fault in Out Stars Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
#3: Love and Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
"Love and Peaches" is the third book in the Peaches series, written by Jodi Lynn Anderson. It follows the friendship of Murphy, Birdy and Leeda, three very different girls who first came together working on a peach orchard one summer. Birdy is innocent but a little bit fearful, Murphy is stubborn but determined and Leeda is sensible but insecure. Together they lift each other up and have the best of times even when the other parts of their lives aren't working so well.
This book is an easy read, and it's great for girls (especially if you love romance and sappiness in your reads :-) ). Of course, you have to read the first two books in the series to get the gist of it, but like the peaches on Darlington Orchard, it's "super sweet"! You are quite likely to find a piece of yourself in one (or all!) of the girls, and the twists and turns in their paths as they go through family affairs, career decisions and love interests will keep you coming back for more.
No spoiler intended, "Love and Peaches" is an enjoyable book both on its own and as a culmination of the series. You'll surely find it at your local bookstore or library (just like I did) and will find each bite sweeter than the last :)
Courtney
PS: If you have a book you'd like me to review, let me know! If I haven't read it, I will do so and give you my opinion. If I have already read it, maybe I'll even reread it just so that my review is more accurate :)
Have a lovely day! <3
Love and Peaches Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This book is an easy read, and it's great for girls (especially if you love romance and sappiness in your reads :-) ). Of course, you have to read the first two books in the series to get the gist of it, but like the peaches on Darlington Orchard, it's "super sweet"! You are quite likely to find a piece of yourself in one (or all!) of the girls, and the twists and turns in their paths as they go through family affairs, career decisions and love interests will keep you coming back for more.
No spoiler intended, "Love and Peaches" is an enjoyable book both on its own and as a culmination of the series. You'll surely find it at your local bookstore or library (just like I did) and will find each bite sweeter than the last :)
Courtney
PS: If you have a book you'd like me to review, let me know! If I haven't read it, I will do so and give you my opinion. If I have already read it, maybe I'll even reread it just so that my review is more accurate :)
Have a lovely day! <3
Love and Peaches Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
#2: The Tribes of Palos Verdes by Joy Nicholson
I have been wanting to write a decent review of this book for a long time. And by decent, I mean longer than the one I wrote for my Language class. (Small word limits frustrate me. That's why blogs are great: you can write as much as you want :) ) It totally deserves it, as I hope you'll see as this entry progresses.
This book has a very special vibe to it. I'm not sure I would call it spiritual, though you could interpret it like that if you wanted it to. The author doesn't use a lot of complicated words such as pulchritudinous (look it up and be amazed), but there is no need to; the way the protagonist tells her story draws you in with a pull like that of the waves she surfs, and her honest, reliable and authentic voice will surprise, sadden and intrigue you over and over again.
Our protagonist, Medina Mason, is a teenage girl with a lot of things going against her. She is the new kid at school and in the exclusive Palos Verdes area. At school she is isolated, bullied and misunderstood. Her parents have been getting along terribly, and it doesn't look like it will get any better. Jim Mason, her twin brother, is growing distant as the days pass, changing into a completely different person thanks to his popularity at school and, later on, his experiments with drugs. Medina herself is unable to stay completely away from drugs, but unlike her brother, she is able to keep a clear head about her family's issues and her personal issues.
Unlike the other girls at her school, who are only concerned with looks and popularity, Medina is passionate about surfing. She holds to her passion, and to her unique style, in spite of the taunts and jeers of her apathetic peers and the disintegrating stability in her family. She is honest, open, even a bit cynical, but still all the way lovable.
I recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a unique, deep and highly engrossing read, especially if you are a teenager, if you have been bullied and/or if you have divorced parents. Personally, I've read it three times, and could very much read it again. When I first picked it up, I was a fourteen year-old, flat-chested girl with very few friends and recently divorced parents. This book came right when I needed it to.
If you haven't read this book, I sincerely hope you do and that you enjoy it. If you have, awesome! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and choose to reread it. :)
Stay tuned for more recommendations and updates!
Thank you so much. Stay awesome :)
Courtney
The Tribes of Palos Verdes Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This book has a very special vibe to it. I'm not sure I would call it spiritual, though you could interpret it like that if you wanted it to. The author doesn't use a lot of complicated words such as pulchritudinous (look it up and be amazed), but there is no need to; the way the protagonist tells her story draws you in with a pull like that of the waves she surfs, and her honest, reliable and authentic voice will surprise, sadden and intrigue you over and over again.
Our protagonist, Medina Mason, is a teenage girl with a lot of things going against her. She is the new kid at school and in the exclusive Palos Verdes area. At school she is isolated, bullied and misunderstood. Her parents have been getting along terribly, and it doesn't look like it will get any better. Jim Mason, her twin brother, is growing distant as the days pass, changing into a completely different person thanks to his popularity at school and, later on, his experiments with drugs. Medina herself is unable to stay completely away from drugs, but unlike her brother, she is able to keep a clear head about her family's issues and her personal issues.
Unlike the other girls at her school, who are only concerned with looks and popularity, Medina is passionate about surfing. She holds to her passion, and to her unique style, in spite of the taunts and jeers of her apathetic peers and the disintegrating stability in her family. She is honest, open, even a bit cynical, but still all the way lovable.
I recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a unique, deep and highly engrossing read, especially if you are a teenager, if you have been bullied and/or if you have divorced parents. Personally, I've read it three times, and could very much read it again. When I first picked it up, I was a fourteen year-old, flat-chested girl with very few friends and recently divorced parents. This book came right when I needed it to.
If you haven't read this book, I sincerely hope you do and that you enjoy it. If you have, awesome! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and choose to reread it. :)
Stay tuned for more recommendations and updates!
Thank you so much. Stay awesome :)
Courtney
The Tribes of Palos Verdes Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
#1: Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
I finished "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell with great gusto last month. It was a very enjoyable book, and I recommend it to anyone who's interested in a sweet novel with a twinge of sadness. The writing's a bit different from most of the novels I read, since the main character is a British boy from the 1980s, but nonetheless, it's still very understandable.
The story centers around Jason Taylor, a tween living in a tiny town in England pre-Falklands War. Jason loves to write, but he is plagued by a stutter and the desperate need to fit in at school. In order to do this, Jason attempts to keep both his writing and his speech problem as hidden as possible.
One of the main reasons I liked this book so much and am recommending it here is because of what I like to think of as little moments of wisdom. A couple of these moments come from the unlikeliest character in the book: Jason's sister Julia.
At first, Julia gives the impression of being a very typical, sort of snobby teenage sister. She loves going out with her friends and meeting boys. She also picks on Jason at times, even calling him "Thing" when she gets mad at him.
However, Julia has another side to her. She can also be a very hard worker and an open person, and she is determined to make Jason feel better when she gives him the following words:
-"It'll be all right." Julia's gentleness makes it worse. "In the end, Jace."
"It doesn't feel very all right."
"That's because it's not the end.”-
Black Swan Green Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The story centers around Jason Taylor, a tween living in a tiny town in England pre-Falklands War. Jason loves to write, but he is plagued by a stutter and the desperate need to fit in at school. In order to do this, Jason attempts to keep both his writing and his speech problem as hidden as possible.
One of the main reasons I liked this book so much and am recommending it here is because of what I like to think of as little moments of wisdom. A couple of these moments come from the unlikeliest character in the book: Jason's sister Julia.
At first, Julia gives the impression of being a very typical, sort of snobby teenage sister. She loves going out with her friends and meeting boys. She also picks on Jason at times, even calling him "Thing" when she gets mad at him.
However, Julia has another side to her. She can also be a very hard worker and an open person, and she is determined to make Jason feel better when she gives him the following words:
-"It'll be all right." Julia's gentleness makes it worse. "In the end, Jace."
"It doesn't feel very all right."
"That's because it's not the end.”-
Black Swan Green, David Mitchell, 2006
Let's take a better look at Jason Taylor's life. The "popular" boys at school pick on him, his parents aren't getting along and his teachers don't seem to understand him very well. But somehow Jason pushes through, even by the skin of his teeth. He may not be the most popular, but he is able to win the respect of Dean Moran, a boy once called "Moron" who turns out to be amicable and good-spirited, and surprisingly, Holly Deblin, the new girl at school. Holly is the same one who approaches Jason on one of his uglier days, and tells him:
"You're not a maggot. Don't let dickheads decide what you are."
Black Swan Green, David Mitchell, 2006
I'm not going to tell you what becomes of Jason, his family and his schoolmates, but I will say that if you can give yourself the time, this is a book well worth reading.
;)
Courtney
Black Swan Green Review by Courtney Justus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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